Life is a river, jump in!

Familia!

Umm, I forgot what I was going to say . . . oh yeah . . . I'm 21, I can do whatever I want!! And D* almost went to church last week!  I wasn't there when Hermana Peralta went to visit him cause we had interchanges and I was in llay llay again, bored out of my mind wishing I was in San Felipe.  But she said that D* said he had his church clothes out and ironed.  He was going to go, but in the last moment chickened out!!  Someday, someday he will come back.

We went to visit a less active, and he has a pet turtle.

I couldn't leave without taking a picture . .  even though I hate turtles!

These horses are always on this hill

Okay, so a few things to start out.  First, you need to go on my facebook and accept the people who have requested friendship.  One sister in the ward requested me and has pictures to send you but only if you accept her.  Second, another sister in the ward asked me if I could ask you to send patchwork catalogs.  I have no idea what she really wants but that is the translation from what she told me. The ward had 2 of them from the US, but they got stolen, and so she wants new ones from the US.  Yes, as far as I know Chile mail is still on strike.  Haven't gotten mail in almost a month.  But, that doesn't mean you can't still send me stuff.  Oh, and I would love some info about transferring to BYU.  And the last item of business is, Hermana Leyva is going home:(  Worst day of my life.  President told me during the interviews we had this week.  I guess she fell a few more times and now has tendinitis in her ankle or something like that.  Super sad.

So we had a good week.  As said before we had interviews with president, and again he told me what a joy my letters are to read.  Its funny that everyone thinks I write so good, cause I think its terrible and my thoughts are scattered all over the page.

Also we had intercambios with our sister leader.  I went to llay llay and was with a newbee for 24 hours, sister Lone.  Shes a great missionary, and having a way better start to her mission than I did, but I am so grateful for all the challenges I passed through and for all the tears I cried.  I can see that it made me strong, and it humbled me.  I still have a long way to go, and to pull from a past analogy, I will be developing humility and patience for the rest of my life.

During intercambios Hermana Withers was with Hermana Peralta, and she asked her what her favorite part of the mission has been, and Hermana Peralta said "being companions with Hermana Ostler."  Aww.  She is so sweet!  And we did celebrate my bday.  Basically no one remembered that it was my bday, because I haven't been like telling everyone.  I just don't like to make a big deal out of stuff like that.  So, the sister in llay llay sang me happy bday in the morning before I returned to llay llay, and then Hermana Peralta bought me the delicious empanadas they sell on the corner, but yeah, that was it.  It was a gray cloudy day, and I just shrugged my shoulders and said, yeah, typical Saydi birthday.

When we got back to the house, Hermana Peralta took forever in the bathroom , like 10 minutes.  I was kinda frustrated cause I just wanted to plan and then go to bed.  When she finally came out we planned quickly, then she left and was in the living room.  I decided to write in my journal before going to bed.  Just as I was finishing the entry, Hermana Peralta asked if I could come and help her with something.  I really didn't want to, cause I was kinda mad at her.  But I went into the living room and there she was in front of a sign that said "feliz cumpe Hermana Ostler" holding a cake with a huge candle.  I was so so so surprised and I felt bad that I had been mad at her.

She had been in the bathroom blowing up balloons and making the sign . . . jajajaja.  I don't know how she pulled off a surprise with me by her side 24 hours, well actually I do.  She slipped the keys to the house to a member and asked her to buy a cake and other decorations.  Clever little girl.  So we had a little celebration.

Guess what?  Yesterday we had 4 in church and three progressing!!  Freaking incredible!!  I should have been jumping off the walls happy.  And I was.  Well, kinda.  When I saw A* enter the chapel, my heart did a little flip, and I was happy for a moment.  Then when I saw 2 of our investigators running down the street toward the church, I could have sung I was so happy, but yesterday was a hard day, not only because we didn't teach a lot, but because I just want happy.  I know that it has a lot to do with my attitude, but I fought it all day.  I tried to think of the good.  We had 3 progressing, we have amazing investigators, president is happy with our work, I'm in Chile for crying in a bucket .. .  why couldn't I just be happy? Am I just a miserable person who will always rely on the situation to be happy?  But we had three progressing, isn't that cause enough to be happy?  Then I started thinking about the difference between happiness and joy.

