So Blessed

Sister Bezdjian and Sister Ostler! What a beautiful companionship! Go to it girls!!!


Hey Fam:)


 Wow, this week sure did fly by! It's been hot and humid and jungly around here! How is it at home? I miss the dry air! :) You're right though mom, it totally feels like I was just writing home! 
   So to answer your questions real quick, 1) Her name is Sister Harker and she is a member here from Hawaii/Cali/Provo! She's awesome! Accept her!!! :) 2) You can send packages to this address and please tell Ashlee she can send stuff here, not to the mission home.  I'm so glad you go my letter so fast! Awesome :) :) :) 3) my shoes rock! I'm sooooooooo glad we bought them, I have a funny tan line from the strap ones haha :) 4) the weather is actually SUPER HOT! It feels like 90's most days.  It's a scorcher! 5) P-days..... Hmmm. I don't really like them actually.  I'd rather just shop, rest a little and stuff.  But we rush around all day trying to do fun stuff, and buy stuff we need and get our food and do our laundry and email and then fit in lunch and dinner before we go teach at 6.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE emailing you and reading them :) but the rest of the day just isn't my favorite.  We might go to the Zoo, that'll be fun :)
so yeah, there you go. :)

Okay, so this week has been soooooo great! We were so busy, we really didn't know what to do with ourselves.  We had about 17 lessons last week, and they challenged us to have at least 2 more than last week this week, and we got 22, so that was great! We just running all over the place, trying to catch this tram or that bus and trying to be on time.  Everyone we meet with is so great.  They have the smallest little living arrangements I've ever seen! We're just so blessed and spoiled in America.  Everyone gives us gifts and loves to feed us, and sometimes is hard because we just don't have time to spend at everyone's houses that long- too many meetings.  It's so great though! :) We love it.

So I'll copy and paste part of what I wrote to President Neilson:
One story I wanted
to share is about service.  We had a meeting at the chapel and the
person we met with had a dog follow her all the way from her house ( a
long way away). So we looked at the dog tags and found the number and
called the lady who the dog belonged to.  We traveled by a couple
different trams to get there and we started talking to a lady while we
were on our way.  She helped us find the house.  Well, long story
short, we have 2 new investigators from doing that.  One referred us
to her son and his girlfriend, and the other is the lady who the dog
belonged to, she has 4 sons under 10.  We learned a lot about the
power of service.  A little thing can go a long way, and what better
way to teach about Christ's example?  Actions definitely speak louder
than words.

 So there you go :) It was a great experience.  So I didn't plan very well what to say in this email, but I just can't testify enough of this gospel.  Every day we meet and talk to people who spill their challenging life stories and their hardships and all sorts of things, and we try to help them come unto Christ by teaching them about His Atonement and the power it has to change lives.  It is probably the saddest and hardest thing about missions when people don't accept it or they won't listen.  How do you explain to a person that what you're trying to give them and teach them about really is life-saving and meaningful?? Please, find everyone you can.  Teach them about this gospel.  Love them, serve them, be like Christ.  That's the only way to bring them to this knowledge.

      Well, one other story, more of a light-hearted story.  We were at YSA with a whopping 4 people! Wahoo :) and played ping pong after our lesson and stuff.  Then we needed to make a bunch of calls, so we walked to the park right by our chapel and all of a sudden it started to down pour!!! Like, really! It was so loud with thunder and lightening, we could hardly make phone calls.  So we laughed and had a jolly ol time walking back to the chapel :) Then we went to a meeting, and we taught her, soaking wet. :) It was awesome.  Then she told us she makes arrows (and we could tell because she had hundreds all over the place along with bows and arrows) and she gave us each one! Hence the cool picture hehe :) She's awesome.

     Well, I'm sure there's more I could share, but I have no time, and this computer was a little frustrating, but oh well! :) I love you all so much.  Don't take the little things for granted like I did for so long.  Make every moment count.  :) Kocham was!!! :)

Love, Sister Ostler

Eatng Gelato after the polish opera

Polish food YUM!

YSA Activity

Homemade arrows (Gotta love the homemade pull-up bar above their heads!! Go Shelby)



At Jadwiga's



The Tramwaj!!!! (like trax, we spend way to much time on this)

Shopping and getting soaken wet.  The rain surprises us all the time.
But we LOVE it :)

The Centrum



The Elders



President and Sister Nielson

MTC Week 5

Hey Mom and Dad and Friends and Family!!!!

        How are you doing? I am doing so darn good :) This week has flown by- as usual- and it was fantastic! I sure learned a lot, especially yesterday! On friday, my companion wanted to practice the piano, so we went to a spare room after lunch and my one companion took a nap while she played, and I just looked out the window at the most perfect view of the MTC.  It was pretty ideal.  I looked out at the sky, and I saw some elders and sisters reading scriptures, some eating lunch, some reading mail, some writing letters and some just smiling walking along.  I was just feeling the joy of being here.  I have come to recognize my joy as something that I've been taught my whole life: The gospel brings you joy.  It's really that simple.  When you do everything you can to live the principles of the gospel, blessings just come.  They do! It's clear to me that everything I do good has a good outcome, and vice versa.  What a blessing this gospel is!

