Hey Family!! I am going to shred this keyboard because I don’t have much time to write today but that is okay because mom you will just have to translate Egyptian. This week was a different one spiritually speaking at least. I felt a lot of friction and temptation and growth. It was weird. My spiritual growth this week really came from temptation and thoughts and I don’t know how to explain it. Like last night I was in bed at 10:30 and the lights just shut off and I heard elders across the hall talking and out of bed so I was troubled in my spirit if I should go over there and tell them to more like invite them to go to bed. So I was constrained by the spirit to go and I was a little nervous and didn’t know what to say. I open their door and there are four latinos out of bed. I invite them to get in bed and one of them tells me that I am the one that should be in bed. I was like what? But in my head I said that. They pretty much said that I was the sinner. This is in Spanish and it was mostly just one of them doing the talking. He used the command form of Spanish and wasn’t nice. So I felt courageous and left them and walked back in my room and fell to the floor and prayed. I learned alot. That is how a lot of my week went. Confusion and figuring it out. I loved it and learned much!!
Soooo really bad news for you as I laughed and read about all of the info for how to call you from the airport. We are busing to El Salvador. 6 hours on a bus or 6 hours total of fly travel time is the same plus busing 19 elders to El Salvador is a loooottt cheaper. So I’m sorry to burst your bubble! We’ll just wait till Christmas and that will be an even better reunion. By that time I’ll be fluent in the language mostly and that will be fun!
So I have known for three weeks that Elder Nelson of the quorum of the 12 was coming today to our mission but I could not tell you that we were going to go and meet him and see him. Soooo we were all looking for forward to that and yesterday Presidente Cox comes in while we are eating lunch and tells us that he has bad news. We all freeze. He begins to tell us that the vice president of Guatemala has been arrested and the president is in hiding and there are a lot of things going on in the country that would be dangerous for an apostle of the Lord to be in. So he proceeds to let us know that there will be no President Nelson coming to Guatemala and we will no longer have the opportunity to meet him and shake his hand. We were devastated!!! I was going to shake the most senior apostles hand!!! That would have been sooo sick. We were going to go to a devo this morning at some stake center here in the Guatemala but nope not anymore. I was sad but I am over it now. I mean that would have been cool but its all good!
My Jesus the Christ reading is going good! I was not able to read a ton ton this week so I’m really gonna have to fly to finish this week. I am on page like 470 or something. It is an incredible book. I love it sooo much. Christ was and is amazing!!
So as DL I had the responsibility of directing our district meetings, we had one every Sunday night and one on Tuesday. One we set goals and talk about district stuff and I shared a little lesson each time but on Tuesday we discuss the devotional of that night. It was really awesome the two weeks I was DL and I could feel the extra responsibility. They switch the dls of the districts every two weeks. So I was released or whatever on Sunday and replaced.
I am seeing myself being more courageous and it is soooo evident that some of the elders just don’t understand how important the rules are and whatnot. I have exhorted them to always be wearing shirts and shorts in the hallway some of them will not. And it is annoying but I have to understand that I cannot control them. So it is a process of learning how to be a leader!!
I am sooo overly excited to be leaving here in a week. I feel ready to go to field and know I will have hard times and everything but I am soo ready to teach and share to real investigators and people on the street the things I know to be true, to share the truth. Because that is basically it. It is just the truth. Some will hear and others won’t but we have agency and I have been called to find the chosen and prepared. God has prepared many to hear the word, after all the field is white is it not?
This week our schedule was changed to have sports at the night time so like 4 districts have sports at night during the time I do and it is sooo much better because the sun is not killing you and we go into the dorms at like 8:30 and have an extra hour every night to chill, so I have spent that time writing allllll of you letters!!! I have a letter for everyone so be expecting them in a week!!
Everybody is amazed at how much I have written home. I am a family guy, what can I say. They always ask me how I have time to write and read Jesus the Christ and I tell them I just make time and that just confuses them. There is sooooo much time during everyday to find and use for something productive. I love being able to teach others how to use time better and how to really push yourself. I love challenges soo much and am excited for the field to even push me beyond what I even know I can do, because our Father in Heaven knows us better than we know ourselves.
