No Official letter, just Hospital Details and 1 Picture "Before"

"Before"

Ok, so answers. 

I've had 3 surgeries so far, one when I first got here, that's when they took the metal plate out, and put the pump in. Then on Tuesday and also yesterday they cleaned out the wound again. I have one more surgery planned for Monday, where they're going to close the wound. This could go two different ways. They want just close it up with stitches, but the wound is pretty big and it's possible that they won't be able to simply stitch it together, in which case they'll take some skin from somewhere else on my body and put it over the wound. If they get away with stitches I should be released next Wednesday. If not, Friday or Saturday.

Things are ok. I'm not going to say they're good, but they're ok. My leg doesn't hurt, the nurses are kind, but I've been in a hospital for a week so... Yea. I the food has gotten better, I asked them to start bringing me yogurt and vegetables and stuff so now I eat yogurt for breakfast and with lunch, I also have a salad with lunch, and for dinner they give me a bunch of cut up vegetables, usually carrots, cucumbers, peppers, etc. 

I feel ok, just tired right now, which is funny considering I just stay in bed all day... But I got a roommate, he's 80 years old, and he's a little like Carl was. I guess he has problems sleeping through the night, because he called the nurse in every 2 or 3 hours, which made it hard for me to sleep. Other than that he's a nice guy though, and he has a really nice wife.

Anything else that you want to know?

LG Elder Oliphant 

This is your son in Germany

Hey Mom!

So, as I hope you already know, I got one of the screws taken
out of my leg on Monday, and the wound got infected. They tried to
take care of it at the clinic where I was, but it was spreading too
fast so they told me I needed to go to the hospital. I got to the
hospital and I got in right away, the doctor looked at it and decided
that they needed to reopen the wound in order to clean out all of The
infection, and that they were going to operate that same day, in 2
hours. They sent me up to my room, where I waited for 10 hours instead
#IAintEvenMad.

The surgery was successful, they took the metal plate off of my leg so
that no infection could get underneath it, but also because the doctor
said that I still have good healthy bones and the break is healing
really well, so it's not super necessary. They then put a vacuum
bandage on my leg with a tube that is going to suck out all of the
rest of the infection over the next few days. After that they'll resew
the wound and I should be able to leave. The doctor said I'll probably
have to stay here for 8-10 days, which is really bad because we have a
baptism tomorrow and Sebastian asked me to baptize him, and now I
won't even be able to be there. I'm trying to stay happy with just
knowing that he's getting baptized, but it's hard. We're both pretty
upset that I won't be baptizing him. :(

Anyway, this hospital is ok, it's really hot though. I've been
sweating so much it's crazy. The nurses are also pretty nice here, and
somehow I currently have a room to myself. Didn't think that was
possible in Germany

When you want to talk you can call president Fingerle and he'll set up
a three way call between us.

Also, I'm writing with Elder Day's iPad because yesterday the nurse
told me not to leave anything valuable in my room while I was gone, so
my comp took it with him, and then they forgot to bring it back... I
really hope they bring it back tomorrow because I need to skype in to
this baptism!

Well, I love you, I'm still doing alright. The APs are about to leave
so if you want to respond just send it to my email and I'll read it
tomorrow.

It's time to start walking again! Jawohl! Endlich kommt sie raus!

Hey hey hey hey!

 I'm excited, super excited! Do you want to know why?
It's because 6 weeks have gone by since I broke my ankle, which means
it's time to start walking again! Jawohl! I have an appointment with
the doctor on Monday, where they're going to the pin out of my leg,
and then I'll be able to start walking again! These past few weeks
have been really hard, but I've come to realize that the more trials
we have, the more we come to appreciate all of the small, little
blessings that we have in our lives. For example, the blessing it is
to have a healthy, working body, with two healthy, strong legs haha,
I've really come to see the blessing there.

But on a serious note, the Lord truly has blessed me in so many ways
during these past few weeks. He has been by my side, sent his angels
to comfort and support me, and has blessed me with the opportunity to
meet wonderful people, like our friend Sebastian, who will be getting
baptized on the 24th of July! Woohoo! He is such a stud, I love him so
much!

This week things finally calmed down a bit, and we were able to do
some good work in the office. Nothing super exciting, but we've stayed
pretty busy. I'm starting to like being in the office, at first I was
super worried that I wouldn't be able to do as much good here as I
could out in the field, but I've realized that the work we do in the
office has the same purpose, "to invite others to come unto Christ, by
helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ
and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy
Ghost, and enduring to the end."

