I did not part the Red Sea, but... - week 12

Hello everyone! My sweet Utahns/Germans/Lovely Family in the States/everyone else who gets these letters,

Man, this week was amazing. I mean...I don't have great numbers to show for it...and I didn't part the red sea...but I felt myself make a difference in the lives of other people this week. Most of the time we don't get to see the difference that we make, but this week I got to see it a little bit. :)

D* is such a sweet old man. He literally has nothing...but whenever we teach him he gives us some fresh raspberries. I love raspberries. They remind me of the open markets in Europe where we always bought fresh fruits and berries and jams as a family. I have my mom and dad to thank for that memory.... I want to take my kids traveling one day. That would be fun. :) We are going to travel everywhere.

Hmmmm we are getting to know the ward a lot better now. I'm starting to feel like I know these people, I'm starting to understand how all of the different people have impacted each other in the ward. It's easier to love people when you understand them. So, I love it! It feels like I have friends. Can I just say, I am so grateful for friends. All of mine have been such an important part of my life. Especially a few close ones. I hope they know who they are. :)

Anyway, I just hope I can be an important part of the people's lives here. I hope I can help them. I hope the change that we are seeing in our ward, and the people around us isn't just temporary. I want to leave this place better than I found it.

Well, this week I gained a greater testimony of the Book of Mormon. I feel myself becoming closer to Christ and it's super fun. Christ is a fun guy to be around. He's really nice. He's really kind. And Him and Heavenly Father sure have a sense of humor...they love to mess with us. That's one fun thing about being a missionary........it's just so awkward. Everything that happens is just like....what is happening right now???? It's so weird. I don't even know how to explain it....

You know what's weird about Canada? Everyone has these ridiculous garden statues and dog statues and obnoxious signs on their doors about their pet cat or dog. It's so funny. I mean...if any of you have those in your lawn, I am very sorry and I hope I didn't offend...but I just really....I think they are weird. And what else is weird about Canada is that everyone smokes weed VERY openly. They just smoke it out on their front porches and in their garages and when we come knocking at their door they get all...sheepish...and tell us that they are sinning. It's like they know it's wrong...and don't care. Hahahah oh man. I love people. They are so weird.

Okay, anyway, have a lovely week everyone. I really appreciate all of your prayers and emails and letters. So keep them coming. :)

Love,

Sister Osman

P.S.
Shout out to Elder Bradshaw this week who will have his year mark! And shout out to my companion Sister Jolie who has her 9 months mark this week. Man. I can't wait to have important marks....

Wrote an arrangement of Amazing Grace and Lead Kindly Light. :)
Sister Jolie and I sang it as a duet. #iheartmusic

Mikki with her thrift store guitar!

The Relief Society had a Hawaiian night complete with Hawaiian and Tahitian dancing. 

A 10 pm XXL pizza order!

One of the sweet ladies in our ward!

D*. We think he is the best!

Just the mini and the giant :)

I got to teach a lesson by the lake!

Oh Canada!

Happier than a Bird with a French Fry! - Week 11

Hey everyone!

This week was awesome. But also scary. But also super fun. But also super exhausting. But also super rewarding. 

Hmmmm there are so many things to share that I don't even know where to start! Well this week I have been focusing really hard on trying to listen to and UNDERSTAND the Spirit. And, it has been working. I have felt so much guidance and direction and it has resulted in so much success! It's awesome! Our Heavenly Father is so aware.

This week we taught D* again, and we have already made it to the 3rd lesson! We stopped by his little apartment building on 'Murica Day and brought hot dogs because one of his friends in the apartment next door has a grill. We had so much fun and taught them about Heavenly Father and how much he loves us and how he has a plan for us. It was so cool to see D* think that one through. He was like...wait...God has a plan for me??? He literally said, "Why did it take me this long to listen to you guys?? Missionaries have come before but I would never listen to them! Thank you so much for being so persistent." Haha, we were very persistent...we went to his house 3 times before he would listen to us. :) But it worked! All because of the Spirit. Anyway, when we told him that God knows him and loves him and has prepared him to hear the message NOW, you could just see this look of wonder on his face. He has had such a hard life and it had never occurred to him before that he could possibly be important to anyone. Man, I love D*. He's just so awesome. I love the gospel. :) It changes people so much.

