Training is the BEST!

FAMILY!!!

 

How is everyone?? haha wow I love training its the best!! As you read in the friend email (that was for you all too) haha but this week Elder White and I really seeked the help of god. We had some awesome experiences! I love it. I'm learning so much from Elder White. He is awesome! We are finally getting to know each another a lot better and he's opening up. He loves sports. He didn't play in high school but he was always playing with his friends he said. He knows players and stuff from the pros and so we have plenty to talk about :) He loves dwade from the heat so i'm always telling him look its dwade when we see a nice car or something haha. He's an awesome kid. Helps a lot. We are going to talk spanish everyday this week so we'll see how he likes me after this week. Taylor Hacere means homie, bro! haha Como los cubanos dicen man!! Gotta love it bro! 

Dad and mom... That wasn't the AP's that called haha this is what happpened. So we were at church and brother knight. One of the funniest coolest guys alive. He basically lied to me haha he said he man whats your dads number i wanna call and ask him about some jobs in STG. I kinda wanna move there with my fam. So i thought thats what he was going to do. Well... NOT! haha i gave him the number and next thing i now i hear ring ring... on speaker phone.. I ran out of the room hahaha he's like wait wait at least say you love him. haha I knew i couldn't though. So he said it for me! haha But yes that was Brother Knight. He's a member that is awesome! He was the ward clerk. haha so no worries!! I told him that he probably freaked you guys out. You prob thought i was hurt or something haha so sorry. He know's english but sometimes he doesn't know how to say some things haha so I'm good i promise and i love you all!! The members here are all awesome! I was at the church the other day and i guess people are starting to like me for some reason haha maybe cause i've been here for a lil while idk but i got like 60 bucks from different members. They say here go buy you guys some food. I'm like no no we have money then they say okay then go buy you some new shoes or something... UH OH hahha don't worry i would never we used it for food. They are awesome though and sacrifice so much for the missionaries. Lots of them around here in this neigborhood don't have much money so we pray that god will bless them for the kindness!!

 

Other then that this week was awesome! Finally starting to get a little humidity here in miami!! It's hot and muggy like everyday haha but i love it! I have some major tan lines already haha but.. i think today were headed down to the beach to take off the shirts and tan everything else out a lil bit ;) hahaha jk.

 

Anyways Were looking forward to another amazing week! I'm so glad ima get a new baby bro!!!! haha thats so sick! And your even going to name him after me?? thats what i'm talking about haha showin the missionary a lil love!! I promise he'll be a good kid just because of his name ;) haha jk

 

Love you all and keep up the good work with school, work, christlike attributes, everything!! love you bye!!!!

 

ELDER OVARD

I love Elder White

This week Wade received a phone call from Florida.  We thought that it was the Assistants to the President calling us but it wasn't. Austin explains below what happened and why we got the call.  We all thought that it was a little weird that the AP's would be playing around calling us.

 

FAMILY!!!

 

How is everyone?? haha wow I love training its the best!! As you read in the friend email (that was for you all too) haha but this week Elder White and I really seeked the help of god. We had some awesome experiences! I love it. I'm learning so much from Elder White. He is awesome! We are finally getting to know each another a lot better and he's opening up. He loves sports. He didn't play in high school but he was always playing with his friends he said. He knows players and stuff from the pros and so we have plenty to talk about :) He loves dwade from the heat so I'm always telling him look its dwade when we see a nice car or something haha. He's an awesome kid. Helps a lot. We are going to talk Spanish everyday this week so we'll see how he likes me after this week. Taylor Hacere means homie, bro! haha Como los cubanos dicen man!! Gotta love it bro! 

