NATIONS GENERATIONS FAMILY

FAM! oh brother, what a week it has been!!! i had some revelation this week about where to go in this City my last couple weeks and where to touch the lives of those that are ready and i was reading in 1 Nephi 16 13-14 and it says "south-southeast direction" and then in verse 14 it's all about FAMILY! obviously it doesnt say "heyyy sister ovard go to the south but the feeling and the voice in my head told me to go there and i would find a family!!!" so of course, we acted on that asap!! we have been spending every day in the south and southeast parts and its been a miracle. we've met a whole GENERATION of first nation people who are wanting to be taught and who want to come to church!!!!!

THE BIGGEST MIRACLE PART ABOUT THAT.. is it turns out its one of our first nations recent converts in our wards FAMILY! so shes been coming with us... and once we finish one lesson and get back in the car she says "hold on, my auntie should meet you too." so she calls everyone and we end up teaching ALL DAY. people who are humble and submissive to the Creators call. wow. i tell you what, i love the first nation culture. you should know, that i will love them forever!!!! not to mention, reading the book of mormon brings me closer to them daily. 

our friend ALEX was baptized this weekend!!!!! wow hes such a good man. we watched "the hope of gods light" a mormon message with him and he related it so well to himself.. the spirit was so strong. he came from a less active woman that i know from her grandma in Sidney!!!!!!!! MIRACLES OF A GENERATION. man, im obsessed with generations. i hope all my converts keep it up so they're all a generation :D 

p.s. im playing the most beautiful rendition of what child is this by lindsey stirling on Sunday with a guy that plays the piano literally beautifully.............. man. i might cry. thank the Lord he's giving me my talent back for a second that i havent been working for lately.. he's so good!!

i want you all to know how much i love our Heavenly Father. he has been placing people in our path that i've felt such a connection too. hes been chastening me, and helping me realize the person i've become and how to continue to become a person he wants me to be. its a life long journey i tell ya! but i konw who my heavenly father is. and that, just like in conference "most important days for us are the day we're born and the day we find out why.." its been because of my mission and i will defend our faith till the day i die! i have so much faith in our savior, i know he's my friend and he always will be :) 

you guys mean the world to me. i cant believe a wedding and baby are right around the corner for us. what a miracle god is placing it at the perfect time!!!! i look forward to you. i look forward to you helping me be a missionary for the rest of my life!!! 

next week will probably be my last email as a sister missionary! the monday before im home i will be taking a ferry to the main land. but maybe i'll have time? not too sure. but just a heads up.. next week will most likely be the last!!! 

xoxo sister ovard

-the only picture from this week..... sorry fam we're too dang busy these days!!!

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WANNA BE BAPTIZED

 LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS HERE!!! MOST AMAZING WEEK!

last week we went contacting at Super Store (where we live basically) and we started talking to a really cute YSA girl named Jessica! we ended up getting her phone number and going for tea and we sat down and told her who we were and we are there to help her and she opened up SO much about all the things that have gone on in her life just in the past 2 weeks.. her ex boyfriend was killed in a car accident and shes just looking for something to cleanse her. we told her all about baptism and having a fresh start and she was SO EXCITED. she commited to November 28!!! the next day we met up again and asked her her thoughts lately and she said "i've been thinking so much about my baptism and being clean and i told my family and they support me!!" SHE IS SERIOUSLY A MIRACLE 

SARRAH AND NICK ARE OUR FAVORITE COUPLE!!!!!!!!!! (not married yet tho...) we met for chinese food and had told them before that when they come, they have to have a baptism date in their mind. the minuete we sat down.. sarrah looks at him and says "if i get baptized will you?" and nick said YES!!!!!!! we ended up talking and committing them to November 21. they are so amazing, the adversary is trying SO HARD. Sarrah hurt her back and sprained her ankle and is just struggling. Nick is feeling is the dumps too.. HE'S TRYING SO HARD BUT HE WON'T GET THEM DOWN!! they are amazing. and they are examples of following what God wants us too.

