Dear Family,
I am so glad to hear the way that music is touching the hearts of so many there in Arizona. It is such a blessing to have such talent and skill among church members there. Make sure to take every opportunity to use that great gift. This week we returned from Harkov on Wednesday. Later that night, we visited the first family I had ever been to while in the mission field, the Grechnev's. They have a wonderful family with a less active father who is kind to us but doesn't want to hear our message. We decided to have the members of the family prepare short lessons and their testimonies on a few different topics that the family had been struggling with. We saw such a difference when they did this, and they really felt the power of their own testimonies that they may not have realized was there. That is one thing I have learned on my mission, that one of the best ways for a person to learn something is for them to teach it themselves. Some people always doubt what they know, until they have that opportunity to testify of it. I remember so many times during my youth growing up and not feeling like I was strong or able to share what I felt in my heart. But, each time, whether it was at youth conference or sacrament meeting, when I went outside of my comfort zone, I could feel the Lord's power working through me and I would even be surprised as to how much I really did know to be true. I came to know it in my mind as result of the confirming witness of the spirit in my heart.
This week, we also saw a great miracle! We were on the way to a less active lesson far out on the edge of our area. When we went into the apartment complex and were waiting at an elevator, a man walked in from the street, on the verge of a drunken and sober state. We talked to him and he immediately invited us to his home that very minute to meet his wife. He said she was a nurse and just a great person who needed us to share our message with her. We made him promise she wouldn't be drunk also and then headed up the elevator to this man's apartment. When he opened up the door the man called out to his wife who was watching TV on the couch and with a surprised look came to the door. At first she was apologetic, seeing that her husband had just crossed into a more drunken state and told him to go to the kitchen. We talked for a few minutes in the front entry way and soon we had her pretty curious as to what in the world we were doing there. She invited us to sit down in her living room and we began to teach a little about the Book of Mormon. She told us she was very interested in religion and had not really united herself to any faith. She had studied with Baptists and Jehovah witnesses but for some reason never joined their churches. We gave her a book of Mormon and asked here to read and pray that she could find her own answers to her life long search. She agreed to our commitment and we will see if she kept it in our next meeting. Her father was also there on the lesson, probably in his 80's. he was very funny because he didn't speak the whole time but then would ask two or three times if their were communists in America. We laughed and said that there probably were but we hadn't met any. At the end we left with a prayer and were both so happy about that miraculous experience, clearly having happened not by accident.
This weekend we also had the chance to attend a celebration of 20 years since the first missionaries came to the Donetsk mission. We heard the stories of the pioneers here in Donetsk and also the testimonies of President and Sister Galbraith from the Kiev, temple. It was such a wonderful experience and about 10 investigators were in attendance. It would have been very hard not to feel the Spirit working in that room. The Donetsk mission has come a long way since those days, and we are truly blessed for the diligence of those who came before us to serve.
The next day, which was Sunday, was also a great day, President setting apart two sister missionaries who will be serving at temple square. We had a little testimony meeting with their families, not all of whom were members and then set the sisters apart to serving the Lord. Then the families left and we, President Campero and his wife, the temple president and his wife, and the sisters had a great dinner and talked about the adventures that were ahead of them. They were both pretty nervous about it all, not knowing exactly what they were getting into but knowing that it would eternally bless them and their families. It is great to see such strength in the young members here. Then to wrap it all up, towards the end of the night, the Temple president asked to talk with my companion and I with President Compero. We went into president's office and received some wonderful instruction. You could tell that this man understood the meaning of the temple well and through his testimony, it strengthened each of us and reminded us of the covenants we made while in that holy place. I had been praying and fasting my last transfer to help remember and keep those covenants that I made with God and this meeting with the temple president was an answer to my pleading and fasting. The Lord is truly aware of us and each of our struggles, that I know with all that I am.
I love you all so much and am grateful that we can all live together again according to our faithfulness, thanks to our Heavenly Father's great plan for us. Have a great week!
