Hi Mom and Dad and Siblings!
So my weeks ups and downs. We'll start with last Wednesday.
Wednesday April 20th
We planned to go to Michigan City for pday. That's about 1.5 hours away. We had the miles and time, so we decided to go. We typed in the chapels address to the GPS (Sister Kendra) and it told me to go a different way than what I would normally go. I decided what the heck? I know where I'm going, why not? So I went that way. There's a Baptist church along the way and outside there was an older man digging by a sign. I had this thought pop in my head that said, "You should stop to help him." Um no. It takes 1.5 hours to get to Michigan City! And I want my blizzard! (Elder Miller was going to buy me a blizzard cuz I guessed his name right.) Well the thought was still there. So I asked Sister Arce what she thought. "I don't know" she said.
Well I thought of the letter Ben Wallace just sent me, and how he had told me of this cool spiritual experience he had where he listened to the Holy Ghost and it totally helped him and his friend. He had ignored it initially then gave into it. I asked sister Arce again. "It wasn't my idea," she said, "Yeah, it wasn't mine either," I said. Then as soon as I said that, I realized that it really wasn't my idea.
So I turned around and we asked this man if he wanted help. He said yes, which surprised me. He gave Sister Arce a spade and she started digging, and me a pick-ax and I started breaking up concrete! He was going to run electricity out to the sign out in front of the church. He had already cut the concrete, I just had to get it up from the ground. Now I was in my nice brown shoes and my skirt, and here I was breaking up concrete with a pickax and sledge hammer! It felt awesome!!!! It was the first time Sister Arce had ever used a shovel before! It was really fun! She got some bad blisters! She popped them that night. Luckily Sister Stacey was over so she knew exactly what to do. She's like our mom!
The Baptist preacher came by, and so I got to meet him! I wanted to talk to him but he had to go to the hospital because someone from church was in there. I'm glad we stopped to help the old man, Dick. We made his job a lot easier. Although the physical labor killed me! I was so dead. Except it didn't really hit til Monday I think. So I think stress helped it along. But what's funny is that the Baptists don't like us, and we helped them! I love making baptismal covenants with the Lord! We did get to go up to Michigan City and Elder Miller got me a strawberry cheesequake blizzard! Soooooooo good!
Thursday April 21
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I prolly said that 10 times that day! We also kinda taught this guy in his 20s, Tommy. He had been to Iraq and he said that he couldn't join our church or else he would go to Hell for the things he had done in Iraq. We assured him that he wouldn't, and read him the Title of Liberty. We left him with that chapter, and didn’t make a return appointment cuz his mom didn't exactly like us. Well 15 minutes later we were tracting by his house and he came up and made an appointment with us! How cool is that? Made my day. He didn't keep it, but he made it!
Friday April 22
Zone Meeting.
After Zone meeting we were planning on going to Lake Village before Kim's appointment (that's where he lives) and do some tracting. Well after the zone meeting President Doll had an interview with Sister Arce, and I went up to talk to Sister Doll. I just knew I had to talk to her for some reason. I didn't know what that reason was. So I went up and said, "Sister Doll I've been feeling really tired lately."
"And I can see why too! Let's go out and talk." We went to a different room. And she said that she had had a conversation with Sister Arce while I was playing the piano and her eyes were opened. . . . . “You must have done a lot of the teaching" she said. She was amazed that I hadn't called her or President Doll. But I just thought that if the Lord wanted me to do it then I could. So yeah, it helped to talk to Sister Doll for a couple minutes and for someone else besides me to actually see how hard it was. That talk is what I had been needing for a couple weeks, and it did help me....alot!
That night at Kim’s, he wouldn't set a date, but he still wanted to be baptized. He didn't understand the Word of Wisdom, so Sister Cameron gave him the triple and marked the Word of Wisdom section in it. Yeah, we usually don't give investigators the Doctrine & Covenants or Pearl of Great Price. But I figured with Kim it was okay. Cuz he had finished the Book of Mormon and he wanted more. He was thirsty for knowledge. He was dehydrated. That was a good visit. A really good visit.
Saturday April 23
We made friends with Chuck, the guy that owns Pizza King in Remington. We met him a week ago, gave him a card, and he let Sister Arcecuz he's Baptist!
Sunday April 24
The best Easter of my life! We went to the Cameron's for lunch and the Rodriguez's came too! The food was AMAZING! REAL POTATOES!!! I loved it! And homemade rolls! And corn, and yummy stuff! Oh it was amazing! I loved everything! And then me, Sister Arce and Sister Cameron's mom were the Easter bunnies and went out to hide the eggs for the kids! It was fun letting them go and find them! I loved the spirit at that house. It's always such a friendly spirit!
We also visited Sister Miller in the nursing home. It was a good visit. I love Sister Miller!
Monday April 25
Yeah, not a day worth mentioning. Boring.
Tuesday April 26
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! I said that about 10 times that day too! And yes, Kim decided to call you on his own! He wanted all of us to sing happy birthday, but I told him that was pushing it! And I could hear your voice. I didn't understand what you were saying, but I heard the tone of your voice. It almost made me cry. And I could tell that Kim understood how much you meant to me, just by the expression on my face. It was cool that he could see the love I had for my family. Also he committed into coming to church!!!! And we encouraged him to read the Pearl of Great Price! He loves old Testament stuff. I'm excited for Sunday!
That morning we had pancakes at Stacey's since it was Sister Arce's last real day. Elder Miller called me at 8ish and asked who my new companion was. I told him I'd like to know. While we were talking Elder Dearinger txed. So after I was off the phone with Elder Miller I looked at the text. He said, "Congrats your training! I told you you would be!" I cried. I really did. I didn't know how I could train. And it seemed that everyone else knew who their companion was, but me. Which meant that President Doll must be calling me, which meant I was training. So I ate a lot of pancakes and asked Stacey what I was supposed to do.
President Doll called an hour later and said I would be training. I just hoped and prayed all day that I could do this. That the Lord would strengthen me and that this new sister could love Rensselaer and know how to teach.
Wednesday April 27
I said goodbye to Sister Arce and Elder Miller (he's going home). And I went into the training meeting. There were two other missionaries that came out with me that are training too, Elder Wagner and Hermana Miller. My grandma, Sister Russon, was training too, and a whole bunch of other young missionaries. There were only two that had been out for a year or longer. And there were 17 new missionaries. President Doll told us some stuff, then we went into meet our companions. Mine is Sister Mondelli from Italy! She speaks really good English.
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| Sister Mondelli, Sister Ostler President & Sister Doll |
I have a lot of hope for her. She loves Rensselaer, and she can sing, and she likes to do stuff. And I have alot of hope.
Tell Jackson to fear God more than man, and to flippin rely on the Lord. Malachi 3:3, also the time Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail.
Okay, we have an appointment. I love you all! Thanks for your prayers!
Love,
Sister Ostler
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