Week 7 MTC

June 4 2012

 

 

 

Hello Friends and Fam! :)          

       How are you??? I hope you are all doing so great! Mom, thank you so much for your awesome email.  I love to be filled in.  Thank you and dad for your letters, I love them so much.  Tell Ash and Kels I miss them :( I miss them soooo much, and those little munchkins! 

      So, I had a fantastic week.  I can't even tell you.  I feel so blessed.  We had a lot of awesome days of just Polish. Saturday was by far the best though.  We literally only spoke 10 or less words in English all day, and that was on accident.  But wow I felt blessed! I have a more firm testimony of faith and works.  I can pray all day long for the gift of tongues, but unless I buckle down and do the work, I'm not going to have much help.  I witnessed the Lord's ability to fill my mouth.  We taught a great lesson and practiced contacting a ton because of how much we had been speaking Polish all day.  It was so great!! 

     So the rest of the week was great too.  I love this language.  It is so much fun to learn! We got to host on Wednesday. All of the new sister missionaries coming in, and that was so much fun! I got to take Erica Nelson around, and it was soooo good to see her! I love that girl! So yeah, the past week FLEW by, as they all have over the past 7 weeks! It's such a bitter sweet feeling knowing i'm almost to the end of my stay here.  I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to go to Poland, don't get me wrong! That's what this is all about! But I also know that I will never get this experience again IN MY LIFE. So it's interesting to experience these feelings. 

     So I learned a lot this week.  Some really great lessons.  One I learned was about this world before the restoration.  Ask yourself, What did this world have to offer before the restoration??? It was a mess and there was no point.  It reminded me of a frebeeze commercial. You know which one I'm talking about, where the people are blind folded and they spray febreeze and the blind folded people think they're in a beautiful garden or something, but when they take the blind fold off, they're in a gross discusting place.  That is what Satan does! He deceives and lies to us.  This gospel can introduce a whole new world that is real and beautiful.  I know we can help others to come out of that place and not be deceived any more.  Interesting thought.  

      So yesterday we were talking about inviting the spirit and what some of the things that we do in our lives invite Him in.  I remembered when I was little and I used to come into your room, Mom and Dad, at least 3 or 4 times and tell you I love you.  Eventually I didn't do it AS much, but still even up to the night before I left, I remember going in there and telling you how much I love you and just wishing so bad that you really knew how I felt.  I know that those times in my life allowed me to feel the spirt.  I think it is the same when we pray to Heavenly Father.  The more we express our love and gratitude, the more He will bless us with His spirit.  It really begins to burn within you! I love you Mom and Dad :)

        So I was thinking.  I really desire to have peace in my life.  I imagine everyone wants peace, right? In my study journal I asked, "How can I have peace"? and I followed it with a bunch of scriptures and such.  I started to recognize the patterns in my life that lead to a lack of peace.  When I harbor grudges, when I am judgemental, when I have a lack of confidence, when I am discouraged, when I compare myself, when I am angry, etc. Then I read in Alma where the people burry their weapons of war so they can have peace.  It became so clear to me!! What can I burry in my life, right now, today, that will allow me to accept and enjoy the peace that this gospel can bring me? It was so releiveing to know that I can actually turn it over to the Savior and have peace.  It's a challenge, but I have sure found more peace in my days. 

       This mission just blows my mind- at least once a day.  It is seriously and literally a MIRACULOUS thing.  Miracles around every corner, tender mercies in every trial.  It's amazing.  I CANNOT comprehend my life without the gospel.  It's just to hard to imagine.  I love all of the hope and guidance, all of the friendships and testimonies that have been built over the years, all of the insights that have been shared and all of the eternal relationships that we can have! Oh it's so good to know we are a part of something so great.  I am starting to understand, just a little bit, what a REAL prayer is.  What REAL scripture study is.  And wow, can I just tell you, it is powerful stuff! I thought I did okay before my mission, but now it's like there's a whole new world that I didn't even know existed! I am amazed everyday when I pray for something specific, and sure enough, the Lord answers my prayers through the scriptures or through someone's insight. It's amazing.  I'm also very touched by the power of music.  Some elders were singing a song the other day that was no good and it brought memories and thoughts into my mind that I did not want! It was a bummer.  BUT then I listened to the Mo Tab singing Come Thou Fount, and WOW! I felt so darn good, I wanted to jump up and down and shout Hooray! :-D I know that if there is a gap in your life, it can be filled with good music that rejoices in Jesus Christ.  It's a blessing, no doubt! :)

      So I heard a great metaphor yesterday about running a marathon.  The lady had a rock in her shoe, but was in too big of a hurry.  She was running for a faster time.  She kept going and it started to bother her more and more.  It became unbeareable and towards the end, she took it out and it was just a little tiny thing! She had developed a huge blister which made it very difficult to continue to run.  She taught us that if we don't stop and take care of the little things in our lives, they may develop into bigger things that can injure and cause harm.  I know I have sure experienced that in my life, and I am so thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  

      Well, I'm running out of time. :( Story of my life on a mission. You just want to have more time for everything! :-) I love life, I love this gospel and I am so thankful for the plan of happiness.  It is sometimes very hard here.  Only for a few minutes while I miss and desire so badly to see or talk to my family, but I know and have the greatest assurance that I will be with you for eternity! I know if I do my best, this will help me to be happy for the rest of my life.  Thank you so much for your love.  For you support and for you prayers.  I feel overblessed to be able to experience this.  I love you all and I hope you are happy.  Smile and enjoy the journey- you only get it once! :)

      Love, Sister Shelby Ostler