Happiness is like a glass of water that you can drink to momentarily quench your thirst, but joy is like a river that is constantly running with clear, pure water to satisfy your thirst. There are people in this world that run around in the desert searching for their glass of water.  Looking for something to quench their thirst, and when they find it they are momentarily happy.  But it doesn't last.  So they run from place to place searching for something that will never truly fill them.

Then there are other people who have found true joy in life.  They float down river of joy where their thirst can truly be satisfied.  This does not mean that these people will never have hard times.  The river gets rough sometimes.  We have bad days.  But with our life we are satisfied. We are filled with joy.  The gospel of Christ offers this joy.  A lasting peace that fills us and carries us through even when the water gets rough.

So I had a bad day yesterday, and a lot of it had to do with my attitude, but that does not mean that I am a miserable person. I have found true joy in my life.  I am satisfied with where I am at, and with where this river is carrying me.  Life is a constant adventure, and a constant sequence of change.  Like Pocahontas says "what I like most about rivers is, you never step in the same water twice, the waters always changing always flowing."  So, like I have always said: life is a river, jump in it!!  Take it as it comes, the curves, the bumps, the rain.  It's the only way to truly live .. . to find joy.

Sorry, I don't have an amazing story for you like last week.  We had a good week.  We taught a lot of people, and had a lot of fun!  I spoke a lot of Spanish, and read a lot of scriptures. I ate cow liver . . again . . . which has the texture of wet chalk and tastes like organs .  it was great! I put my plaque on everyday and went out in the streets of Chile, crying repentance unto this people.  Inviting them to come unto Christ, to lay their burdens at his feet and be healed.  I'm floating down the river, and inviting others to join.  Life's great.  VIVA CHILE!!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Ostler

Ps.  I read a scripture this week that made me think of mom, and kinda dad, but mostly mom.  "And it came to pass that they did plead with their father many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi.  And king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord if he should let his sons go up among the Laminates to preach the word.  And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life, and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites."  Thanks mom, and kinda dad, for allowing me to come down to the land of the lamanites and preach the word of God.       LOVE YOU!!

It is not by chance that we knocked on your door this night

Familia!

Wow, what a week!  But, before I start, I just want to say happy bday to my birthday month buddy! I hope you had a good one Benson!  I wrote that it was your birthday in my agenda, but I couldn't call you and tell you happy birthday or anything like that, but I was thinking about you!

Wow, crazy bear story!  CRAZY AWESOME!  Well, I'm glad that no one died or anything, cause that would really have been a bummer.  Also, its good to hear that Harrison is doing great. He sent me an email and sounds wonderful.  He said the language is coming .. .  well, he thinks its coming . .jajaja.  I lived in Mexico for 4 months, and I still couldn't speak or understand much when I got here.  But, the good thing about Portuguese is that they have the same grammar set up that we have, and they talk back in the throat like us, so he won't have problems with the accent or mixing up his nouns and adjectives like all us Spanish learners.

Anyway, back to my busy week!  Man, we come home every night casi muertos!  But I love it!!  Well, most of the time.  Well, in the moment I don't love it, but at the same time I do. Hard to explain.

Serving a mission is like throwing a sponge into a pool and telling it to soak in all the water. CAN'T BE DONE!!!  Every day I think "man, how will I remember this all?"  And you just can't.  So instead of worrying about soaking in all the water, I'm just going to go for a swim!!  Cause the water is warm, and the sun is shining.

So, the week started out kinda slow.  We didn't teach much and our numbers were kinda low. Plus it was super hot!!  And we were just dying of heat every day cause we still have to wear all our winter stuff cause at night it gets cold.  But Chilean climate is another story. Anyways, on Friday, the zone leaders called us cause they had a referencia for us, which was good, then they said, and I quote (well, I guess it is more like translate), "Hermanas, tomorrow all the zone leaders and district leaders in our stake our going to llay llay for the activity "missionary attack" and since you two are super bacan we want you to come with us."

