Dear family,
this week has been... well to put it simply, awesome. We have been bonding well with our Branch Mission Leader, Bro. Wharff, who has helped us enormously.
Anyway, you must be wondering, what has made this week so awesome? Well, dear readers, I will tell you. This last week, do you remember how we were talking about the very amazing/spiritual lesson that we had with the Bolton family? Well, we passed by their home again that Saturday night and invited them to church. We didn't get to have a lesson with them because she was so tired, but it was nice that we were able to do that. Anyway, Sunday morning came around and while we were in the car, my companion and I discussed who would probably come for Sacrament Meeting. Well, in walked Richard and Luisa (and older couple that we have been working with) who had never come before. That was awesome. Then 5 minutes into the meeting, Sister Bolton walked in! It was really great. Oh, and then it was a very spiritual meeting because it was fast and testimony meeting. Afterward, while we were herding our investigators over to Gospel Principles class, Sister Bolton told me, "So Johnny and I have decided that we are getting baptized." I did something of a double-take. She then continued, "We want to get baptized in the beginning of next month - July. By you."
Then I said, "But Sister Bolton, what if I'm transferred out of the area?"
"Well," she replied, "You better pull some strings because we want you to baptize us. In fact, I'm not getting baptized unless you baptize us!"
Well, except for that last part, WHOOOO HOOO!!! YES!!!!! That is so awesome! Ahhh, this is so amazing! I am so happy that this is finally happening and that I will be here to see it!
Hopefully you kind of understand how happy I am at this time. I think I am a bit overwhelmed right now actually. You might say that I am in shock right now. You see, yesterday (Monday) we had a ward party in the English Branch. It was amazing! We definitely need to be having more of those. I think that the attendance there was more than double what we normally have at sacrament meeting. And of course, we had investigators there. Brother and Sister Bolton as well as a lady by the name of Lisa Rivera. She is amazing. She is basically a member but her husband won't let us teach over at there home while he is there (which is the weekends) and they work in the bay area (about an hour outside of our mission) Monday thru Friday. To put in a nutshell - frustrating. Actually, incredibly frustrating because she actually came looking for us and we can't help her progress. But. BUT... she comes to church. Almost every week for the last two months without fail, she has come to church. And she loves it. She knows the doctrine as well if not better than many members.
And so, I guess that the point I am making with all of this is that, last night after the party, she called us. She told us how as of last July, she had talked to her husband who had told her that he wasn't in agreement with her being baptized until she went to church for a year. Last night, she told us that the year was up, and that she was ready to be baptized so we needed to get everything ready so that she could be.
Wow!!!! I strongly feel that the service we rendered with Bro. Wharff and his 2 sons the other day to Roberto Rivera (Lisa Rivera's husband) was highly influential to this.
So anyway, that is happening as soon as possible.
Well, now you might be wondering, "Well, that's all great and dandy Elder Ostler, but weren't you called on a Spanish Speaking mission?"
Hold your horses, I'm getting there. This afternoon (around 3:00 pm), we received a call from somebody in the Spanish Branch. A lady by the name of Hermana Rosales. She is a member who is married to a non-member, Carlos Rosales, and they have a 12 year old son named Justin Rosales. Carlos isn't really too accepting to the Church, however, Justin goes to church every Sunday without fail, and every YM/Scouting activity. He is a smart (though slightly goofy) kid, that reads all of the material that we give him and does those things that we tell him to do through the urging of his mom. However, the hold up for him is that his dad would not give him permission. What Carlos had said was that "he wanted to hear it from Justin's lips that he wanted to be baptized." Well, last night, Justin received permission. After months and months of waiting and working, he received it. What is more, they are moving and want to do it within the next week.
Awesome? Yes. Crazy? Incredibly. Had I not heard about all of these things myself, I wouldn't believe it if somebody told me. But it is true. And I am so happy for it. I am so thankful that the Lord is helping us in this wonderful work. If ever I have seen miracles, it is here in the mission. This is true and when people make those decisions that get them on that strait and narrow path, it is a beautiful thing to behold.
Well, This is sooo cool! I have other stories, but none quite so great. I have pictures but I haven't the time to upload them. But I hope that you have read these things and felt something like what I have. This is an amazing work. I am... happy.
Love you,
Elder Ostler
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