Also, this week we were knocking this neighborhood of a bunch of old people. Every door was one cranky old man or another. One guy even threatened to call the police on us. He was very scary and gave me butterflies. But we came to this door, with this quiet old man, who had this familiar old accent. We told him we were sharing a message about Jesus Christ and he immediately said he was not interested but we engaged him in conversation a little longer and I soon found out he had come to Canada from Germany and had seen children murdered in the war. His question was, "how could there possibly be a God?" His voice cracked and his hands shook and that familiar German accent totally hit home for me. I felt so sorry for this old man who wouldn't accept the help of the atonement. But in his little driveway by his shed while we talked with him I felt this overwhelming feeling of love for this little man. I'll never forget that. Heavenly Father loves us so much. :)

Also, this week at church a recent convert was trying to explain how he was converted by the gospel. He said, "at first I just liked meeting with the missionaries. And I prayed and read. And it was slow, I didn't really receive much of an answer other than a thought that it could possibly be true or right....but when it came time to be baptized I thought about the missionaries and all the had taught me and I realized that I didn't ever want to live without the things that I knew again. It had been such a gradual process that I didn't realize it. But the thought of not having the gospel in my life anymore was scary. So I got baptized." 

Okay well I love you all! Keep emailing and writing! Sorry if I didn't get to you this week. I will next week if I didn't. :)

Love,

Sister Osman  

P.S. And a note from Sister Jolie:

Funny story: Two weeks ago we saw this guy with a bird on his shoulder driving a car. He saw us and said he owned the food truck on the corner and we should come and the bird would take our order. We laughed and decided we would go there one day.
Well we were walking past it on Canada Day and saw it was open so we went over. He was just packing up to go home but he said because we came back he would give us free fries. So ended up giving him a Book of Mormon, which he was excited to read. But then we were stuck with this huge thing of fries so we decided to detour our path to drop off the fries at home. And on our way we saw V* who we chat with often. We offered her fries and she said she was just thinking about how hungry she was. Next thing I know she's giving us a tour of her yard and then her home and told her story about how she had lost the love of her life. We were able to offer her the comfort of the Plan of Salvation and she pulled out the Book of Mormon some missionaries gave her 20 years ago when she was living in Calgary! And all of this tells me that God knows his children. Every. Single. One.

We also had a really neat experience. We were walking around on Sunday in an area we haven't been to much and there was a young girl playing in her ward. She sees us and gets excited and calls to her mom, "I know them!" We tried to place the girl in our memory and she told us she met us outside her grandpa's house (who lives down the street from us). We were shocked that this young girl remembered us after seeing us once or twice, in a completely different area of town and wearing different clothes. But it wasn't just that she recognized us, she knew us. The Spirit was so strong around this little girl. It was amazing. Her mom was unable to talk with us but one day this girl will welcome other missionaries into her home. We know it.

Today, I am happier than a bird with a french fry!

We had red pancakes for Canada Day. Courtesy of Sister Jolie. :)

The proverbial starving missionary :)

Loads of fries!

Oh Canada!

Cute Sister Jolie - Trainer extraordinaire!

Gorgeous scenery everywhere!

Almost done with the first 12 weeks!

We had crepes on the 4th of July. That's a tradition my mommy gave me.

And I made them. I'm such a bosssss!!!!!!!!!!!!

How we feel on fast Sunday after tracting in the hot sun all afternoon.

The LaFrance family with their friends the Ks. We had a great dinner with them and shared a lesson about the Resoration.

It's my 2 months mark in the mission field!

Praying in a shanty doorway without teeth = Heaven! - Week 10

Hey everyone!!!!!

This week was amazing. I love being a missionary. I swear, it's the most awkward thing in the world. But it's so funny. You learn to just laugh at the weirdness of it all. My companion and I laugh so much. Since we are together so often, I swear she knows me better than like...anyone right now. Well...okay that's debatable. There's my mom and a couple of friends and my family and God....

Sorry for the tangent. Back on track now.

This week was amazing! My favorite experience was last night. It has been pouring rain all weekend and it's so lovely. We stopped by our investigator D's house. He lives in this shanty old apartment and pretty much has nothing, not even teeth. He is really down on his luck; he has so many trails and failed relationships in his life. So sad to see. But we just stopped by to talk to him, and he came to the door and talked to us through his little screen door and we ended up just standing there and talking for around 45 minutes. My companion and I and D* and the lovely rain. 

