La Montaña Rusa

Translation to the subject line is roller coaster. But first off, how is the family?? I love hearing from you all and what is going down at the home!! Benson before I forget, Tons of people have motorcycles here just as their vehicle to use to get places and I always think of you and smile because you are just the best. Get good grades in school and do the hard stuff because it will prepare you for your future so you can better lead others to do hard things. Dad you are awesome. I am rejoicing over the news with Amanda. God answers prayers. There has probably only been two days that have passed that I haven’t asked for Amanda to be blessed with means to get through it.

This is part of our super jungle area

We played futbol with the zone sonzacate at their chapel which was way fun. Only like 2 other gringos played with me with all of the other Latinos. It was sweet but my legs got eaten by mosquitoes. It was great to run and escape for like a couple hours.

Tuesday we had interviews with president and I have a lot to tell you about that. So of course my comp again told me 10 minutes before we had to leave at 8:30. The normal. First I went with Hermana Hintze and we talked about faith and about being new to the mission. As we talked she told me that a ton of the good missionaries that they would have train are over in Belize. All the new missionaries are trained in El Salvador to learn Spanish and then after their training they can go to Belize for about a year. You go their usually only once for on average like a year. Then you’ll finish there or come back. She said that strong missionaries that come to the mission regardless of their trainer will stay strong.

President Hintze then told me that the new group that is coming in November is a big one and that a lot of my group who is finishing their training this transfer will be senior comps and training next transfer. He told me it is guaranteed I will leave Elder P. How about that? Pretty crazy huh? I am willing and ready to do whatever the Lord asks me to do. 

Wednesday was normal but we had a lesson with a lady named W and she is a jw but not a super dedicated one. In the lesson she directly told us she had question regarding where we come from and what is the whole deal with Adam and Eve. In my mind I was like, lets teach the plan of salvation but my comp tells her we have to start form the beginning. I could not believe it. . . . In the pmg it says countless times, follow the NEEDS of the investigator and the SPIRIT to know what to teach. . . .

On Thursday I had exchanges with the zl Elder F. He is such a good missionary. We set 5 baptismal dates in their area. We were walking down the road and this family was stacking a huge pile of wood so we stopped and helped them. The wood was wet and covered with dirt so that means as sweaty as I was as I worked the dirt stuck to me all over and that was awesome. I loved it. Service, unplanned and fun. We talked with the uncle and two teenagers afterwards and had coke.  I GOT TO TALK AND NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT I SAID!! With Elder F that day I went for it.

Anyways we invited theses three people to baptism and said that they would prepare. It is awesome. Super legit. It was so hot that day too. Later we set a couple more dates with his investigators for the 7th and 14th of November. The spirit was strong when we shared messages and contacted and it was incredible. I got a glimpse of what missionary work can be and really is. I was excited to work and wanted to work like that. Enjoying the work, not dreading it. And that night Elder F’s comp has a uke and it was in the house so I got to play it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was awesome to play the ukulele. It has been like 3 months since I have played it. I am really rusty though jajaja.

We helped someone else that night push their car that was broken down and walking back to the house at 9:30 that night we walked through the park and it was sketchy. Almost every bench in the park was occupied  by one man. Super sketchy, so we got out of there fast jajaj. Stuff like that happens here. It keeps you on your toes! Oh and that day too this bolo, or drunk, wouldn’t leave us alone and got super close while walking towards us so we had to kinda yell at him to leave because he was out of it. It was fun!

Friday was a day as well. We invited 16 people with a baptismal date in our area. That day I enjoyed the work in my area with my comp and thought everything was getting better. He let me contact people on the street so I was filled that day as well, but Saturday it was less fun because my comp had opportunities to tell people they were not following Christ and that they need to repent and he always puts the guilt and culpa on people when they don’t accept the message of the restoration. Saturday was almost exactly opposite of Friday.

