I am living a dream.

Hola familia!!  Aquí estoy, en un ciber de argentina, muy entusiasmado para escribirles.  No hay internet así que voy a escribir por Microsoft Word por un tiempito hasta que puedan alegrar la problemita.  Bueno.  Papi, me encanto lo que me escribió hace una semana acerca de la obediencia, las bendiciones, y al reaping rewards.  Cuando volvi a la pension puse lo que escribió en un tarjeta en el pared sobre me escritorio.  ¡Gracias!

It has been a good week.   I lived a lot of things and learned a lot of things.  This week we taught mas o menos 25 lessons, finding some 18 news, some much better than others.  A really promising lady who we found last night se llama vanessa.  5ish years ago another set of missionaries went to visit her and her then living husband.  And the misioneros were from Uruguay and los estados unidos, respectively.  Well, the set that just barely clapped her house, being led to it by the spirit (we had to go through this little alley that would have been easy to not see or ignore) are also from Uruguay and los estados unidos.  Pretty cool.  She’s prepared and will receive her answer through prayer.  Now, its up to her to see what she does with it.

Alright in no particular order . .

It is good going to church.  We have some solid converts here in Rivadavia, el viña del señor.  Celina came, as usual.  She is amazing.  Two nights ago we had an amazing lesson with her about the Temple, the place that I miss so much.  Tears almost escaped as I bore testimony of the Temple.  She is a sponge and absorbs everything.  She hungers and thirsts after righteousness.  Lea, accompanied with here dos padres came as well.  She also loves the church and the peace her baptism has brought her.

Then there’s Rosa and Elvis.  They also come every week, and would you know it, Rosa showed up in time for 15 minutes of la sociedad de socorro!  Amazing.  Her and her family continue to feed us multiple times every week.  This week it was once for her birthday and then yesterday for lunch.  Rosa loves us, we are the means by which God helps her out, and we return the feeling.  She’s like my mom here in Rivadavia.

Next is Silvio.  CAPPO.  He is great with reading in the Book of Mormon and coming to church every week, yesterday with traje!  We are also teaching his sister, Estephania, la flaca en las fotos.  And that is going really well.  This week she prayed and received her answer.  But she’s not sure what she wants to do with it.  Last night we gave her a blessing of comfort as she is  redoing una material hoy.  Like a makeuptesttoseeifyoupasstheclass.

And speaking of the Flores family, they hooked us up last p day!  They took us to a huge bodega.  We were able to walk around the tourist part, we were solos, and take a bunch of pictures, and just have a ton of fun.  We also got some insights into the wine industry and how the grapes turn into wine.  I’m sure you’ll see al the pictures soon .  .  . like in a couple transfers when I send my next card home.  I really hope you received the last one!  Then we went to mirador and just hung out there, eating uvas like every other day!  And playing futbol.

The Grapes and the Wine.  Family, it truly is amazing here.  The sights, the sunsets with the gold trimmed clouds over the Andes.  The viñas viñas viñas.  Grapes grapes grapes, uvas uvas, uvas.  And the amazing people, some of which will actually listen to us!  The smell of wine enters my nose daily and the taste of grapes is constantly in my mouth.  I Love It.  I am living a dream.  This morning I ate grapes for breakfast and read my scriptures.  I could ask for nothing more, other than for each one of you to be here living this with me.  But that is not how God wants it.  So I guess we will just have to wait now, won’t we.

A Little snapshot.  We were walking out of a villa and this little girl poked her head out of her door and said ¡Que Dios les bendiga! God Bless You.  It warmed our hearts. Because while we hear that every day, she actually meant it.

The villa costa canal has been temporarily shut down by Elder Ostler and Arrua.  No one wants to progress there. We can try to persuade them to faith, but it is up to them to choose happiness, or death.

It seems to me that someone (MISS AMANDA PANDA) hit 6 MONTHS in the misión this week!  Thats what I’m talking about,  YOU GO COWGIRL!  I love you.  And think of you often, and not only because Elder Arrua is always reminding me!

A Little Spanish tip.  When being committed to do something, especially coming to church, at the end of telling the missionaries si, throw in a little, si Dios quiere. Doing so takes the responsibility off of you and onto dios.  Meaning if, Sunday morning you are tired, or really just don´t want to come, its not your fault, but in fact Gods.  Jajajajaja

Did you know that Argentine government and schools pay kids for doing bad in school?  Yeah, you think your country is messed up all you Obama followers.  The kids who do the worst in school, their families receive plata from the gobierno.  The government thinks that will help, I guess, but to me and the people I talked to, it seems like parents who are lazy and don´t want to work will help their kids fail school.  That’s at least what I heard and thought I’d pass it along.

While the garbage is not to bad here in Rivadavia, it is in costa canal.  They are bagos! Instead of being responsible and ¨going the extra mile¨ digamos, they just chuck all their garbage, o lo que sea, into the big canal that runs right along their houses.  It is very sad to see.  Especially after a few days that water has not run down the canal because then it is just lleno of garbage.

After entering a house one morning and teaching a lady who really was nice, but didn´t want to change, I noticed a real piano in the house.  After the prayer I asked about it and she said, sure go on ahead.  But in Castallano of course.  So I sat down and tried to play a hymn.  But WOW.  It was so so so so so out of tune that it hardly sounded like a hymn.  And some of the notes didn´t play or were sticky.  But none the less, it was a real piano and not a keyboard.  It was a pretty cool and unique couple minutes.  Playing the piano in church went well, especially the ultimo himno o mi padre.

