Monday, March 31, 2014

#38 Ta ta Tirona, Hello Fier!

Monday, March 31, 2014

Hey, hey family,

Well it done been written, I am headed to Fier this week. Elder Jorgensen and I were praying as we finished off our planning last night when President Ford called with the news about what the next three months of service are going to be like. I will actually be training down there and will be district leader once again. It is going to be interesting! Excited to rip it to shreds down there.

This week has been a good week though. Elder Jorgensen and I had set a goal at the beginning of the transfer for how many lessons we wished to have in a week be the end of the transfer and were able to hit it which was a great thing! Another goal that we had set was for baptisms which...well I guess that our purposes aren't always the Lord's. However right now we have some really promising people and we gave a referral to 1st Ward that is getting baptized in a week which is really exciting. So, the work leads rewards, I guess we just need to keep our eyes open for them.

One of those really promising investigators is Enxhi. She is still doing really great and actually recently finished up 1st Nefi. She is developing in testimony and becoming really excited about the Gospel. We actually just went over the Word of Wisdom with her yesterday and it was one of those lessons where you forget that some commandments are actually really hard for some people to follow. The only rough spot is that she lives here during the week and goes home almost every weekend. However, this might not be as rough of a spot as previously thought because home is in Fier! So the plan is that Elder Jorgensen will teach her (he is staying here in T3 and training) and then I will get her to church on Sundays. Here's hoping!

Another great success this week was getting Vjollca to church! She really loves the Homer couple and that helps as we help her to make and keep the commitments that are out of her comfort zone (she comes from a Muslim background and has a husband that doesn't really condone what she is doing with the Church). Really hoping and praying that as she takes these steps that her testimony will grow and she will be willing to follow the example of Christ in her own life.

One of the people that I will be really sad to leave here in 3rd Branch is Bishop Zela. We asked him to help us as we visited the Alimeri family. Brother Alimeri was actually Bishop Zela's counselor however many years ago and now has difficulty coming because of work and the such. However, Bishop Zela was able to get him to commit to come to church. Members and firends make a big difference. I mean really we, as missionaries, can go out and do some fairly decent stuff, but a missionary can never do the good that a good friend in the Gospel can do. Remember that, because it is true. We are set apart for this and everything, but one of the parts of being set apart is that you are made different than everybody else. Sometimes people who are the same to push 'em along.

So, the entire idea of sandwiches here is a bit different than in America, but those sloppy jos were open-face I believe just because there weren't enough buns to go around for a bottom as well as a top. As for FHE, most Monday nights so far have been spent just doing regular work, however if we have a YSA aged investigator we can take them to the YSA FHE or Institute on Wednesdays.

General Conference here is broadcast one session behind. So the Saturday morning at 6 on Saturday, the Saturday afternoon at 10 a.m. on Sunday and the Sunday morning at 6 on Sunday (with the Priesthood and Sunday afternoon just being translated and not broadcasted for everyone). We are encouraged to come on Saturday if we come with an investigator and on Sunday are invited regardless. So, we will see what goes on!

Not really a ton more to say. I am leaving the biggest city in the mission (which I love) with a strong base in the Gospel for the much smaller Fier with a similar trend in membership strength. It is going to be great! Really the biggest thing that I am afraid of is making sure that the new missionary that I will be companions with learns enough of the right things about missionary work so that he can become a better missionary than I ever was or will be. I will definitely be praying for the Spirit's help in the upcoming weeks.

Love you so much!
Elder Ostergaard

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