Wowsers what a crazy week it was here in FLORIDA!!!! Do I have another amazing story to tell you or what :) BUT first lets start with all the housekeeping business!! So this past week I didn't have a chance to talk with president about when I would be coming home. It's really hard that man is always so busy and doing his best. I really was trying to find out for you all this past week. BUT it came down to this solution. President Anderson wont even be here when I go, and during my last interview he told me I could go home whenever I needed. SOOOO honestly like I can talk to him but what I would say is just tell Ayns to put her availability date for whenever she wants and I'll make sure i make it home in time :) I could talk with him tomorrow probably at transfer meeting! That would probably be the best time for me to do it! But that will force yal to wait another week to find out. SO to conclude all this.. either Ayns puts her date for when she wants and I'll make sure I'm home. Or else i'll talk with president and then let you know next week :)
More Housekeeping.... So this past weekend was stake conference! GUESS WHO I SAW AGAIN!!! haha I saw the Steeles. They walked into stake conference almost expecting to see me this time haha it was fun though. Drew and I didnt have the chance to talk last time I saw them but this time we got to talk for a bit. They are truly amazing! President and Sister Anderson told me that they talked with sister Frei. They said it was so much fun talking with her haha Small world right!! It was funny! The Steeles really want me over for dinner so this transfer im going to try and make it all work out. When I go on exchanges with the DL I can probably swing something ;)
Also you will not believe it but do you remember Elder Millett? My second son? I am pretty positive that he went home yesterday :( His health problems i guess got the best of him. I sure hope and pray though that he can get well and get back out here in the mission field. Its soooo dang fun and I wouldn't want him to miss out of the rest of his mission. This past week I went on an Exchange with my other son Elder White. He is serving here in my zone and we did an exchange with them to help em out a bit!! He is a stud haha it brought back soooo many good memories! I love him!!
Dad I love the story about Waddoups hahaha he is always emailing me and it's fun to hear his testimony and excitement about ball combined together haha he's an amazing example!!
ALRIGHTY... I think thats it for the housekeeping. Now we are onto the good stuff!!!!!
SOOO you will not believe it but once again GOD blessed us tremendously this past week. Elder Loucks and I were able to help God baptize a man named Kevin Tinney. This wasn't just another baptism or another man haha this man is AMAZING!!!! straight up!! To say the least he basically Baptized himself. In all honesty!! He is about a 60 yr old retired banker. He played the stocks and did a few different things and he seems to be well off. His wife is also a doctor or something at the hospital. So, right now Kevin works at bass pro shop. He works there just for fun, it's more of a hobby but at the same time he's making a lil extra cash! Anyways... (plzz forgive me this story will be hard to explain haha) Kevin works at bass pro with another member. For a long long time this member was always talking to Kevin about church. Kevin loves god and always has wanted to become a better person. That was the thing striving and pushing him the most. He wanted to become like christ or in other words DO WHAT CHRIST WOULD DO! Well one day the member gave Kevin a Book of Mormon and our phone number. Well... a month later Kevin calls us up. This was back when I was with Elder Hall by the way. Kevin calls us up and says he wants to meet us and talk at the church. We said okay and set up an appointment. Keep in mind when he called us we knew nothing about him. We didn't even know a member had been talking with him. SOOO We met with Kevin at the church that very first day and he just starts talking and talking. This wasn't a normal talk... It was like a professor in college that just rambles on and on because they are SOOOO smart. He honestly blew elder hall and i away. He was a genius! Anyways after proving a point to us about how smart he is... He then said okay guys. I'm not here to prove you wrong or to ask you questions and play stump the schwab. I am here because I want to be surrounded by good people. THE MORMONS are the best people that i see in this world and I want to be one of them. He then goes on to explain that he was in Ether in his reading the book of mormon. He then tells us that he was at a Stake conference months ago when Elder Dallin H Oaks was here. List goes on and on. Well family, the 3rd visit with this man he hands (Elder Loucks, now) a 50 dollar bill, then he looks at me and hands me a 50 dollar bill. He says guys, I really admire you and look up to you for the good work you do to this world and for the people here in florida. I want you to take this money and use it for gas or whatever your needs be. Use it to serve and help those around you. Put it in the missionary fund. haha So we then showed him how to fill out a tithing slip and mark missionary funds on it. We put the money in the envelope and then gave it to the bishop for him on sunday. That same day he asked us about the church website. LDS.ORG. He asked about ensigns, mormon messages and even Quad scriptures. Well the 4th visit he had told us he had subscribed to the ensign magazine. He told us that he had bought 3 Quads. One for himself and then 2 to give to us. He says I don't care if you keep the quads or if you give them to another person but whatever you do with them... PLEASE PLEASE don't give me the credit. (keep in mind these are like the leather most expensive quads) ANYWAYS family you get the point. This man was elect. This man wants to be christlike. He wants to be surrounded by Gods children that do right. We didn't teach him anything. He taught himself. We met with him once a week for 6 weeks. He would read the pamplets, websites, book of mormon, D&C and Pearl of G.P. (which he is now done with both), the list goes on and on. Well family he was baptized on Sunday! What a special amazing baptism it was! We love Kevin SOOO much! He has changed my life and set such an example for me! To Be as the Savior would be. Do as the Savior would do. Think as the Savior would think. AND NOW share as the Savior would share. Kevin is currently sharing the gospel with his wife Robin. She came to his baptism and now tonight Kevin is taking us out to dinner with his wife Robin. A way for us to talk with her about our believes and what not. Robin is a practicing Jew but Kevin said her heart is as easy to break as his when it comes to doing good and being around good people!! We are excited and can't wait to teach Robin!!
FAmily I want each of us to learn from this man. Learn the BEAUTY of being good. Doing good. We each can do it. We each know how. Lets go and do it now! Plzz focus on being christlike this week and for the rest of your lives! I will always and forever remember this man. The man that helped me to understand more of what it meant to have pure love for others!!
I love you all and say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen!!
Elder Ovard!!!
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