The new elders got here this week which has been fun being able to see what we were like but this batch of 40....btw that is an absolute ton, is not that excited like I remember my group was. They just are not really wanting to be here and that is evident. I mean of course some are but the overall vibe is like they don’t really want to be here, so that is lame and I am trying to talk with them and get them stoked for the mission because it is awesome.
I cannot believe school starts this week and Jackson and Katie are there. That is sooo fun!!! I remember school. Good days of life. Love it Benson and Wilsdog. It is fun!! Even if you hate it, it is still fun in the end. Make good friends and get rid of the crappy ones. Seriously. Don’t let anyone drag you down. It is not worth the trouble. This week has just been the same old same old stuff in the class. More investigators teaching and stuff, language study and all. Oh a funny experience. Elder A and I were outside ....crap I don’t have time. Anyways it was how I told pres one of my new words and that he just got pumped. kk gotta go love you all!!!!!!!
Your brother and son and brother in law and uncle.
Elder Jefferson Ostler
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| Guatemala MTC |
What a week. First I need to address the 16 year old. Happy birthday Benson. I was thinking about you all yesterday. What a cool day it was huh? To be a 16 year old and a freaking priest! Next you know I’ll be coming home and you’ll be a senior in high school. I did not forget about you. Look in the dresser to the right of your bed. Open the top drawer and run your hand on the roof of the inside of the drawer. You will find a surprise and happy birthday!!!! My district sang happy birthday to you!! Love you broski.
So the scripture for my plaque is in alma 5 verse 48. start from where it says´that i know....´ and end at the end. That is for the plaque and if you could do that that would be much appreciated. My companion is the best. He is so hilarious. He is so funny. Just the phrases he uses and the facial expressions he has are just indescribable. I love him sooo much. He says stuff like this, ‘that just grates my cheese. aw man now that grinds my gears. what unholy devil possessed you to..... and also he says, you uncultured swine.’ He is like Benson. Quick witted, not trying super hard to be funny but it is just awesome.
In our lessons we really work good together and are able to have a lot of unity in our teaching and the spirit is always present and we flow with each other like a stream flows into a river and we both can see where the other is taking the lesson and are prepared with scriptures and testimony for our investigators. Our teachers are soooo awesome as well. I don’t want to leave them but Hermano B wants to trade my light blue paisley tie for one of his so I will. He talks about my ties and how he wants them. He has the best nacho libre accent when he talks in English it is hilarious.
So this week the manger of the international mtcs is here. His name is Lane Steingel. I think that is how you spell it. So he is here just checking up on the ccm and making sure teachers are good, mission pres is great and all else is well. He was twice a mission president and knows four languages and was involved in the process of writing the preach my gospel. So he knows a lot and he is such a source of knowledge for missionary work. He gave a devotional to us on Sunday night. Us meaning all the north americans and he taught of the pmg and how to be powerful teachers, or more like how we can learn to become powerful teachers on our own, to never ever ever settle for mediocracy.
I felt good when he said that frase a bunch. Never settle. Because I have never settled in my life. I have always tried to succeed and never settle. That is the only reason I excelled in school and made the varsity ball team. I don’t know where that instinct comes from. I am considering that where it came from and I have thought of dad and mom and the hard work they have instilled in me and also that I have come to a knowledge of what I can become. I must have just got lucky or been blessed with that gift in the pre earth life but I am grateful I have that quality. And I recognize not all people have that so I am immensely grateful.
So yeah brother Steingel is here and at lunch one day some elders and I went and picked his brain a little. He is such an enthusiastic teacher and taught us some good techniques that he said are very effective in teaching. So Elder A and I are trying to work on those things because they do help with the teaching and directing your lesson first to the commitments and then the rest of the lesson fills in the why question of why we need to be baptized or read the book of mormon or why we need to pray. The lesson is an answer to the why for the investigator.
Oh I did not start a record this year for mowing on excel I don't believe. Sorry. That is on me. And in that picture of the stake day, do I see Jacob Rowe? Tell him I said hi and that the mission is great. He will love his foreign ccm.