With Love,
Elder Ostler
I am so glad to hear the way that music is touching the hearts of so many there in Arizona. It is such a blessing to have such talent and skill among church members there. Make sure to take every opportunity to use that great gift. This week we returned from Harkov on Wednesday. Later that night, we visited the first family I had ever been to while in the mission field, the Grechnev's. They have a wonderful family with a less active father who is kind to us but doesn't want to hear our message. We decided to have the members of the family prepare short lessons and their testimonies on a few different topics that the family had been struggling with. We saw such a difference when they did this, and they really felt the power of their own testimonies that they may not have realized was there. That is one thing I have learned on my mission, that one of the best ways for a person to learn something is for them to teach it themselves. Some people always doubt what they know, until they have that opportunity to testify of it. I remember so many times during my youth growing up and not feeling like I was strong or able to share what I felt in my heart. But, each time, whether it was at youth conference or sacrament meeting, when I went outside of my comfort zone, I could feel the Lord's power working through me and I would even be surprised as to how much I really did know to be true. I came to know it in my mind as result of the confirming witness of the spirit in my heart.
This week, we also saw a great miracle! We were on the way to a less active lesson far out on the edge of our area. When we went into the apartment complex and were waiting at an elevator, a man walked in from the street, on the verge of a drunken and sober state. We talked to him and he immediately invited us to his home that very minute to meet his wife. He said she was a nurse and just a great person who needed us to share our message with her. We made him promise she wouldn't be drunk also and then headed up the elevator to this man's apartment. When he opened up the door the man called out to his wife who was watching TV on the couch and with a surprised look came to the door. At first she was apologetic, seeing that her husband had just crossed into a more drunken state and told him to go to the kitchen. We talked for a few minutes in the front entry way and soon we had her pretty curious as to what in the world we were doing there. She invited us to sit down in her living room and we began to teach a little about the Book of Mormon. She told us she was very interested in religion and had not really united herself to any faith. She had studied with Baptists and Jehovah witnesses but for some reason never joined their churches. We gave her a book of Mormon and asked here to read and pray that she could find her own answers to her life long search. She agreed to our commitment and we will see if she kept it in our next meeting. Her father was also there on the lesson, probably in his 80's. he was very funny because he didn't speak the whole time but then would ask two or three times if their were communists in America. We laughed and said that there probably were but we hadn't met any. At the end we left with a prayer and were both so happy about that miraculous experience, clearly having happened not by accident.
This weekend we also had the chance to attend a celebration of 20 years since the first missionaries came to the Donetsk mission. We heard the stories of the pioneers here in Donetsk and also the testimonies of President and Sister Galbraith from the Kiev, temple. It was such a wonderful experience and about 10 investigators were in attendance. It would have been very hard not to feel the Spirit working in that room. The Donetsk mission has come a long way since those days, and we are truly blessed for the diligence of those who came before us to serve.
The next day, which was Sunday, was also a great day, President setting apart two sister missionaries who will be serving at temple square. We had a little testimony meeting with their families, not all of whom were members and then set the sisters apart to serving the Lord. Then the families left and we, President Campero and his wife, the temple president and his wife, and the sisters had a great dinner and talked about the adventures that were ahead of them. They were both pretty nervous about it all, not knowing exactly what they were getting into but knowing that it would eternally bless them and their families. It is great to see such strength in the young members here. Then to wrap it all up, towards the end of the night, the Temple president asked to talk with my companion and I with President Compero. We went into president's office and received some wonderful instruction. You could tell that this man understood the meaning of the temple well and through his testimony, it strengthened each of us and reminded us of the covenants we made while in that holy place. I had been praying and fasting my last transfer to help remember and keep those covenants that I made with God and this meeting with the temple president was an answer to my pleading and fasting. The Lord is truly aware of us and each of our struggles, that I know with all that I am.
I love you all so much and am grateful that we can all live together again according to our faithfulness, thanks to our Heavenly Father's great plan for us. Have a great week!
With Love,
Elder Ostler