       So, as a district, we set a goal earlier this week to only speak Polish! It has been a challenge! I have a huge head ache at the end of the night, and I just want to ramble on in English, BUT it has also helped with the language so much! We decided that we'd rather struggle with the language here than in Poland.  So that has been good for us.  So earlier this week, it was about 10 at night and I just got out of the shower and put my towel on my head when the fire alarm went off! Someone had seriously burnt some popcorn! It was quite stenchy! So out to the street we went along with 400 other missionaries! It was an awesome adventure- I thought it was exciting :) :) :)

     So, I heard something that I loved the other day.  The teacher related the spirt to a soccer or basketball game.  He said, when you grow up hearing your mom and dad cheering and helping you throughout the game, you come to recognize their voice all the time.  You can pick out their voice and heed their counsel.  He said that listening to the spirit is like this.  It must become a familiar voice to us and we must be able to recognize it where ever we are in whatever we are doing.  I liked that because of how much I hear your voice when I play soccer, Mom. :)

       I have been so blessed here in the MTC.  Some of the elders and other missionaries go on about how much they miss music, or movies and stuff like that.  I thought to myself, "Woa! I haven't even thought about music or movies.  I haven't even missed them one bit!"  I know I have had a lot of help with that because you know how much I love movies and music.  But I am so busy with other things that are 10 times more important to me than music or movies.  I'm thankful for that.  I also came to realize (in relief society yesterday when we sang this) that the song, "I'm trying to be like Jesus" has a totally different meaning to me now.  I love the words, so simple, yet so .... perfect! :)

       So in the devotional we heard from............ L. Tom Perry! :) :) It was a great talk! He was so fun to listen to. He's tall!!! But anyway, in the prayer at the end, the sister said, "Please help us to be happy farmers. To plant seeds, work hard and harvest the blessings."  I loved that  :) Plus I thought you'd like that a lot too Trisha and Troy :) We just need to be happy farmers huh? :)

      There is a sister here on a mission whose arms end right above where her elbows would be.  I mean, Wow! I am in amazement everytime I see her.  How would she do anything?? People say missions are a sacrifice, well in her case I would definitely have to agree! She is such an inspiration to me, and I hope I can be as happy and as positive as she is all the time.  I learned a good lesson the other day.  It doesn't matter what language you are learning, if you use the language of kindness to everyone, you will touch and bless lives.  Mom, you sure taught me that growing up- to always be kind.  Thank you for instilling that in me.  I know I can always improve on that, and I'm thankful for yours and dads words of advice all the time.  Thank you :)

      So I found a pattern.  I pray for something.  I have a trial.  I learn something.  I pray for something, etc...  little do I realize sometimes that the thing that I was praying for was answered by my trial.  I know I've learned this before, but I also know that this is one of those that I must embed in my mind and heart, because that is so often the way that Heavenly Father is going to teach us.  Sure gives me comfort in those times of trial as well.

     Yesterday in Relief Society, a lady spoke and she said her family motto during scripture reading is "So......" They read a scripture and then they say, "So... how can this bless or affect my life?" I thought that was so great, especially with how much I have been reading the scriptures.  I know I could've done that a lot more when I was home and it would've made my scripture reading more powerful.  They really can change our lives if we will let them. 

      So some more random things I learned that I liked this week. "We practice our agency not only by what we do, but by what we desire." our desires have great power if we act upon the righteous desires of our hearts.  Work for them, reach your goals and acheive you dreams. I know cheesy huh? :-) Also, "So much of our happiness is determined by choosing fear or choosing faith."  I think that applies to everyone's life.  Don't be afraid  :)

      So today is P day right? Well I went to get my laundry out of the dryer and I looked in the dryer and it looke a lot fuller than I had left it.  I opened it up and found a bunch of ..... elder's clothes hahaha :-D along with my clothes.  Guess he didn't want to pay the extra 10 cents for his own ;) ;) just kidding.  But it was pretty funny.... I seperated them rather quickly and got outta there :-D You'll hear more about that mom and dad :)
                                                                    P-Day Activities

                                                                     The Laundry Room

                                                                       6a.m. Service

                                                              Clean the Elders bathroom

 

                                              

 

                                                   Special gifts from special people

     Today has just been a fantastic day.  The temple was wonderful with my companions.  I sure love them.  We get along good most of the time haha :-) We laugh hard, we study hard and we teach with all of our hearts :) We've grown close.  We spent an hour in the temple today after our session discussing things and it was a great experience.  Well, I'm running low on time.  Just know that I love you all and I hope you are all doing good.  If all else fails in life, the gospel never will.  :) Live it, love it, and enjoy the blessings that will come.  Have a great week!!! :) Powedzienia!

Love, Sister Shelby Ostler