You see llay llay is a branch right now and there used to be 2 wards there.  So the stake planned an activity where the district leaders, zone leaders and sister leaders would go to llay llay the Saturday before ward conference to visit less active member and invite them to ward conference the next day.  It was super awesome that we got invited, cause the activity was just for the leaders, but we told them that our numbers were pretty low for the week, and that we needed to be in our sector on Saturday to invite people to church and stuff.  But we made a deal with them and said that if that day (Friday) sacamos la mulgre, then we would go to llay llay the next day.

Now, I bet you are waiting on pins and needles to know what happened.  Well, we did more than sacar la mulgre.  We killed it that day.  Doors opened left and right.  We practically doubled our numbers in one afternoon.  It was incredible, and we knew the Lord was telling us that He needed us in llay llay the next day.

So on Saturday, all the district leaders, zone leaders and sister leaders met up . . .  and US!!! It was way sweet.  We loaded up into cars and headed off for llay llay.  It was a way cool feeling. It was like when Alma, in the scriptures, gathered together his dream team of missionaries to go preach the word: The sons of Mosiah, his two sons, Zeezrom and Amulek.  I felt like part of a powerful army going out to preach the word!  A very cool experience.

We got back from the activity at like 6:30 that night, and only had 3.5 hours to do all our work before Saturday. But it was an amazing 3.5 hours! Like incredible!!

So, the first thing we did was visit D*, but she wasn't there. Sad.  So we went to go contact a reference.  We had received this reference a few days ago. Hermana Peralta contacted a woman in the streets, E**, and she ended up being a menos activo.  We asked if we could come visit her and her husband, who isn't a member.  She didn't really want us to come, but we squeezed a cita out of her anyway.  She stopped going to church when she was little and doesn't really remember much.  We showed up at her house and her husband was there, Jo** sae llama.  At first I thought that they wouldn't invite us in. . . but they did!  I can't really describe the lesson in words, but it was incredible!

Jo**, at the beginning of the lesson expressed a desire to change his life.  He wanted more unity in his family and more patience.  We taught him about the restored gospel and how he could find this unity by following the guidelines of living prophets.  We also told him that when he was baptized he would receive the priesthood and could use it to bless his family. There was a part in the lesson where I felt like I needed to testify that he was a son of God, and that through Jesus Christ he could change, and he could be forgiven.  I knew that if I said that it would break the flow of the lesson, but when that thought came to my head I knew it was satan.  So I opened my mouth and I testified that he was a son of God, and the spirit filled the room.  I know for a fact he felt it.  It was so strong.  We put him with fetcha, and he said that they would come to church the next day.  When we left that lesson I was on top of the world (looking down on creation, and the  .. .  jajaja . ..  broma!) I just felt so full of the spirit.

We decided to go see if a part member family was home, but as we were walking to their house we passed the house of another part member family (well they're not really a family cause they are living together and have no kids).  Hermana Peralta asked me what we should do, cause this family is usually never home, but we had a cita with the other family. I said, vamos.  Ellos nos necesitan.  So we went to visit the second family (the one we didn't have a cita with). Well, only Dan* was there, his "wife," was still at work.  But we NEVER find Dan* at home, and we knew that we needed to teach him, so we asked him if we could keep the door open while we taught him.  He said fine.

He is a member, but went inactive when he was 17 because they changed bishops in his ward and he didn't like the new bishop .. . pathetic!  We entered the house and it smelled like cigarettes and beer.  It hurt my heart to know that this man had made a covenant with God and was knowingly breaking it.

We said a pray and then just stared talking to him.  He said that he knew he was breaking the commandments but that he didn't care. He could repent later.  He said he didn't want to marry his girlfriend cause he knew that it wasn't going to work out, and that he wasn't really in love with her.  I mostly just listen, and prayed to know what I should say to him. Hermana Peralta wasn't saying much, which I thought was odd cause she always has a scripture, or something.  But I felt, and later found out the Hermana Peralta also felt that I was the one who needed to talk. But I had no idea what to say.

A million scriptures came to my mind, but none of them seemed right.  There was a million things I could have said, but I knew I couldn't wait.  I just had to open my mouth and talk.  I started asking him questions, looking for the right thing to say, but nothing seemed right. Then Hermana Peralta said "Its terrible that you think you can live like this and just repent later."  When she said that it hit me.  I don't know why, but the story of Samuel the prophet came to my mind.  When the Lord called him and he thought it was Eli.  I knew I needed to share this scripture story with him.  So I took out my bible.  I knew the story was in the book of Samuel, but I didn't know if I could find it.  Especially in my Spanish scriptures.  But, I literally opened right to it.

