"Come in."

Familia,

I knew it!!  I knew it was a girl!!  Yeah Lilly!  Finally the name gets used and there is not a more perfect recipient than my first niece!  Congrats to Amanda for having the first grandchild!  I love the onsie!  Wow, all week I was thinking about Amanda, and I am so so so so so excited to be an aunt!  Yay!  Kinda a bummer that I have to wait like 6 months to meet my first niece . . . but . . . cosas pasa.

So, as for my week.  My number one goal was to be patient with my companion.  I am so blessed to have lived in Mexico for a short time so that I can understand her better.

My patients for her only broke once, yesterday night when I was so tired, and had a sun headache and my feet were hurting, and she was telling me how I needed to go to the doctor because I have a couple of blisters.  So I took my deep breaths and tried to explain to her that blisters happen, and that I wasn’t going to die.  But, all in all, things with the companion were better this week, mostly because I decided to be more patient.  She is progressing, learning how to teach more effectively and to not scare our investigators away on the first visit by inviting them to be married in the temple.  She is slowly getting used to the mission, but I know it is hard.  We all go through it.  But, I tried to remember the patience that she has with me and all my short comings, all my quirks, and especially my Spanish.  Hna Perez speaks very differently from the people here and all my other companions.  She uses different frases and words that I don’t understand. So I might still be explaining to her what a referral is every night, but she is repeating what she says in different ways until I understand her.  I am learning a lot from her and the Lord is blessing us so much in this sector.

So, basically our sector is just full of a bunch of old people, and last change with Hermana Morley we had an extremely difficult time finding people to teach.  At the start of this change, I prayed so hard that we could find the people who are being prepared.  I prayed for the faith necessary to find them, and the patience to knock door after door, and be reject time after time.  Last Sunday I specifically fasted for our sector, and that we would be lead to those who are waiting to hear the message of the restored gospel.  This week as we worked in our sector, I felt as if we were knocking the doors for the first time, even though I have basically knocked every door in our sector at least once.  I don’t know what changed, but doors were opening to us, and we were finding investigators left and right.  This week, in our sector that could pass as a nursing home, we found three young families!!  WHAT!!  I don’t think I have taught more than 2 complete families in all of my mission, and in one week we taught three!  I know God answers prayers, and sometimes we just have to be humble enough to ask for Him to lead us to the doors instead of thinking that we can find them on our own. This is His work, and knocking doors without His guidance is just a waste of time.

This week, after doubling our teaching pool, I have been pondering what drives people to invite two complete strangers into their house.  Here you are, a mother of two young boys, with a mountain of dishes to wash, floors to scrub, dinner to make, shirts to iron, and toys to organize when a knock sounds on the door. You answer it, and what do you find? Two young girls, not from your country, and not much older than yourself, asking to enter into your home, to take a glimpse into your life and share a message about God.  Sometimes I think that I am just as surprised as they are when the words slip from their lips "come in."

Why?  Why do they invite us in?  Put aside the fact that they have a million other things to do, babies crying, bills to pay, a houses to clean, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW US?  When was the last time you let a stranger into your house?

This week, as I have pondered on all these things, I have started to see the situation a little differently.

Here you are, a mother of two young boys, with a mountain of things to do as always.  But, how about we look past the to do list of a young mother for a few seconds.  Here is a woman who is trying to raise her boys to one day be respectable young men. Here is a woman who is scared that the morals of the world will enter into her home.  Here is a woman who wakes up every morning worried that she is going to fail her family.  Here is a woman who needs help, and when two young women knock on her door, she doesn’t see two strangers with a message that is just going to eat her time up.  No, what she really sees is help.  She sees Jesus Christ, and that is why she says "Come in."

When you put the plack on, you are no longer a stranger to anyone.  Instead you are representing the person that everyone is waiting to knock on their door.

So, our investigators are progressing slowly.  We invited Wa* to be baptized!  WHAT!!  That wasn’t planned, it just happened.  He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no.  He told us that he wants to learn more, and he wants to know that this is the path for him.  Also, he is reading the book of mormon and praying, so I know that he will come to find his answer.

We also invited another one of our investigators to be baptized.  She is older and she has smoked since she was a teenager.  So we taught her the word of wisdom, and the spirit during the lesson was so strong as we invited her to leave behind her cigarettes and follow Christ.

Also, some bad news is that Ja*, our other investigator who has 22 years and has been to church like 6 times started smoking again after 2 months of quitting.  NOOO!  But she said that she is going to try again. We are going to buy her tictac and almonds today, and I am going to make her banana bread, cause she loves it!  We are also taking her to the temple on friday!

