HOLA!
Thank you so much for the words I just finished reading. They were So Good! I loved the part about Elder Palmer. About how they are never in the house. And mother, I Love that you are studying preach my Gospel!! Ch 7 is wonderful, and Ch 6 los atributos semejantes a Cristo is a wonderful choice as well. This week I thought about what is humility.
I loved how the boys applied themselves and practiced. It’s tough to practice when you have a lot happening in life, huh Harrison. So you little ones, be the dueno of your time and PRACTICE. Jefferson, mom told me your doing good, keep it up!
Answer time. I am a special case dad, I am a solo ZL. It is hard for me. In our zone we have us 7 here in the oficies, and 2 areas way out in the middle of nowhere. One is Uspallata, its the area at the foot of the mountains. The other area is Malargue, way down south.
In fact, I get to travel to both of those areas to do divisions! We are going to Uspallata in 7 days, and then Malargue the last week of the transfer. I am excited! Not just for the scenic part, but to further the Work of God in those areas lejanas, and to help the misioneros.
There are 2 districts in the office zone. Elder Lounsberry is a DL. It’s a small zone, and a very different one. President Avila has a different plan then President Lindahl did. President Lindahl was always calling new ZLs and dropping them. When Avila arrived, he chose his 24 zone leaders, and has pretty much maintained them there until they die. For example, 7 out of the 10 Elders that when home last transfer were zone leaders. So this transfer there were changes in the Zone Leaders. But it is very possible to drop out of a leadership position. It’s nothing bad or anything.
And YES I am so excited to get out of the offices. I have learned and progressed a great deal here. But it is time to go. I have one more full week left. I feel like I am working hard. My body is used to the little bit of less sleep, and the schedule carry now. But I am psyched to finish in the real campo. NO air conditioned office, no other perks. Just working and preaching repentance. O I really can’t wait!! I feel like a schoolboy on Christmas Eve . . . waiting for Christmas Day.
Go Kraymer! Umm I used to sunblock like twice. Not saying that's what you should do! And I used the bug spray like 0 times. Mendoza has no bugs. Just a couple cockroaches that I lit on fire this morning. And there are mosquitos at night in the summer. I should use bug spray every nite. And I would if my mother were close by to remind me.
The lineup
6:15-7:00 correr. We set a goal and accomplished it this week. We ran a lazy mans marathon in 5 days. It was great! We did 8K on 4 days and then more today. It was a wonderful run this morning, a little through the city action.
7:00-8:00 preparar para el dia. Cool down, drink cold water, eat celestial cereal enhanced with raisins and corn flakes, shower, and get ready.
8:00-9:00 personal study. I have my own desk and struggle to keep it organized. This week my most notable pstudy was when I went through Alma 15 and loved it. The story of Zeezrom is Awesome! I love studying the Gospel.
9:00-10:00 is comp study. We sing and pray and read out of el manuel misional. We share what we learned in personal study and then plan the lessons we are going to teach. If there is any plans to solidify, they are solidified. Comp study in the offices sometimes is no good. For example, one day I left the pench this week at 6:30 and yesterday we were out at 7:15. (both visa days) while I do personal study those days, comp study just doesn't happen.
10:00-4:00 visas, travel, training Elder Moon, waiting in long lines at the bank, keeping President up to date on our visa waiters and other arriving missionaries, helping and dealing with missionaries . . son muchas cosas. Elder Moon is taking it very well. This week we had a breakthrough with renewing the 90 day visas. There are 8 of them in our mission, and we got an inside help. You could probably care less, but I was so excited about it!!
4:00-9:00 we had some great days working this week! We did lots of divisions. I worked with Elder Lounsberry un solo dia.
We received a referencia from Neuquen last week. Last night Elder Burr and I had a second lesson with her, she accepts our visits, but it is hard to see people harden their harts against God.
We also had a second lesson with a woman named Gladys, she is old (but hip) and super energetic. I loved being in her house and teaching her. She read the second folleto, and she asked us about resurrection. She loved it. One of her daughters passed away. When her husband walked in she hands him Alma 40 and says, you got to read this! After he reads it for us she names her descese
The sweetest leccion of the week was last Sunday. We were invited to Presidents house again for a New Years lunch. On our way up the elevator the man running the security cameras and opening the gate asks us, you guys have a pamphlet or something to read? Elder Esplin and I tell the man we would be right back down. We saludar president and the crew, and then down we go, anxious of the contact we were about to have. Little did we know we were about to walk into the sweetest lesson one situation ever!
This guy is So Prepared. Super humble to learn about the Restored Gospel. Elder Esplin and I were with him for about an hour. We sat us down in the front area on couches and we started. He was 23, o and how can i explain it? he loved it, he led into baptism and we certainly taught it to him. Elder Esplin invited him to be baptized on the 28th of Enero, and after an easy duda, he accepted. Then about 2 minutes later he let us know that his wife is 3 months pregnant, and they have a marriage date for the 27th!!!!!! It was one of those moments, just sweet as can be. We passed his name and information to the corresponding Elders.
Some news on the reference that Juanita gave to us . . that we passed to other Elders. Well Juanita sister passed her baptism interview! In fact we had an awesome lesson with Juanita this week. She is having some serious doubts about the decision she made to be baptized. But we had a power lesson, and at the end we knelt down and Juanita prayed. And then we stayed on our knees, for 15 minutes. After the lesson Elder Burr and Lounsberry se burlaron de mí, because I fell asleep. But it was a wonderful peace each of us felt, and Juanita was made better.
On a different note our 4 top investigators are no where to be found. It is seriously like they are gone, without a trace.
So that’s life.
OO last Sunday I passed the sacrament to Maria Eugenia, sweet sweet moment, and then she gave her first talk. It was one of the best talks I have ever heard in my life! It touched me so much. Or as they say here, me llegó. It brought a tear to my eye. It was a huge inspiration to keep working, to leave no stone unturned as dad told me.
Speaking of zone leaders, this week we had consejo de lideres. It was Incredible. President taught us, the assistants taught, and Sister Avila taught. It was wonderful. President Avila is changing the mission a lot. It was my third consejo and the best one ever. Both Elder Huntington and Allen are still Zone leaders too. Always fun to see and converse with them. We hit 19 months this week. Pretty pretty wild.
I translated for president quite a few times this week.
Mom, yup I talked with DHL this week. I hope there’s gold in that package, bc it’s gunna cost a pretty penny! But I’m excited, thanks!
This morning I headed the organization of operation clean pench. We live in the hotel. 2 nites this week we had visitors, and I mean like one nite it was 9 and the other it was 12. But right now the pench looks almost beautiful.
SO cool about Amanda!! Her and her training. So that’s about all I got. I’m going to have a great week.
Keep reading in PMG mom! Keep practicing the piano boys! Keep living in Hawaii Saydi!
Love Elder Ostler