A SWEET LESS ACTIVE FAMILIES KIDS COMMITTED TO BAPTISM ON NOVEMBER 13 AND THEY ARE SERIOUSLY THE CUTEST! WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH. teaching children has become my favorite thing to do!!!!! "it is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself, and to unfold and simplify it so that a child can understand it." so i have done just as conference told us to, by simplifying our own testimonies and becoming simple as a child!!! 

we're working so well with our Bishop and his wife!! we're teaching our Bishops wifes friend but she isn't progressing so we ended that quick and afterwards we were talking to Bishops wife and she looked at us and said, "sisters, i just want to find someone that i can help be baptized." I WANTED TO CRY. it was the sweetest moment. we're praying so hard that she finds someone!!! we're praying so hard for her!!!!!!!! 

it's finally just sister Hemenway and I here.. we've had some nuts things going on in our zone with our sisters so we've been in a couple tri's... so it feels AMAZING to be back just with her. is that what it feels like when you're married and your kids leave you for a night? it like the most incredible thing. hahahaha 

I LOVE YOU ALL AND I SERIOUSLY AM PUMPED EVERY DAY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL IT CHANGES LIVES AND PEOPLE ARE SO PREPARED FOR IT SO SHARE IT!!! 

xoxo, sister ovard 

SERVICE IS THE CURE

hey, wanna know a miracle? 

I AM STAYING WITH MY OTHER HALF HERE IN NANAIMO TO FINISH MY MISSION!

ask me how happy i am? 

yes, so incredibly happy.

it's been a week of many many journal entries that i never want to forget! we continue to travel back to areas and the last time we were in Port Alberni we met the CUTEST family in Walmart as we were talking to everyone!! Maria and her daughter Jaclyn and Jaclyn's little baby Brynn. we called them before we went back to make an appointment and they were SO excited. in their words, "we were praying for something good to happen and BAM you turned the corner in walmart.. WALMART OF ALL PLACES!!! so tell us what you have to tell us." we sat down days later, in Starbucks, to have a lesson. the moment they sat down they were in tears. we got to know each other and they shared so many amazing things about how they are strugging and just need a church with God that can heal them... it was a perfect moment to tell them..

"Through Christ you can be cleansed from everything you are feeling right now. he is the only one who can take this from you and who WILL! will you follow him and be baptized?" i didn't have to finish the sentence and they said YES. i said "we're holding a baptism service in November... " they cut me off.. "YES! that will be great!!!!!!" there day will be November 21. boy, i am excited. and to put a picture in your head.. they are normal people.. totally have jobs, cars, they get their hair done, nails done, AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR GOD. 

(thats rare-- so its a miracle)

Elder Gay of the 70 came to visit our zone and our stake for stake conference. hollyyyy most amazing man i have ever heard in my life! you don't know what those men have ACTUALLY been through until you have 2 hours with them and they tell you about their own lives... and then you're like, "my life is easy. stop complaining. keep going wow he went through so much im just a shadow" and so forth. hahahaha seriously, that guy, im amazed. something i love that he said was that HE invites people to be baptized and he said OUR MEMBERS should be TOO! alright mom, you can share the book of Mormon.. NOW can you invite someone to be baptized??! i challenge you all to do that. and think about who you could invite! i promise there are people who want it. and you are there to invite them and help God in his work.

Elder Gay also brought up AUSTINS MISSION!!! how it was the highest baptizing area because of the way you invited yourself into homes and offering to dedicate peoples home. he invited us to do that too!!  you can only imagine how happy i was to say THAT MY BROTHER WAS THERE! :D the reason he brought that up, was because there are so many ways to share the gospel. if offering a simple prayer is the way DO IT. if going to the Mayor and telling him who you are and you want to share the gospel with him so he knows what you're doing DO IT. if you like golf- go to the golf course and SHARE THE GOSPEL. DO IT ANYWHERE. AND HOWEVER YOU NEED TO. JUST DO IT!

 we met an amazing sri lankan family that is willing to listen and pray and ACT on the answers they get. we are really excited about them!! ALL I WANT IS A FAMILY TO HELP BRING THE GOSPEL TOO!!!!!!!! I cant wait to tell you how they go. i'm so grateful for the knowledge and time to think of my savior that i do have. it will never change although my surroundings will, my testimony of the living savior wont! if you want answers you are going to have to go out to serve. just do it. 

