I wanted to make the Lord cookies

Honestly, today I realized that I forgot how to play the piano

Dear Familia,

First of all, LOVE THE PICTURE!  Now, that is awesome.  Second of all, I don’t think I am all the way solid.  I still have a few cracks, and chips around the edges, but I’m working on it.  With the Lord, I am mixing up some cement to fill in the cracks, but it is a work in progress, and maybe someday I will be solid, pero, alli vamos.

Second of all, thank you for all your prays, your support, and your fasting.  At the end of last week, I really didn’t want to go back out there and knock more doors, and get them slammed in my face all over again.  Hermana Lima and I didn’t know what else to do, so we fasted.  Probably one of the most difficult fasts I have ever done, cause it was so hot, and we were so so so thirsty, and almost had no energy to keep going.  But we did it, 24 hours of no food and no water.

We fasted for our sector, and I was just hoping to have the energy and the ganas to keep going, but the Lord had different plans.  I have never had a solid testimony of fasting before.  I have fasted in the past, cause I usually feel closer to God, and feel peace, and because it is a commandment, but . . . wow, I LOVE FASTING!  Basically this last week we were so busy!  We had so many people to teach.  Well, not like in my other sectors, but . . . well basically we got to the end of Wednesday and had only knocked 4 doors!  WHAT? The blessings just came pouring down.  I really don’t have time to talk about all of them, but I will tell you about my favorite.

So, on Wednesday, we were visiting an investigator we hadn’t seen in like 2 weeks, and we were starting to think that she was done with us. But, that is another story.  Basically she was honestly just really busy.  We had a good lesson with her.  She loves the bible, but has really accepted the Book of Mormon.  We had a lesson where we compared the bible and the Book of Mormon and she loved it!  Then, at the end of the lesson she said "Hey, I really want you two to pass by for my friend." FREE REFERRAL!  We said, of course, where does she live.  She said "She is your neighbor.  She lives in front of your house.  I saw her today in the ferria and told her that you two would be coming by today, and she asked me to send you her way."

We finished the lesson, then went to see if she was home, repenting that we had knocked almost every door in our sector minus our own street!!!  Well, Ka* was home and she invited us right in!  Wow, she is amazing.  She wants to understand the bible, she wants to come closer to Christ, and she wants to find a church!  WHAT?  Where did this woman come from?  Oh, right . . SHE LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM US!  It was a great lesson.  We gave her a Book of Mormon, and she said she would read it and pray and everything!  She also wants us to meet her husband.  We were going to meet him on Friday night, but justo, their primo came over so they couldn't attend us.  The devil is fighting hard . . . but hey, so are we! We are going back by to see them today, so I will let you know how everything unfold next week.  But, after the lesson we were just  . . .  wow I can’t explain it. It was more than happy.  The Lord really is leading us.  He is with us.  I know it.  All this time we have been looking for someone who is prepared, and all the time she lived across the street from us.  But, the Lord has a time for everything.

At the end of the day on Wednesday I was just so happy, and of course, grateful for all the blessings we had received in the past three days.  Honestly, we had found 4 new investigators in 3 days, the last week we found 1.  We were riding our bikes home, and I was praying in my heart, just thanking the Lord.  I was so full of gratitude I didn’t know what to do.  Honestly, I wanted to make the Lord cookies or something to express my gratitude.  But, all I can do is work, work WORK!  And this week we worked so hard!  We never had a moment to rest.  It seemed like there was always something to do!  I LOVED IT!

Ca* came back form Argentina. Man, we missed her a lot.  We invited her to be baptized, again.  And again, she said that she doesn't feel ready.  But, she said "I will get baptized before you leave Chile!"  Although, it fills me with Joy, that she will be baptized someday, I am a selfish human being, because I want to be here for it!  I want to see her get baptized. Hermana Lima pointed out that we got to see Hermano Lu* get baptized even though someone else found him.  Which is true, but this is totally different, cause Hermano Lu* was so far from being baptized, that obviously those who found him weren’t going to see it, and also he went about 8 months without contact with the missionaries until about 2 weeks before I got here, and that's when he started to change.  But Hermana Ca* is ready!  She doesn’t need 2 years . . . heck, she could get baptized tomorrow if she wanted.  So, on Saturday to Sunday, I am going to fast for her if you want to join me.

Also, we finished the week with a baptism.  A nina named Sa*.  We have been teaching her for about 4 months and helping reactivate her mom.  Her mom is a member but hasn’t gone to church in about 4 years.  She has now been assisting regularly for about 2 months!  So Sa* got baptized and it was great!  Hermano Lu* gave a talk at the baptism, too.  Also, Sa*'s abuela is a member, and she bore her testimony and started crying.  It was really a beautiful experience to help bring this family back to the church.

The baptism.
Check out my feet!

Sorry, I don’t really have any good metaphors this week, and my email is all over the place. I didn’t really have time to plan it.  But, next week it will be better.

About Elder Holland, there will be 4 missions there.  I don’t even know if I will be in the same room as him cause it will be packed.  We have a bus coming to get us at 6:30 in the morning.  It starts at two.  4 sisters from another sector are coming to stay in our house tonight, cause we live closest to the chapel.  I’m excited, but . . . well, Hermano Lu*'s baptism and blessing the sacrament will probably be more memorable for me.

Okay, well, I love you all.  Thanks for the email, and all your support.  Also, no matter what anyone says, Ben, Brennen, or President Monson, I know I have a long way to go before I am the missionary that God is trying to make of me.

Con Amor, 

Hna Oslter