Monday, March 24, 2014

24 March 2014

Dear Mom,

It's been an interesting week, we had president interviews, so I got
the opportunity to talk with him about things that are going on in
this area, interviews with president Craig are a lot quicker than when
president Barry was here.

We have still been biking all around the area trying to find people to
teach, and we have been meeting with different members helping them to
identify 12 of their friends who are either, not members or who are
completely inactive, then prayerfully invite 1 of them each week to
come to church or meet with us ( the missionaries ). So far it is
working, we have just barely started.

This has not been a happy few days for elder mellor, his bike has
started falling apart in some fairly normal ways, but it's been
ruining his week, And creating some tension that does not need to
exist. We got most of it fixed today. So it shouldn't be a problem
now.

For as hard as things are here in Gainesville, this is the one set of
ward leaders that I have so far seen that, has effectively and
efficiently handled every trouble that has come this way, also it's
the only ward that has put any kind of focus on working with the
missionaries in the ward. So I really like the ward leaders here.

We did both of our exchanges this week, so I wasn't in my pun area for
what felt like half of the week. When I went with our district leader
elder tuft, we put my stuff in their apartment before we went out to
work, and elder tuft forgot the key to the apartment, so when the
maintenance man came to fix their ac he locked the door behind him, so
when we returned that night we were locked out of the apartment, we
almost had to spend the night in the apartment of the other 3rd ward
elders down stairs, fortunately for us the front office happened to be
open till late that evening so after a few phone calls and a miracle
from Heavenly Father the maintenance man cam and unlocked the door for
us. That particular day was full of prayers being answered, as it
turns out elder tuft and his companion elder pili's bikes are both
broken, so when we went Tracting that day and we Tracted into a man
who had two extra bikes that he just gave them. So there is a miracle
or two to consider this week.

As for the family that we Tracted into on Super Bowl Sunday, we had to
drop them. They refused to believe that the Holy Ghost would bear
witness of the message, they only wanted historical proof of the Book
of Mormon and restoration of the gospel. Some times that's the way it
goes, the people we often expect to be the ones who will receive the
message, are often the ones that don't, and the people that we don't
think will, quite often do.

It seems like every conference has brought out some new catch phrase
from a current apostle. I can't wait to hear what amazing messages we
will hear in two weeks.

Now my letter is getting long too. So I hope y'all. Have a wonderful week.

Sincerely,
Elder Ogilvie

Love y'all

Monday, March 17, 2014

17 March 2014

Dear mom,

I love you! It dound like y'all are having a great week. It's been
interesting and hard week for us here. That's so funny that carter got
a call from someone looking to hire me.  Imguess that means that there
are places for me to go work when I return.

Things are going kinda well, it could still be better, but it's good
enough for now. Presidents interviews are this next week, so I'm
looking forward to that.

For fun today we are going to go visit "the  Swamp" I will try and
send a picture.

Cool missionary experiences are to be found everywhere. Some times for
us when it seems like everything is going wrong, the cool moment is
when we find the one person who actually invites us back. That
happened last night. I also think I've found some one that I can begin
to teach online, through facebook. Somehow doing it that way is way
harder than it sounds, and it doesn't sound easy at all. We tend to
think everyone is online all the time, which is partially true, but
when we get online at the appointed time people aren't on facebook. So
when I do find someone it is a miracle. I suppose the same could be
said for normal missionary work.

It will be fun for y'all to have family around for general conference,
is grandma having a big Easter party that Sunday? Or are the parties
pretty much done? It's weird to think that this general conference has
come again so fast, I wonder what inspired council will be given this
year. Also what the total count of full time missionaries is at, I
know last I heard it was over 90,000. The church has grown a lot in
the last five years. ( I've been looking at the statistical reports
from each of the conferences)

You should follow Logan's advice to pray for missionary experiences
EVERY DAY! The Lord wants to give them to you. That goes for the whole
family. He is waiting for you to do your part so he can bless the
people around you and you too.

