What a great week. Started in Hel and ended in Heaven

 Well Hey there Family and Friends!!!!

Agnieszka, Tomek, and Kasia and Irena What a special day.  With Brother Harker

 I don't know where to begin! Sorry about last week.  Hel was really fun! It's beautiful up there.  The ocean was really cool and the beach was so nice.  This week was amazing.  Started in Hel and ended in Heaven ;) ;) I'll start with Saturday.  There were 4 baptisms; Agnieszka, Tomek, Kasia, and Irena.  Wow, it was so powerful! Brother Harker baptized them and they were so happy.  I can't explain it.  When agnieszka got out, she threw her arms around her kids and said, I love you so much! I felt the love of the Lord there with us and with them.  What a neat experience.  Then on Sunday, they were all confirmed.  that too was a wonderful experience.  I wish there were words to describe it. I am just so filled with love for them and for the gospel.  Their lives have changed soooooo much.  You can literally just see the spirit working in their lives.  It's wonderful.  

     So yesterday after church, we had the wonderful opportunity of having our Mission president and his wife over for dinner.  They sat in our study couches and we ate our our study table hehe :) I made a roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy and carrots and jello and juice :) I was in heaven being able to cook and have them over and just talk and get to know them more.  What a great experience! Our mission president is so inspired and so humble.  They work so hard and always make sure everyone is taken care of.  It sure means a lot to us.

  

     So aside from those wonderful experiences, there were many throughout the week.  A bunch of little tender mercies.  One day we were sprinting so hard to catch the bus to be on time to our next lesson and I just wanted to stop and walk sooooo bad! But I knew we could still catch it.  So we kept running and running and finally, we made it right as it was pulling away and we got on and made our 30 minute trip.  So cool! :) Then one night we went on a wild referral chase :-) It was clear out in the hills and we took one tram, then another, then a bus, then walked, then another bus, which happened to be wrong, and then we walked forever.  Well, we were just going to call it a night when we got the building and realized we didn't have the apartment number.  BUT we tried the first 2 and ended up finding the person we were looking for!!!! Soooo coooooooool! That was awesome :) That night I celebrated by eating a couple Oreos in milk :) ( and I thought of you daddy!) :) 

      So we try to always invite our investigators (on the first visit) to be baptized when they know this message is true and the God answers their prayers.  Sometimes it's a little scary, cuz we don't know what they'll say. But yesterday this awesome girl named Agata, when we asked her, she said, "If I get to that point, for sure!" We were so excited.  It so good that they know why we're there.  She is cool! So there were so many stories throughout the week, I wish I could share them all.  I am learning so much.  I would also like to apologize to anyone and everyone reading for being selfish and over confident.  I am learning a lot about myself, and I know that I have a long way to go.  But I hope that you can forgive me for not always being the best listener or the best person to turn to.  I hope the Lord can make the turn in me throughout this short time in my life. 

     Well, I have to go.  I wish I could stay and write forever.  I love you all. Thank you all for taking care of my family.  I miss them and I miss all of you.  This gospel is worth it all.  Have a great week.  Till next week! :) Love, Sister Shelby Ostler

Wonderful Baptism

Irena with her husband who is already a member

At the beach in Hel

The sisters with sister Harker

With the elders at the beach

After the baptism with Agnieszka and Irena

     

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