In my personal study I've been trying to learn more about diligence in
the Lords work. Diligence is a very important part of missionary work,
it's one of the legs that the Lords work stands on, and when we aren't
diligent in our work, nothing gets done. I think that almost everyone
who goes on a mission wants to be a good, hard working missionary. No
one comes on a mission to just sit around and be lazy, we come here to
bring others to Christ. But often times this drive starts to diminish.
We start to justify sleeping in a few extra minutes, or not going out
to work on time. Satan comes in and tries to convince us that being
diligent isn't important, and sometimes we believe his lies and give
in to that natural man. This isn't ok, those lies are still lies! It
is important to the Lord that we work hard, and that we continue to
strive to do all that we can to serve him and to be diligent workers.
If we look in the scriptures, we notice that nothing comes easy from
the Lord. All of the prophets didn't receive the testimonies they had,
or convert the thousands that they converted because God loved them
more, or because it was a different time, these miracles were
performed after these prophets gave themselves to much fasting and
prayer, in order to know God. Enos describes his process as being a
wrestle, Alma as well. It's not easy to be diligent, it really is a
sacrifice, but "sacrifice is giving up something good, for something
better."

I love you! I hope you have a great week!

LG Elder Oliphant

Elder Oliphant, his trainee Elder Teuscher and Elder Adams

He's not the only missionary in a wheelchair

Freiberg Temple

Elder Nearon

More Office Lyfe`

Berlin Tempelhof Airport, home of the Candy Bomber 

Sorry that my emails have been kind of lame recently. There is just nothing exciting that goes on in the office. And almost our whole district got sick last week (myself included), so we were stuck in the apartment. And let me tell you, a nasty sinus infection mixed with a broken ankle makes you about as useful as a sack of potatoes... I did get a new temple recommend though, that was good! 

Also, we got transfer calls! I'm going to officially be a real office elder, which means I'll stay here even after I get my cast off. My companion will be elder Jordan Anderson, I'll be living with the APs, elder Day and elder Nearon. I'll also get to go down to FREIBERG next week to help with the new missionaries! Woohoo! So next week I should have a much better email :)

Love you mom!

LG Elder Oliphant 

Elder Gibbs wanted to sign his cast but signed his foot instead

Doner!

Mom comment-I hate this haircut

Sick missionary 

June 25

Hello Hello!

Well, I had another week in the office. It's going ok, I guess. I get kind of bored sometimes, but I'm still doing good. It´s funny, since the beginning of my mission I had the feeling that I would be an office elder at some point. I didn't think that I'd have to break my leg to get there but, hey, God works in mysterious ways.

There´s really not a whole lot to talk about. I´ve been technically in a trio companionship for the last week with Elder SIlver and Elder Çakir(pronounced checker. He´s turkish). I'm in a trio with them because I live in their apartment, but they're the turkish speaking program in Berlin, and they're always gone, and I'm in the office with the office elders. Then when they have to leave I have to come with. Sometimes I feel like a big ole sack of potatoes. So for the past week it's been like I've had 4 different companions. But that's about to change because Elder Garner, my companion from the beginning of the transfer, is coming back today! He was down in a different area for a while because there was another missionary in the hospital and his companion needed someone to stay with him. I'll be glad to have a real companion again.

The highlight of this week was on tuesday when I got to attend a zone training meeting in Berlin for the Neubrandenburg Zone. Elder Bennett, my old Erfurt homie, is the ZL up there now, and he and his companion did a great job. It was also nice to talk to Elder Bennett again. He's been a good friend. 

I'm sorry, I'd love to write a nice long letter, but I have no idea what to write about. My ankle is still healing, and I'm still trying to stay strong! Being in the office, you hear about all the problems in the mission, and it's kind of hard sometimes to not get super cynical...

Well, sorry for this awful email. I'll try and do better next week.

Love You!

LG Elder Oliphant

New Beginning and New P-Day!

Hey everybody! 

Not a whole lot to say this week. I'm feeling better now, not 100% of course, but better. My ankle doesn't hurt for the most part and we're in Berlin now. My Pday will also be on Saturday from now until I can leave the office.

