Lisa
So what an awesome Sunday we had. I cannot tell you how great it was. It started at 9 am with Alex's farewell shared with Chase Manning. We got up early to cook breakfast casseroles that were basically french toast. They had to cook for 45 mins so we cooked early so we could be to church on time. Of course, with two of them speaking, we left about 8:20. Chase was first, then their ward choir sang I Need Thee Every Hour. Olivia Abbott played the violin with them --- it was awesome.
Then Alex spoke and can I just say --- he was awesome. Brent said it was the best, bar none missionary talk he has ever heard. He really did a good job. He talked about his testimony of prayer and then why he chose to go on a mission. He told some great experiences. He touched a lot of people.
I hope you recorded it. I have always admired Alex. He is an incredible person and I know he will be an AMAZING missionary.
We saw Hannah and I gave her a hug. She is really cute with us. I saw Matty at church! We didn't get to talk, but we waved. Bro. Popp asked about you again - the Stake President! The bishop! They always ask about you when we see them. I quite enjoy telling them that Wednesday is an important day for me as your mom.
I don't even want to talk about Wednesday...but we are going to the zoo tomorrow to celebrate...haha well not really for that, but we are going to the zoo. I cant even explain to you my feeling about completing half my mission. It makes me sad. it makes me sick. But it makes so much happy to be able to look back at all the amazing experiences.
We went to Alex's house for a little while, and then Dad and I took off and went to WELLSVILLE. It was a long drive, but soooo worth it. We got to go listen to the Brough's homecoming talk. I was so excited that we were able to go. There was about a thousand missionaries there. I couldn't believe it. We were sitting on the back row before the meeting started and had to pull our legs in the whole time because there was so many people standing there talking and hugging, etc. All of a sudden, this missionary stands up, and I said, there she is. Brent said, yup! It was only about 3 minutes before it starts, and I went up to her. Guess who??? I walked up to her and I said were you Morgan Oliphant's trainer?? She said yes! I start crying (you know tearing up), and I said, I'm her mom! She threw her arms around me and we hugged for a long time. I apologized for being such a baby. And then we talked for a minute and she said how much she loves you, how what an awesome missionary you are, and how she just thought so highly of you. All I could say was she loved you too. Then I thanked her for all that she did for you. It was so great to talk to her. She looks much different in person than in Guatemala photos. She was cute with Dad and I --- I pointed to Dad and said that is her dad. She said I would love to meet him too - and she went right back and hugged him too. She was so nice as she talked about you, she made dad teary too!
STOP IT: HERMANA COLEMAN!! I love that girl. I am so glad you got to meet her! What a special girl she is to me.
After the great meeting, Ganzi, then Sis. then Pres., Dad and I both went right up to the front and up on the stand. No one else was going up there really, so I apologized and said I am usually not that pushy, but I needed to come and say hello. I said, I am Morgan Oliphant's Mom. President Brough got a little bit teary, and he said "I want to see her when she gets home!" He told us what a great missionary you are, how hard working and how obedient you are with their messages of obedience with exactness message that he talked about. He was very complimentary of you, Morgan.
I LOVE THAT FAMILY MORE THAN YOU CAN KNOW. What an amazing man. I admire President Brough. Don't be surprised when he is a general authority in a few years.
Then we went over and talked to Sis. Brough. I told her the same "I am not pushy story" but that i wanted to introduce myself and told her who we were. She said, she loved you, and she said you as parents never need to worry if the mission president and his wife love the missionaries. She also told us what an great missionary you are and how hard working you are and mostly the same thing he said. They love you Morga. I cannot wait for you to see them again. I will drive you up there sometime and we will let you say hello, again.
I will see them when I am home! I CANT WAIT!!
I caught Ganzie (their daughter who went to Guatemala with them at the age of 14) - said hello, told her who we were, she said you are an amazing missionary and how much she loves you, and ended with OH, and I LOVE HER HAIR. I love it, she said. It was funny. She was nice, too!
SHE is so cute. An amazing example for me.
