I have never loved the Book of Mormon so much. It has such power.

During changes I got to see all my friends from my first area!! IT WAS SOOOO FUN!! I was so excited, and now I am back in the same stake, so I will get to see them more!! They are so cute. They are all preparing for missions, except the one with the baby! Ahh love them so much!!

My companion and I and Colocho, aka Victor.  He is preparing for his mission and helps us out a lot!!

Mi amor hermanita Francisca!!!

Mi hermanito favorito en San Martin. Its normal here to kiss the women...

but we cant kiss the men, this little guy always tried to steal kisses from me.

(I sent Morgan photos of Alex (her cousin) opening his mission call and people there!  Hi, I love these pictures!!! I don't know why Ashley has to be so grown up and how I got 2 guapo hermanos....pero, les amoooooo!!!!!!

Tell us all about your new area. Your apartment. Your companion.
LISTOS! Hermana Funk is in my district, and we live in the same house!! SO FUN!! hahahaha my goodness this transfer is going to be such a blast!! My Companion is Hermana Arguello. She is from Nicaragua, and she is sooo funny! She is a hoot. We have soo much fun together. We are constantly laughing. Oh an I am back in Amatitlan. Its not the same area as my first, but we are in the same zone. My area is Las Alamedas. We have a gated resendential area, which is wehre we live, as well as an area, Los Proyectos...its like the ghetto. I LOVE IT!! The people in the gated area are loaded...like their houses are amazing, and they all have cars, which is nice for us, and they just love helping us. The members here are incredible. The stake president is in our ward, he is amazing. We ate lunch with them and their cute family Sunday. Oh you guys, I just feel so extremely blessed and happy!! You have no idea. Everyone here calls me Colocha...aka curly haired girl. I am constantly braiding the peoples hair here. The people here have never seen a white hermana. There were elders here before us, and I am the first gringa. But I seriously didn't know it was so easy to love people so fast. I just feel so extremely blessed and I am loving every second. ALEX GET SO EXCITED FOR THE MISSION! ITS THE BEST!!!! Also another gated area that is like 15 minutes in car from our house...thank goodness we have members that love to help us!

my new house mate!!

I LOVE THIS!!!! I AM FREAKING OUT ABOUT ALEX'S CALL! SO SO EXCITED FOR HIM!  So exciting that everyone is getting their calls. the mission life is the bombbb!!! He is going to love it. At first I was bummed I wasn't speaking English because it takes so much focus to learn the language, but not I can finally focus in on the gospel way more and I am loving it. I have never loved the Book of Mormon so much. It has such power.

I forgot it was my birthday until a member called me in the morning to wish me a happy birthday, then I didn't tell my companion it was my birthday until it was late...with an investigator...she was so mad, but she decided she wanted to do my make up for my birthday...you can imagine what I was thinking, but I accepted ... hahahahaha my companion is all about fashion...and I totally am not. It cracks me up....but guess what? The family of my companion is coming to Guatemala in May..like the 21 or 22, and they are going to be sealed in the temple. There isn't a temple in Nicaragua, so they are coming here and I GET TO GO!! I am SO excited!!! What a great thing. But really I am just loving life!!

We were in a house of a convert....in 15 minutes I got more than 45 mosquito bites...hahahahaha I was just laughing. My companion and I couldn't sing...we were singing hymns with the family..we were laughing so hard because I was getting attacked. hahahahaha so funny!! I itch like crazy, but I just laugh about it, because I have SO MAN¨Y! My legs and arms are beautifulllllll!!!!! hahahaha

We have a family...they have 10 kids. THE KIDS ARE WILD!!! It is impossible to teach with the kids in the room. So one of us plays with the kids while the other teaches. This day, when I was playing with the kids, the mom was actually worried because they were so quiet and behaved....she kept looking over at us to see if everything was all right. Oh but it was so fun! They are adorable. They are WILD CHILDREN, but so cute!! I used pop rocks to persuade them to play games with me to keep them occupied, and we had a blast. I didn't have all 10 of the kids, but the 6 that i had were willlllddddd!!!!!

