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