Oh man, this old man reminds me so much of my dad. Even though they look nothing alike, they both have this uncanny ability to listen and just love. I love that about my dad. I told D* all about my family back home, and when we explained to him that one day we would leave, he was very sad to hear that. So I told him that when I'm done with my mission my whole family and I would come visit him...So yeah...Mom and Dad we now will be going on vacation to Ajax, Canada to meet an old man. Hahaha hope you're okay with that. But anyway, it was so cool to see the Spirit working on this man. In that little doorway the spirit was so strong and he asked us if we would pray with him. So we did. And I think that experience was just as much for him as it was for me. It is so comforting to know that our Father in Heaven is always with us, even in the doorways of Ajax Canada, in the beaten down apartments of the old man D*. He always has our back. I can feel Him there. And so did D*. 

Also, on the fun side of things, my companion and I built a blanket fort, walked 6 hours in the rain (that is not an exaggeration) and got 8 new investigators this week! Woot woot!!!!

Love you all!!!

P.S. Shout out to my lovely sister Tashina, who has a birthday this week. Boys, she is available and beautiful. And also, Canada day and the 4th of July are this week! PARTAY!

We met this adorable old German lady who was obsessed with Austria. It was awesome!

It rained so much the apartment flooded. As long as the feet are suntanned...it's all good!

Elder Gedes playing soccer in the church parking lot....

Here is Elder Dardon. Cuz it's a cool picture so why not.

Beautiful Canada!

Greetings from me to you!

2 Months out and an almost successful squirrel rescue! - Week 9

mikkia.osman@myldsmail.net

Note from the editor: Mik was in such a hurry this week. I am including her family/friends email and a piece from another. :) She is a little homesick but doing great, so please do remember her in your prayers!

Hey everyone!

I'm in a super big hurry this week. Almost out of time. But I just wanted to say that I am so, so so sosososos grateful for my dad. Dad, are you there? Hello. Hahaha. My family means everything to me. I don't need anything but them. I love them so much. I'm so grateful to have such an incredibly loving father, who has set such a good example for me throughout my life. Because of him, I know the kind of man I want to marry one day and they way that he should treat my kids one day. Thank you for your example dad. :)

I'm also super grateful for my Heavenly Father. Because of Him, I have everything that I have. I am forever in His debt. I love Him so much. :)

Shout out to Elder Rich Senior! Congrats on entering the MTC! Yay! #soproud

I love you all so much. I'm out of time now, we had less time to e-mail this week. But keep writing and e-mailing!

Also, everyone, please listen to music for me. Seriously, I'm dying out here. Listen to Miracles by Coldplay, and lots of City and Colour and go to concerts and love music.

That is all. :) Have a lovely week. I pray for you all.

Love,

Sister Osman

More details from her companion:

Well we came off the high from the last two weeks and had a mini slump in the work. But we are moving forward!

Here are some of the weeks highlights!

While tracting we see three baby squirrels (so young they don't even have fur) on them. And we couldn't bring ourselves to just leave them to die. So after looking in the tree, racking our brains for squirrel knowledge we called our trustworthy member Sister Tunney. She is the resident squirrel feeder/saver and we happened to be having dinner with them that night. And so after convincing her husband, she said we could bring them over. So we picked up these little squirrels in leaves and carried them in our hands for 20 minutes to our dinner appointment. Sadly they all died within a few days. But at least they were cared for!

We were asked to sing at a funeral for a member of the ward. The member's family were not religious but they were extremely touched by the hymn we sung. They all said how beautiful it was. 

At the same funeral Sister W said she still had to give away a copy of the Book of Mormon before Sunday. She was going to just give it to the bishop who is putting together a basket for someone else. But we told her that she should give it to someone who means something. She was scared so Sister Osman said, "It's easy, I'll do it right now." And so she walks right over to the family and explains that the Book of Mormon had meant a lot to the deceased member and she wanted their family to have a copy. They were really grateful. The next Sunday Sister W told us how she was inspired by the "brave sister missionaries" and went to her best friend's house that morning and gave her a Book of Mormon. And her friend was touched. It was so amazing!!

We knocked on this door and a woman opens it. The first thing that comes out of my mouth was about family history. Turns out she was on familysearch.org (the church's free family history site) that very moment. She invited us in to show us all about her Italian ancestors. That was a miracle!

