God sent us a TRAIN

Hey Family:

That first one was taken at 1:18 on June 2, 2011.  Got me?  Notice the asado in the background.

A street called Justo Daract in Villa Mercedes.

Just a quick foto summary.  Disfrutenlas!

Alright here we go.  That’s so crazy to hear about Dad sharing the experiences in a talk. . .  and crying.  Sweet though.  You’re great Dad.  I would give you un abrazo if I could.  I love you.

Some items of business.  Don’t sent g's or anything, just marshmallows and other fun foods, so common to you, but stuff no se puede conseguir aca (can't get here).  Underarmor received, I love it.  It works.  Worn it once.  But you’re right, it’s getting cold.

Last week when I said we taught the proud, I was talking about him.  Hermano Figueroa.  I’ve had 3-4 lessons with him.  Just a man with no faith.  Would not even pray.  It was so sad, but last week as we were about to leave his house, I told him that if he would not humble himself and pray, I would not pass by again.  And he didn´t pray.  So sad.

Mercedes, Japan.  I’m feeling it.

Confession and disclaimer.  I mentioned liking the song teenage dream a while back.  Well now I understand that it is a very bad song.  I don’t like it anymore.  But I do like a song called dynamite.  So great.  I hope it’s not bad.

Amanda, I loved that picture!!!!!  So cute!!  I thought of you on you birthday, and I hope turning 22 was great.  And I thought about you yesterday Dad, on fathers day!  Happy Fathers Day.

We had another amazing week.  When I picked Elder Moon up, President Lindahl told us something interesting that has stuck with me.  We are living what President told us to the fullest.  And for our prayers, and obedience, we are having the coolest experiences!  After each day, we laughed and marveled and wondered that the next day couldn´t possible get better.

The week started out with divisións, with Elder Austin.  That day opened my mind.  We talked and thought out of the box.  Different ways to be doing missionary work.  We shouldn´t do the same things 2 years in a row.  We should constantly be changing the way we work, the way we teach.  Obviously some stuff should always stay the same, but there are many things to improve, TRY, and experiment with.

For example, on a hard morning last week, after a friendly introduction with a grumpy old Argentine, I asked if he had a family.  I whipped out my funda of fotos of the family and started talking about our hermosa (beautiful) family.  I asked him about his family, if he had pictures, as he said yes, I invited myself into his home to see his pictures.  And he let us in!  And we were about to teach the Restoration.  So cool.  Always changing, always trying new things.

Also, with Elder Austin we Confounded a J Dub.  So Sweet!!

And the final experience with Elder Austin was that we found Marta, the 10th member of our family, as she corrected me when I told here somos nueve.  It was the most incredible first lesson ever and I was in Heaven and came back to the pench on cloud 9.  This was the woman I thought I was going to baptize in Justo Daract.  She is a firm believer in Jesus, aside form the 4 foot statue of the virgin, encased in glass in her home.  But it was great, after awhile we shared a powerful restauración and she believed.  The Spirit was Incredible!  And then I put a fecha, and she accepted.  And then she got scared, and thought she was going to have to change her life.  ‘No’ I tell her.  All you have to do is quit smoking.  And that scared her.  And we haven’t been back in her house, a pesar de countless attempts.  She’s scared to repent.  But I love her.  She is a dry Mormon, that smokes.  I hope she gets wet someday.  Everyone will eventually have to get baptized, whether in this life or the next.  So why not sooner than later.  Baptism is never a bad thing.  And encima, if you don´t get baptized, you go to Hell.  Ha.

Now some Reuben and Daniela información.  On Wednesday, with Elder Moon,we walked out to Villa Salles, hoping for a miracle.  And we had several.  First off, just that they were both home was a miracle.  And then I ask if they read, and they did!!  And they explained it to us!  O it was just amazing.  We shared a powerful restoration, and they believed it.  Without hesitation they told me they believed Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios.  Then we went through a little of what they read and talked about baptism.  Will you be baptized by someone holding the proper authority of God, I ask.  Yes they say.  And then I dropped the word.  Casarse.  As a law of God, you gotta get married first, I say.

O, if you could of only seen the look on their faces!  They weren't sure, and said they needed to talk it out.  And Daniela especially was not sure.  She wants a perfect relationship, no problemas before she takes the plunge.  And then I was filled with the Spirit of God and said this.  “Marriage IS the solución to your problems.”  It was powerful.  I explained more on that and it was amazing.  But they are still not sure.  There is always still hope.

