2012-7-23

Dear Family,

I hope this letter finds all you  doing well! This week has been a week of hard work. We've been trying to figure out what can bring more success to this area since its slowed down for a while now. This week we tried the approach of family history, calling all former investigators, searching for less-actives, english night, gathering all records from the past of those who could come to english, baking cookies for our neighbors, and doing our early morning and late evening finding on the street. We also worked with one of our young aaronic priesthood quorom members to invite another young less active boy back to church. We tried to work as hard as we could and pray that the lord will consecrate our efforts. We also had a great lesson with a man named Paddy from Nigeria here for college who recieved the Aaronic priesthood this Sunday. We helped him understand his new responsibilities and the blessings that would come. The poor man seemed so overwhelmed, but looked so calm once he recieved it. I forget if I told you, but here, in Alekseevka, it has the highest number of member students from Africa. There are about  10 active and most speak English with a little Russian. They are all so great and a lot of fun to be around. 

This next week, we plan to use a few more new finding tactics to spice things up. For one, we will be making balloon animals that we can give to families along with church brochures in the parks near our apartment. We had another idea of setting up a table in a busy area and lay paper down over it and put up a sign, "questions for God"  and then let passerbyers write down questions they have that we can answer for them and then give away free Liahonas (combination of Ensigns, New Era, the Friend). 

We still need to get it passed with public relations, but I think it would be a great new way of starting conversations and involving members in our finding efforts. We'll for sure do our best to find all those who are ready! 

I can't wait to see you all soon! Have a wonderful week!

With Love,

Elder Ostler

2012-7-16

Dear Family,
I now find myself writing from the Alekseevka region, another suburb outside of center Kharkov. The branch here also has many strong members who are so willing to help when asked. Sunday night we went out searching for lessactives, honestly being a little lost because we are both brand new to the area. We ended up stopping by two members, one being a previous branch mission correlator and the other being a Primary president. They went through the branch list with us, telling us what happened to each person and indicated that at least a third of the people listed had moved and should have been transfered to another branch or sent to the general branch list in kiev. These two, unplanned meetings saved us hours and hours of searching to correct this information and was a miracle to us. Once this area gets organized, the missionary work will work ten times more effectively. This week end we also attended the baptism of Olya! We arrived a half an hour early to find that everything was in order, that olya and her sister had already arrived with the elders and that the font was full, each of which seemed to me a miracle. about five minutes till we started the room filled with about six investigators from surrounding area's, their missionaries, and the rest with local members, making a total of about 30. This was also a great blessing that so many showed up to show support and have their own testimonies strengthened. I was a bit worried when we were getting close to starting with only a handful of people but that was soon put to rest. The program went well, under the direction of a member of our branch presidency. After two spiritual thoughts on baptism and the holy ghost, we were invited to enter the font and proceed with the baptism. As I entered the font from one side and looked into the audience, the smiling faces of both members and missionaries met me and it was such a great comfort to know that their are such great people in this world and that Olya would have a great branch family to help and support her. I think that is always the concern of a missionary, that once they leave, that everything will work out with the transition of the new member into the their new life and branch. Once Olya came down the steps from the other side and entered the water, I moved her into position and proceed with baptism. As i concluded what words i needed to say, i let her down into the water and back up again. What an amazing feeling! To have seen her through all the lessons and be with her as she came to understand the atonement on a more personal level, it was such a strength to me to see her come up out of those waters, seeming to shine. What a wonderful plan our heavenly father has for each of us. I felt so wonderful to be back in the water, all in white, performing saving ordinances in a sacred place like that branch. It makes me look forward to attending the temple and taking part in saving ordinaces on a regular basis. I know Olya will do so well and as i changed back into my clothes and entered back into the hall, i felt a great peace come to my heart that all was in the Lords hands. The members then offered powerful testimony and Olya then bore hers which made her sister even start to weep from what she was feeling. Family, I love this work, and it makes me want to weep just thinking of leaving it. My time has almost come to a close here but I know that these feelings will never leave me. I want them to stay with me for the rest of my life. I am so grateful that i was blessed with this time to serve and look forward to continuing this great work back at home. I love each of you and also cant wait to see you and share experiences together. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the pictures.

