My Dear Family:
An account of the fotos.
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| Me with Elder Aidukaitis |
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| Driving San Luis |
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| Lunch in San Rafeal |
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| The race to prepare 12 missionaries going home envelopes |
The last 2 pictures were taken 2 hours ago in la plaza indepencencia. It was so beautiful. It is spring and every day is absolutely beautiful. Mendoza in Novembre is una hermosura. I love this time of year. . . but a few more weeks we´ll be sweating whether we’re workin or not. You can feel the heat coming. Or your can just look in the streets and see the indecency in the streets and have a pretty good idea it’s almost summer. HA!
I was able to come in early and print off your emails, and they were wonderful. Nice on the jaguar. And I love the constant dogpen/sod project stories dad. How is Ahmed acting these days. You have been quiet on that. Does he go to church? Does he look anything like Raymond?
And mother I just loved loved your email. I will give you my opinion. I love it! I love how the enforcement. I love the parenting. To the Best Parents in the world, I give you props. And about the Friday OR Saturday nite for Harry boy, I love it. And hats off to the cell phone call. The last thing I remember when I look back on my highschool/ childhood (wait, I’m still a child) is how many texts. Practicing Piano is So Much More Valuable. But I understand, it IS hard! Satan is an :in the moment: kind of guy. And practicing piano every day is definitely something satan is against. But we fight against him. I realized Yesterday again, how disgusting and malicious he is. How knieving and rotten and infeliz he is. *for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself* We all must be So Aware about satan and his plan for our life. We have to recognize the temptation, and then be smart and Strong enough to take the escape route. Somethings we do in life, like the small stuff, a lot of times isn't *bad*, but maybe is it distracting? We must strive to remember Jesus in todo momento. (by the way I have chocolate from the states that Sister Carr brought me. WOW, it’s lindt lindor)
Thats what we COVENANT to do every week. We promise, with God. We make a promise to Him, the most powerful being we know of. The Exalted Man who created the earth on which we live. And we promise HIM. That is soo coool. This Gospel and Church is SOO COOL. And I love being a missionary for it. I love representing His Church. Regardless of all the laughs, and staring, and rejection, it is awesome. Time of my Life.
About the rejection. I have realized that the rejection I experience is very Very minimal. So small.
I mean, they nailed Christ to a cross, they chopped off Johns head, they rubbed hot tar on Joseph’s body, and then covered him in feathers. And all they do is tell me NOPE: Go preach in your own country.
I still want to be more faithful. To rise above my fears and doubts and soar. Sometimes I think and see myself grounded and firmly settled in the Gospel. And on strictly the basis of Testimony, yes I am. But on other things, man I am such a little kid. You realize why men like President Avila and High Priest Ostler and Elder Andersen and Scott are who they are, because they have So Much Experience in the Gospel.
Last night Elder Lounsberry and I had quite the experience. To paint the Picture, Virginia was progressing wonderfully. She reads every folleto, then looks up the scriptures in the back. Then she goes to Mormon.org. And she is gracing the first chapters of Nefi too. So all is just going wonderful. We had made daily contact with here up until Saturday, we went to her house and called her, but nothing. Then, she didn’t come to church.
As we were starting our first Big weekly planning (like Aidukaits taught us) we called her and I communicated with the husband..
Right after that I called in a member for backup and we took a bus to the house. We were excited and nervous. What Gorge had told me on the fone was that Virginia didn't want to meet with us and tampoco wanted to get baptized. That hurt. It hurt me a lot. And I KNEW that this Dirt Bag Gorge was the reason.
So we sat down in his house. He wouldn't let us see Virginia. He said that he was her representative. What happened is that Gorge spat out science and denied our testimony and the very faith he once had. He rejected the very message that he taught for 2 years of his life, 30 yrs ago as a missionary in BS AS. It was so so so sad. Anti Mormon literature is SO DANGEROUS: please family, be so careful. It has destroyed Gorge and satan has robbed him of his testimony.