About a month ago, Hermana Morley and I found this 18 year old girl who said that her belief in God is a 4 on a scale of 1 to 7. We went by this week to visit her and found out that her mom suddenly died.  Her mom had been sick for a few months, but our investigator was sure that she would get better.  As we taught her lesson 2, the plan of salvation, I could see the pain in her eyes.  But I realized that her pain doesn't spring from the loss of her mother, but from the thought that she will never see her mom again.  That hurts her more than the actual loss.  I didn’t know what to do for her, but I felt the impression to invite her to a FHE we are going to have with Ja* on Wednesday.  Surprisingly she accepted.  So, hopefully Ja* can help her, cause she also lost her dad.

This week, it was my goal that Hermana Perez and I could laugh more.  Hermana Perez is very serious, so I tired to find every opportunity to laugh.  Especially when it was hot, when we were tired, and when we had no one to teach.

Something I have learned in the mission is to always have an eternal perspective.  Why get upset or angry when a door slams in your face?  Cause then you will be all frustrated when you knock the next door, and no one is going to invite a frustrated person into their house.  Yea, its really hot right now, but in a few hours the sun is going to set.  Misery only lasts if you invite it to stay.  In the mission, our situations change from moment to moment, hour to hour, door to door, so if you are relying on the circumstances to make you happy then you are strapping yourself onto the roller coaster of emotion . . . NO FUN!!  BEEN THERE DONE THAT  . . . NO THANKS!  Discouragement comes, it always does, whether you invite it or not, but it is our choice if we let it set up camp, or send it packing.

The things you learn on a mission are priceless, and a few times this week, I stopped to think back on the person I was only a few months ago, and I am in awe at what the Savior is shaping me into.

Well, that's all I got for this week.  I love you all and you are always in my prayers!

Con amor,

Hna Ostler

I love wearing His name above my heart

Dear Familia,

I love the double email thing.  Its a little longer, but I can know a little of whats going on with Harrison!  Wow, he's a DL?  CAPO!  BACAN!  Just go baptize some good priesthood out there in the jungle . . I’ll stay here in my apartment on the 20th floor and drink smoothies made from my blender every morning . . jajaja.

Okay, so my new comp arrived on Tuesday.  Her name is Hermana P and she is from Mexico.  Apparently there wasn’t a sister from Chile.  I'm not going to lie, this week has been hard as Hermana P is adjusting to the mission life.  We got back to the apartment Tuesday afternoon, and I know she probably wanted to unpack, or get settled, but we left five minutes later to work!  Maybe I’m a bad companion for doing that, but that's what missionary work is . .Its WORK! After every contact we do she is already planning the baptism.  But, my patience has been tried as I have had to explain every aspect of missionary work.  It doesn’t annoy me, I mean, I’m her trainer for crying in a bucket . . that's what I am supposed to do. I have to tell her not to talk about deep doctrine after EVERY lesson we teach.  The people have never heard about the priesthood, so you can’t go in and start talking about preparing them to enter the temple so they can be sealed.  For crying in a bucket, WE JUST MET THEM!  How about we teach them about the priesthood that is on the earth, then invite them to be baptized by someone who has that priesthood. There is an order to these things.  So my work is cut out for me.

I feel like Hermana Morley came pre trained, and we just lived it up!  We had so much fun last change, and yet worked our butts off at the same time.  But this changed I am training. For some reason, God sent me Hermana P.  Maybe I can learn something from her.

She had her first breakdown on Wednesday. I love her.  Honestly, I feel an unexplainable love for her as my companion.  I am just going to try to teach her what I know, help her learn, and hopefully learn from her experiences.  I just hope she doesn't confuse all our investigators.

That's so crazy about Kraymer not being able to speak English.  I still feel like I can speak English well.  But of course I have been in Chile for less than a year, and he was there for 2 years.  But, this week my Spanish was suffering. I don’t know why.  I felt like I couldn't speak, or understand, but maybe that's because Hermana P speaks SO DIFFERENTLY than los chilanos, and because I was so mentally tired from explaining everything x number of times.

Mom, I love your study on enduring.  The principle of Endurance is one I have become very familiar with throughout my mission.  Being with Hermana P has reminded me a lot of the beginning of my mission and the tree I planted so long ago.  You have been reminding me of that tree, and that I should go back and look at it, but I haven't seen much change in the size, stature, or strength.

Now, Hermana P recently planted her tree, and I am teaching her how to grow it, and how to care for it.  I am telling her what I have done to grow my tree, or in other words, to develop myself, and in the process I have gone back to my tree to look at it, to see if there really has been any growth, and OH MY WOW!  That thing just shot up and I don’t know when.  I know that there is still much I can do as I continue to develop myself, grow, and change to become more like my Savior Jesus Christ, but I cannot deny the progress and growth that has taken place over these past 11 months.  I am far from my potential, but I am headed in the right direction.