Just before it ended, I was thinking I should have called the Funk's and invited them to go to! I don't know if they would have, but we didn't see them there - we didn't really look much! It was very crowded.
Hermana Newman really wanted her mom to be able to go with you. Did you see her there?
It was a great meeting day for us. I am so glad we got to see both of them. Both meetings were just really worth it. But, we didn't see anyone there...sorry!
The Brough's talked about how they always said what a blessing - when someone called and talked about their "problems" --- blisters, etc. They would say what a blessing that you worked so hard. He talked about how he wanted the missionaries to suffer because they turned to Christ in those times. I understand more, now, of what that meant and what it was all about. I didn't love the idea when I first heard it, but it made more sense to me.
So much sense and so amazing. What a great family.
So, we went to Wicked Wednesday, it was good, and sooo fun to be with all the family that went with us. We had Karen, Brig, Lincoln Melissa (her sister and husband), Gma and Gpa Spencer, Julie, Blake, Alex, Gma Vicki, Aunt Elise and Uncle Don. Then we also had Tammy, Melanie, Michael and Jesse North. IT WAS AWESOME!
FUN NIGHT!!!
Thursday for Pioneer Day, that's the day the boys got home from Trek - like at 10, but they actually came home at 845 cuz they walked faster, then Friday night was Tim McGraw.
Trek, what a great experience.
It was a fun week, but it was a GREAT Sunday.
Spencer and Jeremy both enjoyed Trek. Spencer ended up being an Uncle. Wish we would have known, cuz we wouldn't have had to gather all the PA stuff if we knew that! Oh well!
Spencer - hopefully he will tell you, but he starts a new job tomorrow, still at Back Country, but he has to be there at 6 am until 2:30 pm.
Okay - I have talked WAAAYYYY too much. We want to hear about your week - all of it. I really wanted to share this Sunday with you. If you can listen to cd's, I could try and send you a CD of the two meetings, or, I will have them when you get home and you can listen then. Alex goes to the MTC on Wednesday at 1:30. He, hopefully, will write you, but he won't know you are on Monday - actually I am going to tell him right now, he will want to send you a note, and you can send him one too!
He emailed me. I did email him, and I cant wait for him. As for CDs, don't send them. no time, nowhere to listen to them. But in 9 months that's the first things ill do!!
We love you Morga! We pray for you still - every prayer! Be safe, be healthy, and be successful. Obedient to exactness! That is a great idea. It is a protection for you as well I understand!
Tell us about your investigators! How is Heyson this week. All is well still? I was glad to hear you found Dennis? Is that going any better now? How did you meeting with the boy whose father didn't want you to come anymore--Osmar? Edgar? did he come to church with his new shoes? Pres. Pineda and his wife sound great! Alva? Abilia? Hope i am spelling and remembering right!
Take care of Morgan - be careful at the zoo! I hope it is a great experience. I was wishing I knew some of those missionaries---But I didn't really know who they were and so we didn't really talk to anyone!
LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Be happy!
Mom
What a WILD week! I cant tell you it has been a struggle of a week. We just didn't have TONS of great successful days...so we thought. But every time we had an appointment fall through, or someone break up with us...which is what we say when they don't want to listen anymore, we reminded ourselves that something good was coming. And it always did. What miracles we see each day. I have really been trying to work on my hope. Something good always come after. We have a goal in august of having 70 baptism in the zone. IT is a very high goal, but we Are SO excited because we have so many amazing investigators very well prepared!!
The other day we had an awful day. Like everything fell through. At 8 we had an appointment with Arjona...haha we were in the LAST street of Proyectos waiting for him at a members house...well he finally showed up at 825....we weren't super happy with him...but we got talking and he has really changed. He is really trying. He has changed from poco a poco to ire y hare. I WILL GO AND DO. He literally says that when we talk to him about different commandments. Well at the end of the lesson, law of chastity, he goes, and what happens if we have had problems with that...we explained the miracle of repentance and that with the baptism he can be clean and he says...
