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

Just Keep Swimming

Que Tal? El mision es super chivo y estoy aprendiendo bastante aqui en el salvador con mi comapnero y con todos los experiencias que yo he tenido. Realmente estoy agradecido pro mi companero elder P. What is up?? I won’t give a translation. Typing in Spanish is bien duro. It is hard. jajaj. So That is soooooo wicked chivo that the baby was born! Joseph Malcolm is an awesome name. I love it. He looks like he is going to be the president one day, maybe not of the united states but of some organization somewhere! jaja.

Me with some sweet mechetes. Everyone has mechettes. It is cool.

Soooooo my comp hasn't changed at all really. He is the exact same as day number one buuuttttttt I have changed. This week was a ton better because I have been able to be patient and humble. I have felt the pure love of Christ for him. I am doing it!!!! He still walks 20 yards ahead of me, doesn't let me talk and never takes my advice or help but sometimes he does. He is a good guy really. He asks questions to the people we teach to make sure they understand, he works really hard and wants to dedicate all of himself to his service, he is great.

I told the president what you said mom about how if he was with a real greenie that they would be drowning but I am just keeping on swimming! At first when I got here I was swimming like marlin, nemos dad in the movie, idk if that is his name, but now I am swimming like dorie. What is the difference you ask? Attitude and ability to see the good. At first I was struggling and trying to see my way and be able to understand why and how and what but I was not able. Now I have been able to surpass my weakness through the miraculous atonement of Jesus Christ and be able to rely on Him and His power to be able to overcome my weakness. My comp is still the same but I have changed. It is still bien duro at many times because I don’t teach in lessons and I don’t get a lot of support from him if any but I am able now. Patience is real family. Patience is real.

Sooo on Monday it was hard that afternoon with my comp. I was still swimming like nemos dad and trying so hard to enjoy it, and we left our house that night and we were walking on the street and my comp was literally at one point 30 yards ahead of me on the street and I couldn't see him for 10 seconds as he rounded a corner. I was walking all alone. I felt alone and weighed down. It was tough for reals. I am sending this now. The power has been going on and off.

So yeah it has been tough still, but on Thursday I did interchanges with Elder Andrade (awn draw day). He is awesome. Super chivo man. He taught me so many things. New words and new things and it was great. I took charge in our lessons because we stayed in my area so that was tough. Three weeks out and you are in charge of an area. I was nervous but it turned out to be one of my favorite days here in the mission. We took a 20 minute break for pupusas!!!! That was for dinner and got chocobananas!! Legitness. I actually taught the lesson and followed the spirit and it was soooo fun! I got a glimpse of what it should be like in the mission. Teaching and loving and inviting and having a blast. Enjoying! Right now I am enduring and trying to enjoy.

Elder Hallman thinks I will get transferred but I don’t. I am not wishing this transfer away but trying to learn and fulfill my purpose here and now. One day I will want to be back here in castano uno. This ward here is awesome. All of the members are strong and love the work. . . . . . . .  that is why I don’t eat dinner and that is why we never get referrals. The members are sooooooooooooooo sick here. The youth and everyone. I wish we could be good with the members, they like me and everything but . . . . .

On Sundays we teach English hymns to the ward members that want to come at 5pm. It is so fun. I play the piano and it is really sweet. This week was good. I am seeing the fruits of my efforts in my desire to now want to go and work and want to bring souls unto Christ. I can feel it. I just am trapped and am doing the best I can in my situation. I cannot change my situation, but I can adapt and pray and overcome. It is still bein duro, but I am working and learning to love it. The scriptures are awesome tool.

So I have only done language study two times. My comp doesn't believe in it. We do the first 12 weeks in comp study so we leave our house at 10 every morning. It is hard. My language abilities are not increasing as fast as I would like but they are getting better.

I love you guys so much. Wilson and Benson. You guys are sick and learn to love every moment. Life is only for once time. I love the babys name and have been praying everything went well and what a blessing it did. Lilly is huge. I love you guys so much. I can’t believe it has already been about a month I have been in the field! Christmas will be here in a flash!! My birthday is sooo soon! I will be nineteen! What? And since when do I know Spanish? hahahaha.