 This has probably been one of the longest weeks of my mission though. I was in the hospital up until Wednesday, when I Finally got released! I was there in the same little hospital room for 5 days! I though I was going to go crazy! But, I have to say, despite the circumstances I really enjoyed my hospital stay. I had a ton of wonderful nurses there who were very supportive, and made sure that I felt at home in this foreign country. I also had a roommate(#NoPrivacy) who was a very nice man. We had great talks together, and even though I was in the hospital the Lord gave me the opportunity to share the gospel with this man. We talked about the family, and how important it is to him and to me, and about how it's possible for someone to be together with there family forever. At the end I was able to invite him to visit the open house for the Freiberg Temple in August. I don't know if he'll go, and I'll probably never see this man again. I hope he goes, and I hope I see him, but right now I can't control that. The only thing I could control was to invite him, that's all I could do, the rest right now is up to his agency and to the Lord. 

We really shouldn't be afraid of an invitation, it really is quite simple, and the right invitation to the right event at the right time can be powerful! It could be as simple as a family home evening, ward cook off, to do genealogy, read church material, go on Mormon.org, sharing a church video or Mormon message with someone on Facebook, the possibilities are endless! If we invite our friends, it shouldn't matter if they say no, they'll still be our friends, and bringing friends to the church will only increase our levels of friendship. Now we can have a desire to share the gospel, but we can't do it ourselves. God has declared, "This is MY work and MY glory; to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." It's his work, so we don't have to do it alone. If we ponder about our friends, think of an invitation, and then ask God for his help, he will tell us how to share his gospel. 

If you're interested, I have a challenge for you. I want you to go and write down a list of every single person that you know that could benefit from the gospel. Everyone! All of your friends, family members, coworkers, Facebook friends, everyone! It doesn't matter if they don't seem to have interest right now, or if they have rejected the offer before. Then once you have this list, brainstorm a list of invitations. It doesn't necessarily have to be to come to church or to meet with the missionaries. Like I said, it could be as simple as to share a link with them on Facebook.

After you have ideas, specifically pray over each person, and find some invitation for them. I promise that when you do this the Lord will show you how he has prepared each and every one of his children. Even if the people you invite don't accept your invitation, don't get discouraged, you did your part! Try again later! I want to end with a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, 15-16: "10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God... And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"

I bear my testimony that I know that Christ lives and loves each and every one of God's children. I know that he leads this church. I know that our Father in Heaven is loving, and he wants all of his children to return to him. I also want to bear testimony of the power that missionary work can have in our lives. I have been blessed so much through my mission, and through this work, more than I can even describe. Yes it's hard, not everyone is as accepting to the truth as I would hope, but I keep going, and the Lord keeps blessing me. I still don't know why I had to break my ankle, but I know there is a purpose behind it, and I know that the Lord can use this as an opportunity to bless his children in his own way.

I love you all, and hope you take this challenge! Spread the word! The gospel has been restored! Hallelujah!!!

LG Elder Oliphant 

5 Days of No Shaving in the hospital

A Scary Day for a Mom

This is a mom post.  Elder Oliphant had a bad accident and these are the emails I received regarding his injury.

First Email I received June 4,

Hello this Elder Garner I am the companion of Elder Oliphant we are at the Hospital right now, I believe that Sister Fingerle already contacted you, but I want to relay a message from Chase.

The nurses at the hospital are very nice and letting me use the computer at the front desk to write this to you thats why Elder Oliphant cant come.

he told me to tell you though that he is fine and not to worry to much. My mother would get mad at me because she would say that that is a boy answer, short and with no details, he really is doing good though and he is in good hands here!

Know that we are all praying for him and the ward is amazing here and will take good care of him!

with love from Elder Oliphant

Second Email I received, 

 Dear Brother and Sister Oliphant,

My name is Sr. Sibylle Fingerle and I am the wife of the mission president
of the Germany Berlin Mission. I am in charge of the health of our
missionaries. 

This morning Elder Oliphant played soccer and hurt his foot.
He went to the hospital for treatment and a X-Ray. The Doctor diagnosed that
his ankle is broken. 
I informed Dr. Burt (our medical adviser for the mission) and he recommended
to go for the surgery and keep you informed.
Elder Oliphant will have a surgery today to fix the bone and set a sheet and
he will stay in the hospital in Hamburg for a few days.
That is all we know so far but we will of course inform you as soon as we
have more informations.
I talked with him after the accident and he seemed ok. 
(He joked about this special Birthday present he received;) ).

We will pray for him and also for the doctor.

