Mom: "HaPpY OnE YeAr week!" Morgan: "I cant believe how fast it has gone!"

Pablo with his sister Isabel and her kids!!

Hermana Alba from Mexico and I

Lucy and Manuel and Lucy's brother and sister Brayan and Jennifer! 

We made mac and cheese with them for p day!

Mac & cheese with Lucy!

Helping Lucy and Manuel get rid of their coffee!

Helping Lucy and Manuel (in their new house) pour the cement hahaha

This is how we cook here...thank you girls camp for helping me 

learn to cook on the fire (again in the new house)!  (Lucy and Hermana Alba)

Morgan,
I will not say it again, but HaPpY OnE YeAr week. I know, it's not what you want to hear, but it is a milestone, and so on Friday, Happy 30th, one year from the first day in Guatemala. That is amazing AND awesome! We are proud of you. You are an amazing missionary. I never hear anything but good comments from those who read your letters. They always comment on how upbeat and positive you always sound. Very cool, Morga! We are happy that you are SOOO happy. Keep up the good work for the next 1/3 of your mission. CoNgRaTs!!

I cant believe how fast it has gone. It weird me out that i only have 4 transfers left....WHAT!? it cant be right. But it has been the BEST year of my entire life.

I am writing Sunday night in case, because of transfer week, you are online Monday instead of Tuesday. I never am sure if that changes your email day.

Transfers are tomorrow so i am here today!

I sure hope you get your package this week. I doubt you will get ours that fast, but that would be an awesome blessing. I hope you can beg someone to bring ours to you as soon as it gets there. I don't want you to not have shoes. I hope you aren't wearing the holy ones anymore. They might cause your feet grief. Be careful with those feet. 

I am sure i will get it tomorrow. I am for sure going to the transfers meeting and so i am sure i will receive the package tomorrow. i might or might not be using the holy shoes still...and i say holy because its funny...and is only funny in English also because i cant remember how i would spell it otherwise.

Emily Burgoyne did a good job and yes, I am recording them.

Thank you! I cant believe she is home. It was YESTERDAY that i was in the house with her and her bad tonsils and my bad knee.

So, not much here going on...your turn. What happened for you this week? Did Pablo move up his date? You thought he might last week in your letter.

Just wait and i will tell you all about our week with Pablo!

Are you going into a more dry season yet? You're going into summer, right? Seems like you get rain every day still. I cannot believe how much it rains there, well, according the the weather channel app---they say it rains every day.

Well the rain stops like the first day of November everyone tell us. But we haven't seen rain in a few days. It is coming to the dry season but the cold months. I guess November and December are kind of cold...but cold here is still hot, just colder. hahaha

Have you heard about transfers yet? Seems like if you are training, you would stay in the same please for at least 12 weeks. No?? You are training still right? I cannot seem to remember your companions name? From Mexico?? I know you sent a group baptism photo, do you have one of just the two of you? I try to keep an updated one hung up, I would really like one if you have it -- of just the two of you.

If it does quit being rainy, does that mean the bugs will come out again? That's is bad. Keep spray on--all the time. Do you use your bug tent? I hope you still have it...and your mattress guard? protector thing?

There are a ton of bugs....and the big problem in the mission right now is dangue...so they have made it a commandment to wear bug spray and use bed nets. I am not using the one i brought because they had everyone in the mission go out and buy ones that they will leave in the houses and always be there! 

Keep pushing along. Take care of Morgan. Keep drinking lots of clean water!!! Keep he liquids flowing. Stay healthy! Stay strong and happy, and upbeat and positive. You are awesome! We love you so much! Tell us everything!!!

Love you, Mom

Hopefully I'll add pics tomorrow. I have to go cut the missionaries hair at one. Jared Stewart is home on Tuesday. Late evening. I told the bishop I am 110% jealous. He just laughed at me. Laura can't wait. Take care!

So crazy that he will be home. HOW TIME FLIES! Tel him hi for me!!

OK HERE COMES THE LONG PART. We had quite the week full of smiles and tears!
So to start off let me just explain about Pablo. So i had told you we were hoping to move his baptism date up a week and that he was going to be praying to know if he should move it up. Well when we went with him to see what answer he received he just looked at us with this big grin and said, i am going to be baptized this Sunday! So we were so excited. We went everyday this past week to go visit him and teach him all that he needed to be prepared. He has been studying the gospel principles book and the Book of Mormon every day and learning so much and just LOVING IT!! So Friday we went and verified everything for his interview that he had scheduled for Saturday at 11. He said he would be there even if he had to walk (It is like a hour and a half walk) but he said there was no problem. So Saturday at 11:15 we called his niece, cause she is the only one in the family who has a phone. We call her and she said, "Listen, we have NO money to pay for the bus to get there and he was going to walk but we wont let him because he has a bad heart cause of the drinking he did before." So there we were trying to figure out what we were going to do. A cute member saw us and asked what the problem was, and we explained. She gave us 10Q and told us to go pick him up. So we run to get in the bus...its like a 20 minute bus ride...we get there and he and his niece come with us. We get to the church at like 1145 and Elder Cortez is there waiting for us all excited. He has his interview and all is well. He is all set. He and his niece told us they were heading up to San Lucas to get some money that a friend owed them so they could have money to get to church the next day for the baptism. Ok well we tried to convince them not to go because they had no money in the first place to get them there...but they said they would just talk with the bus driver and pay after....so they go happy and ready. Well we had an appointment with Pablo later that day at 3 to go visit him and he said he would be back by then for sure. Well he wasn't home and his sister said she hadn't heard anything...we just figured it took longer than expected. Well we left the house and i felt very strongly that i needed to call him and make sure everything was ok. So i call him and he answered his nieces phone...and as i was talking to him i just knew it was bad. I had this new talent as a missionary, i can hear someone talk for 5 seconds and know they are drunk....well he promised me he wasn't drunk...but i knew better. As we were talking and i was trying to convince him to come back the phone died...his phone..and that was the end. Well we had no way of communicating with him that whole day or Sunday. We just prayed a lot!! Sunday comes and Pablo is usually there early waiting and he wasn't there. He nor his sister. Well after sacrament meeting we go outside to greet some investigators and his sister Isabel and her kids are just standing in the door. We walk up and they just looked at us..and said we have some bad news...and i just told them "I know..i talked to him." Well fast forward to today...NO ONE KNOWS WHERE HE IS. His family that lives in san lucas, his sister maria, the mother of his kids...NO ONE! No one has heard from him as far as we know. My heart is just broken. I am worried. I just cant even imagine. He was a person totally different and he just fell. hard. And it breaks my heart. I grew to love him so much as we were teaching him and now that i have to leave the area i am dying. I am just sick to my stomach. It has been a rough couple of days. I just pray that he is ok and that he can come back and start over again. Because he changed so much. When we met him he had been an alcoholic...big time. Like lived in the street alcoholic.....like begged for money...SO BAD. and in the 6 weeks that he was with us, he was a different person. Didn't drink once. He went from drinking EVERY DAY to NEVER. That is why he had heart problems...but he always just told us it was ok because it was just Satan working on him because Satan doesn't want him to be baptized. Pablo will forever be an incredible example to me of faith. He has been jobless for about 3 months now. He received a job offer about 2 weeks ago but turned it down and said he know God would bless him with a better job that he didn't have to work Sundays....What great faith! I cant explain it. This family is incredible. and my heart is just broken. I pray with all my heart that he comes back.