Arjona: Solo me falta un bautismo....i just need to be baptized
me: si hermano, estamos preparando un servicio bautismal por este 10 de agosto...seguira el ejemplo de jesucrist y se preparara para ser bautizado este fecha...
arjona: he looked at me for a few second with the little grin and laughed a bit and says...YES! What time?
HOLY COW. What a miracle. His big problem is his dad. His dad is evangelical...and he gets nervous of what his dad says and thinks....so Sundays he goes to work with his dad and he is afraid to tell him no. So we are praying a lot for that and that he can get over the word of wisdom problems.
This week we have woken up at 400 am every day. except for one day i think...WE ARE TIRED. But we are seeing so many miracles.
We found SERGIO!! He is seriously so cool. We are trying to get him to church. But he studies Sundays.
Conversation.
Serigio: What do i have to do to get baptized. like the requirements.
We explained and then also said he had to go to church 3 times.
Sergio: So if ive been going to church in a different area for the past month i can get baptized?
WE JUST STARED AT HIM FOR LIKE A MINUTE. Trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or if he was kidding.
He was like so can i get baptized. We were dyingggg!!!
He says, no its not true i just wanted to know.
Then we had been talking about how we always have transfers and he goes, well I am going to pray that you will still be her ein September so I can go to church with you when I finish school in September. Well he said the prayer at the end and really did pray for it.
Heyson got confirmed on Sunday. On Friday he went and visited Victor with us. Well he invited Victor to mutual. The next day they were going to go play soccer at the church. Well victor said he wanted to go. Saturday night we found the young men walking down the street and asked them how it went. They told us victor went...and GOT IN A FIGHT WITH SOMEONE. WHAT!?!? Our sweet little 13 year old investigator went to mutual and got in a fight with a member. Like punching. I WAS DYING. We get to church Sunday and guess who was there...at 730...half hour before church starts....VICTOR AND HEYSON. Sitting there on the front row just waiting. YES OUR LITTLE 13 YEAR OLD CONVERT IS PASSING FOR OUR INVESTIGATOR TO BRING HIM TO CHURCH. They are so amazing. The young men in this ward are amazing. Victor is friend with all of them and they just make him feel like a thousand bucks. It just made us so happy to see them all there together. So amazing.
WE received a reference from a member. IT is the lady named Ana Lucia Barrios. Well yesterday we went to visit her. Turns out her brother in law is Elder Cardon...of the 70. This Ana Lucia is amazing. She has listened a little bit to the missionaries for like 25 years but never rreallllly super interested. Well i know the spirit has been preparing her. SHE IS SO PREPARED. Her and her cute daughter Camilla. They are so amazing. I know they will be baptized. I am so excited for them. She got in a car accident 4 years ago...she cant bend her one ankle...she has lots of problems with her one leg....but she in incredible. SO EXCITED!!
Saturday we went to Palin...an area about 45 minutes from Proyectos and we did an attack of the area. This ward has 1000 members, but only 250 going to church. So we went to go visit everyone and their dog. The ward is going to be split, they just are working hard to be able to do so. It was interesting and fun to be in a new area, but we had appointments that we missed because they kept us there longer than we thought they would. We went to planes de barcinas after at like 700...well at 730 the buses don't pass to go back to Proyectos...so we went with faith that a member would be able to bring us back. WE RANNN THROUGH THIS RESIDENTIAL AREA. HILLS AND HUGE. RAN to get to this appointment. Also, this day the phone decided it didn't want to work, so we couldn't call the family to tell them we were going to be late. So we get there and in the end, it was a crazy day, but it was a success. The family we visited was a family that showed up to church with a less active family, so we finally got to visit them. Estuardo and Marcela. They are way cool and way interested. We are seeing things grow and seeing miracles always.
This week we had some funny experiences. One time we knocked on this guys door and he yelled QUIEN? WE were like BUENOS DIAS HERMANO!! He finally came to the door...wrapped in a towel with shampoo in his hair and his body...he told us now wasn't a great time and to return another day. He shut the door and we just died laughing...it was so funny.
