Things are going great. I guess things are the same all around the world. Lots of people come when they are making a change. This Sunday was a little dissapointing compared to last Sunday ( attendence wise). Most of the members were there. You see what happened was that we made a list of everybody that we had committed throughout the week to come to church on Sunday. We had about ten. Half dropped out saturday night when we called them. And none came to church. But, those are just the people we committed.
There is a lady named Island(pronounce the "s") and she comes with 2 of her kids and 2 kids of her sister. We went and taught her yesterday. Its going to be a long process with her if she wants to get baptized. She is living with Patrick, her boyfriend, who married a girl in Haiti. Now, those two have no contact. He says that he would want to divorce the other girl and marry Island. Sounds great uh? Well, now Island isnt sure whether she wants to marry Patrick. So, obviously something has to change there.
In response to some of your questions. We have no car, they dont have insurance for persons under the age of 25. There is an empty apartment here waiting the arrival of a new couple. We have army rations as a hurricane supply. I have cereal, Plenty of Tuna, I've got beans, they dont have spaghettios. Cookies are expensive and very limited options. I dont think anybody on this island has ever even heard of jerky.
Love, Elder Osterloh
Ps Im learning French now
je m'appelle Elder Osterloh
je sui de l'amerique
bonjour...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
July 16, 2008
I am writing you from the tropical climate of Dominica. It has been raining tons due to the passing of Bertha. But it hasnt been so bad, at least when I remember my umbrella.
Dominica isnt quite the same without the senior couple here, but its still great.
We got a new branch president and presidency this week. He is a student, the first counselor is a student, and the second counselor is a Dominican. So that was pretty exciting to get them all in there this Sunday. President Dewsnup spent the weekend with us(in the Whites Apartment) while he reorganized the Branch.There were tons of people in church this Sunday, 61. The most that I have ever seen. And it surprised me since Elder Jorgensen told me that the attendence had dropped to about 35 a week. We had five non-members there as well. We're trying to get them all to recieve the lessons, but some are harder to get in contact with.
Love Elder Osterloh
Dominica isnt quite the same without the senior couple here, but its still great.
We got a new branch president and presidency this week. He is a student, the first counselor is a student, and the second counselor is a Dominican. So that was pretty exciting to get them all in there this Sunday. President Dewsnup spent the weekend with us(in the Whites Apartment) while he reorganized the Branch.There were tons of people in church this Sunday, 61. The most that I have ever seen. And it surprised me since Elder Jorgensen told me that the attendence had dropped to about 35 a week. We had five non-members there as well. We're trying to get them all to recieve the lessons, but some are harder to get in contact with.
Love Elder Osterloh
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
July 8, 2008
Things went incredibly well this week...for the most part. Erik got confirmed Sunday during sacrament meeting. It was really cool. He was so nervous. When they pulled the chair out in the front and called him up there, he turned toward as and said "I have to go up there"( with his eyes super opened) It was pretty funny. When they were confirming him he looked like he was going to pass out.
Transfer calls are in. They are sending me back to Dominica. They want me back there to help hold things together until a new senior couple can get out there. The Whites finished last month. Elder Nichols goes home tomorrow. And Elder Jorgensen, my new companion, finishes this next transfer.
Dont worry about my teeth. They still havent done the crowns, but what I have right now should last until after I get home. It would probably be better to do the crowns at home anyways.
Dont worry about Bertha. Our landlord was talking to us about it, he said it started really far north in Africa, and they rise as they come across, so it should hit somewhere in the Carolinas. Watch out Elder Lucas (He was my trainer).
Now I wont have to worry about my bike anymore. I have been tightening the pedal everyday so that it wont come off. Sometimes I went two or three days without tightening, but it would get really loose, and it sucks riding only using one pedal.
Tonight we are going to see Enid and Erik. Kinda say goodbye and all. She was really hoping that I wouldnt get transferred. I dont worry about her too much though, because the members have really taken her in as one of their own.
