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  

Our miracle baptism

7:57 AM

Okay, so I haven't read your email yet, I am going to print it out and read it while I am in the office waiting for my new companion! Yep, changes happened, and I got changed. I'm going back to Los Andes!!!  I'm so excited.  Still, it is going to be hard to leave Hermana Leyva, we were both crying last night.  She is staying here.  My new companion used to be in my district, I'm not sure how I feel about her.  She is from Argentina and has a super strong personality.  She has one cambio less than me in the mission but she will be my senior companion.  Don't know what to think.  I'm scared to be honest, and I know I am walking into another very humbling situation.

Hopefully I will have more time to email later, and tell you about our miracle baptism!  I love you all, and chao Harrison, you'll be awesome!  Love you!

Hermana Ostler

2:39 PM

Familia,

Guess where I am?????  LOS ANDES!!!  Wow, I am so so so happy to be back here.  Really, when we left the bus station to go to our house we passed the chapel, the same chapel that I had district class in, and I looked down the road that Hermana Chamberlain and I always walked and I thought, "wow, I'm home."  

So, lets get the basics down.  My companion is Hermana Peralta from Argentina.  She has about 4 months in the mission, and she was just as surprised as me when they told her she would be my senior companion.  But honestly, I don't care.  Hermana Peralta was super nervous about the whole thing, and she talked to her old district leader in the office and he told her that sometimes president sends missionaries with more time to new sectors where there is a younger missionary, and the younger missionary is the senior companion because they know the sector.  Hermana Peralta told me that and then said that that means that really I am the senior companion . ..  jajaja.  But, so far, Hermana Peralta and I really get along.  I think this is going to be a great cambio.

We live in a cute little house, but we don't have an oven so I can't open my bakery . ..  pucha!!  But I am just so happy to be back here.  Saying goodbye to Hermana Leyva was super hard, I almost started crying in the office!!! But we will meet again, in BYU!!  Yeah.

So, this week was just full of milagros!  Like I said we had a baptism, JC a joven of 12 year who is super perperadad for the gospel.  But I have walked a rocky road coming to love this joven.  Let me start at the beginning.

So we met C* about a month ago.  He didn't live in our sector, he was visiting Hermana M* for the weekend.  He came to church that week.  Then, about 2 weeks later he had vacations from school for about a week and a half and stayed with the Hermana M* again.  We continued to teach him, but since he didn't live in our sector it didn't really count. But, C* is super distracted.  He has problems paying attention, and whenever we would teach him it just seemed like he wasn't interested at all, and I had little patience for him.  Teaching him was honestly a chore.

Then, about a week ago he told us that he and his mom where moving to our sector!  WHAT?  We met his mom and she is super awesome, but not ready to make the commitment of baptism.  They found a room to rent that is in our sector, but for now they are still living with Hermana M* until the end of the month.

We went to teach him one day and Hermana Leyva put him with fetcha for 28 de julio.  I was surprised because I didn't think he was interested, and I personally wanted to stop teaching him, and I thought Hermana Leyva just wanted another number.  But about two days later I was praying about him, wondering what we should do, and I prayed for patience while we taught him and that I could be able to love him.  That day when we went to teach him, the moment I saw him I was overfilled with an immense love for this boy.  I honestly cannot describe it.  I saw him differently, not as a teenage boy who cared less about our message, but as a young man who has had a hard life, has a rocky relationship with his mom, his dad doesn't live with him, and who has a learning disability.  Hermana Leyva must have been praying for patience too because from that day on our lessons were so much better.  We were patient and considerate of his disability, and saw his honest desire to change and learn and improve.

One week he came to church all by himself because Hermana M* and her family didn't come that week.  But we told him that he had to come, so he did!  Also, the day of his baptismal interview his mom and the family of Hermana M* left him at home alone . ..  well Hermano C*s was there but he didn't know about the interview.  So we were waiting at the church for him, and when he didn't show up we call the house and were devastated when he answered.  He told us that his mom wasn't there, only C*s.  We talked to C* and explained the situation.  He said he would explain to C* how to get to the church.  Then we talked to C* again and told him he had to come running to the church cause our district leader was already there waiting.