I read him the story, and at the end of it I knew what I needed to say.  I said "The Lord called Samuel 4 times until he finally listened.  How many times has he called you?  How many times have the missionaries knocked on your door?  How many times have they invited you to repent?  And how many times have you turned to the world for answers to your problems, like Samuel turned to Eli?  The Lord is calling you again, and I don't know how many more times he will call you, but if I were you I would listen.  It is not by chance that we knocked on your door this night.  Repent of your sins and come back to church, cause the Lord might be getting sick of calling you."

Never in my life have I felt the spirit so strong.  It was weird.  I didn't really feel like I was talking, but I felt like someone else was talking through me.  Those didn't feel like my words.

After I said that, the room was silent for a moment.  No one had anything to say.  Then, Hermana Peralta said "I know what my companion said is true.  In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

And Amen it was.

Dan* didn't come to church the next day.  And we passed by the house of Jo*.  He tried to return the book of Mormon we had given him.  He doesn't want to listen to us anymore. D** didn't come to church, Fe* didn't come to church, C* didn't come to church.  Wow, what failures we are . . . NOT!!  We cried repentance to the people.  We invited them to come on to Christ.  To find rest from their labors.  To lay their sins at the feet of Jesus and be clean, but they never sent an RSVP.  The invitation has been sent, and unlike Chilean mail, the spirit doesn't go on strike, these people just haven't opened their mail box.  The answers are just sitting out their waiting, but I can't make them get off the couch, turn of the TV and go check the mail.  That's something they have to do on their own.

So that's the week, well .. .  kinda.  Love you all, and hope you all have a wonderful week! Remember to follow the spirit!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Ostler

They think I'm from Chile, until I talk . . . jajajajaja

Familia!

Hey, guess what? It's raining and I'm in Chile!!!  How great is that?  It's so good to hear that Harrison is doing great!  I knew he would love the mtc. I hated it, but then again I didn't really like efy either. But Harrison is the type of person to like stuff like that!  He will be an amazing missionary!!

So this week was okay.  On Wednesday we got a surprise call from the office telling us that Hermana Peralta had to go to Santiago the next day to do her paper work to receive her carnet.  Which means I had to go to Los Andes (center) and be companions with Hermana Waters for a day.  So that was fun!   . . . not!

We basically lost two days of work, cause after we received the call we called president to ask if we could go home to do our weekly planning instead of waiting until tomorrow, cause we wouldn't be together.  It was pouring rain that day, so the work was going really slow anyway.  President said that would be fine, so on Wednesday we only worked for about 3 hours in the night.  Then Hermana Peralta and all the other missionaries going to Santiago the next day missed their bus, so that was a big drama.

I spent the day in Los Andes with Hermana Waters.  Hermana Peralta and I didn't get back to our sector until 7 Thursday night, just in time for te noche de hogar we had planned with the other missionaries.  But because we weren't in our sector working that day we didn't have time to pass by the houses of our investigators to take them or remind them about the noche de hogar.  There were only 2 investigators from the elders who came.  But we had fun none the less.  I learned an awesome new game, and my fame of being a baker has officially been declared here in San Felipe.  I had made banana bread for the noche de hogar, and I might be making another wedding cake if the elders can convince their investigators to get married before the end of the year.

So losing those two days was pretty hard, but we also had some great moments.  So remember J*?  The man we found after we were obedient?  Well, this week we went back and met his wife, Ay*.  Oh, she is super great!  Just amazing!  Basically we sat down in her house and started asking her about her religious beliefs. Then she went off about how they were catholics but now hated the catholic church, and how the catholic church just wanted their money, and they wanted to baptize their daughter, but they didn't believe that their daughter had sins cause she was just a girl!  I could tell Hermana Peralta just wanted to jump in on her, but I knew we had to go slow, and start with the first lesson if she was going to understand anything.

