Light Will Rise: Not giving up yet

Dear family,

Christmas was so awesome! I loved seeing all of you, and thank you so much for hooking Jackson and I up on skypel. It was so cool to see him too. And I know you have a lot to do, but I would love to have his emails! Those are some things that really keep me going. And this has been a very difficult month and a half!

SNOW!!

Sister Wallace shoveling snow for the first time ever!

The first snowfall, and what's with these California people?!!!

But all the snow is gone now :)

I'm excited for transfers. I need a change. Whether a new comp or new area. I don't care. I kinda feel as if I'm failing this area though.

Nearly every appointment we've had, and most of them have been with members, have fallen through. We're really bummed about that. And it just seemed like no one wanted to talk with us. We tracted yesterday for about 2.6 hours total. Not one potential or new investigator. But I stayed positive the whole time, and at one door, actually our last one, which was at 8:40 pm, I used 2 Nephi 29 with her on saying why we need the BOM. If God wants to have 2 nations testifying of Christ, can't He? She still didn't want to read it. But we both testified of the truth of the book, she just didn't receive it.

With hardly any progress in this area I've really pondered why I'm here in this area. I know that there are people in this area being prepared or that are prepared to receive this wonderful message that we have. Sister Wallace and I are trying as hard as we can to go out and to contact those around us. We offer service, show members different ways to be missionaries, and invite them to act, but it still seems as if there aren't a lot of those people out there that are ready to accept our message. Not even when members invite them to act.

I know that when I get discouraged I'm just siding with Satan, and he is cheering. I know that I'm a servant of the Lord and that He's called me to this area at this time for a specific reason. And maybe that reason is to plant seeds, and just to testify of truth. Of course I know that baptism is central to my purpose, but perhaps, I like Abinidi, won't see the full fruits of my labors until years later. With the challenge that the zone leaders gave us to have three people on date by the end of the month, we have planned on inviting a lot of people to baptism. But that darn Satan! Those appts just seem to fall through! But we're still looking for those who are willing to accept the message that the Lord has sent us to share.

I remember a letter I received from Grandpa in the spring or summer. He got transferred to this city where most people were Catholic and had their noses in the air. He said in his letter to his parents, which he sent a copy to me, something like, "I know that there is someone in this city who is humble enough to accept our message."

And that's something I think about too. I think that he baptized one lady in that area. It just seems that every time I go to an area there are people already lined up to be baptized. Jose for one was prepared, and all we had to do was teach him. Alfredo was already being taught and the first Saturday I was in Rensselaer was the last time he ever drank, and it was because of the Spirit he felt from the members and the sisters that were there. D and J were already set on date when I got here, and J was a piece of cake. She had already learned everything. I know that I'm supposed to help retain these people and keep them active, which is a big job, but sometimes it's more rewarding when you find and teach and baptize someone, like Kim. I just hope that he's still active.

Speaking of J, she referred her sister to us. We went over there and her sister was over there too. She was going through a really hard time. So we taught her the Plan of Salvation. She loved it. We went back and shared with her President Uchtdorfs talk "Your Happily Ever After" and she loved that too. Then she went back up to Beloit where she lives. We gave her teaching record to the Beloit sisters. When I was there on exchanges Sister Jackson and I taught her the Restoration, and she understood for the most part about the need to be a member of the Jesus Christ's church. Sister Jackson committed her to baptism, and without a blink of an eye she accepted the baptismal date March 4. Sister Jackson was so excited. Later that night J texted us and said, "I'm so glad my sister is getting baptized." This will be so good for J, especially with most of her family against her joining the church. This is also a great opportunity for her to be a missionary and to share with her sister the blessings that have come to her since joining the church.

As for the Pilates book. I'll just get one today at Walmart or barns and nobles. I have gift certificates to Walmart, so it's all good. I just can't go out and run because of my ankle and plus it's getting really cold. I need something to get me moving in the morning. And I did pilates once and I remember I felt really good afterwards. Plus Sister Doll said they were really good for you too.

And thanks for that sprinting thing Dad! That was really cool.

Today the elders are coming here for bowling again. Elder Runner likes to bowl, and I guess they don't want to go up to Rockford, we just don't have the miles or the time to go up there. Later we're going over to Sister Richards so we can make these cookie things.

BOWLING!!

Our exchanges were much needed. I went up to Beloit while Sister Wallace held the fort down here. It really opened her eyes to how much I do, like make sure we have members for lessons, calling people to get appts. or confirm, and just the whole sha-bang! It was great for me for 24 hrs not to have to worry about that stuff.

Sister Jackson kind of felt that pressure of leading too. She called all the shots, where we went, what we taught, it was really great! In fact on Tuesday morning when we were supposed to switch back, Sister Wallace was focused on making sure she had everything we needed for that day (we weren't going to be back til that night) that she forgot to pack a lunch. "I need to repent" she said when I asked her how it was leading. "I didn't realize you did so much."

For me I'm just used to leading and stressing out. So I really don't mind, and I knew that one day she would get her chance. I really hope that she leads soon. If any missionary wants to grow they need to lead. That was Sister Ika's philosophy, and that's mine too!

Okay, well I'm outta time. I love you all.

Thanks for the awesome Christmas presents (especially skype). I'll be starting to send pkgs home with stuff I don't need. Keep all the clothes please, unless I tell you otherwise!

I love you!

Love,

Sister Ostler

Act Now

A lot of times when we are in positions of leadership we receive promptings that seems stupid or embarrassing or just weird and we don't act on them. That's what Satan wants us to do. Heavenly Father gave us that prompting for a reason, and that reason is usually to help someone out. So we need to act on it. We might not know why we are doing it, but more likely than not it's an answer to someone else's prayers.

In my life I have been the one who has acted and has received. When I received the promptings I had no idea why I was doing it, I just knew that I needed to. In the end I saw why, and I helped someone else out. Other times I still have no idea why I did what the Spirit told me to do. But I did. And I just trust that it was for a wise purpose that only the Lord knows.

Has anyone ever done something for you and they have been that answer that you had been praying for? More likely than not they were acting on a prompting from the Spirit. What if they thought when they received that prompting, "That's really stupid, or embarrassing, or too hard, so I'm not going to do it." Then your prayer wouldn't have been answered (well it still would have, but not in that very special way). So by acting on promptings you can be the answer to someone else’s prayers. President Eyring in his priesthood address to the brethren in May 2010 "Act in Diligence" at the end he gives a formula of how we can receive specific answers of what we need to do in our callings, or who we might go help. Unfortunelty I don't have that with me right now. But ya'll should go and look that up and read it. It can really help you have the courage to act on the promptings that you do receive.

Let's go and do, not sit and stew!

Love,

Sister Ostler

ps. while acting don't get discouraged when what you were prompted to do doesn't turn out the way you thought it would. Everything is in the Lord's hands when you do follow the Spirit. I don't think Nephi intended to cut off Laban's head when he walked into Jerusalem intending to get the plates.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING!