The Work is Moving Forward!

President,

The work is moving forward and the FT LAUDERDALE MISSION is amazing! I love it and am so grateful to be here!! This week was a little tough one for us. We worked super hard and still fell short of our goals. We know the blessings will come though and we will find those people that have been prepared! This week in the Book of Mormon I read once agains stories of Nephi and his family. Lehi and Nephi were 2 examples to me. Their desire and will to keep the commandments in which god had given them. As a missionary I can really relate to them and I know exactly what they had to go through. The world and people tempt you and make fun of you everyday but just as christ promised if we keep his commandments we will prosper in the land. Well President I know that to be true! I have seen it first hand here in the mission field. This week Elder Benitez and I are striving to be even MORE obedient then we already are. We want to have the lords help as much as we can. We want that EXACT obedience that will bring us closer to those EXACT blessings and to those prepared children of god. We know that the mission rules and the rules god has given us are here so that we can become like christ and be the best instrument in his hands! President I love this gospel. I love Miami. The people here are ready and want change in their lives. They are just searching where to find it and how to change. President I know thats why I'm here in miami. I'm here to help them come unto christ. Just like our wonder purpose says!! I love you and thanks for the revelation you recieve for this wonderful work! This week the mission in whole will be finishers. Just like that quote says in our mission binders. Be great finishers! I know we can do it! I know we can reach our goal of 150 baptisms! Lets do it!!

 

Family!!! QUE LINDOS MI FAMILIA!!

What am I every going to do with yal haha I love hearing from you guys each week. Each of your stories and the things you guys are doing! It's awesome! I'm just glad to see your all staying busy and living up to your fullest potential.. well aynsley... naughty naughty. That is too late!!! haha mitch is cool but he's even cooler in the day when you can actually see him ;) haha I love that kid though!

How has everyone been? We had quite the week once again! Remember ULTRA? The party here in downtown miami?? haha well yes we were definately IN it this week... but not OF it!!! haha or in other words we were definately IN the world this week but not OF it! It's was super fun being here though when all that fun stuff was going on!!

Sorry I didn't get you guys the picture of willmer last week. I went to CVS to print them off and the machine like broke on us haha so we never got our pictures! It was a bummer but were going their right after emailing and i'll send them to you guys today! He got confirmed yesterday and it was something super special to me! He got up off the chair after we said amen and he said "I feel it man I feel it.. a lil tinglin feeling just went all the way down my body" hahaha WHAT A STUD!!! Mom he is Latin.. Just was like a leader of a gang remember?? so he probably hung with the black boys a lil bit ;) He's lived here in the US his entire life!

ALSO NOOOO i didn't forget your bday mom i promise!!!! haha I looked for you something last week on pday but still didn't find the right thing yet!! I just realized I forgot to tell you after I logged of the computer last week haha HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY MOM!!!! haha I love you so much and I hope it was an awesome day for you! Your the best mom ever! People always talk about how awesome you look! I tell them of my breakfast and dinner that my mom would always have waiting for me everyday and people just about die because their parents didn't even get outta bed before they left to school haha It's so true though! I love my mom and she is such a great example to me! Thanks for being a follower of christ and doing everything you can to follow in his footsteps! Love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! The gift is on it's way... sometime soon ;) prob do it with paiges haha