Dad and mom... That wasn't the AP's that called haha this is what happpened. So we were at church and brother knight. One of the funniest coolest guys alive. He basically lied to me haha he said he man whats your dads number i wanna call and ask him about some jobs in STG. I kinda wanna move there with my fam. So i thought thats what he was going to do. Well... NOT! haha i gave him the number and next thing i now i hear ring ring... on speaker phone.. I ran out of the room hahaha he's like wait wait at least say you love him. haha I knew i couldn't though. So he said it for me! haha But yes that was Brother Knight. He's a member that is awesome! He was the ward clerk. haha so no worries!! I told him that he probably freaked you guys out. You prob thought i was hurt or something haha so sorry. He know's english but sometimes he doesn't know how to say some things haha so I'm good i promise and i love you all!! The members here are all awesome! I was at the church the other day and i guess people are starting to like me for some reason haha maybe cause I've been here for a lil while idk but i got like 60 bucks from different members. They say here go buy you guys some food. I'm like no no we have money then they say okay then go buy you some new shoes or something... UH OH hahha don't worry i would never we used it for food. They are awesome though and sacrifice so much for the missionaries. Lots of them around here in this neighborhood don't have much money so we pray that god will bless them for the kindness!!

 

Other then that this week was awesome! Finally starting to get a little humidity here in Miami!! It's hot and muggy like everyday haha but i love it! I have some major tan lines already haha but.. i think today were headed down to the beach to take off the shirts and tan everything else out a lil bit ;) hahaha jk.

 

Anyways Were looking forward to another amazing week! I'm so glad ima get a new baby bro!!!! haha thats so sick! And your even going to name him after me?? thats what i'm talking about haha showing the missionary a lil love!! I promise he'll be a good kid just because of his name ;) haha jk

 

Love you all and keep up the good work with school, work, Christlike attributes, everything!! love you bye!!!!

 

ELDER OVARD

Testimony of Prayer!

 

This is a letter that Elder O wrote to his friends.  Mother's get together once a month to share letters that their missionaries write and we send those letters to the boys so they can keep in communication.

 

WAZZUP!!!!!

 

Prayer works my Friends.. It truly does work and what a blessing it is that we are able to talk with our heavenly father!! This week was awesome and my testimony of prayer has been strengthen so so much!! Wow.. Elder White (the missionary that I am training right now) and I had some awesome experiences with prayer! We were out contacting people on the streets one day and we decided to start with a prayer and ask god to help us find that one person that needed us at this time. We'll right after I said amen i look up the street and there was a guy that was going out to get his trash can. We rush over to him and I say hey can we help you with that. He says sure. We then ask him if we can pray with him and bless his house. He says sure he would love that right now because his life and his thoughts aren't where he wants them to be right now. So we said a prayer with him as he began to cry. He felt the spirit so strong. He committed to baptism and is preparing for cinco de mayo :) 5th of may haha so after that blessing from god and for him answering our prayers, we decided we better give thanks to god. We said another prayer thanking god. Really helping him understand how blessed we felt to have met this man named Rafael. After we gave thanks we thought of the principle of IF... THEN... statements. We said IF... we pray to god and ask him to lead us to his elect  THEN.... he will immediately put us in their path just like he did with Rafael. So with this statement we had the faith. We said why not, it worked once why not again!! :) So right after the prayer of gratitude we said another prayer of faith, guidance and help to know where we needed to go to contact this next elect child. Right after the prayer we looked around. Didn't see anyone or many people so we decided we needed to act then we would see the blessing. We began walking up the street and right as we did ANOTHER person, lady this time walked out of her house with trash in her hand. We asked if we could help her and she said no no haha you guys are too nice. Then we asked if we can leave a prayer with her. We did. We blessed the house as she felt the spirit. She also accepted a date for the 5th of may. Right after we met her.. what do you think we did? Said a prayer of gratitude haha it was amazing! God works in amazing ways my friends.

I want you all to know that prayer works! Prayer is the one way we can open up to gods will, know the things in which he wants us personally to do and then he will bless us as we open our will to his will.

Having this opportunity to train and lead and be an example is the best. I have grown so much in the language.. but much importantly seeking the help of god. Seeking his help in all that we do!

I love you guys all so much and I hope all is well wherever you may be at this point in your missions. Continue to do your best and work hard. I know god will bless you! As more me I'll STILL in Miami :) haha Luckily I will almost hit my year mark here in my first area! The area I was born, trained and have experienced many many mighty miracles thanks to the love of god! I love you guys and remember how blessed we all are! To be where we are right now in our lives. No greater thing FOR our lives my friends! Love you boys keep tearin it up! Your all studs in your own ways. God share this personal testimony that I know you all have!!

 

Love ELDER OVARD

I'm Training!!

COMO ESTA LA COSA ALLI?? haha

 

Yo yo yo!!! My family whats a crackin?? I am so anxious to write you all today haha.. So it's true!!! He was born on April 10th 2013 at 9:45 AM. Elder White, son of the one and only crazy Elder Ovard! haha He is from highland UT and went to Lone Peak! Elder Fisher from STG went to DH's is the new elder in our apt. He is the DL and goes home this transfer haha so crazy. You guys will have to go to his homecoming :)

 

I'm training and loving every minute of it! It truly is the best and I love it for many many reasons. Most of all though because it gives me a chance to serve him and help him become an awesome missionary. Then on top of that I think I probably end up learning more then he does. Since the fastest and easiest way to learn is by teaching.. I'm getting a lot of that in. I love it!! We do role plays and study stuff everyday and I really am learning so so much!! Elder White is the best! It took him a few days to finally kick in and get a little humor and personality out of his belt haha but its out now and he's awesome!! (I remember being the same way haha ) Anyways I really do love Elder White already though! Training is super weird haha They don't know anything.. in a good way of course. I'm talking like harvesting, teaching, talking on the phone, etc etc.. Luckily my son is awesome and is picking up on it all super quick! He's the best! Now that we practiced role played and did everything we could, he and I can teach a super awesome, how to begin teaching lessons with the people here in Florida! When it's in english of course haha spanish... well were both still trying to learn that one haha. The funny thing is EVERY LESSON we taught last week was in spanish!!! haha it was awesome! God is helping us both learn super fast. This past week I have really been trying to help Elder White get harvesting down. That way he can help me out and say a few things in spanish. I remember how it used to be not saying anything and the days would just be boring haha so I didn't want him to be like me.. so i got him starting to introduce us and stuff at the door. He says... " Buenas!! Yo soy Elder white y este es elder ovard. Nosotros somos representantes de jesucristo y el nos ha enviado aqui para dejar su paz y su bendicion sobre su casa. Podemos dejar este bendicion con usted?? " hahaha Elder white can now say this entire thing when introducing us. It's awesome!!! He does it super slow as he tries to remember the spanish haha The first time he did it the person looks at me and was like... yo no hablo ingles!! i don't speak english. hahaha it was super funny but something all of us missionaries have recieved. I love elder white because of his desire to learn spanish and TRY TALKING! It's the best! I have learned so much and I know that my spanish is far from close to being where god wants it to be. I have to study and work hard just as much as my son! Together we will learn many many things!! The spanish side of things though is super fun!!

 

Miami is still awesome! Summer has basically started now as we get little rain pockets that pass by like everyday haha it's awesome! It's raining outside right now as I right this email! Their fun though! Helps us get in doors sometimes because people don't wanna send us back out in the rain. We blessed like 5 JW's this past week haha super nice people just a lil crazy!

 

Elder White and I worked super super hard this past week. It was a week of god wanting us to show our faith. We didn't get anyone to church :( It was sad and something i didn't want to happen. We met awesome people and none of them came to church. But we've talked about it and our Faith is still there. We understand that there was something that god wanted us to learn! I know that as we stay obedient and faithful to the lords work he is going to bless us! I love you all and am happy for you guys! ima get and try and send yall your own lil somethin lata!!

 

ELDER OVARD

                                                                                            A fire we saw!

Riding my bike downtown and snappin some shots!

Dancing with my lil weiner Dog :) I miss you GRIZZ!



       Elder Samuelian the night before he is transferred.



Elder Ovard, Allen and Benitez sleeping on the balcony the night before they all leave.  Elder Allen is staying.





 

 

Great Conference! I'm Staying in Miami! I'm a trainer!

ESTOY QUEDANDO AQUI EN LA TIERRA PROMETIDA PARA UN TRANSLADO MAS :)

 

Family!!! Whats up Whats up!! Wow i didn't sleep at all last night because i was so anxious to tell yal the news haha So Elder Ovard is STAYING in the promised land of miami........ AND TRAINING..... uh oh :) hahahaha It's the truth though. Elder Benitez is gone and once again I stay haha where i'm training i'll be here for a least 2 more transfers haha I'm just loving life. I tell you what. Last night when I heard the news that I was staying and training I began jumping and screaming for joy!! haha WOW I LOVE THIS PLACE!! I was so so happy!!! We were all talking and that means i will serve 6 transfers of my mission here in Miami. Thats like a year of my mission. I'll leave here  in like the end of july or the beginning of Aug :) I'm so happy! I know the lord anwsered my prayers and gave me what i desired. I wanted to stay and train here so so bad! I prayed so hard this week asking for this to happen. haha I guess the lord is giving me a chance and trusting me with his beloved children and a wonderful new missionary! I couldn't be any happier!

 

It just so happened to be that one of my favorite talks in conference as well was one in the priesthood session by David L Beck. Idk if i liked it so much because i met him here in Miami when he was here or what, but he talked on ministering. He talked about how Christ ministered and taught personally to people. He talked about how we are all ministers and we all have the responsiblity to minister to others through the priesthood. Loving and serving others is a form of ministry. I really tried relating that to me as a missionary. I know that if i become a minister just as christ was then I will have succes and I will complete the plans in which god has created for me here in Miami. Most importantly though I will do Gods will rather then mine. All in All though it was an amazing conference! I loved like every talk. I loved how president monson and others hit on obedience. Only like the most important principle and doctrine in life! As a missionary you can never be too obedient :) I really enjoyed conference though because it gave me the motivation and boost that i needed. Lately the work and finding has been a little bit slower. Still amazing and progressing like crazy but it's been hard finding those elect and those people like Wilmer! I know through obedience and through ministering like Christ did me and my new companion will see the lords hand in his work. It's going to be awesome!! Oh and the temple in Cedar... haha wow!!! That's so awesome!!!

Onto some other funny stuff this week. So on like wednesday or thursday i was downtown at sister Carranzas house. She feeds us every sunday. Anyways she needed help fixing something in her house. So we went down and I went in and began fixing it. Well she just so happened to be watching the BYU vs. UVU baseball game hahaha ahhhhhhh!!!!!! Sure enough I saw Hayden Neilson, B Anderson and Krugar on uvu. All kids that i played with this summer! haha it was so awesome to see them for 2 seconds and even watch Krugar and Neilson hit. This was all in the process of fixing her cabinets for her ok haha I wasn't being disO. It was so funny though and i was happy to see them having success. Hayden flew out to left and krugar struck out. Hayden is looking big though haha wow!

Also this week was the first Marlins home game here in Miami!! It was so cool! People were everywhere! Many people offered to buy us tickets and give us free tickets haha A radio dude from the game even walked out the stadium and saw us talking to Lore and Lazaro across the street. He said hey hey i know you guys. My radio guys can get you all so good tickets you wanna go?? haha we unfortunately had to decline but it was super tempting ;)

I have been gaining some weight;) muscle of course haha all honestly. I weigh like 164 or so and honestly still feel like i'm in the best shape of my life. The bike riding each and everyday. Then we have a gym in our building that we live in so we have weights and a bench press and treadmils and stuff to use every morning!! It's the best. So I have been gaining weight but it's all for the better :) Maybe i'll go home and be able to finally drop some bombs haha

About the gays guys haha no worries.. They are all off our lists long long ago. We of course try to help them a lil bit but if they don't progress the first time then theres nothing we can do!! haha

I'm super excited to be staying here onces again in Miami! I love it here and know theres so much work to be done! I love you all and will try to write you a lil more! I still gotta write my letter to the president haha love you all PEACE

Elder Ovard

Teaching the restoration

President!

Thanks you so much for the wonderful training this past week! Wow I never knew how spiritual teaching the restoration could be. I really really enjoyed practicing and watching the AP's show us how it's done. I know that through reciting the first vision to our investigators it is going to just explode them with the spirit of god!! Just playing the role of an investigator at the training and having another missionary recite it to me, that made me cry! It was so so awesome president!! Thank you once again! I know you are so inspired and know exactly what we need as missionaries here in Florida. I know it's because the restoration and the way you have trained us we recieved so many blessings this week. With 168 baptisms in march! WOW!!! Thats so so awesome and i'm so grateful to be here. That is one thing I learned this week that was super super important. I read in the book of mormon about Ammon and how when he taught he did it by the spirit and he did it simply. I realized in my teaching this week I can be even simpler and I can rely on the spirit even MORE then i already am! In specialized training I realized just exactly how important that spirit is. It creates (desire) faith and fuels repentance!

