Dallas Letter 2/29/16

Dear Family

This week has been crazy which it also sounds like you had one too! This week consist of my 5 month mark, Temple trip, and many touching spiritual experiences. The first is that I hit my 5 month mark on Tuesday which is soooooo weird! I don't feel that old but maybe if you look closely in the pictures I send you will see my missionary wrinkles. Another weird thing because of it is that everyone is guessing that I may be a trainer next transfer!!! Yikes I pray not because I barely know what I am doing. 

Then this week we were able to go to the TEMPLE! First cool about the trip was that we were able to stop at Barnes and Noble for a new journal since mine is near the end. I took all my strength not to pick up a single book but it was fun. Going to the temple was amazing but what is even cooler was that President Mullen was at our session and even took me through to the Celestial room. I needed to go for the extra strength and spirit that can only come from the temple. Here is a quote that describes how I feel about the temple:

"As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the Savior when He said 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (President Monson, April 2015)
 

A miracle of the week was right after the temple. We came out of the session to a text message of a paused (aka dropped) investigator who wants to continue!!!! We almost shouted for joy but that would have given a heart attack to the older couple we were with. A tender mercy was that last night we met a less active lady named Kay (Changed name). Her husband is so anti Mormon that she is really struggling but we gave DC 121: 7-9 and prayed with her. The weird thing was that when we were about to pray, I asked her if she wanted too which shocked her. She said yes after sobbing that no one has asked her to pray. God works in weird ways to touch the hearts of his children.

Love you guys so much!

Love Sister Ogden

Dad,

I love the song you gave me but I am not sure what Disney tune you did it to? It sounds that everything is going crazy but in a good way! T What type of virus did Paisley get because it sounds like what the plague has been affecting both missionaries and everyone we try? What is a Hardie Board?o answer your questions I will do them one by one:

• Are you asked to speak very often? No not really but I think when I get farther down the road they will probably will. Sister Greeff had to give one this Sunday but that was because the Bishop wanted to have her speak before she goes home.
• Have you gotten the discussions down? I guess I kinda have it changes each time but the message is the same. That is one thing I like about PMG (Preach My Gospel manual) is that you can mold the lesson to the investigators needs. But I am not as scared to share the lessons as before!
•   Are you comfortable with the door approach? Yes and no the extent of our door approaches is to contact a referral or to come share a message with an investigator/ members.
• Do you do much tracting? We do not tract here because there are so many gates that if we did, we would find no one. What we do is talk to all those we see outside.
•  How are you investigators doing? Most of the investigators we did have are on pause (aka dropped) but we were able to find so many people this week, so that great. Time will tell!
•   Are you writing every name you can remember in your journal? Are you keeping up on your journal? Yep I am writing everyone names even though some may be spelt wrong but I have written every day since being out on the mission! I love writing in it because it of course helps me to remember but it's very therapeutic. Even writing emails are that way for me. I just feel sorry for who has to read them after I am gone! 

Love you so much Dad!

Love Sister Ogden