We were very bold with Gorge. I said some bold things. But after some time I realized it was hopeless unless we could talk to her. Virginia. It was like trying to throw a rock through a wall. He is so spiritually dead and as Elder Lounsberry said, past feeling.
I was furious. I can tell he recently got a new dose of anti stuff, because he was on fire. But it was hellish fire. 2 weeks ago he wanted to baptize her, but Satan grabbed his heart and let him down forbidden paths, just saying what ever thing, so many lies. And you know what, it all came down to the Book of Mormon. He wouldn’t even accept the commitment to ask God if it was true. It was so sad. I will NEVER let that happen to me. He also said Virginia had gone on line and read these things. That was what killed me. She is so Pure, has such good desires. Has such a good heart. And I am O so thankful that that is what God will judge. She will be saved, if she so desires. Her husband has just confused her. He is an idiot.
That was my first experience as a missionary with anti mormon material. A copy paste from above - But we fight against him. I realized Yesterday again, how disgusting and malicious he is. How knieving and rotton and infeliz he is. *for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself* We all must be So Aware about satan and his plan for our life. We have to recognize the temptation, and then be smart and Strong enough to take the escape route.
I actually didn’t plan on including that story.
As we arrived to the pench, after a minor power out in the city, taking the wrong bus, and finally getting home in taxi, I turned on Elder Burrs ipod and got rocked by Safety for the Soul by Elder Holland. What a rockstar.
At the end of the lesson Gorge told us, and don’t come back. The only hope I have is that I actually have the personal cell fone number of Virginia.
Let’s move on shall we?
Transfers happen tomorrow officially. I found out that Elder Moon is Senior comp. That’s exciting! I will be with Elder Lounsberry, and that is sweet. We are going to do things right. We are going to plan and pray and hope that God blesses us with people to baptize. Because in the end, it is Him who gives the increase.
Through one of my comps inspired abrir la bocas, we found a woman this week that came to church! Her name is Adriana. She is 50ish, so super old.
We had 2 lessons with her, and then went to her house Sunday morning and she drove us to church in her sweet stick shift.
I am going to drive a stick shift after the mission - goal.
She was surprised that it was 3 hours long. But after the first hour she wanted to go to the second. That principios del evengelio class Blew Her Mind and she was so excited for round 3! When I set a cita with her for Tuesday, she said, do you like ice cream? Of course I said yes. She says, alright come at 5:30 and I’ll have ice cream for you. You know your investigairo likes what she is learning when she’s got ice cream for you! So we are psyched for her. The only thing is she’s a bit stubborn. But we’ll get her. The Spirit can break anyone.
The first lesson we had with her was cool, because when I looked up at her big bookshelf, my eyes immediately locked on the Book of Mormon. It was glowing.
Uhg, I always think I’m going to write short emails, but they’re always long.
So sending 13 elders off this week was fun. And I also had to send another visa waiter off to Bs As that same day. So I was up at 4:30 as we drove him to the airport. I talked with some Germans (in inglish if course) and then this Sweet teacher at Cambridge from London. And her accent was So Thick. Almost didn’t understand her. So that was 2 sweet encounters. Then with the 13 super nervous and ancy elders, their flight was delayed 90 minutes, so that was a fun airport wait. Not
But they all left fine, no problem. Yes Davenport was one. He has been our DL this transfer, so I have been verifying with him noche por medio.
Well, Elder Burr and I ran good this morning. And now we are going to make some healthy muffins, recipe from Hermana Packer.
So have a great week,
Elder Ostler
I forgot to mention . . the Friday night parties next door to our pench . . that last till 5am, loud music, good for sleep patterns/
. . . and I am almost done with the BOM Liahona. It is So Good. I love the first couple pages, especially from President Monson. And how it focus on Baptism and Covenants. I love the Book of Mormon. And like Joseph Smith and Hyrum, would die to defend my testimony of it. I know that it is the Word of God.
I’m here if you need anything.