I don't know why I focus so much on the death of our Savior...how Catholic of me, but this week I had a lot of time to think about the miracle of the resurrection. It is something I am always teaching but I really was able to ponder on it! I feel so blessed and so happy to have this knowledge, We have such a responsibility to share it with everyone!! 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! Keep being amazing!!!!

"I am serious, is it such a blessing ... I can read the Book of Mormon in Spanish and understand everything."

Here is Morgans letter. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! She got everything we sent her in the package!  So exciting!! And, she sent a lot of photos, and they are fun.

She will be transferred tomorrow. She didn't know where or who with yet, but she will know tomorrow --- on her very birthday! She wanted to stay but is at peace knowing it is the right thing! she loves these people and will miss them all!

Lisa

my birthday balloons from Hermana Coleman and Hermana Hansen!

we love our choco mangos....MMMMM!!! SO GOOD!

this is our transportation here in Guatemala!! so great.

this sign tho,...hahahaha Ashley you gotta translate this for everyone!!

p day on the big beautiful turf field

Two of the many families she will miss when she leaves!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

on WEDNESDAY!  We love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday!  I am so glad you got your package.  BUT, I wonder if you got everything. Did it look opened?  The mail man told us to put stickers over the seams so you would know if it had been cut or ripped open. 

Nah, it was all there and unopened! THANKS!! LOVE IT ALL! Thank you. And yes it was all there. The pop rocks are a hit here. The kids love them!! ITS SO FUN!! hahaha and I love the backpack! It is great!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I wish I was smart enough to add a birthday sign and banner and all the good stuff, unfortunately, I was only thinking about the needs, not the "funs"! So pretend you got a birthday sign to hang up and remind you that we all love you.  You could open the box and write it on the inside of the box!?!?! Tacky, but could be fun! Sorry, I will get smarter I hope as time goes by. Weight is money - scared me!  Plus I wasn't convinced you would even get the package at all!

Ya, don't worry. Hermana Hansen and Coleman gave me balloons today during district meeting. And I get to have transfers tomorrow for my birthday....I was hoping that because it is my birthday I would be able to stay, but the Lord has other plans. We shall see. It is so hard to leave here. SO HARD!! They are all my family, but its a little bit harder because I don't know if I will ever see them again. I know I will see you guys, and that was hard to say good bye, but the people here, I don't know if I will, it makes me sick to think about leaving, but I am at peace with it because I know that it is what I need to do!!

Tell us about your week.  I loved your stories from conference last weekend.  Dad did his lesson with the 17 yr olds using the conference Church News:  recapping the talks!  Do you want us to send you a conference Ensign?  Will you get one when they come out? Let me know!  

We always get the Ensigns....so don't need to send one! Thanks though!! I don't have much time to read them anyways!!

We sure hope you have a wonderful week.  I need more photos of your apartment.  I thought the one you sent last week was the one of your apartment, then I realized it was the shower/toilet room.  I was scared. Open air roof, etc.  Freaked me out.  I would love to see what it is like INSIDE your apartment, too! Is this area the same where you have a laundry lady and cook - or was that your last area!  I can't remember.  

Same area...but we shall see what the next one brings!!

Take care Morgan.  We love you so much!  We pray for you in every prayer!  We want you happy, healthy, and successful.  Be careful with your OLD body and go easy on it.  Keep it fit, but be nice.  Take it slow in jumping back in to well, jumping and running!  Include Heavenly Father in everything you do. Pray before you do anything (activities, study, appointments -- everything) and ask for guidance.  I bet you already do, but I cannot get off my mind how important that is.  

Good luck with your Spanish Book of Mormon reading!  That is awesome!

I am serious, is it such a blessing but I can read the Book of Mormon in Spanish and understand everything. There are some words I don't know, but that's an easy fix. Everyone is shocked that I have only been out for 6 months and can speak Spanish the way I can. They all say my Spanish is better than any other North American that they have ever heard. The gift of tongues is so real!! Its amazing!! I love Spanish!! I CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH! Last night this man was trying to talk to me in English and it took aaaalllll of my brain power to reply in English!  My homecoming talk will be a hoot for all of you in a year....because I won't be able to speak...hahahahaha

LOVE YOUR GUTS!