Well this week we had divisions. Hermana Yepez came and worked with Hermana Alba and I. Grandma, mommy and daughter! SO FUNNY! It was so fun! I really loved it. I am 99 % sure hermana yepez is going to come take my place here in patulul. Hermana Alba tells everyone her mommy is going to abandon her and leave her with the grandma. HAHAHA--funny! It was a good time though. It was nice to be with her again.

We have this adorable little investigator Ana Crisitna. She goes to church every week. I asked her one day if she was baptized because the Spirit told me to...well she told me she was and so i was like uh ok. well turns out shes not. She goes each week with this family that are members. and she loves it. She wants to be baptized, but soon. and we are just waiting for permission from her mom. I know it will happen, we are just waiting.

Well, we will see what happens with transfers. I will update ya next week. It has been a wild week and i am excited to see what is to come. I keep thinking this week, as i am hitting my year mark, how blessed i am to be here. It really is such a miracle. I am grateful for the trails i went through to get here. I am grateful for all i learned to get here. I am grateful for all i have learned here. I am grateful for the refiners fire that my heavenly father puts me through each day. I am grateful for the miracles of the mission. I am grateful for the spirit. i am grateful for my Savior. I am grateful for the gift of tongues. I am grateful for health and strength. I am grateful for the priesthood. I am grateful for a loving family. I am grateful for the miracle of forgiveness. I am grateful for covenants. I am grateful for the chance i had to be born in a family with the knowledge of the gospel. i am grateful for my mission. I am grateful for my wonderful life.

LOVE YOU ALL!
Hermana Oliphant

"My companion and I are just loving every second."

EMILY GOT BAPTIZED!

My favorite family. They just told me this week they are
moving again, but to the capital. I AM SO SAD!

And Juanito got baptized!!

We are obsessed with the cocos here!

 

We had to open the cocos with our machete that we found in the house!

Celebrating the birthday of Elder Cortez and Byron.
Ppday of soccer and cake with some members and investigators! SO FUN!

Hello.
What happened with Juanito's baptism --- did it happen Thursday? And Emily? Last week was the first time I had heard of Henry I think. How is Stephanie? Are Bryan and Jennifer still interested? Are they reading?

Juanito got baptized Sunday and Emily Thursday! It was awesome. And Pablo is going to be baptized the 2nd of November...but we are going to ask him today if he wants to move it up a week because he can. I know he will say yes! HE IS SO AWESOME! We are so excited for him!! Stephanie fell off the face of the earth. We haven't found her again. Bryan and Jennifer are awesome as well as their mom. They are the cutest little kids!! We just gotta get them to church!

Your soccer game sounded fun. I feel like you should be able to give it your all, but if something happened, in Guatemala, that would be bad so I appreciate you being careful!! Very much!

That's my only problem. I would much rather be here in Guatemala right now than back in my bed....haha so i take it easy. But yesterday we played again for p day with the district and invited some members and it was so fun! I played a bit harder and my knee feels great! i am so glad! It is just too fun!!

Yesterday, Sunday, was Christine's homecoming. She did such a great job. She could have spoken the whole time. Next week is Emily Burgoyne's homecoming.

Wish i could hear them all! Record them please!

Okay - your turn. I don't know what else to tell you. Things are good. I wish we had that white truck you found in Guate, ours is almost on its last running leg.


How was your week? I know you will tell me later! But I have to ask!! Okay - your turn! Tell us all. Do you know if you are staying or leaving yet. My guess is you will stay. That might be next week when you find out not this week though!

Take care of Morgan! Love you so much! We still pray for you every prayer! (And we have added Alex to that!) He seems to be doing better, I think!

Love your guts,
Mom

What a fabulous week!! So I gotta tell you the funniest story. Sunday night we were on our way home to the house when we saw this lady walking down the street and decided to talk to her. Well we get talking and she tells us she is drunk...which we wouldn't have known if she hadn't said anything. She told us she wanted to give us an offering. So she starts searching her pockets, her bra, everything for her money and all the sudden pulls out a fist full of coins. She tries to give it to us as we try to reject it in a very nice way. The says, well if you don't accept it, it means you don't love. we tried to explain that we wanted her to have it for her family....well all the sudden she shoves her hand in my shirt and puts the money in and runs away. WHAT!!? HAHAHA we just died laughing in the middle of the street. Like 5 minutes later when we could breathe we went home. IT was 12 quetz of only coins. HAHA soo funny!! I cant get over it!

Ok, so i gotta tell you all but there's not much time.

First Pablo. I told you about him that he just got here to live with his sister. Well he has accepted to be baptized the first Sunday of November. He is so awesome. We are going to see if he wants to change his baptism date to this Sunday because he can. Pablo moved here because his wife kicked him out of his house. He used to drink a lot. He hasn't had problems with this in a good long while and he just wants to be completely obedient. He even asked us if it was a sin if he drew in his gospel principles book. hahahaha. Well They live a good 15 minutes in bus from the church so they have to pay passage each time. Well that was their problem for a long time, his sister and her daughters who were less active for a long time...well Saturday we went to their house and there were making donuts to go sell in the street to be able to go to church. All the family together! WHAT AMAZING PEOPLE! What great examples. There is nothing that should keep us from going to church.

Well Sunday we went to go get Lucy and Manuel to go to church. Manuel told us he couldn't go because they are moving and he had to go work on the house. We told him not to go and we would help them Monday. Well he didn't take it...he didn't go to church but Lucy did. Well after church we ate lunch and went to go visit Lucy and Manuel. We show up and only Lucy was home. Turns out Manuel went with some friends ... and was drunk ... AH I WAS SO SAD. Well Monday morning we went to go invite them to go play soccer with us at the church. Lucy told us they couldn't cause they had to go work on the house cause Wednesday they are moving in...we told them to come play and we would help them after. Manuel came out of no where and said, we are going to go play, don't worry. They showed up and LOVED IT! After we went with them to help them with the house. We practically build the house from scratch. A house of bamboo sticks and lamina. but its a great little house and they don't have to pay as much. Manuel also just went today to go work in his new job. We are praying so much for a miracles for them!!

This was a rough week, we felt as though no one wanted to listen to us, and it was rough, but looking back, it was a great week! 2 baptisms, and lots of miracles. 

Friday we went to the capital for a meeting and it was great. President Markham is a great person and i always learn so much. Hermana Markham can't speak Spanish super well yet so she always comes and hangs with me when we have these meetings. So during lunch i just told her about all our miracles we are seeing in this area and we just sat there eating our pizza crying together! hahaha soo funny. I love her! 

My companion and i are just loving every second. Today we are going to go visit Pablo again and i am just so excited! Pray for him that he will accept to move his baptism date up. I know he will because i know he is prepared. This week was another miracles week in church. We had 11 investigators. Which is unheard of...for me at least. Usually i have only had like 4, maximum. Well we are seeing miracles and i am so not ready to leave this area. We have transfers next week and i just pray that i get to stay. I want to stay here for Christmas! But we will see where the Lord calls me.