Now to answer your questions. NO it never gets cold, when it rains it gets cooler but not cold enough for a jacket. One ap is foreign and one is American. They are awesome. I am two hours in a bus away form the temple and mission office. Gunshots.............yes and you hear about murders and see tons of gangsters at night.  They celebrate dia de los muertos. Look it up. I also got the package this week!!!!!!!!!! TTOOOONNNSSSS of candy and goodies and ties. Love it so much. And I don’t know what I will do with the brownie mix because I don’t want to make brownie pancakes again hahah. Oreos would be nice! If you can send frosting and gram crackers but they will probably break. One of those little hand sanitizer things you hook to a backpack. A notebook with tearable pages. Thank you for the q tips and pens too! I forgot my list at my house but whatever you send will be great!! Send a little thing of cinnamon so I can make more french toast. It is way expensive here. Thank you for all you do. I love you all and am getting through. #thehardesthtingihaveeverdoneinmylife.
Sincerely you homesice,

Elder Ostler

USE YOUR STRENNNNNTH

Wowzers. That was a week! Wilson, I miss you too bud. When I read that you were missing me last night I just started crying. I don’t know why but I just did. Benson and Wilson you guys are awesome. I look up to you two a lot. The world needs strong young men and that is your duty. Be an example everyday to everyone and smile. I worked on that this week. Smiling. Everyday there is something that my comp does or says or doesn't say that causes me to make a decision to how I will react. Those decisions of reaction are internal and so real. I can let frustration and anger take over, or humble myself. I am still here with good old Elder P.

Every week I look back and see how much I have learned and become. Last weeks email was a bit loco because I was frustrated that day and the previous week was way hard, well every week is way hard. The first weeks. . . . .

So I did talk to the Zls and the president. He called me but I’ll get to that later. The zls talked to my comp . . . .it did make it better because at the beginning of the week he started to tell me what was gonna happen and stuff like if there were changes in the agenda he would tell me, but as the week went on. . . . . But it is all good!

Washing clothes this morning

So Monday. After I wrote the email and I was super frustrated, I felt a heavy burden on my back. Heaped up stress and feelings of why am I here, what am I doing, why do I have to be with Elder P? Just burdened with everything. We were at our house and getting ready to go out again but I needed to bañarme so I was walking outside to the bathroom and stopped to look up at the sky. The sun was setting to the right of me behind a mountain, but I couldn't see it. It made the clouds pink and purple and blue and I could see a couple stars and the moon. I rarely see the moon. But it was there and I just prayed while I stood there. I had tried to read the scriptures and pray before but I had felt no relief.

Right there I poured out my heart to my Father in Heaven and imagined Him somewhere out there watching over me. I imagined him as if he was nearby too. I felt that he exists really. That assurance of the spirit was almost palpable. I felt comfort and peace and joy and through the perfect harmonizing and tranquilizing atonement of Christ, I was able to feel peace once more. Our Father in Heaven exists. He is a real being. It was a cool experience. Read Alma 58 10-11. Like Right now jajaj....read it? Good.

I added that in my email last week but that scripture is so evident in my life. The context is that Heleman and his army are suffering super great afflictions and are waiting for assistance patiently with faith in hope in Christ for something better, and in affliction Christ will never leave us alone but like the scripture says, visit us with assurances. We are never alone. There is no way I would be here if not for Christ atoning great. The word atone means to reconcile to peace, or to bring back to harmony. Everyday my soul and mind and heart need bringing back to harmony. That is something I learned in my study this week. Pretty cool.

Anyways that night we had a sweet fhe at the church where we sent a missionary from the ward to the ccm. Super awesome kid. A convert with no family support. I gave him a tie. It was cool to see his example.

Tuesday were transfer calls and so I did not get changed. I wasn't expecting a change so that is all good. It was hard though because there was that little fire of hope. But here I am!

On Wednesday we were doing contacts and got a referral to a lady and her daughter from their neighbor who we just contacted. They brought out chairs and we sat down with them right outside their house. It was muddy and slightly raining. But we talked and got to know them and it was her birthday. I told her happy birthday and when someone tells you happy birthday you have to go give them a hug, but I can’t hug so I just put out my hand to shake and it was kind of awkward because she was like whooo, but that is all good. It was funny.