So this ccm is the best in all the world. Even Elder Steingel said that. We were up in the area where the rooms are at the end of the hall in the second floor where the rooms for investigators are and I was out there studying with Elder A and he was talking and saying that he thought this ccm is the best because of the layout and the food and the weather and the teacher and President Cox and I totally believe him. This ccm is the best for sure. It is small so you literally recognize everyones face. You know most names and get to know the ccm president and wife really well. The food is great but breakfast always is a trial. It is just soggy fake eggs on tortillas with some weird sauce and it is weird. Some days it is fantastic but others it is just mediocre. Either way the food is great. And there is always a little desert to go with the meal. And we can get SECONDS!!!
So yesterday we had a lesson with our investigator, America. It was the 5th lesson and we taught on family and commandments but guess who was sitting in on the lesson???? Brother Steingel and another interview ccm dude. That was cool and that lesson went soooo well. We taught fluidly with the help of the spirit and were able to really connect with our investigator. And yes I know she is just the teacher but sometimes it feels really real. I love teaching. The commitments fit well throughout the lesson and also our Spanish was rocking and I just love it.
I cannot wait to go into the field. I am trying right now to understand how I will best be able to conquer nervousness and fear to contact with courage in my first couple of weeks and months. I’m stoked. So we have deportes every day and are able to play bball or volleyball or work out but everyday this week it has rained a tooon. Rain I have never seen before. It comes down, but not as much as in Manaus. But we were drench while playing ball and it would rain everyday like that and I just love it so much, though my socks are still wet from yesterday, I love it! haha. I hung them up and they are still fairly wet but the rain here is sweet. Always lots of lightning and thunder. Very cool stuff.
Elder Garry left this morning. He had to wake up at 2 am. Yes 2 am. The flight was at 3 and they had to get a lot of missionaries to the airport that are flying to Honduras. But I saw him last night and traded ties with him and talked and bid goodbye for two years. He’s gonna be a great missionary and has a lot of excitement for the work. Tell his family he said hi and that all is well. His Spanish has increased a ton and he was excited and nervous to leave. He looks better than ever.
I got the letters you all sent last Wednesday which were soooooooo sick!!! Me and this kid named Elder G are the only ones to receive mail, though his came through another missionary. So I am the only one in my district that has received true mail. And I love all the stories. Wilson way to go with the swimming. I encourage you to stick to it all the way through high school. It will make you stronger in every aspect of your life. Be strong and stick to the end.
I came down Sunday night with a super sore throat. It killed and I had some trouble sleeping and yesterday it got better but I was really achy and tired all day. I took Advil and it was good but yeah, I though I’d let you know.
This week I have begun to read Jesus the Christ and take every free moment to read. In 6 days I am on page 269. I skip some of the notes at the end of the chapter but still I love it. I have grown sooo much in the knowledge and a surety of Jesus Christ. I love it. This plan is soooo perfect for us. My mind has been so enlightened by the shear perfectness and quality and love and reality of Jesus Christ and the plan that has been made for us. We are sooo blessed to have such a loving brother and father who loves us unconditionally. I understand now the unfathomable depth and breadth of the plan and Christ’s suffering. I love it.
One night this week I was come down with weakness and I was having a hard time with me not being adequate for my calling but that is normal because inadequacy is good because that means I at least have some knowledge and understanding of my calling. I know with all my soul that Jesus is our Savior and He did come and He WILL come again. Some of us might even be alive to see His manifestation and coming among the children of men. That scripture in Alma five, that is my testimony. He lives!
I love you all!!
Elder Jefferson Ostler
Thank you Dad. That is exactly what I have been trying to do all the time that I have been in the mtc. Just being patient with others in their progress and knowing that they are trying at their own pace. I’m learning a lot and I love it. The elders name is something that I don’t know. He looks soooooooooo familiar and I just cannot put a name to him. But whatevs. Very cool indeed.
So what is this about Benson’s eagle project with a tree trunk? And since when does that kid ever want to make a couch out of wood? I mean where did that come from. But that does sound legitness to my ears!!
