Hello Family!
It's been another great week at the MTC! Classes are starting to slow down a little bit to give us more chances to teach the different lessons we have been learning and to get accustomed to the different parts of grammar we are trying to perfect. It has been such a great experience here at the MTC coming to understand how i learn best and being patient with myself when i may not understand a principle of the Russian language as fast as another. Its really exciting to think we have only a few weeks left here before we leave. They are already talking to us a little about packing and a few other items of business concerning our departure. Oh, and another thing that was neat was when we had a few of the native Russians come in and speak to us and i could almost understand every word! Understanding the sentence as a whole was a completely different story as your brain has to work at a million miles per/hour, sorting through the files of your brain to find that word that you know is in there somewhere but are just not sure where. It was a really neat experience and it really helped our district see what it will really be like in the field. We also had the chance to teach the natives a principle their language which was super helpful because of the corrections they can make in what you say as you speak. Its been hard teaching for the most part here because you never quite know if what you're saying is completely grammatically correct so it was very helpful to do that. Also, we've been singing each day in preparation for conference and those of us who are going are very excited to be able to go and sing praises to God while having such a great experience. Dis morning my companion and i had the chance to do some temple work and we got talking to one of the temple workers there and he told us just about everything he knew about the mission experience and it was pretty interesting. It was neat to hear it from his perspective having served a mission so long ago and being married for many years. He told us about how going to places you've never been before, and being with people you didn't choose to be with changes your life and can help you be a more patient, humble, and understanding person as you try to see them as God see's them and love them as God loves them. Luckily my companion Elder Scovil and I get along really well. Every other companionship in our district except for ours has had a few incidents as they've struggle to accept each other for who they are and try to help each other. Its amazing to see and feel the difference when both focus on the good of the other and seek to be understanding of the others differences. It seems to make all the difference between whether we are happy or not. I'm so grateful for the great companion i have! hopefully we have the chance to serve with each other again once we enter Ukraine. Well, my times about up so i just want you all to know that this church is true and that i love you all! Have a great week!
~Elder Ostler
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
One more month...
Hey Family!
It was great to hear from you! Sounds like each and everyweek you all have such amazing experiences. I wish i could have been there for Elder Cook's teaching. He sounds like such a humble and christlike man. I'm excited to hear from both him and the other apostles and prophet at this upcoming General Conference. So it has been confirmed that a group of us Elders are going to conference to sing at Priesthood Session! I am so excited and so grateful for this oppurtunity to sing. Sounds like everyone is all grown up now. I can't believe Nicole is already reading and that there are so many babies on the way!! Its always so great to see pictures of everyone and see how much the kids have grown. Things have been pretty good here at the MTC. Its crazy to think we have just about 3-4 more weeks here. Time has just been flying by and most of us have been really determined to get this language down so we can really make a difference right off the bat when we go back out into the world. The Lord is so good to us here. Each and every day i feel that love that he has for us and for all of his children and i am so grateful for that and the strength it gives me.
Just yesterday we got our new name tags that spell our last names in the way they would be said in Russian. We were all pretty excited about this because this means the end is coming near here at the MTC and then its off to Ukraine! It will be so great to be there and serve those people with all my heart. This is such a wonderful work we are all involved in. This week we are going to be going 100% Russian which will be an interesting experience full of lots of learning. We all have basic conversation skills but there is still much to be learned and I am excited for the growth that will come. Thanks for keeping us up to date on the church news about the Kiev Temple Mom. All of the missionaries really appreciate it because we know nothing about what is going on over there currently so it was great to hear about all the great events that have taken place. Thanks again for sending that care package! We really aren't all that picky about what is sent to us here so if you ever feel like sending another, im sure it will be appreciated by all of us here.:) Well, i hope everything is going well at home and that you continue to have these amazing spiritual experiences!
Love,
Elder Ostler
It was great to hear from you! Sounds like each and everyweek you all have such amazing experiences. I wish i could have been there for Elder Cook's teaching. He sounds like such a humble and christlike man. I'm excited to hear from both him and the other apostles and prophet at this upcoming General Conference. So it has been confirmed that a group of us Elders are going to conference to sing at Priesthood Session! I am so excited and so grateful for this oppurtunity to sing. Sounds like everyone is all grown up now. I can't believe Nicole is already reading and that there are so many babies on the way!! Its always so great to see pictures of everyone and see how much the kids have grown. Things have been pretty good here at the MTC. Its crazy to think we have just about 3-4 more weeks here. Time has just been flying by and most of us have been really determined to get this language down so we can really make a difference right off the bat when we go back out into the world. The Lord is so good to us here. Each and every day i feel that love that he has for us and for all of his children and i am so grateful for that and the strength it gives me.
