Douglas

Hi everyone! Been gone a while....been so busy with church and personal matters....just wanted to say hello again! Will try to be around much more, especially when September comes! -Douglas Olmstead2 Bronx, NY

I have three daughters so what we listen to is quite diverse. I listen to the 13 volume Chuch Hymn set, jazz and classical. When we are all together if it is inappropriate we just change the station.

Great look.

OH WOW! It is so great to see you here! This is a great place. -Doug

Great thanks. My wife lets me take the kids to church and she is very warm and welcoming when the Elders or my home teacher comes over. She also came to the Ward Christmas party. She really loves the people in the ward. A good start I would say.

Amen! One of my great joys is going out with the Elders on visits to investigators.

Yeah! The new board format got me confused..I forgot where I was!

Friends, I couldn't think of a better way to have finished 2007. First off, knowing you, kind and gentle people, who offered a shoulder, advice and kind words on my journey of faith. You are a bigger part of my life than you could imagine. Secondly, being taught by the missionaries. To hear the truth so eloquently and faithfully witnessed to was for me a miracle. Thirdly, being baptised and confirmed in the Church. It was a moment I thought would never come becasue I thought I would never find the true Church of Jesus Christ. I did. I know Heavenly Father loves me and I know that Jesus is my Savior, Lord, and Brother. While having you all as friends is a blessing finding a a community of believers that I can regularly fellowship with is more than I expected or deserved. Heavenly Father is so GREAT!! Holding the priesthood is another blessing that I thought had forever slipped though my hands when I left the Catholic seminary over 20 years ago. It is now part of life, part of who I am, part of my very being. May my preisthood and my life be always humbly dedicated to the service of our God and His people. I have been able to pray the sacrament prayers on Sundays and work as home teacher and ward missionary. I feel the presence Holy Ghost. Lastly, I was able to visit the New York City Temple for proxy baptisms and confirmations. I was a wonderful moment in my life. I testify that this Church is true, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that we have a living prophet to guide and instruct us. I think 2008 will be a wonderful adventure and I am happy to have you with me for the ride. May your New Year be a blessed one!

I see my dates of last visiting are off and I did relate this story to you all a short while back.....sorry for the repetition! Things have been going well and I will try to post some pics in the gallery!