As we were teaching a little message, or my companion was teaching there was a church across the street that just started jamming to some praise the Lord music with a piano guitar and drums. Suuuppper looud. We were gonna close with a prayer and I started to pray and the music started up again really loud so I could barely hear myself pray. That is just how it is.

There are churches everywhere. Always a keyboard and shouting music and when these people pray it is crazy. I can’t explain it you would have to see it yourself! There are catholics, evangelicals and jws and mormons. Lots of catholics. Lots of catholics. Tons of catholics. Every city has a cathedral. Pretty cool.

On Thursday we had district meeting at the capilla here in castañoi and after we wanted pupusas so we went to pupusas but Elder Andrade, who is still with Elder Hallman, went to a different place that I have never been to before. This lady was old and she seemed kind of out of it. When we got the pupusas we started eating. My first one was okay not really good but it was whatever so I just kept eating the next one. But that was a mistake. That was the grossest thing I have tasted. I don’t know how to describe it. I got another pupusas, because I got 8, and tried another one but that one was also disgusting. It is like when you gag and can’t swallow because it tastes so bad. But I look at this pupusas and there is dog hair. I promise you it was dog hair inside of the beans. It was not a normal frijoles con queso pupusa.

I wrapped the other 6 up and took them home and threw them away. Shortly after my stomach wasn’t doing to hot. The lady first said that the pupusas were 25 cents each and when we paid at the end she told us they were actually 50 cents. She was trying to rake us. Totally. People will do that. We were nice dressed people and this lady clearly wasn’t 100 percent sane. I payed a dollar and 50 cents extra almost twice the price because she wasn’t backing down. Pretty crazy huhh? But whatever! jaja.

Friday night president called me! I wrote him the email and so he called me back! He talked to me how buy beat cinci 38 to 24! hah It was awesome. I talked to him about my comp and he gave me more advice and told me that I won’t be here for long or that I won’t be with him for long. I don’t remember. Now I understand and see that alot of the way my comp treats me and acts is just who he is. He sees his behavior as normal to him but to me it is the opposite of normal.

We had to wait out a huge rain storm. Read that paper..haha

Tons of rain this week. I do use a mosquito net. My bed is a twin. I have yet to fit on a bed and also under a shower. I wash my clothes every week by hand and my chair that I sit on has been broken like that forever. See pic. K fam I gotta go. I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Elder Ostler

Boom Roasted!

Holy thats a week. This week was a week of roastings I could say, though that might be a stretch.

Monday Monday Monday. We went back early and cleaned the house and I have some news!! My comp actually helped me! He cleaned the bathroom to! That was a very big blessing and relief for me. Our mop doesn't have a handle or pole, it is just the end part, the actual part that does the cleaning. I will send a picture. I was craving some good old french toast so I went to the store and got stuff to make it.

Tuesday was normal and all. But another bible bash ensued. Here’s the story. Remember that one lady who I told you about who I said was behind the bars as if in a prison because of her unwillingness to believe, so I don’t know why but my comp wanted to go there again but I didn’t realize we were there until we were there. So yeah. But the lady stands inside her house with the gate there just like last time. I knew what was gonna happen next. The next 35 minutes . . . . . and I didn’t want to be a part of the craziness. . . . . it was just a heap of confusion of words and doctrines. So that was interesting and we leave and as we are walking away my companion starts laughing to himself. It was weird.

That night I made two solid ham and cheese grilled sandwiches. Super rico!!! But I totally burnt one which reminded me of mom. Every day we eat lunch at 12 or 1 and then we go all day and I make dinner at home after we plan and I shower.  I eat again at like 10, my body is all used to it now. Pretty great. It is the best when my comp decides he wants pupusas. If he doesn't want to do it then we don't. So yeah. And that night, Tuesday I was expecting a regular day the next day.

That is a dollar fifty plate for lunch. Super cheap down here

Wednesday morning my comp gets up at 6 which was weird and I thought something was up, but I waited till six thirty and got up. At 6:45 my comp tells me that we are leaving at 7 o’clock to go to a multi zone that he knew about the night before and that morning yet didn't feel obligated to tell me that I could get up a little earlier to eat and get ready. That was not really a surprise. I just expect that kind of thing to happen now. No surprise.