Just yesterday we got our new name tags that spell our last names in the way they would be said in Russian. We were all pretty excited about this because this means the end is coming near here at the MTC and then its off to Ukraine! It will be so great to be there and serve those people with all my heart. This is such a wonderful work we are all involved in. This week we are going to be going 100% Russian which will be an interesting experience full of lots of learning. We all have basic conversation skills but there is still much to be learned and I am excited for the growth that will come. Thanks for keeping us up to date on the church news about the Kiev Temple Mom. All of the missionaries really appreciate it because we know nothing about what is going on over there currently so it was great to hear about all the great events that have taken place. Thanks again for sending that care package! We really aren't all that picky about what is sent to us here so if you ever feel like sending another, im sure it will be appreciated by all of us here.:) Well, i hope everything is going well at home and that you continue to have these amazing spiritual experiences!
Love,
Elder Ostler
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
September 14, 2010
Hello Family!
Well, its been another great week here at the MTC! We continue to learn soo much each day and i think im just now starting to understand this language a little. Its amazing what the Lord can do when the do things his way, even if we dont understand how things could work out or we feel like we cant reach certain goals. The Lord has truly blessed us and i cant wait to see the progress we will make in these next couple weeks here at the MTC. We had a good size group of new missionaries come in this last week and it was a lot of fun getting to show them how things work around here and help them with the language. Joe Kashiwagi is in our zone now speaking Ukrainian since he is going to Kyiv. Its been fun to see him and talk to him a few times. We also found out this last week that a group of missionaries from the MTC will be going to conference to sing during priesthood session! I've been wanting to sing there all my life so hopefully i am one of the ones that gets chosen to go and sing. That would be such an amazing experience! Something interesting i learned this week while studying some old conference talks had to do with having the Spirit with us as we go about our lives. The quote stated,"Selfishness Suffocates Spiritual Senses." I've been thinking about that alot lately and how i could apply that to myself. I came to realize that over the past couple weeks we've been focusing mostly on our studies and sometimes its hard to think of anyone but ourselves. When i read this, it really just rang clear to me and i knew that that was something i could improve on while going throughout each day. As i've made that change, focusing on other's needs has helped me feel those good feelings of the spirit and has helped me keep that spirit with me as i study, teach, and serve each day. I know that following that principle of changing my focus to others needs has blessed me with a clearer mind and a better ability to learn and grow in this language and knowledge of the gospel. I know that it will continue to help as long i continue to follow Christ's example in living a life of service to the best of my ability. Well, my time is about up but i hope everthing is going well at home! thanks for sending that salsa and chips! Those care/food packages are greatly appreciated by us here so thanks so much! Hope you all have a great week!
~Elder Ostler
Well, its been another great week here at the MTC! We continue to learn soo much each day and i think im just now starting to understand this language a little. Its amazing what the Lord can do when the do things his way, even if we dont understand how things could work out or we feel like we cant reach certain goals. The Lord has truly blessed us and i cant wait to see the progress we will make in these next couple weeks here at the MTC. We had a good size group of new missionaries come in this last week and it was a lot of fun getting to show them how things work around here and help them with the language. Joe Kashiwagi is in our zone now speaking Ukrainian since he is going to Kyiv. Its been fun to see him and talk to him a few times. We also found out this last week that a group of missionaries from the MTC will be going to conference to sing during priesthood session! I've been wanting to sing there all my life so hopefully i am one of the ones that gets chosen to go and sing. That would be such an amazing experience! Something interesting i learned this week while studying some old conference talks had to do with having the Spirit with us as we go about our lives. The quote stated,"Selfishness Suffocates Spiritual Senses." I've been thinking about that alot lately and how i could apply that to myself. I came to realize that over the past couple weeks we've been focusing mostly on our studies and sometimes its hard to think of anyone but ourselves. When i read this, it really just rang clear to me and i knew that that was something i could improve on while going throughout each day. As i've made that change, focusing on other's needs has helped me feel those good feelings of the spirit and has helped me keep that spirit with me as i study, teach, and serve each day. I know that following that principle of changing my focus to others needs has blessed me with a clearer mind and a better ability to learn and grow in this language and knowledge of the gospel. I know that it will continue to help as long i continue to follow Christ's example in living a life of service to the best of my ability. Well, my time is about up but i hope everthing is going well at home! thanks for sending that salsa and chips! Those care/food packages are greatly appreciated by us here so thanks so much! Hope you all have a great week!
~Elder Ostler
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
September 7, 2010
Hello Family!
