"I know that the refiners fire is real, and I am being refined for my last bit...."

"Happy birthday mom...."

"...and my cool elephant shirt."

"The girls in my zone...and Hermana Macias...

she reminds me of CARA. SO MUCH! just from Ecuador."

"Hermana Hyland and I."

Hello,
Well, how was your week. We didn't have a lot going in. Grandma had her surgery. She seemed to do well. I was at the hospital the second day when the dr came in the chat. She asked why she can't go home and lay in bed as easily as laying in the bed in the hospital. He said as long as you are released by the physical therapist, you can go. He said, if we aren't doing anything for you here that you can do for yourself at home, then I guess that's okay. So, she came home. She has had more pain than last years surgery last time, but she seems to be doing really well. That's good.

That's good. I hope shes good as new when i get home! I will keep her in my prayers so all goes well in the recovery.

Connie and Craig left for their mission in Tacoma Washington. Dad reminded me that is Keely Tanners mission. I'll have to ask Dixie about it and tell Connie about her.

That's pretty fun!

Today Ashley came in primary with me again and our CTR 4 class that I used to teach with all 8 little girls and Caleb, the Karren's grandson. They didn't have their teachers show up to start. They did come later, but Ashley just volunteered to teach their lesson. Jill M. wasn't feeling well. So she read though it, we pulled pictures, and she made some word strips, and taught. She missed YW, but her teaching is a great opportunity. I was proud of her. She really got us out of a pinch Primary. Ann was so appreciative of her being willing to help.

MISSIONARY!! haha that's awesome!! 

Bro. Silver passed away. He went in for surgery and had a stroke on the table. He never came out of it. Apparently he almost died 45 years ago. She said she cannot complain, she had 45 extra years. I got to cut his hair last week, it was a sweet conversation we had. 

What happened in the conversation? 

Morgan, I need you to ask when Hermana Newman's talk is. What time? Where? I want to go, but if we cannot, I wondered if you would ask if she has someone who would record it for us on their phone or something.

I asked her but she doesn't know what time. She thinks its at 1...but you could maybe ask her mom on facebook? Or you had her number at one point i seem to remember? I'm not sure..but she doesn't know. I just know that the Laws homecoming got moved so i will go to that the week after mine!

Blake and Julie are getting home from their cruise tonight.

I cannot think of anything else.

Oh, Spencer is trying for another job. Better, more flexible hours. If it's right for him, he could come to church, he could do school easier, a lot of things. I'm praying for him. I would love it, except for driving to park city every day. Keep him in your prayers for me.

Will do. I will pray he can get the job...but i have faith that he will like it says in Nefi, the Lord prepares the way we can complete his commandments...and so for him to be able to go to church, i pray it works out.

Tell us about your week! We want to know who you have found, worked with, everything.

So, if you have time you could write a ditty for the ward newsletter. If not you still have next week. With conference we have an extra week. But you HAVE to do it for the April newsletter. Okay?? I bet your excited to have conference next week. AND, I found there are Spanish speaking sisters in our stake. I showed Becca that from 10th ward program today.

That is SO GOOD!! That makes me so excited. and YES I AM SOOO EXCITED FOR CONFERENCE! We were able to go to the relief society session..it was SO GOOD. I hope you were able to see it. I loved loved loved the talks. I am just so excited for it!!

Just heard from Julie they just got home. 1055 pm. That's good.

Love you. Take care. Looks like you are back to the rainy season, is that right?

Love you so much, 

Mom

We are actually not int he rainy season yet, it doesn't start until may. But it has rained a bit here and there here...but that's ok. 

So, i will tell you a little about the people we are working with. 

WE have this great guy named Luis. He is married and has one little 4 month old baby. His wife doesn't really like us, but he is so sweet and so humble. He is like a little baby. But so interested. He didn't come to church this week, but i think its his wife's fault, but i know he will come to conference, because he really loves that we have a living prophet today, and that he is called of God! And not that he is chosen by the people...he is very special. 

The other day we hiked to the top of Mount Rushmore to go find this lady we had a second visit set up with and she wasn't home...and there are like NO houses up there but we found this other house and knocked the door and out came Kevin. A 17 year old -- future missionary. He is SO prepared. He is very intelligent and very ready to receive the restored gospel of Christ. The problem is that he left to the capital for the week...so we wont see him until Saturday in general conference...where we have faith he will show up. I have never seen someone here in Solola understand the message so well. The ´people usually don't understand very well here...first of all they speak a different language..and Castellano is their second language, and also thy don't have much education..but he understood. It just made sense in his head. So COOL. The spirit is such a miracle of the mission.

FUNNY STORY. Hermana Wong, being a new missionary struggles with walking fast, but the other day we went to knock on a door and she went to knock when all the sudden i see her flying through the air screaming...and out came the dog. THIS DOG WAS ANGRY. But i have never seen her move so fast. hahaha it was a hoot. The dogs here don't like us, and they think that we might taste good or something. But i always assure them that we don't taste good. If they understand me or not, i don't know, but i always tell them.

Yesterday for p day with our zone we went to a ropes course. I will admit it was a little sketchy, because it was just stuff out of trees and ropes, but i was kind of a loser and didn't do very much because i didn't want to land on my knee wrong or die for that matter here on my mission. I just didn't feel good about it and i was kind of the boring missionary there and on some of the things i told everyone it was probably better we didn't do it...as missionaries...but it was a fun day. We had fun together as a zone. 

We don't have tons of people right now, but we are getting there. Little by little. We see miracles every day. Maybe not the miracles we would like, but they are there. I am so grateful. I will admit these last few weeks are hard. Satan is really working hard. I am trying to give all i've got and trying to stay positive. I know that the refiners fire is real, and i am being refined for my last bit....which i am so grateful for. I am happy. I am LOVING every second. IT might not be easy, but it wasn't easy for Christ either. and i pray that i can become like him one day, so i am ok to suffer a little bit. 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Hermana Oliphant