But the multi zone that we had was in sonzacate. It was sweet! saw Elder G and Garfield and Maxwell and Hallman and Mcfarland and it was sweet. Those all from my district but not Elder H or A because they are on the other side of our mission. We had muffins and a free lunch of potatoes and steak and rolls. It was awesome annnnndddd........ I GOT THE PACKAGE!!! Oh man was that good. A letter from Aunt Amy, thank you so much by the way sounds awesome, and Benson and Mom. It was sooo great. Thank you a ton for that care package. I love it. I still have candy and fruit snacks! Deliciousness. And it was very funny the peanut butter granola bar. I laughed.

So I will skip to the really good stories of the week as I am going to write resident. On Thursday we had exchanges again. But this time Elder Hallman came to my area. Talk about a responsibility for me. For 5 weeks you sit under your companion and don’t make decisions and one day you are let free to follow the spirit to lead you to the people who need help. And you are in charge of you area. I was soooo stoked. We visited G and shared a message with him and just listened to him talk. He said he felt pressured with my comp to be baptized and to stop smoking and he said he needed time. With the familia G we talked about his daughter who is really sick and offered help and assurance that the missionaries will always be there.

Pupusas on the street!!!!!!!!

That night we went and got dinner!!!!! We got pupusas. It was incredible!! I loved it. We ate the candy and stuff. In a lesson on Friday my comp was arguing again and getting impatient and frustrated with the guy and so I hopped in and taught the bottled up 15 minute version of the first lesson. I was done closing my mouth and so I just taught. It felt good and the guy was accepting, but afterward my comp told the guy straight up . . . . .  I wasn’t frustrated and I wasn’t mad. I didn’t know what I felt. It was a rough one. One foot in front of the other. I asked my comp three specific times after that how he was and if everything was good but each time I got no response. Talk about confusing. I was humbled that day.

Saturday was a trial. I need to trust in the Lord and His timing for me here and now. Alma 34 41 and also Alma 58 33 and 37. I have learned about faith and hope in Christ during affliction. Thanks for the letters and for all you do. I am keeping my head up. Every day is hard. I pray for the strength to do what I am asked. I love you all. Know I am doing good and there really are great times on the mission. I am roasting in an oven of trial, being purged and purified. And this week was crazy hot.

Sincerely Elder Ostler

Drenched - In All Its Forms

Hey fam!! I love to hear about all of the things going on in your lives!! Super cool!! This week I have tried to communicate more with my comp and ask questions and just talk with him. As a person he is great. Very cool. Super quiet. Weird laugh. Used to be catholic and a convert of 4 years. 25 years old. Wants to be a dj. Likes to beat box.and doesn’t like lasagna. Likes to run. Likes music and used to love coffee. He is the only member in his fam and the last of 4 kids. As I have tried to open up to him he has started to open up to me, but only a little. I can see my efforts paying off a little so that is good.

The thing is though that he will still walk way fast and in front of me. He has asked me exactly one time if I am okay this whole time. It is just whom he is. His communication is gone but I have been able to adapt. Way hard still when he doesn't tell me to bring a change of clothes when we go to the stake center because we are going to offer service so that was great borrowing huge pants and a shirt form the zls house! hahah.

River-like Streets

Going into conference I wanted to know the effective WAY to teach. In my patriarchal blessing regarding my mission it uses the phrase, the way to proselyte and preach, so I wanted to discover that way. The way to teach the gospel. During conference I received an answer as to how I can better receive answers to my questions.

During the Saturday morning sesh Neill F Marriots talk and Larry R Lawrence it was revealed to me with potent spiritual power to my heart soul and mind that right now it is Gods will for me to be here with this companion. It is not my will but Gods will that I am here. I need to break my heart and give it to God so it can be healed. And then FOLLOW THE SPIRIT. The witness of the spirit was so strong. The way to receive answers to my questions is through the spirit. I learned that the way to teach is through the spirit. The people I teach will first feel the spirit touch their hearts. Then they will have a desire to learn and a desire to feel more of the spirit. Then they will show faith and act to repentance if they so choose, but all of the following steps is based on how you teach, if you teach in a climate where the spirit of conversion, truth, power and testimony can testify to the people and the missionaries that this is the gospel that has been restored again with Jesus Christ at the helm of the old ship zion as Elder Ballard said. I love him.

