Going back...to Norman? Alright!

Dear Family,

Its transfers week...and I'm getting transfered. I didn't really expect it, but I'm leaving my area and its getting shotgunned...which means taking the missionaries serving there out and puting new ones in...and they're sisters. I think they'll do great here and find a lot of success. The teaching pool is built up just in time for me to leave and them to reap the harvest. They'll do a good job, I'm sure. I'll be meeting with the new ward mission leader tonight to give him the run down on the area, so he can assist the sisters in adjusting to the area. Its a bitter sweet transfer. There are a lot of people that I've spent a lot of time with and sad to leave them, but they'll be in good hands and I'm going to take over a sister area in........NORMAN 4th ward! I love Norman! If you remember, that's where I started my mission. I'm going to be in a different area, but I'll see so many of my favorite members and great people at church from the 2nd ward. I'm sad to leave, but excited to see what became home to me when I started. With this transfer there are serveral new missionaries and Elder Kleinman will be training again (number three) and so will I! This mission is getting filled with our posterity. Elder Kleinman was my first trainee and then I was suppose to get Elder Jackson, who still isn't out and now am getting Elder Baker from Erda, Utah and Elder Kleinman is getting Elder Jensen from Salt Lake City after training for the past couple transfers with Elder Call from LV, and Elder Hamner from UT, who will also be trainers as they get older in the mission.So, a cool experience happened with a new investigator. On Friday we got a referral for Sandre Salinas. Here's how; A month ago he was found by some missionaries in New York and went to church with them and a couple activities, but he told them he was moving soon to Oklahoma City. The missionaries told him to find the missionaries here once he arrived...he didn't, but no worries. The Lord was on it. The Spanish elders did some tracting in an apartment complex and knocked on his door. It gets better...he sent them on their way with a "Hey, sorry I don't have time." The missionaries gave him a pass along card and thought nothing of it, just another rejection. What they didn't know is the Lord sent them to that door. Sandre read the card later in the day and remember the Elders in New York and called the number and we got a referral the next day. After being in Oklahoma for three days the Lord put us at his door and he's back on track. He came to our 4th of July pancake breakfast and church the next day and plans on continuing to do so and the ward was very helpful. Don't worry about rejection...those seeds are worth everything even if its simply being there....and now the sisters will be here. Well, I hope your 4th was great! Love ya! I'm off to pack up and get ready for a new assignment!

-Elder Osness