Dallas Letter 1/12/16

Dad,

I loved your email! That is awesome that you guys were able to go out and shoot deer. Tell everyone congrats but tell Aysha that her shooting skills were waiting for the scrimmage. Sage sounds like a handful like myself  (plus I think you got her because she somewhat has my coloring and you miss me).

For transfers it was hard to leave but I know that I am needed in Wildomar. God calls each of us as missionaries to a certain job, either we are sowers or reapers in the Lord's Vineyard. So based on how things are rolling I am called to be a sower. For David and Davida I was and if thy do get baptized I will be able to go even if I am on the other side of the mission but lucky I live only about 45 minutes away. President actually encourages us to go to be an extra support to them on their decision. I pray that David and Davida will accept and willing to pay the price to turn unto Him. Only time will tell! I know that your talk was amazing and I wish I could hear but also help with it. I love you and are grateful for all the things you have taught me. It is good to read that all the things I am doing will touch the lives of thousands. Some days I feel that all I do is not enough to affect them. Maybe the smile I give will make it a lot easier for the next Sister or Elder who comes after me.

LOVE YOU

Sister Ogden

Aysha,

I am glad that you thought Aunt Pat funeral was beautiful and clam. That is the thing about death it is not the end like most people believe but it's the beginning! It is the next step that we have to take to be closer to our Heavenly Father and Christ. Just being out on the mission, I have seen many who don't have this hope that we have knowing the Plan of Salvation. I hope that being part of this has helped your testimony about the Plan of Salvation because for me a couple of states away it has. Read 2 Nephi 22:2 to know how I feel about the Plan of Salvation. 

...

LOVE YOU

Sister Ogden

Mom and Dad,

I am glad that the funeral was beautiful and that many great experience come from it like the temple and sharing memories of her. I know that Aunt Pat is doing great and that she was so ready for the next step of the Plan of Salvation. I hope that being part of this has helped your testimony about the Plan of Salvation because for me even a couple of states away it has. Read 2 Nephi 22:2 to know how I feel about the Plan of Salvation.

Dad your talk is amazing for how short of a time that you had. I wish that I could have been there or at least helped you but you don't need me. Mom I love your spiritual thought because this past week has been full of reading about repentance for our mission tour.  That is why yesterday, rather than having a P-day, we had a conference with Elder Hamula of the Seventy. It was amazing!!! 

It was such an honor to shake is hand, and to give his wife a big hug!  He reiterated to us our purpose as missionaries: To cleanse people through baptism so they can return to the presence of our Father in Heaven and stay there. It was such an honor to shake is hand, and to give his wife a big hug! So it was funny Mom that your spiritual thought was about the relationship between first principles of the gospel, faith- repentance vs Christ like attributes because that is what we discussed for 8 hours yesterday. You both should read Elder Anderson talk about "Repent... That I May Heal You" which taught me more about repentance and how it is a way for us to "return" into His loving embrace (3 Nephi 9:14).

This past week has been fun with 4 days of heavy rain. I was finally able to go tracking and wear the rain boots! It was interesting but it was a touching experience when some of the people who answer the door would asked why were we out in the rain. I love that question because we were able to tell them about our message which always followed with the normal answer of no but one said after saying no that we show true devotion. So cool!

I love Sister Greeff! She is a mixture of Paisley and Aysha craziness which makes the work fun! I hope that I will finish her last three months of her mission because I love her so much. There is so much work that needs to be done here in Wildomar. Some of the investigators dropped were replaced with new potentials from tracking in the rain storm. I love rain storms! Most of the ward is less actives which means a lot of work in the ward as well but I love it all. It is weird to be in a car but it was wonderful when the rain came. I am still biking with a somewhat cheap version of a stand still bike which is great.

A member made this for me - I Love It!