Also we built a fort in our apartment and have been sleeping in it for several days. Surprisingly our apartment looks cleaner with it.

​

Transfers...but not really. - Week 8

Mikkia made it to her first transfer but did not get transferred. She is staying with Sister Jolie - YEAH! Good things are happening!

Hey everyone. :) 

Wow. This week was incredible. I don't even know where to start...

We went to the temple this week for a 6 week follow up. So all us new missionaries that came out (2 others besides me) and our trainers as well as President and Sister Clayton got together in the morning and talked about our first 6 weeks as missionaries, and then we walked across the street to the temple. I love the temple so much. It is the best place in the entire world. Without the temple, the plan that our Heavenly Father has given us wouldn't be possible. If you haven't gone to the temple yet, get yourself there. It's beautiful. :) 

This week we had some really incredible experiences. I don't even know what to say. There is so much to explain, and so much that I've learned, and so much that I don't really think I can say...haha 

So I guess I will just say that I know without a doubt in my entire heart that Christ lives. I know that we are preparing for the second coming. And I know it's coming. And when I say I know, I mean it. :) The gospel is a beautiful thing. I learn so much every single day...there is so much knowledge that I've gained here that I can't believe I ever lived without! It's all in the scriptures. People. Read. Your. Scriptures. 

Ummm one cool experience:

Yesterday Sister Jolie and I had decided to walk everywhere. Not use our car at all. Of course, we had no idea what the weather would be like, but as we headed out we soon realized we had picked a SUPER GOOD DAY to walk everywhere...jk not. It was pouring rain. So we ran back and grabbed our umbrellas. It was just pouring, and even when it wasn't raining, the air was so humid and thick that it condensed together and turned into droplets. It was the weirdest thinggggg...We could literally see the air right in front of us getting pulled together and solidifying into water...so weird. But anyway, we were walking all day and we actually had a lot of success and good times. I love the rain. Like...LOVE IT. So I was in the best mood in the planet and Sister Jolie and I were totally just in the best mood. But as we were walking home around 8 at night, she said, "Hey Sister Osman I think we should drop by number 12 on Beatty Rd." I was like..."Okay!" So we did.

As we walk up to that house, the door was wide open. It was a really small, white house. The entire lawn was covered in tall grass and weeds and there was a weird stone stairway up to the door. We walk up and inside are 3 guys sitting on this nasty gray couch listening to opera music, smoking their cigarettes and drinking their beers. They all looked about early twenties. Sister Jolie and I knocked quietly on the door, even though it was already open, and they came over. We asked them if they knew a Wan who lived there (because that's who Sister Jolie wanted to see) and they said no. Then they started opening every door down the hallway and calling into it and asking a bunch of people in they knew Wan. It was the weirdest thing...we were like...what the....

But anyway, they were all speaking some language that I have no idea what it was, and this tall guy comes out of his room. He was bald, but had a big beard and was probably 25ish. I could tell the second that I saw him that he was from Europe. Turns out I was right.

He stepped out of the door and started talking to us, all the while the rain pouring down. We asked him if he believed in Christ. He hesitated...looked at us...and said, "I believe in something." And we said, well have you ever wondered what that something is? At first he said no, but the he hesitated and said Yes. He started to explain that he had been in Guatemala for 4 years volunteering and building houses and the things that he had seen there had made him question the existence of God. I'll never forget what he said:

"I was there...around these people. They were so poor. There were four churches, huge beautiful buildings. But none of them had a single person inside. And then there were these people, who didn't even have a roof to cover the walls of their home. It's sad the things that people do in the name of religion. So I don't think I can really believe right now."

We had a much longer conversation with him. And we bore testimony of Christ and that He would never allow something like that. That is why it's so important that people don't distort the doctrines of Christ, but that they live the way He has actually taught us to live. The original way. Without all of the opinions and philosophies of the world. 

If we all lived the way that Christ taught, and if we all really lived by the gospel and church that He himself established in the New Testament, things like that wouldn't happen. 

I'm so grateful for the restored gospel of Christ on the earth, as originally organized by Christ himself in the New Testament. I hope I can always live up to being a representative of Him and His true church. 

I love you all! Got to go!

Sister Osman

Two peas in a pod - look at the matching outfits.
Sister Jolie and Sister Osman - got it covered all the way down to the belt!

We found a BIG leaf.

The blessing of having a temple near by!