I haven't been able to send the letters yet so hopefully I can do it today. I got your letters on Wednesday! The one with the avengers thing in it! I Loved the picture Wilson. Keep getting good grades boys. It matters and teaches you a lot. Marching band sounds sick. I have the coolest little brothers ever. You guys rock. And my older siblings are pretty chivo too. The word chivo means cool. Central America can be crazy! I am safe though. No worries. I only eat chicken and rice. I am sick of it already that is because my comp goes to the same place everyday. hahah So yeah it is great! Love you all, and I’ll talk to you next week!!

Love, Elder Ostler

Miracles Are For Real

6:07 AM
Que tal? So I am sending you this because we are going to hike the volcano right now and the zls said that we could get on and send a quick message to the fam to let them know we will be writing them later. So I will be back on later today but I have no idea what time. This week was incredible. In all aspects of the word. Health problems, companion problems, and other missionary life struggles. Probably one of the most difficult weeks in my life for sure. I love you all. I will send many more details later but I am doing well. I had a disease called Chikengunya. Look it up. jajaja. Tell Benson and Wilson that I miss them and love them like no other and just wish I had like five minutes to spend with them! They are so cool. I want to be more like them! jaja. Okay I will write the big email later. I have a lot to say about this week! Like I said, it was incredible.
Love you all,
Elder Ostler

The hike today

Hola Familia!!! This week ranks up with most likely the hardest week of my life. It was quite something. Last pday when we got back I cleaned my floors. Even after I mopped them they still looked pretty gross so I mopped them again! They still looked gross. I don’t even know how to describe our mop. It looks like dreadlocks made out of an absorbent material that has no handle. It is hard to mop and clean our house because we have no supplies so there are some old pants that are just sitting in my apartment which I took and cut up to make rags out of and to clean with. I was only able to clean the floors last Monday.

On Tuesday night I noticed some weird rash developing on my arm but at first I thought that it was just a bunch of small little bug bites. On Wednesday when we were out in the road teaching and having lessons I noticed that my body developed the symptoms of a fever and I felt exhausted. I immediately started to pray for strength and health and took some Advil and drank a lot of water the rest of the day and thankfully I had the strength to continue in the labor of missionary work. The rash kept worsening and that night it was really bad.

We had a meeting with the ward mission leader and with Elder Hallman and his comp Elder Andrade. When Elder Hallman saw my face he asked me, are you okay? I said no and then asked for a blessing. I was dying. Lots of pain and no energy. But I knew that God was helping me and strengthening me. I could feel it. It was really cool. I was trying to be so faithful to the hope of Christ and His power to heal me. I knew that He had healed so many others through His power and mercy, why not me?

I needed help because I was really sick and not feeling well. Elder Hallman gave me a blessing and the power of the priesthood was so strong in that room with us missionaries and the ward mission leader. He blessed me with strength to rise the next morning and also a quick recovery as this would be a hard trial along with all the things I would face and have to face.

The next morning I arose with strength. I went to San Salvador for immigration and visa stuff. I was able to see only a few of my ccm buddies that were in my district and other close elders that weren't. Our group from the ccm is so tight. It is so great. I saw Elder H! He’s legit. That afternoon my body was destroyed. We got back to our area and started working at 3 o’clock. I felt awful. Achy body. Killing joints. It hurt to walk, my head was pounding and my body I could feel burning from a fever, but I was scared to tell my comp because...I will explain it later in the email.

In San Salvador by the statue, San Salvador del mundo

We worked for two hours and I was so miserable. I eventually told my comp I needed to go and rest and call the nurse. I did and took my temp when we got home. 104 degree temperature. That is so high. The walk home was sooooo painful and slow but my companion just walked right on ahead of me in the street not really even recognizing how bad of condition I was in. He was easily like 15 yards to 20 yards ahead of me on the street as we walked home. I was dying. The entire way home I prayed. I didn’t want to think bad of my companion, and I wanted to have the strength. That was such a hard walk home on the streets of San Antonio.

We got back and I took a cold shower which was sooo nice. My body was inflamed and burning up. I drank water and tried to eat a cracker and laid in my bed listening to conference talks until sleep came over me. It was rough. It is hard to sleep with a 104 degree fever and achy bones. They call this disease dolor de cuerpo. Translation is pain of body. And it was painfully.

The next day was Friday and I felt wayyy better from my sickness, but my comp came down with something and we couldn't go out to work really in the afternoon because he slept. So I washed his clothes and did a clean sweep on the kitchen that day while we were stuck in the house. I took the microwave, hot plate, toaster and table out of our kitchen, mopped scrubbed and cleaned like an Ostler knows best. It was awesome. There were a lot of spiders under the table. I moved the fridge and mopped underneath it too. The table when I scrubbed it you could tell a difference between what I had cleaned, which was white and what I hadn't which was a more brown tone. It was great!

