How are you guys doing? I hope band camp was stinkin' fresh! Anything too crazy happening there?
This past week there have been a couple of cool things happen in the work. I was able to go on an exchange with Elder Smoot one day this week and we had some pretty cool success. There was a lady (Nushi) that we had tried to meet with before, but because of the lack of a man in her house we had to leave. So we brought Elder Smith too and got to go visit her. Well, I guess her house is where all the kids on the block like to be, so along with a couple of her young granddaughters, there were a good amount of neighbor kids there. We got everyone to sit down in their living room and had a lesson with them (it was very much so directed to the kids, a different teaching style than I am used to as we are often teaching ~20 -year-olds). They all said that they would come back and we came back after 2 days and were able to teach them again. On Sunday we went over to Nushi's house and were able to go with three of them to church. We are excited to see where this will go. The only thing is that with so many people in the lesson, we feel a lot of pressure. If we mess up, that is a lot of people that are depending on the words we say and we want them to be engaged in the lesson and learning something...it is just a big responsibility. They are great though.
We also got to meet with two families that live in the same apartment building as some members that we were able to meet with. We went into the first house, and there was really just about nothing. There was a couch-ish thing in the corner of a room and than in a side room there were three long carpets laid out with a couple pillows. That was about it. The woman had lost her husband and son and was now just with her 2 daughters and they had a couple friends over. After that we went up the stairs and into the home of a guy on the floor above. Same apartment building, but this one was nicely furnished and just a totally different setting. We actually met the guy's son yesterday for the first time and we are excited to see what is going to happen with that as well. It is amazing how working with and teaching families is really the best way to do the work. I recognize that sometimes it is not possible, however it is an awesome thing when it is.
So like I said last week, we have a zone goal for one new baptismal date per week per companionship. That goal definitely helps continue to stretch us as a companionship and it is also good for the zone as the baptismal dates keep on going up every week. President Weidmann actually called us up this morning and asked us about that particular goal. He told us he knew that it was an inspired goal and that we need to make sure that each of the companionships knew that, because if it is from God, it is possible. President Weidmann is a great man. Definitely led by the Lord.
Oh, I thought that this was pretty awesome. We were able to be in a lesson with that girl that we had to pass off to the 4th ward Elders last week the day after she saw a baptism. It really touched her and she actually wrote this poem about the baptism entitled "The Baptism" (not 100% perfect English, but she's very good).
It seemed to me, you were the white dove,
Purer than the real ones from heaven above,
A sublime moment it was indeed,
The simple most intimate moment we truly ever need.
I could not see at the time, the people innocent
But I could tell their sparkling eyes by the holy spirit were bound
Only when I think of it,
just now I realize
What an amazing bit of heaven we had to share and memorize
You were beautiful, all you angels are,
My senses may not serve me well,
But I can tell when you're not far.
A truth I dare not say
Made me think of the events today,
Yesterday is gone, a day I'll never miss ( I think she meant forget)
But this day, today was a special a divine feeling of holy presence
Wrapped us all in bliss.
I cannot deny it, I am only overwhelmed by feelings of some kind,
That can't even be named
Call it intuition, whatever you would wish.
But in my heart I feel it was God among us
The One we miss, love, and cherish.
Kinda cool, huh?
Love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week!
Oh Mom, those shirts and pocket protectors came a while ago, thank you so much! I actually told you the wrong size of neck, but I was able to find a seamstress willing to shrink the neck down for not too bad of a price, so it worked out!
I am also sporting the pocket protector. Just keeping it real.
Love,
Elder Ostergaard
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