Oh, guess what W* told us?  Remember W* the Agnostic?  Well, last week actually, he told us that he actually believes in God . . WHAT?  That's cool.  So we are seeing progress with him.  Slow, but it is there.  He is just so awesome, and he is really starting to open up to us. I pray that he will be baptized someday.

So, I miss Hermana Morley a lot.  So does the ward.  We were meant to be sisters.  I am grateful for the change we had together, but it went by way to fast.  I think I learned more from her than she did from me.

Ma* y A* got confirmed on Sunday!  It was so great!  We also had three investigators in church, which was a miracle!  This week was a little difficult, just with being in charge of everything and not really having a companion to help, but I have felt very close to the Lord and I have felt Him guide me through this week.  I made mistakes, but that's okay, because I am trying to be better, I am trying to learn.  I have a great desire to become more like my Savior every day.  Can I have a missionary moment?  Okay, I’m taking one.

I love this work so much.  I cannot describe to you how difficult and tiring it has been, but I love it.  I love being the hands of the Savior here in Santiago, and wearing His name above my heart.  I always say that I only have 18 months for that name to sink through the tag into my heart, and I feel Him there more every day.  I know he lives, and I know He loves each of us.  I walk the streets and testify of Him every day.  I tell lonely people that they really aren't alone.  I tell broken people that they can be healed, and I tell suffering people that He has suffered for them so that they don’t have to.  I love doing this, and even though it is hard, and there are many times when I wonder if my blistered feet can carry me to the next door, I know, that at the end of it, I, like Kraymer, won’t want it to end.

Thank you for all your support, packages, and love.  I love you all and I pray for you every day!

Con amor, 

Hna Ostler

I felt the heavy weight of Vivaceta on my shoulders in a literal sense

Familia!

Okay, and I am back with the news of cambios!  Aren’t you just dying to know what happened?  Well, I’m sure the boys couldn't care, but mom, I know you are just on your toes waiting! So.... whats gonna happen... I think I will hide it somewhere in my email... so keep reading!

So, the semana was good!  About our 5 in church last week, well ..  two of them got baptized!  Ma* & her son!  We did exactly what dad said we should.  We brought a sister to ALL our lessons this week and it really helped her feel comfortable and progress.  Instead of shrinking at the topic of baptism, she began to rejoice at the thought.  We saw a huge change in her over the week.  And her son is just awesome like always.

The member that helped us

So, Friday was their interview, and we had an inter transfer, which ended up being really complicated cause our sister leader didn’t tell us about it until the night before, and we already had plans to go to the registro civil in the morning to renew my visa, plus we had a ward activity to plan that would be taking place the next day, and the interview.  Bad day to be separated from your companion.  But we worked it out, and our sister leader ended up coming to our sector to work with us. So we were a three sum that day.  It was great having her here though, she really helped some of our investigators that just haven't been progressing.

Okay, about the interview.  So, Ma* is incredibly shy and has trouble with memory.  We have taught her the charlas I don't know how many times, but she still forgets a few things. She has a great heart, and the desire to be baptized, she just can’t remember the name of the current day prophet!  So while we were walking to the house with our district leader, I was explaining the situation, how she is shy and her son has Aspergers.  During the interviews I was praying that everything would go well.  Ma* went first, and came back just happy happy happy!  Yay, she passed.  Few!  Now its A*'s turn.  Piece of cake he knows the charlas mejor que yo! Well, after about 15 minutes, my district leader called me back into the room to talk with him and A*. . . . . .

So I was a little heart broken, cause the elder said we had to change the date. . duh!  But with the changes coming up, I didn't know if Hermana Morley and I would be together for the baptism and we just worked so hard with this family it would have been devastating.  So we come back into the room, and Hermana Morley had over heard.  She looked close to tears.  This would have been her first baptism.  It was a little awkward as the Elder waited for me to say something.  I started explaining.  That throws a twist on things.

So all of the 5 missionaries that were there started discussing the situation and what was to be done.  Our district leader decided to leave that up to president.  One short call from president later, and we had the okay to baptize them!  YAY!!!!  BEST MOMENT EVER!

The baptismal service as beautiful.  Hermana Morley sang, I cried when he was baptized, and the ward was so happy!  They are precious to God.  It was a great way to end the change.