Mom

So yes, I was sick all week, well not really, but sort of, just thinking about transfers. I did not want tot leave. But it's true, I have to leave. I was hoping that because its my birthday President would let me stay, but the Lord has a different plan.

This was a wild week. JM has been drunk everyday. He leaves the house at 5 am to drink. His mom hides his shoes so he cant leave, but he still leaves. This also makes me sick...I am just so sad for the man!! I know he can change, but he needs to know it too. We have a family so close to being baptized. It's this cute grandma and her 2 grandkids. This cute lady is so STUBBORN! She wont get baptized til she get an answer to her prayers with a specific date....she is a little bit confused...hahaha we are working with her a lot. She is just scared to change...that's all. Her cute grandkids are SO EXCITED TO GET BAPTIZED! hahaha I am sad I will miss it. We always have Geovanni and Carlos, two jovenes...17 and 19. They are so great. They will be baptized this month. Geovanni just needs to quit working Sundays and Carlos just needs a bit more confidence. HE IS SO SHY. It's kind of funny, but the are both great. 

I don't have tons to tell you this week, but I am going to try to send lots of fun pictures.

Yesterday for p day we went to this big beautiful turf soccer field to play. We had 1 hour...I was SO SAD. I've realized its such a piece of humble pie for me to not have a good knee...because it killed me to not be able to play as hard as I used to be able to...I still had 2 goals...hahahaha but it killed me. I know I have to be careful, so I was keeper most the time, but after a while I couldn't handle it, I had to play field for a bit....it is just a pride thing...and a love thing. It was so fun either way!! 

K I am going to send some fun pictures now...hope you are all doing great. I will let you know what happens with transfers. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. You guys are the best. I AM PRAYING FOR YOU ALWAYS AND HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY!!

Hermana Oliphant

morgan.oliphant@myldsmail.net

"Guys the mission is the best!"

She sounds good!  Much better than her feet look!!!  =)     Don't look too close!!!  =[ Seriously!!!

photo 685 - "mission feet are the best. My companions feet are SO FUNNY! 

She looks like shes got socks on!"

photo 343 - "the apartment"

So when she sent this, I about cried.  I thought this was where they are living with the exposed sky and cement floors - I thought the blue table was the kitchen with a microwave underneath it.  Looks like that right?  Well, she has said that their shower and toilet are "in this little place" outside.  I'd like to think this is THAT little place she was talking about!!!

Hello,

So how was your conference weekend?  I hope it was wonderful and you got to watch it all.  We didn't have any tickets available, so we watched all from home, except Priesthood session, of course.  The girls went to grandmas and had left over homemade Cafe Rio.  Did your investigators come that you were hoping for...I hope so.  Were you able to understand it in Spanish?

Conference was AMAZING!! I just love conference. I literally was stoked out of my mind all week! We would invite investigators and they just thought I was crazy because I was so excited! We had a couple investigators that ended up going. Which was a great experience for them. One is this kid Geovani. He is HILARIOUS. Seriously so funny. Hes 19, and he really has such a desire to know if the church is true. His challenge, like the rest of San Martin is going to church. He works every Sunday. And Sundays in San Martin is when we have the market. So its the best day to work because there's a million and one people. So it is so hard for people to humble themselves enough to quit working Sundays!  The other was this kid Carlos. He is 17...he looks like hes 12. We thought he was lying when he first told us his age...seriously. But he is the most timid kid I've ever met but he loves going to activities and church. His mom is is evangelico y muy orgulloso, entonces, we want him to turn 18 so he can be baptized, but he doesn't know when his birthday is....lots of people here don't. its weird!!