Book of Mormon Cake

No.1 reason to serve a mission - to share the gospel.
No. 2 reason - Sister Osman might develop some domestic skills after all :)
A BOM cake is a good start- LOL

It be raining, it be pouring!

Sister Jolie

Sister Osman, loving the rain!

Sister Osman, always happy!

Look at this amazing spider web. So much beauty in this world!

  

I Call it Magic... - Week 7

Note from the editor:

Mikkia is great, they found 6 new investigators last week and she is loving life but missing all of you and of course the MUSIC! Listen to Coldplay in her honor this week :) Call it Magic!

Hello Everyone!

It's very rainy today here in Ajax. But I love it. The rain makes me feel very nostalgic. This morning when we woke up, it was just coming down in sheets and pattering against the windows. We turned on the fireplace and read our scriptures...when the 2 hours were up I was so bummed. You would think that 2 hours of scripture reading would seem like forever, but I can't get enough. 

Everyone should go to the bible dictionary right now and just read it. You learn so much...it's so cool. Mkay. Wow, these e-mails are hard to write because so much happens in a week. It's impossible to condense it all into an e-mail. But this week went incredibly well. Sister Jolie and I have really been giving it our all for the past couple weeks since we've been here, and things are starting to happen. But my favorite thing that has started to happen is I've started to feel close to the ward members here and love them.

Back home our ward is pretty big. I love the people in our home ward. They are all so kind...and I never realized it but they are all so NORMAL too. The ward here is...well pretty much the weirdest place ever. 

It consists of about 200 people, but only around 50-80 show up on Sundays. The chapel is small, and pretty much everyone is old and has some sort of issue, whether it's they are so old that they can't doing anything, they shave off their eye brows and draw them just above their eyelashes, wear their wig backwards, or give a talk in sacrament meeting about foot worms. No joke. On mothers day one of the high council got up and gave a talk about foot worms. Everyone was like...ewwww. Yeah it was a terrible talk. Haha

But anyway, all of their weirdness aside, I've come to really love them. They feel like...almost family kinda. Haha I love them. 

But this week I heard this phrase, "If you give Christ your whole self, all of your dreams, everything you have ever wanted, everything about yourself, and really turn it over to Christ, He will give you himself." 

At first that was a scary thought to me. Like...I don't want to give up all of my dreams and everything I ever wanted and dedicate it to Christ...especially since they are all good dreams. You know? But then I realized, that even the strengths that I have, and everything about me that is good, could still be even better. I could still be even more Christ like. I just think it's so cool that if I'm willing to give myself to my Heavenly Father and do everything I can to live a christ-like life, then Christ will give himself to me. He already has...He has already laid down His life for my sake.

And of course, that doesn't mean that I can't ever have any dreams again...that's not what He's asking of us at all. He just asks that we desire to be like Christ more than we desire to be like ourselves, and if that means giving up some of our dreams to make them even better dreams through Christ, then so be it. 

I hope I can manage to do that. I know that He could make me more than I can ever make myself.

I hope you all have a lovely week!!!!

Love you all. 

Sister Mikkia Osman 

This is M. We got to go to the temple with her for her first time this week!!!

M. & Sister Jolie. (Editor: have you EVER seen a better smile? I love her!)

At the temple with M. (Editor: This picture is so funny to me.
Mikkia really is no giant, and yet she looks as tall as the Eiffel Tower compared to these lovely ladies. :) )

It be raining. It be pouring. 

We helped this lady clean out her closet...that was no easy feat. 

In our service clothes. Cleaning... #so fun. Sister Jolie & Sister Osman

Yellow and the Art of Making your Skin Shine

Mikki wrote that she needed more of her acne meds. But we couldn't simply send Mikki her meds :)

Since she is trying to watch her weight, we went easy on the candy (well comparatively :)

The meds label should give away the song!

The inside was wall-papered with a sky of yellow stars, star confetti, and the lyrics to the song. No cheating, any guesses?

On the outside it was all yellow, but I neglected to take a picture.
We are positive, she knows all of Coldplay songs so well, this was easy.
Next one will be harder!

"Yellow" 

Look at the stars

Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah they were all yellow

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called yellow

So then I took my turn
Oh what a thing to have done
And it was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
You know you know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh what a thing to do

Cause you were all yellow
I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
And you know
For you I'd bleed myself dry
For you I'd bleed myself dry

It's true
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do