On Saturday Hermana Morley and I put on a ward activity we had been planning the whole change. A competencia de postres!  Basically you bring a dessert, and present it, then the judges go into a room with all the desserts while the rest of us fill our plates and check off on our sugar supply for the year!  Well, on Saturday I was so nervous that no one would show up with a dessert.  The ward is small and there were a lot of people gone.  We called all the sisters who had signed up to bring something, but we only could confirm three desserts.  So, I spent the afternoon making Jackie's Black bottom cup cakes, while trying to plan a baptism, and a back up activity.  I remember there was a point when I was filling out the baptism registro, and I smelt my cupcakes burning.  So I drop my pen, run into the kitchen and take them out.  Then as I filled the pan for a new batch, I spilled batter all over, while at the same time Hermana Morley was asking me what games we could play if the activity fell through. As the cupcake batter streamed down my arms,and tears gathered in my eyes, I felt the heavy weight of Vivaceta on my shoulders in a literal sense.  I was drowning in my own cupcake batter and we had just run out of paper towels.  How could I come back up?

I said a prayer.

The weight wasn’t instantly taken from me, but over the course of ten minutes, Jesus Christ lightened my load, and I was able to come back up and breath.

But the Milagros don’t stop there.  The activity ended up being a success.  We started an hour late (chilean time combined with mormon time).  But we had about 10 sisters bring postres, and we ate them all!  The 40 or so people who came.  Everyone who was there enjoyed it.  It was one of the best ward activities I have ever been to.

The little things that matter to us, matter to the Lord.  He is so willing to take our load, and sometimes all we have to do is ask.

So, the change ended well, the only sad part is the Hermana Morley is leaving!  Yep, I am staying in Vivaceta, which I am happy about, but I am so sad to say goodbye to Hermana Morley.  We enjoyed every second of the change, the good and the bad, the bitter and the sweet.

So what is going to happen to me?  Who is coming to Vivaceta?  Well, mom, I don't know how . . but you nailed it!  I will be training again, a sister who I will meet tomorrow and she will be a native cause there are only three sisters arriving to the mission: one from chile, one from brazil, and one from peru.  If I had a choose, I'd choose chile!  It’s about time I had a chilean companion!  I’m super excited to speak Spanish all the time again!  But, of course I am also nervous.  But hey, I am never alone, I know that I won’t be training alone, cause the Lord is always with me.

Saying goodbye to Hermana Morley was sad.  We went to see Ma* & her son in the night, and it turned into a crying party.  I was crying, Hermana Morley was crying, Ma* was crying.  She wouldn't let go of Hermana Morleys hand.  It was sad.  But, changes are necessary.  We change and grow as we interact with new people.

I really wasn’t expecting this change, but I am excited for it.  Wish me luck ..  but more importantly . . .pray for me!

I love you all, and I hope life in Richland is treating you well!

Hna Ostler

Ps. I miss you too mom!

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

The greatest gifts

Dear familia,

Wow, Skype . .  BACAN! Loved it!  In the moment when the whole familia is together there is so much to be said and so much to be shared, but the words to express feelings that are carried in the heart are hard to find, and at the end of forty minutes we are still searching, so in the end nothing is really said, but more is shared through the tear filled eyes and the ring of laughter, and through the simple words of "I love you" we say goodbye for 5 more months.  You guys are really just the greatest and I loved every obnoxious second we had.

This Christmas, as I said, was one of the most spiritual and memorable Christmases I have experienced in my short 21 years of Christmas experiences.  My Christmases have slowly been changing from receiving to giving, over the years-  It is a process we all go through. What changed this year was not a ratio in which I gave more than I received, but rather in what manner of gifts were received and what manner of gifts were given.

Every year the question is asked, "what can I give?"  After the question runs through our mind, we start to think of the latest and the greatest.  Things that can be bought to give to our loved ones.  We think of the prices, we think of the wrapping and the bows.  We run to the store time and time again, searching for the perfect gift.  But this Christmas there were no stores, there was no wrapping, no bows, and no calculating the price.  This Christmas for me changed from what I could give from a store to what can I give from myself.  Instead of searching through the aisle and the shelves for the perfect gift, I walked the streets, searching for the person who needed the perfect gift.  And this gift I talk of is not one that is bought in a store, but it is one that comes from inside.  This Christmas I gave of myself.

As a representative of Jesus Christ, I knocked doors, looking for the hands that drooped, looking for those who needed help, searching for those who needed Jesus.  And When I found them, I only shared the light that is inside.  Sometimes that was a simple hug to an old friend who is dying of cancer and doesn't even know it.  And another time it was a Christmas song to a woman who recently lost a husband.  Then there was another who needed a bag of soap, shampoo, and a box of chocolate cereal for her kids, cause they had none in the house.

When Christ was on the earth what did He give?

He gave himself.  So as his representative this year I tried to do the same, and this Christmas will be one that I never forget.