Love you all so much!!! I have been learning a lot about potente oracion (powerful prayer-I google translated it)...i don't know how to say that in English, but read about it in Enos....prayer is power!!

HERMANA OLIPHANT

"I am just so happy here. I feel like I am in heaven."

Here is Morgan's letter for this week. She is busy as can be and doing well--great actually! 

"Look what i found here in Patulul." 

(The truck, just like she used to drive here at home. -- That's what she found!)

Ok, well i just hope you are excited for an amazing email because this was an amazing week!! First though i will try to respond to your email. I love the busy week. Busy is better than boring. I'm glad all worked out though. I'm glad all went well with Spencer's surgery. Prayers were sent out for him clear from Guatemala. Also i am glad Ashley's foot is all better. Tell her to take care. Typical Spencer not taking pain pills. hahaha that doesn't even surprise me. He is too funny. I wish i had seen him all loopy. I remember when he had his wisdom teeth out and was singing Elmo! HAHAHA oh my, that was too funny. I had it recorded on my phone for ages. For the shoes go ahead and sent the grey ones because what comes in this month is the HOT season and i think grey will be a little better maybe. THANK YOU. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE RINGS! Seriously! And the journal tell Nicole and Eric THANK YOU!!!! I am almost out of the journal pages. I sent a pic of my companion and i last week with the baptism photo...she is the one on the other side of Imelda.

OK WHAT A WEEK FULL OF MIRACLES!!!! Lets just start off by saying that Sunday was a day full of smiles and I cant seem to wipe the smile off my face still. We went in the morning to pass by for a ton of investigators to go to church and no one that said they would be home were home. So we were a little bummed but we went for Manuel and Lucy and Manuel was sick..but Lucy and her little sister Jennifer came. We got to church and turned out we had ELEVEN investigators there. We were just in shock. Totally in amazement and I know that it was just one big miracle. We had some miracle people who had never been before but made the decision that this would be the week. We were so SO excited!! Oh also another little plus of the week is yesterday. We had zone p day and played soccer. I still cant play like i would like to...it kind of kills me to not be able to give it my all, but it was still fun. I was loving every second. I got sunburned for sure, but it was fun.

So i want to just tell you about the people here and what is going down with them. This Sunday we had 5 confirmation in the rama. Imelda being one of them. It was special, to see all of them sitting there together. Also, Juanito is all ready to be baptized this coming Sunday. We are so excited for him as he is SO EXCITED!! 

LUCY AND MANUEL!!!!! I am obsessed with them. Literally. I love them so much. They have had a rough week. Manuel spent the last week working, which was something amazing for them because he hasn't had work for a LONG time. Well he found work and was gone all week until Saturday night came back. Well Friday some people came and took their bed...because they hadn't been able to pay for it, they got it taken away...and Lucy was so sad, but when Manuel got back and we went to visit them he just cried. We just sat there trying to comfort them both just crying. I told you how we saw Manuel drunk and that was hard, but i think it was harder to see him crying, Completely feeling helpless. He just amazes me though because yesterday as we were sitting there with them and the Roche family in the family home evening, and he got word that this week he would not being going to work. Again, they were both SO sad. He stayed strong this time as Lucy was really down. During this whole family night as we would read scriptures and ask questions, Manuel had the answers for everything. He was the only one out of the whole group who had read in his Book of Mormon in the past days. Well as he received the word about his work, he didn't get down. They really are using this as an opportunity to grow closer to their Savior and Father in Heaven. He is focusing more on the spiritual side of things. They have committed to being baptized the 9th of November. We have to get them married first, but I have faith we are going to see this miracle. Lucy told us that she knows the church is true. She is all but ready to be baptized, but they have to be married first. Manuel is changing amazingly. We are just so happy and so excited for them. The other day we went to a members house with them for a lesson and Lucy asked me if we were going to go visit the family Roche after and I asked her why. She told me she wanted to continue to be with us and so if we were going there she was going with us. I am just so happy!! We are now teaching Lucys little brother and sister, Bryan and Jennifer, who are LOVING IT! Jenny went to church Sunday and Bryan was going to but was sick with a fever. We had given jenny a Book of Mormon and when, by miracle we found where they lived and taught their mom and Bryan, Bryan, at the end of the lesson looked at us and said, what do i have to do to get one of those books? Hahahaha he was so excited to receive his own. He is 11 and jenny is 9. 

As this week was fast Sunday during testimony meeting, Henry, remember him, the less active family that came back and Emily their daughter is getting baptized Thursday!!! Well Henry got up and bore his testimony and started to talk about how they had been very inactive and then a change happened suddenly in their lives that he had never expected. He said, the elders left the area and then came the sisters and talked about how we had a special something that their family needed, and that now he is happier than ever to be able to baptize his daughter. He just talked about how grateful he was. In this moment I felt strongly that i had been sent to this area not by accident. Although it was a very unexpected transfer, i know it was for a reason. I love that family and i am so excited for Emilys baptism!!

We met this great girl Stephanie. We knocked on her door and she and her mom and sister left, well her mom and her sister didn't want any thing to do with us but she was very interested. She is 19 and we taught her and it was a great lesson and at the end of the lesson as we challenged her to be baptized she said yes and said...I am going to be honest, from the moment i saw you two, i knew....WHAT!!! We were just amazed. These people are being prepared. LOOK FOR THEM! They are everywhere! It was such a miracle. She lives with her family though and said she has to have permission. But i know we will see another miracle with her.

i don't know if i told you about Kevin. We found him about 2 weeks ago. Well he is awesome. His dad is a little bugger because just likes to cause contention well the other day we found Kevin without his dad and we started talking. He has such a desire to prepare for when Christ comes again. He told us that he wants us to visit him this week and we asked him when and he said not Tuesday because my dad will be home, so Wednesday. Hahaha its just great because he recognized that his dad is just trying to cause contention and Kevin really has a desire. He is always there waiting for when we get there to teach him and loves it all. He was for sure going to go to church Sunday but had to do something. He had to go to the capital with the cops to get some paperwork or something. But this week we will see a miracle i am sure!! 

Well it was a greatttttt week!! I am just so happy here. I feel like i am in heaven. We only have like a week and a half left in this transfer and i am praying i get to stay. I would love to end my mission here. As i only have 4 more transfers it could happen, but we will see. I just love this are and the people and i know i am here for a reason and i feel such a need to find EVERYONE! And as we keep seeing miracles i know there are more in store. But i just am grateful for the hand of the Lord in all things. I know that i don't do anything, but that the spirit changes the hearts of the people. I am grateful for all the experiences that i have. I just sometimes feel like i am in a dream. I feel like its not real that i am in Guatemala, speaking Spanish, with the most amazing people in the whole world. I feel like the most blessed person in the whole world. I don't know what i did to deserve to have such an opportunity but i am forever grateful!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

HERMANA OLIPHANT!!

My God is a God of miracles! Is yours?? YO DIGO QUE SI!!

I think I forgot to post this last week...Sorry!

We celebrated Juanitos birthday. SO LOVE THIS FAMILY!

MELA GOT BAPTIZED!

My girl Silvia...

.

