Change

Familia,

Hey, its great to hear that you all passed the new year well. This new years we just had a normal tracting day.  But, basically no one was home.  So it was a long hot day in the streets.  I think the whole month of enero will be long hot days in the street, cause there are just so many people on vacation.  But, what can you do but endure?  On new years we were allowed to stay up and watch the fireworks.  Our member neighbor had a better view of the fireworks from renca than us.  So, we watched the fireworks from his porch, in our Chilean pants!  We didn’t end up going to bed until like 1ish.  So that was no fun, cause the next day we still had to go out and work normal, but once again there was no one in the streets.

Chilean Pants!!

 I’ve been thinking a lot about this past year.  I thumbed through the pages of my journal and saw growth, development through trials, and above all change.  I think this year I cried more then I ever have in my whole life.  I had some of the darkest days and most trying experiences.  I’ve wanted to give up, go home, and never try again.  But obviously I didn’t, and it was those times that I pushed forward when I changed the most.  I’ve also laughed harder then ever before in my life, I’ve had unforgettable experiences that have brought me to tears, and I have felt the love of the Lord stronger than ever before.  Also, I learned how to speak Spanish, crashed a bike, listened to Elder Holland, doubled my facebook friends, and walked so far my shoes are wearing out.  My year was hard, but it was good.

I have many hopes for the next year of my life. It is going to be a year of much change for me, and that is my ultimate goal . . to change.

I was reading in Alma 10 and 11 about Alma, Amulek and Zeezrom.  My mind jumped ahead in the story and I thought about a few chapters later when Zeezrom is converted and baptized.  I was amazed at the great change that takes place in Zeezrom.  As I continued pondering, I realized the whole BOM is a story of change, change through the knowledge of the gospel, change through the coming to an understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  The same story repeated time and time again: Alma father, Alma the younger, the sons of Mosiah, Amulek, Zeezrom, King Lamoni, the anti-nehpi lehites, and countles pueblos of nephites and lamanites alike.  The Book of Mormon is a story of the gospel being preached and lives being changed as a result.

So, I have a lot of goals for this year.  But all those goals have one common root: Change. God sent us to earth so that we would change, and we can, but only through the knowledge and the use of the atonement of His Son, even Jesus Christ.

Okay, I’ll get off my soap box.  To start the new year, Hna Morley and I slept on our balcony, 20 stories high.  That was fun.

Balcony party! Good morning Chile.

Also we had zone conference and did a musical number together.  I played If you could hie to Kolob, and she sang the words to Oh my Father.  It turned out good . . I think.  I learned a lot at Zone conference in ways to increase my faith.  I have learned a lot on my mission, but I continue to learn every day.  This change has been fun, but it has been emotionally hard, and I don’t know why.  The Lord is never done trying me and making me stretch, but I’m okay with that cause that is the only way I will change.

Ma* and her son were going to get baptized on Sunday!  It’s a long story . . but basically they want to get baptized.  We have tried to drop them 3 times, but every time we try, the words don’t come out, the spirit tells us no.  This week, when we went to drop them again, it ended in another invitation to be baptized, but this time when they accepted, I could tell that they really wanted it.  So we planned the baptism for this Sunday, but I wasn’t feeling so good about it and I don’t know why.  Then on Friday night we found our answer. We changed the baptism for next Sunday.  But they came to church this week all by themselves, so that was great.  And the ward is really accepting of them.  We had 5 in church, and all of those 5 have fechas . . so that was awesome!

I know this is the Lords work, and He knows what He is doing.

Yes, changes are next week.  I have no idea what will happen.  I stop trying to guess. Maybe I’ll stay maybe I’ll go.

Okay, I love you all, hope the rashes go away cause that would be no fun!

Con amor,

Hna Ostler