This work is mighty and it IS a miracle. I know this week it will be miracle for us here in riverside north! We have been working hard and giving the lord everything we got. I Know the blessings will come I just know it. The spirit and restoration of the gospel are going to push these children of god to come unto the waters of baptism this wonderful conference weekend!! It's super exciting! Through this we will be able to reach 175 baptisms as a mission this month!

Love you and thanks again for everything you do for us!

 

Una semana mas ha pasado y va bien bien rapido!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! POR QUE??? hahaha

 

WHATS UP FAMILIA

How is everythone doing this week! It was another awesome awesome week for me! I can't wait for this week though it's going to be even better! CONFERENCE BABY!!! haha break... i mean time to learn ;) JK I'm super excited for conference though. It' so much different as a missionary haha Anyways this will be my last full week with Elder Benitez I am thinking! IDK if he will go or if I will. You would think it's going to be me... but once again everyone is telling me i'm training or becoming the District leader haha if that was the case i'd most liking be staying. It's possible i could do those things and leave too but we'll see i guess! It's always so exciting and intense while waiting for the calls of transfers haha It'll be fun! I can only imagine staying here in the promised land of downtown florida a little bit longer :)

WELL YOU GUYS WONT BELIEVE IT BUT I GOT HIT ON BY ANOTHER GAY GUY THIS WEEK!!!! AHHHHHHHHH WHY??????? haha i'll send you my journal entry i wrote and let you read it. It was insane once again. This story is even worse hahaha

The whole memorial thing for KJ is just making me SOO happy! I'm just glad their doing something like that for him! He was such such a key asset to our success that we had. He is to this day is a key asset in all of our lives. All of us players now on missions and he is right here with us helping push us and what not. He was always an example and someone that we all talked about and wanted to be like! Loving Christlike kid that is for sure! I'm happy about it though! It'll be super awesome when it's all done! What exactly are they going to do? Is this monument like outside or inside? or how they putting that pic on there? haha it'll be cool!

I'm glad the team is still playing well. As long as they play for KJ and not themselves they'll really really make a run at it. They'll see success come from themselves that they didn't even know they could do. It's crazy how god blesses us even in sports. When we put other people first and think of others while playing he finds a way to bless us and make us better. It's crazy!

This week was super awesome! Remember that one Luis guy that i told you guys about. The one that was in like harley davidson motorcylcling and stuff. He was in the gang that is like hells angles. Called the outlaws?? haha well anyways. We taught him this week and really sparked his interest with the gospel once again. We taught him about baptism and how through that he would be able to return to live with god. How all of the past things he's done that he still worries about will be washed away and god will forget them all through baptism. He really really loved that and so he came to church yesterday to prepare for baptism. He's such a stud. I love that guy so much haha He's planning on being baptized this week. We need to teach him a few commandments but i think he's got the faith and the desire to commit to each one of them. We will probably have to marry him as well this week. We'll get on that first thing tomorrow :) It'll be so awesome and i am praying with all my heart that he is baptized this week. Before i leave.. if i do. We also have anthonly. A 14 yr old kid that is preparing for baptism this sunday! God is going to bless us and help us i know he will!!

I'm so grateful to be here in Florida! Kacey is going to love it! I hope she understands the mission she is coming into :) haha were so so so lucky! I will serve with her sometime throughout my mission for sure! I could even be here DL or ZL.. we'll see haha it'd be fun!

I did get your packages!! all of them. Ayns your apple was bomb.. keep em comin ;) haha thanks for the shoes and the candy and the scriptures and stuff! Loved it all! Well i better get. As you know we can email friends know haha so i wanna send connor a quick something and help him out. I love you guys and have a good one!

Elder Ovard

 

ps next week pday is on tues so you'll find out info about transfers that tues ;)

American Airlines Stadium where the Miami Heat play.



Elder Ovard meets up with Elder Webb.  Both from the Santa Clara 1st Ward.