I'm Soooo Ready To Just Hit The Road Running

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