Emergency transfer, Niagara Falls, and that lovely Raccoon...‏ -- Week 19

The Brampton Zone!

Hello everyone!!!

Oh my stars....where do I even begin? I swear, this week has been 6 months long but has also flown by. Well for starters Sister Anthony and I had an emergency transfer...it's a long story and I'm not sure how much I should tell but just know that the Lord is very aware of each and everyone of us and I am so grateful that President Clayton is so inspired as to what our mission needs right now. :) On Saturday Sister Anthony and I were still working in our lovely area Georgetown and by Sunday I was back with my old companion Sister Jolie for the day. Then Sister Jolie and I drove over to the mission home (in Brampton) where I received more news about my transfer call. I am now in a Trio companionship in Saint Catherines which is very close to Niagara Falls. My two new companions are Sister Bell and Sister Chelson and they are the sweetest girls ever. I feel like I'm on vacation here...it's weird. BUT I will only be here in Saint Catherines for the week. After this week I will be heading back to Georgetown and I will be having a new companion...I can't wait to find out who she is! But I am so excited to serve with these two lovely ladies for now. It's funny, as a missionary you go into peoples homes who you have never met, you tell your name to every stranger and give them your phone number, you live in places that you didn't even know existed, and you sleep in a bed that you have never seen with a blanket that isn't yours. Haha I love being a missionary because it has taught me to be sooooooo trusting and to just love everyone! :)

On other news: back in Georgetown earlier this week Sister Anthony and I noticed how every time we left food on the counter, it would be gone in the morning. Just completely eaten. This happened with an entire pizza, two cakes, and some macaroni and cheese. Well anyway we soon started to realize there must be a bigger animal living in our apartment than just a rat (although there are those too. But not to worry, we are getting that all taken care of. When I get back...) and decided we needed to figure out what it is. Well....it's a raccoon. But don't worry mom, it's okay. It's very cute. But we haven't had a chance to get rid of it yet because...well we got transferred....

So today I am in Saint Catherines and we got to go see Niagara falls!!!! It was SO BEAUTIFUL but man, I am so tuckered out. But I know that Heavenly Father is right here beside me because when I think I just can't keep going, He gives me more energy. It's awesome. :)

Also, one of our returning members named Brother M* will be going to the temple this Saturday for the first time!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!! Heavenly Father has blessed me so much. :) I love this gospel. It honestly has blessed my life in so many ways.

Well lovely people, I so appreciate your letters and e-mails. They mean so much to me! Keep writing. :)

Love,

Sister Osman

My new companions and district I

My new companions and district II

I found a tiny turtle while hiking

Oh hey look its 'Murica

Oh hey look its 'Murica

Becoming a better version of me -- Week 18

Hey Everyone!

This week was great! Missionary life is so much fun and you learn so much in the process! I truly feel like I'm becoming...a better version of me. It's interesting how your perspective on life changes when you start to see things the way our Savior see's them. He has taught me a lot of compassion and love towards everyone. Especially this week. :)

Well I honestly don't have much time to email this week, but I have loved reading all of your emails. Thank you so much! I will try and have more time next week. I just got too caught up writing other emails. Haha :)

Love you all! I know our Savior lives. I know His grace is real. I know it's sufficient. For anyone, at any time. I have felt it and I have seen it both in my own life, and in the lives of others.

One quick story from this week: ummmmmmm lemme think. Yeah never mind. It seems I have forgotten everything....

Oh yeah! Do you all remember Dennis who Sister Jolie and I had been working with the last two transfers before this one??? Well guess what?!?!?! He has completely quit smoking and he is going to be baptized very soon. Please pray for him!!!!

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Osman

Brampton Zone at Salvation Army Gardens -
Hopefully this photo belies Mikkia's enthusiasm :)

Brampton / Georgetown Exchange Selfies!
Sister Anthony, Sister Osman, Sister ?, Sister Jolie

When words fail, music speaks! -- Week 17

Hey everyone!!!!