The greatest gifts I received this Christmas were the hug from a little girl who hadn't tasted chocolate cereal in who knows how long, the tears of a women who just needed a Christmas song, and the smile of an old friend.  Then of course, there was the amazing skype session. My companion had to split her time.  That broke my heart.  While, at the same time, it made me so grateful that I could talk to ALL my family in 3 parts of the world at the same time.  It was great, and I’m happy that you all enjoyed your Christmas and that my package got to you!  Yeah!  I hope you enjoyed the homemade gifts.

Lets see, what else for this week? It is really really hot!  But my comp and I try to keep a good attitude even when we are swimming in our own sweat.  We found a mother and son this week who are awesome!  They have potential to progress.  On Sunday we passed by our investigator, Ja* to wake her up cause she always misses church cause she is sleeping. We got to her house and she was sleeping . .jajaja . . so we woke her up and then had to wait for her to get ready. We were NERVOUS ABOUT BEING LATE CAUSE HNA MORELY HAD TO GIVE A TALK (sorry I hit capslock, I’m not yelling) But, luckily JP has a car.  So he drove us . . but this care was like build in the 80s ..  so there were a few times I was worried that we wouldn't make it . . jajaja.

Ummm . . . what else?  I actually got the package in Christmas!  I think I got like 15 letters. A ton of people from the ward wrote me, and I loved it all!  The best treat was from Mr. Porter!  I read his letter like 3 times cause it is a literary piece of art, and it really was inspiring!  So that was great!

Sorry, I didn’t really plan this email, I just decided that I was going to sit down and write, so its a little scatterbrained.

We found an awesome place to buy empanadas!  Like the best I have tasted in Chile!  So good!  I might come home fat from just eating empanadas!

January will probably be a hard month just cause everyone will be on vacation, but the Lord always blesses us when we are working hard!

I eat a lot of palta con salsa and chips!  So good!  Also, my comp and I eat so many apples! There is a little fruit store across the street from our apartment building, so we are always just stalking up!

My comp is going to sing for zone conference this week and I am going to play the piano. So we have a little key board in the house to practice and it is so fun!  She is going to sing o my Father but with the tune of if you could hie to kolob!  So that is going to be great!

Yep, I don’t remember anything else . . well I remember a lot of stuff .  . but I love you all! And it was so so so so great to see you!

Con Amor,

Hna Ostler  

This is our investigator with the batman puppet I got at our white elphant we had for our district.  I loved that batman puppet and I kept forgetting to take the batman puppet our of my backpack.  When we visited him on Friday and heard about all the things that had been happening, and seeing him so sad, I reaching into my backpack to pull out my scriptures, but instead found the batman puppet I had forgotten to take out.  It only took a few seconds for me to decide to give up a mission trinket for a friend who needed some love.  When he saw the puppet his face just lit up!  So instead of bringing home a puppet, I have this picture (he let me hold his darthvader action figure) and a memory I will never forget. 

Cat delivery!

Chat with Hermana Ostler

Hermana Ostler: Sorry, the email is short and kinda scatterbrained, but I just came up with it on the spot!  I have some time if you want to know anything else.

Mom: Awesome email. You write so beautifully

Hermana Ostler: That just came out of me today!  I have felt for awhile that I needed to write something, but I just didn't know what it was.  Today as I sat down what had been waiting inside me just came out!  I will probably print it, edit it, and put it in my journal, cause I kinda liked it too . . jaja

Mom: Have someone record your musical number. That would be awesome to see. Everyone here is still sleeping.  So quiet. What are you guys doing this afternoon?

Hermana Ostler: yeah, we will probably record it on the house.  I don’t know how it is going to turn out.  I haven’t played the piano in so so so long and my fingers are rusty.  Today we are going to a flee market type thing to buy awesome Chilean pants for the new year.

Mom: Chilean pants? Can't wait to see pictures of that! We're getting ready for the New Years party. Is New Years a big deal there? When do you have to be in your apartment?

Hermana Ostler: Yeah, I think they celebrate new years.  Honestly I am just so out of the world I think I forgot my own birthday . . jajaja.  No, there is going to be a firework show that we can see from our balcony on the 20th floor . . so that is going to be awesome! But, we just have a normal schedule unless we see something dangerous.  It doesn't really feel like the new year to me.  It doesn't really feel like time is passing.  I got to go though, I love you!

Celebrating Christmas for 10 months

Dear familia!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Hey, you guys are great, and I am so excited to talk to you all!  No, I don’t think it will make me homesick, actually, sorry if this hurts our feelings, if I didn’t get to talk to you, I would probably be fine . . jajaja.  I love you though, and stuff like that!

