11-07-2011

Hello Family!!
Thanks sooo much for all the pictures!! It was fun to see how everyone is growing up and having such a great time. All these new children being born must also be fun and keeping you all pretty busy! I'm so glad that all is going so well back at home! I pray for you all each night and hope all is going well. Sounds like Caleb had a great party! I'm fairly certain he's grown another foot or so since the last time i saw a picture of him!:) And Benjamin is gearing up for yet another dance!!! I remember the feeling of time flying during the school year. Right when you feel you've finished one dance, it's on to the next one. And between that, choir festivals, and tennis matches, the year is suddenly already over! Time flies when your having fun, right?!

Time has also been flying out here too! last transfer just finished and I am now in a city named Petrovsky, right out of Donestk with an Elder Bangerter. He's  a very enthusiatic missionary with great desires to find some success in our area. He's from Melba, Idaho and is from one of those families that is related to nearly every person in the church in one way shape or form! We'll have to find out how we are related. He also knows Soelbergs. SO, I'm sure we will see some baptisms this transfer. This branch is also the second strongest in the Donetsk Mission with so many great families that love the missionaries and could fill most any position or calling in the church and fufill it well. We already met with one great family, and they were so good to us. These families have been hard to come by in other areas, but as far as I can see, and what my companion has told me, nearly our whole branch is made up of these strong families. I feel this will greatly improve our possibilities for success and really help investigators be truly converted. We had a district conference, a broadcast from Salt Lake City by Elder Clayton, Oaks, Uchtdorf, and a sister whose name I can't think of right now. It was really great and exactly what the members needed to hear in helping the missionary work move forward. The night before, we had a few meetings where we reinacted what a branch correlation meeting should be like because of the many misunderstadings of how one should be run. I think it really helped our leadership understand, and I look forward to the great change it will bring. We also had Zone Leaders Council where we began setting goals for the year and talking about a few new resources we are learning how to use. We had a great experience stretching our faith, preparing to blow away the results of the past and the lack of baptisms we have had here in the Donetsk Mission. Most of us still had a few doubts as to how we would get four times the result we had this last year. It will take much faith because most feel that they have been working as hard as they could this last year. Now we plan to use our resources more effectively and work as hard as we can to reach this goal. We had the chance to all kneel down there in President's apartment  and listen as the AP's offered prayers as well as President. The feeling was very strong in that room that it was possible and would come to pass if we would continue to trust in the Lord. We then all had the chance to share our feelings as to whether we felt it was possible. This brought such a great spirit to the meeting and really helped us as we continued our meeting. This Church is God's church and  is led by inspired servants of God. I am so grateful for the truths we have that can lead and guide us through the darkness of this world. Well, that's all my time for now, but I hope you all have a great week ahead of you! Stay safe and have a great day!

With Love,

Elder Ostler