Hello Family, Hello Amanda. I hope you all still have your hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I hope you are all happy, and like dad tells me, to enjoy the growth that comes from trails. If I was at home I would give you all the biggest hug, because your my Family, my God given family. I love each of you, make it a great week. Remember that your Brother and Son in Argentina loves you!
I feel like last weeks email wasn´t too great, it just didn´t come out right I feel. So I hope I can comunicarme good in this one.
We are in Villa Mercedes right now, and today I have taken 2 showers in their hot water wonder they have! At least in Justo we got 3 pots to boil water in every morning, so I can take a hot shower!
Some comments¨colon. Dang what a trip, sounds like it builded some character! Yes, me and Jefferson are a lot alike. Except he’s way sweeter than me. I mean hey, I was never king of dance in middle school! Hey, and Harrison was too! What a great family this is.
A word on Butler. Yes they lost, but that is ok. They really are a great team, and watching them play this season I can make several conclusions. First, as already mentioned, they play with heart. They love the game and it shows on the hardwood court. Second, I love the fluidity of their ball movement. Their lineup may not be the strongest, but they make it work. One thing that amazed me about them is their willingness to share the ball. They are humble ballers and realize they can´t do it alone.
Hey I just shot our beautiful sister missionary, Amanda an email, it was a good one. I pray for that girl, my sister, and hope the sunlight from heaven is smiling upon her!
And Saydi! Woman, one year of college education and no ring on your finger! What’s up! That’s all I will say on the matter. I will mention nothing of _A_ _ _. Nothing at all. I really loved that letter you sent me. I love you girl!
2 Gold Nuggets. As things turned out I spent 5 nights in the zone leaders pench. We worked Villa Mercedes, my birthplace, and rocked it. We got into a bunch of houses and taught. I love teaching!!!! This one house, I saw the door open and inside the house saw a piano! I approached the door and hollered hola buenas tardes and a lady came out. She looked pretty judgmental, not going to let us in. I talked about her piano, how I played, and would love to play her piano. The spirit overcame her and she let us in! I played some simple hymns and sang mas cerca dios de and it was just wonderful. Then we taught her un ratito and it was good. She said several times, “I don´t know why I let you guys in! I don't let anyone in, ever! And if my daughter knew you were in my house, she’d kill me!” The Spirit baby, the spirit got us in! We just gotta be worthy conduits to let the spirit work through us. That’s the quest, to always be worthy of the spirit, . . . hmmm kinda sounds something like I heard yesterday in sacrament meeting. Is not the Gospel Beautiful, Simple? I love it.
So then on Wednesday we, Elder DPort and I, the 2 big bad DLs hopped on a bus at 4 am and slept to Mendoza. And this is where gold nugget one comes into play . . the capacitación (training) we had was INCREDIBLE! It was one of the best days every! Some highlights! Elder Huntington, Cabranes, Hinijosa, George, and Arrua were all there!!! Wow, I talked with all them. I was so high on life that day, if you know what I mean. It was a spiritual feast from the mouth of our President Lindahl. You would have just had to been there to know what I am talking of. And we ate! Pastel de papa, which is hummmm. . . like shepherds pie, but without the tomato taste, and the potatoes are topped with cinnamon and sugar!! Out of this world. And we had dulce de leche covered apples. Dulce de leche, which is kinda like carmel, but way better, is my drug. I’m hooked. And we had tortitas. Uniquely mendocino. I miss those.
It was the first time I have seen Huntington in Argentina, it’s been 8 months. And it was AMAZING. It was a day of rejoicing as I saw so many of my friends. So many! I did receive a glorified mail with 2 great ties and a blank sd card. Thanks! But not the box. We have a zone conference at the end of this month, I’ll get them then, acuna matata, no worries.
The bus ride back with the zone leaders Williams and Miller was also amazing, so much fun! We were almost the only ones on the bus, and Mendoza is just BEAUTIFUL. I connect with you mom as you try to describe the vistas of your backpacking trip. WOW is all you can say. There is a God.
