Monday, September 3, 2012

The Church is true everywhere!

Shelby looks right at home!
                                   
 


 

Hey Friends and Fam,  

Well I don't have much time this week.  I am in a city called Olsztyn which is a few hours away from Gdansk.  We took a train early this morning to come here for a funeral of a man in our branch here.  Amazing story really.  He was baptized in June this year. He is 80 or so and he and his wife would ride for 3 hours every sunday morning to get to church.  Last week she came and was having some troubles and they had to leave right when they got to church.  Then at the train station she went missing.  She has alzheimers (?) and they couldn't find her all day.  They finally found her and called him and when he found out that she was okay, he passed away.  We don't know how or of what, but what an amazing man! He was so strong and so wise.  So we went to the funeral just now and it was good.  Very different, but I sure learned a wonderful lesson.  It doesn't matter what religion anyone is or what language you speak, the spirit is the same and every single person is a child of our Heavenly Father.  It was a good lesson as we all sang Nearer my God to Thee in Polish together.  
      
 So this week, well, what to say? It was good.  But I can't lie, it was just..... hard.  I can say that I am learning a lot, and I am growing closer to my Savior.  It has been a blessing.  When we pray to be humble, or to be stronger, Heavenly Father really blesses us with opportunities to be humbled and strengthened.  He is so merciful. 
      But other than that.  There were miracles everywhere, like there always are when the gospel is around.  At the end of last week, we had 9 investigators in church!! We felt so blessed and so full of love for all of them.  What a blessing.  Sorry this email is jumping around, but in personal study, I did something kind of fun.  I read all of the chapter headings in Acts and tried to figure out why it is called the book of ACTS. It was really cool.  How does that relate to the spirit?? I will let you all make your own conclusions.  But I learned a lot, and it was really cool.   
     I'm sorry I only have a few minutes on this computer.  But Sister Lewis here in Gdansk shared something great with me today on the train.  She quoted Ralph Parlett and said, "Strength and struggle go together.  The supreme reward of struggle is strength.  Life is a battle and the greatest joy is to overcome.  Following the path of least resisitance is what makes men and rivers crooked."  I loved that.  I know that everything we experience in our lives is for a purpose greater than we may be able to comprehend.  I know that we can find beauty in every situation.  My mission president reminded me to stop and smell the roses.  I think I'll do that a little more.  Have a great week.  I love you all.  Next week's email will be more full of miracles and stories.  I love the gospel and I'm so grateful to be here.  Thank you all so much.  Love you!




 Shelby's 3 favorite things: Sharing the Gospel, playing with children and Making yummy FOOD!!!



     Love, Sister Shelby Ostler :)

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