LOVE YOU BOTH

Sister Ogden

Dallas Letter 1/4/16

Hey Family,

Sorry that I was not able to write much last week because of transfers. So Sister Roberts and I was doubled out of our area, so Sunday/ Monday was full of packing. Sunday was so hard for me to say goodbye to everyone but what hurt the most is saying goodbye to David, Davida, and Lisa. They balled their eyes out and told us that we have changed their lives. I told them that they have also changed mine. I love them so much and will miss them! I am now in Lake Elsinore in the Wildomar Ward and my new companion is Sister Greeff which sounds like grief! She is from West Valley Utah and she has been out for 15 months (we are the complete opposites on the mission time line).

"I AM GOING ON A ADVENTURE!!!!" (Guess what movie that came out of?)

This week has been crazy because we were both doubled into this area with nothing but our bags and the keys to our car/ apartment. The elders before us did not organize or clean after themselves and it made our life more interesting this week. Our first day here we got attacked by dogs but we survived with no harm! It was actually funny because before the attack, we were talking about our scary dog experiences we have had on the mission. This week Sister Greeff also got the plague which made it challenging but worth the challenge. We picked up a new investigator while walking named David. I guess I seem to find David's alot.  He was fishing which made it easy to talk to him about fish and about Christ. Thanks Dad for teaching me the ropes or may I say the fish strings of fishing! Later this week I was able to go out with another Sister who is not under the plague to teach David the Restoration. The lesson went amazing and he wants to be baptized! 

 

Through all the challenges of not knowing the area it has been an adventure and I LOVE IT! Adventures seem to come in many forms, some bigger than other but they all do and carry one thing with them and its learning. I have learned so much and I can't wait to continue to learn on my adventure here in the mission but especially in Wildomar.

Love y'all

Sister Ogden

Dallas Letter - Dec 21

Family,

   This week has been an interesting one. On Wednesday, we helped at Salvation Army with organizing all the gifts to be given out to those they have chosen to help. It was awesome to serve but it was especially nice to wear jeans!!! Sometimes we beg the members if they need help with anything active so that we can wear pants! Then at night we went caroling with the Foutz family in their Jeep. It was cold but we were all warped in sleeping bags while listening to Peter Hollins new song "Mary Did You Know" (look it up and listen to it 20 times as if I was there)

Making A Gingerbread House

   Then Saturday was filled with miracles! It started with (for the first time) being criticized on everything I said to a potential investigator about Our Savior.  He told me many times that I am not awake and do not know Jesus Christ which could have easily turned into an argument.  However, the Spirit said to me to just bare your testimony of Jesus Christ and leave.  The only thing that was amazing about the experience was that I beared probably the most heartfelt testimony of Jesus Christ. Even though he still wanted to argue, I was grateful to give him my testimony for Christmas!

This week has been hard to see David so after talking with the potential we stopped by. We shared the Christmas video with him and his mom Lisa. It touched both of their hearts but especially Lisa. She started by saying that when we come to teach David and Davida she has been listening in the kitchen and has been wanting to ask us some questions! IT'S A MIRACLE!!!! She asked about baptism and about the Sacrament which latter lead to her beautiful testimony of the Sacrament. As I said it's been an interesting week!

Gingerbread Results

I finally received the St. Nick package! It came at the right time for me since again for week 3 the plague still reins in our apartment. I am able to go out with Sister Turner but we still have to stay in most of the time to be missionary nurses. I just want to kiss St. Nick and his Elf's for the gifts. The decoration made our apartment feel like Christmas but also lighten up the mood that has been looming since the plague started. Lets just say St. Nick knows me so well to know how to cheer me up! 

  LOVE YOU GUYS AND SEE YOU ON CHRISTMAS!!!

love

Sister Ogden

Dallas Letter Dec 14th

Howdy Dad,

Its funny that you ask how my week went because it was the weirdest week of my mission! All the Sisters but me got the virus plague that has been surrounding us. I had to be a nurse for myself by inhaling all the vitamin C I could possible take and be a nurse to my fellow three Sisters. The plague started with Sister Turner who past it to Sister Roberts 2.0 (There are two Sister Ro berts.  Dallas’ is Sister Roberts 1.0) and then my companion. The ward called me the lucky winner of the Hunger games plague!!! Haha, the ward is funny but they were very helpful and gave us enough soup to feed an army.

