14 Oct 2013

Dear mom,

i'm being transferred from darien, we already knew that. now i am going to be in gainesville 2nd ward. there are already apparently 2 more sets of missionaries in that ward, which make a whole lot of missionaries running around in the city of gainesville. i will know next week what my mailing address will be.

this last week has been a trip. we have found a couple of people that would like to hear the gospel. it happens predictably every time missionaries are transferred. speaking of transfers there are now about 300 missionaries in the mission that's about double what it was when i got in the mission.

i saw the picture of the finished deck. it looks good. sorry about the rain. on the bright side its not raining as much here as it has been for the last two transfers. fall has started to kick in so things have been a lot cooler here. it also happened to quit raining at the same time i finally caved in and bought a proper rain coat.

i am happy to know that grandma is doing well, she must like her new room a lot better than the old one. is really any different except that it is closer to the elevator? is everyone still playing cards there in Friday?

don't be surprised if a box comes home some time in the next couple of weeks. there is some things i am just tired of carrying around that i still want but don't want to keep packing from place to place. we will see what happens. extra clothes and stuff. when it shows up just put it with the rest of my stuff i assume its all still packed up from moving.

i can't think of anything else that is going on right now so i will let you and the family go. also did ya'll ever find both alligators? or are they both still hidden well?

Sincerely,

Elder Ogilvie

7 Oct 2013

Dear mom,

next week is transfers. and yes i will be leaving Darien, president Craig called us this morning to let elder smith know that i will be leaving and he will be training a new missionary. there are 34 new missionaries coming in this transfer. when i came in there was only 20 of us and that was a huge group. now to here that 30+ are coming with each transfer is completely normal. i won't know where i am going to be sent next, i won't find out until next Monday.

as for the hail, well the lord needed you to have something worth writing about this week. does everyone still get together every Friday night to play cards? also tell grandma Fowkes hello for me.

conference was by far the most exciting part of the week. nothing else even begins to be as wonderful and amazing. i know that some of the things that were said by the apostles and prophet were of great benefit to people that we have been working with here, and benefited some people i know back home as well. inspiration was abundant at conference. i can't wait until they finally give us missionaries a copy of the conference ensign.

so what you are telling me is that Brightyn is like the energizer bunny. she just keeps going and going and going... one of these days not to long from now she will be walking. very soon.

the next big thing is transfers, and at the end of the month will be zone conference and a special fireside with one of the 70's that about it. at least for now.

i will let you go, we have some other important things to do. have a good week.

Sincerely,

Elder Ogilvie

30 Sept 2013

Dear mom,

i'm happy to know those pictures made it home nice and safe. i thought i put the right zip code on it. i even checked. oh well at least they are there for you all to enjoy. keep looking for the gator. he is in there somewhere... i will let you find him.

poor champ must not be having very much fun now. i forgot that he was even on medicine. does champ still hate to go to the animal hospital or is he okay with it now? tell him i miss him. are there any new funny stories about Sydney? is Brightyn still chasing the dogs around?

the deck is looking good now, whats left to do? or is that it? also what are you going to do so that people don't fall down in the hole for the window? or prevent the grill from falling down in there?

we had a baptism service right after church yesterday. which incidentally marks the one year date for the first baptism i was apart of since I've been out. since general conference is next week. the branch president saw fit to do the confirmation right after the baptism, instead of waiting for two weeks while general conference goes on. our problem is now that we have baptized our only solid investigator we don't have anyone to work with now. so now we are back to finding those who are ready. we have found some potential though so we are not completely with out hope. though we will still be working with our recent convert.

Every Sunday after church we help cook the Sunday dinner/lunch at brother Zorn's home. since he can't do it himself. it can and does become a fellow-shipping and teaching opportunity for us since we usually lead a discussion on the book of Mormon after dinner/lunch

it's about time for us to go and get some other things done today. thank you for the letter. and for letting me know how everyone is doing. have fun back home.

Sincerely,

Elder Ogilvie

23 Sept 2013

Dear mom,

tings are going good here in the little sleepy town of Darien, GA. this last week has been one of complete exhaustion. after 3 exchanges which felt like 4 since there was one day that i was back with my companion, in the middle of the other 3 exchanges. a lot of service for various people both members and non members. what our branch mission leader basketball ministry, where we open the cultural hall to bring in the younger generation and introduce them to the church. and doing everything we can to help our sole investigator find her way to baptism. which is proving way harder and stressful than any other. mostly because of the way it all started. oh and we ha to speak in church on Sunday. i'm not really even sure if i remember everything that actually did happen it seems like i left something important out?

i will be looking forward to general conference in what is only two weeks away. did it really come that fast again? didn't we just have one in April? it sure seems like it. we will be able to watch it at our little branch building. it has its own little satellite receiver in it. when this baptism happen the way it is planned it will be done the Sunday before conference which is this coming Sunday. and the confirmation will be done the Sunday after that. then i will probably be transferred.