Sorry last week's email was so short! This week was so amazing. :) Sister Anthony is the biggest goofball ever. We have figured out our "groove" and we have so much fun with the work. We were having dinner with this little old lady named Sister S* yesterday and she said "You ladies are so much more fun than the elders! You guys just sing and are so cheerful about everything!" Hahaha I mean the elders are amazing and all....but.......they don't sing.

Speaking of singing, last week in sacrament meeting I gave a talk and accidentally told everyone over the pulpit that I am a music major, not really realizing what that would entail. Needless to say, I was asked to sing in sacrament meeting this week. And of course I did. It felt AMAZING. I got to sing a solo all by myself. A gorgeous hymn called 'Where Can I Turn for Peace' and I loved every second of it. Any excuse I have to practice piano/sing/etc. I take. :) But then the relief society president came up to me at the end and asked me if I would play all of the music for the Christmas program come December. Of course I said yes! But who knows if I will even still be here. Haha but at least it will give me an excuse to start practicing!

Anyhoo, what was I about to say...? I can't remember....

Oh yeah! Okay so Sister Anthony and I have started playing a game when we tract--we wait until we can hear the person coming to the door and then one of us picks a completely random word that the other has to use in the conversation with the person at the door. Haha it is so funny! We try squeezing these random words like carrot, superman, or sprinkling system into these contacts. It makes us laugh so hard and the people at the door are always way more open to hearing what we have to say. I love being a missionary because it has taught me so much about how to talk to people in any situation and how to care about anyone, even from the second I meet them. Plus it teaches you how to get along with anyone and work together. Life is so much easier when you are a team player! But when you are working as a team constantly, you have to be someone that is reliable too. So it teaches you to be a lot more aware of how your decisions effect other people. You learn to be more thoughtful of the other person. In the end, you realize that if the other person is happy, then you'll both be a lot happier so you work your hardest to take the load off the other person's shoulders. It's cool. :) I'm grateful for it.

We found a new investigator named A*. Haaha it was so funny. Usually Sister Anthony and I contact people using the restoration. But we were about to knock on this guys door and she said, "we should try using the word of wisdom" I was like hahaha okay? And he opened the door and sister Anthony just started talking. The whole time she was looking at me like, "what am I saying" but then the guy was just like, "yeah I found god and quit smoking and drinking and it changed my life. that totally makes sense." We were like ja;wrogijwRAG"GRpojrf;aow freaking out. Hahahahahaah so we ended up talking to him for like 45 min right there on his doorstep and made an appointment to go back and share our message with him. We went back last night and oh man, A* is so prepared! He just told story after story about his journey and life. He talked about doctrines that are unique to our church before we have even taught them and says,"he is searching for the truth." Well, A*, you have found it!!!!!

Ummm cool story from this week:

We went over to a members house. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She has several little kids and is now undergoing chemo. She has lost all of her hair and so her kids are afraid of her. It's so sad! But anyway, we went over to see her and there was a little girl there and her mom who were hanging out with this lady and her children. It turned out that both of them were members as well but hadn't come to church in quite a while. The little girl was so excited to hear a message about Jesus! Her mom was upstairs sleeping when she opened up one of the pamphlets we have and pointed to a picture at the back. She said, "my mommy and I used to go there (talking about a picture of church). Why don't we go anymore?" At the end, we gave all of the little kids bouncy balls (Sister Anthony and I always carry a ton to give to the kids and to bounce around while we tract) and they just loved them! Anyway, a couple days later at church, the whole family showed up. But guess who else came too?? The little girl and her mom! They hadn't been in such a long time but had finally come again. The little girl had asked her mom if they could come! And there they were.

Well, I love you all!

Special thanks to my roommate Marianne and my brother Caelan this week for making my week. You guys know why. ;)

Also, special thanks to my mom and dad. I love you so much!

Love,

Sister Osman

Learning to rely on Heavenly Father! -- Week 16

Hello Everyone!