My week was so fast. I don’t even know where it went. Sitting in class gets boring sometimes, but only when we are talking about all of the grammar that I have known for like 46 years, but that is okay it just gives me an opportunity to master it even better. I love role play teaching one on one for 20 minutes. We go with two other districts and are making our own investigator profile. I based mine off of a friend. But we are just alone teaching another elder all in Spanish for 20 minutes. We have to find the need (como comenzar a ensenar), and then we teach to that need whatever lesson we feel directed to teach. I was paired with a kid who has put no effort in his Spanish abilities so it was rough. I taught the restoration. My Spanish has improved so much. Just having the basic concepts (for you Saydi) of the language down and verbs and such helps so much because now I just need a lot of gospel vocab and then I’m set.
I love trying to teach from my heart not my head. Meaning that I need to not think of my Spanish before I speak. Focus on the investigator and then just speak it. It is so cool when the Spanish just comes. The new recruits get here every other week so they got here on Wednesday early because they didn’t have a dying person on their flight and it wasn't delayed so they got here pretty early. We lost about 16 missionaries and got 26. There are a total of 196 latinos and nortes combined. EVERY single bed is occupied. So there are a lot of people here and it is packed at meal time. Breakfast is the worst because the new people´s schedule is mixed up so they eat with my three districts and there are soooo many people because some of the latinos eat with us too. But it is all good. I MISS CEREAL AND REAL MILK. But that is really the only thing I truly miss. Just a bowl of capn crunch would sooth my soul. jajajaja jk jk.
I got your letter two weeks ago. It took one week and a half to get here and it was awesome but that one is the only one I got so I will expect them or watch for the others to come!! Last Tuesday we watched a live broadcast from the Provo mtc of Elder Bednar. It was awesome. I kept wondering how many of the elders and hermanas I saw were in his or Ben’s district at the ccm. And also how many of their hairs Katherine has cut. It was fun! And some of those elders need their hair cut bad!!!! It was crazy how long some of them are because the haircut dude comes here like every two weeks and is always calling people out but our hair is sooooo short. It is crazy, but it is whateves. No biggy.
On Wednesday night President Cox, who we see all the time and he knows a lot of us by name, invite only my district up to his apartment on the third floor for popcorn and lemonade. This was a very exclusive thing all the way. Just the 12 elders in my district went up to his super cool apartment on the third floor which is parallel to the temple to have popcorn. We were there and it has the BEST view of the temple and the mountains behind it. He started talking to us telling his farming stories and an elder who is a farmer from Idaho would tell some but then President starts talking about missionary work and how to be the best and most successful missionaries. He taught us for like 50 minutes no joke. WAY WAY WAY awesome. I filled up a page of my planner of notes. The stuff he was saying was so motivating and exciting and so true I just had to write it down so I did. It was awesome. There are twins that came with my group and are in different districts. But they are here at the same time. TWINS!!! It is crazy! And they are identical so it is hard to tell them apart especially because both of their names are elder. jaja jk.
So on Sunday they call your name out to give a talk right before you go up to give a talk right? So guess who got to speak?? Yours truly. Yes I spoke but my topic was the same as the first elders so I had to change it or more like I wanted to change it to something else. I decided in the 4 minutes I had to talk, IN SPANISH, on the holy ghost. I found two scriptures really fast. 3 nephi 27, 20 or 21, and 1 nephi 4. 6. It was cool to just speak in Spanish for 5 minutes and give a quick talk on the HG. Way cool. When I sat back down in the front row, President Cox leaned over to better see me and gave me a wink. It was cool.
Oh I almost forgot. I was called as district leader on Friday. They rotate them every 2 weeks. So yeah. It has been really cool to try and work my hardest and really pray to my father in heaven to feel of Christ’s love for every individual in my district to love each of them. It is hard like you said dad. As humans we naturally judge unrighteously rather than doing what Samuel directs. Samuel 1:16 I have strived to look on their hearts these past couple of days. I have been successful as I have been able to feel love for the elders who have more faults and are harder for me to love. But I have felt that love and I know it is possible and I am trying to do that.