Eating Pizza While Locked Down

Since Sister Turner was a lot better than the others, we were able to go to see David and Davida (Investigators). I was nervous but it was a great experience to lead the lesson about the Holy Ghost. It was powerful because we explained who the Holy Ghost is and the feeling that comes from the Him.  That led to somewhat of a testimony discussion of how David has been feeling the last couple of weeks. I did my job when the tears started and it showed to me that the simple feelings I feel all the time are a huge impact on others who do not know what they are or where they come from.

Since the other Sisters were sick we had to call every day to Sister Mullen to tell how they were feeling and if I was able to go out. I was commanded to stay in lock down with them to take care of them but also to take naps to prevent the plague for myself. I was exactly obedient on taking naps! This week was frustrating to me that I was not able to share and help others come unto Christ by being locked in but it was a great opportunity to study while everyone was dead in their beds.

Sister Robers and I at Urgent Care

The one thing that has been on my mind is what are my spiritual gifts/talents that the Lord has given me. In Moroni 10: 8-19 it mentions some of these gifts but I was able to see a glimpse of mine in my patriarchal blessing. I invite you to read yours with the mindset of what are the Traits or Gifts that the Lord has given you or who you were before coming here. This Friday, Sister Roberts was able to go out but while we were walking we were hit by heavy rain with hail! Instead of progressing in getting better Sister Roberts went backwards to the point that we had to go to the Urgent Care the next day (Sister Roberts 2.0 went too). We were in the office for 4 hours which allowed us to watch How to Train Your Dragon twice. We could not shut it off or ignore it so what our mission president said “if we cannot do anything about it, enjoy it" which I did. As I said this week has been a weird week!

I am so glad to hear about your week! Very jealous of going to Bethlehem, but I absolutely love the picture of you! It made me laugh hard! (Dad in stocks) I AM SO EXCITED THAT PAISLEY WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!! I remember my first time that you got to baptize me as well which is forever in my heart. I WISH YOU AND THE FAMILY A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Love

Sister Ogden

Hey Mom,

I got the boots which I absolutely LOVE! I like the idea about the King Benjamin painting.  You should sent a picture of it when done. That is awesome that you went to Bethlehem! I definitely will be missing going there for Christmas. Speaking of good weather it has been raining and hailing here which I had the pleasure of running in. It reminded me of all the soccer games I played in the rain but it was different with a skirt on.

Where is Papa moving to? Is it closer to us? I am so happy that Karen is taking the lessons and is heading in the direction of baptism. When you guys went up for thanksgiving, Paisley wrote to me that she was quite impressed of being part of Karen’s mission lessons which was good for her to see what I am doing out here.

I am excited that you are doing the hard tack candy this year because that is one of the many Christmas memories of home. I am sorry that you do not have a professional lights decorator such as myself but Aysha will have to do!!!! No I am glad that she was able to finally get them done and I bet they are as good as if I was there. (Let me know secretly how they turned out).

This week was interesting because everyone in our apartment was sick beside me. I was put in locked down all week and the one day I was allowed to go out with Sister Roberts is the day it rained and hailed on us. Let’s just say instead of Sister Roberts getting better we went backwards with the rain. Thanks for teaching me how to be a nurse for myself by taking lots and lots of vitamin c and being a nurse to the other sisters. Love you Mom and I will pray that you will be able to conquer the crazy schedules!

p.s. DON-DON-DONONN (is from the Croodes movie and it’s the sloth looking thing that yells this for the ending of the world) I still got game on the movie quote game!

LOVE YOU BUNCHES

Sister Ogden