I realized this week that a lot of my frustration stemmed from not being able to see my growth. I have really been focusing on the things that I am leaning and trying to change myself in so many ways that I wanted to see more change. Also I thought that I had enough experience with Mexico and Hawaii to get me through the mission that I forgot who gave me the strength to get through all those other trials. I tried to rely on my experience instead of relying on the Lord. I guess I was sitting in one place watching a tree grow and when I didn't see it change I got mad. But what I failed to do is ask the master gardener what nutrients and work the tree needs to grow. I was trying to grow a tree using rose feed. But the master gardener has different tools he wants me to use now. I already grew my rose bush, this is a tree I am working with now. I need to look to the proper source, do my work, then leave the tree to grow.
I got a letter from Grandpa Skinner this week, oh it just made my day. I think I read it like 4 times! It was such a testimony of hard work yielding results and always trusting in the Lord. But other than another letter from Amanda and one from Mary (which I loved!) I haven't gotten any mail, and we are not getting mail tomorrow because we are getting like 23 missionaries and 19 are sisters.
Hermana Chamberlain is going to train one of them. It's crazy. This mission is going to burst! So I really don't need skirts now because I will be walking, but if you still have those grey shoes that we got from the mall I would love them! My shoes are good, but those were like butter on my feet and my foot still hurts sometimes from that bug bite.
There was a corner spider in our apartment this week. It just a really big poisonous spider in Chile and I killed it cause my companion was so scared. So basically I saved our lives. But there are not a lot of bugs here, its to dry. And I haven't eaten anything weird, just a lot of carbs. Chile is the second top consumer of bread in the world, second to France. Oh but the bread is amazing! O, if you could send a picture of my baptism that would be amazing!
We had a baptism this week, the familia a**. Basically the parents are members but they went inactive. But now they want to come back and raise their kids in the gospel. So we taught the two oldest girls and baptised them. It was great. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to Los Andes.
I just don't really feel like typing about Los Andes cause I just miss it so so so much! But I will tell you about this man we taught. Lets call him Juan cause I don't remember his name. We started teaching him and he seemed golden. He loves the bible and believes in the apostasy. He thinks that all the religions just teach their own doctrine. So we jumped in and started telling him about Jose Smith and the restoration. He wasn't having it. We tried to tell him there was proof that Jose was a prophet and we brought out the Book of Mormon . . . I swear I could hear him say: A bible a bible we have a bible and need not more. I thought about Harrison and our little joke with that scripture and almost laughed during the lesson. I just let the whole thing role off my back. But Hermana Chamberlain took it really hard.
But we met someone later in the week who really is golden, M**. She lives in a vineyard and guess what she gave us? Yep grapes fresh from the vine that tasted like candy! She had met with the missionaries when she visited her mom in the South and she has been looking for them ever since she returned. Basically shes just going to get baptized. For the rest of the day I was singing: I went in a vineyard today. I went in a vineyard today and met M**. haha, it was so funny.
Oh I miss Los Andes! It was just so so so great! I don't know how I feel about this sector. My companions say the work is great here and so is the ward. There are 12 missionaries in our ward! Crazy! But I want to go back to Los Andes with my bike and my vineyards, and all the crazy Catholics. But the Lord wants me here so I will go and do.
Okay, so I'm trying to send more pictures, but this computer can't read my card. Sorry, I'll try to work on it.
I'm not sure how far we rode are bikes everyday . . . a lot! Also, I know about the plaque thing. All my pictures now you can see it. Yeah, this computer won't read my card . . sorry!
Also, Harrison, you are going to Brazil. I just thought I would remind you;) Wow, I'm just still so excited. And Jackson is getting married!! And Wilson is turning 11!! loco! But other than that your lives sound boring. But I love reading about them! So keep telling me! I think maybe your mail got lost. But I sent a letter home last week, so we'll see how the Chilean mail is.
Oh, shout out to Mary because you are going into the MTC soon! Blah I'm so happy for you. You know it will be hard, but you can do it!! I loved your letter so so so much! I sent you a letter but I don't know if it will get to you before you leave. But it's not very good.
Well, I have 15 more minutes, and I could sit here and tell you about how I really really really want to go back to Los Andes and how I miss Hermana Chamberlain, but then I might start crying and I've been tying so hard to hold it in all day. Basically, its just been an emotional week and I've been trying to watch that dang tree grow and its just not helping. I feel like this is hard, but at the same time nothing is happening. The tree isn't growing. But trees aren't meant to be watched. They are meant to be cared for and then someday when I go to water the tree, I will realize how far it as come from the little twig it once was.
The language is still hard, but I was able to work with one of the other new sister this week while my companion went to the temple and I realized what a head start I got. So poco a poco its coming and I know in this next change its just going to explode. Well I hope so. I hope they speak Spanish with me and not English.
I just really don't know what else to say. Basically I'm just in shock that I'm even here right now. It feels like the beginning all over again, and I don't know if I can endure that again. ugh . .. why why why? Just when things were starting to get good! I pray that one day I will get to return to Los Andes, maybe when I can speak Spanish a little better.
Okay, last couple questions. No there is no asado there is just pan pan pan! And I think it fell from heaven. There is a lot of choclo (corn) and I love it! It's all so so so much better than in the states. I forgot the last couple questions but I got to go. I love you all. les vaya bien!
Hermana Ostler
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