I had the best comp inventory with Elder A yesterday. We were very genuine with each other when we talked about the awesome things about each other. His advice to me was - guess it. Confidence in my leadership. The past couple of days he had noticed I had faltered when challenged in my leadership. It was very sincere and he helps me so much to have fun rather than be all serious all the time, it is awesome. I love him.
kk sorry it was a little shorter this week. I love you all and am excited to leave for the field. Next time I write you I will be part of the oldest group in the ccm. Love you all!!! I played accompanied Elder Mcfarland in Be Still My Soul on Sunday. I am glad I brought my English book. We changed the arrangement up a little and I played for him for all of the norte missionaries on Sunday. He is incredible. And I didn’t mess up!! The president asked Elder Mcfarland if he could sing and Elder McFarland asked if I could play so we practiced and made up an arrangement. It was sweet!!
Love,
Elder Jefferson Ostler
The week was good. On Thursday after the lunch like 10 elders and hermanas went down with what looked and seemed to be food poisoning. It was quite unpleasant. As the day went on about another 10 went down with the same symptoms. Just living next to the bathroom. When they all started to get sick I was a little worried because some thought it was the flu but there was no fever associated with the sickness so I knew it wasn't but there were like 3 elders from my district that were bed ridden on Thursday and part of Friday. It was quite something I was comforted as I remembered my setting apart blessing where I was blessed with strength and health as I kept the rules accordingly. It was very cool because I never got sick but I felt so bad for all the other elders and hermanas that got sick. It looked no bueno.
We finished teaching our last and 5th lesson to our investigator Pablop. It was awesome to teach and see my Spanish improve just in like one week. One lesson in specific Elder A and I showed up to teach but pablo had a green bottle in his hand to imply that it was cervesa - beer. Our lesson plan had to immediately shift from the plan of salvation to the word of wisdom and the commandments. The spirit was soo strong and lead Elder A and I in our words in Spanish. A very cool experience. It is awesome to me that as Elder A and I have tried to really think that pablo is a real investigator that we have been able to really kind of trick ourselves into thinking that he is a real investigator which just makes it such a more meaningful practice. A and I are such a great teaching team. We switch teaching so smoothly and can both follow each other so well.
On Monday we got America and Max Lopez as two new investigators to role play but it seems quite real. On the second floor of the mtc at the end of a hallway there are 8 rooms set up with two nice living room esque chairs and then a couch where the investigator sits but it is always so cold in the rooms. Those rooms are decorated or set up as the investigators house. And our lesson with America on Monday yesterday was super legit. We just taught about the libor de mormon and it was powerful.
I’m soooo ready to just hit the road running when I get to the field. There are a lot of elders here that don’t take it too seriously which is kinda hard for me and gets me kind of frustrated but I know that they are trying and it is at their own pace. That is the hard part for me about trying to develop charity is the patience aspect in being able to know that the other missionaries are indeed trying to become the best they can and I am working very hard to make that behavior a part of me.
I have definitely seen improvement. Especially this last week. It has been really cool to see what I have accomplished. During one of the lessons with Max on Monday I was testifying that God is there and loves us all and will help us if we search and pray and call on His name. The Spanish just came. There was no translation. No nothing and I didn’t have to think before hand what I wanted to say, it just came. I didn't quite realize it until after the lesson was over that it had happened. It was super cool. I’m so pumped to keep learning and be able to be even more fluent in a couple of weeks.
So there is a teacher here whose name is Hermano C. We were eating our snack at 8 one night in cafe and he walks up to talk to us. I asked him what his name was and where he was from but then I asked where he served. He said Colombia and I thought of Courtney McCentire. I told him that my brothers friend served in that mission. He flipped when I told him Courtney’s name. THEY WERE COMPANION FOR LIKE 3 TRANSFERS. The world is so small. So yeah it is pretty crazy. He asked me to get Courtney’s email. Tiny world. And that whole conversation was in Spanish so yeah.