Hello,
So how are you? Who is your companion and where is she from? Is she as excited to work as you are? Photos??

Her name is Hermana Alba from Mexico. She is excited to work. She cant walk very fast...yet...but thats alright. She is excited to work and has a strong testimony. I love her so much already!! We are just enjoying our time here together!!

How was conference for you? Did you get to watch it? Where? I figured you all loved the Spanish talk.

We did love the spanish talks. but it was great. We got to watch the majority. The thing is we watch it on the computer so it is slow and pauses every 10 minutes to load...and then when there is rain it just shuts off and it started raining both days at like 330....so we didnt get to finish the after noon sessions. But its all good. I AM SO EXCITED TO READ THEM! We do get the Ensigns here!

Jeremy was able to go to the Saturday morning session. He has a friend that has not ever been there and so he got tickets and they went. I was glad he was able to get tickets.

Thats too cool. It made me a little baggy, which means trunky...to watch it. but not much!! I JUST LOVE CONFERENCE!!

This is a busy week. I just found out this morning Jeremy has a band concert for Jazz and Concert band, both Tuesday and Thursday. Ash has a choir concert Wednesday. Spencer is getting his nose septum fixed on Thursday, Ash has a Dr. Lyman appointment on Thursday, Ensers boys wedding is on Thursday, I was supposed to work Tues night and Thurs night. What else...I don't know. Oh ya, Dad has High Counsel on Thursday night, too. We will see how it all turns out. Im trying to move my night appointments to earlier and later. That should work. We will see.

Sounds like a crazy night!! I love hearing how everyone is doing and finally spencer writes me and keeps me up on his life which is great to hear!! Love you all!!

Anyway, tell us about you and your investigators. It sounds like you have sooo many people there. I love the story of Henry and Mirza and how he said he knows why you emergency transferred there. That is awesome. Emily's baptism still on for the 15th so far? Did Juanito come to conference since he is finished working Sundays? Did Manuel and Lucy come to conference?

HENRY AND MIRZA MOVED!!! I ABOUT DIED WHEN THEY TOLD ME. I did cry...for sure...They didnt even move far, they just moved out of our area. They are in the area of the other sisters in the branch. So i get to see them every sunday. They told me they didnt want to tell me they were moving because they knew it was going to be hard. Emily and i just sat there and cried together the whole lesson. hahaha but she will still get baptized. I am so glad for that. I am just sad because i dont get to visit them anymore. I grew to love them sooo much!!

Juanito did go to conference! HE IS DONE WORKING SATURDAY! HE loved conference and he is so excited about everything. He is set for the baptism the 19th!! 

I feel for Esmeralda. I hate it when it rains cuz I think it will always flood. I wish she had a way to move the water away from her house. Poor thing. You seem to get rain EVERY DAY!

Ya the water enters their house every time. and we do get rain EVERY DAY!. Except for yesterday. I was grateful for a break!

Juan Jose - how is the no smoking or drinking going? Did you ever find Nery?

WE havent found Juan Jose for a long time. Nery told us he doesnt want to listen because he is going to some other church with his girl friend...lame!

How about Imelda? Did you set a date?

YA WE SET THE DATE. She got baptized this past sunday. Everything was perfect. She was very sick...shes got like bronchitis or something. but she came excited. Everything went just great. We did it in between sessions of conference which was great because there was great support. The members just stay they so they dont have to travel back and forth. It was a beautiful baptism!!

I'm sure there are more people now. You ran out of time last week. You said you had so much to tell us and not enough time. That is awesome.

I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT LUCY AND MANUEL IN ONE MINUTE!! MIRACLES!!!!!

Well, instead of this being super long, I want you to have time to write so I will quit. That's all I can think of to tell you about anyway. We did just get a letter from you on Friday. I will send some photos later today. I have to go to the dentist at 10, but I needed to write you in case you are on today for any reason. I have some from dinner at Grandpa and Grandmas yesterday.

LOVE YOU SO MUCH, MORGAN!
Take care of you! Any other somethings you need us to send? I am waiting til the shoes come, hopefully this week, and we will send it off. Love you!
Mom

OK --- SO MUCH TO WRITE AND NO TIME!!

I have to tell you about Manuel and Lucy. We had them set to go to conference sunday and they didnt show up. So we passed by their house for the afternoon session so they could go but they werent home. So sunday night we went to visit them and Lucy was in the house. She told us Manuel was in the bathroom drunk. AH I WANTED TO DIE. But we told her to go and tell him to come. She went and he said he didnt want to. So we tried a few more time but he didnt want to so we decided to just start,.All the sudden i looked out side and in came Manuel stumbling...he was very drunk. We started to pray and some some weird things went on with him...he was very drunk Then he told us how he was in the bathroom praying for forgiveness when all the sudden he heard or felt very strong a voice saying he had to go to the hermana's because we would be his guides. He felt as if someone was pushing him out the bathroom...even pulling him by the hair. THE SPIRIT WAS WORKING STRONG ON HIM ALL THIS TIME! FROM THE TIME HE WAS IN THE BATHROOM TO THE END OF THE LESSON. So he was embarrassed but came. We started to talk and saw him change completely. He was very drunk but as we went on he was pretty normal. Very conscious and very aware of what he was saying and what we were saying. I have seriously never seen such a change in someone. The spirit is real. Well longgg story short, they have decided to get married and he finally found a job, and they are going to church this sunday FOR SURE! Oh my i still cant get over it. This was a hugeee miracle. The spirit is so real and works so hard. 

We have some little converts...these little kids who havent been going to church and we couldnt find their house. WEll an investigator took us to their house the other day because she is family with them.- Well the mom and dad were in an accident the other day and it involved a gun...in the capital...and they were saved miraculously. The mom lost her eye and the dad is very weak in his arm but they are all going to be fine. I am amazed at the miracles that we see in the mission. My God is a God of miracles. Is yours?? YO DIGO QUE SI!!

Just a few fun facts....we have no water half the time..hahaha we went about 4 days with out showering because we didn't have water...its super fun. but thank goodness it rains so that we can rinse off in the rain :) hahaha my skins is like baby skin here on the coast. Im lovin it. My cloths all drown me...i look kind of goofy sometimes with all my big baggy clothes. safety pins are my new best friends!

One big miracle in the mission. Each day and each night i can hardly walk because my body just hurts. its just tired and sore. But each day as we leave the house i feel like i have energy to run a marathon. it is amazing how we are blessed as missionaries. I just am amazed every day.

We had interviews with president yesterday. I cant explain to you what he taught me. I had an interview probably 2x as along as everyone else but he started to teach me some things about prayer and the temple that i am just in awe. I cant wait to be able to share all these things with you guys in a few months. I hope you guys are excited to share with me all your experiences.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. I love my savior. I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I know he lives. I know he loves us. I know our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. I know that the gospel is the only thing that brings true happiness and peace because i am living it.

HERMANA OLIPHANT

What an amazing blessing I have to be a missionary!

Here is Morgan's letter for this week.  Things are going well again.  Thanks for all your prayers and support! We really appreciate each one of you! (See that Email #48 - #52 is a year!!!)   =) No pictures this week! She ran out of time I think.  I got a blank email, I think the photo didn't have time to load!

