I love you all. Still haven't gotten mail but hopefully tomorrow! I don't need the shoes anymore so don't worry about the address.
Lots of love from Chile!
Hermana Ostler
(Note from Delene, Hermana Ostler's Mom). The above is the email we received Monday morning, April 1st. I was so sad. Our family was on vacation at the Eppich's cabin and Janet had just received an email from her missionary in Africa. He told her he'd had a horrible week and was sick. Then he typed "April Fools." It never crossed my mind that Saydi would "April Fool's" us. But she did. The following is the email that was forwarded to us by my oldest daughter, Amanda late Monday night. We didn't actually read it until Wednesday. Way to go Saydi - you got us good!!!!
Dear familia!
APRIL FOOLS!! Haha, sorry, I couldn't help myself. I thought of this a few weeks ago and couldn't resist. So you can ground me when I get home.
Okay, to answer your two important questions. My favorite scripture is in 1 Nephi 21: 15-16. I think it's chapter 21. It might be 19 or 20. Basically its the scripture that says "but I will not forget thee O house of Israel. I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands."
My ward is called Simon Bolivar, but it's not in Simon Bolivar. The street is called Santo Domingo. But don't worry about the shoes. I am actually fine! I started wearing my other shoes and they are perfect! My feet just needed to adjust to walking all the time. We get mail on Wednesdays now. That's when I have district class, and the office brings it. It's usually some of the couple missionaries. I don't know what my address is.
There are only three of us in the apartment now because the other sisters moved out. It was so crowded. The reason we didn't do three companionship's is because Hermana Leyva and I are still being trained. We have on transfer of training left. And two of the sisters in the other companionship just arrived and they are both being trained by the one sister. It's good they are gone because we only had one bathroom for 6 missionaries which would not have worked! So they left on Wednesday to another apartment that the Elders moved out of.
We all have our own sectors to work in, so there are not 12 missionaries working one area. We are all in the same ward boundaries, but we have our own sectors. Yeah, that's all I remember from your bucket load of questions. Ha ha
So Monday was super hard. I just didn't want to be here. I felt out of place. Tuesday morning I was still feeling so so so low! I didn't want to work, I didn't want to study. Nothing. Then we hit the streets and everything changed. I don't know what it was, but after we taught a quick five minute lesson to some lady in a store my whole outlook changed. It really doesn't matter where I am, and it's not about what I want. The Lord needs me in Simon Bolivar, so I will give it everything I have and learn all I can.
Hermana Hernandez trains so differently than Hermana Chamberlain. We are walking down the street, Hermana Hernandez catches my eyes, then points with her lips to some woman about to walk past and that's my cue to open my mouth and talk! She will stop during lessons, look at me and wait for me to say something. It's so different. . . . and I love it!
It is still a little hard adjusting to teaching with 3 missionaries, especially since Hermana Leyva and Hermana Hernandez already had a system. But they have welcomed me and we all get along so so so well!
We speak Spanish all the time. I catch myself thinking in Spanish and not being able to remember English words at the end of the day. It's exhausting on my mind to always be speaking Spanish, and at times its frustrating, but it is so so so helpful. Hermana Leyva helps me a lot with my Spanish. She quietly corrects my little mistakes, and always lends a word during a lesson when I can't remember one or forget. It's still hard, but I have more faith now that it will come.
We still have progressing investigators that we teach 20 to thirty minute lessons to, but we also turn our street contacts into lessons. If a contact is going over 2 minutes, we will ask the person if we can say a prayer for them. They always agree, then we give them a pamphlet and either talk about Jose Smith, Plan of Salvation or the Gospel of Christ. We say another prayer, get their address and chao! I love the short simple lessons.
Teaching a lot makes the time fly by! In Los Andes I looked at my watch every 30 minutes. Here, 2 hours will go by and it feels like 5 minutes. I'm learning a lot, but it kinda feels like I'm starting my mission all over again.
We eat lunch every day with the same sister. Hermana Sari from Peru. She is the Relief Society President. She is one of the only members from the ward that lives in our sector. The other missionaries in the ward eat with different members every day. They have a calendar for feeding and a calendar for washing clothes. This ward is so so so organized. But no one plays the piano, so looks like I'll have to swallow my fear and just do it!
My new zone isn't as amazingly awesome as my last zone. But they are great. We have fun, but the lessons and teaching . . . . . . I don't know if these elders are as focused as the elders in my other zone. But there is an elder in my zone from Brazil! He's awesome. I was talking to him about Harrison, and if Portuguese was hard to learn. He said for gringos it's easier because all the sounds are from the back of the throat, like English. Whereas in Spanish, all the sound does from the front of the mouth, and movement of the tongue against the teeth instead of the roof of the mouth in English. So you can do it Harrison! But wow, it's so awesome how the work is just exploding! There's not room in our mission for more missionaries!!!