i love you guys, i hope you know that i am here because i love my savior. he is real to me and im grateful i serve because in return i have questions answered. its the only cure :) have an incredible week. and know that every day-- i think of you!!

xoxo, sister ovard

SOLDIER ON

my dearest familia,

what an incredible week!!! i love hearing your insights of conference. i was picking up my feet every other word they said. i couldn't tell you when i was home i looked at conference as a revelatory experience but my thoughts have changed AND I AM GOING TO LIVE OFF THEIR WORDS!! my thoughts are centered on conference this week as i've pondered and thought about my own testimony and growth as a disciple. 

thank you for sharing your scriptures with me!! I KNEW i could count on mom getting you all on board!!! i was imagining her sending you all a group text right then and there saying she was looking forward to your scriptures.. and then i was imagining dad sending me something about how mom made sure he would do it every week!!!! it's almost like i haven't even forgotten about ya'll eh?!?! IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!!! and just so you know, Mormon is my main man right now. so Mormon 9:19 is the scripture i chose to "ponderize" and memorize :) so when my thoughts are down, or when i have room to think about myself, i can remember the miraculous God who is watching over everyone around me and how I am the one to help them!! let's do it fam, soldier on in righteousness! & do it because the Prophet and Apostles asked, not just our hilarious mother ;)

One of my favorite talks was Elder Uchtdorf. every word he said i was nodding my head so engaged because being a missionary, and seeing the way members try to share the gospel ISN'T simple!!! he brought it straight to the basics of not following our shadows! follow the TRUTH! don't make discipleship hard. step back, look at your life, and simplify your approach to discipleship. because "the gospel WILL work for you" it's so simple and if i have learned anything, it is that. it is, anyone can accept jesus christ in their life and he will love them. if we are worthy & willing to find Him, he will not be far from us!! i know Jesus christ. i have felt him and i have felt to sing the song of redeeming love. christ is simple and he will take you where you are to something greater!!

our week here in Nanaimo started off a bit crazy-- we had a sister go home for health reasons (very very sick couldn't even work) so now we have another sista with us!! its been one heck of a time- and we are already learning LOTS together!! i am so grateful for faith- it truly has brought me to be someone i've always wanted to be. I LOVE JESUS CHRIST. he is my foundation and my rock, in whom i will ALWAYS trust with my whole life!!!

i love you all!!!!!! have the best week!!!

sister ovard

-lessons at the top of a mountain are always extra ordinary!

CHILD OF GOD THEREFORE, WHAT?

my lovely peeps i call fam & friends, 

this week was good!! aren't they all? i have found every week is good because we look for the good! & that makes a huge difference!! 

we saw Evan & Helen this week as converts!!! we looked at Evan and said Evan!!!! how are you! and he said "well i got 2 books. and one of them is against my religion." we said, "oh no evan............" and he pulls out this HUGE BOOK called Greek Gods. hahah oh my goodness. that kid. i tell you. he is such an intelligent little one and he KNEW what he was doing at baptism! we asked him how he's felt the holy spirit and he said "i dont get scared anymore. its like im protected and i feel comforted all the time because god is here now." our jaws dropped. that was definitely recorded in the journal.. so my kiddos have a lot to look up to right there ;) 

our sweet miracle Sherlyn that called us last week that i told you about is STILL a legit miracle!! she texted us and said, "sisters, i felt sad so i read the book of mormon and i the day i prayed with you and read this book is the same day as joseph on september 23" we didn't even know that september 23 was the day he prayed, so we were shocked. but it was incredible because she feels such a connection to it. she's been coming to activites and church yesterday and she loved it! it was all about family and she has 3 little girls so it was perfect. 

