I MISS CEREAL & REAL MILK

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