Lisa

Hello my dear,
How is that eye issue/problem coming along? Do you have any idea what would have caused that? Cuz if you remember right, you were told not to take contacts. If you are keeping your contacts away from the water there, you should be ok. If you feel like it is from anything like that, please do not wear that same pair again. Make sure you are changing them out often enough.

I know exactly what happened...we were on this dirt road waiting for a bus and this big truck past and COVERED me in dirt. hahaha and i think something just got in there...but all is well. I changed contacts and my eye is just fine!

Well, yesterday was Andrew Dunford and Adelide Christensen's homecoming. You will want to listen to both of their talks. She is a great gal. She feels very lost having left her mission, her sister got married, her parents moved, and Henry left since she left on her mission. She is very humbled about her new situation of HOME. She had a great analogy of "Welcome Home" in that she had a sign to welcome her home, and she compared it to we should always have a welcome home sign for those coming back, or into, the gospel. It was pretty cool.

Ya she is awesome. I never new her super well but i always knew she had a great testimony and spirit!

Christine Alley and her family should get home this week. Maybe Thursday or Friday. I'm excited to see her. She has had some of the greatest letters. I think I will print off a couple "last emails home" and send them to you. Hers and Adelides, Andrews, and Emily's were all great messages. Ali W is having a great experience in Phillipines, too. 

I get Ali's emails every week. I have read some of Christines and the other wardies just in the ward news letter! 

Spencer, Casey and Russ with Lydia and Sarah (don't think you know them) just took off Friday and went to Spokane, Washington for a Zack Brown Band concert in a place called the Gorge.

whats up with the facial hair...super funny! haha

It was tons of driving, but they got home safe last night at 11! Spencer went right to bed to be up at 515 for work and school today. I haven't heard a word about it yet. I know they had fun. I was at work Saturday and Spencer called while I was working on Zack Burnett. He said, do you have Alex's address? I said if you can give me a second. Zack helped me get it, save it, and send it to him. Spencer said, I'm 15 minutes from there. What should I take him. I said let me ask. Well, that took to long. He ended up getting Cliff bars and Gatorade and he went to Al's apartment. Two missionaries come walking out right then, of another apartment, and he calls and says that was the wrong apartment cuz neither of them was Al. I said ask if they know him. I heard them say yes. Spencer said can you give him this for me? They said we don't live there, we were just visiting some people. So, he asked if Al loves there, they said yes and he took a picture of him on the door step for us and left the stuff there for him. That was fun. I told him Al wouldn't be ready to see him, but if he did see him not to ignore him. Give him a hug and walk away. BUT they didn't ever see them. That was fun. Julie couldn't believe he was there. She didn't know he was going. I didn't know he would be that close, and neither did he. I just hope Al got the stuff and it wasn't stolen off the porch. He wrote on the Cliff bar box to say hello. 

That is so fun. hahaha too bad he didnt see him, but it might have made him more home sick!

Okay...now it's your turn. What's going on on your Country? Are you okay? Is your companion doing any better? I can't get your last emergency transfer off my mind. I try, and try, and try but I'm just happy if you're now safe and happy. Makes me want to wish your time away faster and faster. I think transfers are this week? I'm guessing you will stay?!?!

I am staying and i am training and so excited! This transfer will only be 4 weeks, so it will be an interesting transfer. But i am excited to see who will be my companion!

How about investigators? Things going well? You have sooo many people you talked about last week, I can't even keep up. Hope you have photos of all of them.

I will fill you in at the end.

What about that sister meeting? Do you have a calling right now? You had one in about 2 areas ago I think, I'm not sure now. You never talk about that stuff.

My calling will be trainer. Right now i am senior companion but other than that nothing.

Laurie put a thing on FB saying Amy had been chased by some man. But she/they are okay. Weird. Glad you're all okay.

hahah i heard about that. it was pretty funny. it happens often in the mission....

Catch us up on your life as a missionary. We love you very much. Take care of Morgan. The foot is still ok? No kidney stone pain? Any packages show up yet?? Should be about the right time for that. We hope so anyway. You're coming up on a year, and I don't know if you want me to send you stuff for that. I wasn't thinking or I would have included in that last package from Gma and Gpa. Will you celebrate? Please? Have fun with that day. If you want anything, I will get right on it for you. That sounds so dumb to ask, but it does take a long time to get anything to you. Wish someone was going there and would show up on your doorstep for me!!! That would be awesome!!!

There are a few things i want/need. 

Who is Hermana Prowitt. You sent a photo of her last week, but I've/we never heard of her before.

She was in my zone in Solola...and before the mission we had talked on facebook a few time....but she is just a good friend!

Did you go to Santiago for pday? Did you get the skirt you wanted?

Yes we went. No i didnt buy it because i tried it on and it drowned me...like all my skirts. The other day as it started to rain i had to walk around holding my skirt up because with the water and it already being too big, it was just falling off. then my companion slipped and fell and she tried to stop herself and pulled down my skirt..the good part was that i had my long rain coat on so no one knew...hahaha but it was quite the experience.

Are you still drinking lots of water?

TONS!

Love you so much! Take care! We pray for you in every prayer.

Mom

So i just want to fill you in on some people.
The other day...Friday we had divisions. I got to work with my good friend Hermana Rasmussen. She is so amazing and we loved it. We had so much fun and i learned so much from her. what a great experience.

Lucy went to the women's session of general conference with us. She is 19 and has a 3 month old baby. Her boyfriend, who she is living with is very catholic and doesn't want to get married. He also never wants to listen to us. Well the other day when i was with Hermana Rasmussen we were teaching lucy and in walked manuel, her boyfriend, and i invited him to listen just as i always do. Well this time he said ok. He pulled up a chair. We were talking about prophets and helping them get prepared for general conference. He was loving it. He told us he wants to go to general conference. I am so excited for him and Lucy. Lucy would be baptized today if she had the church assistance and if he would get married. She is so awesome. She told me the other day that like all of her family are members. They all live far away in the capital, and when she was little she went to church a few times with them, but she is just awesome. I am so excited for them.

Esmeralda is doing great. She fell the other day while mopping her floor during the night. When it rains here her house fills with water, and she woke up to mop and she slipped and fell and hit her eye on the corner of the bathroom...huge black eye...i thought her husband hit her...but he didnt. It was clearly from the bathroom. but she is doing great. She too is going to got conference with us. She was going to go this past sunday but didnt because she was embarrassed for her eye.

Imelda is set on being baptized but she isnt going to church. She is the cutest little lady. He kids have all abandoned her...and it makes her so sad. The other day she started to cry and tell us about her son who died when he was 24. He was handicap and she told us how she just wants him to be baptized. Because he never got baptized in his life, and she wants to see him again...we explained to her how we are baptized to be clean of sins and that he didnt have any sins. but we also explained to her about the resurrection and she loved it.

Found this awesome guy the other day with hermana rasmussen. We were looking for this kid nery that we had taught once but he wasnt home and we met his brother juan jose. juan jose is like 25ish i think and he started to tell us how the past week he took the decision that he wasnt going to smoke or drink any more. He wanted to change. He was so excited. Then we showed up and he started to tell us he knew it wasnt an accident that we showed up at the door in this time of his desire to change. He prayed at the end of the lesson and thanked Heavenly Father for sending the 2 angels to help him change. He is also going to go to general conference.

