Dearest Family,
Oh my
goodness! I wish it were possible to explain the love I have for my
mission. I love being one of the Lord's miracle workers. What do I
mean by that? Well, miracles are brought about by faith. And Faith
is a principle of works. So when I'm working my rear-end off, I like to
think that I'm literally a miracle worker in the Lord's hands.
Hmmm where to
begin....
I'm sure you
remember the family that I had mentioned when I first came into the Boyle
Heights area? (The family that needed to get married.) It has been
a battle. The man has been the problem. He has been dragging his
feet on the process because he hasn't wanted to make the baptismal covenant nor
has he wanted to allow his girlfriend to make the baptismal covenant. Honestly,
I would have stopped visiting them had it not been for what I discerned to be
sincere desires from the woman. Her desires are to do things right in the
eyes of the Lord. She just couldn't due to her controlling husband. Furthermore, she didn't have the courage or
self-confidence to stand up for her personal desires in front of her
Husband. She just submitted herself to the desires of her husband.
And this was always sad to see.
The whole
experience was interesting because while he was dragging his feet, it wasn't
due to doubts in the truthfulness of the gospel. He simply didn't want to
make the covenant of baptism with the Lord because he didn't want to take on
the responsibility until later in his life. To be fair, I guess you could
say his only doubt/concern was the thought that he could better commit himself
later in life. Knowing that his girlfriend was ready and desirous to take
that step I believe was a stab to his pride. But her taking the step of
baptism without him would have been an even bigger kick to his pride. I
believe it was for this reason that he was unwilling to get married and allow
her to progress in the gospel.
Obviously, he
didn't just come out and tell us these things. He had plenty of other
excuses to hide his real concerns. But the Lord has blessed me with a beautiful
way of cutting through the garbage in a very direct yet loving way. I am
so grateful for this gift of the spirit. Some people call it leg
breaking. I don't know what I call it. But I love it. It’s so
fun. It sort of reminds me of audible calls in football. You never
plan for it. In fact, you go into the play planning to run something
completely different! But then, when you get to the line, there is a
problem. Everyone sees it. But nobody changes the play without
permission because then everything would be pure chaos. But when the QB
calls the audible, the problem is confronted correctly and the play altered in
order to run a successful play. I know the Lord works in the same way. He
expects us to plan the best we can. But then, when we get to the lesson
and a problem with the plan is found, he has his Quarterback (the Holy Ghost)
call an audible. I know that by following these promptings we find true
success. I have seen it happen time and time again. When the lesson
is in a clutch moment, the Lord calls an audible through His Quarterback.
When I'm tuned in, even the noise of the crowd goes dim (all the excuses and
distractions) and I understand the new play well enough to run it for a huge
gain. After several lessons in which the original plan was thrown out and
audibles were called, He was defeated (to keep it with my sports
analogy). He committed to get married so his loved one could do what she
desired to do and make her life right with God. She was so so happy!
Victory
right? Yes and no. Yes because she would be able to take on the
covenant of baptism and all the blessings that come with that covenant.
But no because we were concerned of the influence her husband would have on her
after baptism. We knew that if he continued conducting himself in his
same manner that she would have very little to no support from her husband in
her commitment to the Lord. And this wouldn't be good.
With this in mind,
Elder N and I held a fast this past preparation day. The whole
intention of this fast was that he would soften his heart enough to support his
wife fully and completely in her decision to get baptized. The power of
the fast is real. We saw a change of heart. It was a miracle.
And the miracles kept coming all week long. It was amazing to be a part
of this experience. (I say a part
because I was truly only a part...the members and bishop were heavily
involved). I will never forget it for the rest of my life. They got
married on Saturday. At the wedding, the bishop approached our
investigator and had some words with the newly wed man and let him know what
marriage and love really means in only a way that a bishop could. I was
blown away as I quietly listened to Bishop teach and testify by the spirit as
he helped this man understand with even more clarity the importance of baptism
(I made sure our investigator didn't know I was listening).
About 15 minutes
after Bishop’s conversation with this man, he came up to me and explained,
"Well Brother, I have been thinking a lot about everything you have been
telling me. I just might get baptized tomorrow after all." (in
Spanish of course) It Rocked!
The culminating
moment of all the miracles this week occurred as he bore his first testimony to
all present at his baptismal service. He bore testimony of the love of
the missionaries who are the Lord's patient and humble servants who push us to
reach our potential. He even told some funny stories about how he knows
we must be the real servants of the Lord because we didn't leave him even when
he got mad at us sometimes and said things he shouldn't have said. He
also bore testimony in the power of repentance through baptism as he explained
that he literally felt the pain and weight of breaking the Lord's law of
Chastity for 27 years with his wife get washed off of him and left behind in
the waters of baptism. He explained that this was amazing to him because
he never even realized how guilty he felt for breaking this commandment.
He used it as a way to lead into his invite to all present who hadn't yet been
baptized to make plans and changes necessary now to get baptized: "If
baptism can take a sinner as bad as me...someone who was so numb to sin and
hard hearted that he didn't even want to believe he was sinning and make me
feel this good, Imagine what it can do for those of you who are surely not as
bad as I. If I could give any of you any advice, it would be to make all
sacrifices necessary to join the Church of Jesus Christ. And I now know
that His church is indeed the Mormons." It was at that point that he
bowed his head at the pulpit and said a prayer of thanks to the Lord for the
blessing of being a member of His church. He also prayed that all who had
not yet been baptized would be able to do so in order to obtain the same
happiness and freedom from sin that he has now learned exists.
It was a week of
miracles.
I love being a
part of the Lord's full-time miracle working force.
Yours Truly,
Elder Ostler