This week was the Santa Semana . . . Easter. So there was no one in the streets for the weekend. Everyone left for the beach! Also, Thursday was la dia de joven en combata, or something. Apparently it's dangerous. So Wednesday and Thursday we had to go home early. Basically we decorated our planners, cleaned the house, and talked about music, movies and boys! These sisters are so so so fun! When it's time to work, we work! But we also take our 20 minute break everyday, to rest our feet and minds, and at night we laugh, tease and joke. It's so fun!
Right now we are teaching a man named O**. He is 84 years old and doesn't hear so well. He is a sweet old man, and I always enjoy visiting him, but in the beginning of the week I thought our visits and lessons were close to pointless. I didn't think that he understood, but really, it was me who didn't understand. On Thursday we taught him the ley de castidad, and going into the lesson I had already made up my mind that he wouldn't understand. After we taught the basics of the law, and read from the pamphlet, I asked him what he understood about the law and how it applied to him. I was expecting him to shrug his shoulders and say: no se. But he didn't. His answer proved that he had understood everything we had taught, and more importantly that he was willing to live the commandment. I realized then, that I had been grossly underestimating O**'s ability to not only understand, but his willingness to follow Christ.
As he said the closing prayer a few minutes later, he thanked Heavenly Father for us, and for the teachings of the gospel. As he finished the simple prayer, I was filled with such love for him and I realized that it was only a fraction of the love his Heavenly Father feels for him. O** helped remind me why I am serving a mission. It's not about me and who I want to teach. It's about the Lord and who he wants me to teach. O** has proved to me that you never know who is ready for the gospel.
On Friday, we taught him the Word of Wisdom and after the lesson he gave us a bag of tea had. He is just so willing to live the gospel. It was so funny! He went through all the tea he had and asked if they were okay because some of them were herbal teas. Oh, he is just great great great! Whenever I am having a hard time or I am tired, Hermana Hernandez says . . . 'think of Oscar! That's why you are here.' It always makes me feel so much better!
We did a service project this week and helped a member paint her house. I think that is the picture I sent yesterday. Also, on Easter, we forgot to buy chocolate to celebrate, but some ward members came over and gave us a little basket of chocolate eggs. It was so sweet. But they came over at like 10:30PM and when the door rang we were so scared. We couldn't see anyone outside the door, and no one answered when we asked who was there. Then they knocked on the door, and we saw a man through the peep hole. He said he was from the church, but we didn't recognize him. So we had Hermana Leyva answer the door while Hermana Hernandez and I stood around the corner with the broom to use as a weapon. It was so so so funny! Because it was just a cute couple with their little girl and a basket of chocolate eggs.
So I love you all! And I'm going to try to send some more pictures that Amanda will send to you tomorrow! Hehehe, I hope you don't hate me too much for my little joke.
Love always,
Hermana Ostler
(Note from Delene, Hermana Ostler's Mom). The above is the email we received Monday morning, April 1st. I was so sad. Our family was on vacation at the Eppich's cabin and Janet had just received an email from her missionary in Africa. He told her he'd had a horrible week and was sick. Then he typed "April Fools." It never crossed my mind that Saydi would "April Fool's" us. But she did. The following is the email that was forwarded to us by my oldest daughter, Amanda late Monday night. We didn't actually read it until Wednesday. Way to go Saydi - you got us good!!!!
Dear familia!
APRIL FOOLS!! Haha, sorry, I couldn't help myself. I thought of this a few weeks ago and couldn't resist. So you can ground me when I get home.
Okay, to answer your two important questions. My favorite scripture is in 1 Nephi 21: 15-16. I think it's chapter 21. It might be 19 or 20. Basically its the scripture that says "but I will not forget thee O house of Israel. I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands."
My ward is called Simon Bolivar, but it's not in Simon Bolivar. The street is called Santo Domingo. But don't worry about the shoes. I am actually fine! I started wearing my other shoes and they are perfect! My feet just needed to adjust to walking all the time. We get mail on Wednesdays now. That's when I have district class, and the office brings it. It's usually some of the couple missionaries. I don't know what my address is.
There are only three of us in the apartment now because the other sisters moved out. It was so crowded. The reason we didn't do three companionship's is because Hermana Leyva and I are still being trained. We have on transfer of training left. And two of the sisters in the other companionship just arrived and they are both being trained by the one sister. It's good they are gone because we only had one bathroom for 6 missionaries which would not have worked! So they left on Wednesday to another apartment that the Elders moved out of.
 |
| Hermana's Hernandez, Leyva & Ostler |
So Monday was super hard. I just didn't want to be here. I felt out of place. Tuesday morning I was still feeling so so so low! I didn't want to work, I didn't want to study. Nothing. Then we hit the streets and everything changed. I don't know what it was, but after we taught a quick five minute lesson to some lady in a store my whole outlook changed. It really doesn't matter where I am, and it's not about what I want. The Lord needs me in Simon Bolivar, so I will give it everything I have and learn all I can.
Hermana Hernandez trains so differently than Hermana Chamberlain. We are walking down the street, Hermana Hernandez catches my eyes, then points with her lips to some woman about to walk past and that's my cue to open my mouth and talk! She will stop during lessons, look at me and wait for me to say something. It's so different. . . . and I love it!
