"Remeber to be happy and smile!" Elder Ostler

Dear family,

haha, So i found out a lot this past week about areas and what not. Well our past district leader was didn't really care if we had investigators that lived in their area and so he said that if we met them and what not then to just teach them. Well when my companion went up to the mission office before going to Bulgaria he asked if we could continue teaching Viktor and then we got an e-mail and President Abraham said not to. So that's how it happened, but it's all good. Everything is working out. We went on splits to meet with our investigators and explain to them that they will be meeting with the other elders. I was really happy, because when we talked with Viktor last week he expressed that he was said he couldn't meet with us anymore, but he just said "slava boga"--which pretty much means what got wants...litterally it means glory of God, but here i think the thought is kind of like inshalla in Jerusalem which is God willing. So i'm really glad that Viktor still has the strong desire to meet because he wants to learn more about the Church and i am grateful for the opportunity i had to meet with him and help him out where i could.

Also, i was able to take the Book of Mormon in Chinese to our Chinese investigator and he was so excited to receive it! He just kept reading it and reading it and i'm really excited to see where he goes.

To find people....Well lately we have just been striving to find people whenever and where ever we can, but yesterday we were able to go Sign Boarding! And we got three contacts that way. I'm really excited to meet with one in particular. I talked with him only about the Book of Mormon and he expressed interest and we exchanged numbers and the best part is that he lives in our Area!

Sorry i don't know how that last e-mail sounded, but i know that the Lord blesses us upon our obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Often times we wish we could do it a different way, but i know that if we do it the Lord's way that everything works out best for everyone because the Lord's ways are higher than our ways just like it talks about in Isaiah 55:8-9.

Oh, you asked about the Church here.....This is a great question to ask Corey, i'm sorry sure could go on forever about the Church here in Ukraine. Yes i have learned quite a bit about it. Pretty much there is one main Church here called the Provaslovni church. Sorry i don't know how to write it in English. And pretty much everybody that is a part of it just says that they are Provaslovni because their parents were even if they don't go to Church. Some are very strong and devout members, but many Just tell us that they are Provaslovni and walk away from us. I don't have much time to go into the detail about the Church.

WEll everything is going great here, remember to be happy and smile!


"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." John 15:11

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my aways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Love Elder Ostler

Chinese Book of Mormon

Family-So this last week was pretty crazy, I was in a threesome while my companion was in Bulgaria. This last week helped me realize how blessed I am to have the companion I have. Elder Richardson is an incredible missionary and we have a blast together.
The individual, Viktor, that I wrote about last week is still progressing, and he is an incredible investigator. Our last meeting with him we started to talk about the plan of salvation a little bit and he seemed to know and understand everything we talked about. He loves the gospel and enjoys meeting with us. He has been reading pamphlets from the Branch on some of the lessons and so when we meet with him he is already prepared to learn. Also, we were finally able to get a Chinese Book of Mormon for our Chinese investigator, we haven't been able to meet with him but I’m excited to give him the Book of Mormon in Chinese.
I don't know if we will be meeting with our investigators anymore. All of our investigators we met and contacted and have been meeting with, they live in the other Elder's area and President Abraham said that we should only work with people in our area. I’m not going to lie, this will be hard because I have come to love each one of our investigators, and this also means we will be losing all of our investigators. However, I know that The Lord will bless us for following the Counsel of Our mission President, and that this is what the Lord wants. Love, Elder Ostler

"Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For Behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works." Jacob 4:10

Finally a Picture!

First i need to answer your questions. Mom,you asked about the Kiev temple. Currently is is 32% completed or so, at least that's what i saw on the internet when we showed our Chinese Investigator the temple here in Kiev.     It sounds like you are finally able to get a lot accomplished. And last week you commented that you talked with come young ladies from Ukraine. That is really neat, did they show you any pictures?

Dad, you asked about the economy, yes people constantly comment about there being a crisis and they say how great life is in america. We simply reply that the crisis is everywhere. And then once a twice a week we have somebody knock on our door asking for food, and every time it is somebody different. It's very sad here, the economy. I feel so selfish sometimes when i go to the store and purchase food, because i know of so many people without.

  You asked about the history and places to see here in Ukraine. I've aksed people because i want to learn and i guess there isn't very much to see here, and as far as the history of the country i learn little bits every now and then.
   However, this last week we were able to go to a museum, the lady we read the Bible with in english after english each tuesday offered to take us to an art museum, and there i learned some history of the people in russia and ukraine, however i dont' know exact, fine detail because the lady spoke really fast in russian, however, i was excited because for the most part i understood what was being said. And every now and then i understood the exact opposite of what was being said, for instance... there was a series of four paintings about an american soldier that was injured and i thought she said it was a russian soldier injured by americans.

 Family,
           Saturday night Elder Richardson and i met with the individual we met last sunday morning and talked with him a little more about the gospel. To begin with we simple got to know him and he told us more about his life and his family. We learned that he is a man without many worldly possessions and that he lives in a very humble apartment. Before we could even begin talking about the first vision with him he began to tell us about what he read in the Liahona we gave him and he said,"Well i figure that if the Lord talked with Adam, Abraham and Moses, why couldn't he talk with Joseph Smith." His name is Viktor and he is an incredible individual. Pretty much everything he has owned in life has been taken from him. He lived in Kazakhstan and he said that the police, i think he said the KGB too, came and took everything from his home.
    He has now come to church two sundays in a row and loves the Liahona and is reading the Book of Mormon.
    Also, the reason he came to church last sunday was because a little bit before i came into country my companion gave out an english invitation to a young boy and tried skate boarding with him for a second.. the 13 year old told his dad about my companion, elder richardson, and he came to our church. I think it's really neat that from such a small and simple thing we found an incredible individual.

     Also, our Chinese investigator invited his friend to our lesson this last week and before we left his friend wanted to try praying, which is an extremely foreign concept for them. The lord is blessing us and the work is going forward.

So now for the great news,
       My companion does not have AIDS! this last week we went to an adject city, herson, where we had zone conference and my companion got an AIDS test in order for him to go to Bulgaria. So this week i am in a threesome with the two other elders in Nikolaev.

  Remember to smile and read the scriptures.
   
"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me."
-D&C 19:23

 Love Elder Ostler

 

Zone Pictures for Kherson Zone’s January Zone Conference