OUR ASIANS!!!!!!! HAVE YOU BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THEM!?!?! ;) we even found another cute asian family that invited us over for dinner yesterday! let me tell you- i'll never go back to panda express after having REAL chinese food. i think it's my favorite food!! she didn't speak much english but luckily we had our member who could translate for us. It's so fun to teach chinese people because they have NO understanding whatsoever about god. so we start from ground zero and we get to see the light of christ shine through them!!!

we had MLC in Vancouver on the weekend.. so you know who i saw.. RITCH DAWG! oh man, i get some real thrill after seeing her. it was so fun and learning from President Burt he is always an answer to a prayer i didn't know i even had. i dont know if i have ever told you about how much he keeps "The End in Mind" so really, he talks a lot about who we need to become even when we are home. which i have always loved, but now getting SO close, i love it even more. he talked a lot about perfecting our mission life, so our life at home can become perfected. it was amazing!!

i want to tell you about my studies lately in preparation for GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! last night as cute companions we made three sections on a piece of paper 1 our goals or questions we have 2. practical steps we can do this week to prepare for those questions and 3. results and our thoughts as conference goes on. I WANT TO TELL YOU that the questions i had were answered as i did the steps i had written down. i want to challenge you guys to do the same thing!! read General Conference is No ordinary blessing. and then read Good Better and Best and prepare yourself for conference! we should have been preparing MONTHS ago!! and this week, TELL EVERYONE that their prophet is speaking to THEM! because he is everyones prophet :) 

i love you guys!! i really do. i can't wait to hear the miracle of conference being such an answer to your thoughts and prayers lately. i know it will bless our lives as it always does!! here is to my last one- as a missionary!!

xoxo, sister ovard

WO AI CHUNG ZEN

translation: (I - LOVE// CHINESE: PEOPLE-)

NI HOW!! seriously- this week in Canada DID IT. i want to tell you every little thing that happened this week that's made me so grateful for Canada. 

1.  i am actually in India, Germany, china AND Canada with all Natives. most everyone we talk to is from china, India, or Germany!! you never thought i'd survive in places like that did ya ;)
2. ENGLISH isn't the #1 language. restaurants, gas stations, streets... most people don't speak english!! so yeah, gift of tongues is actually real. orrrrr you just point to your name badge and smile :D
3. its not bathroom its WASHROOM. say bathroom or you're nuts.
4. Eh is actually legit. they say MUM instead of MOM. Bag is pronounced like bagel bAg.
5. SPEED LIMITS.. oh my gosh. they do it in Kilometers and we drive slower than grandmas!!!!!!!!!!!!! now when we go 60k's i feel like we're going too fast..... ugh
6. OK PETS? EVERYONE AND THEIR MOMS HAVE PETS. AND WHEN I SAY PETS I MEAN PIGS FOR PETS, FERRETS FOR PETS BUNNIES FOR PETS. yesterday we were at dinner and i saw something moving around in my bag and IT WAS A FLIPPING FERRET. i was like "a rat is in my bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" yes, they know not to bring those out again. next time i need tape over my mouth.
7. the trees. i love them so much. they are much bigger, greener, and EVERYWHERE. its real beauty i tell ya.

those are just a couple things about Canada that i thought of this week- it's home. 

Evan and Helen Zhang were baptized!!!! oh goodness- it was the most beautiful baptism. Evan said after "i feel SO great! better than ever before!!!" thats the cleanest thing he's ever said :-)  there mom (who is less active) even brought friends and she pulled us aside and said "they want to be baptized" it was amazing!!! 

in honor of the Zhang families baptism on Friday we decided to just have an all Asian day. so all day we decided we were going to talk to EVERY Asian we saw! WHICH IS A LOT REMEMBER.. so we went to super store and talked to at least 30 Asians. ALL OF THEM wanted to know more about God and come to church. we got 4 phone numbers and 2 said they'd come to church. i'm proud to say we had a whole row of Asians at church yesterday. & it rocked. & they all LOVED it. & it was the primary program and the spirit was the strongest it's ever been. 

if you're wondering why we're matching in that picture - its a mission joke. i still hate matching ok?

yesterday a random number called our phone and said "i need a prayer please come by and pray" so of course we went, it was a young native mother named Sherlyn who had so much faith in a prayer that it would change her life. can you believe that??? it was amazing. 