So we planned Wednesday morning in such a way that we were going to sacrifice a good chunk of our siesta to go to Villa Salles.  But I didn't even care.  Didn´t even think about it.  I have really been trying to lose myself and go to work.  Not worrying about what I’m going to eat, what I’m going to wear, where I’m going to sleep.  And that day, the Lord Provided. He sent us a TRAIN.  The ferrocarril used to be THE Industry in Justo.  But when the government hosed itself, the railroads got hosed too.  A track runs through Justo 3 blocks form our pench, and there is descent train flow.  We always see them.  Anyway, right as we left Villa Salles and started the trek back home, God sent us a train.  The conductor stopped and waved us over (if he hadn’t waved, I was going to ask anyway, because he was stopped) he said, going to Justo?  Yup!  I say.  Hop aboard.  And the spirit told me to take my camera that morning, so I took video and pictures, in the conductors compartment of a train, and off we went to Justo.  It was the coolest experience EVER:)

Riding on a train!!!

Then as we were eating lunch, some amigos randomly came over to fix our calefactors (heater), (Sweet!) and some other amigos came form Buenos Aries to build us a rostrum!  Or a legit pulpit deal!  We made friends with these sweet guys, 2 RMs, and Thursday day, they cooked us and asado, and when we acabared the dadat 9, provided the coke and pan and we asadoed!!!!  It was so so so so sweet.  Their nonmember, Tio was So Funny!  Just a great time.

In my teaching this week and last week I have been focused on FEELING the truth.  To some it is given the gift to know, and to others it is given the gift to believe the testimony of those who know.  And so many times this week, after teaching the First Vision, I have asked, “Do you believe what we have taught you is true?.”  Or, “Do you also believe Jose Smith was a profeta called of God?”  And the results were amazing.  Every single person told us Yes.  The baptismal question is not do you Know Joseph was a prophet, it is do you believe he was a prophet.  And I do.  I believe that Joseph Smith was called of God.  But at the same time, I Know that Joseph Smith, when he had 14 years, kneeled in prayer and saw God.  I know that is true.  That is the reason I’m here.  Jesus saved us from the Fall.  I have shared that with so many people this week.  For sure I have recited the first vision over 10 times this week.  A true miracle.

We qualified 8 people as News this week, but taught 34 lessons.  34!!  We set the goal high, and almost reached it.  This week, and last, we lived, Teach when you Find.  When we bought alfajores at kioskos, and the people flow was a trickle, we taught about Joseph Smith.  When we went to help an inactive, Laura Barrozo, and she was honestly just leaving the house (I say that because a lot of people, when we come to the door are ¨just about to leave¨ yeah right!) so we walked with her and taught her until she got to the school to see the kids.  It actually was a great lesson.  And so many other things like that.  I probably shared the first vision 5-6 times in the street this week!  Teach when you Find, we lived that this week.  Almost any opportunity to teach this week, I jumped on it.  Looking back, there were a couple I missed.  Like being in the train.  I was just to much in awe.  But that’s only an excuse.  Excuses are for Argentines, not missionaries!

We are teaching a woman named Cecilia.  I love her.  After we shared the restoration, I asked her if she felt what we had taught her was true.  And she said yes I do.  Wow!  It was amazing.  But it le cuesta para creer.  Because she is so evangelical.  But the Lord is working with her.  I showed her evidence of the restoration in the bible I carry around, and she couldn´t deny it.  It’s true!  But when we went to teach her with Elder Austin, she honestly wasn´t there either, but 5. 8-yr-old kids were in the street and had a pelota.  O I accepted the challenge.  I told them I was Tevez, and my comp was Messi.  So watch out!  But we lost!  Can you believe it?  It was way fun though.  I love stuff like that.

Teaching Moises has been a roller coaster.  We had the best lessons, and then our last one, he tried to drop us.  But I wouldn´t let him.  He also feels it’s true.  He loves the baptism pitch I throw, and totally agrees it is wrong to baptize los ninos pequenitos.

I finished the Book Of Mormon in Spanish today, and read Moroni 8.  That is so powerful!  I’m going to use it to teach this week.  So bold.  So wonderful.  I love bold.  But Moises’ deal is he doesn´t accept asistir la iglesia as a commandment.  No one does.  Yesterday we had a great talk about that, Elder Moon and I.  We got some good ideas and are going to try some new teaching tactics this week.  Just come to church.  Please, I plead with you, come to church!