The weather was typical for conference weekend:  rainy and cold.  This whole last week was pretty awful, but this next week is supposed to be so much better.  Hopefully you aren't too hot. I have been so glad that you had cooler weather so that you don't have to deal with bugs.  I know that will come to you, but hopefully not too soon.  USE YOUR OILS!

The weather is HEAVENLY! And the mangos and the watermelon! WE bought 3 watermelons yesterday!! OHH YA! hahaha we love the fruit here. Its ridiculous when the people try to charge us 2x as much money for things here because I'm a gringa...hahaha I just laugh!

So what else...what is going on with you?  How did the mission end officially up for their 400 in March.

I thought I told you in the last letter, but we hit 364 baptisms in march. Which is amazing. and we are so excited about it! Also our zone has 87 percent retention with our converts which is the record of the mission. So we are excited about that too!!

How is JM doing now?  I hope he is doing great!  I hope he is able to be strong.

JM didn't show up for the priesthood session of conference....or Sunday. so we went to visit him Sunday night and he was drunk...ya my heart broke. I might have cried a bit. I just feel sooo sad for him and I don't know what more to do for him! It's SO HARD!

Do you have photos of you apartment?

Ya I will try to send some!

I was thinking...you should find someone, or ask your companion to trim off about 1" of your hair.  I think it be good for it.  I can't believe we forgot to trim it, but in your photos, it looks like it is ready.  Even if you just trim it a bit, it will help it grow better that way.

Ya not asking my comp....hahahaha not that I don't love her, I just don't trust her with that! hahaha we shall see...my hair is getting so light though..I don't like that part!! 

I have lots of questions, but I didn't write any of them down, so I always forget what I wanted to ask you.  Maybe I will start to take notes in my phone so I remember.

Emily Stewart is home now.  She was later than they expected, but she made it.  Laura was very excited for that.

Okay babe, your on.  What is your story for the week?  We cannot wait to hear.

So this week, aka yesterday we did divisions. I GOT TO WORK WITH HERMANA COLEMAN AGAIN! It was SO, SO fun! I loved it! She is so greta. The wheel of one of my suit cases is broken so she brought her nice big suit case and traded me because she goes him in like a week so now I have her suitcase (her parents will LOVE us =}) and its so nice and the wheel works! She is so great, huh! We had some great lessons this week. We had miracles! We found some people just incredible that i am so excited about. They are seriously amazing. One, Marvin, he is LOVING the Book of Mormon. He told us the other day that we have changed his whole perspective. So we invited him to church and he said he had to ask his pastor...WHAT! Why in the world would you ask your past...I don't get it! hahaha but he is changing so much. We just need to get him to church, along with the rest of San Martin. We found this girl, shes 18. She is amazing. She is living by herself to study and she has such a strong desire to know the truth. K I DON'T GET IT! ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATORS ARE MOVING TO THE STATES. It's ridiculous. The states aren't that amazing are they....hahaha nahhh --- San Martin is way better! Why are they all leaving us!! hahaha K but seriously this is the best area. I am more and more in love with the people every day. I just feel like they are part of our family. I hope one day you get to meet these wonderful people!!

Guys, I hope you enjoyed conference and realized how many times they mentioned family scripture study, prayer and family home evening. I hope you are doing it! If not, START. I know I am just the annoying missionary sister, but I'm serious, it changes. The BOOK OF MORMON HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE OUR LIVES. We just finished the Book of Mormon as a mission the 4th! I seriously love this book. What a blessing that we have it! I am starting it again doing it with the intent to KNOW the characters. Really know them so I can apply the scriptures to the lives of my investigators. Also I am going to read it only in Spanish! This last time I did it in English and marked up my Spanish scriptures, but this time only in Spanish! I am so, so excited! 

Guys the mission is the best! I literally have never been so happpy! So tired, but so happy!! I hope you are all so happy and helping in this work! It is the only way to have success , if we are all working together!!

Take care--LOVE YOUR GUTS!

Mom

PS  Hopefully you get your package soon!!!

Got the package! THANK YOUUUU!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!

JM got baptized!!

"JM got baptized"

 Her Zone - I think!