Also this week I had something funny happen. I went of exchanges with Elder SAMUELIAN :) We'll one of their investigators is gay. Straight up. haha so we stopped by to see him and teach him about church. I walked into his house and sat down and he said "WOW QUE LINDA SU CARA MI VIDA.. TODAS USTEDES SON LINDAS" ughhhhhh grosssssssss nastyyyyyyyyyyyy !!!!! haha he basically said wow your face is sooo cute my love.. all of you guys are sooo cute!! UGHHHH how gross is that?? Right when i walked in I wanted to leave. So we hurried and taught him about church and got up to leave. I was walking to the door and opened the door when i felt a hand on my shoulder. The hand slowly slid down my entire arm. IT WAS THE GAY GUY UGHHHHH. "QUE FUERTE TAMBIEN" he said. "WOW YOUR STRONG TOO" AHHHHHHH you can only imagine I was about to punch someone in the face man. It was the worst. I basically ran out the door not even saying bye. He just scared me to death. Well the next day... Elder samuelian is talking to him on the phone. Reminding him to come to church the next day. Well right as I walk in the room the gay guy just so happened to say "LA PERSONA VINO CONSIGO AYER... FUI MUY MUY LINDA... VA ESTAR A LA IGLESIA MANANA?" The person that came with you yesterday was sooo cute... is he going to be at church tomorrow?? AHHHHHHHH NOOOOOO haha I punched Elder samualian while he was on the phone. It was so disgusting haha so so gross! Thank goodness he didn't end up coming to church. IDK what i would've done if he came haha. It was bad. Worst experience of my mission thus far haha super funny though. Now it's the big joke in our apartment.

Anyways other then that our week was a tough one! Were finding some cool people just gotta get them to keep their commitments. We have a lady named Guatalupe that is preparing for baptism. She is from El Salvador and is super awesome! She couldn't come to church yesterday because of work but she will be ready for that first sunday in April. This work is awesome there is always someone prepared.

I love you all and hope all is still fabulous! have a good one!!

ELDER OVARD

 

Don't Worry!  We are NOT on the sand.  Elder Samulain and Ovard

 

 

Elder Benetiz and Ovard.  Key Biscayne at the Beach!!  I Love this place.

 

Willmer is Baptized!

President,

WOW!!! Week of miracles here in Riverside North. It was so awesome to watch the Lord take over his work. As I introduced you to Willmer in last weeks email, i wanted to give you a recap and tell you a little bit about the Willmer today. The Willmer that came to know christ and followed in his footsteps into the waters of baptism! I love him to death president! His testimony is just amazing. Here is a guy that basically FOUND us. The Lord knows what needs to be done but anyways.. So this week we taught Willmer. Basically everyday we would go over and teach him about how he is going to be able to get his life on the path that he wants. Which is following christ so that him and his family can be happy and recieve blesings. So all week we had baptism in mind for this sunday. Each lesson we would bring up baptism. He was always super excited until thursday. He told us.. Hey guys this is an important decision I am making in my life and I want to make sure i'm 100% commited to the Lord when I do it. I read in 2 nephi 31, that chapter you guys left me, about how when were baptized we have to be commited. Well guys I drank a little beer last night and afterwards I felt like crap and I don't want that feelings again. So I am going to stop drinking and I want to be baptized but I just don't know if i'll be ready this sunday." We'll we testified to him through prayer and through the scriptures he would know for himself. Also we testified of how we knew he was ready. He had showed his faith and desire and its what got wanted him to do. Well after all this we commited him to read and pray that night.

The next day we went over there with an amazing lesson plan on repentance and the Atonement. We taught him that even after baptism we wont be perfect but throught Christ, Repentance and the Atonement we are able to be forgiven and our sins will be washed away as if we were baptized again. When we explained this to Willmer his eyes lit up with tears. Here we have a gangster that's lived on the streets his entire life, in tears. The spirit was so strong so so strong. He understand the atonement and repentance and exactly WHAT the saviors role was in this great plan! So the next day Elder Samuelian and I went over for the interview. We did it he was commited. He told us to come inside his house right after the interview as we watched him dump his last half bottle of wine down the drain. "No more my home boys, I don't need that" he said.

Well he went on to get baptized yesterday and even brought his entire family along with him. He wanted them to share this special day with him! It was awesome and I know god made it possible. It was a miracle in his hands and we just happened to be the pencil as he wrote out this week for Willmer! I know that god knows each of us and knows what we need. I love you president and was super excited to share this great miracle with you!

Love Elder Ovard

 

Wazzup Fam!!!!