Please contact me when you have any further questions.

Have a good day.

Sister Sibylle Fingerle

June 5, 

Hey Mom,

So I'm in the Amalie-Sieveking-Krankenhaus in Hamburg. It's Fairly nice, there's a nurse here who has a daughter that did an exchange in Texas, and she LOVES Americans, so she's been helping me out a lot  :) 

I don't know how much sister Fingerle told you, but we were playing soccer Saturday morning and I went to slide into the ball to block it. My left foot slid, but my right one didn't. It hurt a lot at first, and it looked super weird, the members there quickly called an ambulance and I was taken here. It hurt at first, and they gave me a TON of pain meds. We did an X-ray and they saw that it was broken pretty bad. My fibula was broken into several different pieces, and the tendons that connect the fibula to the other bone there were ripped. They put a plate in with several different screws to hold the fibula in place. That has to stay there for 1-2 years. They also put a bigger screw in to hold the bones in place so that the tendons can grow back. That one only stays for 6 weeks, but I can't put any weight on my foot until it's out, because the screw is pretty fragile and could snap. I don't think they'll send me home, haha, I can't walk how could they? They'll probably have me stay here for the next few weeks. Worst case scenario they send me to work in the office.

I was on a bunch of pain medicine, but I hate how I feel when I'm on those so I haven't taken any for the past 12 hours or so, and I'm doing fine. I got a blessing from my companion and from the zone leaders who came down to stay with him, and the blessed me that the pain would be bearable, and it is. God truly does answer prayers and look after his children.

I'm going to be in the hospital for a few more days, at least until Wednesday they said.

June 6, 

Hi Mom, 

I don't know if they have those knee scooters, but I'll ask. Right now we're trying to decide if I'll be fine with just crutches or if I need a wheelchair.

The transfer was alright. Long, and hot, but alright. Also, the wheels on one of my suitcases are totally destroyed! Completely KAPUTT. I'll send a picture later. Elder Powell is with elder Seegmiller. They combined the two Erfurt programs, so now there are only two elders there, covering what used to be covered with ten elders.


I don't know much about the area, I've only met two families and been on three streets, the soccer field and the hospital. My companion is pretty nice. I actually knew him at the beginning of my mission, but I hadn't seen him since my first transfer in Leer. We get along pretty well

They give me shots every day to prevent blood clots.

The pain today is a lot more intense than it was yesterday, so I started taking the pain meds again, but they don't seem to have much effect. They gave me a hard cast, some crutches, and a wheelchair, so I can get around now when I need to. This hospital also doesn't have air conditioning, and it's June. I'm lying in a pile of sweat, and it's awful. I keep getting offered tea and coffee, and of course I say no, but every time I'm like really?? Do you want us to get heat stroke??

Also, I just talked with president, and he said that I have two options, either go home, or go work in the office, so once I get released from the hospital  I'll be packing my bags again and going to Berlin to be an office elder. So if you do send a package send it to the office. Man, I'm so sad. I have no idea what's going to happen now.

LG Elder Oliphant 

June 6, 

Hey everybody.

Well, my first week in Delingsdorf has been very interesting. I came
into my new area and I was super excited. We live in a city called
Ahrensburg, and the church is in the tiny village of Delingsdorf only
4 kilometers away. I'm not sure why they decided to build the church
in that tiny place, but it's there. Our area is basically a suburb of
Hamburg, we have a big ward, and I don't know how, but one of the
families found out my birthday was this week, and they invited us over
for cake! It was a lot of fun.

Sadly, not all is well. We play soccer here every Saturday, and
apparently in the past 10 years that the ward has been playing they'd
never had a serious injury until last month, and since then every week
someone has been injured. I guess this week was my turn. My ankle is
broken. :( I... Broke it. I'm. It sure what exactly happened, one
moment I was going to get the ball, and the next I was on the ground
in serious pain. I've been in the hospital since Saturday, and I'll
probably have to stay here until Thursday. Then once I'm released
elder garner and I will be going to Berlin to work in the office until
I'm better. I'm pretty upset about this whole situation, but I know
that there's something that I need to learn, and I know there's a way
to overcome this. These few days have already been the hardest that
I've gone through on my mission, physically, spiritually and mentally.
I'm very grateful for all of the prayers that I've already received, I
can really feel them, and I feel that God is near. I love you, and I
would really appreciate your continued prayers.

LG Elder Oliphant