Monday, March 26, 2012

Thank you for all you've done for me for the past 1 1/2 years

Dear Family:
Yay!  The R**s got baptized!  We had some trouble with the copy machine that morning for the programs, but Sister Fossett, as always, saved the day.  L** was so excited to get baptized, and she had to do it twice because the old bishop...like as of last week, raised his left rather than his right.  haha!  She didn't mind though.  The ward turn out was sooooooo amazing!  The RS room was PACKED!  And L** brought two of her other daughters too.  And the G**'s came.  Brother Howard is really working with them and we all think they're ready to be challenged to be baptized.  So that's really exciting.
The ward is thrilled that a family was baptized and another family may be baptized within the next couple of months.  The YW president is so awesome with these girls too.  She is taking them under her wing and really nurturing them and helping them gain that solid testimony.  One of them really needs that.  And B**, oh yeah, she's serving a mission!  I also told L** that when she receives her endowment that I'd come up.  She was excited about that.
They were three minutes late for sacrament meeting and that was a big deal.  I was only slightly stressed out.  But they all got confirmed.  The new bishopric did the confirming.  K** loved it.  I only got to talk to her after church cuz Sister Ziegler (the YW pres) came over and started to talk with them about the temple trip this Thursday which they are ALL GOING TO!  THEY ARE GOING TO THE TEMPLE!  How awesome is that?  And they are all so excited!
L** got welcomed into the RS by Sister Walters, and the Walters are taking them out to the movies tonight then B** is spending the night at their house!  Which will be so good for her.  She needs good friend  and they just click!  It's so awesome.  I can't wait for ya'll to meet them next week.  L** is so excited that I'm coming back.
Oh and funny thing.  Elder McKay had to come up to do their interviews, and after he left Lea was like, "Did you see that dark haired one?  Oh my gosh his eyes!  You girls (to her daughters) should marry him!  You should all marry a Mormon boy!"  L** is sooooooo funny!  Oh, and she finished the BOM BEFORE her baptism.
I sadly packed my thingy that allows me to put pictures in emails.  So you'll have to wait 'til I get home for pictures.  I took a lot this week with families and investigators.
This week has been a blur.  It's been really hard, and sorry mom and dad, but your emails didn't help.  I don't like talking about that kind of stuff.  Yesterday was soooooooo hard.  6 hours of church and on everyside people hugging you and saying how much you've made a difference in their lives.  And they weren't just saying it, they were for real.  As a missionary you wonder if you did make a difference in anyones life.  You try so hard to be and do your best, but you still wonder if anyone will notice.  So when you leave and there are tears shed, real tears, not those fake ones, you know that you at least touched some people.


Sister Pitts had me bear my testimony in DeKalb RS and yeah, I cried.  I was holding it in all day, but I just couldn't anymore.  Then last night after attempting to pack (I'm so horrible at it, and I'm sending home ANOTHER 10 lb box today.  I just have WAY too much stuff!  Sister Fossett is helping me pack.  She's really good at it).  I went out on the deck and just cried.  Sister Fossett found me out there.
But then that night when Elder McKay called for numbers he started to talk about the end of the mission and the next chapter of life and I couldn't take it, I handed the phone to Sister Fossett and just cried.  She kindly told him to change the subject and talk about something light and fluffy.  So he talked about how he saw a bunny that day and wanted to catch and pet it, but he didn't because it ran away.  It was actually quite funny.


I'm sad that I won't see him or Elder Graham again.  They won't be getting transferred :(  But Elder Runner is become a ZL in Joliet.  Sister Wallace is going to trainer break Sister Howell's daughter up in Beloit.  Sister Howell, get this, Sister Howell is going to RENSSELAER!  We'll get to see her when we go there!  yay!  She has two weeks to learn the area, then Sister Casperson goes back to Nauvoo and Sister Howell get's a mini.  Sister Mondelli is training again!  She’s kinda bummed that she'll be in the city still.  She loves it, but she's been there since September.  Yeah, WAY too long.  If I wasn't going home right now I'd want a transfer.  Sister Fossett is training!  I'm so happy for her.  I'm excited for her.  
Today we were going to Rockford, but nope, we haven't gotten anything.  So we'll be going shopping for Sister Fossett and then packing.  Oh joy!  But then tomorrow I get to see everyone!  Well not everyone.  There are some missionaries that won't be there :(  And I'm sad.  But I do get to see my two daughters, and I'm so happy for that.  
We had a mini-missionary this weekend, Brittni.  She was so awesome!  She was so unashamed to bear testimony and even to talk to a JW!  That's intimidating, but she did it with no fear.  She also bore powerful testimony to J**.  J** is slowly changing, and she's afraid that this is right.  But she'll come around once I leave.  My leaving will be exactly what she needs.  But being with Brittni was so much fun!  We had fun talking and filling her in on fun missionary stories, and we talked about missionaries that served in her area, and had fun tracting old houses that looked so cute!  And of course there was the baptism.
Oh, and as for my favorite meal. I actually don't like cheesy/milky stuff anymore.  They feed us way too much of that out here.  So something that Mom makes I'll be fine with.  Fruits, cooked veggies, french dip is always good, shepherds pie, NOT pasta, but I do like mashed potatoes.  Nothing heavy though.  I'm tired of heavy foods.  But honestly I don't really care, as long as it's not a lot of cheese.
I think one other Hermann will be on the plan from Chicago to Seattle.  I don't know her though.  I just wonder if we can contact in the airport or on the plane.  I hope so.  
Well I don't really know what to say.  I love you all though!  Thank you for all you've done for me for the past 1.5 years.  I couldn't have done it without you.  
Love, 
Sister Ostler

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