Man what a week!!! haha SO WILLMER GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!! haha as you read! It was so awesome! That guy is a stud and I love him to death! He was by far the fastest baptism I have had and always probably the one that has changed the most to get to that point. Just 2 weeks ago he was basically a gangster. Doing things on the street that he knew wasn't good but he just had no motivation to stop. Well haha that was until he called out the missionaries on the corner. JUST ASK THE MISSIONARIES hahaha jk. It was super awesome. I had the honor to baptize him. So here I was.. the guy that said a prayer as we were walking to him because we thought we were going to get killed but 10 days later am standing in a baptismal font with him! :) something else huh!! It was awesome. I had some of the most spiritual lessons of my mission with him! As we were changing into our baptism clothes he kepts saying "dang my boy i look good in white!! You just gotta have that lil swag man.. gotta have the swag." We were walking down the hall and he just walked like he was all that haha he's like "Man this is big step.. big big step so ima show it off" hahahaha oh boy ONLY IN MIAMI BABY!! It was awesome haha

I had some time earlier this morning to look back on some of the wonderful children of god that I have been able to help get into the waters of baptism this morning! It was the best feeling. The spirit just testified to me that this mission at this time is where i need to be. No better place then this. I am so blessed to have these people here in miami and to be able to work with them. So blessed to just be having baptisms and success. Our mission has 123 baptism this month. So in 3 weeks. We still have two more weeks to go so we are wanting to pass our goal of 150 for this month. I am so so blessed. I love my mission.

 

So onto the WORLDLY fun that all yal are enjoying right now!!! haha MIAMI is the party. I have said that since day one right!! The world baseball classic was just CRAZY here. People from all over coming to support their countries. Yelling Screaming Fighting hahaha oh man. It was crazy around the stadium all week. I was able to drive through there a few timesk as games were going and I tell you what.. It just about killed me hahaha Dang. It was so hard. I haven't seen that or heard a sound of a wooden bat hit a ball in idk how long!!! haha I was able to watch Nelson Cruz ground out to third though ;) That was in one of the afternoon games I think. So in left field of the stadium they have like a bar area with a swimming pool and stuff. So a few times I was able to look past all that and watch the game. haha I saw some players and a few people hit and man I just miss it haha. I do but i completely understand my purpose here right now and completely understand what my purpose will be when i get home. And yes the purpose at home may involve baseball a lil bit haha! All and all it was super exciting and i'm glad I was able to be here for it! One day while driving through the stadium a taxi was going through the gates. Well bikes can go through the gates anytime so we went. While passing the taxi I heard the guard person say "hey theres some players in the taxi... let them through" hahahah So we slowed down and followed the taxi. There were 3 players that got outta the taxi. IDK who they were. I should've stopped and gave them a christ card of something haha idk I was stupid, BUT we did ride our bikes right passed them haha it was cool. Also remember Lore and Lazaro? Well someone gave them 4 free tickets to the game so they invited us haha I text the APs and they said well I would love love to approve that and say go but i would have to get president permission on that one but i'm almost positive that he would say no ;) hahaha but i'll ask anyways if you want me to. hahaha I laughed and laughed at that. I figured it was prob just better for them not to ask hahaha

 

There another huge party downtown these next couple of weeks for spring break! I'm talking huge party and crazy one haha probably more crazy then calle ocho. I'm glad you guys look calle ocho up haha its so cool. This other party is called ULTRA

 

Mom haha just be glad you don't see what i see in the streets okay ;) It's so much fun haha you just gotta look past what their all doing because everyone can change. Just as willmer did. He went from being one of them gangstas to being a follower of christ. We learn all about gangs and stuff from willmer haha. MC13 baby!!! Crazy gang like the worst in the world. hahaha does that scare you mom? okay okay they live here in miami too!!! hahahah ok i'm mean. No worries though they respect people from god. Because in gangs they have to be 1st loyal to god 2nd loyal to their families and 3rd to their gang! So no worries!!

 

Love  you all have a good week! I'll try and send a pic of willmer!! Glad you all liked the pics last week. And my new hair style!! haha

 

Elder Ovard

 

 

Willmer and his family at his Baptism.  March 2013

 

 

My FAVORITE place right here!! :)



Meet Wilmer

President!