About 5 minutes later we went outside to wait, expecting him to arrive in like 10 minutes cause his house is about 15-20 minutes from the church.  Well, about 2 minutes later we see this skinny teenage boy booking it toward the chapel!! He literally came running!!!!  Oh it was amazing!  I want to hug him so so so bad but I couldn't.  He passed his interview with flying colors, after about 10 plus times teaching him what tithing, fasting, the word of wisdom and the restoration are.  But he diligently learned each one, and our district leader said that he was super prepared and super special.  That he was quick to feel the spirit.

This is C's baptism, if that wasn't obvious!

This has come to be known as the Hermana Ostler pose.  JAJA.
These are all the missionaries in our ward.

So on Sunday, I finished my time in Simon Bolivar with a baptism.  But, I can honestly say that I did NOTHING!!  It was all the Lord.  There are not words to express how much I love C*. I think I learned more from him than he did from me.  I'm going to miss him so so so much!

So that was the miracle of the week. Other stuff happened, but all I remember was when C* came out of the water.  I made him a cake for his baptism, and we went to Hermana M*'s house for lunch afterwards and had my favorite Peruvian food!  Then when I was saying goodbye I started to cry.  Man, I didn't realize how much I loved these people.

This is the cake I made for C* the mornign of his baptism.
It's not as pretty as the wedding cake, but he loved it!

Yesterday we visited E*, Hermana M*, and a few other people to say goodbye.  Its so crazy . .  life!  I've only known these people for 4 months, some less, and yet saying goodbye is super hard.  Each of them has taught me something beautiful, and I am not the same person coming back to Los Andes than I left.

This is E*
 Man, I'm going to miss her.

HARRISON!!! Hey, I love you tons!!  Here is my mission advice for you . . . PUT YOUR MAN PANTS ON!!  Dude, the mission is going to be super hard, I won't beat around the bush, but everything you need to succeed is inside you, and if it's not than it is beside you (aka, Jesus!).  I love you, y que le vaya muy bonito a su mision y que tenga experiencas lindas!

I really don't know what else to say.  Um . .. I guess I will send pictures!!  Well, I love you all.  Thanks for the letters, for the support, and the love!  

Con Amor, 

Hermana Ostler

Wedding Cake - Take 1

Wedding Cake - Take 2

This week we helped a sister make tamalies for a huge activity the ward had for the independence day of Peru!  It was an amazing activity.  We missed half of it cause of C's interview . . . but it was great!  And the tamales were amazing!!  Basically I am one third Chilean one third Peruvian and one third American!!

ll

this moment is worth my whole mission

familia!

yeah, amanda told me about the whole aunt thing.  i kinda freaked out, and i still really can't believe it.  i love the pictures, and thanks for all the advice.  the mission is just super hard, and she has been in this sector for 5 months, o sea, her whole mission!  so that's been tough on her, and on me.  but we had zone conference this week, and after wards we talked to president, and told him about all the struggles we are having in our sector, he told us that for sure this change we would be separated.. hna leyva and i have talked about it, and on one side we are super sad, cause we are basically best friends, but on the other side we both realize that it is time for a change.  i have never been within sight and sound of someone for four moths doing the same exact thing every day. . .. ajaja.  we´ve had so much fun these three changes, and so many hard times.  a lot of tears. in fact, we might be able to fill a swimming pool with all the tears we have cried together, but together we have grown, and learned, and i wouldn't go back and change a thing.

on wednesday we had to go to providencia, where the temple is, but we didn't get to go inside . . bummer.  we call for permission, but president said only one time a year we are allowed to go. but, while we were there we found a subway and both bought foot longs in memory of the united states.  they were so so so good!

o, my emails these past couple weeks, haven't been so positive, sorry about that.  the mission is hard, and i just tell it like it is . . well, there is actually no way i can even tell you half of what happens in a week, but i try.  but, this week i had a few experiences that were worth my whole mission.  if i don't have another drop of measurable success for the rest of my mission it wont matter.  i will look back on my mission as a success because of these experiences.

the first happened on thursday after, but the story starts on wednesday.  on wednesday, hna leyva and i stopped by to visit the little girl that got baptized. we hadn't planned to teach her that day so we didn't have any plans, and we were just going to share a scripture.  as i was flipping through my scriptures, looking for something to share, the story of lehis dream came to my mind.  i didn't know why, but i turned to 1 nephi 8 and started explain the story to e*.  then we read together the words of lehi after he ate the fruit.  I explained that the fruit was the love of God, and that when someone tastes it then they have the desire to share it. then hna leyva asked her if she knew anyone that she could share the gospel with.  we had asked her this question before, but she didn't have anyone.  but this time she gave us 7 references!!! in missionary language that is a  miracle!  nothing short!!