The lesson that we taught was the best I have ever taught in my mission!  We talked about the authority of God, and how it was lost from the earth, then we talked about the new scriptures God has revealed through modern prophets and how in these scriptures is the fullness of the gospel.  We ended with sharing Moroni 8 about infant baptism, and Ay* LOVED IT!!  She understood everything, and just ate it up!!  This family is definitely prepared. We felt the spirit so strong while we were teaching. It was amazing!  Our only problem is that it is so hard to find them in their house.  They are like never home!  But I really really hope that they get baptized!

Also, an investigator that Hermana Peralta and Hermana Waters had been teaching before I got here came back.  She had been visiting her sons for like 2 weeks, and she came back this week!  Wow, she is so amazing. She is like 66 years old, but she understands everything.  She always reads what we assign her, and she came to church yesterday!  She had fecha por 25 de agosto!

We also had Fe* in church.  Her story is kinda long, but I will try to cut it down.  She is 12, and her parents are members, but inactive so she was never baptised. She was going to be baptised about 5 years ago with her older brother when the missionaries were working to reactivate the family. Her brother was baptised before her, and she would be baptised the following week, the same day that he was confirmed, but within that week he was murdered.  Yeah, crazy, I KNOW! After that Fe* went through major depression, and started eating a lot. She no longer had a desire to be baptized, and her family never reactivated in the church.  Now, five years later, we are working with the family.

Her older sister hates us and never lets us in, but her parents know that they all need to return to the church, but they are a bit lazy in doing so.  It has been super hard to teach Fe* with her sister always in the house, and I think she still is suffering from what happened with her brother.  But, yesterday we ran into her like three times in the street, and we invited her to church, but since she is only 12 we can't pass by to pick her up.  So we made her set her alarm and promise she would come.  Then we asked a member who lives close by to call her Sunday morning and then pass by and bring her to church.  But, sacrament meeting passed and neither the member or Fe* showed up.  Bummer!!  Then, as we were about to enter into he gospel principles class, Fe* and her mom enter the chapel!  What!!  Her mom couldn't stay, but she said that Fe* had woken up at 9 and gotten ready for church, and when the member didn't show up to pick her up she had pestered her mom to take her to church because she had promised the missionaries (us) that she would come!  So her mom took her to church, and said that from now on the family, or at least Fe* and her would be coming to church, and that Fe* really wanted to be baptized!!

So, though it was kinda an odd week, with the intercambios and stuff, we really did see the hand of the Lord in the work.  Every day I love the mission more, I love Chile more, and I love the people more.  At the beginning of every new change, in district class, we always have to introduce ourselves, where we are from and our favorite thing about Chile.  I used to say my favorite thing was the mountains, or the bread, or the empenadas, depending on my mood.  But now I can say my favorite thing about Chile is CHILE!!

Whenever we talked to people in the street they always think that I am from Chile (until I talk  . . jajaja)  I guess I have a Chilean face.  So now when people ask me where I am from I say Chile, like as a joke, then I say the US, but I tell them that Chile is in my heart, and OH IT IS!!  I love this country.  It is so so so beautiful!  At night, when the sun is sitting on top of the mountains, they sky is painted with the most vibrant pinks and blues.  It's like a swirl of cotton candy, and after the sun has set behind the mountains, but still isn't all the way gone, the mountains look like a dark shadow against the sky.  It takes my breath away ever time!!  The world we live in is so beautiful.  And to answer your question, yes I can see the mountains.  I am surrounded by them, and they are huge!!  I love it here! Just love it!!

I have thought a lot about my time in Simon Bolivar, and it was super hard.  My situation here in San Felipe has changed, but in the end the mission is the same.  It's still hard.  There are still days that I really don't want to do the work, or that I am tired, but I am happier.  I have tried to figure out why, and I can't.  For once, I am metaphoreless . . sorry dad.  I have some theories, but until I am sure about them I will keep them to myself, maybe until after the mission, cause they are a little hard to explain.

Well, that's all I really got for you!  So to answer your questions.  On Pday we do study in the morning, then do email and compras, then eat then go back to the apartment and rest . .. well that's what Hermana Leyva and I did, but with Hermana Peralta we have fun plans!! Today we are going to llay llay to make bread with the other sisters in our district.  Next week we are going to Santiago, partly because I lost my carnet and I have to go get another copy, but we are going to take advantage of our time there.