What another amazing week. Once again the faith is being tested as we have to wait one more week to baptize a kid (Anthony) that we had planned for this past week but the lord knows his time and it'll be this week. We just know it! We're super excited! Also I loved the interview I had with you on saturday. I loved how once again you talked about obedience and how when were exactly obedient, thats when the exact and direct blessings come! I just love that because it always pushes me when in time of need. Also I loved you input of how I can make my studies even more effective then they already are! Your so inspired President and I know that is why this mission is as successfull as it is.

This past week Elder Benitez and I had a super awesome experience. We left the house after weekly planning to go and follow up with some people that we left blessings with the day before. Well right as we walked out of our apartment we ran into this jewish guy that we always see that just tries to talk and talk with us and convert us to judism. He always screams at us about how Christ wasn't perfect and why do we believe he is the son of god because God was never married.. so on and so on. He's always trying to weaken our faith. Well we decided enough was enough with this guys as we have invited him to church probably 10 times now :) so we left him. He was still talking with us but we just felt like we had to leave. He didn't want us to but we did we couldn't waste the lords time talking to someone that didn't believe in him. So we managed to leave him. We'll we got to our follow-up apointments and were locking our bikes to the stop sign when we hear another guy yell at us. "YO YO MY BOYS COME OVER HERE" well to be honest with you president Elder Benitez and I looked at each other, looked behind us and then whispered. "he wasn't talking to us was he? I hope not he is a gangster" So we tried to ignore it and act like he was talking to someone else. Keep in mind president that he had a beenie on with a cup in his hand and tattoos that looked like a long sleeved shirt. So thats when the second yell came "MY BOYS COME HERE I WANNA TALK WIT YAL" so i raised my hand and pointed at us and said "us?" He said "YA YA MAN" So president thats how it all began. His name is Wilmer and he came to church this past sunday. He called us out because he wants to change his life. He has 2 kids that he basically can't even live with because his life isn't in order right now. He has however began the process of changing it. We have taught him twice and he is awesome. Showed his faith by coming to church and repenting already. He has a baptism date for this coming sunday and he is super super excited about it. Out How to begin teaching lesson with him was just a desire booster that is pushing him and giving him the strength from the lord that he needs. Well President the point is that The lord put us in that spot at that time. Maybe if that jewish guy didn't talk with us and distract us for a minute then we never would have met Wilmer. Maybe he never would've have seen us and had the chance to yell an entire block just to talk with us. I know he has prepared people out there and I know through exact obedience and hard work we are able to be lead to those people.

Once again thanks for everything president and for the example you are to all of us!

 

 

QUE BOLA HACERE???

haha estoy aprendiendo como hablar cubano haceres!!! haha oh man what am I going to tell my family this week!! You are all so awesome and I love you! Whats everyone been up to?? Sounds like paige is pregnant and it's affecting her emailing fingers and also blake has to many apointments with the ladies trying to persuade them to like him so his emailing hands are tired from texting haha WHATS UP! Good news to start out. So remember how transfers were a couple weeks ago. Well I forgot to tell you guys.. Elder Webb is in my zone. Idk maybe his mom already told you haha but yes we are together!! Were going to play basketball and soccer with them today. Him and Elder Hunter ;) going back to the good ol mtc days haha It's so much fun! Our zone is just bomb right now!!

Also this past week I got to go on Exchange with one of our zone leaders again. He told me that he was praying and he was inspired to do an exchange with me. His name is Elder Toeava and is from america samoa. He's awesome well he told me he was inspired to inform me of a gift that I have that he has seen as he listens in on our role plays and things we do. He told me that I have a spiritual gift. The gift of spiritual prophecy and revelation and the ablility to talk with power through these gifts. I didn't believe him. It was something that I hadn't ever really thought about. Then it was always kinda weird because i hate when people talk me up or talk good about me. It's just so AWKWARD hahaha anyways so he went on for like an hour on this gift that i have and how i can use to to fulfill my pontential as a missionary. As we talked about it though I realized how big of a blessing he was. He really did teach me something. Helped me see a blessing a gift that i wasn't really fully aware of. It was interesting though cause right after we had this little one on one study session. We went and taught someone. It was Wilmer actually haha and after everytime i talked.. Elder Toeava would say.. Wilmer how do you feel right now? Wilmer would throw his hands in the air and say i feel amazing. I feel peace happiness like god still loves me. It was so awesome. He helped point out my gift in a lesson that we had. It was super awesome and he helped me understand that we are here to help our fellow missionaries just as much as our investigators. I love him for life.For what he did for me.