One of the recent convert families, Tito´s family, the family Alaniz, completed a year as members and went to the temple recently!  It was very cool to hear them speak of their experience in church.  The Temple is the House of God and I can’t wait to enter those doors after the misión.

My companion Elder Arrua, continues to amaze me and teach me.  I love being with him.  Also, last night we ate an asado and empanadas with Juan, a recent convert, and his family!  And with a friend named Ramón.  It was so so fun.  They love us so much, and we love them.

In the pench, there is some friction with the other 3 elders and the zls. I know the Lord has placed me here to show faith, obedience, and a follow your leaders attitude in this situation.  Also, I heard a ton of stuff about Japon this week and saw some footage - wow, a real disaster, I was shocked.  I know the church is down there though helping and saving lives.  Dad how do you feel?¿  That is your Motherland.

Hey I don’t know why, but this letter feels shorter and more business like.  Probably because I haven’t read what thou has written.  So let me try to get online.

Hey, a couple things I forgot. There were no wedding bells in Rivadavia this week.  Bummer.  But that is only because Miss Rita forgot to go back to the registro civil to verify the fecha.  Hopefully everything will be set for the next Friday!  And we already bought the coke!  We found a pretty cheap deal on about 20 litros of coke and got it!  And with money, we are fine and the other elders went to Mendoza today, they will return with mail, and it might be there.  But I did get the valentines package!! Thanks I loved it, Elder Arrua too.  The tie is spanking awesome!!!  I sported it at church yesterday and felt like a cappo.  Thanks harry man.  And lacrosse sounds way fun.

NOO.  I feel sad you haven´t received the pictures.  Keep looking!  Yes they are all backed up.  Whew.  Be prepared.  Eagle scout.  O and the 3x melted chocolate was so so good in my mouth!   A birthday present!  It seems like you guys send one of those monthly, not including the never ending supply of letters from you all.  Thank you, I have a deep love for each one of you.

Saydi the lady.  What a scare!  Wow, I hope you have gathered your wits and are testing good!  And doing good with that new novio of yours.  Go Get Um!

Yes, Japan is all talked about here too!  crazy crazy crazy.  Well, my companion doesn´t want to email you a picture from the asado or the bodega!  Igual, espero que reciban muchas fotos esta semana!!  My fingers are crossed.  C’mon crappy Argentine mail.  And should be said with some gusto!!

Chau 

Elder Ostler

Beun dia!

Family:

Well, it’s buenas tardes here, but it’s probably still pretty temprano over there.  Ashi!  As my companion would say (alli).

WHEW.  Wow, I just ate up that email and those pictures.  It was so so good, and printed.

Missionaries over for pday.  And man, if I was a missionary in the states, I don’t even know what I’d do.  So many advantages that one will not find here.  Here, we have different kinds of advantages.  That’s cool that the missionaries siempre come over to the house.  Looking at that picture, our house is huge!  I like to see that Harrison is making good use of mine and Ben’s money shorts.  How is that Kid Ben doing?

That was an intense letter about BYU and Elder Campbell and all.  Well, now it’s my turn to write.

That is me on the piano, singing my heart out.

Well, after viewing all of the precious fotos, I think that we can both come to a conclusion that I am. . . . .  Staying!  In Rivadavia!!  For 5 more weeks!!  Uh huh, it's my birthday.


We were psyched to find out we are juntos.  Elder Arrua and yo are just kranking.  We are like brothers at this point.  We know everything about each other.  We roll our eyes at one another, laugh so hard together, and are starting to put the gente under the water. . . together.


Lea’s baptism was wonderful this week.  It took place Saturday in the morning.  Her anticipated friends didn’t come, which was the only bummer.  Nor did the branch president show up, which bothered us (I just can’t see old man Robertson stiffing the elders on a baptism) but he gave us permissino to go ahead with the priesthood we had there.  We have worked with Lea a lot these past 2 weeks.  She was one so ready to repent and find happiness.  She left her old life behind and started a new one.

Lea in her little baptismal ropa

Elder Arrua baptized her and then yesterday, she was confirmed and given, or offered, the gift of the Holy Ghost.  After church we walked over to the Maure’s house to enjoy an asado!  It was great meat, with lots of fat.  Then we were at their house forever as we talked about standards in For The Strength of Youth and taught the whole plan of redemption.  What a family. . . . 

I like the struggle bus.  Just a side note.  Byetheway, has anything arrived in the mail yet?¿

So Yes, I am in Rivadavia and loving it.  We had a good week.  It was our all time low for new finding though.  Only 9.  And 6 accepted fecha, but that is por razon.  El dia de los translados, hay que limpiar la pension.  Digo bien limpio.  Lo hicimos ect. la cual no nos dejo much tiempo para trabajar.  y tambien, estivimos con la family Maure y Jorge y Rita tanto y no tuvimos un monton de tiempo para buscar nuevos.  Pero igual, encontramos 2 nuevos muy buenos y vamos a ver que pasa esta semana con ellos.  (eshos.  That’s how you say it because I’m with an Uruguayo, and that’s how we talk)

Jorge y Rita are still muy fuerte and pre pre prepared.  Well, I did find them with Elder McClain, so they have had a good chunk of time to get themselves converted to this Gospel which is so true.  Everything is set ma o meno por el casamiento Friday and baptism this Saturday.  What I mean by set is simply that it’s going to happen.  Things here don’t get planned good until the day before the day of.  But did you hear that?  IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN!