Juanito is DONE WORKING SUNDAYS! I AM SO EXCITED! He has officially stopped. He is so excited to be able to go to church now. We are planing Emilys baptism for the 15, but it might happen before. I dont know if i told you about emily. Her parents are henry and mirza. They have bee members for about 12 years. But inactive for about 11 years. Well they have been active since the day we met them in the street. Their little daughter emily is 9 and not baptized so we are working with her. Henry and Mirza have changed and i just love them so much. We are going to go eat with thim tonight because they invited us cause my companion is leaving. But Henry told us last night he knows why we had emergency changes. He said his wife had no desire to go to relief society before cause she had no support from any of the sisters..she didnt feel welcome. He said when we got here she clicked with us and she now has a desire to go. They havent missed a sunday since weve been here. I just loveeee them so much!!

Ah so much to say and so little time. I am just loving this area and the people! What an amazing blessing i have to be a missionary! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH

Hermana Oliphant

I have never been so grateful for my Savior...

Here is Morgan's letter for this week. I asked her if she was out of contacts or contact solution because she is wearing her glasses. She said she got a very sore eye and it went very red. Instead of taking any chances, she has been wearing her glasses for a while. Ashley got hit in the eye with a ball at school today. I promise, these two are attached somehow. Ashley broke her foot the same day Morgan fell off a curb - which is what Ashley did, but Morgan's was not broken. It is just so weird to me that they DO the same things. I know, CRAZY AND DUMB, but it is weird to me!
Lisa =)

Hermana Prowitt and I

Mi hijita!!

Hermana Newman and I

Hey,
You're killin' me. I know there is more to this story, and I know I probably won't hear about it until you get home. I also know how grateful I am that you have been watched over and kept safe. There is nothing good when there are gangs involved. I was so shocked, though, because last week you said how tranquil (yes, that is a word that means peaceful--you asked me that!) the area was and that you felt the Spirit just walking down the street. Something must have changed in a hurry. I know I should be worried, in my mom uniform, but I am just grateful that you have been removed from the danger and that you or someone was in tune enough to know what to do and how to handle the situation. I am just grateful. I'm sure I would be dying if you really told me "the rest of the story", but I am just grateful. 

I promise. All is well. There was nothing threatening in any form.

I'm so sorry you didn't get many photos in that area. I guess you could ask people to send them to ou? I mean later, when you are home, or from other missionaries. 

I was sad, i at least wanted a picture of the lake. BUT I THINK WE ARE GOING THERE FOR P DAY AS A ZONE. Not our area exactly, but Santiago where we went a few times before that is close to our area.which i will get to take some pictures hopefully and buy this great skirt i was going to buy the last time but didn't do it.

How is your companion doing? Is she better. I found that her name is Sis. Vasquez, but I don't think you ever told us where she is from or much about her. 

My companion is struggling. The heat kills her and she doesn't like to do much when it is hot, but i just keep pushing her and keep her talking so she forgets it. She is from Honduras and she has 1 transfer more than i do in the mission. The zone leaders asked me to help her prepare to be senor companion, but she is very shy and reserved. She is great though. She is SO humble and has a great spirit. She is teaching me a lot!

For your Sunday meetings this week, what did you have? Was it the Ogden Temple Dedication? We did, and I wondered if it is church wide. Just curious. 

We didn't hear anything about the Ogden temple. I didn't even know it was being dedicated. Sunday was just a normal day. 

Anyway, so now you have a whole new set of people to talk about and places, and what is it like, etc. Do you have to deal with lice there? Are you careful about bugs? Please use that Terra Shield (for bugs) even just everyday as you leave home, spray some on you.

Did you receive your package from Grandpa and Grandma yet. I added lemon to it, so please use it in your water. Even one drop. AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE DRINKING LOTS of CLEAN water please. Especially now that it is hotter where you are. It looks as though you still have rain every day. I watch you weather every day and there is always lightening and thunder and rain on the picture of it.

I haven't gotten it yet, but i am sure i will at transfers or after. We don't know what will happen with transfers yet, but if i don't go, the zone leaders will bring it for me. I am drinking lots more water than before. Don't you worry. OH MY! The thunder here is incredible!! I LOVE IT! SO MUCH and so often!! SO beautiful! It does rain here but its not cold rain like it was in San Lucas. It rains and it is still hot and only rains for a bit. so its better! 

Tell all, Morgan. We love you very much. We pray for you every day, every prayer and now I keep a little extra grateful one in my heart all day long that you have been protected and that you will be protected. We pray that you will find the people who are waiting for you and are prepared. We pray for you health and strength --- foot still good? And we pray for you safety and protection. (I am grateful for that!!!!)

My foot is great. No problems there. Another miracle...the pain just disappeared.

LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Mom

I AM SO EXCITED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS GREAT WEEK!!
First of all Anna got confirmed Sunday. She was SO excited! She just had the biggest smile. We also spoke in church on Sunday. The speakers bailed so my companion and I spoke. We spoke about mission work and I tied it in to the Atonement. I can't say I understand the Atonement the way I wish I did, but I have come to understand it so much more than before. I have never been so grateful for my Savior and had such a desire to be more like him and show my love for him as I have here in the mission. I am so grateful. I know that I am in the mission for a reason. I don't think i would have had the same growth spiritually as I have had here in the mission had I not come....I know I wouldn't have!!

So our first day here we spent our time knocking door to find people because we didn't know where anyone lived. So we found some miracles. 

First, Esmeralda and Rolando. They are this great family. Esmeralda is catholic, but she is way open. Rolando doesn't go to any church, he works a lot so its hard to find him, but they are both incredible. Esmeralda told us she received her answer our 3rd visit. She said she knew Joseph Smith was a prophet because the spirit touched her heart. It was incredible. We were disappointed when they didn't come to church Sunday but this next week i am confident they will come. 

Next, Gabriella and her kids Michelle and Boris. I found her entering her house and i just went and started talking...my companion went across the street and was contacting this other lady and so i just kept talking with Gabriella and her kids. Well we grew to love each other fast and set up an appointment. Well she told us as well that she received her answer as well as Michelle. Boris hasn't yet, but he is only 8...but THEY ALL CAME TO CHURCH SUNDAY!! AND LOVED IT. They were so excited to go and felt the spirit so strongly. I know that they are going to progress. I don't know why we are here, but if it is just for this cute family, that's all that matters to me. I am so excited for them. 

Ok, I think i told you about the R. family. Well, Juanito, the 15 year old son wants to get baptized...and this Sunday, just to the end of the month is his last Sunday working. Then he will get baptized. He LOVED when we visit, he is reading, he is praying and he has his answer. I am just so excited for him. Now for the sad part...the other day we were out in the street contacting and i saw Blanca, the mom go into a little tienda. So i chased her...i thought she ran in there like playing around to hide to be funny...but she was really hiding from us. Her husband as well was hiding from us. So we cornered Blanca and asked what happened and why she was hiding and she said she did something bad. She and her husband were totally drunk....WHAT!? Blanca got baptized about a month ago and her husband still isn't a member. He has had drinking problems, but Blanca gave it up a long time ago...She told us they have lots of problems and that they just went to drink...I WAS DYING!! I wanted to cry...but I had to be strong for her. We told her to go home but she said she couldn't because her kids were there and she didn't want her kids to see her like that. So we went to go visit the 4 kids. We had a great time with them. I really just love this family so much and it just broke my heart, but Blanca did go to church Sunday which was great. We are spending a lot of time with them lately, to be able to help them all have stronger testimonies. They live in a really hard situation, and have lots of economic problems. 