 "Big, fat pregnant cow"  Look at the one in the back, a super jealous cow - 

she said the gave that one water later.

"Just relaxing after a little service."

(I asked Morgan about her shower - she said it is not in the house.  I wondered where it was and what it was like!)

The shower is in a little thing outside of the house with the toilet. it's all enclosed...its just not in the house. hahaha

The Womens Conference...no. We don't get to see it and as for Conference, I AM SOOOO EXCITED. SO, SO excited!! We get to watch it in the comfort of our little church house. Literally house. but i am so glad. Usually they have to take a bus to Chimaltenango for the general conference, but we get to stay in San Martin which will be so much easier to get investigators there. It is going to be weird to watch it in Spanish. But i am so excited still!! I literally love general conference. I have invited all of the branch here to come to Utah and stay with us and go to general conference. So prepare! hahaha

J M GOT BAPTIZED!!! It was amazing. He is so happy! and I am just stoked out of my mind for him. Pictures to come! This week was a wild week. Lots of disappointments. Satan was working hard to discourage us. We had like 3 investigators in one day tell us they didnt want us to come back. That is so hard. We had a miracle in church. 3 investigators who haven't been to church in a LONG time came. and after, there was a problem with a member and the mom said she wasn't going to go back to church until she got an apology. Ah super frustrating.

BUT WE HAD MIRACLES. so this one day we were looking for this contact. S. The only direction we had was...the street of the bank BAM red house. K....this street runs alllllll the way through San Martin, and there are millions of red houses. So we are walking...and Hermana Villacis and I both just stop and turn around as we passed this house. We asked the lady who was out front if S lived in this house....and she said YES!! hahaha oh my goodness.. What an amazing experience, and the lesson was incredible. He is so excited about this whole thing. I can already feel how prepared he is for this message. What a miracle.

We have a convert who is very inactive. We have been working so hard to get her back to church and last night we have family night with a bunch of the members and SHE CAME! What a miracle. Seriously. It is going to help her so much to feel more comfortable in the church

I had a dream about market square the other night! HAHAHAHA I woke up laughing..and crying. I kind of miss Market Square. hahaha but part of my dream was like all my jackets. I know this is a weird dream. but you know how much I love my jackets!! hahaha too funny!! How is Market Square treating you these days dad...hope its doing well!! I finally finished off my rootbeer barrells!! THE PEOPLE HERE LOVE THEM! ok, the little kids....the little kids love them almost as much as I love the little kids!! I am OBSESSED with the people here!! Seriously. They are amazing!!!

Yesterday we went to Colinas for P day with the district. IT is church property...sort of like Heber Valley camp...just not as nice. They have a few little obstacle courses, and lots of open fields...hahaha but it was a nice day!! After my comp and I went to the Pacas in Chimal...which are like DIs. I didn't buy anything but they have some good stuff. Like skirts for 20Q...aka like 2 dollars or something...3 maybe.

I just hope you know how amazing it is that we have the knowledge of this gospel. It is such a blessing. There are so many people who are so lost and don't know it. This work is the best thing in the world. I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I hope you know how much I love my Savior. How grateful I am for his sacrifice. I know we think we suffer so much in this life...but we will never suffer as much as he did for us...so we can have peace an happiness in this life. Kind of ironic...i am realizing how prideful and selfish I am. How embarrassing. Thank goodness I have the chance to change. I love my mission. I love my family here in San Martin. I love my family back in the states. I am so grateful for all of your examples and love and support. Keep being amazing. Keep reading the Book of Mormon everyday. My Libro de Mormon is a treasure. I would literally die if I lost it..it is kind of like my diary. I know this book changes lives. Keep being strong in the church. Help the missionaries. Share your testimonies. It is a privilege that we, as members of the church, have the opportunity to help in the world of Salvation. We need to do all we can. There is Urgency in the work. Soooo....all of you...stop reading and get to work! GO SHARE THE JOY THAT WE HAVE!!!

LOVE YOU ALLL!!!!
Hermana Oliphant