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 :)

Miracles in the extra miles......

Hi Family and Friends
Shelby has a different address where she can get packages and mail within about 5-7 days..
She would love to hear from you.  She loves snail mail.....


Sister Shelby Ostler
Brzozowa 9c/1
Gdansk  80243
Poland

Finding time to cook.  Always a must for Shelby

Hey Friends and Family! 

     How are you all? I hope life is great over there in America.  One thing I am SOOOOOOOOOOO grateful for this week is that the gospel is the same everywhere you go.  I mean it.  What a blessing!!! Prayer is so handy.  You don't have to pay for long distance calls, or worry about getting good service.  It just works every where you go! :) This past week was truly one of miracles every day, around every corner, and in every extra mile we went.  Lesson #1 (and my challenge for all of you) = There are always miracles found in the extra mile.  Whatever it is you are doing in your life, find something and go a little further, push yourself a little harder, stand a little taller, and I promise you will find miracles in that extra mile.  I am trying to apply this every day. Some days are easier than others, some days are just plain TOUGH to give any more.  But it's worth it.  :) Let me know how it goes :) My mom has my address ;) ;) 

        So, one of the miracles I want to talk about was from one of our investigators, Agnieszka.  So on Monday, we met we her after FHE at the church.  We had been praying that she would feel the desire to be baptized because we knew that she knew this church is true.  So we had a great meeting, and we talked about all of the fruits of repentance, which then leads to baptism.  The spirit was so strong, she closed her book of mormon, looked up at us and paused for a second before saying, "September 22nd.  I want to be baptized."  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! It was so great.  I got teary-eyed I was so excited and happy for her.  She got teary eyed and said she knows it's all true.  It was the most powerful meeting and experience I've had here.  But that's not all.  The miracle comes after the trial of your faith, right? So the next day, Agnieszka was at the store to buy their food for the rest of the week (tuesday to sunday!) with 13 zlots... about 4 dollars or so.  She didn't know how she was going to get by, but then all of a sudden, this man she kind of knows came up to her and said, "do you believe in God?" and she said, "Of course!" and he gave her a bunch of food and groceries that could last her about a month! Then she went and gave half of it to her friend in need.  She called us to tell us about that awesome miracle and she knew it was a blessing from the Lord.  Watching this investigator grow has been one of the most testimony-strengthening experiences for me.  She has so much faith.  From day 1, she knelt with us and experimented a new kind of prayer for her.  She asked sincerely to know if this message is true, and she felt goosebumps when she was finished.  She signed up to clean the chapel, she is making the dinner for our FHE tonight at the chapel.  She is already such an example to so many! So yeah, what more can I say? She's teaching us so much.  And people say missionaries do the teaching.  The spirit is so amazing.  

       So I have been so blessed with a wonderful companion.  She wants to work hard, be obedient 100%, and she just gets things done.  I have learned SOOO much from her.  I really feel blessed, and I feel like the Lord knows us all so well.  How does He get it so perfect every time? No matter what it is, it seems to be just what I need. So yeah, Sister Bezdjian is fantastic, and I hope we get to work together for a while longer.

Shelby and her awesome Trainer Sister Bez

Are these guys on a mission?!!!!
Looks like a pretty fancy place

  

      A mission is really an amazing thing.  I've heard this said many times, but now I really believe it: A mission is like a mini life packed into 18 months or 2 years.  I feel like that, except I feel like sometimes it's all packed into one week or even one day! We had the most crazy day on friday.  We met with an inactive member who told us she doesn't believe in God any more.  We cried with her.  My heart was broken. She was sooooo strong. She brought her friend to baptism, and was so set.  We left just distraught.  Then a few hours later, we had an amazing lesson with Agnieszka and her 3 kids came in, and we all talked together, and we all prayed together at the end.  It was the most opposite of feelings I have ever experienced! We left her house asking ourselves, "What greater joy could there be"?  The gospel has everything GOOD to offer.  We just have to trust, and try.  The next day we ran from one appointment to the next in the pouring rain.  We laughed and sang because we just loved that moment.  It was so ... surreal! I love the mission. 

    I'm sorry I don't have a lot of time to write much more.  One more random thing.  Don't forget to live in the precious present moment.  My insititute teacher taught me that, Brother Rau.  I am loving that principle every day.  Sometimes it's hard.  Sometimes you can't wait for the next thing- what ever it may be.  But how precious is each and every moment.  Especially as members with the knowledge that we have- this life is so short.  Okay, well I gotta go! I love you all.  I hope you're all doing great.  You are amazing.  Keep spreading the good news :) Love you :)

Love, Sister Ostler

Beautiful Poland

A lesson on the beach....such a cute family