We got a new rostrum!  Even, when we had some great lessons with Ernesto and set to come get him in taxi, he didn´t come!  We were there at 9 am Sunday morning, in the cold.  And I could see him sleeping.  So I knocked and knocked and made some noise, and called his name.  But he just stirred, and slept.  We were so close to having someone in church.  Aside from that, we made a calling list.  and I called 8 people Sunday in the morning, para animarles to come to the church.  And 3 gave me yeses!!  But alas, nobody came.  No investigators or inactives came to church.  This week I did all I could.  I worked the hardest I have ever worked in Justo.  One day our siesta was only 30 minutes.  The next we didn´t take a siesta.  We just worked.  And taught.  And showed our faith, and had the best experiences.  But we’re slowing down a little.  Or going to slow down.  Elder Moon rightly wants at least a little bit of a siesta.

Other cool things.  We went over to the Alaniz house Saturday, whipped up some pancakes and topped them with peanut butter and syrup!  Our syrup.  It was so wonderful!!!

Also, with Ernesto, I had him take us to the catolica church, down the dirt road, he has keys too.  It was so cool being in it with him!

So yes, Sunday I was a touch bummed out, because nobody came, but still church was great.  A high council men came from the big city San Luis, and gave a wonderful discourse of the priesthood and faith.  I want to develop and be given more faith.  And then I prepared for and gave a priesthood lesson on obedience.  I loved it!  I’m getting a little more eloquence in castellano.  It was just me, my comp, President Jose, Hermano Alaniz, and his son Samuel.  Just the 5 of us.  And that’s life Mom.  And you’ll see soon enough, Mom, if you know what I mean.  Just read Ether 6: 11-12.  No burning, just saying.

Then after church we went to eat with Jose and his wonderful family.  Remember that doctor I told you about?  Well he invited us over for a fathers day almuerzo.  And it was so so fun!  Meat, and chincolin.  Elder Moon’s first intestine!  Then, because he’s the pastor-ish for an evangelical church in Justo, they took and gave us a tour!!!!!  And they have an organ and so I got to play it!!!!!!!  It was the coolest ever.  So much more power than a keyboard.  I played ‘a poor wayfaring man of grief’ and it was amazing.  Then I played some restoration hims, and thought, if they only knew.  I got an invite to go play next Sunday night for their church!!  Sweet!!!  Also during the lunch, we practiced ingles with the daughters and it was way fun.  And then he pulled out is clarinet and the wife Claudia, rosined up her bow and they played alabanzas together.  They played ‘How Great Thou Art’ and mas creca dios de ti.  sSo so amazing.  Then they gave us a cake!

You see, each day was just full.... full and fuller of the craziest and coolest experiences.  We also found and had an amazing restoration lesson with Norma.  She just didn’t have the faith to come to church.  And also we found Sergio Lucas, he’s committing about every sin in the book, but WANTS to repent.  He just didn´t come to church.    Hmmmm.

I think we listen to satan’s lies too much.  We consider them our own thoughts or even from God.  I was able to teach Cecilia how to discern an answer from God.  I held out one hand and explained if it is a feeling of light, of love, of peace of joy it is of God.  If it is anger, hate, darkness, it is of the devil.  May we not give heed to Satan, in ANY FORM is my prayer.  I don´t mean that to sound like General Conference!

The Bee Gees.  I just can’t figure it out.  Please tell me the name of the song Casey and I loved!!!  What is it?  Something about a woman.

Mom, in stake conference, I watch with joy as Carolina Ponce walked in and sat on the second row with her 2 boys.

There is nothing more annoying than finishing the day, sitting down to plan, and then smelling dog poop and then finding that the odor is coming from the bottom of your shoe!!!!!!

I sewed quite a bit this week.  A nice size hole in my pants, right between the legs!!  And I sewed the hem of my pants.  Boys, please learn to sew before you hit the MTC.

I love Alma’s missionary prayer in Alma 31:26-35.  LOVE IT.

I pray for success, that I may bring souls unto Christ.  Also, I love a scripture in James 1:27.  Pure religion is visiting widows.

D&C 13 - You Aaronic priesthood holders have the right to the ministering of angeles.  Do you even know what that means!!??

For Sunday, the spirit told me in what order to put the hims.  And it was cool to watch church unfold.

Here in Argentina, they point with their lips.  It is so funny.

2 weeks ago, I forgot to tell this.  Well there was a promo at the supermercado and we bought carne so cheap.  7 pesos a kilo!!!!!  Under a dollar a pound!!  Jumped on that.

On google earth you will find the church by locating the roundabout, on the outside of the city.  Then follow that road that leads away from the town about 3 blocks.  And there is a white building surrounded by lots of camp.  We live there.  The haunted church.

I love you all.  I really do.  Have a good week and follow the spirit.  You can be exactly obedient too.  We become like Christ decision por decisión, y action por acción.  One decision at a time.