I usually don't print my emails unless I really liked them, and want to read it again, or if I don't have time to read it all during our email time.  There are 9 missionaries in our ward, we are the only sisters, and Hermana Peralta told me that I have to be careful with all the goodies I make or else all the elders will fall in love with me .  . jajaja.  We shop at a super market, it's kinda like America but with different stuff!  Like they don't sell chicken broth!! Umm, I don't remember the other questions.  Oh yeah, I got the package with shoes in it . . thanks!!  Love it and all the letters from home. Thanks Jackson and Katie for writing me, and Harrison for the muffins and chubs for the chocolate. You guys really are the best like ever!!  Love you all! 

Con amor, 

Hermana Ostler  

Yum!!!  empenadas!! These are famous here in san felipe!  And for a reason!  Hermana Peralta had started a bad habit for us.  Not every night, but maybe 2 or 3 times a week, we buy empenadas on the street corner. Not these empenadas, they are smaller, but still so so good!!

Horses that were just roaming the streets

My companion, she hates horses

You never know what a little kindness could do

FAMILIA!!!

Wow, that picture of Harrison with the plaque!!!  I just can't believe that he is a missionary.  I totally forgot that he was going into the mtc this week.  Well, I didn't forget . . . well, kinda.  On Wednesday we were walking home from a long day, and I asked Hermana Peralta what day it was, she said, miercoles, and I was like . . .  chuta!!  Today Harrison enters the ccm! en verdad np pude creer.  Wow, un missionero!  mi hermanito!!  que bacan! He will enjoy the ccm more than me, cause he's Harrison, and he likes stuff like that.  So don't even worry about him.  He's fine.

Our week was . .  BUSY!!!  We worked our tails off, and I loved it. That's something I love about the Hermana Peralta.  She is super obedient and super diligent. We have something to learn from every companion.

Oh, just to clear something up, I am not back in my old ward.  Before I was in primer crucero, now I am in san felipe.  It is the same stake, but different wards.  So I don't know any of the members from my first change.

So, back to Hermana Peralta.  She's great!  We get along really well.  She's a lot differnt from Hermana Leyva...  super focused on the mission.  But, she TALKS SO MUCH!!  Like more than me.  Not that its a bad thing, I guess it is better than not talking to me at all!  jajaja.  Also, her biggest weakness is that she is a bible bash!!  Like totally.  I think I would totally be a bible bash too if I was serving in the states.  But, being here in Chile has humbled me a lot, and the spirit is never present during bible bashes.  So sometimes it is a little hard to teach with her cause of that, but it is one of her goals to chillax.

But she told me a really cool story.  So as I said before Hermana Peralta was in my district before, and actually lived in our apartment for 2 days.  Simon Bolivar was her first sector.  With her last companion they were together for 3 months.  About a week before changes she told her companion this story about the day she arrived in the mission field.

She said that she was super upset cause her trainer only had 4 months in the mission and she wanted to be with someone who had more experience.  It was a hard long day for her, and when they got back to the house (where we were living also), all she wanted to do was go to sleep, but yet she didn't want to go to sleep cause she knew that she would sleep bad from all the negative feelings she was feeling.

After they were done planning she got ready for bed and started unpacking a few things.  Then, I came out of another room and sat down on her bed and started talking to her.  I just asked her about her family, and then she went on for 20 minutes telling me about her 11siblings.  She showed me pictures and talked about her home.  To me it was nothing. Just a simple conversation, but she said that that conversation changed her whole outlook of the day, and it was the one good thing that happened on her first day in the field, and she was able to sleep well.

So she told that story to her previous companion, then later in the week her companion asked her if she was worried about changes and if she had been praying about who her companion would be, she said she just wanted a companion that she could love (she hasn't had a great relationship with either of her 2 prior companions).  Then, when the office called them on Saturday night to tell them the changes, her companion hung up the phone and Hermana Peralta asked who her new companion would be, and her companion said "it is someone that you were praying for without even knowing it."  Then she said it was me, and at first Hermana Peralta was scared to be senior companion to me, but then she felt a peace and knew that the Lord really had answered her prayers because I was the companion that she could love without trying.  So that was cool to hear that, and it just shows that you never know what a little kindness could do.