It is still a little hard adjusting to teaching with 3 missionaries, especially since Hermana Leyva and Hermana Hernandez already had a system. But they have welcomed me and we all get along so so so well!
We speak Spanish all the time. I catch myself thinking in Spanish and not being able to remember English words at the end of the day. It's exhausting on my mind to always be speaking Spanish, and at times its frustrating, but it is so so so helpful. Hermana Leyva helps me a lot with my Spanish. She quietly corrects my little mistakes, and always lends a word during a lesson when I can't remember one or forget. It's still hard, but I have more faith now that it will come.
We still have progressing investigators that we teach 20 to thirty minute lessons to, but we also turn our street contacts into lessons. If a contact is going over 2 minutes, we will ask the person if we can say a prayer for them. They always agree, then we give them a pamphlet and either talk about Jose Smith, Plan of Salvation or the Gospel of Christ. We say another prayer, get their address and chao! I love the short simple lessons.
Teaching a lot makes the time fly by! In Los Andes I looked at my watch every 30 minutes. Here, 2 hours will go by and it feels like 5 minutes. I'm learning a lot, but it kinda feels like I'm starting my mission all over again.
We eat lunch every day with the same sister. Hermana Sari from Peru. She is the Relief Society President. She is one of the only members from the ward that lives in our sector. The other missionaries in the ward eat with different members every day. They have a calendar for feeding and a calendar for washing clothes. This ward is so so so organized. But no one plays the piano, so looks like I'll have to swallow my fear and just do it!
My new zone isn't as amazingly awesome as my last zone. But they are great. We have fun, but the lessons and teaching . . . . . . I don't know if these elders are as focused as the elders in my other zone. But there is an elder in my zone from Brazil! He's awesome. I was talking to him about Harrison, and if Portuguese was hard to learn. He said for gringos it's easier because all the sounds are from the back of the throat, like English. Whereas in Spanish, all the sound does from the front of the mouth, and movement of the tongue against the teeth instead of the roof of the mouth in English. So you can do it Harrison! But wow, it's so awesome how the work is just exploding! There's not room in our mission for more missionaries!!!
This week was the Santa Semana . . . Easter. So there was no one in the streets for the weekend. Everyone left for the beach! Also, Thursday was la dia de joven en combata, or something. Apparently it's dangerous. So Wednesday and Thursday we had to go home early. Basically we decorated our planners, cleaned the house, and talked about music, movies and boys! These sisters are so so so fun! When it's time to work, we work! But we also take our 20 minute break everyday, to rest our feet and minds, and at night we laugh, tease and joke. It's so fun!
Right now we are teaching a man named O**. He is 84 years old and doesn't hear so well. He is a sweet old man, and I always enjoy visiting him, but in the beginning of the week I thought our visits and lessons were close to pointless. I didn't think that he understood, but really, it was me who didn't understand. On Thursday we taught him the ley de castidad, and going into the lesson I had already made up my mind that he wouldn't understand. After we taught the basics of the law, and read from the pamphlet, I asked him what he understood about the law and how it applied to him. I was expecting him to shrug his shoulders and say: no se. But he didn't. His answer proved that he had understood everything we had taught, and more importantly that he was willing to live the commandment. I realized then, that I had been grossly underestimating O**'s ability to not only understand, but his willingness to follow Christ.
As he said the closing prayer a few minutes later, he thanked Heavenly Father for us, and for the teachings of the gospel. As he finished the simple prayer, I was filled with such love for him and I realized that it was only a fraction of the love his Heavenly Father feels for him. O** helped remind me why I am serving a mission. It's not about me and who I want to teach. It's about the Lord and who he wants me to teach. O** has proved to me that you never know who is ready for the gospel.
On Friday, we taught him the Word of Wisdom and after the lesson he gave us a bag of tea had. He is just so willing to live the gospel. It was so funny! He went through all the tea he had and asked if they were okay because some of them were herbal teas. Oh, he is just great great great! Whenever I am having a hard time or I am tired, Hermana Hernandez says . . . 'think of Oscar! That's why you are here.' It always makes me feel so much better!
We did a service project this week and helped a member paint her house. I think that is the picture I sent yesterday. Also, on Easter, we forgot to buy chocolate to celebrate, but some ward members came over and gave us a little basket of chocolate eggs. It was so sweet. But they came over at like 10:30PM and when the door rang we were so scared. We couldn't see anyone outside the door, and no one answered when we asked who was there. Then they knocked on the door, and we saw a man through the peep hole. He said he was from the church, but we didn't recognize him. So we had Hermana Leyva answer the door while Hermana Hernandez and I stood around the corner with the broom to use as a weapon. It was so so so funny! Because it was just a cute couple with their little girl and a basket of chocolate eggs.
So I love you all! And I'm going to try to send some more pictures that Amanda will send to you tomorrow! Hehehe, I hope you don't hate me too much for my little joke.
Love always,
Hermana Ostler
 |
| This is what I did every night in Los Andes! Ah, I miss my bike! |
 |
| Me - in Chile! |
No comments:
Post a Comment