So, this week was an interesting one.  Last pday I could barely walk cause my foot was just so swollen, and turning purple.  So, my sweet, loving companion made me go to the doctor even though I kept saying I was fine and stuff.  So, on Tuesday we got to go back to proviencia!  That's where the temple is and I just love it there!  But, turns out I got an infection in my foot!  WHAT?  So, that was no fun.  But, the doc gave me some anti biotics, and some other pills ‘n stuff, and some cream to put on my foot four times a day.  After about 3 days of taking all the pills the purple on my foot started to fade, and we were back to walk at our normal pace.  My foot is fine now, I just have to keep taking my pills and putting that cream on it for another 3 weeks, but I still get to work, and I don’t have to stay in the apartment all day  .. so that's good!

Ward party with our investigators

This new sector is growing on me slowly, but sometimes I feel like my heart is still in lampa.  In the beginning of the mission I tried to take my heart and my mind out of Richland and put it in Chile.  Well, now I have both heart and mind in Chile, but they're just in the wrong part.  I don’t think they received the news about changes yet.  But I am really trying to love this ward and the people here, sometimes I just wish that I was in lampa, so that I could spend Christmas with Ca*.

The Elders had a baptism this week!  Well, basically they baptized an old old man, that can’t walk who is the father of a less active member.  The chapel is upstairs in our building, so you got to get like 4 guys to carry him up, then down, then back up again and then down. It wasn’t very organized the baptism service, and after the ordinance, the elders hadn’t planned anything to do while we waited for him to change (which took about 45 minutes) so Hermana Morely and I improvised.  We sang we played the piano, and we almost considered dancing, but then they finally carried him back up the stairs and we continued.

When we was baptized, his son was just holding him up in the water, cause he can’t stand. Then when they dunked him, he just sunk down to the bottom, and I was worried that he wasn’t gonna come back up.  There were a few people saying "Sacelo"  Which is: take him out!  But they eventually got him back out of the water, and Hermana Morely and I had a good laugh about it.

After the baptism (which was 2 hours!) Hermana Morely and I went to knock doors, and we found W*.  He is a young adult who believes in the concept of God, but not really in God. He is Agnostic, and I don’t really know what that means.  But he was very open to talk to us.  We mostly talked about what our beliefs pertaining to God are, and he shared with us his.  It was a very simple lesson, but Hermana Morely and I both commented on how we felt the spirit very strongly during the lesson. We went back to his house a few days later, and we taught him lesson one, the restoration and stuff like that.  In the morning during my personal study, I was thinking about him the whole time, worry about what we could teach him, but I kept coming back to the restoration.  So we taught it, and again, it was simple, and he understood very well.  De hecho, he had even read the pamphlet we left him, and said that he already believed in the apostasia, but he had never known what happened after. I don’t know why, but he is very interested in our message . . bueno, obviously I know why, but at the same time I don’t . . hope that makes sense.

At the end, we asked him to say the prayer, and his words almost brought tears to my eyes.  He talked to his father in heaven, like he was talking to an old friend.  He said that it was time for him to start strengthening his faith again, and to go forward with his dreams, and that everything in his life was finally falling into place.  Basically it was a great prayer.  The only down side is that he will be busy until January!  So we aren’t going to see him for about 2 weeks!  But, again, when we left, Hermana Morley and I talked about how strong the spirit had been during the prayer.  I have thought a lot about W*, and how there is something very special about him, and almost familiar.  Maybe he too is one of my premortal friends, in fact, as I typed that I felt it was true.  Yep, we were definitely buddies. I hope I can help him home.

So there is this member that always accompanies us to lessons.  A sweet widow in his middle age.  Well, on Saturday I found out that he is like a secret detective, and I totally freaked out!  His has like a badge and stuff.  Jajaja . . he is just great!

About Ma* and her son, I don’t know what we are going to do with them.  They haven't been coming to church, and I think we might have to drop them for a few weeks.  But before that we are going to give them a cat.  Every time we go to teach them we hear these mice running around behind their bookshelves.  It is slightly disturbing, so we decided we needed to find a cat for them.  Well, on Friday we had lunch with a sister who owns 11 cats, and one of them barfed up a hairball during lunch, and another one ate it . . yep, it was gross.  So on Sunday we asked her if we could borrow one of her cats ..  the situation was actually pretty hilarious.  She said yes. So for Christmas, we are giving them a cat with a bow around its neck.

About Christmas stuff, honestly, I will skype when Harrison can.  The members we are skyping with are super chill.  We are planning between 2 and 4 but whatever will do. Everyone feels so bad for us that we are so far away from home during Christmas time, and its funny.