Ahh,  my first marriage.  And Elder Arrua is going to be there right by my side. . .  throwing rice.  Don’t worry - we aren’t the ones getting married.  Jorge is so strong, his faith is sure.  He is a future leader in this Church.

This is me with Jorge and Rita in the church
after the baptism of Lea.  Cappos!!!

I did divinos with that latino you see.  Elder Martinez is from Tigre, Buenos Aries and is amazing.  He sings like a God and teaches like an angel.  A really cool thing is that my third transfer, I’m now in my 6th, I did divinos with him, twice.  And in district meetings I did some teaching practices with him.  After the night with Lea and Jorge and Rita, as we were walking to the pension, he talked to me and compared what he saw three transfers ago and what he just saw.  He just pumped me up and complimented me and told me the great change he saw in me in castallano y confidence.  Those are the two things he noticed.  It was so great to be with him and partake of his goodness.

Me and Elder Martinez after our day tarde of
divisions and round of 3 baptism intrevistas.

We got a new pench system.  Elder Hyer pobrecito is gone (yes, like Kip would) and Elder Rodriguez showed up.  He’s from Uruguay too and is fourth in line for Amanda.  We are rocking a good pench this first week and I’m happy.  I already love Elder Rodriguez.  He speaks perfect English, honestly, it’s better than mine.  His verb usage and variety of words far exceeds that of mine.  I hope you know I am not joking.  He studied seven years before the mission and obviously has perfected it on the mission.  He uses phrases like ‘hold your horses’ and ‘rank.’

O and my companion is the new DL.  Which is perfect for him because he hates numbers and meetings.  I’m trying to help him in this at first overwhelming position.

Alright, I just attached a picture of the asadito.  That would never fly in the states.  But here, shirts for men aren’t really required when in the home.  Sin verguenza!  That’s Hermano Maure, Lea’s dad.

Our piano broke down this week but our patron (that’s his sobre nombre, Elder Arrua) elictricista fixed it to the rejoicing of both Owens and me.  Yay!

Church yesterday was good.  Like always, there were some awful testimonies, which makes my companion leave the little sacrament meeting room.  But there were some awesome ones to save the day.  For a closing hymn, I played conmigo quedate senor.  It was fantastic and by the end, Hermana Maure on the front row was crying.  I love knowing the song well enough so that I can look out into the people and sing with them.  Jorge and Rita were the only investigators we had show, it is great to see how the ward is taking them and developing friendships with them.

You know the classic Helping an Old Woman Cross the Street?  Well, that was me this week.  I had the wonderful opportunity of helping an 85-year-old woman who had trouble walking and tired really quickly, walk about 2 (super slow but good) cuadras a su casita.  It was great.  She almost fell once.  Well, that’s the week in a nutshell, preferably almond.

I loved that you searched and found Jacob 4:12.  And the asado of chicken for 25 heads will be paid for by Elder Arrua and I.  I guess if I run out, we will be eating fideaos the last couple weeks.  But really, no problem and please don’t worry so much about me.  I can see those wheels in your head turning mother.

The prescription stuff will be greatly appreciated.  And if you ever want to talk to Elder Cabranes, just call the mission because he should answer the phone, or just ask for him.  He’d love to talk to any of you.  No, I didn’t have to pay customs.  And I don’t really know if I think in Spanish.  We have a good rest of the pday lined up, us four are prolly going out to some campo with the family Flores again!!

I loved Saydi’s email and the pictures!  She can tell you what I said about it.  Saydi is looking great, my companion and I both think that.  My companion is crazy about girls and I gotta keep him focused.  I love life, I love the mission.  It’s hard sometimes, yeah, the insecurities of not speaking well or not having a connection with the gente or a dozen other things.  On Tuesday, a ton of kids were calling at me and trying to mess with me.  By kids, I mean like druggies our age.  But it didn’t bother me anymore.  It puts a smile on my face.

This is all I have to say.  Go Mormons.

This is Elder Ostler sending all my love.

Enjoy all the gigs of fotos - winky face

y

besitos

God sent down fire from the heavens!

Hola familia.  Como anda?

Lesenviaria fotos a ustedes hoy por email, pero voy a mandar una tarjetita lleno de fotos por correo tortuga hoy.  Disfrutenlos!

Hey, it has been a very good week.  Thank you for the personal money card.  Just thanks for everything.  Thanks for life.

El granizado did not reach us, but we got a ton of rain, and yes, it has not been happy for the grapes.  It is really a bummer.  It is everyones fear, and this week it came true.

Dad, I loved the personal supervision comment.  And Mom, that's sweet - young at heart, roller coasters.  What a fantasy.