Okay we go from spiritual to the WORLD hahaha This week was the beginning of Spring break in MIAMI!!!! it was the Calle Ocho Festival. Google it.. actually no you probably shouldn't hahaha It was crazy!!!!!! Millions of people on one street. Happens to be the street with live on haha but it was all beer and little clothes and just a bunch of crazys. It was crazy i will have to send you guys some pictures haha wow I can't believe i was here to witness it haha okay google it!! During sacrament meeting at church we could like hear the music blasting outside haha I saw like the water in the sacrament cups like bouncing up and down hahaha

It was a super awesome week though. I wasn't able to see kinzie and matt or zack. haha They did call but i didn't anwser. I called president to see if it'd be ok and he said it's better we don't because lots of people come into miami and if one person does it everyone does and so he gets people calling him about it a lot haha oh well it was good. I just decided not to call them back and just tell you guys to tell them the situation today haha

Other then that the work is super amazing. We are planning for a few baptisms this weekend and we know if we are obedient and work hard then will happen!! love you guys and have an awesome week. I'll try and email mikey quick!!

Love ELDER OVARD

 

ps thats super awesome that their doing that for KJ. I'm super excited about it! Also mom BIENVENIDA A LA OBRA MISIONAL!!!! hahaha WELCOME TO MISSIONARY WORK ;)  love you all

 

Bienvenida A Calle Ocho.... I told you it was crazy!  It was like this for 30 blocks. SUPER CRAZY!

                                        We are alive and preaching the gospet still.

BMW I found in the middle of Calle Ocho.  I need to glue this to the front of my bike!  Hahaha

 

                         La Peauena Havana!  Little Havana Cuba! It's what Miami is!

 

                                                        See the Similarities?

Wazzup Calle Ocho!?! Que Bola?  Estamos Aqui enla pequena Havana!  This was a couple P-Days ago!  Yes I know a sweater in Miami right? What happened.  Oh and don't forget the 3 lines in my hair from my helmet!  I LOVE YOU MIAMI (I mean) FAMILY!

 

Some members decided to let us play with their swords. When you live in Miami you have to sleep with these things next to your bed!!  Hahaha

I think I threw up after seeing that pretty sight! haha  Got to love Cesar Naveriez!!

 

A recent baptism.  She is awesome!

 

Sara is a Gangster!

 

Manuel and my 2 companions.  I love all these guys sooo much!

 

Jeison is a 15 year old.  He is a friend of a girl in the ward.  The Morazan family.  Hno. Morazan baptized him.

 

All the baptisms last Sunday night February 17, 2013

 

Just preparing for a little BP or a Game or something.  Super Sick Stadium though!  Swimming pool and all! :)

New Companion Elder Benitez

I'm am excited for all the success the mission is having! 44 baptisms in one week. WOW!! I know that as we all continue in righteousness and follow christ he is going to bless us. Our mission is obedient and I know that is what makes us different! I remember when I first got to the mission and just hearing baptizing weekly sounded impossible. After going out and getting to work and seeing first hand that it IS impossible and we can do all things if we just rely on and trust in the lord. This week was super awesome. New companion. Lots of excitement and just a desire to work hard. My new companion and I just love each other. We are both always joking around and try to have the best attitude we can about everything we do. We talked our first night together and we came to the conclusion if we are always happy, loving and work hard then we are going to baptize. We are going to have that weekly baptism success. I know that it's possible President. We have set goals together as a companionship to accomplish these desirous and wants of ours. As we have learned if we desire something and put that faith in christ so that his hand can help us accomplish it.. then it's going to happen. We are super excited to get to work this week.