Lately I have been thinking about Christmas, and realized that I don’t feel that usual Christmas cheer.  Then I thought, well, maybe its because there is no apple pie, there is no snow, there is no tree decorating, gift wrapping, sugar cookies, marshmallow gun wars, and no live nativity.  But, that’s not it.  It’s not that I don’t feel the Christmas cheer, but it is that I don’t feel a fault of Christmas.  Everyone always says that Christmas is about being with the family, well, I just feel like I have extended my family beyond a blood line, and will be celebrating this Christmas with my spiritual family.  If Christmas is a time to remember Christ and focus on others, then I have been celebrating Christmas for a little over 10 months now.  I love you all so much, but I don’t think I will miss you too much this Christmas, because I got my family down here in Chile, and we are just gonna party!

You all are the greatest, and I hope you enjoy your Christmas, and remember that even though we are far apart . . . well actually I don’t have anything mushy to say there . . so we are just going to end it . . love you!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Ostler

Today, I was able to 'chat' with Hermana Ostler following her email. Below is part of our conversation.

Hermana Ostler: I finished my email if you want of work out Christmas details . . Harrison is on right now

Mom: I'm reading the email. At the baptism of the old man part. Are you talking to Harrison? And just to make sure - it's 12:20 where you are, correct?

Hermana Ostler: No on the Harrison part, but he just sent an email to me, and yes on the time part.

Mom: You have a typo and I can't figure it out. At the end of your email you said you don't feel a fault of Christmas. Fault? 

Hermana Ostler: A lack, sorry, that is Spanish grammar.  The word in Spanish is falta, but we say lack, I forgot

Mom: ha ha ha ha ha - that is funny. Dad will get a kick out of it too.

Hermana Ostler: nope, no box, and I now have a total of 4 letters!  Oh  . Kevin wrote me . . tell him thanks . . I love his letter.  It made my day!

Mom: I hope the office delivers mail before Christmas. Cause I know you have more letters and I know the box is there. But if not, nothing I can do about it now. So, we'll plan on Skype around 3. But don't freak out if it's not right then. I still haven't heard from Harrison, even though you say he's on. Hopefully you can stick around your computer for a little longer.

About the foot - no wonder you've been exhausted and feeling worn down. An infection will do that to you. Do you want to tell me how bad it is? And what's the name of the anti biotic?

Hermana Ostler: Wait, back to the other message.  What is funny?  My Spanish grammar or the baptism?

And the infection, honestly I don’t know how bad it is, the doc said for me to take the pills until they are gone, and that will be 10 days.  I don’t think it was bad, and I’d only had symptoms of it for like2 days before I went to the doc.  So I’m fine, really.

Mom: The grammar is funny. It's funny that you mix the languages, and it's funny that the word that came out was 'fault.' Funny to me. What's the name of the pill?

Hermana Ostler: No idea, I tell you in two days.  Also, we do get mail on the day of Christmas.  Also I thought we used the word fault in that way.

Mom: Ahhhh - no. We don't use fault like that. We use fault like this. It's your fault that the glass broke because you dropped it. There is a fault line in California caused by an earthquake. Through no fault of your own, you are just beautiful.

Hermana Ostler:  Is there another way to spell fault? Like a different word with the same sound?

Mom: Fault in America means to blame or accuse. Or the earthquake thing. Sounds like fault in Chile means more like you're missing something. It's a mild term. But here, it's not so mild.

Hermana Ostler: Also, my comp is going to use my skype to call her family, so when you see that I am on, don’t call me until I send you a message, cause it might be her using my skype to talk to her family.

I have learned not to question the spirit

Dear familia,

Thanks for the email . . always love them.  Honestly it feels like yesterday that I was siting at a computer typing to you.  So much happened this week, and it went by so fast!  My companion had phase 2 for all the new missionaries, and I had to go to compania for the morning to study for like 4 hours, it kinda sucked.  Then my comp was sick for about 2 days with stomach problems, but she is such a trooper and we went out and worked anyway.  Also, we had intercambios and I had to go to Quilicura with the hna lider.  But I learned a lot, mostly about doing contacts.  Also, I got to see Hna Peralta at the boarder of the sector cause she is in the other half of quilicura . . so that was fun.

Okay, my comp is just amazing!  She is on fire, I am learning so so so so so much from her, more than she will ever learn from me.  Here is a quick experience.

We are teaching a woman named Ma*, and her son who has asperberger, but honestly he is just the sweetest most sincere, and funniest person I know.  About a month ago they had a baptismal date, but didn’t answer the door for their interview and then didn’t show up at church the day of their baptism.

When I showed up to the sector, Hermana Morley didn’t know what to do with them, cause they weren’t progressing.  After a few lessons with them, basically teaching the same thing over and over again, I decided we should drop them for awhile.