I can tell you the mission is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I cant believe how time flies. But I AM LOVING EVERY SECOND. I know that what happens is what is supposed to happen and the lord hand is in all things. DILIGENCE AND OBEDIENCE WITH EXACTNESS ARE THE KEY TO SUCCESS. It gives us power. I know that i am right where I am supposed to be. It makes me sick to think it all has to end soon. That I could be leaving this area in like 2 weeks. The people here are a part of my family and I love them with all of my heart. I feel like I have so much to do here in this area still and I can't wait to see all the miracles that are to come. Keep being amazing and help out the missionaries. PRAY TO KNOW WHO YOU CAN SHARE YOUR TESTIMONIES WITH. Share the Book of Mormon with a friend. Bring someone to church. Go on visits with the missionaries. OFFER TO LET THE MISSIONARIES TEACH IN YOUR HOUSE.
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
Hermana Oliphant
I THEN ASKED:
On Mon, Jul 28, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Lisa Oliphant <balfoliphant@comcast.net> wrote:
What do you mean when you say our member is passing for our investigator??
From: "Oliphant, Morgan" <morgan.oliphant@myldsmail.net>
To: "Lisa Oliphant" <balfoliphant@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2014 1:14:45 PM
Subject: Re: EMAIL #39 for week of July 27, 2014
He went to his house and picked him up to go to church together!! He passed by his house to go to church with him and bring him along!
Mom
What a WILD week! I cant tell you it has been a struggle of a week. We just didn't have TONS of great successful days...so we thought. But every time we had an appointment fall through, or someone break up with us...which is what we say when they don't want to listen anymore, we reminded ourselves that something good was coming. And it always did. What miracles we see each day. I have really been trying to work on my hope. Something good always come after. We have a goal in august of having 70 baptism in the zone. IT is a very high goal, but we Are SO excited because we have so many amazing investigators very well prepared!!
The other day we had an awful day. Like everything fell through. At 8 we had an appointment with Arjona...haha we were in the LAST street of Proyectos waiting for him at a members house...well he finally showed up at 825....we weren't super happy with him...but we got talking and he has really changed. He is really trying. He has changed from poco a poco to ire y hare. I WILL GO AND DO. He literally says that when we talk to him about different commandments. Well at the end of the lesson, law of chastity, he goes, and what happens if we have had problems with that...we explained the miracle of repentance and that with the baptism he can be clean and he says...
Arjona: Solo me falta un bautismo....i just need to be baptized
me: si hermano, estamos preparando un servicio bautismal por este 10 de agosto...seguira el ejemplo de jesucrist y se preparara para ser bautizado este fecha...
arjona: he looked at me for a few second with the little grin and laughed a bit and says...YES! What time?
HOLY COW. What a miracle. His big problem is his dad. His dad is evangelical...and he gets nervous of what his dad says and thinks....so Sundays he goes to work with his dad and he is afraid to tell him no. So we are praying a lot for that and that he can get over the word of wisdom problems.
This week we have woken up at 400 am every day. except for one day i think...WE ARE TIRED. But we are seeing so many miracles.
We found SERGIO!! He is seriously so cool. We are trying to get him to church. But he studies Sundays.
Conversation.
Serigio: What do i have to do to get baptized. like the requirements.
We explained and then also said he had to go to church 3 times.
Sergio: So if ive been going to church in a different area for the past month i can get baptized?
WE JUST STARED AT HIM FOR LIKE A MINUTE. Trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or if he was kidding.
He was like so can i get baptized. We were dyingggg!!!
He says, no its not true i just wanted to know.
Then we had been talking about how we always have transfers and he goes, well I am going to pray that you will still be her ein September so I can go to church with you when I finish school in September. Well he said the prayer at the end and really did pray for it.