Let's start with something called The Bautismo de Celina.  She is the most prepared person I have ever baptized.  She actually hungers and thirsts after righteousness.  The baptism was well planned, and well executed.  The mother of Celina, who we’d never met before, showed up at the church an hour before the baptism and dropped off coke and a torta de chocolate!!!  We had a good attendance at the service and it was really spiritual.  My companion performed the saving ordinance of baptism for Celina.  Then after, we partied with torta and facturas (and we got to take home all of the leftover!)  Yesterday she received the Holy Ghost.  She has changed her life, and the Gospel has made her so happy.  Last night we visited her.  She has a brilla in her eyes.  They shine.  It is so cool the cambio that she has experimentado.  Celina is an exceptional daughter of God.

Let’s now go to Leah.  She is the daughter of the reactivated and amazing family Maure.  She noticed a Huge change in her house after we blessed it and the parents started living the Gospel.  She came to church with her parents last week.  The only previous contact I’d had with her was an Argentine kiss on the cheek greeting (I didn’t kiss her, she kissed me and I just stood there in their house feeling violated.  Sometimes they attack with their saludos and they are unavoidable deadly).  Well, she LOVED church last week.  After church, we had a super spiritual lesson with her and put a fecha.  Throughout the week, we passed by twice and wow, she is ready.  One of the lessons, I did most of the talking and it was sumamente amazing.  As I wrapped things up, I bore a testimony and God sent down fire from the heavens.  WOW is all I can say.  It is amazing what the Spirit of the Lord can accomplish  The way it can make us feel.  The change it can root in us.  The evil it can cast out, literally, and the paz and gozo it can bring.  But we are the duenos and must constantly strive to live worthy of it.  WOW.

Leah, accompanied by her wonderful parents, came to church yesterday, in a dress and with most of her piercings sacado.  She wants to change her life so bad and told us, Like King Lamoni, that she will do anything and live any commandment to receive the promised blessings.  Basically, I will give away all my sins to know thee.  We are finding amazing prepared people that want this and that will stay active and receive their propi exaltation.

Then there’s Jorge and Rita!!  They have received their fecha de casamiento, the 11th.  And have accepted their fecha de bautismo, the 12th!  The plan is to marry them on Friday with a huge party at the church, with an asado, funded by the missionaries.  Then, have the greatest baptism of all time, Saturday the 12th of marzo.

Those are the amazing people we have.  Now, the job is to get out in the vineyard (and in all aspects of the word, Rivadavia is a vineyard) (las uvas son ESPECTACULAR!!!!!)  (eaten fresh off the vine without even wiping the dirt off) and find some more ready prepared children of God.  Sometimes that is hard and discouraging, but the paydays are huge.  So, “why not.”  That’s somewhere in the Book of Mormon.  Why not talk and rejoice in the atonement of Christ.  WE CAN DO IT - you can too Amanda.

Speaking of which, I would enjoy a foto or dos of Amanda as a missionary so I can ooz with even more pride when I tell them mi hermana es misionera! in Chicago.  (I think it was the fourth of July).

We had a great long almuerzo Tuesday, where we ate with some new investigators we had.  And then, with my extensive altura, I picked some purple grapes off their parral and we enjoyed those.  Just a side note.  Ate some more morsilla this week.  It was cold, and eaten plain.  Jorge said it was good, so I thought “why not?”  “Why not rejoice in the eating of o so tasty cold blood sausage with Jorge?”

This week we took the colectivo to Junin twice and had some great experiences.  We found an amazing lady way out in the campo.  We will see what happens this week with her.  She got goose bumps as we gave the first lesson and especially as I recited the First Vision.  WOW.  It was really cool.

Also, we visited Hermano Krachu out in Junin.  Just a fine member of the church who, every Sunday (well at least the last 3) puts a sandia and a melon (honeydew) (rush) on the back of his bici and gives the sweet dulce loot to us at church.  He’s got a great set-up in Junin.  We always feast on huge portions of watermelon at his house.  And last night I was consuming handfuls of grapes as we walked through his chacra and vina.

Trying to find a less active family, we stumbled upon a way campo string of houses.  For the first time that I can remember, I heard complete silence.  It was really neat.

Castallano tip.  When speaking, just randomly throw in a que se yo.  They do it all the time here.

Another side note.  I learned about masonry this week.

Okay, just a bunch of side notes.  We had branch conference this week and a TON OF PEOPLE came to church.  And I was way nervous playing the piano because there were 7 big men in suits up on the stand.  Not just 2 or 3.  Everyone came from over an hour away for it.  I opened up the great meeting with Come Come Ye Saints.  I love that hymn.  It’s Hinojosa’s favorite.

We got an enfermito in the pench.  Hyer has strep and pink eye.  We are all trying to survive and stay sano.  So that’s fun.  Bytheway, “somewhereonlyweknow” by Keane is on.  I love it.

TRANSLADOS!!!  Last night my companion and I about pulled our hair out expecting a phone call from President Lindahl telling Arrua he’s training.  And even though Hyer received a call, calling him to zone leader and the other elders faked us out about 5 times, it didn’t come.  So, I now have a great deal of hope of staying another cambio here with my awesome companion.  We find out officially tonight!!!!  We are super anxious and excited.  This is going to be huge.

Well, that is all I got.  Enjoy life, choose the right, and don’t get pink eye.  It kinda makes you look funny.

