Transfers Just Happened!!!!
So as I said in the title/subject thingy, transfers happened. We didn't receive a phone call! I thought for sure that either I or Elder B would be getting transferred out because they almost never keep trainers and trainees together for a 3rd transfer. The goal is always to prepare the new missionary to take over the area at the end of training. So I was surprised that a transfer of some sort didn't take place. Actually, in our District, nothing happened. Everybody is staying! So that is super exciting. President was talking with our Hermana missionaries last night and made the comment, "I was planning on making some changes there in Azusa, but as I made plans to move some of you out, the Spirit told me NO ... so I listened and left you all there." He then went on to compliment our district by telling the sister missionaries how awesome we are doing here. He is very impressed with us. That was wonderful to hear about the conversation that president had with the sister missionaries.
I am so grateful that I get to stay here in Azusa. I love it here. I am so excited to get another 6 weeks here. It's going to be great!
So last night was a fireside for all the missionaries going home. Normally you don't go unless you have a companion that is going home, you are going home yourself, or you are a missionary finishing your training. So we got to go last night on account of Elder B. While we were there, I got to see some of the members from my last area (Arroyo) that have such a special place in my heart. That was a wonderful surprise! They were going to say goodbye to some other missionaries heading home. It was so nice getting to talk with them for a bit. I would love to return there at some point in my mission.
One family, a family that Elder Ingram and I worked with a ton, informed me that they have a picture hanging up on their wall of us which was put up after I left the area (them, Elder Ingram and I). She then pointed out to me in case I had forgotten that there were no other pictures of other missionaries on her wall and that this meant that we were and still are her favorites. It almost brought tears to my eyes to listen to the Hermana telling me how much she missed having Elder Ingram and I come over to eat and make plans for how we were going to teach our investigators (her friends) with her and her family. Oh how I miss those days. It was a blessing for me to hear that all our motivational efforts in the Obra Misional hadn't been burdensome and were in fact some of her happiest moments with missionaries. It was wonderful to see that even though missionary work is hard, that everyone (not just the full time missionaries) find joy in it as they devote themselves to it.
I saw and talked to so many others as well from my Arroyo ward but to tell how wonderful it all was would take too much time...time I don't have. I'm trying to finish early today so I can have time to finish my letter to Daniel. I still haven't sent it out. I didn't ever finish it two Pdays ago when I got it started and because I'm trying to be exactly obedient, I don't write letters on any other day than Monday. I'm a horrible brother. But luckily Daniel is a pretty patient guy.
Regarding everything here in Azusa, I'm loving it. I'm learning lots in both my struggles and my triumphs. I have decided to focus on something that I think the Lord is trying to teach me. PRAYER. It has been nearly the sole focus of my entire past week. I feel that everything (letters from home, scriptures, preach my gospel, patriarchal blessing, testimonies in sacrament meeting, etc) have been directing me to pray.
I need to turn myself over to my Heavenly Father more. I have come to realize that every skill I have developed as a missionary has come from sincere and heart felt prayer. There is true power in those prayers. I know it. My missionary work is a witness of it. But somehow I allow myself to forget that quite often.
Here is a brief example. I am brief because I already explained this story once a long time ago. Remember when I made the realization that I would have to fake it til I made it in order to learn how to find? Well I don't remember if I explained this part of the story, but before I ever started faking it to make it, I prayed. A ton. It was sincere. It was heartfelt. It almost had to be. I didn't have a choice. I needed Heavenly Father's help. I was absolutely terrified at the idea of contacting people in a language that I wasn't good at. And it put even more pressure on the whole situation knowing that my companion had just asked me to teach him how to contact and find people to teach.
But because I got on my knees, prayed sincerely and then went out and acted with faith, the miracles rolled into place helping me fulfill what I couldn't do for myself until I became proficient in it. I am living proof that the Lord molds his unprofitable servants into someone that he can actually do something great with.
I believe, I truly do, that as I humble myself before the Lord in more consistent and sincere prayer, that I can become a baptizing tool in the hands of the Lord. It's going to be hard. Why do I say that? Because my natural man doesn't pray with real intent. My natural man prays as an afterthought rather than a first thought. But that has to change. And it will change with some specific focus in that area. It needs to. And as it changes, I truly believe that I can become a more profitable servant in the work of the Lord.
Just an interesting thought I had about this: I would hate to have a similar experience that happened in Ether 2 to a prophet of the Lord (obviously a good and obedient man of the Lord who did the will of the Lord). But even being such a good man, he was chastened by the Lord for hours because he had forgotten to pray. I would imagine that an obedient man of the Lord didn't fully forget to pray but had instead forgot to truly pray. I would imagine that a more correct interpretation would be that he simply forgot to pray with real intent and had simply gone through the motions.
I'm focusing some energy into this aspect of my life.
Well,
That's about all I got for ya.
Love you all!
Your Son and Brother,
Elder Ostler