This week we found another guy, whose name is Alejandro, he had met with the missionaries before. So we started teaching him, and says that he believes Joseph Smith is a prophet and all, so we gave him a baptismal date and he accepted. But, there was some confusion in picking him up on Sunday to go to church. We stopped by to make sure he was awake, and he was sitting there all ready to go, but we cant give people rides, so we told him we would be back. At the church none of the members wanted to go and pick him up. Finally we found somebody just before church started and we got to his house and he was gone. Ever since then he has been very flaky with keeping appointments. I was excited to work with him though, and now Im gone. O well, I guess.
Love Elder Osterloh
Transfer calls are in. They are sending me back to Dominica. They want me back there to help hold things together until a new senior couple can get out there. The Whites finished last month. Elder Nichols goes home tomorrow. And Elder Jorgensen, my new companion, finishes this next transfer.
Dont worry about my teeth. They still havent done the crowns, but what I have right now should last until after I get home. It would probably be better to do the crowns at home anyways.
Dont worry about Bertha. Our landlord was talking to us about it, he said it started really far north in Africa, and they rise as they come across, so it should hit somewhere in the Carolinas. Watch out Elder Lucas (He was my trainer).
Now I wont have to worry about my bike anymore. I have been tightening the pedal everyday so that it wont come off. Sometimes I went two or three days without tightening, but it would get really loose, and it sucks riding only using one pedal.
Tonight we are going to see Enid and Erik. Kinda say goodbye and all. She was really hoping that I wouldnt get transferred. I dont worry about her too much though, because the members have really taken her in as one of their own.
This week we found another guy, whose name is Alejandro, he had met with the missionaries before. So we started teaching him, and says that he believes Joseph Smith is a prophet and all, so we gave him a baptismal date and he accepted. But, there was some confusion in picking him up on Sunday to go to church. We stopped by to make sure he was awake, and he was sitting there all ready to go, but we cant give people rides, so we told him we would be back. At the church none of the members wanted to go and pick him up. Finally we found somebody just before church started and we got to his house and he was gone. Ever since then he has been very flaky with keeping appointments. I was excited to work with him though, and now Im gone. O well, I guess.
Love Elder Osterloh
Sunday, July 6, 2008
July 2, 2008
We had a really good week. Enid's son, Erik, was baptized this Sunday. It was a really great service. Enid shared her experience when he decided to be baptized last week. Wow, the spirit was so strong. But, she said that she was more nervous at Erik's baptism than at her own. Elder Fuentes baptized him. Erik was really really happy, and so was his mom.
We are working with a few others as well. Carmen Delia has had some experience with our church in the past, she said that she has never felt the spirit like she did the one time she visited our church. She's been part of quite a few different churches and been baptized in them, when we gave her the condition baptism invite she didnt show any signs of that being a problem. First we invited her grandson Brian Gomez, and he accepted, and we asked the same question to her, and she said,"of course I will be baptized as well." Brian is 15 years old, lives with his grandma on the weekends and with his mom in Carolina during the week. His father passed away four years ago. Carmen knew a little about baptism for the dead, and so we discussed it with him and know he wants to do the work for his dad. They weren't able to make it to church this last Sunday, they already had other plans to go visit her brother in Humacoa, so they will be coming this week, they just need help with transportation.
Sincerely ,
Elder Osterloh
We are working with a few others as well. Carmen Delia has had some experience with our church in the past, she said that she has never felt the spirit like she did the one time she visited our church. She's been part of quite a few different churches and been baptized in them, when we gave her the condition baptism invite she didnt show any signs of that being a problem. First we invited her grandson Brian Gomez, and he accepted, and we asked the same question to her, and she said,"of course I will be baptized as well." Brian is 15 years old, lives with his grandma on the weekends and with his mom in Carolina during the week. His father passed away four years ago. Carmen knew a little about baptism for the dead, and so we discussed it with him and know he wants to do the work for his dad. They weren't able to make it to church this last Sunday, they already had other plans to go visit her brother in Humacoa, so they will be coming this week, they just need help with transportation.
Sincerely ,
Elder Osterloh
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