The grapes here are better than you could ever imagine them.  The watermelon is equal to Grandpas.  Hermano Krachu is like an Argentine form of Grandpa Skinner.  And the honeydew . . . wow.

Have a happy week with lots of smiling.  And the best way to do that is to stay close to the Lord.  When you don’t feel like praying, stay on your knees until you do feel like praying.  I followed that counsel this week and guess what?  It really works.

I hope I’m still in Rivadavia next week.

Bye

Chaucito!

Elder Ostler

Send all my love to Amanda Panda Bear, Wednesday.

HHHHOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAA

Hola Family Ostler.  Como andan?  Todo Bein?  The magic of Monday is about to begin.  I love reading so much what you write.  And now I get to try to tell you how the week was and how I’m doing.  And ya ya, you get to see a couple pictures.

Basketball last pday

And Mom, sorry about the memory card.  It’s right on top of my escritorio, just waiting for you.  Necescito mandarla ahora. I have just been kinda flojo with sending it to y’all.  Sorry, disculpame.  Really, I need to copy it onto a cd or something for safety and then send if off, prolly next week.  No, surely next week.

Like Amanda, I too am working on coming out of my shell.  Being myself and not being scared to goof around and have fun with the people.  It’s mostly the language that I hinder myself with, not getting out of my box and really connecting with the people. Me entendes?¿

IPOD - O MY WOW as Amanda would say.  DANG.  I can´t believe you.  But we love it.  Yes, everything came.  You are a sly one Mom and helpers.  Elder Owens LOVES the JONNY VANCE Proclamation To The World.  Wow, that is constantly going in the pench.  Thank you.  I LOVE YOU FAMILY.

Skipping rocks at Carrizal.  The best pday ever with family Flores y Silvio

So, it's family dinner, Monday night or fhe, whatever.  Fhe doesn't exist as a missionary.  Pretty much every day is fhe actually because we sing every day, pray a lot, share a ton of spiritual thoughts and teach a lot of lessons and also do a lot of games and such.  My favorite game is called push Elder Arrua in the acequia.  I love winning that game.

By this point, I have accidentally stepped on the cord to my macina and it has turned off twice now.  Gotta love Argentine cybers.

So it’s fhe and Mom is reading this out loud.  Now boys, think on the last 7 days.  And  .  .  .  .  .  .  suspense . . . raise your hand if you have practiced the piano for the set amount of time, 5 times.  Ah a a a a a GOOD!!  Felicitaciones!!  Now for those of you who do not have your hands raised, maybe none of you,  get your butt in gear and prepare to serve your heavenly king.  If I was there I would tackle you and tickle you so hard right now.

Now keep you hand up if you hit 6 days.  NICE JOB.  Do i hear 7??  Please practice your piano.  Please please practicar tu piano.  It is so important.  I will never get over my regret from not giving it all I had and practicing.  DO IT!

I rocked piano this week, but had to throw it together Sunday morning before church, because we hardly had siestas in the pench this week.  Tuesday we went to Junin and were planning to eat at a members house, but we ended up receiving the food in tupers and, since we didn´t want to pay and go back to Rivadavia because we planned to stay in Junin till the tarde, we went to a tranquilo plaza and ate it sitting on a park bench.  It was pretty fun eating it with our hands.  Then another lunch was just crazy with the family Perretti.  He is a chef and old and crazy and can’t hear.  We have so much fun with him.  He fed us some green peppers stuffed with goodness. Yeah, if the boys would have been there, they wouldn't have touched it.  I liked it though.  In Junin, we had an amazing lesson. I was guided by the spirit to this man and was able to get in his house, after an initial NO.  WOW.  The spirit worked through us and touched his heart.  He was a member inactivo.  Dang, it was up there among the best lessons ever.  Each week the number of ‘best lessons ever’ grows and grows.  We probably had 3 this week.

We helped the other Elders this week as they barley baptized again.  Lets just say it started 2 hours late.  It was a practice of patience yet again for Elder Arrua and I.  I love Elder Arrua.  Dad, we have informed the president, but I don´t know.  I want want want to stay, but he is in the perfect position to train.  One year in the missino, 6 weeks in the area, a good solid elder.  Hasn’t trained yet.  And there’s 17 latins on their way.  uhhhhh  noooooo

And then one siesta we had a cita and decided to work through the siesta, but uhhh, at one point there was no one.

No one.

No one.

So we miraculously found a ice cream dealio open and took a seat, talked some spanish, and ate some helado.

We had 2 amazing lessons with Celina this week.  Uhh, make that number of lessons that made their way into ‘the best lesson ever’ like 6 actually.  She is so ready, truly a hungry seeker of the truth.  I agree with Braden.  One of the best parts of wearing the black name tag is having your investigaros tell you that recibio su respuesta.  Wow.  The spirit, it is so so strong.  Celina will be baptized this Saturday.

Jorge y Rita.  Wow!  They do everything us and the Spirit commits them to do.  This week they went and sacared a turno at the marriage place, and while they don´t have a fecha for getting married yet, it will be sometime at the end of March.

Yeah, on that March thing I never think about my birthday, but just send some cliff bars and m and ms and I will be SET.  Thanks for all the love from home.  The other missiononerds are amazed.