With Love,

Elder Ostler

2012-7-9

Dear Family,

I'm so glad to hear you are all doing so well and I cant wait for you to meet the people here. They're great! This week has been another roller coaster! We have been working with Olya, making sure she has good member support, helping to activities and doing all we can to help her adjust comfortably to the branch. She is great and puts up with a lot. In between classes they had a lesson about Fasting. I had been in another class and when a came out to see how it had gone, she informed me she was starting a fast right then. She has great faith and is willing to act quickly upon what she knows to be right. I also found out this week that i am being transfered!! Thats right! i'll have 3 weeks left in my next area and would be missing the baptism. At first i was a little shocked since we were so close and i was in the middle of training. I think the reason for this change is for my companion to be able to finish his training experience in a normal way, having a full transfer companion. We had a musical fireside put on by a senior couple from sumy that we took Olya and her nonmember sister too which was a great success and oppurtunity to invite others who appreciate good, wholesome entertainment. Her sister really liked and is planning on coming to Olya's baptism. When our investigator heard i was going to a different region and wouldnt be able to come to the baptism, she demanded to talk to president about allowing me to come and baptize her. I was pretty surprised at the request but President gave permission and it looks like everything will work out for me to go. What a blessing! We had been talking about what members could baptize her and what options we had with the upcoming transfer but things just seemed to work out. It's been great to see how this branch moves into action when a baptism arrives. They seem to know exactly what is expected of them and what is needed from the missionaries. I think it will be a great service.

 Something that i have come to realize once again on my mission is just when you think you know whats going on in life, its turns upside down. I really had not been expecting this transfer but it's taught to fall on my knees in times where i need comfort, not just turn up the music in the car, read the news online, or sit at the piano and play till my feelings are calmed. Its taught me to turn to my maker and seek his help and His comfort immediatly. I now realize just how much more effective and thorough the comfort from Him is. It doesnt just momentarily push away the feelings of anxiety and sadness in my heart, it thoroughly removes them and replaces them with feelings of love and peace. Prayer is something i have taken for granted in my life. Wow is there power in it when expressed sincerely. Experiences like this make me never what to offer an insincere prayer again. I love you all so much family! May you also find peace and joy through sincere and heart felt prayer. Thankyou for the spiritual experiences you share with me. I promise i read them and cherish them:) Have a wonderful week!  

                                            Elder Sanger, President Campero, Olya, and I

                                                                        Our District

With love,

Elder Ostler 

2012-7-12

Dear Sister Ostler,

Thank you very much for taking care of the clothes. It has been ordered today and should arrive to your place in 3 days or so.

But what I want to thank you far more is your son. Every time when I was meeting with Elder Ostler and Elder Sanger for our lessons, I felt presence of the Holy Spirit. I did have doubts and questions about the church but whenever they talked to me all my doubts would disappear.

It’s an honor for me that your son will baptize me. I will always keep him in my prayers and remember him with gratitude.

I attach two pictures taken with Elders, Mission President, his wife and me at a music concert at church. I know the quality is not good but I hope you will like them anyway.

Thank you for everything.

 Olya

2012-7-5

Dear Ostler family

Elder Ostler is serving in  Kharkov; he will arrive to Donetsk on August 1th during the morning and he will meet his parents at the Ramada hotel then after. Elder Ostler will advice you about at what time he will meet you.

It is sad for me that I won’t be able to meet the parents of the great Ostler missionary since I’m not going to be in town during that week.

I hope you will enjoy your stay in Ukraine and feel a little of what Elder Ostler experienced during his stay here.

With love

President Campero  

2012-7-pictures

Here are just a few pictures,:

view from our apartment window

                                               our district leader meeting here in Kharkov

                                                          one of me and my companion

2012-7-2

Dear Family,
The Lord is trully blessing us here in Ukraine. Through this time of searching for those who are elect, the body gets extremely tired of thinking, always being aware of who could be helped or talked too. When you get to this time on your mission, you know exactly what is extected of you and you feel a great determination to do it to your best abilities. You feel like its the final hour and the mission has never seemed so real as it does now. It is amazing to look back at this refining process and still wonder where the time has gone and what changes have taken place in my life and the lives of so many i love.
Just dismorning i had confirmed to me that two more investigators we started teaching in Marioupul have excepted a date of baptism. Since Elder Smith, whom i trained in marioupul, is my zone Leader now, he was able to break the good news to me and we had a great time rejoicing together. I still remember vividly the sacrifices we made there in Marioupul and the struggle it was to give all that i had and now, a year later, seeing the harvest beginning to appear. My patience has never been tested to this extreme ever before in my life and im so glad that i didnt stop doing all that i could during my time here. The Lord is doing great works here and i'm so glad that i am lucky enough to see some of the fruits of our labors. The Lord helped make up the difference where we lacked.
This week we had to move the date of baptism for our investigator Olya because of work that came up on sunday which didnt allow her to come. We felt that she really needed to attend at least one more time before baptism so we talked to the branch president about it and agreed to move it to the 14th of July. We told her later that night. She took it really well but was sad that she couldn't just get baptized at that very moment. She is so excited. Its amazing to see her willingly make changes in her life to align herself with what is expected of members of the church. She is making many sacrifices and going the extra mile to make sure she follows the council of our leaders as far as modesty and Sunday worship goes. Please keep her in your prayers.

Thankyou so much for the messages you wrote this week. Its amazing to hear the lessons you each are learning through different experiences in life. The atonement is real and continues each day to make a difference in my life. What a blessing to know of Gods plan for us, and what a blessing it is for all of us to have the oppurtunity to share it.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

With love,

Elder Ostler