SPRING IN OAMARU

Its so fun to see the new growth not only in our yard as we look out the windows of our home, but also in the work out here in Oamaru.

 

We are experiencing a missionary effort in both branches, by not only the missionary's but also the members and leaders and it's exciting. We had a sacrament on missionary work and our very own Elder Osburn was the main speaker and told of his conversion story. A few days later we had an open house with one member,who is of humble means and the father of 9 children providing the food. He is the ward mission leader. There were 24 investigators that showed up and 75% of them he invited.  Elder Osburn spoke again.

 The missionaries have placed flyers all over town to invite people to come and listen to prophets and apostles at a world wide broadcast. This week is when we listen to conference here because we are a day ahead. We had to get up at 5:00 am to hear conference live,it was so wonderful and had such a special spirit. They tried the flyers last year in Nelson and they were hoping for 300 to show up and they got 500,so exciting. 

The ward mission leaders meet with us and the missionary's weekly at our home and the ward counsel meeting every week is how we get the names to reactivate  less active in both branches. We have been going out with the missionary's to teach non members with them. Rand and I actually have a family to teach with three sons and a single mom every Thursday evening. She and one son are members but two of her sons have yet to be baptized. Every Tuesday night  we teach an institute class on the B of M at the church.The work is definitely moving forward in this part of the vineyard. 

Every other Thursday we have district training in our home. This last Thursday was the first time in our home so I gave my Crepes breakfast You should have seen them put down the crepes. 

Elder Danies the new ZL standing to the left ate 9. 

Training in our living room. 

That, of course, put Sister Osburn down for a week and she hasn't recovered yet. She has had a sore 

 throat since she got here as well as sores in her mouth. We brought an investigator to church who had a bad cold, so she caught that too. On top of that a kidney stone appeared that week and had a trip to the doc. Now ct scans and blood work  because her irritable bowel is only letting her have soup every day. She has cried many tears about why would he send us out here now when she is having a hard time coping with all the changes, work and stress of everything. Her body is still in charge of her daily activities. 

It is so hard to work with and then have to say goodbye to some of these missionary's that we love so much and we know why we had to come now.  We just lost our first few missionary's today. The ones that taught us what and how to do this.They get a candy bar card when they leave. ( I have to hug them goodbye).

Zone leader Elder Barryhill

DL Elder McClullam

There is no doubt it's Rand that had to come to further the work. He will have to go with the missionary's when she can't. Sister Osburn is determined to get to the little Philipino family with the single mom each week for sure cause she has a special spot in her heart for that sister. We hope you will pray with us to bring that little family some joy with the gospel in their life. 

In closing are some pics of our little seaside town we love so much. Old town.    

     

Penguins come to shore every night (dusk) beautiful beaches with these amazing sea shells all over.

P.S. Sorry it has been so long between postings,we'll do better in the future. One of the advantages of long time waits is that we got two letters/emails from people wanting to stay in touch--Yeah!!! Way to go Kress and Kim. 

 To catch you up on some things that have just transpired: the couple that we put the wedding on for with all the attendant costs etc. have dropped the missionaries. We think they just couldn't handle living the commandments and changing their lives. They also wore members out asking for money, rides, etc.interesting!! So it goes sometimes. 

Also of interest is that we got to hear Elder Vern Stanfill, newly called to the seventy, speak at his fair well in the Big Fork ward in Kalispell. Got to meet him too. Great man who will be serving in Africa for the next five years. Enjoyed his talk at conference.

We want to share a scripture with you. We had been praying and fasting ferverently about Alecia's health problems when we came to the following scripture: Mosiah 24: 12-16. It was the answer we have been seeking for quite sometime and spoke to us loudly. 

We again bare our testimony that this is the Lords work. It is his restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This is His true church with the fullness and completeness of His word here on earth. Mat we all love him and each other. Elder and Sis. Osburn