I remember that night that I talked to Hermana Peralta.  I remember that both Hermana Leyva and Hernandez had gone into the room cause they didn't want to talk to the new sisters cause they were mad that they had to live in our house.  But I was like "what is all this drama for?  I am going to talk to them.  They are new and they are probably scared out of their minds" and so thats what I did.

So as I said the week was packed!!  We worked and worked and worked.  We found some potential solid investigators, but this week we will see if all our work payed off.  The ward here is super small, compared to Simon Bolivar, but the members are great!  Well, some of them.  Latin America is just so differnt than the states.  Oh, we did have one investigator in church!  C*!  Shes super bacan, and could definitely get baptized and be a faithful member if the ward would help us out!   Please be good members and always be friends with the missionaries instigators, and give them references, and invite them over to have family home evenings with their investigators, and accompany them to lessons.  Missionary work should be a ward effort, not just a full time missionary effort.

Okay, I have a quick story to tell, then I got to go. But I will come back.  What happens is that Hermana Peralta wants to come back and take our last 30 minutes of internet time later cause her boyfriend still hasn't emails .. . kinda a bite, but what can you do?

Okay, so on Tuesday we were knocking doors, with no luck.  Slammed and rejected at every turn.  We really wanted to teach a lesson cause we hadn't taught much that day.  After another door slammed, I said something like "we have to at least teach one lesson before we go home."  Then Hermana Peralta said "okay, if you say we will teach a lesson, then lets teach a lesson."  She walked down the stairs to the next floor (we were in an apartment building), and she knocked the next door.  An old man opened the door and immediately invited us in.  We barley said two words.  We both looked at each other, and recognized the blessing of the Lord.  But before we entered we asked the man if his wife was home, or if there was another woman in the house.  He said he lived solo.  We said that we could only teach him if the door was open and if we sat right in the door way.  Well, he took offense to that and slammed the door in our faces!  Like hard!!  We were both really confused, and thinking it would have been so easy to break one simple rule to get a lesson.  But, none the less, we moved to the next door.

Another man opened, this one was younger.  We told him we were missionaries and he too invited us in.  When we asked if his wife was home, he said yes!!  So we entered.  His wife was busy, so we didn't teach her, but we taught J* and his daughter!!  Wow, it was a great lesson!!  He is catholic but doesn't believe in the catholic church any more for all the stuff that happened with the pope, and he was talking about how he doesn't think that the pope has authority from God!!  We jumped in on that and taught him about prophets and the priesthood!  It was so great and he said that he would be baptized if he felt this church was true!!  Then, we went back on Thursday and met his wife.  She was busy again but super amable and invited us to come back another day.  We haven't been able to find them since, but we have an apt tomorrow, so we are really praying the they will progress!!  Hermana Peralta and I recognized that finding them was a blessing for our obedience.  It was great!!

Wow, I just love being back out here in the county!  It is just so beautiful, and the people are so different . . in a good way!!  I actually feel like I am in Chile now!!  Man, if I could I would stay here for my whole mission.  One day we rode our bike to our lunch appointment cause it was out in the country, ..   wow!!  SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

Also, we got an oven so don't worry, I will still be baking goodies.

Every night we came home dead tired, just dead!!  Just yesterday as we were walking home I was so tired and couldn't speak Spanish to safe my life.  Hermana Peralta was yacking on about something, and I felt bad cause I just couldn't understand her, and I knew what she was saying was important.  So I said a quick prayer that the lord would help me understand.  Immediately after I said amen I could swear he stared speaking English.  I UNDERSTOOD EVERY WORD!!  It was incredible.  The lord really does like, and he blesses us.  Every day I learn more about Jesus, and every day I love him more!!  The mission really is incredible.  Just the other day I was saying how when my time came to go home, I might just stay instead.,  It's been hard, but its also been amazing!  Snap I only have a year left!!  It just goes so so so so so fast!

Okay, Love you all.  Hopefully I will be back to chat a little later!

Con Amor, }

Hermana Ostler