It's been another lovely week here in the land of Georgetown/Acton/Brampton/Glenwilliams/etc....

Well, this week was great! We found 15 new investigators. (I honestly don't know how. It's unheard of....) It's crazy because Sister Anthony and I are both so new to the mission. We have no idea what to do with these people, but we sure are trying. But one day we tracted for 5 hours in a row and knocked 106 doors and we found 4 new investigators that day! It's cool; as a missionary you learn how to speak with the Spirit. You start to learn the way to phrase things at the door so that people will understand your message. You learn to find out what interests people right when you see them, and how to approach certain people. You learn how to stay motivated and happy even when you've been on your feet for forever. You learn how to help people see you are passionate about the message you share. You learn how to use your body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions to outwardly demonstrate your inward emotions and thoughts. You learn how to rely on Heavenly Father. You learn to pray even in the middle of a conversation. You start to talk to God randomly cuz you have no one else to talk to. You learn to teach VERY SIMPLY. To the point that you feel dumb. But people understand. You learn how to always pull the conversation back to the message that you share.......you learn how to answer ever question using the Book of Mormon. It's crazy. 

The other day we ran into some doors sales men who were so impressed with us that they asked us to come and demonstrate our message to their entire staff at their company. WHAT A HUGE OPPORTUNITY! And another guy asked us to come do motivational speaking at his fundraiser. It's so cool. I've learned so much. I've grown so much. The way I talk and think is different. They way I interpret peoples emotions and sentences has changed. It's crazy.

Anyway, I honestly don't have much to say this week. I'm just super tired! I hope everyone back home is safe and happy. I love you all!

Sister Osman

Candles, cookie dough and a blessing in the dark! - Week 15

Note from the editor:

Missionaries love mail! Please, email me for her current address or write her at mikkia.osman@myldsmail.net.

Sorry no pics this week!

Hey everyone!

This week was awesome! I am in a new area called Georgetown. We cover a very large area. The ward members here are very kind and I am with my companion from the MTC named Sister Anthony. She is awesome! She has a very strong personality and can be really funny. :) Also, she's from London England so I love her accent and hearing about England. British people are my favorite people.

Also they have yummy candy.

This week we had a lot of really cool experiences. Here are two of my favorites:

1) It has been BOILING and HUMID here in Georgetown. Sister Anthony and I were out tracting all day and everywhere we went she said that she was dying for some rain. She said she missed London, where it rained all the time. Around 4 that day, the rain came. Out of nowhere. It just cracked down. It POURED. And thunder and lightning. We were inside having lunch when it started and Sister Anthony leapt up from her chair, threw her hands in the air, and yelled, "It's raining! I'm home!" Ah she was just so overjoyed. I loved it. :) And man, if you know me, you know I adore the rain. So we turned off all the lights and lit some candles, and I played some hymns on my guitar and made spaghetti and cookie dough while we finished our lunch break and watched the rain. Heavenly Father loved us enough to make it rain. :)

2) This area has been quite dead for a while. In fact they only opened it again two transfers ago, because people here just don't want to talk to the missionaries. Which is quite alright, they don't have to. But I'd love it if they did. :) Haha and it is the headquarters of the Jehovah's Witnesses, which is basically the Salt Lake City of the Mormons. They have a place here called The Watch Tower which is their headquarters and is the factory where all of their books and pamphlets and everything is printed. Anyway, needless to say, everyone thinks we are Jehovah's Witness. So this area has had a hard time finding people to teach for a while. But the other day we were out knocking doors and this boy answered the door. We told him who we are and that we are looking for people who are searching for the truth and don't know where to find it. He then told us that he had been sitting in the basement reading about the Reformation of the Catholic Church and was very confused which of all the churches were Christ's original church. I couldn't believe it...anyway, needless to say, Heavenly Father brought us to that place. We are going back to teach him all about the Restoration tomorrow. So excited!

Love you all!

Sister Osman