I just feel that we planted a seed

If you want me to write long e-mails than don't write long ones yourself!!!!  I do enjoy reading them though.  And no, that wasn't supposed to sound mad.  But I have about 25 minutes to write to you.  I get on the computer, write to President Doll, print my other emails, write to Elder Ostler, read yours, then write to you.  Just in case you wanted to know ;)

Caption for the picture is 2 Nephi 9:51 - the very last part.
. . . . . and let your soul delight in fatness.

We got a package from Sister Creer, 2 from Mom and 1 from Grammie. Not to mention all those members who send us home with leftovers! Thanks for all of the goodies everyone.  I love it, I love mail.

But Jose was baptized and it was the coolest thing ever!  He only has one leg and so he put his fake leg on and had two people help him into the water.  Then he was baptized.  I think his elbow came up, but Bishop said it was a good baptism.  Okay.  But the confirmation was AWESOME!!!  I felt the spirit so strongly there, and he just looked different afterwards.  I wanted to ask him how he felt, but I never got the chance.

Sister Chen, Brother Joe Bell, Jose, Roberto, Sister Ostler

I have too many meetings and places to be, plus Sister Chen is Secretary to the max.  She's everywhere and the most organized person you'll ever know. At home she wouldn't get off work sometimes until 12am, and she'd get up at around 6am.  And whenever I ask her what she WANTS to do when she goes home she says "work" even when she's married and has kids, even though her bf (soon to be hubby) wants her to stay home.  I've been trying to get her to have fun though and help her realize that it's not all about work.  HAVE FUN SOMETIMES!!!  I think she's starting to get it.  But when we take breaks it's not like we can go outside and walk around.  It's really cold!  So we sit in the car, then I feel antsy and like I'm wasting time, and she's always making calls and what not.  But it is getting better.  I just don't want to waste time either.  And actually it's not that cold.  Okay, friday was killer!  I thought I was going to die!  And we were tracting all day!  Yesterday was beautiful!  Only about 30-32!  I wasn't even wearing a scarf!  And I didn't notice my toes were cold until they started to thaw, then they started to hurt.  Man I can't wait til spring!

So Bill...

I never told you this, but I'm gonna tell you this awesome thing that happened a couple weeks ago.  And I didn't tell you because I had just told President Doll and didn't want to retype it.  But I found where it was in the Mission Miracles that the APs send out every week, so I"ll copy and past it here...

“Bill, texted us and told us that he didn't want to meet with us again. We were devastated. Our 6 o'clock appointment fell through, so we called the member that was supposed to come with us to that appointment and had him meet us at Bill's house. Bill was the one who received a priesthood blessing a few weeks ago and had a confirmation that the Book of Mormon was true and Joseph Smith was a true prophet. While standing on his doorstep we asked him questions of why he didn't want to meet with us. He said he just didn't feel the desire to do this at that time, but eventually he would, and he would always remember us. I reminded him of the time that he felt the spirit so strongly after his blessing. He didn't deny that he felt it but he said, "Yeah, but it didn't last."

A couple days earlier I had been studying the difference between the Light of Christ, the Power of the Holy Ghost and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. And so at that moment I was able to explain to him clearly why that feeling didn't stay with him. The funny thing is, is that I hadn't planned on studying that topic. But one morning Sister Ika's departing testimony on how her study of the Holy Ghost had helped her throughout her mission popped in my head, so I took some time to study that. I know that the Spirit prompted me to study that, because after I shared that with Bill he let us in his home, and Sister Chen and I, with the help of the Holy Ghost were able to help Bill understand how important our message was, and that he just couldn't say he didn't want to meet with us when this was so important. So we committed him to meeting us once a week and church on Sunday's. And he came this Sunday too! And he stayed all three hours! The first time he came he only stayed one."

So things were going good with him.  We had an awesome lesson on the plan of salvation and he understood and believed it.  Then at church the sunday school teacher mentioned that Christ created the earth, and Bill didn't agree with that (look up Isaiah 41) and then the word of wisdom lesson.  He drinks coffee every morning and he didn't agree with it being bad for the body.  But we had another lesson with him and Brother King was gonna pick him up and bring him to his house.  Well, we got there and Brother King was running late.  Then he called us and told us that Bill came out to get in the car and told him that he wasn't interested anymore in learning the gospel.  That there were things that he didn't agree with.  So Sunday night we went over to his apartment and talked with him.  Sister Chen and I both felt that we needed to let him go.  It was really hard but we did.  The spirit was definitely there and actually literally held me back when I wanted to Bible bash him.  I'm getting really good at not Bible bashing people.  I just bear my testimony.  Although neither one usually works.  But at least with a testimony they don't say, "well this says..."  Although I have had several people tell me that I can't KNOW these things are true except I see them.  Stupid people!  I didn't just say that I promise!  I love everyone!

But Bill asked us to pray before we left.  And he said that if we were in the area we could stop by and he'd call if he every had any questions.  It was a really good meeting.  And what's cool is that that night the stupid football game was on and so his roomies had a party.  There were open bottles of beer and cigarette smoke in the air.  But the Spirit was still there when we were there.  I hope Bill notices the difference!  I just feel that we planted a seed and somewhere down the road he'll remember what we taught him and want to come back.

We have a couple new investigators this week.  I'll just name one for sake of time.  On Saturday we were tracting a rich area.  What's new?  Half our area is rich.  And getting a lot of gospel conversations but no return appointments, when this lady walking the dog passes us.  We stop to talk to her and she's never heard of the Book of Mormon, and so I'm explaining it then out of the blue I ask, "Have you ever wondered what the purpose of this life is?"  Diana says no and wants to find out so we set up a return appointment and come back in two days and find out she has a great family, a wonderful husband, lots of money but no happiness.  Well we can help you there!  We committed her to church on Sunday!  And have an appointment with her on Friday.  I'm excited for her.  So hopefully she'll feel the spirit!

Okay we gotta go get our car fixed!

Love you all!

And yes, I am feeling much better!  I do have some minor headaches, but I'm hoping those will go away.  When I take Advil or sudafed they go away.  So I"m fine.

Love Sister Ostler