This last week we had a former investigator call us and ask us to come
back, he told us that he got a an answer that god really does exist,
he said he didn't believe me, but when he did what we asked him to do
he got an answer to the questions that he asked, now he is a more
solid investigator. God answers prayers, it may take weeks... It may
take months, but with real intent and a humble heart god will answer
prayers.

Now my letter is getting long so I hope y'all have a wonderful week,love y'all
Sincerely,
Elder Ogilvie


Love y'all

Monday, March 10, 2014

10 March 2014

Dear Mom,

It has been a hard week. We haven't been able to visit with a lot of
the promising potentials that we found. Neither has this been the most
loving companionship that I have been in either. There seems to be a
lot of over reacting going on, in the part of my companion. He really
doesn't like it here. No matter what I try and do or say it hasn't
helped. Companionship inventory helped for a time but it seems to wear
off fairly quickly.

Brightyn is almost a year old? That was a fast year. That is so cool.
She really is growing up fast. It's amazing. Who else's birthday is
coming up? I know Logan is at the end of the month hen general
conference is the beginning of next.

It's crazy that general conference is next month. It doesn't seem like
it was all that long ago that we had the October general conference. I
wonder what amazing things will be brought up this time?

Wen have been involved in a big service project as we helped the stake
relief society put together an activity. We did most of the set up and
clean up, and were there to help get people to the right place at the
right time. It was fun to because I got to see some of the people who
I haven't had an opportunity to interact with since I left Williston a
year and a half ago.

Our bishop here went to a conference at which one of the apostles
spoke. He talked about how soon the return of The Lord is and then
proceeded to give tons of instruction for the wards regarding the need
to focus on missionary work. I think we sat and listened to bishop
talk about it for ten minutes during sacrament meeting.

It's been a long time since I sent scriptures home. I can send you
some more if you would like. I have enough space in my current
journals to last for the next 6 moths, probably longer.

Utah and Idaho pray for rain and it rains here. Congratulations your
prayers have been answered. Now next time pray more specifically that
it will rain in your specific state. Now don't get me wrong we still
need rain too but more specific prayer invite more specific answers.

We talked about this scripture last night and how it describes missionaries.
Alma 13:27-29

Love and miss y'all

Sincerely
Elder Ogilvie

Love y'al

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

4 Mar 2014

Dear mom,

Things here have been slow for the most part, we ended up dropping
most if not all of our investigators, and started over. It's been a
little harder but we have managed to find some new people to talk with
so things have been working out good for us. We went and Tracted a new
neighborhood that hasn't seen missionaries in a long time so we had
quite a bit of success and a couple of return appointments for
Tuesday. At least one of them actually seems promising.

Does Sydney respond better to Sydney or shadow, which ever she
responds to better should be her name. I suppose champ is still being
lazy. Is he still super protective of Sydney?

Nothing to exciting happened this week. We did a lot more tracking
than we really wanted to and at first it worked well. Which is how we
found everyone we did.

Elder mellor is from Murray Utah. Different part of Murray from where
we lived. It's been another adventure in getting to know him a little
bit better, we have two completely different ways of doing anything.
Teaching, finding, p-day activities, grocery shopping... Everything.

As far as missionary business cards go we already have all kinds of
pass along cards to give out. We usually just write our names and
phone numbers on the back of the cards. So there is no need or use for
even more types of cards.

Nursery must have been a fun experience. So you don't get to play
grandma every Sunday? Oh well. A lot of the members here in
Gainesville related their testimony to the topic of missionary work.
Either that or that is all I heard because that's what I was listening
for. Either way it was cool.

I have found it a lot easier to write letters home while roaming
around on p-day. Now that we don't have to spend 2 solid hours sitting
at computers. I can sit and write it when I have the time to do it. I
can just sit down and write it anywhere then the letter will send when
I find some wifi

Sounds to me like everything is going well back home. I hope things
continue to go well for y'all. Love y'all

Sincerely,
Elder Ogilvie