Hello Family!!
This is Elder Ostler emailing from the city of Gorlovka! It
came as quite a surprise this week when my name was anounced to be serving in
Gorlovka for a second time. I was just here about 3 months ago! Crazy huh?!
Well, it was great seeing all of the members again and reestablishing contact
with people i hadnt seen in what seemed like a very long time. The branch also
seems to be doing alot better than i remember as far as happiness level goes
which was great to see, especially with our branch president. Since i now live
in his area, which is called the Kvartal, it will be much easier to help him
out and serve him. He is a great man. They are still looking for someone who
could be our correlator but i feel like that will be a continueing
problem until some of our priesthood holders get themselves worthy to hold
callings. It will be great though since we have a return short-term missionary
who served in two area's that we were over while i was zone leader and she has
great desires to refer her friends and anyone she can find. She came to church
yesterday with a contact for us which she had made while doing a little of her
own contacting on her free time. If only we could get all of our members to do
that!:)
Right now my new companion is Elder Ether Mendoza, a great
elder just one transfer ahead of me. I think it willl be a great transfer as we
have kicked it off pretty well, working really hard. As of right now we have no
investigators but we are just getting a hang of this new area and look forward
to seeing the fruits of our efforts. It is FREEZING here! Just last night it
was about 0 degrees but with added wind chill which is really what makes the
difference! I dont think my face has got so cold in my life. SO i've made up my
mind that when i get married and raise my kids, i'll either be living in
Arizona or California, wherever is warmer!:) But its a great learning
experience, fighting all that your body is telling you when you are getting
ready to go out the door, "NO! dont go out there! You will freeze to death!
are you crazy!?" and over come it with what you know what is right
and say "hmm, well... Yes, i very well just might freeze to death, but its
okay because there's alot of people out there we need to find!" Thank
goodness this is all in the lords hands:)
So, as for the young man in the internet club last week who
wanted a book, I gave him a call and tried to set up before i had to leave that
thursday but it didnt work out to meet that soon. He said he would try to
make it to church this last sunday so i hope things all worked out! He seemed
like a great man.
It was great to hear about those other missionaries
returning home having changed so much. Its a very interesting topic to think
about to be honest because most of the time, you dont see the change in
yourself and it makes you wonder if you really are. What i've learned that when
you are putting forth your best effort to do what is right, you can trust that
God will help you make the neccessary changes in your lives to become what he
want you to become, but your own effort and dilligence in seeking out this
change is so very vital. I am so grateful that God places us in the
situations that are best for us and that will best help us in the long run. He
truly is all-knowing and all powerful.
I love you all so much and i hope this letter finds you
doing well!
With love,
Elder Ostler