Dear Friends, I noticed that the last time I visited here was on April 24th 2006. I am happy to say that I was baptised into the Church on October 26th 2007 and confirmed on the 28th! Here is part of my story: I have often reflected on how I came to this moment in my life. After all, I am 47 years old, have been married 20 years and have three daughters. I was born, raised, and educated in the Roman Catholic Church. I studied philosophy and theology in a Roman Catholic college-seminary and spent three years in the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order, preparing for priesthood. And that is where the first turn in the road appeared. In 1985 I had the strong sense that I was being called to marry and have a family. That of course eliminated any possibility of serving as a priest, or so I thought. My desire to marry and my growing disillusionment with the Catholic Church put me on a long path of searching. I realized that I never really had a personal relationship with Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ and I searched long and hard where I might find that relationship. That began a long period of spiritual wandering. I worshipped with Lutherans, Episcopalians, Baptists, and Pentecostals. I visited Hindu Ashrams and practiced Zen Buddhism. I eventually found a place in the Russian Orthodox Church, but while its liturgy was most beautiful, I found no spiritual sustenance for the remainder of the week. In 1997 while working as a staffing manager for a major accounting and consulting firm I met some fine staff who I found out were "Mormons." I knew I had to find out what this "Mormonism" was all about. Thus began a ten year investigation. I read, but did not internalize the Book of Mormon, I read whatever I could, searched every Internet site. I realized that this might be my last hope, but I was not spiritually strong enough, nor open to the Lord’s call to be able to respond. I knew for all those ten years of reading and investigating that if I committed to this there would be no turning back, but I had hardened my heart. I also wanted to know God! And in a moment of what I can only call grace-filled I found the courage to hit that little button on the church web-site that said, "contact a missionary" and I felt great peace. Missionaries called and we set up a first meeting. Teachings continued and here I am. For the remainder of my days Elders Bedwell and McGill will always be "my missionaries." They are indeed men of the Lord, spirit-filled like the great men in the Book of Mormon. For the first time in many years I prayed on my knees and I knew in the deepest depths of my soul that Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ knew me and loved me. I found my direction home. It is with great joy that I can say, "I am a Latter-day Saint!" I was baptized Saturday evening October 27th, 2007. It was a beautiful evening, after a day of heavy rain. My wife and two youngest children who are not members (yet) joined me for this joyous occasion. The ward prepared a little booklet program which I never expected. What I found most amazing was that I was joined by many ward missionaries and members...some of whom I did not even know! It was very touching. We sang a song, a prayer was said, and Elder McGill, one of my missionary teachers, gave a beautiful talk on the meaning of baptism. Then Elder Bedwell and I entered the baptismal pool. As I stepped into the water I noticed how warm it was and then, for a brief moment, I became so focused everything was blocked out....the people watching, the water.......I placed my hand on Elder Bedwell's arm and he held my other wrist. When he began the words of Baptism I heard them in my mind...loud...clear....and I sensed an instantaneous flash of the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost...and then I felt a gentle falling back into the water, calm, peace, freedom, and it was done. After changing out of our baptismal clothes, Elder Bedwell and I returned to the congregation and I was officially welcomed into the Ward on behalf of the Bishopric by Elder Shaffer. We closed with a beautiful prayer by Sister Schaffer and then the closing song, "All Glory, Laud, and Honor". It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I was confirmed the following day, October 28th, 2007. It was another moment of profound love and grace. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the True Church and is led by prophets in our day. My only prayer is that I may be able to serve the Church and my brothers and sisters with patience, humility, and confidence.

Friends, I couldn't think of a better way to have finished 2007. First off, knowing you, kind and gentle people, who offered a shoulder, advice and kind words on my journey of faith. You are a bigger part of my life than you could imagine. Secondly, being taught by the missionaries. To hear the truth so eloquently and faithfully witnessed to was for me a miracle. Thirdly, being baptised and confirmed in the Church. It was a moment I thought would never come becasue I thought I would never find the true Church of Jesus Christ. I did. I know Heavenly Father loves me and I know that Jesus is my Savior, Lord, and Brother. While having you all as friends is a blessing finding a a community of believers that I can regularly fellowship with is more than I expected or deserved. Heavenly Father is so GREAT!! Holding the priesthood is another blessing that I thought had forever slipped though my hands when I left the Catholic seminary over 20 years ago. It is now part of life, part of who I am, part of my very being. May my preisthood and my life be always humbly dedicated to the service of our God and His people. I have been able to pray the sacrament prayers on Sundays and work as home teacher and ward missionary. I feel the presence Holy Ghost. Lastly, I was able to visit the New York City Temple for proxy baptisms and confirmations. I was a wonderful moment in my life. I testify that this Church is true, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that we have a living prophet to guide and instruct us. I think 2008 will be a wonderful adventure and I am happy to have you with me for the ride. May your New Year be a blessed one!

WELCOME!!!

That is wonderful! But to be honest...I had the best missionaries!

I was baptised and confirmed last week. What about you?

Dear Friends, This past Sunday I was ordained a priest in the Aaronic priesthood. It was as powerful a moment as my baptism and confirmation. Why I am entitled to receive this privilege I do not know. I only ask Heavenly Father for the grace to exercise priesthood power in total humility and confidence in Him; to be of total service to Him and my fellow brothers and sisters. Many years ago I studied for the priesthood in the Catholic Church. When I had to leave those studies because the I heard the Lord's call that I should be married, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would or could be His priest. At this thought I weep. This gift is a great one! For without Heavenly Father choosing our dear Joseph to be His prophet we would all still be in the darkness of apostasy. Thanks be to God! -With affection.