well, we gave her, and her little sister some pass along card to share with their friends at school, and they were both so excited. then the next day, we passed by again to tell them that we were going to visit their friends, and they wanted to come with us.  so we all went together, with the neighbor cause we can't be alone with ninos, to visit the references.  we got to the first house and it was a house we had visited before, but the person who had answered the door wasn't interested at all.  hna leyva and i were about to tell them that we had already visited this place, but e* had already knocked the door.  a women who we had not met answered the door, she was the mom of the friend of e*, and hermana leyva did the normal contact routine.  We got a return appointment!  that was awesome and a milagor in itself, seeing that we have had little success lately, but that joy does not compare to what happened next.  right before we left, e* extended her hand through the doorway with the passalong card we had given her yesterday, and said "here, this is for you, you are invited to the church."  except she said it in spanish.  but i cannot even describe the joy that filled me as i saw her exercising her faith to share her testimony.  it was just a beautiful moment.  as we walked away i thought "that moment was worth my whole mission."

the next experience will take some background information.  So one of the many days we were knocking doors, we passed an old woman walking, and i felt like i should talk to her.  but i didn't!  stupid.  but about 30 minutes later, we passed by a house, and i saw her standing in the doorway.  again, i felt i should talk to her, and this time i didn't ignore it.  hna leyva must have had the same impression cause she turned and made her way to the woman.  we started talking to her and learned her name was E*.  when we asked if we could share a message with her, she immediately invited us in.  This was about 2 weeks ago.  we have been teaching her ever since.  not a ton, because she has a lot of health problems and is in the hospital a lot.  like every other day to do dialysis, cause she don't have kidneys.  she has also had breast cancer, and doesn't have one of her breasts, and she is diabetic.  but her spirit is just so pure.  she is 74, and just so special to me.  every time we teach her i can't stop smiling at all her little quarks, and just her sweet spirit.  i feel as if i have known her my whole life.  well, last sunday we invited her to church, and she couldn't come, but she accepted a baptism date, and told us that believes the church is true.  (we are not sure if she understands everything thought) well, this sunday we invited her to church, and she said she would come.  we told her we would pass by for her. so yesterday morning we arrived at her house at 9:40 and knocked on her door.  with all the lack of success we have had, and with all our difficulties we have had at getting people to church, i was expecting for her to answer the door and offer some excuse of why she couldn't go, or maybe she wouldn't even open the door at all.  

I SHOULD NOT HAVE DOUBTED.

She opened the door wearing a beautiful coat and a pair of slacks.  she had even done her makeup, and looked as young as ever.  i cannot explain the joy i felt as we walked to the chapel with her. the chapel is upstairs, and it was a little hard for her to make it up, but when she sat down in the pew she leaned over to me and said "i didn't know if i would make it, but it was worth the sacrifice." i could not stop smiling the whole meeting.  then, at the end, one of the elders in our ward helped her walk back down the stairs, and as i walked behind her, listening to her chatter on and on to this elder, i was almost brought to tears by the beauty of the scene, and i thought once again, "this moment is worth my whole mission."  i don't know what will happen with her, and if she will get baptized, just cause she doesn't understand a lot, but i will never forget her for as long as i live.

We had three in church again!  it was a milagro!  one of them was a woman we started teaching this week.  she is the friend of hna m*, and is living in hna m*'s house. She is definitely prepared for the gospel, and our lessons with her are always really good, and just full of the spirit, but she is just scared to make the commitment of baptism.  and she is only home on the weekends, so it is hard to teach her.  so we don't know what will happen, cause changes are coming up, and we don't know if only one of us will change or if we both will change.

we don't have a lot of investigators, both the ones we do have are sincere, which is hard to find here in chile. . . . well, in this sector.

some other news, as i said, i am making a wedding cake and hermana leyva is decorating it.  so we ate lunch before email cause we know that we will be eating cake all after.  also, on thursday i make undercooked, burnt lasagna.  how is that possible? i don't know.  but i did it.  still we ate it, and the flavor was good.  but that was my week, and hermana leyva did get the shoes.  they fit!  and she says thanks.  also, for my b day package, i would love a little video from you all.  we have dvd players. and we can still use backpacks. .  . so that's awesome!  thanks for everything, sorry my typing is so bad, my fingers are about to freeze off!!  I love you all, have an amazing week!