This week I liked the scriptures to myself as a missionary and my purpose! Something that helped me understand more of what god wants me to do. I read in D&C 15. I read the entire section but included my name in multiple places. After basically everytime it said you.. I would put my name. At the beginning when it says something like my servant (then i would put my name). I found that doing this in multiple sections of D&C helped me to understand what my purpose is here in the mission. What I have been called to do as a representative of Jesus Christ. I love this work so very much President. I am so so blessed in my life. To be here in this wonderful blessed land of SOUTH FLORIDA! Thanks for always being such an inspired man and example to us as missionaries! Love you and we look forward to accounting with you next week!

WAZZUP FAMILIA!!!

QUE VOLA HACERE!!!!

haha wow I love this mission!! I love Florida!!! I love life baby!!!! So my new comps name is Elder Benitez haha gimme another latin :) He is from paraguay but has lived in UT ever since he was 10. He lives like up towards ogden. Probably right new to the gun shop haha Anyways!! He's awesome. Elder gust (from stg) trained him. I am growing to love him more and more everyday. My favorite thing about him is he's always happy. Always smiling and trying to crack jokes. We get along super well haha He was elder samuelians comp and elder samuelian had a rough time with him haha but oh well. Once again after transfer meetins I had people telling me it's going to be a rough transfer for you.. keep on that kid and make sure he's obedient. SOO whatever that means. I don't listen to others when they talk bad about other missionaries. It's just a blessing to be able to be that person that gets to try and help them. Elder Dean was awesome and we both learned a lot from each other. It makes me super happy to know I helped him end his mission the way he wanted to. He's home with his fam haha thats crazy. I sure hope he's doing good!! Anyways so as you can tell Elder Benitez and I have some good goals and are going to continue to work super hard. Our week this past week was super good. We talked to each other in spanish all day everyday. I have to do something to continue to better my spanish ;) I love spanish.

Thanks for all the updates with where everyone is headed! It's always so much fun hearing that stuff. It's just crazy that I've been out almost 7 months already and they haven't left haha wow. The sisters will all basically get home around the same time though haha! When does Kacey Rogers go into the mtc? I'm super excited for her to get here! It'll be fun. I know she'll do awesome!

Well whats new in miami?? hmmmm.... Well this weekend is the CALLE OCHO festival haha uh oh. We will be staying away from that. Unfortunately we live on CALLE OCHO hahaha. So the calle ocho festival is something like millions of people come to. Who knows pitbul?? the singer?? haha hope you don't know him but anyways if you do he always sings about calle ocho and stuff and he is big into calle ocho. He loves it and always comes to this festival. So we have that this next sunday. It'll be crazy im sure. We've all locked our hearts though and are working hard. :) haha

Spiritually... The lord works in miraculous ways. I know he sent elder benitez to me for a reason. The lord helped us this past week in many ways. We had a week of finding and we knocked a lot of doors. We found so many different types of people. We found a less active that was baptized like 4 yrs ago. We left a book of mormon with her and are going back to see her tomorrow. She was super cool and was super grateful that the lord was watching over her. It was awesome. She knew we were sent from god. The most awesome thing about it was the house right before her was just some guy drinking beer and like telling us how stupid we were and how us mormons don't know what were talking about. We don't know jesus christ and how we worship joseph smith and all that fun stuff. hahaha Those experience are always ones that missionaries remember haha but just the fact that the lord was able to test our faith a little bit with th at guy but then build us up with this wonderful less active member afterwards. It's so crazy how the blessings work. mosiah 2: 27 or somewhere around there. Can't remember exactly but it talks about how the lord will give us immediate blessings if we keep his commandments and do as he asks. I have seen that to be true!!

I love this work. I'm thankful to be here in FL and to be a representative of Jesus Christ. The joy this work brings is better then all things i have experienced in my life. I love you all and thanks for the support. Letters Email and love just makes it that much better:)

Love ya Elder Ovard!!

