That wasn't our Amalikite

Familia,

Wow, I cannot believe that about Ben!  Breaks my heart!  I will definitely remember him and la familia Page in my prayers.

Me and my bike

I made friends with a goat!

This is in the more humble part of our sector that we explored this week and found a few people to teach and a goat!  Super fun day!

Well, we had a good week . . de hecho fue una semana incredible, lleno de milagros!  Well, it started out pretty rough, just on pday I was pretty low.  I didn't know what else we could do for our sector, or how we could find more people to teach.  The people here rarely let us get 5 words in, so finding people is hard.  Monday night I was praying so so so hard for the faith that I needed to be guided by the spirit to find the people who are prepared.

Then, on Tuesday, we had district class and our zone leader talked about having a positive attitude.  He gave the example of an atom, and how if an atom has more protons then it is positive, but if it has more electrons then it is negative.  He said that we needed to focus on having more positive thoughts in our heads then negative.  That really hit home with me.  I realized that the week before I had just been flat our enduring, and I hadn't been enforcing myself to have positive thoughts.  The negative thoughts were winning which made me miserable. I was thinking things like "These people are so hard hearted, no one will listen to us.  Oh there is another door slammed in face.  Its so hot. etc."  All of these things were and are true, but they are negative.

Our zone leader had us talk to our companion about ways we could be more positive.  We talked about having more faith, and about eliminating the word "dificil," from our vocab. Then I read to my comp a scripture in Alma, I don't remember the reference, but it talks about the mission of the sons of Mosiah and how they converted cualquire city of lamanites, then in one scripture it says something like "But none of the amalakites were convert, SAVE ONE ONLY."

I told Hermana Lima that we are in the sector of the amalikites.  All the other missionaries are teaching the lamanites and they might have cualquire lesson, or baptism, but we were called to preach to the amalikites.  I then said "I wonder how many doors ammon and aaron knocked until they found that one, or how many times they got doors slammed in their face until they found that one."  So our moto this week has been finding the one.  Every time we get a door slammed in face we laugh and say "That wasn't our amalikite.  Maybe he lives next door."

It was still a hard week, but we changed the way we reacted, and the thoughts we had.  I tired to laugh a lot, and look for the ridiculousness in some of our situations.  For example, one day it was so so so hot in the morning, and we were doing contacts on a treeless street, so there was no shade.  I was dying, so I put my helmet on to block some of the sun and knocked doors with my helmet on.  We had a good long laugh over that.

Another time, we were talking to a man who believes that God is an energy and that the libro de mormon can't be true because God doesn't talk to us anymore.  I told him that the bible says God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and so if he talked to men yesterday he will talk to men today because he doesn't change.  Well, as we were walking away I was talking about how frustrating the bible can be sometimes and how people can interpret it in whatever manner that they want.  Then Hermana Lima said, "Sometimes people just don't understand that God is a man . . . (pause and think about what she said) .  . But a perfect man with a lot of power."  Oh it was so so so funny!  I practically died laughing!

I've realized that the mind is powerful.  If you wake up and think it will be a crappy day then it will be a crappy day because you won't try to make it different.  But if you wake up and think it will be a good day then it will because you will be looking for a way to make it good.  We decided to have a good week and we did.

Car* is doing so so so great!  She came to church and she loved it!  She really wants her family to start listening to us too!  She is our one amalikite.  We had lunch with her this week, and it was so great!  At the end of one lesson we had with her, we asked her to say the pray.  It was a simple prayer, but said with such faith that if almost brought me to tears. I love her so much.  I can't think about her without smiling.  After conference she said that she was interested to learn more about the church, so she looked it up on line.  BAD IDEA! Well, she told us that she found some terrible stuff, and we were scared that she would believe it.  But not Car*.  She said "that stuff just can't be true.  Tell me its not true."  We told her it wasn't and she was so relieved.  Then she said "How can people say that stuff about OUR church .. .  um . .. or the church that we go to."  She is practically a member. When I invited her to live the word of wisdom she said "Well, of course, I already stared.!" Blah I just love her!

Also Hermano Lu* is amazing!  He is our other Amalikite!  His cousin is living with him, and when we went over to teach him he asked his cousin to say the prayer.  His cousin didn't want to and Lu* insisted.  His cousin continued to refuse and Lu* said "No, you need to say the prayer and talk to God.  We listen."  Then he bowed his head, and we followed suit.  It was quite for a moment, then his cousin finally said the prayer.  Hermano Lu* is a missionary!

Also, he gave his testimony in church!  It was so great and all the members loved it. He always says "I found my new family.  I found my new family here in the church."  One day we went to visit him and we asked him if he had read the libro de mormon.  He said "No, but its not my fault.  I was going to read yesterday night but I couldn't find my book.  My cousin had stolen it and was reading it in his room.  Hermanas, I think it is time you got him his own libro de mormon." I took out the libro de mormon that I had recently put in my backpack (I wasn't even going to bring one that day, cause I had little faith that we would find someone to give it to.  But I felt like I should bring one, so I did)  And I gave it to his cousin.  Hermano Lu* then shook his cousins hand and said "I congratulate you for starting this journey with me."  Oh, it was great!

Noche de hogar con Hermano Lu*

This is me losing the game we played - jajaja

We also found 7 new investigators this week!  That is incredible for this sector!  There are a few of them that are really good!  Also, we found an inactive older couple, and the way we found them was so so so funny.  We had talked to their daughter one day and she said to come back another day and talk to her dad cause he was a member.  So we went by on Wednesday and an old man answered the door.  We said, that we were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ, and said, "Really, well, I'm a Mormon."  We said, great!  Then we started talking to him about the church, and if he still attends.  He said that he doesn't go anymore for his health.  We asked if we could share a message with him.  He said no thanks.  Then we said, can we come by another day.  And he said "No, I'm a mormon.  I like the mormon church."  And then we said "We are Mormons too."  He said "You're Mormons? Well, why didn't you say anything?"  jajaja!  It was so so so funny.  We were able to talk with him and his wife about the temple, and how they can be sealed forever.  Enrique and Gladis se llaman.  Enrique is 85 and Gladis is 83.  Enrique is losing his memory and doesn't understand a lot, but Gladis does.  She wants to be sealed in the temple.  She doesn't go to church cause she has a lot of health problems.  I don't know what we can do for this family, but I just loved visiting them!  Enrique said, "We have been married for 55 years and I still love her!"  CUTEST THING EVER!

We really did see the lord guiding us this week.  We had 5 people in church!  AMAZING! One of them was a street contact that we did who said she would come to church . . .and she showed up!  What? That never happens!  Well, actually it does . . cause it did!

Honestly the mission is really hard, but it is good.  I am learning more every day how to be like Christ, and how to follow him.  This week I am going to go back out there again and knock more doors until I find that one amalikite who is ready to listen.

Con amor, 

Hna Ostler

Ps. I also did a contact in English this week!  It was with a man who lived in NY for 4 years and England for another 4.  Yep, he passed my English test!  It was great!