Sunday, March 6, 2011

From the MTC, Provo Utah

Wed, Mar 02, 2011
So right after I said the snow doesn't stay around long here it dumped 6" and stayed for a couple days! Today it is pretty warm out though so it jumps around alot. A district in our zone is leaving so we are moving from the 4th floor of our building down to be with the rest of the zone on the ground floor. It will be nice to be by them and get to know them better. We will be the oldest district in a week which is crazy! Some elders are having problems getting visas to Mexico though, so they might be here for a little longer. 
We have been teaching and learning a ton lately! We had a really neat experience with one of our progressive investigators yesterday as we extended the invitation to be baptized and to repent through prayer. She accepted and afterwards my companion and I were so excited to be doing that in Argentina in a couple weeks! Our other investigator is not ready but  we are learning so much to be able to help him prepare and understand the need for baptism by the proper authority.
My testimony of the restored gospel has grown so much since I have been here! The history of the church and the scriptures are so real and come to life as we study! The power of the Book of Mormon to change people's lives is amazing! I was reading a story about a man who robbed a girl on her way to a friend's house to give her the Book of Mormon. A few days later she got a letter from the man explaining how he had read it and that it changed his life and that he wanted to give her things back and never do the things he was doing again! 
I will try to find the source of that and let you know. It is in a talk I read.
I know that by reading and studying the Book of Mormon we too will be drawn to always do better and show more love for those around us! The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ. It teaches us so much about the Atonement and how important it is in our lives. Read it everyday! I know it will bless your life! The Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again and we are so blessed to be living at this time! I know the church is true with all my heart and nothing could ever make me think otherwise! I know that we can live together as a family  forever through the gospel! I love you all so very much and miss you!
Love Elder Oczkewicz
From the MTC, Provo Utah

Feb 16, 2011
Well its so crazy that I have already been here 4 weeks today! Time is flying by! I only have 4.5 more to go. I am going to miss it here but I can't wait to get to Argentina! I heard that after our flight to Buenos Aires, we have a bus ride to Salta... if that's the case, we will see alot of countryside for 34 hours. I don't know if that's true but that's what we heard. I'll let you know when we get our travel information (not sure when that will be though). We have been practicing teaching in Spanish and it's coming along great! I can't believe how much we have learned in the 4 weeks we've been here!
Everyone got loads of candy for Valentine's day and I think I have had more this last week than the last couple years... not good. I am at 180 so I put on 5 pounds but it's holding there. I guess one kid that our teacher had, lost 30 pounds before his mission and gained 40 at the MTC! I might be doing most of my laundry by hand in Argentina. I got some cards from your young men and women! That was really cool! Tell them thank you and I'll try to write something before I leave here.
Last night we had an amazing talk by Kevin W. Pearson on how to make the most of your mission. He was really blunt but it really woke everyone up and as a district we all have set some goals and are trying to work alot harder.
We met with the Argentine consolate yesterday and got fingerprints so I think that means our visas are getting done. There are a bunch of Brazillian missionaries who were supposed to go to the mtc there but since visas aren't going through, they come here and get reassigned - to Florida mostly. I am glad I don't have to worry about that.
Lots of Love,
Elder Oczkewicz
From the MTC, Provo Utah

Feb 9, 2011
Things are going great here! Some of the kids in my district can't wait to get out of the mtc but I love it here! I am excited to go to Argentina but I am learning so much here! My companion and I taught the second lesson (plan of salvation) in at least 50 percent Spanish so that's pretty cool! The language is comming along great!
We get to go on temple walks on Sundays. I don't know if I mentioned that yet.
I can't believe it has already been 3 weeks! Time is going by way too fast! 
I have been playing lots of four square at the gym! When the line to play gets too long, I go play volleyball or go run. A lot of people play basketball but I haven't tried that yet. Watching them play makes me always think of Miles! I really liked playing with him on Wednesdays before I left.  
I love you all but my time is up! 
Love Elder Oczkewicz
From the MTC, Provo Utah

Wed, Feb 02, 2011
Thank you! Everything is going great here! I love it! lots of learning! Spanish is coming along but it's not the only focus. We are doing contacts and greeting people in Spanish and I am trying to expand my vocab a bit. We go to the temple every prep. day(Wednesday) then after that we have time to do email and other stuff till laundry at 3 and then we do a little service on site. It's busy but fun because of all the great people! I get to talk to the German kids in lunch line sometimes but most of the people are learning Spanish here. I saw Jordan Lamb a couple times. Mexico warmth sounds so nice right now! It is 0 today, I heard. The walk to the temple was kinda chilly! I haven't got my coat yet but since we don't spend much time outside it doesn't matter that much.
Thank you everyone for the letters!
I love you all! 
Elder Oczkewicz

Alex's Mission

Wed, Jan 26, 2011
 
Well there are 7 people in my district and we are all going to Salta Argentina! The language is coming along amazingly fast but it's also crazy to think we only will be here for 9 weeks to learn it! Hearing the people leaving talk Spanish though is a great comfort! It will come along fast enough. We got to go to the temple today! That was nice! My p days are on Wednesday so that is when I can email. 
Love Elder O