con amor, hna Ostler

ps. this keyboard is super terrible, the shift doesn't work, and i don't know how to uncenter the format. .. sorry

Lemon Pie we made

She was asking questions that I hadn't yet found answers to

Super Bacan your family scripture study experience.  Wilson, you can do it!!!  I promise you that obedience is the key to happiness.  It is the knowledge that you are literally doing All you can to receive the blessings of the Lord.  And thanks mom for your words, they helped.  Walking by faith and not sight is definitely something I am learning on the mission, but it is a process that might take the rest of my life.

So, we had another hard week, and sometimes the only thing that gets me through is repeating this scripture over and over in my head: Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.  Nevertheless, whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the lasted day.  I honestly think that the Lord has decided to feed me humility with a spoon for my whole mission (as Hermana Chamberlain once told me).  But my comfort comes from the promise that if we will go to the Lord with our weaknesses, He will make weak things become strong.  I am putting ALL my faith in that promise.  The mission has made me realize that I lack so so so much in my journey to become like Christ, but . . . the good news is that I still have time to learn.

So this week, as I said, was hard.  Each day I woke up, it was harder and harder to see the light, and hard to hold on the the shred of hope that was connecting me to heaven.  But, as Elder Scott said: "When you feel that there is only a thin thread of hope, it is really not a thread but a massive connecting link, like a life preserver to strengthen and lift you.  It will provide comfort so you can cease to fear.  Strive to live worthily and place your trust int he Lord." I think that all along I have been closer to heaven than I knew.

So this week we had to dejar all our investigators, ummm . .. dejar in English is kinda like let go, or drop . . . but so say we had to let go of all our investigators sounds weird to me. You see, no one was progressing.  Like no one, and Hermana Leyva and I felt like we had literally done everything we could.  As mom says, we planted the seed, and I pray that they will let it take root so that the next time the missionaries knock on their door, they will accept them!!  So we are no longer teaching P*, J*, C*, JP, L*, C*, L* or, O*:(  It was super hard to dejar them, especially O*.  But, it was weird, because after we left his house, Hermana Leyva turned to me and said, "I think that someday we will see him again, maybe not in this life, but I think in the next life he will come find us and thank us for trying."  I told her that I felt the same way!  So you might not meet him when you come to Chile, but I will make sure to introduce  you to him someday.

So that was the beginning of our week.  Talk about FOME!  The second half of your week was literally knocking doors every day!  I have a wound on my knuckles!  The doors in Chile are super duro!  On Friday we didn't teach one lesson.  We just knocked doors, and we literally got door after door slammed in the face!  It was hard, and sometimes it is hard to find that happiness that you were talking about mom in these moments.  But Hermana Leyva and I found little things to make us laugh.  But we are passing through a lot of difficulties right now, not just with the work, but with other missionaries and the ward. I know I am not yet as Job, Jose Smith, of even Jose in Egypt, but sometimes it is hard not to look at the sky and ask why!

But it is in the hard times of our life that the Lord teaches us the most profound lessons, and it is in these times when we learn to look for the little blessings of everyday.  For example, yesterday during church, when I was feeling so so so down, one of the Elders in our ward came up to me and gave me a piece of candy.  Blessing.  We had three milagro investigators in church (they might not progress, or get baptized, but they came to church!!).  Blessing. Twice this week we only waited 5 minutes for the micro instead of 30 minutes.  Blessing. One day we left the house and had no planes to teach lessons with members, cause we have no investigators, but somehow we had two milago lessons with members that day.  Blessing. Yesterday in church, a recent convert came up to us and asked when he could come with us to teach a lesson, or knock doors, or whatever.  Blessing.  I have an amazing companion who strengthens me EVERYDAY!  Blessing. And I received a very thick envelope full of letters and pictures from my amazing Ostler family.  BLESSING!!  All of these are small things, almost insignificant when there are other missionaries baptizing every stinking week, but they are evidences that the Lord, en verdad, is with us, and that He loves us.

