AHHH I cant even tell you how excited I am to be writing you and reading all your emails!! I am trying not to cry, because I am just so dang happy to hear from/talk to you! Also, just fyi, this key board is way weird, so please excuse my grammar!!
I have SO much to tell you!! So the first day was literally the longest day of my life, probably because we flew through the night and then started going as soon as we got to the MTC. The flight was fine. I sat by some nice Elders and so that was fun. I tried to sleep, which was hard cause I was right in the middle of a row, so I was SO hot and didn't have very much room. But we did make it to the MTC. The first thing I noticed after the smell, was the driving. People literally hanging out the door of buses and they drive SO fast. Hahaha it is so funny. The airport was confusing..but we made it. MY LUGGAGE WAS SO HEAVY. hahaha I was dying! The elders aren't very good gentlemen..they didn't even offer to help! hahaha oh well.
So from day one I got to experience a miracle. MY LEG HAS NOT HURT ONCE. The entire time I have been here. I know it's because my Heavenly Father is aware of me and my needs. It is seriously a miracle. Thank you for your prayers and faith. Heavenly Father "worketh by power according to faith". He really does bless us if we ask him and have faith that he will. I am so grateful.
Speaking of my leg...gym time is the bomb. We get an hour a day. They have treadmills, and bikes...as well as weight. Then outside there is 2 basketball courts :( It kills me watching the Elders play basketball and soccer outside the whole time! AHHH but I can feel my leg getting stronger and I love the time we have to just clear our minds. But seriously I am seeing so many blessings!!
My companion is literally the best. She and I get along so well, and I love her to death! She always tells me how she is so glad I tore my ACL because otherwise we wouldn't have been able to be companions. We are like the same person, so it is so fun!! I feel the same way..I am so grateful I have her. As well as my district. My district is the BEST. It is me and Hermana Newman, and 10 elders. hahahaha so lots of the time is just not focused for them...but Hermana Newman and I try our best to stay focused. its hard cause the Elders are so funny. I feel like I've known all of them for my whole life. We are all such good friends, and I am so lucky to get to learn from them. When I told my district about my leg...which was brought up cause none of them got to see the old temple video and they were confused how I got to...so I told them I went throught\ the temple in Feb...anyways they were all like "Well I'm so glad you tore your ACL!!" They are all so great.
Our teacher is Hermano Lopez. He is awesome. He literally is such a spiritual giant. He asks us questions that make us think. SO much! The language is SO HARD. I am pretty frustrated with it, but I know it will come with time. We have to work hard, and the Lord will do the best.
BEST PART OF THIS WEEK! We are teaching an investigator. A REAL investigator! His name is Hermano Rivera. He literally is so ready. He works here at the CCM and he just loves learning and love growing closer to his Heavenly Father. He is so ready. Unfortunately today is the last day we teach him, cause then he gets to go to the missionaries in his area...HE WILL BE BAPTIZED. I can tell. He already told us he wants to be, so it is such a special thing. The hard part is the Spanish. We are supposed to speak only in Spanish to him...but he is a real investigator of this gospel and sometimes we end up speaking English a lot of the time with him(He does speak English as well) because we want to be able to tell him the things we feel he needs to hear. The spirit is always strong when we are with him. It is hard learning to teach by the spirit, I know that will come with time. He is so great. He came to a devotional we had last night with a member of the seventy.
So the devotional was the member of the seventy and his wife. They are both so great. They talked to us about families most of the time...about how many of the families here live in violent situations and how Heavenly Father will send us angels to protect us so we can be angels for these families. The gospel will change their lives and help them to have a future. I am so excited.
We met this cute little boy..probably like 3 years old, today at the temple. He was the cutest thing Ive ever seen. He came right up to us and shook all of our hands! IT was so cute
We went to the temple this morning. IT WAS AWESOME. I cried through the whole thing because I just kept thinking about how lucky we are that our families can be together for eternity. WE ARE SO LUCKY! I cant wait to help others realize that blessing and hopefully get to see some of them go make the covenants in the temple as well! Ah the temple is the best. I also just sat there thinking about going to the temple with Mom all the time, and I LOVED THAT! So much! I miss you guys so much, but I am so happy here!! The only time I ever want to cry is when I think of you all, and missing out on what you guys are doing, and how lucky I am to be a part of your family!! I just seriously love you guys!! I sent all 5 of you a letter today, so watch for those in the mail!! The other sisters here said you should get them just fine.
Speaking of the other sisters. So there was 8 sisters that flew out with my group, and like 30 elders. hahaha So in the MTC total, theres like 15 North American sisters and like 25 latinas, and like 50 elders? maybe? I don't know, but all the sisters are way tight. They are all so great and help us answer questions that we have! The Latinas are hilarious. We try to talk to them, they are SO patient. They don't understand going to bed at 1030 and waking up at 630...they go to bed later and wake up earlier. So it is hard to sleep when they are all over the place but sleep is precious so we take all that we can get.
I played the piano on Sunday for sacrament meeting...all the hymns and the musical number-I played the song I played at my farewell. I can't tell you how many people came up and told me how much they loved that song. Like every elder here...its still happening. haha so that was kind of cool. Sundays are weird for sure. We have some relief society meeting lesson thing, then Sunday school-we all prepare a lesson and they pick a couple companionships to teach. Hermana Newman and I volunteered to go first this past Sunday cause we felt good about our lesson. on the atonement. It went well I think. Then on Sundays when its not fast sunday we all prepare a talk-in Spanish! AHHH! and they select a couple random missionaries to give their talk...so we shall see what happens next Sunday!
Mom will you make sure the bank knows I am here in Guatemala, otherwise they will like shut off my debit card and it wont work!!THANK YOU!
Listen ALL FAMILIES! Especially mine. Please take like 5 minutes a night if not more and read the scriptures together, as well as have like even just a 15 minute FHE lesson and activity and treat. It will help in so many ways. Our homes should be the most sacred places on earth apart from the temples and that is one way to start. It will just help prepare Jeremy for his mission, make everyone happier, strengthen our family relationship, everything! PLEASE TRY IT!!
Our schedule is pretty much the same everyday-wake at 630, breakfast, personal study, language study, class, lunch, class, sports, dinner, teach and study bed at 1030. Its so fun though!! I really do love it here! Being a missionary is the best! JEREMY GET EXCITED! ALEX GET EXCITED! ELI GET EXCITED! SETH GET EXCITED!! TAYLOR GET EXCITED! PARKER GET EXCITED! EVERYONE get excited!! I know you will love every second. It is SO hard. I am SO tired, it is so emotionally and mentally tough...but I am so happy! I learn so much everyday!! Even on P DAYs. I got those sweet scripture cases today and I also got some personalized ones, like leather ones for my English quad. I am excited to get those back. They like engrave on the leather. Its way cool.
Umm I am trying to think what else to write! I hate that this is timed. I just wish you guys could all experience this with me. The weather here is SO great!! When it rains, it just dumps. Like so hard. Some elders left their window open the other day and it started raining and they ran up stairs to shut it and it was too late...their room was full!!
AHH I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! I LOVE HEARING ABOUT YOU! I seriously love it. Thank you for all you guys do. Keep smiling and keep loving each other and everyone!!
LOVE,
Hermana Oliphant
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