AUG 26

hello loved ones!

ive got 2 weeks to catch you up on cause we went to coloma (where the gold rush started!) last week on pday! these were the fine sisters that were in attendance :] (from left to right: sister vaughn, acker, oliphant, toro, white) more pictures to come after i steal them from sister vaughn's camera. we had a blast and i found gold! its HUGE! well for finding it in a river it is. im guessing its worth about $3 haha good times though :]

we are teaching the cutest family, the Sharps. Sister Sharp (who reminds me of the older version of burgundy waller) is a member of the church wants to make the gospel more a part of her life and she wants her kids to be baptized. we are working with all three of her kids which are the the cutest things. Grace the middle child just ran and won her student council elections for vice president. she delivered an amazing speech at the event that we got to watch later, she is a little fireball. anyways audrey is 12, grace 10, and conrad 8. grandpa is coming up soon to baptize them this next month. its been great having cute simple lessons with their family and we are having a lesson today about the restoration using candles. were real excited for them. the gospel blesses us most when its in the home and centered on the family.

tommy our greek little man had surgery this week and graciously accepted a priesthood blessing before hand. he is seriously so great. i wish i could send home the fresh white peaches he gives us. they are delicious!

we had a new name gives to us: DICTIONARIES! "mom the dictionaries are here!!!" kids say the darndest things. i guess they kind of sound alike.

apparently linden, which is this itty bitty town next to us, had a two serial killers here about 20 years ago that if "documented correctly" would have been the nations largest serial killing ever. we have a referral for a lady whose daughter was believed to have been a victim of it years and years ago. sad stuff. but it makes for great haunting stories we keep hearing :]

new best mormon message: http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2119328537001  dads are the best.

as we teach david i am learning SO much more about native american history. its so fascinating how it fits so perfectly into the book or mormon, a history of the people in AMERICA! i love how the gospel just makes sense... and im dying to go home and check out a bunch of books from the library about native americans.

did i tell you how much my companion is afraid of snails. bahahahaha i love her so much.

im doign good. the work is doing better. and the gospel is seriously the best.

PS: bishop schaefer just confirmed i will be speaking in the madison 2nd ward on December 29th. ill have 10 days to whip up a good "homecoming" talk so i can not use any of my notes anyways.

Sisters Vaugh, Acker, Oliphant, Toro, and White

No real letter this week.  (See Aug 26 letter to know why)

Short exchange to share however:

neither it looks like. we were at a restaurant in lodi... haha but i must say it was quite the rootbeer :)

On Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Mie Oliphant <mie@oliphantherd.com> wrote:
According to Wikipedia:

" A&W began in June 1919, at 13 Pine Street in Lodi, California, when Roy Allen opened his first root beer stand. Two years later, Allen began franchising the drink, arguably the first successful food-franchising operation. His profits came from a small franchise fee and sales. The following year, Allen partnered with Frank Wright to help Wright with the root beer business he'd started that year. They branded their product A&W Root Beer.

"In 1923, they opened their first drive-in restaurant, in Sacramento, California, creating the nation's first system of franchise roadside restaurants."

So,  were you at the stand on pine street in Lodi or the restaurant in Sacramento?

Glad you are having fun, too.  :)

Mom 

(See how this conversation started last week with a photo taken at a restaurant, rumored to be the first A&W.)

aug 13

sorry for the lack of news on my end....

i forgot my planner and i honestly think back and the week and dont remember much that happened, (there's a reason i have a planner so i can write it down and forget).

ummm... tiffany had a baptism interview this week. that was exciting.

it was end of transfers, but sister langi and i are both staying here in lodi so not a big difference. the older you get in the mission the more sad it is when transfers come around. missionaries just keep going home. all the ones you have grown to love. good thing there will be mission reunions. and provo is the place where we're all going to meet up ;] sister pitcher is coming up to lodi though. i left her behind in stockton and she will be joining my district here in lodi :]

we have gotten real close with bonnie and tommy. bonnie was just baptized a few months ago and we have a few lessons with her and her husband weekly. one night they had us for dinner and they made us lamb chops and greek salad. oh yes tommy is GREEK! hes great. these two are so adorable and they might be my favorite people in lodi. they often send us home with arms full of fresh fruits and veggies from their yard.

today we went to the flea market in galt. its like a giant DI! of course i got a new pair of shoes... (i didnt feel guilt cause they were dirt cheap) and some california avacados. umm also ate off my first california taco truck. they are everywhere and were wer banned from our mission nurse from eating off them. many reasons as to why. but since we have a new mission nurse i had to partake. if i get food poisoning this week.. i'll know why.

anyways, love from lodi. its going to be a great transfer!

love, Sister Oliphant (uhh i mean sister H ;])

pictures

1. greek tommy singing for us

 2. (most of) our zone this last transfer

3. rumor has it this is the first a&w. not sure if thats valid

4. giant inch worm

5. brother wilson

6. galt flea market

aug 5

i dont know much to write this week so im sending a few pics your way.

two exchanges this week: sister seirra and i on bikes (i had a sore rump for a few days) and sister jackson. i got a bit sick this week so i was a little pathetic. gave it to langi i think for a bit too. we're feeling better now tho. we had our leadership meeting. lots of good missionaries leaving again this transfer. its sad to have to say goodbye. last week of this transfer and we are determined to make it a great one. will i go back to deaf work?

love from lodi,

sister elephant

1. sister abbott and repman, our asl sister in deaf work up north killin it!

2. my comp sister langi

3. the sister training leaders :]

4. mission leadership council when we hit our mission record for baptisms! 92 in june!

 5. lorenzo and i

6. larry and i