#57 August 11, 2014

Dear Everyone,

How is it going on the home front? This past week has been a bit slower on the work end due to multiple exchanges that we had to take part in with missionaries in our zone as well as a zone training and district leader training that we had to create and then put on. So, it has been a good week, but nothing too crazy as far as teaching a ton of people.

I think that maybe the coolest experience for me this past week was actually on an exchange with Elder Rawlings. He is in my same group and is a fantastic missionary. We went throughout our day and were able to do some good stuff, but at the very end of the exchange we had thirty minutes left and we were going to go tracting. He pointed out a group of buildings that looked good and we went over to them. When we got there we stepped inside really quick to pray about which building had a family that was ready to hear the Gospel. We said a prayer and then waited for a bit to see what we were feeling. Both of us got the impression that the family wasn't in either one of the buildings. So, feeling pretty energized and full of the Spirit, we left and walked down the road to go find that one person that the Lord had set apart for us at that moment. We passed a little alleyway and kind of looked down it, continued on, and then turned back to knock the door or two that were there. We said a prayer before we knocked on the first door and knocked. Then we knocked again. And then again. I guess that wasn't the right one, so we went over to the next house where two little girls were. We asked if their dad was there and so they went and got him for us. He was a nice guy, but he said that we were going to have to come back at a different time. However, we knew that the Spirit had led us where we were, so it took some convincing but we finally got into their house and were able to have a lesson with them. I don't know if anything is going to come from that in the near future or even in the far future, but I do know that the Lord has a plan and will help us know our role in that plan if we seek for that knowledge.

One pretty cool thing that we were able to include in our training at the zone training on Tuesday was a discussion on the aspects of a powerful missionary. We had a lot of different wonderful things that were thought of such as:boldness, a powerful testimony, energy, desire to serve others.... However, one thing that Elder Lee and I discussed that we put in at the end was the ability to change. A powerful and effective missionary has the ability to change (repent) what they do in order to better do the will of the Lord at that time ( whether that be in obedience, inviting the Spirit, changing how they talk with people...). Really that takes a lot of humility to do this well. I have definitely gone through some difficult changing processes in my mission, and have found how much easier my life would be if I were just that much more humble. It's a process I guess!

Dad, I am eating enough. A lot more than I was at college that's for sure. I am also staying healthy. I am pretty smart about drinking only good water and stuff like that because I would hate staying inside because of sickness. I would maybe die. And Mom, I did get my package, thank you so much! I miss-guessed on the neck-size, but I talked to a seamstress who says that she can narrow all three of them for like $10, so hopefully that works. And I love that you sent me pocket protectors. I am using one of them. That's what's up.

Well, I have gotta go, but I love you a lot and hope you have a wonderful day and week!

Love,
Elder Ostergaard