We did some great service for Jorge and Rita this week and Saturday night they invited us over to eat pizza.  It was fantastic.  It’s hard to be home on time when you show up at 9 to eat and they haven’t even bought the food yet!  That’s just the culture here.  But, even though their family came to visit that night, Saturday, and they didn’t get to sleep till 5, they still came to church!!  Wow, it was great, holding Angel on my lap durning princiopios del evangelio.  It was such a pay day seeing them in church.

An even bigger pay day came last night.  An AMAZING lesson with Rosa we had.  There were angels there.  I love the spirit so much.  It makes me feel so so so good.

We worked another villa this week.  Costa Canal.  It was man, just a different experience.  You can´t imagine.  Remember that house in Mexico that we entered and walked around a bit and they had nothing?  That’s what this is like.  But every house. I love teaching them and looking into their eyes.

. . . . . . Well, I love you guys.  Thanks for the support and prayers.  

Elder Ostler

God be with you til we meet again.

"Every man eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must make his stand." Ezra Taft Benson

HEY!  We changed cybers.  The dueño of the other one stole some of Elder Owens pics and put them on facebook, making fun of an investigator they have.  But I can’t send pictures at this one!  I just tried for about 10 minutes.

The Miracle of Yesterday.  We went into church fasting.  I was psyched.  We had 10 solidly committed to church and 7 of them with fecha.  WOW.  This week we worked a villa a few days.  It’s called Sanisidro sur.  A villa is a super really really poor place.  We got a lot of our 25 news from this villa, a family of them was really promising.  Actually, 2 families.

You can’t even imagine what walking into and teaching in a place like this is like.  One day we walked in and some teenagers started yelling at me and trying to talk to me in English.  The only word I understood was marijuana.  Probably because it’s the same in both languages.  With the teaching, the next door neighbors got the music going.  The dogs are barking, the kids are playing on a tire swing.  It is NUTS.  We had some great success and taught some amazing lessons in the villa.

Saturday night, after 3 hours in the villa, we went to Rosa’s house and had a tender lesson where with the help of Rosa, we put a fecha with her 13 year old Lucila.  It was 9:30, time to go home, and we were on fire.  But we decided to keep going and go to this great new we had on the opposite side of the city.  We had a great lesson with this lady, Mrita.  Kinda old and talks in a super raspy voice.  After calling her to repentance and sharing a powerful testimony, I solidly committed her to church.  She said that she gambles.  Because it was already 10ish, we told her we’d leave that lesson for another day.  She accepted a fecha and coming to church.  But she said she couldn’t give up the gambling.  She told us that she would come to church, but that if she didn’t, we were not to come back.  She loves the things of the world more than the things of God.  Walking home with a huge vineyard next to us and the moon and stars overhead was amazing.  We were so psyched.

Sunday morning we got up good and ready to go.  I was decently practiced for my “performance” at church.  We went to the villa to buscar algunos investigadores.  My heart dropped when they didn’t answer the door, probably sleeping.  We arrived at church just in time for Priesthood and took a seat.  My companion manned the door, watching to see if any investigators came.  Priesthood ended and nothing.  Gospel principles ended, no one.  I was so bummed as I walked up to tocar the piano.  For 20 minutes I played prelude music.  The President forgot to bring bread.  The meeting started and to my rejoicing, Celina showed up.  But as the meeting continued and we praised the man and chose the right, I was saddened.  We also sang Jesus of Nazareth for the santa sena.  And I remembered i was fasting out of Thanks.  Alma 45:1.  I tried to put away my sadness.  Church ended and we put a solid cita with Celina, a person who lives on our street but is impossible to find.  We were invited to Rosa’s to eat for the second time this week, but man I was just bummed.  Ten committed to church and 7 with fecha, but nothing.  Celina came.

As we returned from lunch and sat in the pench, I have never not wanted to work so much.  I thought of the days where I left church feeling good and a nice 10 hours away I’d be with the family (email on pday) to look forward to.  I cannot describe to you how bummed I was.  But we went out the door and had a miracle.  Within not too long, my companion noticed a smile on my face as I was talking to an awesome chico, Mario.  We taught him and 2 other news.  Something in the back of my mind told me something amazing was coming, that God was about to bless us so so so so much.  I could believe it.  But O BOY.

We knocked on Jorge and Rita’s door and they let us in, like always.  We brought the sillas outside of their house and shared a smile.  I started off the lesson and immediately the spirit of rejoicing and peace filled the air.  I asked Rita if she had prayed, she has been a bit dura on this.  But finally she said YES!!!  I asked what she felt and she said that she knew it was all true.  “I felt a sensation.”  That’s the word she used.  Jorge already knows it’s true, he had prayed before and the time they came to church he said he felt something real special while partaking of the water.  Then throughout the lesson, as we rediscussed the four big commandments, church, word of wisdom, chastity and tithing, they committed to all of them.  We traded a LDM for 66 bags of tea (Rita loves her tea but loves the things of God more) and it was incredible.  Jorge sad he found better work (which he has been looking and hoping for!!!!!!) and he told us of a dream he had.  Me and Elder Arrua were in it.  He said we were in a different place and it was good.  He took that as an extra sign that these things are of God and he should continue.  They have read every single folleto and now have the Book of Mormon.  Rita was supposed to go to the registor civil this morning to sacar a turno so they can sign the paper and get married.  It could take up to a month.  So for next transfer we are planning an asado marriage in the church and 2 BAPTISMS.  WOW, I want to stay 1 more transfer with Elder Arrua so bad.  He wants it too.  So we’ll see.  During the end of the lesson, their 2 kids were going crazy, laughing and playing and wrestling like always.  And I picked one of them up and kinda tossed her up in the air, like dad always did with us.  She loved it and didn’t want me to put her down.  Jorge is 24 and Rita is 20.  Their 2 kids are 1 and 3.  It was such an amazing lesson and lit us on FIRE.  God blesses us so much.