Heyson got confirmed on Sunday. On Friday he went and visited Victor with us. Well he invited Victor to mutual. The next day they were going to go play soccer at the church. Well victor said he wanted to go. Saturday night we found the young men walking down the street and asked them how it went. They told us victor went...and GOT IN A FIGHT WITH SOMEONE. WHAT!?!? Our sweet little 13 year old investigator went to mutual and got in a fight with a member. Like punching. I WAS DYING. We get to church Sunday and guess who was there...at 730...half hour before church starts....VICTOR AND HEYSON. Sitting there on the front row just waiting. YES OUR LITTLE 13 YEAR OLD CONVERT IS PASSING FOR OUR INVESTIGATOR TO BRING HIM TO CHURCH. They are so amazing. The young men in this ward are amazing. Victor is friend with all of them and they just make him feel like a thousand bucks. It just made us so happy to see them all there together. So amazing.
WE received a reference from a member. IT is the lady named Ana Lucia Barrios. Well yesterday we went to visit her. Turns out her brother in law is Elder Cardon...of the 70. This Ana Lucia is amazing. She has listened a little bit to the missionaries for like 25 years but never rreallllly super interested. Well i know the spirit has been preparing her. SHE IS SO PREPARED. Her and her cute daughter Camilla. They are so amazing. I know they will be baptized. I am so excited for them. She got in a car accident 4 years ago...she cant bend her one ankle...she has lots of problems with her one leg....but she in incredible. SO EXCITED!!
Saturday we went to Palin...an area about 45 minutes from Proyectos and we did an attack of the area. This ward has 1000 members, but only 250 going to church. So we went to go visit everyone and their dog. The ward is going to be split, they just are working hard to be able to do so. It was interesting and fun to be in a new area, but we had appointments that we missed because they kept us there longer than we thought they would. We went to planes de barcinas after at like 700...well at 730 the buses don't pass to go back to Proyectos...so we went with faith that a member would be able to bring us back. WE RANNN THROUGH THIS RESIDENTIAL AREA. HILLS AND HUGE. RAN to get to this appointment. Also, this day the phone decided it didn't want to work, so we couldn't call the family to tell them we were going to be late. So we get there and in the end, it was a crazy day, but it was a success. The family we visited was a family that showed up to church with a less active family, so we finally got to visit them. Estuardo and Marcela. They are way cool and way interested. We are seeing things grow and seeing miracles always.
This week we had some funny experiences. One time we knocked on this guys door and he yelled QUIEN? WE were like BUENOS DIAS HERMANO!! He finally came to the door...wrapped in a towel with shampoo in his hair and his body...he told us now wasn't a great time and to return another day. He shut the door and we just died laughing...it was so funny.
I can tell you the mission is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I cant believe how time flies. But I AM LOVING EVERY SECOND. I know that what happens is what is supposed to happen and the lord hand is in all things. DILIGENCE AND OBEDIENCE WITH EXACTNESS ARE THE KEY TO SUCCESS. It gives us power. I know that i am right where I am supposed to be. It makes me sick to think it all has to end soon. That I could be leaving this area in like 2 weeks. The people here are a part of my family and I love them with all of my heart. I feel like I have so much to do here in this area still and I can't wait to see all the miracles that are to come. Keep being amazing and help out the missionaries. PRAY TO KNOW WHO YOU CAN SHARE YOUR TESTIMONIES WITH. Share the Book of Mormon with a friend. Bring someone to church. Go on visits with the missionaries. OFFER TO LET THE MISSIONARIES TEACH IN YOUR HOUSE.
LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
Hermana Oliphant
I THEN ASKED:
On Mon, Jul 28, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Lisa Oliphant <balfoliphant@comcast.net> wrote:
What do you mean when you say our member is passing for our investigator??
From: "Oliphant, Morgan" <morgan.oliphant@myldsmail.net>
To: "Lisa Oliphant" <balfoliphant@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2014 1:14:45 PM
Subject: Re: EMAIL #39 for week of July 27, 2014
He went to his house and picked him up to go to church together!! He passed by his house to go to church with him and bring him along!
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