So I received my answer with clarity and power this week regarding how to effectively teach the gospel. How to be a successful missionary. I had this question all week and through preach my gospel the scriptures and conference, I found my answer as it was borne to me in power by the spirit. Now I want you to know that this is not currently how my comp teaches. He tries to convince and persuade. The gospel is just information that the people need to learn. I am not put to the task of helping him see that but he doesn't like to listen to my advice so I have to approach it in a way that will work. So every lesson and contact we have goes like that. But I am not put to the task to fix it, because now I know. Cool beans.

Now I will tell all you some fun stories and what I did this week!!!! Monday I studied patience in the afternoon and learned that it is more than just waiting. It is trusting on the will of the Lord and his timing and doing all you can in our current situation. Humility is key and submitting your will to the Fathers.

Tuesday it rained a ton! And was a regular day with contacts and lessons like I have just told you about. Wednesday was cool. We were just finishing a contact on the street that lasted a whole hour with this man and we were walking to another lesson and this man holding his baby walking with his wife who is holding another baby stops us and says, Elders, my kids are sick, can you give them a blessing? We continued to his house and gave this humble father who is a member but can’t go to church because of work but he reads and prays every day. We gave the two baby girls blessings. It was my second blessing in Spanish. Super cool and I didn’t mess up really. My Spanish is getting more smooth it is cool! I love it. El Salvadoran Spanish is way different!

Thursday I had interchanges with Elder Andrade in the other area. It was cool and I actually ate at a members house that night!!!!!!! It was awesome. We had rice beans, eggs and rolls and juice and fried platanos de gloria. That is fried plantanes with carmel and sugar. Oh so heavenly! During a lesson with Elder Andrade I actually got to teach and speak my heart!!!! I am trying to do that more with my comp. But we taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a recent convert and an investigator. It was awesome!!!!! The spirit was soooo strong!

I got contacted while on intercambios by the JWs!! Good reading

Friday was normal just working hard and sweating! Saturday was some serious rain. Rain like you have never seen. Thunder that literally rattles the tin roofs. I was soaked. We got back from the estaca where we watched the session of incredible conference that expanded my mind and we were going home and the rain was awesome. I will send some pics! We went home and I changed my soaked shoes and socks and we set out for the ward building for the priesthood session. I got there and my shoes were soaked after we walked on the river like streets to pic up investigators and remind them of the conference tomorrow and none of them came. Sad.

But I was in the office with Elder Hallman and watched the conference in English but the conference was pausing a lot so I missed the President Monsons talk completely and the Sunday afternoon session of the conference and we had to watch the Sunday afternoon session in Spanish cuz English was soo slow!

But I wanted brownies and we don’t have an oven because the electricity is so expensive. I made them like pancakes and bought frosting last pday and boy was it a treaty!!!! SOO awesome!!! I wrang my socks out of water into the garbage can. Drenched because of the rain.

Me ringing out my socks because of the rain.

We are in the office at the church watching priesthood session.

Here are some more stories from Sunday night. Last night we were at a members house and eating some sweet chicken lasagna that was soooo incredible. It was like 8:30 and we were wrapping up the meal. This family is a young one with three kids. The youngest kid is like 3 years old and was crazy hyped. We suddenly hear the daughter scream and laugh as she stands next to her brother who just laid a nice turd on the ground. He totally pooped his pants!! jajajaj super funny! And the other night there was a guy with a hardcore lisp speaking super fast El Salvadoraneo espanol. I was so surprised I could understand him. He told me that all the Americans up in the states were super smart. He was funny.  It is going well and I am learning soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. I love it but it is hard. 
Love you all!

Elder Ostler