you see this baptism all started about two weeks ago when we found out that a member we are working with married a non member with the agreement that if they were to get married she would join the church. we did not find out any of this until they were already married. that is when she came to church for the first time. and now the whole thing is sort of a mess. but it is slowly getting better. i am hoping and praying that it all works out okay.

speaking in church was kind of fun. and hard. you can probably guess what the topic i chose to speak on in church was. it is not that hard to guess. Missionaries talk about it all the time. we were asked last week to give talks so we knew this one was coming. no surprises.

i did find a rain coat that will work but i haven't been able to go get a nicer one, that is more than just a simple poncho made of better materials. the one i have now has saved me from quite a few rain storms so i am in no hurry to find a better coat.

champ knows better than to put himself where he knows he is only going to get his hair pulled. i think Sydney has figured that out too. Brightyn must be having fun if she keeps chasing after the dogs like that. tell her i said hello too. although she still has no idea who i am.

i won't take up anymore of your time today, i'm glad everyone is well.

Sincerely,

Elder Ogilvie

Sept 16, 2013

Dear Mom,

I think everyone is ok back home. at least that is what i get from reading your letter. the deck is starting to look really good now. you don,t have that much to do, before it is all done, right?

we have some exciting news. we found a lady that could be baptized pretty soon. but there is a lot of things still standing in the way. we think that she can make it but it will take a while before she actually get baptized. the whole story is pretty long and a little bit to much to write in a letter so it will be an interesting thing tat happens in the next couple of weeks.

the little branch here in darien does not have very many youth all together let alone what we might call much of a primary. so the chances of the branch having a primary program is slim to none. our young mens and young womens programs are not any bigger. we have for the last 4 weeks had to teach the youth sunday school class. each time we have had no notice that we were teaching either. we have been filling in for the teacher that they have yet to call.

we have been asked to speak this next sunday. we are always busy on sunday during church doing one thing or another. its always something. we also usually need to help with passing the sacrament since we do not have enough worthy young men to do it. then we are normally sitting in on the young men's lesson in priesthood.

we haven't had any trouble with the weather over the last week. it has stayed pretty pleasant.

we have been on three exchanges with the missionaries in brunswick this week and we have to do three more this week. we have to do a total of 6 exchanges and do one with the missionaries in kingsland.

we are busy this week and next. i hope your week is busy too.

Sincerely,

Elder Ogilvie

9 Sept 2013

Dear Mom,

it has been an interesting few days to say the least. elder smith arrived on Wednesday, and i sent elder Mcfarlane away. the two of them are completely different people. completely opposite personalities. elder smith has been out for 21 months and has this transfer and one more before he is done. he is by far the most obedient missionary in the mission, by a long shot.

some of the scriptures that have helped me are 3 Nephi 12:10-12, Alma 42:31, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Isaiah 41:10, Alma 7:11-13, Mosiah 14:3-6. i will stop there. i can keep going for a while.

we don't have anything too exciting going on. we did find a family up near the top of the area that came to church on Sunday. we have also been receiving quite a few more referrals to go see people. we are still looking for some solid people to teach since we still don't have many at all. we have also been going out on bikes around town a bit more too, trying to keep our car mileage under control so we don't run out like we have come very close to doing every month. so far so good.

i was hoping that with transfers that i would not have our district leader for a companion. i did not get that wish. and we have 2 more missionaries that we have do exchanges with in Brunswick. so now instead of doing 4 exchanges we have to do 6 exchanges. oh well.

i think you are all very busy back at home. i am doing good out here. i did get the new shirts, thank you so very much. i pretty well have everything that i need for now.

i hope ya'll have a good week back home.

Sincerely,

Elder Ogilvie

2 Sept 2013

dear mom,

i have the pictures to send home so i will send them as soon as i can write the letter that goes with it. :) i don't remember what the last picture that i sent was so there will be some pictures i skip sending. i saw the picture of the deck. it looks like it will go together just fine. keep up the good work.

crazy dog. tell him i miss him. i have a dog story of my own to tell. we were doing a little bit of unplanned service for a less active member. and his friends dog was in the yard and as we went to walk out the dog decided to take a chomp at my leg. one of his teeth went right through my slack fabric (without doing any damage to the slacks) and put a small hole in my leg. it only drew a little blood, but i am ok.

we get asked a few crazy questions every now and then but for the most part people around here don't ask them all that much since the place has had so many missionaries talk with every single person. those who do ask already know the answer and just ask because they can or they don't really care to know the answer. i've talked with a few people like that. of the questions that do come up polygamy is the most common. that and the word of wisdom. i did have one investigator ask me about God living on kolob once. that one was unexpected.

Darien has been fun to be in and i will still be here for another transfer. elder Nephi (yes, Nephi) smith is my new companion. or at least he will be on Wednesday. transfers is tomorrow.

talk with you later. have a good day, and a fantastic week.

Sincerely,

Elder Ogilvie