Cleaning on Friday

Saturday was normal and Sunday as well. Teaching and preaching, but now I am going to explain a little regarding my companion. I really didn’t do that much last week and it is tough. I will try to explain this very clearly. First off, he is a son of God just like me and came on a mission and deserves the best. I am trying to love him and serve him but that proves to be a hard task at times. I feel as though that he doesn't even realize I am there.

We are on the street and finish a contact and . . . . . . . 

So I have lived with missionaries and know how missionaries function and what they do and what missionary work is supposed to be like because of my studly siblings, and because of this I see that there needs to be communication and support and teaching within a successful companionship. However. . . . . it is not that he is doing anything disobedient wise just that we stay at lessons for 2 hours and he only bible bashes our potential investigator about Christ’s resurrection and what the real sabbath day is or why the bible has been translated so many times.

All of Elder P's lessons are the same. A rote presentation. He doesn't let me talk and I am sacred to even then! If I don’t teach the way that he teaches then when I finish teaching, my companion will recover and teach the exact same points and doctrines I just taught so my teaching is not my own.

I want to teach so the people are excited and feel the spirit and want to learn more and teach to the specific needs of the investigators. It is hard. I find myself not want to teach because I know my comp will just reteach what I teach. This doesn't happen in every lesson but in most. . . . . 

So I am dealing everyday and trying to love him. I am trying in prayer and service to really be able to loose myself in the work.

We taught himnos in English on Sunday to the ward members that showed up that night. It was cool! I play the piano too, but not in sacrament, I am going to ask the bishop about it. Anyways I must leave now. It is tough but with faith miracles happen. God is real and he loves us all. Let us be strong and seguir adelante. Miracles are real. 
I love you all! 

Elder Ostler

Mission Life Here In The Jungle

Que Chivo!! The mission is sweet. It is sweet, hard, frustrating, a climb, painful, a blessing, once in a lifetime experience. I will first tell you some things we did and how life is here in El Salvador and then express some difficulties of this week!

So last Monday I was able to clean our fridge!! It was pretty groddy and there are spider webs everywhere in our house though most of the spider webs have nothing in them so that was great to kind of be able to settle in more this week and make it feel a little bit more like home! I got food and had a good breakfast everyday and was able to become more acclimated to the mission life here in the jungle of El Salvador, because quite literally it is a jungle!! There are so many trees and steep hills and mountains and there is a cool bolano about 10 miles from my house! Actually there are three right next to each other.

There is the view after the huge rain storm yesterday evening

aNYWASY AFTER I WAS DONE CLEANING THE FRIDGE I JUST FELT LIKE I SHOULD SAY A PRAYER. i DONT KNOW WHY I JUST FELT LIKE I SHOULD. MY COMP WAS IN THE BANO SO I KNELT woops -  down in the kitchen and started to pray and then the waterfall happened. I had the most gratitude filled prayer I have ever spoken in my life. I prayed for everything and how grateful I was and I realized as I prayed how different it is here and how much less I have and how much less these people here have. They have nothing. I thanked our Father in Heaven for all of my blessings and I was pretty much weeping. The tears were just an accumulation of everything and boy it felt good to just weep. It was a mix of joy and sadness and gratitude and humility.

So that was last week and this week was way faster than last week let me tell you! I have a hard time remembering specific days and what happened on those specific days! Its sweet. On Tuesday night I just went to bed as normal expecting to wake up and do regular stuff on Wednesday. My comps alarm went off at 5:00 am and I was wondering why so I just went back to bed and was gonna wake up at 6:30. But he comes in at 5:50 and tells me to wake up because we have to leave. I sit up in my bed rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and ask why? He says we have a conference for district leaders in the capital, San Salvador that day. He was showered dressed and had eaten and everything and we were supposed to leave at 6:00 am! He didn't tell me that he has a meeting!!! hahaha Isn’t that crazy?? He knew and just didn’t tell me.

That happens a lot though with everything. We will just be walking down the street to an appointment and I’ll keep walking down the street while he stops and buys something and then I realize he stopped and he never says a word. That is just how everything is everyday. I don’t know if he expects me to know, doesn't want to tell me or what but I have become somewhat used to it. It is still really hard and I get frustrated with him sometimes and that makes it hard to really love him. I am trying to see the good though.

