WEEKLY EMAIL-WEEK 23

HEY FAM! :)
I NEVER LOOKED AT TIME THE WAY I DO NOW, IT'S AS IF ITS MUCH, MUCH SHORTER NOW THEN IT WAS BEFORE. IT REALLY PUTS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR ME ON THE IMPORTANCE OF USING MY TIME WISELY AND SPENDING THESE TWO YEARS AS A PART OF GODS ARMY TO PUSH FORWARD THE WORK UNTIL I CAN'T PUSH ANY MORE! ITS CRAZY TO THINK OF HOW INVOLVED YOU BECOME WHEN YOUR SET APART AS A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST. HOW EMOTIONAL YOU GET WHEN YOU TEACH ABOUT HIS GOSPEL, AND HOW MUCH IT REALLY MEANS TO YOU. I TRULY KNOW THE MEANING OF THE "WANT" TO SHARE THE MESSAGE, BECAUSE OF ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS IT BRINGS TO ME IN MY LIFE! AND ALSO ALL THE AMAZING EXPERIENCES THE MISSION BRINGS. LIKE THIS PAST THURSDAY WE HAD A MISSION TOUR. ELDER KENT F. RICHARDS OF THE 2ND QUORUM OF THE 70 CAME AND SPOKE TO US. ITS WAS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT ONLY TEACHING BY FAITH, BUT ALSO OF LEARNING BY FAITH! IT WAS A WAY POWERFUL MEETING, AND SOMETHING I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER, IT HELPED ME TO REALIZE SOMETHINGS, AND PUT THINGS INTO BETTER PERSPECTIVE. BUT THE MOST AMAZING AND KIND OF TRIPPY EXPERIENCE WAS WHEN WE GOT TO ALL MEET AND SHAKE HIS HAND. HE WAS ASKING EVERYONE WHERE WE WERE FROM AND HOW OUR FAMILY WAS DOING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. HE ASKED WERE I WAS FROM, AND I TOLD HIM SACRAMENTO, CUZ ITS BETTER KNOWN THEN ELK GROVE. AND THEN HE ASKED HOW MY FAMILY IS DOING, AND I SAID, "STILL GROWING" AND YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HE SAID NEXT. HE STILL HAD MY HAND IN HIS GRIP, AND HE LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND SAID, " ELDER, IM SORRY YOUR MISSING THE WEDDING." AND THEN .... WELL... I STARTED CRYING. LOL.. IT DIDNT HIT ME AT THAT POINT THAT HE KNEW WITHOUT ME SAYING A WORD, BUT IT WAS THAT HE WAS SINCERELY AND TRULY SORRY FOR ME. THAT HE SOMEHOW KNEW HOW IMPORTANT AND HARD IT IS FOR ME TO MISS THE WEDDING. AND THEN AS I WALKED AWAY I WAS COMFORTED,BY THE THOUGHT OF THE OPPORTUNITY I HAD TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE WHO IS SO IN TUNE WITH THE SPIRIT! IT WAS A LITTLE CREEPY IN A WAY IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, BUT ITS NOT CREEPY AT ALL! IT WAS... WELL... AWESOME! THAT WAS A DAY FULL OF EMOTIONS THAT WERE COMING FROM ALL SIDES, BUT EACH AND EVERY ONE BUILT UP MY TESTIMONY! WOW, THAT IS SOMETHING I CAN NEVER FORGET. OH MOM, DONT WORRY ABOUT THE PICTURE SLEEVES IF YOU CANT FIND THEM, ITS NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL. I CAN PROBABLY FIND SOME SOMEWHERE, BUT WHAT I WOULD APPRECIATE, IS SOME OF THOSE LIGHT BLUE ENVELOPES I GOT BEFORE I CAME OUT, THE ONES FROM STAPLES? PLEASE. THANKS! SO LETS SEE, WELL IM LOVING BEING SR. ITS A LOT EASIER WHEN YOU KIND OF GET TO MAKE THE DECISIONS, I MEAN WE BOTH TALK THINGS OUT, BUT UTIMATLY ITS WHAT I FEEL IS BEST FOR OUR COMPANIONSHIP. AND WE GOT BIKES THE OTHER DAY, AND LET ME TELL YOU. GOSH IM TIRED...LOL... I HIT THE PILLOW EVERY NIGHT AND PASS OUT. I REALIZE HOW SPOILED WE ARE WITH A CAR, BUT WE GET IT BACK SOON. ANYWAYS, LETS SEE, OH SO I TOLD YOU ALL ABOUT VERNA AND LEE, THE LESS ACTIVE COUPLE WE SEE ALL THE TIME, WELL THEY WERE BAPTIZED A YEAR AGO, AND THEY HAVE BEEN TO CHURCH ONLY ABOUT 4 TIMES. AND I HAVE BEEN ALMOST PLEADING WITH THEM TO COME AND THEN THIS LAST SUNDAY, AS WE WERE SINGING THE OPENING HYMN, VERNA PLOPS DOWN RIGHT NEXT TO ME!!! IT LITERALLY MADE MY DAY! ITS CRAZY HOW YOUR FEELINGS TOWARDS THE WORK AND THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE, REALLY TURN TO LOVE! WE ARE SEEING REAL PROGRESS WITH THEM, AND DAVID AND HIS WIFE SHOULD BE HOME NOW, SO WORK SHOULD BE GOING FORWARD CONTINUALLY! I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT MY TESTIMONY IS GROWING EACH AND EVERY DAY, AND I COULD NEVER DENY THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THIS GOSPEL! I WITNESS THE MIRACLES OF IT EVERYDAY! NOT ONLY HERE, BUT AT HOME AS WELL! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH AND I LOVE HEARING OF ALL THAT HAPPENS AT HOME! IM SORRY I CANT BE THERE TO BE THE BIG BROTHER TO BEAT UP THE MEAN TEACHERS, BUT HEAVENLY FATHER AND JESUS NEED ME FIGHTING ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIR TEAM RIGHT NOW! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH, AND I CAN NEVER THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU GIVE ME AND HELPING ME TO SERVE A MISSION! STAY STRONG, AND REMEMBER TO PRAY ALWAYS! I LOVE YOU!!!
LOVE,ELDER OGEN