So we went to their house on Wednesday to drop them.  We started with telling Hermana Ma* that she is an example to her son and that she needs to come to church.  Then we continued with explaining our purpose as missionaries to invite people to come unto Christ through baptism.  As I was talking, I tried to form in my head the words I needed to tell them that we wouldn’t be passing by to visit them anymore, but I couldn’t seem to find them.  So I ended what I was saying to let Herman Morley talk.  She started out a little slow, but then started talking about the importance of baptism, and how much we, as missionaries, wanted them to receive that blessing.

While she was talking the thought came to my head that we should invite them to be baptized for 29 of December . .. what? But, the spirit was very strong in the room, and I have learned not to question the spirit.

I was preparing myself to make the invitation after Hermana Morley finished talking, but the spirit must have been talking to both of us, and Hermana Morley said "Hna Ma*, segira el exemplo de jesucristo y sera bautizado en la fecha 29 de deciembre?"

There was a moment of silence, then Herman Ma* said "Si."

I helped her recognize the spirit in the room that was so strong it almost had me in tears. Then I told the son to commit his mom to come to church with him this Sunday.  It took a little pushing, but he is a natural, and she eventually accepted.

Hermana Morley is amazing and her ability to invite the spirit never ceases to astound me.

Also, this week, well yesterday I had to give a talk in church.  Do you want to know when I found out that I was going to give a talk? During the opening song!  The first counselor caught my eye and mouthed the word "Discuros."  Yeah . . . wasn’t prepared to that.  My talk was a bit disorganized, but in the end I think it came out good for practically zero preparation.

This week we have also been inviting everyone to be baptized.  We have 6 with fecha.  An* and C* have some serious potential.  In fact, An* is just on fire, the only problem is that he is going to move!  We are so devastated cause he could really be a strength for the ward.  C*, also is great, he is just a little anti social, so it is hard to find friends for him in the ward.

As far as Christmas goes, we have district class at 11 and we are hoping to finish at 1, and are thinking that we will skpye at around 2ish our time.  I don’t know Harrison’s schedule, but I only have 45 minutes to skpye, talking to him would be great, but if it is not possible, well, I guess I will just have to wait for next Christmas.

I got the Christmas package, the tree I have tired to tape up about 4 times but it always falls cause its so heavy . .jajaja. . . but I love it!  But we have a little fake tree in the house, and my comp and I have now both received presents to put under it.  We are going to open them on the 24th at night like the Chileans.  Also, I have received one green envelope that is also under the tree.

The absolute best part of my week was yesterday, when we got to go to the Christmas presentation at the temple.  The rules are that you can go if you take an investigator.  Well, we were planning on going with an investigator with a car.  We were going to get their early and find good seats and everything.  But, as we were walking to her house, she called us and flaked out!  I was so upset. Cause I really wanted to go.  But, Hermana Morley pulled out the phone and started calling ALL our investigators, while I was doing contacts.

Me & Hermana Morley at the temple with our investigator

Turns out one of our investigators who is moving next week could come, she is totally going to get baptized in her new ward.  But she doesn’t have a car, so we had to take the subway and got there later then planned, so we didn’t get to sit down, but we had to go around the back to stand in the field.  There were a ton of people and trees blocking the stage, so we couldn’t see well, but they had it projected, so that was good.  But, in the end, it was way better to be in the back, cause I got to talk to my x-companions and there were ward members from lampa who totally attacked me when they saw me.

But the best part was finding Hermana Lima, cause guess who she brought to the presentation?  HNA CA*!  I almost cried when I saw her, and she just hugged me and hugged me and wouldn’t let go.  It was great!  She got baptized and confirmed.  I knew it right when I saw her, cause there is a light about her now.  Wow, it was just so so so great to see her.  My comp also got to see a bunch of her MTC friends who went to the south mission.

Me and Hermana Lima with Ca*
There is definelty a difference in this woman,
I noted it the moment I saw her.
She has the holy ghost.

Oh yeah, and David Archuleta was there, and I met his son (an elder he trained).  That was pretty cool.  We had to leave early so that we could catch the subway before it closed, and we almost didn’t make it . . jajaja . . that would have been fun . . NOT!

So it was a good week.  I just love Chile so much.  I never ever want to leave.  Like ever!  I completed my 10 months in the mission . .  what?  Where did time go?  I love you all, but I really don’t want to come home.

Hope all is well, awesome that David got is call!  Love you all!

Hermana Ostler

I get to wear tennis shoes casue my left foot has been swelling really bad and cause
me to limp which then caused blisters.  So I have permish to wear tennis shoes until I get better.
Hermana Essig thinks that I bruised my foot or something.  We'll see.