July 31, 2008

Happy Thursday!

Just so I don’t forget later, P-Day for next week has been changed because of Zone Conferences so next week I will be writing on Wednesday.

I hope everything is OK and the earthquake didn’t effect you too bad. I went over to a members home and they told me all about it. They said it hit some spots pretty hard. I guess Judge Judy got pretty frazzled from what they were showing on the news.

I love Pottstown! It is really nice to take a break and breathe. Our wards boundaries are HUGE. So we get around by car. We actually have a really nice car, A 2004 Mazda 3 Starlight Green. We get allotted 1300 miles a month so we have to be careful.

The suburban area is a lot different from the city. Everything is different actually. The way you teach and talk to people in general. The tracting and ways of finding people is completely opposite. It has been a big adjustment but I love it. It gives me the opportunity to sharpen the other side of my sickle!
I had the chance to take back those pants this morning. Thankfully they had just my size. I’m wearing them today so I’ll take a picture when we go out with the district this afternoon. Right now we are up in Reading it is kinda the center of our district so we all met here and now are going for a little adventure.

I’m glad you got your birthday present. I was afraid you wouldn’t.

Everything is going Magnificent. Elder Olsen and I are doing SO good.

I love you!

Elder Oakford

PS. Tell Jake and Josh that I live right next to the Reading railroad. I’ll have to send them a picture of me standing next to the big engines.

Love you!

President Murray’s Blog

A few photos of Mike from his mission president’s blog–Called to Serve.

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July 24, 2008

Dear Mom and Dad,
I was very surprised when transfer calls came in on Sunday night. I was told that I would be there for about 6 months, so I was planning out things for the long haul. But I packed up and got ready to go. When we got to transfer meeting my name was the first one on the wall. I am now in Pottstown, PA with Elder Dave Olsen! I am actually really excited to be out of the city for the first time. It is beautiful here. We cover a ward that is about 75 miles from one side to the other. We are in the Reading stake so the stake center isn’t to far away, About 30 minutes. I have had a great couple nights so far. The ward is really nice and loves their missionaries. My companion is a wonderful missionary, I knew him at the beginning of my mission when he was in North Philly with me.

My new home address is 262 King Street,  Apt. 727, Pottstown, PA 19464
We have a really nice and clean apartment.

This transfer is going to be so much fun. The ward is great and really excited to do missionary work.

The Library we do EMail at is small so it has shorter computer times, But I wanted to let you where I was.

I love you Have a wonderful week!

Mike

July 22, 2008–Transfer Day

We got word that Mike will be transfered from Germantown today.  We will find out where is has been assigned when we get his e-mail on Thursday.  He was only in the Germantown area for 12 weeks.

July 17, 2008

This week has been good, just a lot of the same. Chasing down people who mostly don’t want to be found. As for teaching, we have a few investigators that we are working with but right now our job is mostly working with Recent Converts and Less Active Members. We’ve got a nice size teaching pool that we can go to. Our standard for lessons is set by Elder Ballard, 20-30 lessons a week. Usually that’s not that difficult of a goal but it really depends on where you are serving.
Germantown is doing great and activity is increasing.   We have a baptism scheduled for this Saturday. Sam is really excited. The plan is baptism on Saturday, Confirmation on Sunday then to the Temple for Baptisms for the Dead the following Saturday! That is going to be really exciting. Keith and Sam are both going to be there so I asked them to take a picture of them in front of the temple for me.

Today I am going to visit Rozzina. One of my Recent converts who was baptized on March 9th in Frankford. She had the missionaries get a hold of me and let me know that her health is declining due to cancer and now an enlarged heart. The doctors just told her that she is terminally ill and doesn’t have too much longer. So today we are going to go see her for a little while. Some how early this week she got my phone number and called me, she’s the funniest lady. She testified her head off until I told her I had to go. I’m excited that I got permission to go back and see her.

Everything else is going well. This ward is an incredible ward to work with. They have members who are very missionary minded and willing to do so much. I love it.

July 10, 2008

It sounds like you and mom and dad are all having fun and planning some adventurous trips! I tried
to pass a temple trip past President Murray but it got rejected. Too bad.

On the 26th our ward is having a temple trip that is especially for new members. I am so happy
because I will be having TWO men from this area go! Keith Rowe who was baptized last transfer and
is so excited and then Sam Gourdine who will be baptized this Sunday confirmed next Sunday and then
go to the temple the Saturday following, how cool.

Sam is a man that was found in Feburary when some elders saw him broken down on the side of the
rode and offered to push his car home. He is amazing and his testimony is growing rapidly. The members have really taken him under their wing as well. This ward is great to work with. We teach or take teaching at least 5-7 Active Members a week. That is my favorite. A lot of them are young and here just for Dental school.

On the Fourth of July it was Elder Pecks birthday so we had a party with the Elders Quorum President, First Counselor and a Ward Missionaries families! These families are all really great. They are so active and involved in missionary work and just great friends to whomever they meet.

Right now we are down in Center City going to see the sites with some missionaries who haven’t. P-Day is wierd on Thursday but we’ll get used to it.

Small packages can be sent to the Apartment. They usually drop it with the lady at the front desk
and then she will come put it in our apartment.

I love you. Let everyone know I am doing well and working my tail off!

Love,
Elder Michael Oakford