That Wednesday we went to the estaca by the temple in San Salvador which is an hour and a half bus ride to the city. I got to see a bunch of my ccm buddies there whose companions are also district leaders!!!!! My companion Elder A from the ccm wasn't there so I was bummed because he is probably the coolest person alive. So while the dls met, all of the other companions and stuff got to talk for an hour so that was a huge blessing to be able to talk with a bunch of elders from my district from the ccm and see how they are doing and get support and be able to actually talk to someone!

Dinner at a members house. A weird soup and chicken and rice

On Friday we were on the other side of our area on the other side of the hill or mountain doing contacts on the street and we come to a house that has a fence around it with kind of spike looking things on the top. This lady comes out about 50 years old and we contact her. We talk about the restoration and we stop talking and she just goes off. The Book of Mormon is not true. How could it be written by prophets and on and on. I was surprised that I understood practically everything that she said, and her daughter too was standing there inside the fence by the gate. We were on the outside. The discussion lasted about fifty minutes. At one point my companion was talking to the daughter and I was solely talking to the mom, who you could see it in her eyes was not having any of it. These are a bible people. Some of them are strictly only bible and will not believe in anything else. So that was this lady.

I was able to listen to her and she asked a pointed question. What do you promise in your preaching and everything you do, what do you promise? I paused for a little had no idea what to say but opened my mouth and it was filled. The words that came out were these. Felicidad. La promesa que verdaderamente podemos hallar paz y solaz en esta vida para que podamos vivir en un estado de felicidad con nuestro padre celestial y su hijo juscristo. Translation is happiness and peace. The promise that we can find happiness and peace in this life so that we can live in a state of happiness with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That was all I said and all I needed to say. It was a cool experience. The lady was still very stubborn and said something about the bible and how I was wrong.

I also got told I was going to the inferno by another lady. But the thing I want to say most about this is that these people were trapped. They were the ones standing inside there black fence, like a jail cell with big weeds and bushes growing around them to trap them even further. I felt for their state of confinement in a spiritual sense. It was sad. We usually meet people like that once every day. But we found a guy on Saturday. He is soooo open and wants to learn so we are going back on Wednesday to talk with him. I am really excited, but it is rough with our lessons because my companion teaches in the exact same form every time. It is always the exact some structure and lesson every time. The teaching isn’t exciting or anything so when I try to teach I try to be excited and ask a lot of questions and stuff, but if I ever miss a point or a little sentence my comp will always reteach the point I just taught and if I don’t teach how he teaches he reteaches the same point that I just taught so sometimes I don’t even want to teach, and the hardest part is that after the lesson he never says anything. Never teaches me how to be better or gives advice, just starts off ahead of me and walks to the next lesson without saying anything. But I’ve become used to that occurrence and am trying to ask him to get him to help me and talk to me.

Another investigator named G came to church!!! He is gonna be baptized on the 26 and is a big dude. Kinda tall and really has a belly! He is scared of baptisms so we are working with him and he is scared of prayer which is weird.

Some of the food that we have is a lot of tortillas. These tortillas are corn but cooked on the stove top and super thick. But there are things called pupusas. They are the same tortilla but stuffed with frijoles and queso.. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO delicious. But everyone has them and all the ladys have a little tienda or they make tortillas or they make pupusas. Old old men walk around with their little ice cream dollys ringing bells. Middle aged guys carry huge baskets of bread, like rolls. They walk with their horns, like the super annoying squeeze horns. I’ll have to get a picture with one of them. There are dogs everywhere and garbage everywhere. I wrote you a letter and am sending a letter today.

We did service on Saturday and built a house for a lady! Was crazy poverty but it was sweet. A huge cockroach jumped on my leg when we were moving a big pile of wood metal and garbage. I saw a 4 foot long iguana but couldn't get a picture of it and probably a 4 to 5 inch long scorpion. There are little lizards everywhere and they will just chill inside you house at night or whatever. It is fun! hahah

The service project where we built a house. Super Hot!

Central America is great and I am trying to love it! I hope this email was good. Love you all and I think about you a lot! Straight a"s Benson and Wilson you too. Work hard and you will never regret it!! I will email you in a week! It might be later in the afternoon cuz we might hike the volcano, not sure. Love you and know I am hanging in there and growing more than ever before! 

Love Elder Ostler