This past week we had a meeting with just the sisters. It was Friday at 830 am but in the capital. Well we are like 4 hours away from the capital so Thursday we went to go work with some sisters in the capital, we did divisions with them and then slept there so that we didn't have to wake up so early to get there. It was a great meeting. With just the sisters they focused a lot on the worth of each individual. I learned a lot but i realized that i really need to change a lot. There are so many things i want to work on and i don't know how quite yet...i need to be more humble, i need to have more charity, i need to be more loving, i need to be more diligent, i need to be so much better in so many things. It is over whelming to think of doing it all at once, but the great thing is i don't have to. Today we talked about the charity in our district meeting. I thought a lot about Christ. He is the perfect example. He died for us. So we could have the salvation and if i want to have charity i need to give all that i have to be able to help others have their salvation If i were the only person here on the earth, Christ would have died the same. The same goes for you all. If you were the only person here on the earth, Christ would have suffered and died the same. He loves us, and we need to love others. I love reading about Charity in Moroni 7. Even though I have no room to talk about the charity,i love learning about it. I have so much to change and improve and each day i will try to be better. To have the Christ like attributes. I am SO grateful for my mission and all tat i have learned on the mission. I am becoming converted and i am trying my best to be changed. That is what President Brough asked of us...its more like her commanded us to " Be changed" and that is what i am trying to do. I know that i have a looonnnggg ways to go but i am grateful for the chances that my Father in Heaven has given me and for the many opportunities more that i will receive to be better!! 

I love you all so much!!! Keep being amazing and keep doing all that you can to be a little better each day.

LOVE; HERMANA OLIPHANT! 

I have seen too many miracles in my time here in the mission to not know that this is from a reason.

Here is Morgan's letter for this week. I have been a tiny bit worried because she didn't email on her regular day. I assumed it was because of the storms, and I was right. But, I had no idea she was "emergency changed"! Here is her story... You get to decipher this time again. Sometimes they way she types so fast and messes so much up makes me laugh, so I left it because it made me laugh as I cried reading that she was emergency transferred for their safety. I am grateful that they are watched over. When she gets home, she will probably have a great story to tell about that "tranquil" place. She said last week she could feel the Spirit as she walked down the streets. Something must have changed!) ((For any of you that are new to Morgan's letters, my letter is in green, her answers are in red.))

Well i wish i had updates ont he people in San Lucas Toliman but i dont. We had emergency changes this past friday we were taken from our area. We were taken from the mountains and the cold to the coast and the hot. There were just some unsafe circumstances that invovolved some gangs so they took us out to keep us safe. Nothing more than just the precautionary stuff. But we have had a CRAZY week!! But i will answer your email then fill you in on my week!!

A bit of my new area....

How has your week been. I hope you are still feeling better and I am still praying for your FOOT. That's strange, I know, but I would hope to let you be pain free for a while. You are enduring, that's probably your test. At least one of them. I have watched your weather report - every day and it usually is rain and lightening every night, like you said, or at least once every day. So I worry about your foot healing because you wear those wonderful black and pink, non-supportive, quick drying, silly shoes you love so much. I hope they aren't making it worse babe. That's all. How long is your rainy season? Is it almost over?

My foot is great. I have had no probhlems with it this week! MIRACLE number 9 million i think i nt he mission!!

Were you able to find a warmer jacket you were hoping for? Are you layering your sweaters and shirts and staying warmer? Do you still have your little fleece blanket you took with you?

No need for a warmer jacket here in the coast!!

Alma 26:22. We were at Kirkhams's fireside tonight and they were talking about their evacuation from Liberia. They used these scriptures and described how things "felt" for them. They were the mission pres there. It says, "22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth goodworks, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance." 

This is one of my favorite scripotures. Alma 26 has to be one of my all time favorite chapters in the whole book of mormon!!

D&C 84:88 - 88 "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

This is also one of my altime favorites. President brough always talked about how we have famioly members who have passed on and who are here with us as our angels. i have felt them throughout my whole mission and especially this week!!

These seem to me to be good scriptures for you and all you have been going through. D&C maybe comforts me...for you.

How do you cook/wash now?? Do you have gas stoves? PLEASE, make sure your gas is always turned off completely, if that's what you have. Pretty please.

As for now, in our new area, we eat in the house...we ahvent quite figured out the whole eating thing yet. That is the last of our concerns. As we are opening the area, or in other words, starting from scratch, we are more worried about the people. We have great memebers though willing to help!!

Ashley had a get party Friday night.  We didn't think through that one very well.  The homecoming game was the same night.  Pizza, cake and ice cream, smores and the candy bar game.  I think they had fun.

So fun!! I always love the candy bar game!! and good old smores!!

Saturday, Jeremy went to Homecoming dance. He seemed to have fun, but was tired. He had a water polo game in the morning. Dad said he was probably the MVP of that game. 

I AM SO SAD I AM MISSING HIS GAMES! Honestly. That is one of my favorite things. Watching games...any type. Basktball, soccer, polo...it doesnt matter if i know the people and i get to watch them....gotta be one of my favorite hobbies....WAY TO GO JER!!! Keep being amazing!!! Way to go with the whole date thing!! wait is he 16??

Spencer brought a friend (Abby) home, he met her at UT State, and I don't know where he got her from on Saturday, but she needed a place to stay. So we cleaned off your bed and she stayed in there... in that not so organized place. I felt so bad. She is from Tampa, Florida and going on a mission to Nampa, Idaho on October 15. They are just friends. She was super cute and very friendly.

SO EMBARRASSING that she stayed there...but its all good...she wont even know who i am to judge me..

Alley's leave Thursday to go spend 2 weeks touring with Christine and bring her home. And the Burgoynes are leaving soon to go get Emily. Sunday, maybe. The Dunfords left today to go to Mexico to get Andrew. And Adelide gets home in about a week also. CRAZY!!!

K that just weirded me out!! I cant believe that they are lll coming home. I am toooo weirded out!!

I like your Daily Reflection Journal idea. I always have things that happen and I wish I had thought of something better to say or do. 

I LOVE this journal. It has changed my life!!

How is the Mazat family coming along.

I dont know!! I AM JUST PRAYIING FOR ALL OF THEM SO MUCH!!! I know the elders who are ther ein the area now are taking care of them.

Angelica? Were you able to find her?

We did hear she went to church this past sunday!!

Dwan is sort of in "no change" mode. I think that is better than lots happening. She sounds like, from Janae, she is doing great!

Thats greaT!!

Why do those kids throw ants at you? Can you tell them something so they understand it isn't a nice thing to do?

They just love us...they just want our attention, but we wont have that problem anymore...they live farrr away!