Gold nugget number 2 came on Friday. We went to CORDOBA!! I could spend the whole email talking about this day. With permiso, the branch president, Jose took us out to his campo with his wonderful wife Paola, and their bebito ornella. It was a 45 minute drive on the worst rode on the face of this planet. Pot holes the size of olympic size swimming pools. It was exciting that’s for sure.
And then we arrived. He owns hundreds of acres, hundreds of cows, pigs, horses, chickens, and of course ducks! And there is a river that runs right through all of it. Notice picture. I felt like Huck Finn for the day. We went fishing with a rifle, and had exito! That night, I cleaned the fish and cooked it up the sat siesta! Thank you dad and Grandpa Skinner and Eagle Cap for teaching me how to clean a fish! It was great! My hands smelt like fish for a while though!
Wrestling pigs, watching cows, hunting armadillos, and shooting fish. It was a day to remember. You’re probably wondering why did he send a picture of a pig? Look at the nose.
Yeah, ouch. Who did that? Yours Truly! The whole experience of wrestling the pig, flipping it on its back, and me putting a wire through its nose is all on film. But due to the awful mail system here, you probably won’t ever get it. That’s a joke!
It was amazing! Then one time, actually twice, the pig escaped and I went running after it through the brush and weeds. It was so so so cool. Unico (unique). And on top of that, Jose gave us an asado, so good! Made from one of his cows he shot 2 weeks ago! Grandpa Skinner would love that place! It was the best day ever!
Then that other picture is of me just after I roped that pig all by myself, we couldn´t catch it for the longest time, but finally I got it baby! I love pigs, and cows.
Some random things. . . .
2 buddies from BYU, Matt Young and Tom Saywer should have received their mission calls . . . if you could find our where they are going, I’ll buy you an alfajor someday.
I thought of a kudo bar, and of .38 special this week. Just some random comments. Everytime I or Elder Molen says, ‘I got’ . . . I just start singing ‘I got boom 2 tickets to paradise, won´t you, boom, pack your bags we’ll leave tonight.’ That’s for you dad. Thanks for raising me on the classics.
OOOHHHH and on a recent bus ride I heard NIGHT FEVER by the Bee Gees and just about went crazy!! It was a good 2 minutes!
Being district leader is good now. Juntos (together) with the spirit, I gave a beautiful district meeting la semana pasada (last week). O and the verifying and numbers, it’s just great.
On that lost envelope I sent, it was the same type as the last sd card I sent home. Brown and fun. AND NO! There were 2 letters in there for Dale, the uncle, and Mike. They were so so so good. So tell them I tried! It was for Chelsea and Julie too, and the family . . dang. But life goes on. It always will.
Might I also add this is the first letter in months that you haven´t mentioned lacrosse . . . what happened? It’s weird to hear of the spring sports up there, because someone turned on the ac here. It’s fall! The horario (schedule) of the misión changed, so I’m up at 6:30 and down at 10:30. O Yeah!
Transfers! Today is day 1 of my 7th transfer! Wow, how time is just in a rocket ship! But the news is . . . are you ready . . . I still don’t know. I find out in 2 hours what is happening to me . . . if me and Molen stay or if one of us leaves. I will stay probably for sure . . . but Molen . . . it cold go either way. It would be kinda cool to get another Latin, and he thinks the same. But for him it would be his first Latin.
Yesterday we taught the best lesson to this guy named Jose. It was all about Joseph Smith. What a cappo he was! So transfers, yeah, still a mystery. But we were on the phone with the aps last night, and they wouldn't tell us! I about died. But now I’m tranquilo... what happens happens, and it’s God's will.
Side note, Saydi I want a picture of _A_ _ _. Thanks. And in that glorified mail, thanks for the pictures! I love the ones of Saydi and Amanda. O just look at our little girl, a sister missionary.
Well, it is time,
I love you
Elder Ostler