I love speaking in Spanish and try to speak in Spanish all day long. Sadly today the Latinos that got here with us two weeks ago and the elders and hermanas that got here 6 weeks ago left this morning. Some flew and woke up at 3. Others were out in the lobby at 6 with me while I was leaving for the temple. But the Latinos that left are soooo awesome. There is an elder from Chile and one from Peru and he said he loves cuicui. That is guinea pig. It was awesome alllllwwaayysss sitting with them at lunch and talking and learning some Spanish and practicing and joking and loving the mission. But they left so that was really sad because I will probably never see them again. So yah.
Today we had pizza hut and ROOT BEER for lunch. The best. There are riots here so a couple districts were supposed to go to the city to the plaza just cuz but they couldn't because of the riots so they bought one pizza for every companionship. There are only like 72 missionaries here so like 35 companionships because of the elders leaving and we haven't got the new ones yet. Everyone had pday on the same day because we usually split it but we had to write later today because the computers weren't working this morning at 10 when we were supposed to write. So yeah, you get what I mean. It’s all good in the hood. It is sooo awesome to have a small mtc. It is like the difference of the Provo efy and the Tacoma efy. Just so much better because you get to know so many more people and everyone you recognize and know a lot of other districts names and stuff so that is awesome.
It was sooooo coool to see you all went camping!!!!!!! I llooooovvveee camping soo much and that must have been a blast. This week was a lot easier when thinking about home. idk you guys just don’t seem that important anymore......waaiiittt I’m just kidding. But you get what I mean. My focus has focused more on just the mission and sometimes the days go slow because I already know the concepts (Saydi’s word:)) of the Spanish that they are teaching. But other than that it is great.
Today and yesterday have floowwwnnn by and the last week was ripping fast as well as today. I can’t believe in two weeks we will be the next group to leave. So today was a combined pday like I already told you and we had a volleyball tournament with districts as our teams. My district won the first but lost the next two. It was sooooooooo fun to have all the district out there. There are only six districts here today and everyone is gringo. Super great. When you play competitive sports you can really see the true other side of some missionaries. It is scary for some and just awesome for others. But I have no room to talk. In ball today there was a time where I got a little to intense for a missionary. My mind kinda was just in the blood thirsty mode. I’ve repented. And publicly apologized. hahaha.
I forgot to bring my picture thing to the computer lab and can’t waste precious time to go back and get it from my room. But I have pic I will forward of my district around the temple. The one right by me is Elder A. He is actually like 5’ 10” and only a buck 20 pounds. A twig. He reminds me a lot of Jacob Rowe. He is awesome. We’ve really grown closer together. In the companion ship I am kind of the go getter - lets get this done and be on time and make sure we are focused and he helps with so much insight into our planning and lesson study and has so much life experience and I love hearing his stories from his two years at college. Some of them are funny.
When we arrived at the mtc they gave us a page with the baptismal invitation, the first vision, D&C 4 and D&C 20:37. We are supposed to be memorizing them over our stay here. But I’ve already memorized them all.........yes in Spanish. I’m working on other scripture mastery scriptures now and stuff. But Elder Mcfarland is right behind in the memorizing of the scriptures. It is great, that is defs one of my strengths. It really helps with the language too. Just memorization and memory of stuff. It is sweet. I guess that is just cuz my teachers are just the best and hold my district accountable to everything and push us hard. It is sweet.
So probably my favorite part of the week is walking back from the temple. Especially today. It is literally a block or less away next to a really busy street with big buildings on the other side but also a ton of treeeeess. But we just walked back today after the best session ever and it was super cool to be outside of the ccm with just me and my comp and they had just mowed the grass next to the street and it was sunny and 9:30 in the morning. Just super bien. It reminded me of when Jackson said the walk of babylon in the Provo mtc. But hey I gotta boogy soon.
Keep loving life and playing games and rockin on. Elder Garry says hi!! It is cool to know those two elders here. Very cool indeed. bytheway my district was picked by the hand of God. Our district meeting was incredible on Sunday. Some elders have really opened up and it is so cool and some need a testimony of the gospel and others are rock solid. But we are soo tight and I am so happy. Anyway, love you all soo much. Next time I email you I’ll be halfway done with the ccm, the best training center in the world!!!
Elder Ostler