Well, now it is your turn to fill us in on your week. I want to hear all about you and your work and your thoughts, and your foot, and EVERYTHING. K??

We love you so much. We are very proud of you and your courage and convictions and especially your dedication.

Take care of Morgan!!! She is a good, good missionary. 

I hope to hear from Sis. Z on email day. I asked her to send us an update on your Proyectos family. Hopefully I can forward it to you as we are emailing.

LOVE YOUR GUTS!

Mom

So this past thursday we had a conference with Elder Ochoa. The area 70. It was amazinggg!!! I learned so much. WE did a musical number. Me and some other sisters and elders in my old zone in the mountains. It was really pretty. Elder Ochoa really just loves us as missionaries and we could feel it. But we learned a lot about what our roles here is as missionaries. He said we should have goals to baptized every week...Which is totally possible. but requires a lot of obedience, diligence and faith!!

Friday morning when we woke up we were informed that we needed to pack up and go to a members house...we had a man from the church security come to our house and pick us up. He took us to this way nice restauraunt for lunch....it was like red lobster...the only sad part is we cant eat fish here...but i had a great fettuccini alfredo with chicken and a frozen lemonade. The best food ive had in a LONGGG time! hahah then he took us to Antigua. There was stayed with some sisters over night while President figured out where we would go. Saturday Morning President and Hermana MArkham came to Antigua and spent the morning with us as we waited for the AP´´s to come and pick us up. We had abotu 2 hours with just us and pres and hermana brough (she is missing Pres. Brough - she meant Pres. Markham). Just talking. It was so great!! Then the AP´s came and picked us up and off we went. After 4 hours in the car with the APs and my comp we arrived in our new area. Patulul. In the coast. IT IS SO HOT! We go to bed sweating and wake up sweating. but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. The people here are amazing. It is quite fun to open the area. Not knowing anyone. There are no directions here so we just have to figure out creative ways to find people and remember where they live.

The members are incredible. We had a baptism this past sunday. This cute 13 year old girl got baptzed. Anna. Her mom and sister were members. And now we are working with her brother and dad. He brother Juanito wants to get baptizerd. This is his last sunday working and then he cant go to church and be bpatized. Her dad as welll..he just has to quit drinking nd he has told us he is committed to quiting!! We are having a Family Home evening with them tonight that i am so excited about!! They are so ecited about it and the mom, Hermana B is oging to teach us to tortillar...aka make tortillas...but the good gautemalan tortillas!! I AM SO EXCITED!!! That is the picture i think i sent you...it is of this wonderful family!!

Familia Rivas Roche! LOVE Them. The girls are all members...Anna, the oldest daughter just got baptized this past Sunday. The son Juan wants to be baptized, he just has to quite working Sundays and this Sunday is his last. The dad also, but he has to quit drinking and go to church. 

But he is committed to doing it!

The house was a mess when we got there because elders lived there before. But we cleaned it up monday and its actually a really great house. We hear EVERYTHING that goes on out back in the church Principe de Paz, but its all good. It si a great house. In a gated apartment area. 

Emergency changes = here I am in the coast. This is what we find in the house in the coast!

My companion has really been struggling. As we left the area we didnt have time to say good bye to ANYÖNE. She had 4 months in the area. I only had 4 weeks and iot was hard to leave. We both left just crying...we didnt get ot say goodbye to AN¨YONEEE! and so much companion has really struggled with the adjustment. She has been very negative and very down, but i am loving every second ! Honestly. I lvoe this area. We find new amazing people EVERYDAY. The hard part is that our district leader is the elder who used to be in our area...so they moved to a different area here in the zone and the areas in their area moved to our old area in san lucas...so it was a rotation of 3 companionshiops!! But i am happy were we are. This elder that is the distrcit leader just tries to tell us waht we should be doing. Who we need to visit. and i realize he is just trying to help us out, but we are trying tto work here in the area now and he is kind of butting in. But we are praying for patience and trying to follow his counsel because he is our leader called of god and he is trying to hel pus out. But it has been a willlldddd!!! week! So fun and crazy. But i am loving it!!

We found this great family our first day here in the area. Rolando and Esmeralda. They are catholic but asked us right away why trhere are so many churches in the world. So we explained it and then we went back for our second visit and they are super excited. They want to be baptized. I know there is a reason we are here right now and not in san lucas. I dont know what it is. but i know we are going to find peopole int his change. We are going to find miracles because there is a reason for everything. I am excittedto see all the miracles that are in store.

We also found this great lady. I contacted her like our second day here. Well i was talking to her and my companion went and contacted this other lady on the other side of the street...so i just talked and talked with this great lady gabriella and her kids michelle and boris. We set up and appointment and went and visited them last tnight! SHE IS SO EXCITED TO GO TO CHURCH!! I have never had someone accept so easily. She is catholic but she is so open. She has been prepared. I KNOW ITI!!

Anyways, I dont have much to tell you. Its been wild and we are trying to learn the area quickly and we are trying to follow the spirit to do what we need to do in this are.a There are transfers october 1, and i have no idea what to expect. I assume we will stay here at least one more transfer, but i dont know. I love the hot. I really do. You all know i dont like the cold, and even though all we do is sweat here, i am LOVINNG it!! I am so grateful. I know that the Lord has a plan. Even though it was very unexpected, and some other missionaries arent super happy about it, I know theres a reason. I have seen too many miralces in my time here in the mission to not know that this is from a reason. It could be so that the people in San Lucas that we were teaching and not progressing like we were hoping can progress more, it oculd be just to teach me to have more faith...i dont know and im not worried about ti right now, but i know its for a reason and i now i will figure it out in time! I just feel grateful and bleessed and happy!!

Love you all so much! Keep being amazing annd keep smiling. Elder Ochoa taught us one thing that i lvoed....he said, ¨´All I want for you is that you can try to be a little better every day.¨Which i sfunny cause thats what ive been saying my whole mission. That all we need to do is try each day to be a little more Christ like. and that we int he end of our lives we can be satisfied and have peace. That is what i am tryhing to do. Im not perfect, not even close, but i am loving evlery second of being here and cherishing each second. I am trying to learn from each experience and trying to love the people anbd serve as a real representative of christ. Which is who i am. I am a personal representative of my savior jesus christ and i need to do what he would have me do.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
HERMANA OLIPHANT

A couple of other notes she sent:
1-Oh and we didnt write yesterday because the internet was down in all of this little town of Patulul. So we had to wait until today. hahaha rpetty funny but its what happens ihere in the coast. Sometimes the lights just go off...they like randomly go off and on allll dya long!!

2-hope the pictures worked....i will for sure be taking more pictures from her eon out because i have NO¨pictures form my last asrea. Like none of the lake of my investigators of the members...non!! I think i have 3 and they are silly...nothing of importance. I am sad i didnt get pcitures...but i wasnt expecting to leave so quick. so more pictures for sure!!
LOVE YOU! HASTA PRONTO!
Hermana Oliphant

3-I jusrt wanted to assure you again, because i know how you are mom, that this emergency transfer was nothing. It was just to avoid any problems. There was nothing to be worried about. All is well and happy here in the coast! Just wanted to reassure you because i love you!! BYEE!!!
Hermanita Elefante!