The miracle of last pday.  In short, we hopped in the car with Silvio, the parents and a sister and they took us to Carrizal.  WOW.  The best pday of our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!  So amazing, we drove through the camp, were able to see Rivadavia, more than just the square mile or two we see every day.  It was unbelievable.  Carrizal is a big water deal with the canals and acequias and we got our feet wet!  Wow, how I miss the grand Columbia.  I took something like 70 pictures that day.  WOW.  And I found a sweet pink shirt in the pench to wear.  So dad, I finally did it, something way different on a pday.  It was so amazing and I will be looking for more similar activities.  Unforgettable.

The miracle of mowing lawns.  We went to Junin this week to visit the members, one of which is Hermana Diaz.  We were helping her do some things and I got to mow her lawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was the best best best ever.  An electric 15 pound mower, but really it was so amazing.  I took a handful of grass and taped it in my journal.  It poured into my mind SO MANY MEMORIES!!  All I can say is WOW.

We have 5 lunches coming up this week!!!!  That is a reason to throw the hands up in the air.

I have been hearing a lot of bad things about Egypt, and this week a lady told me Obama is not President anymore.  Argentine gossip.

Mom, I read Preach My Gospel, pg 99 “Parents.... for their children” and thought of you.  I hope you are all doing good.

Jefferson

Harrison

Mom

Saydi

Dad

Wilson

Benson

Amanda - color my world

What are you up to?  Is your schedule super busy mom, what are the new projects?  Writing other missionaries?  Is the practice still up and good?

The miracle of my companion.  He is amazing.  I love him.  We are going to stay together for sure.  I have to be here to help Mary and baptize Jorge and Rita, a Family!  He asks us the best questions.  They asked us if we are always going to come to their house.  They love us and we love them.

For the beauty of the earth

For the beauty of the skies

For the love which from out firth

Over and around us lies

Lord of all to thee we praise

This my hymn of grateful praise

Argentina is the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life.  I love being close to the grapes and the mountains and the clouds . . .  everyday I ooo and aaaw over them.  Elder Arrua thinks I’m nuts.  They are so much more real here.  Some of the vineyards are never ending.  The beauty is breathtaking.  I swear, if I just had a graham cracker and some chocolate I could make a dang good smore with the clouds.  They are fluffier here.

For Harrison & Jefferson.  The word fachero is someone who is very smooth with the ladies and a galán is a straight up lady’s man.  Fachero and galán.  The difference is galán is more.

The other Elders baptized this week, barley.  It was great and a baptism I will never forget.  It was a group effort and she was eventually helped all the way under the water.  Yay, other Elders.

Two new goals are to learn how to make break and noquis.  I LOVE NOQUIS, the best ever, and the tuco, their red sauce is incredible.

I found a legit wood court in the other Elders area and this morning we, the zone, went and balled it up.  It was AMAZING.  It’s been 6 months since I’ve played on a wood court with glass backboards.  WOW.  And, well, time is up.

I am so excited to read and reread Amanda’s email.  I love this new system.  O, the questions, hand fine, feet good, physical condition good.   Got the cliff bars today.  And the memory card.  I’m excited to open the journal pages.  And I have 4 different sets of journal pages, no more needed.  The fruit is coming in season and WOWWOWOWOW.  Argentine fruit. . . you guys have no idea.  I love honeydew and think of Rush every time.  Sometimes walking through the fincas we pluck a grape or two from the vine.  Heaven in the mouth.

I love you.

Elder Ostler

Elder Arrua is the Bomb!

Hola.  Hello, hello.  YES Miss Amanda Panda got transferred!!  That makes me so happy.  The joy of a new comp is so so great.  I love change in the mission.  It should do her good.  Thank you for forwarding her email out here to Rivadavia.  It will be printed.

Yes, I got a lot of mail last week.  I received the camera card.  Thank You.  So Much.  The  one I have is Full.  I hope that makes you happy Mother. :)

Silvio Flores received the Sacerdocio this week.  Yesterday after church Elder Arrua and I stood in the circle and as President Perez conferred the Priesthood of Aaron upon Silvio.  His parents were there (BOTH!).  It is great helping their family.  We are teaching their other kids, 3 teenagers, Milagros, Estephania, y Italo.  

Elder Arrua y su llamamiento inspirado.  The call Elder Arrua received to come here was so inspired.  On so many occasions I see him talk to people, share something in a lesson etc. and I KNOW it is inspired, him being here.  I can’t express it very well.  Elder Arrua is the Bomb.  I love being with him.  He always compliments me, always helps me, he´s a Gem.  We love being together and already decided we are staying together next transfer too.  He enjoys occasionally talking about his future esposa Hna Ostler, the one in Chicago.  We get along so well, our comp studies are unbeatable.  The thing is, he is selfless, he gives of himself.  And he´s got some pretty funny quirks, we all do.  A great servant of the Lord, Elder Arrua.

