Buen día familia, espero que todo se encuentre bien con ustedes.
Let’s start with some business. The way I spell mission is wrong, I know. It should be misión in castallano. But I simply have a habit of typing it that wrong way.
Happy 19 Saydi. That’s exciting yeah!! I don’t know what it is like in the states, but here birthdays are huge. Everyone celebrates them lots.
To tell you the truth family, not once did it cross my mind this week that it was your anniversary, Mom and Dad. Not once did I think about Benson receiving the Priesthood of Aaron. I didn’t even remember it is almost Saydi´s cumpleaños!
This week was a preview of what is to come! We did just about everything. We did it all, and I am tired!
Not ever before in my life have I slept so good as I did this week. Monday - Sunday night, I didn’t even wake up once! Not once, ever.
But it has been good, and I am happy to be here. The Lord is humbling me, like He always is trying to do, but today is like an extra dose. Sometimes I give room on the stage of my mind for the Devil and his tauntings . . . O you’re the misión secretary. That Blows! These are going to be the worst 4 transfers of your life!
But I know that I need to give no heed, and say ‘GET THEE HENCE SATAN! YOU SUCM BALL!’
Really, I don’t even know what to say to you all right now. Let’s start with that picture of my 3 priesthood holding brothers!!
That is so wonderful to look at! Tres capos es lo que yo veo! You are all wonderful young men, with SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Please, Harrison, Jefferson, and Benson.
STAY CLEAN!
It is so important that you 3 keep holding firmly to the Iron Rod and give no heed to the Devil and his temptations and Sins. Read in the Book of Mormon every day. Don’t miss, just like you’d never miss eating dinner. And make your prayers an open communication with God, each Morning and Nite. So often, even as good members, we still go through the motions. Also, Harrison, Benson, and Wilson, Tengan cuidado con los amigos. Be careful of your freinds. And always stand for the right. The wrong is never ‘fun’ in the end. It always leads to repentance, which hurts.
I really don’t want to preach to you. But I guess that’s what I am, A Preacher. Grandpa Skinny, I mean Skinner, always used to call me that before the misión, and I never liked it. But now, I Love it. I hope, Harrison, Jefferson, Benson, and you Wilson, did you hear that? And you Wilson, have developed the habit of practicing the piano each and every day. You don’t understand right now, and you can’t really, but please o please, aprovechar.
And that’s my new position of being a new secretario, it’s been like 5 minutes since I typed that last sentence, because I had to transfer some fone calls for sick elders and doctors etc.
Yeahimprettymuchintheofficesrightnow. At least I get to listen to Hillary Weeks instead of kumbia villera.
Yes, boys, take advantage of that Grand Piano. Take advantage of the Time you have. ¡Aprovechen tener un gran maestro en la casa también! I wish I could take piano lessons right now.
Alright, let’s talk to the Birthday Girl. I’m actually singing this.
Happy Birthday to YOU
Happy Birthday to YOU
Happy Birthday My Dear Say Di
Happy Birthday to YOU. Sending all my love and Best Wishes from Argentina ****Elder**** Ostler ps, and hoping you get hitched jajaja
What would make me most happy is if you have a Sonrisa siempre, and if you can always remember Jesus Christ and your Baptismal Covenants.
And Mom and Dad, what a marriage feat! That’s great. I have seen so much divorce and separation down here hablando sobre el tema del matrimonio, and I am ever so thankful that you are making it happen. Marriage for 24 years is incredible. I don’t think I even understand how thankful I am. Like Nefi, I was raised so well, in such a good home, and with quite the family. And like you Mom, I return the unseeable love that you cannot see through a pantalla. Best wishes to you two. Stay happy, live long, run hard.
I did go running this morning.
Well, I probably should empezar de decirles de la semana que tuve yo.
Kinda crazy. Actually really crazy. Did just about everything, from driving to walking around Mendoza with $4000 pesos in my pocket.
Doing the last preparations for and receiving the newbies was way fun. I loved talking and meeting them. I tried to have so much real animo. Yo tampoco sé realmente que es lo que significa animo en inglés. Yeah like animo, energy, happiness. It is just one of those words that’s better in Spanish. Animo.
So, Tuesday was wake up early, and go to the airport with the oldies to send them off. Then we ran some errands, buying 20 kilos of bananas etc. My positions is honestly a couple of really fijo things, and then just a bunch or random jobs. We just cleanup everyones messes. Like this week when the sisters didn’t pay their bills, we had to spend 2 hours minutes driving around Mendoza (in the snow!!) doing that. But this is a cool story, because after paying the bills, and they were expensive, c’mon, they’re hermanas, we went to the terminal and sent some filters to San Rafeal, another problem fixed because Elder Boisados forgot to bring them when he went to install them.
So then it was about 1:30 and both Elder Ivie and I were Hungry. We were in president’s car when he called us to ask if we had eaten. No we say, and then he tells us to just grab something to go. Well just at that moment a celestial McDonalds appeared and we changed lanes and pulled in. We joked, but it just might be true, that that MD didn’t really exist, because neither of us had ever seen it before. Yup, I would go on, but something tells me this is just one of those things that’s only funny in the moment. Just know it was Great, and that God was watching out for us.
Back to Tuesday yeah? So Tuesday night after doing a bunch of things, we realized that our 3 chilenos coming in were only on 90 day tourist visas. And we aprovechared because while they were going to be in Mendoza, we just might as well legalize them for the 2 years, or at least start the process, because it’s a big long mess. So Tuesday night Elder Ivie turned on some sweet music and prepared. I think I got in bed that night at 12:40! And that’s really late for a missionary! It was a sweet memorable night. It’s great learning all these crazy processes.
