WEIRD! This is IT!!!

FAMILY!!!!

Weird............  

Love you all,

ELDER OVARD

This honestly could be my email for the week hahahaha that is how life feels right now. I just can't believe that my mission is coming to an end and reality is about to hit. Am i scared? NO. Am i worried? NOT REALLY. I know things will work out and whatever god wants to happen will happen. However I wanted to take the time this week and Thank each of you from the bottom of my heart! I wanted to show you and tell you my love and appreciate I have for your examples, testimonies and diligence in serving me weekly through you're emails.

"He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious" (D&C 78:19).

This past email each of you told me how grateful you were for my diligent service. I would like to put the same prayer upon each of you! I now tell you all, THANK YOU! Weekly i was able to receive an email from a loved one. Weekly I was able to feel of the spirit from a loved one. Weekly I was brought to remembrance of good times from loved ones. Weekly I put forth my best effort because of the encouraging words coming from a loved one. You all are incredible. You all carry such a special sweet spirit upon you! I know these past 2 years we were dwelling in the thankfulness of each other. You all with me on my mission and emails sent home. BUT especially me here in the field knowing that i was supported and cared for. Knowing that people were praying for me daily. Knowing that you were all happy because of the way you were LIVING the gospel. Together as a family we were able to experience this GLORY that is talked about in the scripture. God granted glory and happiness upon each of us because we were recognizing him in ALL things. Giving him credit and giving him thanks! So family now is the time we move forward with that! We thank him so that we continue to Glory in his goodness!

 

Dad- I thank you for the person that you have helped me become! I thank you for giving me those emails each week that always had a one liner here or there that helped me reach my full potential. Such as: " You are in the 9th inning, no regrets!" Something as simple as this is what gave me the extra motivation to knock one more door. To wipe off the sweat and keep going. I thank you for that Dad. You truly helped me to reach that potential. Not only on my mission but also before the mission. I look forward to the future with you Dad! I love you sooooo much. :)

 

Mom- The one who fills me in on ALL the details back home each and every week! There wasn't a single week that you missed writing me. It wasn't just writing either... it was writing that you had put a lot of thought and effort in to. I thank you for your testimony. I thank you for sharing with me always things that you learned from me and my experiences. You sharing these things with me helped me every single week to want to learn something so special and so unique that i could tell you about it in my next email. I knew without a doubt you would learn just as i did!! That inspired me weekly mom! I thank you and I love you :)

Blake- Bro, you always helped me to love! Every week I would get an email from you telling me that I am a leader and that others are watching me so i need to love them! It is because of you that I was known in the mission for loving missionaries and being myself with them! You taught me these things bro just from your simple emails as well. I thank you for that. You are a perfect leader at love. It is because you LOVED me when we were young that i became the baseball player i am today. You LOVED me so much you would take me to the cages/field instead of your friends. You loved and cared for my future and i'll forever be indebted to you for that! Thank you bro I as well love you dearly and i want you to know that! :)

 

Paige/Taylor- Goofballs :) hahahaha All honesty!! Thank you for the pictures and updates on Miles and his progression! Thank you for always making me laugh. Every email I read from you I would laugh. Or every picture i saw i would laugh. "Miles and his Buttcheeks!" hahaha that is what i loved about your emails :) Thank you for teaching me that it is okay to laugh and have fun on the mission :) You both taught me the importance of that. Thank you for everything! Pictures of Miles got me this far... now i needa see him in real life on saturday :) Thank you and I love you both!! :)

 

Aynsley- It isn't about what you said.... It's about what you DID!!! Thank you for helping me to change!! Thank you for the example you put forth back home when you were there! Thank you for changing! When i left on my mission there is no way on earth i thought you would be on a mission. Your example of Change caused me to Change. It really did Ayns and I want you to know that! Thank you for serving the Lord and desiring to do so! Thank you for being worthy. Thank you for desiring to serve even when it wasn't a responsibility for you. Thank you Ayns! Honestly your change of heart to serve cause me to change so many things in my life. Thank you and I love you :)

 

Family I know this scripture to be true! Each of you through your weekly emails showed me the glory that you carry. You showed me the Faith in Jesus Christ that is branded onto your hearts and also you transferred your spirit upon me through the words you shared! I thank all of you and I am grateful that we were all made Glorious together! May that Glory continue is my humble prayer!!

 

I can't wait to see all your smiling faces! I look forward to hugging you and talking with you! It will be special. If you could have someone please video it all that would be awesome! Memories that i will keep for the rest of my life! Aynsley... Don't feel bad you wont be there. Trust me. What you have in store for you is much greater then a simple homecoming :) I promise you that from the deepest depth of my soul! I loved my mission with all my heart! It is what converted me to the gospel of Jesus Christ! I will email you weekly and i will send you pictures just like you did to me :) I love you all!! You are the BEST family in the world. I THANK you all and am GRATEFUL for you!!

 

Love, Elder Austin Ovard  (yes i am still an Elder :) ) hahaha 1 more week baby!!!!!!