it was BC food drive on Saturday so we were picking up bags from 10-2. we had a routine with the elders so it went by faster than it did putting them out!! me and an elder ran while our companions drove along side of us and we would drop the bags back in the car. WE RAN 9 MILES TOTAL AND I LITERALLY FELT MORE SORE THAN WHEN I RAN THE HALF MARATHON. it was raining and it was a beautiful day though so i honestly LOVED it!!!!

our week has been beautiful. i love focusing on Jesus. He came to save and there is truly freedom in his NAME! i love him. i have a renewed feeling & testimony of reading the book of Mormon. not a day will pass that i won't read it! the Messiahs presence has truly been in the work this week. i'll say it over and over again---- my mission is a miracle!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOODLE AND AUSTIN! I LOVE YOU BOTH MORE THAN ANYTHING!

xoxo, sister ayns ovard

-P day yoga on the beach last week

-EVAN AND HELEN! ASIAN FRIENDS!!

-because seriously i dont know who i am anymore holding bunnies. 

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

 this week- i have no words!

 its been a roller coaster- and if i had a bad week or a bad day on my mission, this week woulda been it. but i dont have those kind of days, because the Lord is ALWAYS real no matter what kind of day!!! but, im just going to tell you how it really was this week:
  *  Inga was anti'd supppperrrrr hard core on Thursday. it was so bad she decided not to be baptized or come to church. she called us and said "sisters, this is joseph smiths church. i cant do it anymore. come by and get your dress." and then hung up. we were out of our area for the next couple hours so we couldn't go to her house.. but we finally made it back that night and went to see her and she said "when i called you i felt like i was stabbed in my heart" and i just bawled and said inga!! because its the RIGHT thing to do.... we chatted and the end result was time. she just needs time. we did all we could. but i tell you- giving that to God was the hardest thing i've ever done. we sat in the mothers lounge at the church and prayed and thanked God for the miracle she was and then we gave ourselves a bit to cry it all out. it felt really good :) all is well! shes going out of town for a couple weeks & then we will be back to visiting her weekly.

  *   we met the coolest guy one evening and we got chatting and he was from ISRAEL!!!!! it was an instant connection and we had so much to talk about. i said "have you ever wondered more about jesus' life and if he ever came back??" he said yes, so we got his number and ended up meeting a couple days later. we taught the restoration and he said it all made sense to him. by the end, he asked if he could meet with ME. we got outta there REAL quick. THIS HAS HAPPENED WAY TO MANY TIMES TO ME I TELL YOU WHAT!!!

  *   we walked all day saturday....because you know, we didn't have a baptism ;) it was so incredible. the energy and passion we had to be out all day was over our heads. we met INCREDIBLE people and had so many amazing gospel conversations. we met the coolest man named Mitchell and he was walking his little son and dogs. he said "my wife is actually looking for a church right now!" we got his number and we will see them next week after they go on vacation. THAT gave us hours of energy!!!

 to end the week, i was ready to take the sacrament. i sat in the back with Evan and Helen and after the sacrament a lot of people walked in.. i looked up and saw a lady that looked like Ellie (convert from Sidney) then i looked behind her and saw JACOB! I JUMPED UP AND GRABBED THEM AND HUGGED THEM!!!!!!!! THEY CAME TO SURPRISE ME!!!!!!! THEY FELT LIKE THEY NEEDED TO COME AND SEE ME. THAT WAS GOD. i needed to see them. i needed to be reminded of the MIRACLES i have seen and the JOY and HAPPINESS i have found through OTHERS! I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE SOUL! Jacob is 15 now working at MccDonalds preparing for his MISSION! Ellie is still in the relief society doing all that she can. i couldnt believe her comments in gospel principals. i think i cried all Sunday because of them!!!! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! i feel so blessed and grateful!! this week will be Evan & Helens baptism and i can't wait to tell you about that one!!! they are adorable. im so happy family, Christ has been my focus and i have found peace through him and his words in the book or mormon.

 he said there are more sheep of his fold, and he would redeem them, and that is us!!! - 3 Nephi 15 SERIOUSLY i love you all!! have a happy wonderful week!!! :)

- sister Ovard