 

p.s Those jerseys dad are SOOOOO sick hahaha WOW i'm jealous. Tell secrist to just retire that number 3 will ya?? haha jk Those are so sick. Thanks for the addresses and updates with everything. Thats so awesome B decided to go on a mission. I'm so proud of him. I wish Hayden would do the same but I guess he isn't ready yet and that still in the process of the lord. To help him get back on the path. He's a good kid and i know he will find the light of christ through peoples examples. Like B!! Love you guys! HAve an awesome week! 

 

 

Missionary work is in God's hands

President,

This week was a test in gods hands. He pushed Elder Dean and I to work the hardest we could but still come up way short of accomplishing our goals. It was a week of not being too successful with finding people home and finding new people. We know that it was god testing our faith though. As we worked super hard and did our best to spread the gospel, God gave us a blessing in return. We happened to get 2 people to church. These two people were ones that we hadn't came in contact with throughout the week.However they were two friends of members that wanted to come and so the member committed to bringing them every sunday. So just like that God blessed us for our hard work this past week. We talked and talked about how the mission brings such great joy and struggles sometimes. We talked about how the atonement and how Jesus Christ made it possible for us to look past our struggles and focus on the happiness and joy of this work. It was a good bonding and growing time for Elder Dean and I. We know that was the intention of God. I feel that we did everything in our hands to be successful this last week of Elder Deans mission, but God had other plans. He helped us talk about what we both needed to hear. Me in the mission and Elder Dean as he is headed home. It was all a blessing.

Throughout the week while all this was happening I read in the Book of Mormon about Alma the Younger. What an example he was to us. As we saw him change his life completely around and overcome those bad things and struggles in his life through the savior Jesus Christ. I learned that it doesn't matter if it's a hard time in the mission or a hard time in life. Everyone has them and everyone can learn and grow through them. Thats why God gives us the hardships because if we overcome them with HIS help he will bless us and he will never leave us (his children) in darkness. That light will always be there to help us and lead us and guide us. Love you president! Have a good week!

Elder Ovard

 

Well okay so that was my email to president this week haha The other Elders told me thats always a good thing to add to the letter home that way you don't have to write so much. Well knowing me i'll still write so much. I am known for being the missionary thats always writing and sending letters. Uh oh haha wasting all my money i get on stamps haha jk no i don't send that many.

Anyways it was a little bit harder week as you read. Elder Dean and I had some great times though. I'll miss that kid. Thanks for forwarding me his moms email. He is such a goof haha I love it. Oviously he is headed home here in like 2 days. His testimony and change in the mission alone has been such a great thing for me. To see where he'd been and the missionary he was to the missionary he has become is just something special. He gives me too much credit for being that person that has helped him change and of course he always says i'm his favorite comp but i don't like it when he says that haha. He's awesome! I'll miss him but i'm excited for him to go home and continue on in righteousness. Oh and get married to his girl hahaha he promise me he would be within like the year. Before i get home at least haha give him crap about it when you see him ;)

Other then that it wasn't much of a week. Transfers are this week. So my run with elder peterson and being in the MIAMI downtown big city are over... haha well he's getting transfered. IM STAYING!!!! YAYAYA I love it here. Elder Samuelian and I are staying here in riverside miami and the other two are gone. So tomorrow we will go up to FT LAD and get our new comps. We'll see how it goes. I'm excited as always. Were hoping to get some awesome missionaries, but i've learned already don't judge a book by it's cover right;) Elder Dean was one I was a lil worried about at first but get lost in the work and you'll get along!! It's was great!

I'm glad you guys like the package! It wasn't much but everything i loved. I better get though. I have to write the friend letter thing. Love you all!!

Elder Ovard

 

                       I WILL GO.... I WILL DO..... BRING IT ON MIAMI!!!!! IT'S THE BEST!

Missionary Names Places in the Cornerstone of the Ft. Lauderdale Temple

Here we are once again family!!!!