Holiness to the House of the Lord.  I miss going to the temple!  It has been too long.  My appreciation for the Temple has grown.  When I return, Cheeves (Elder Chaves) and I are going to own all of those temples in Utah.  In this case the word own means to attend often.  It will be espectacular.

Amanda learning Spanish.  WOW, might I say.  I still wish I could do divisions with her and this time maybe teach her a thing or 2 about the language.  My language skills are alright.  I remember after every day with Hinojosa, my head ached.  Spanish . . .  Spanish, . . . Castallano, head swirling.  But with Arrua, its totally different.  Very rarely do I get frustrated, and my head doesn't hurt.  I’m learning good, but certainly need to put more effort into progressing and growing my language ability.  Yeah Castallano.

Yesterday was a hard Sunday for me.  A really good part was Celina came to church.  Because the Temple doesn’t yet exist in Mendoza, the Church for me is a place to recharge my batteries and let others teach me!  But yesterday, for testimony Sunday,  uhhhh nope-.   It was bad.  Story after story after la la la la la.  The spirit left after participar en la santa Cena.  It was bad.   And on top of that, only Celina came.  We had So Many Good People committed! I don´t know what happened.  For church, I played the Spirit of God to open the meeting.  It is a decently technical song for an amateur like myself.  It was sweet though!  Elder Owens and I are in love with the little portable piano in the pench.

Saturday we were heading out to the calle prinicipal to finish opening the mouth before returning to the pench for the night.  I had a thought to turn down a street, the opposite way we needed to go.  I have leaned to never ignore one of the sursurros de el Espiritu Santo.  So I followed it.  Halfway down the street we found a man and a woman trying to hoist the carcass of an old gutted auto onto a cambion, bigger truck.   It was what this guy does for work, get old cars and turn then in as scrap metal. We set our fundas on the sidewalk and hardly asked, just started lifting with them, ignoring their, ‘O no, you’ll get all dirty.‘  I didn´t think we’d really get really dirty.  Well, I put my hands on the twisted metal.  A second later I looked down at my right hand and thought dang, I should have look where I put my hand, because I grabbed a pretty twisted part and I got stuck by some metal.  After the job, which did get us all dirty, we went to a members house and I cleaned up my hand.  It was a sweet experience. I am glad I followed that small prompting of the spirit.  The Lord knew 2 of his children on that street needed help, so he sent us.  And Cool things like that happen every day.

I already told you a little about Jorge y Rita, the young couple I opened the mouth with and invited myself into their home.  Well in that instance I was So following the spirit.  They have tuned out to being Fantastic.  We just need to marry them.  With them, we have had some incredible lessons.  They accepted the Law of Chastity and Tithing and have the first 3 lessons, Restoration, Plan of Salvation, and Baptism.  It is great and I so hope to be able to baptize them at the end of this transfer.  I don´t know what happened but they didn´t come to church.

The reactivation of the Family Marue is complete.  They came to church again.  We promised them that if they came to church, their week would be completely different.  Well, Wednesday we passed by their house and WOW.  What a change.  Hna Maure was so happy.  She had already finished reading an entire liahona

Roosters and chickens.  We were in barrio imaculada conception.  Yeah, I wonder where they got that name form.  Anyway, we entered a house, went to the back and taught a lesson with a rooster and chickens running around and making some noise.  The mother and friend were great, but the grandpa was NUTS!  At one point he tossed his Book of Mormon in the dirt.  He was so funny, didn´t believe in anything.  It was a cool experience.

Dad, people are amazed you served in Japan.  Do you remember lots of Japanese?  Have you watched a movie or read anything in Japanese lately?

This one ALB we had, these guys were taking a break form work and smoking and drinking coke out of a 1L bottle.  They offered it to us and we accepted.  Never in my life in the states would I have shared a coke with 2 guys with cigarettes, they probably have never seen a toothbrush either.  I love Argentina.

We always eat with Rosa and here family.  Well this week, we made TACOS for them!!! I was head chef and they turned out so great.  Her family had never eaten tacos before and we had to show them how and everything.  It was so so so so so fantastic.  We picked flowers walking to her house and put them in our shirt pockets.  Elder Owens and I felt like we were going to prom.

This week we were able to travel to San Martin and Pintar and orfanato, orphanage.  Cool.  Elder Owens has an amazing voice and lights up the pench with it.  I LOVE IT!  Eating a lot of ice cream for breakfast is not good for you.  I read Our Heritage this week.  It was amazing and touched me.  I was able to feel the amazingness of the pioneers, my ancestors who went before me, who made this restored Gospel possible. . .  remarkable those stories.  It amazed me.  From that book I took strength, determination and faith.

Today has been really good.  We woke and up and ROCKED personal study.  I had the best personal study that I’ve had in a long time.  Then we met other elders at the church and played basketball!  It was great and I really did well.  Ben Ostler, you would be proud.  Now we are going with the famila Flores and they are taking us out to the Campo.  El Mirador is where we are going.

Well, that's all for now folks.  Stay Strong Boys! 

Elder Ostler

Can´t believe Saydi got a car! 

I love you all!