Be careful what you pray for...

Hey there Family and Friends! 

       How is life? I hope everything is going good. Is it still summer over there? It's turning into fall here.  Starting to rain more and get chilly! :) I think it's kind of fun.  But not a lot of time to cuddle up to the fire place and drink hot chocolate ya know? This just isn't the time for that.  Makes me think that I sure took some things for granted before now, that is for sure.  So this week was good.  I have to start by saying- as soon as I gave that challenge last week in my letter, I was put to the test.  I don't know why, but I just had a tough, rough, struggle for a couple of days.  I was forced to apply my own challenge to just "Be happy".  It was hard, and I think I discovered that it is almost impossible to put things aside and just be happy without help from our Father in Heaven.  It's just too hard to try to do it by myself.  I needed some comfort and some ... perspective. And the only place I can get that from is prayer.  So, that is something that I learned this week and it's sure helping me now even.  :) 

      So, where to begin!? I have an example of prayer for ya! So... I'll admit, I eat a lot.  There I said it.  So at the end of the day, when we get home for dinner, I eat SOOOO much! I'm just starving! So I made it a goal to try to eat less, and of course, I prayed for help as I try to accomplish this goal.  So...... God, being the kind Father that he is, answered my prayers! We went to buy our food today and neither of us had any money on our cards! We had ZERO! So.... I used my own money, which made us really only buy the necessities right? Yeah, We realized later on that that was, in some round about way, an answer to prayer.  Hehe.  Sometimes I think He gets a laugh out of our prayers- maybe just mine- but really :-) So yeah,  that was a fun lesson learned.  Be careful what you pray for too! :) 

      Okay, so I LOVE the members and investigators that we have here in Gdansk.  They are amazing.  Agnieszka and her daughter, Kasia, gave a talk to us for our last lesson.  We asked them to both prepare one on Humility.  It was sooooo good! They both had their resources and their sweet testimonies of Humility.  It was really cool.  Then we went to Samjit's (the member from Thailand) and she had made us like 6 or 7 rolls of Sushi!!! She is so sweet! We sure love her.  Then in English/Book of Mormon reading class, Lukas drew the coolest drawing of Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life! So cool! He is awesome.  He had a really cool interpretation too.  I love our class :) Oh! and our member, josef and his wife who isn't a member, irena, is picking a baptismal date! We are so excited for them!!! Ahhhh! they want to go through the temple together.  It makes me so happy.  

      Well, My hands hurt from typing so fast.  I only have a few more minutes.  But I did something today in personal study, it was cool. I mapped out my conversion.  I made a time line of my life and I had the ups be the spiritual times and the downs be the... non spiritual times (or less-spiritual).  Then I looked for patterns and reasons why there was an up or a down in certain areas.  It was really neat.  I learned a lot.  So that is my challenge for all of you.  Take a few minutes and map out your life and ask yourself what things have happened or have you done that have brought the most happiness or the least happiness.  Then live according to which ones brought the most.  It's really cool. Let me know how it goes.  

Are they talking on the phone...or maybe the recorder.....

Yum Yum Sushi.  Shelby must be in heaven

Looks pretty healthy Shelbs....

      Okay, well, I better go.  I sure love this mission. Hands down it is the hardest thing I've ever done.  All day, every day.  But I look at the Prophet and all the apostles who have done this or are going to be doing this for the rest of their lives.  They amaze me.  This work is worth every drop of sweat and every mile walked (or ran).  It's just worth it.  I hope everyone gets the opportunity to serve.  As my great friend Danny told me, this is the only time you get to "Walk with the Father and live like the Son."  Have a great week! :) 

Love, Sister Shelby Ostler

Great Week in Gdansk

Wowie, what another great week! :) 

Hey Friends and Fam! I am sure grateful to get to write you every week.  What a blessing! This morning we woke up and cleaned the apartment, and while we were listening to Mo tab, it finally got to the Christmas Mo tab! We loved singing along to "Walking in a winter wonderland" :) That was pretty fun! We cleaned real good cuz it's the start of a new transfer! Sister Bezdjian and I will be staying together here in Gdansk for another 2 months.  I can't wait! It's going to be awesome.  I learn something new from sister B every day.  There is so much work to do up here.  The days aren't long enough sometimes.  Crazy how that happens.  Time really flies on a mission.  