Another day we prepared to extend the one year visa for about 5 Missionaries, and then we went to the bank, pulled the 4000 pesos, and then went to the front of the line at Migraciónes and got some gringos legalized.
2 things were really hard for me this week.
One is that Elder Boisados is the Pench man for the missino, op there it is again, and generally in charge of materials for the misión. So 3 days this week he went with Elder Packer, a senior missionary we have, and installed filters in the misión, which put me in a trio and unabled me to work in Estanzuela. So I did a lot of divisions in Sarmiento this week. And that was good because I went by Carmen, an amazing lady who received the Holy Ghost when I was there. She’s amazing. Probably best lesson of the week.
Also, once with Elder Lounsberry, we found 8 news in about 3 hours. They were some great people, including Jonathon, a good 20 year old kid looking for something. Then 8 news won us the comp against Ivie and Hoggard which meant that when we returned to the pench, they carried Elder Lounsberry and I up the stairs singing Elder Ostler is our King. Elder Ostler is our King. He is the Greatest of them all, Ostler is our King.
Finally, on Saturday night Boisados returned home and we started being companions. I don’t actually have real permiso to drive yet, but when we went in the van to move Elder Boisados from his pench to our new office pench. He was so tired and got in the drivers seat and put the keys in my hand. It was already 10:30 at night, a late nite, as they all were, and the tired level of both of us was high. So I fought him for about 3 seconds, then just got in the car and drove. It was only about 20 cuadras back to the pench. And it was sweet! I forgot what that feels like, driving.
Then going to church on yesterday was an adventure. We didn’t even know how to arrive. It was good. I saw a lot of good people. What amazed me most was their eyes. I realized that no matter where I go, there are amazing members of the church. My plan with this barrio is obviously focus on Baptism, finding people and bringing them to Christ. Además, I want to inspire these people to be home teachers. So so important. The barrio needs help. Sacrament attendance was maybe 60.
The mountains this week were remarkable! Absolutely insane! With the snow covering them. ¡¡ la belleza de ellas fue inexplicable!!
Sometimes I feel like I’m in a foreign land, and then I remember I Am.
The members received us well, we ate a great lunch there with them, and I think I have just about forgotten the best part . . . we had an investigator in church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This week I didn’t step into my area until Sunday, and didn’t invite ni un alma to go to church in Estanzuela, and some one came!! She is Milix. Maybe 35 years old and told me she really like it. I only could talk to here for 2 minutes, because she left right away. But I did learn that she has assisted 2-3 other Sundays, and that she has a lot of problems in the home. I’m Psyched!
The focus in the offices is to leave at 4pm everyday and See Miracles.
Then other hard thing for me is that I’m still not unpacked!!! 7 days living out of an unpacked suitcase isn’t fun. The pench situation is in crisis. There are 10 of us living in one pench. It seems insane, but we know it will work if we can cooperate and work together. It is 4 assistants, 4 original office elders, and Elder Lounsberry and I. More details to come on that.
About Christian Funes. He is a joven in Rivadavia who baptized 2 years ago. Has 24 years and is so close to going on a misión. He has had a crazy life and wants to follow El Señor. Basically is in a super tight money situation, has had to quite some jobs because they weren’t the best environment.
Well I think it is just about time to go do some compras at the vea with elder Boisados and Hoggard and then eat some home cooked asado.
O, how about one more thing. After church we went to yet a different pench and buscard the carpeta de area and had a reunion with our super líder misional. He’s 74, completely over the hill, but just awesome.
Then last night we had a surprise visit to the offices because we aren’t supposed to come in Sunday, and had to prepare the 4 elders we are sending home. Luckly Elder Ivie and I were able to finish and go home by 10:10. Elder Ivie is a wonderful Elder. He is from LV and has 20 in the mission. Months.
Elder Boisados is also wonderful and yes, is a breath of fresh air. I love being with an Argentine. He's a little older too, which helps me be a little more mature. He also goes home in December, but we have ganas to work good in Estanzueal and not get robbed.
Well have fun with this email.
Elder Ostler
And I was absolutely so happy to read that you placed your first BOM, Mom. Like so happy.
Continue to share the Gospel with all.
Talk to everyone about the message of the Restoration. Because the world needs to know that the Gospel was Restored!
Tell Ahmad to write me a letter and tell be about his religion, where he’s from, and all the fun stuff.
He seems great. Make sure to tell him to get on the tramp and play ball with Jefferson and stuff him hard for me!!
pues, pasamos por las oficinas con mi compañero para buscar una funda, y yo tengo la oportunidad de escribirles algo pequeño. ¡que bueno!
el asado que hicimos hoy fue espectacular. pero tan rico que fue!! y yo dormi la mejor siesta de mi vida! una hora de puro poder. aun no he disempacado mis cosas. grrr. pero espero que podamos arreglar el problema pronto.
elder ivie y Harvey, assistente, fueron corriendo hoy y corrieron medio maratón! trece milles! insane.
ahora elder boisados y yo bamos a tomar micro a Estanzuela para buscar nuevos hasta las nueve.
me encanta la definición de la palabra Milagros en la dictionario de la Bibla. I wish I could quote it, but I don’t have my english. Something like miracles exist wherever the Masters hand is present . . it’s not like Miracles are a rare thing.
esta noche yo boy a buscar milagros. yo sé que el Señor nos bendecirá.
les amo.
Madre, Padre, Amanda, Saydi, Harrison, jefferson, Benson, Wilson
con amor
Elder Ostler