Oh this week we had an amazing lesson with a newish investigator, C*.  She is passing through a lot of difficulties familiares, and when went to her house to teach her daughter. But her daughter didn't want to listen.  She said that it was ridiculous to listen to us if she doesn't believe in what we believe.  Then she left the room.  Awkward! So we were just sitting there with her mom, not reallying knowing what to do.  Then Hermana Leyva just started in teaching about the Book of Mormon.  I knew she was going to pass the ball to me, and that I had to say something, but I really had no idea what to say.  Or what this woman needed to hear.  So I sat there and listened to Hermana Leyva, and prayed that the Lord would fill my mouth.  Then, Hermana Leyva stopped talking, and it was my turn.

It was silent for a moment, as I thought, then it came to me.  The story of Alma the Younger.  I opened my scriptures and started explaining the story of Alma the younger, and Hermana Leyva and I taught a beautiful lesson about prayer and Gods love, and that if she had faith her daughter could have a change of heart just like Alma did.  Well, it wasn't really us, it was the spirit.  Before we left, Hermana C* said that she had never felt this way before, and we told her it was the spirit testifying that what we were teaching was true.  It was a super bacan experience, but we haven't been able to find her in her house again.  Well, once, but we are not sure if she will progress.  But the seed is planted.  I did what the Lord called me to do.  I invited her to come unto Christ.  To pray.  To repent.  Now the rest is up to her.

This morning I had another cool experience.  Hermana Leyva woke up and I could tell she was not in a good mood, but she was trying really hard not to show it.  Then when it was time to do companionship study she said she didn't want to.  I sat there, thinking of what I could say to her to make her feel better.  But nothing came to mind.  45 minutes passed, and I continued reading my scriptures, hoping I could find something to say.  Nothing.  Well, she finally turned to me and said, "I'm not mad at you, I just don't want to do this anymore." I asked her if there was anything I could do to help.  She said no.  She said she didn't even want to go email today, cause then she would just tell her family that she wanted to go home.

I sat there in silence, remembering how I always had the perfect thing to say to people in moments like this.  But nothing.  I couldn't think of one thing to say to her.  Then I went away from my own knowledge and poured my heart out to the Lord.  I begged him that he would give me what to say.  That he would help me help my companion through this difficult time like she had helped me.  She continued to tell me about some emotional difficulties she was passing through, and how she just really didn't want to do this anymore, and she started crying.  I was barely holding the tears in myself because everything she was saying was exactly how I had been feeling, and I knew I couldn't help her because she was asking questions that I hadn't yet found answers to.  After she was done, we sat in silence for a time, as I continued to pray, and to beg with the Lord that he would pour a portion of his spirit out on me so that I could help Hermana Leyva.

Then, once again, something came to mind.  It was a general conference talk I had recently read by Elder Uchdorf.  I got up, went into our room and got my ensign and read to her the words of an apostle of God.  It was about how we are all children of God and have divine potential.  And then told her that I knew God loved her, and that she should never forget that, and being a good person does not mean that you will not pass through difficulties.  It does not mean you will never cry, or never fall, it just means that you will get up every time you do.  Then she said, but why get up if I know that I am just going to fall again?  And I said, as long as you don't fall in the same place than it means you are just a little bit stronger.  Then we cried together, and I felt the spirit with us.  I felt our heavenly father with us, telling us that he loves us, and that he is ever waiting to help us back up when we fall.

Man, the mission is a constant struggle, but as long as you keep moving forward, and falling forward then it will not be in vain.  Sometimes the Lord sees fit to chasten his people, and not because they are wicked, but because he needs to try their faith.  He needs to know how committed we are to live his commandment and do his will.

So, that's the week.  Oh, and Hermana Leyva made an itinerary of our vacation to Peru.  We are definitely going.  Here's what I was thinking. After our week in Chile, we hop over to Peru, but Hermana Leyva and I have talked, and we think it best if after the week in Chile, we return home, I get released, and have a month and a half of chill.  Then in the middle of August we take a family trip to Peru, have a personal tour guide (aka, Hermana Leyva) And when we come back Hermana Leyva and her two siblings come with us, then we all drive to Provo together to start the new semester!  Best plan ever!!  So start making preparations. Also, I have invited Hermana Leyva and her two sibling for thanksgiving in 2014.  Just so you know.

I love you all!  Thanks for the prayers, the letters, and just everything!  I love you all!

Con amor, 

Hermana Ostler