 

How is everyone doing? Crazy stuff happening here in Florida like always ;) haha

So this past week was super awesome. We had stake and zone conference. Zone conference was by far my favorite though. Mostly because I just love sister and president anderson. Their examples to us and their testimonies are just amazing. I'm dont joke around when I say he's going to the 12 haha. So President Anderson started out his talk with talking about King Benjamin. If you read in like mosiah chapters 2-5 you'll read about how King Benjamin holds like a General conference for the people. He goings on and talks about like service, keeping the commandments, Promises/Commitments, Promised blessings that we'll recieve and then how he records each of their individual names after they have promised to live all these things. Well President Anderson went through the process.He personalized D&C 4 for us. He taught us of all the things king benjamin taught while going through D&C 4. How it related to missionary work and what we need to do to have more of the spirit and his help in his work. After President taught this too us he said "Just as King Benjamin recorded the names of the people that were there... I am going to record all your names. Then we will place them in the Cornerstone of the NEW FLORIDA FT. LAUDERDALE TEMPLE where you guys will always remember the promise and the commitment that you made here on your missions, to give the lord all you have and to always always serve him and remember him. Then when you go back to that temple throughout your lives you guys will look back and always remember this promise and tell your kids and family about why and how your name is in that cornerstone. SUPER SUPER awesome. Was a highlight in my week for sure and I think it's so awesome that we have this opportunity.

Also this week we had 2 baptisms:) Remember Manuel? and Jason? Manuel was the one that was always looking up to us and thought I was sooo good with basketball and stuff haha well thats him. Jason is another 15 yr old kid that is a friend of a family in the ward. Both are super cool. Elder diaz and I taught both of them so much. Luckily I was able to make a phone call to Elder Diaz who is about 40 min north of us and he was able to come down for the baptism. He actually baptized manuel. It was soooo awesome. Just a cool Spiritual experience. The other elders also had on that night so we had 3 people baptized that came unto christ. One of the best expriences man. I love it. People don't joke when they say baptisms bring so much joy and happiness. Just a throwing that last pitch at the Championship game. My heart is just overtaked with joy each and everytimes it happens and someone chooses to follow christ.

Mom your question about our recent converts coming to church after baptism. Of course they do. Obviously sometimes we have to help them but most of them have that desire and stay strong. Right now we only have one that is lacking a little bit. But we still do our best. We don't know what to do with him. Drugs and Alcohol can take over and make it hard for him but all we can do is help him try and overcome his problems and get back on that path of righteousness.

We were able to get a few investigators down to homestead to the stake conference with us. haha so awesome. We went on a school bus and the entire thing was PACKED. My head was pretty much hangin out the window the entire drive ;) haha It was awesome though. Elder Haluck was the member of the 70 that was there. He was a mish pres in Samoa so i was wondering if maybe mitch knew him haha small world if he did. Anyways he was super cool though. Talk was a lot about the temple and how people need to start preparing because it's going to be sooo awesome! I'll be here for it!!!! hahaha YES!!! I feel bad elder dean and some of these guys wont.

Transfers are next week. I think on dads bday! haha Elder Dean is close to being a goner. He's still workin hard and were finding success. As long as we give it all we got success comes. Transfers are going to be interesting this one and i'm super excited to see what happens haha we always joke around in the apartment about whos staying whos going where and stuff haha It's so much fun. No one wants to leave miami. It's so sick. And this next month we have calle ocho. A big party thing that goes on like every weekend on the street that we live on. haha it's crazy. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

About matt and kinzie. of course i'll talk to my president haha but i can explain the situation to him and i'm sure he'll be perfectly fine with it. haha that'll be so much fun. I'm excited. How are they going to get ahold of me and stuff though? Should i give you guys my phone number then you can give it to them or what? IDK haha but it'd be super cool to see them. Well I love you all and super excited about all you guys and the things that are going on in your lives right now! Keep it up with school and work and everything! Que dios les bendiga :)

 

ELDER OVARD

 

p.s. spanish is awesome!!! I know it'll come haha it's the best

p.s.s the package will be there in time for dads birthday okay haha so you guys will all open it together probably next week. Promise the wait will be worth it ;) Love ya

 

                                       Miami Zone Activity on February 11, 2013