Sergio Palacios got baptized yesterday! That was a amazing experience. I am so impressed with this man. I know that Elder Page was there with us in spirit. We were so excited for that baptism. In truth, we had been talking about how excited we were for that day only minutes before the accident. Sergio Palacios decided to get up and share an inspiring testimony during the baptism in honor of Elder Page. The spirit was so so strong. In one year from now Sergio and his wife Maria (she got baptized two months ago) will go to the Temple!
The best way I can summarize how things are going here in Azusa is this: The Lord is a master Planner. And on similar note, I am deeply grateful and humbled to be a part of His flawless plan.
Everything which led up to this point in time and everything that will come was all carefully and thoughtfully planned. This is something that is just so obvious to me. And that knowledge becomes more and more deeply sure as I receive witness after witness of this truth.
I hope that I can adequately share this idea in my letter today.
Here are a couple of experiences...
I will start with District Meeting this week.
I always begin preparing for District Meeting on Mondays. This gives me 4 mornings to prepare the topic of the week in a way that will be best suited to the needs of the District. The topic of the Week was the importance of Personal Study and how that will bring about great success in our missionary labors. With all that has happened, I knew that if I was to indeed share this topic that it would need to be done in a very special way. As I began to pray and prepare myself for that message, it became blatantly obvious to me that this message was most definitely not what we needed as a District. So I began to ponder deeply in order to understand what message we needed most at this time. And that message came with clarity.
I felt inspired to use the life and legacy of Elder Page to motivate us towards our purpose to Baptize here in Azusa. And as I began to prepare this message, it just felt right. I knew it was what we needed.
A statement which came to mind as I prepared my message is what guided the lesson. I know that statement was heaven sent. I even feel that Elder Page helped me figure this one out.
"Our Purpose is to Baptize so that all may engage themselves in Living the Plan of Salvation."
On Wed morning, I received an updated District Meeting schedule from the Zone Leaders which contained the schedule of topics for the next year. I already knew what the Lord wanted me to share the following morning, but just out of pure curiosity I opened up the schedule to see what we wouldn't be talking about in our Thursday meeting. It was an amazing spiritual confirmation to me to see that the chosen topic for the day was "My Purpose to Baptize". I know that was no coincidence.
I know that the Lord is personally guiding his work (especially the work here in Azusa). He expects us to baptize. And we will. It's a sacred responsibility directly from the Lord. He has prepared us for this moment. And as we continue to fulfill with our sacred responsibility, millions of lives will be engaged in living the Plan of Salvation. Do I believe that we, the Azusa District, will baptize millions? Not quite. What I do believe and know is that we, the Azusa District, will be an inspiration to the entire zone, mission, and even the world. It is this inspiration that will lead millions to engage themselves in living the Plan of Salvation. There is no doubt in my mind.
Another experience....
I received a letter from Hermana Saydi Ostler a couple days ago. A paragraph or so into her letter, she began to write in such a way that simply testified to my heart and soul the truths that I have come to know on a deep and personal level the past week and a half of my life. They are truths that I have been struggling to find the time to put down on paper myself. It was such an amazingly spot-on reminder in written form of truths that have become deeply realized and stirred within my heart and soul. It was the most amazingly well worded comfort I have received from human efforts. The only comfort that rivals the words of my inspired cousin comes directly from my Heavenly Father through his Holy Spirit. At the end of her letter, she mentioned something along the lines of, "Well, I'm not really sure why that all came out like this but I like it. And I'm assuming it's what you need. I have no idea why you need it, but the spirit tells me very strongly that you do. So enjoy!" It was then and only then that I thought to look at the date of when the Letter was sent. October 7th. 3 days before the accident. It was then that I realized that even this comfort had come directly from my Heavenly Father and not from human efforts as I had previously imagined. Hermana Ostler is one of the Lords finest missionaries. I would LOVE to sit in on a lesson of the Hermana Ostler. The guidance and spirit of the Lord is undoubtedly present.
As always, your Elder Ostler is loving his mission. That love grows deeper and stronger each and every moment I'm out here. I love my mission.
Your Son and Brother,
Elder Ostler