This week has been another great week! We are still learning so much and the language is slowly coming along. Its really interesting to see how you are given all of this information at one moment and are all stressed out about it but then during study time, your mind slowly catches up and it eventually becomes knowledge. That's something that i've learned while i've been here, that patience is definitely the key when you have such high expectations put upon you. It is so great to know that the Lord is on our side and that we can trust in him to help pick us up after a long, difficult day. So, thus far in language study, we've learned to give the first discussion, say our prayers, recite the first vision from memory, commit someone to read the Book of Mormon, pray and be baptized, and to hold general conversation all in Russian. I still have lots of work to do before i can really feel comfortable with any of these but we're to the point where we can say those basic things and still get by. Its amazing to see how far I've come with this language. I know that this is God's work and that he will bless those who sincerely humble themselves and then go to work, doing it God's way and not their own. I am so grateful for those promises he has given us. Tomorrow we are expecting 14 new elders in our zone which is great! It will be fun to see them and help them along. I think Joe Kashawagi in coming in with this group so that will be fun to see him! Someone said he got his call to Kiev, Ukraine which is great. I also got to see Josh yesterday here, where he works at the MTC. It was good to get to talk with him for a little bit before we got back to our studying. Sounds like everything is going great at home! Dad was telling me about all sorts of cool critters he and Caleb caught at the river. Josh was also saying something about some huge cage you all were planning on building in the backyard for the flock of birds you have now. Sounds exciting! oh, and good luck to Benjamin on asking that girl to Homecoming! im sure she will say yes! how could any girl resist going to a dance with such a great guy!?:) Well, thanks again for the letters you have sent me family. Im sorry if i cant respond to each detail but i will certainly try when time permits. Hope you all have a great week and i cant wait to hear from you all!
~Elder Ostler
Mom's note: Josh called us right after he got to see Daniel at the MTC. I guess Daniel and his companion had a break from studying and they had heard where Josh worked, so they dropped by to say hi. Josh was so surprised to see them walk it. Josh said Daniel is looking great, has a positive attitude and still has his sense of humor. His companion has had 1 1/2 years of Russian already. So it sounds like he has a lot of people around him who have learned a lot already, but he is not letting that discourage him. His example of faith is an inspiration to me.
This week has been another great week! We are still learning so much and the language is slowly coming along. Its really interesting to see how you are given all of this information at one moment and are all stressed out about it but then during study time, your mind slowly catches up and it eventually becomes knowledge. That's something that i've learned while i've been here, that patience is definitely the key when you have such high expectations put upon you. It is so great to know that the Lord is on our side and that we can trust in him to help pick us up after a long, difficult day. So, thus far in language study, we've learned to give the first discussion, say our prayers, recite the first vision from memory, commit someone to read the Book of Mormon, pray and be baptized, and to hold general conversation all in Russian. I still have lots of work to do before i can really feel comfortable with any of these but we're to the point where we can say those basic things and still get by. Its amazing to see how far I've come with this language. I know that this is God's work and that he will bless those who sincerely humble themselves and then go to work, doing it God's way and not their own. I am so grateful for those promises he has given us. Tomorrow we are expecting 14 new elders in our zone which is great! It will be fun to see them and help them along. I think Joe Kashawagi in coming in with this group so that will be fun to see him! Someone said he got his call to Kiev, Ukraine which is great. I also got to see Josh yesterday here, where he works at the MTC. It was good to get to talk with him for a little bit before we got back to our studying. Sounds like everything is going great at home! Dad was telling me about all sorts of cool critters he and Caleb caught at the river. Josh was also saying something about some huge cage you all were planning on building in the backyard for the flock of birds you have now. Sounds exciting! oh, and good luck to Benjamin on asking that girl to Homecoming! im sure she will say yes! how could any girl resist going to a dance with such a great guy!?:) Well, thanks again for the letters you have sent me family. Im sorry if i cant respond to each detail but i will certainly try when time permits. Hope you all have a great week and i cant wait to hear from you all!
~Elder Ostler
Mom's note: Josh called us right after he got to see Daniel at the MTC. I guess Daniel and his companion had a break from studying and they had heard where Josh worked, so they dropped by to say hi. Josh was so surprised to see them walk it. Josh said Daniel is looking great, has a positive attitude and still has his sense of humor. His companion has had 1 1/2 years of Russian already. So it sounds like he has a lot of people around him who have learned a lot already, but he is not letting that discourage him. His example of faith is an inspiration to me.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Daniel's District
Daniel identified the other missionaries as: (left to right)
Front Row: Cectpa Matos, Muelhstein, Schwab, Elder Scovil
Back Row: Elder Bybee, Bounous, Ostler, Young, Roberts
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