     So a few things about investigators and such.  We have a way cool guy to teach named Lukasz.  He is 22 and he is a sculptor.  He is very inteligent and he read up to 2 Nephi after our first visit! So cool.  He came to church on Sunday and He really liked it.  He prays at the end of our lessons and he is learning a lot.  It's so cool to see him learn.  So we have a member here named Josef and his wife isn't a member, so we meet with them once a week.  The other day they fed us dinner and he just shared all of his hopes and dreams with us and he said all he wants is the Kingdom of God.  He said he knows that is the greatest blessing or dream anyone could ever have.  They are wonderful.  We hope she will get baptized.  So there is also a member here that has been a member for about 20 years or so.  She is 85 and she has been through so much.  There have been a lot of members come and go and be strong and some that fall away.  She has been one of the most solid members here for years.  She is so sweet, we love her.  

      So this week I learned a lot about faith and miracles.  I have been reading in Alma and I love to read about Aaron and Ammon and all that they experienced and went through as missionaries.  They AMAZE me!!!! I read chapter 26 today and it was just so powerful to me.  Sometimes I feel like Ammon, when my heart is just so full of joy and love, I don't know what to do! It's amazing to think that they were so against the church and they were so far off, and after a serious of events, they became some of the most successful instruments in the hands of the Lord in bringing this gospel to people.  Thousands and thousands of people.  What if Alma and the Sons of Mosiah's families would've given up on them or if they would've turned back (ch.26) because they were depressed and had no success??? So crazy to think about that.  What a lesson it was to me.  We just have to endure through the tough times because we have no idea what the design of this plan really is.  There's so much to it that we don't see.  They were amazing missionaries, and still are I'm sure! :) 

     So my challenge for you this week is to be happy.  Just that.  Try your hardest to be happy no matter what.  Trying to do something, no matter what it is, is always a train reaction.  You try, the Lord blesses you, you receive blessings, you become more grateful, you show gratitude, you're humbled, you're then humble and receive more blessings for your humility, and then you're happy because of the blessings you have.  Effort goes a lot further than we know sometimes.  God knows when we're trying our hardest.  We have so much to be happy about :) Just knowing what we know is reason enough to be happy right? :) 

      Well, one of the funniest meetings I have ever been in was just the other day.  Awesome investigators, a lady Grazyna, her friend Maria and her husband mirek.  They fed us a little and then their big ol dog came in and tried to get our food.  I was having to refrain from laughing as I looked over and saw Sister Bezdjian trying to protect her food from the dog and he jumped up and almost got her in the face! Then he made his way over to me. It was hilarious! Then as Grazyna said the closing prayer, she was so sweet and remembered everything in her prayer.  I peeked up and she was just so animated and so grateful for everything in her prayer! She whispered to her friend, "Did I forget anything"?? I was so great! I love them and we sure have a lot of hope for them.  

     Well, time's  about up.  This gospel is the greatest source of joy, and I'm so grateful to be a part of this.  Thank you all soooooo much for your support.  I can't thank you enough for your prayers and friendship throughout my life.  The Lord sure knows our needs.  Well I hope you all have a great week! Be strong, and remember, Be happy! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) 

    Love, Sister Shelby Ostler (Or as the poles say "Oster". Supposedly it's a pretty flower or something) 

Yeah...... they are staying together for another transfer...9 more weeks together

I bet they  are standing on a chair.....haha

Work those Mussels Sister Ostler

They love the Hawkers....

Family News........

Shelby's sister Ashlee and her family were able
to go to the Sacred Grove in Palmyra NY
What a wonderful place. and the spirit was very strong there.

                                                             

Shelby's new niece Kamryn is getting so big

These 4 miss Aunt Shelby so much.....

Aunt Trisha, Mom, and Grandma and Grandpa a
day on the lake.  One of Shelby's most
favorite things to do.

Shelby's Sister Kelsee and her cute family.

A special Aunt and Uncle to Shelby.
Trisha and Troy Rindlisbacher

Shelby's dad, doing what he loves....water skiing....

Shelby's only brother, just moved to Portland Oregon