May the spirit be with you. 

Elder Ostler

I knew that this would require all I had.

Hola de Argentina.  Where o where to start.  Well I just loved what you said Mom and Dad.  That’s cool about Elder Bush.  And wow, what a house we have.  I saw that piano, and it’s big.  But I must say. . . mother, that was, I believe your first email without a question.

O the breakage of mowers.  I feel your pain, Harrison, but count your blessings.  We almost just got big time hosed on cyber today, but as we were walking from cyber to cyber trying to find a macina, and couldn´t, we were burning pday time but that song came into my head as my blood started to rise.  Count Your Many Blessing.  We have so many.

So today I made the sweetest notecard to help me write this letter, but it has been lost . . .so enjoy the free writing.

Elder Moon and I had an INCREDIBLE week in Justo Daract.  We taught 27 lessons and found 20 news!!  An absolute record for me.  My most before was 12.  And Tuesday - Saturday we had 26 lección and 19 news.  We found 1 new and taught 1 lesson yesterday and took his cigarillos in exchange for a folleto!  It was sweet.  I love doing that.

It was a Rivadavia week, just without baptisms or people in church.  But that’s ok.  I know the Lord is refining me here and teaching me here.  I trust that I am in Justo for a purpose, and that I am learning many good things.  I know I am.

I loved the dearelder form Hermana Creer I got this week.  Thanks Sister Creer.  Your great and your words strengthened me.  I love your family, and Brennen, your times a coming.  Here’s the clave (key) to the MTC.  STUDY.  And have some fun and TAKE PICTURES!  I didn't take enough in the MTC.  You’re great Brennen.

I know that our complete success this week was due to our obedience.  I can’t say exact obedience, because we’re still not there yet.  But we’re close.  We’re on that road.  The exercises in the morning are so key.  And just the horario en general.  But wow, doors just opened, and the Lord provided the way.  And we followed.  I had a greater portion of the Spirit with me this week.

Obediance is the Key.  I can’t say I was a whole lot happier this week.  But we did do a whole lot better.  It’s not that I’m not happy, I’m right there, doing good.  But looking back, after each day this week, we came back to the pench just on fire, reflecting and talking about the actual miracles we saw that day.  And they were many.  Let me tell about some experiences we had.  (Apart from all the banana pancakes I made this week!)

This week we taught the drunkard, fornicator, homosexual, proud, and a Doctor.  Let’s go in that order.

The Drunkard.  It was another one of those, well we could go home right now, or keep working.  We keep working.  And as we were looking for a house, (the numbering of the houses, if there even is a number on the house, is So Bad, not just here, probably Argentina in general.  Am I right Casey?) this guy walks out of his house and starts the alb with us!  He asked us if we wanted to go in his house with him and drink some tea, with the exception that we can’t talk about God.  Of course, I said, but we don´t drink tea, some gaseosa o agua would be great.  So he went to the nearest kiosco and returned and in his house we went.

I leaned over to Elder Moon and ... we came to the conclusion that he wasn´t drunk.  He gave us some coke and facturas (I was fasting, but would have offended him to not eat,) ( and actually at first I tried to just say I wanted water) and it was when he started running his mouth and then poured himself some fernett that we realized he was hammered!!  Just stoned cold.  And looking back on this amazing experience, just wait, the story gets better, I realized, wow, that really wasn’t safe, walking into the house with a drunk man, but I thought back to one of Braden’s letters when he said, the spirit warns us of danger, and I didn´t feel anything bad.  Anyway, it was a crazy lesson, pretty cool.

We were able to teach his mother, just an amazing woman who is scared to death of people.  I tried to teach him.  But in a drunken state, it is impossible to feel the spirit.  He really, at some points was acting like a 5 year old.  Then as we left, he noticed I was just rocking short sleeves, and it was bastante cold.  So he gave me the sweater off his back!!  It was so cool!!  And then we walked home, and I smelled putridly like cigarette smoke.  I feel like all my thoughts come out jumbled, but just know it was a super cool, that doesn’t happen every day experience.  We will go back to teach his mother, Neli.  The drunkard, Edwardo, was just visiting.

Next is a one of the coolest experiences of my missino.  One night planning, I didn’t know why at the time, but I decided to go to Villa Sillas.  It’s an hour walk from the pench, and basically for 45 minutes you just walk through nothing!  But at the same time it is so cool.  And it is a little barrio with a population of maybe 100? No joke.  Anyway, Satan tried to stop us from going that morning, but God will accomplish his purposes.  To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.  And he knew that Daniela y Reuben needed some help.  She immediately let us in.  And then we started.  We invited the husband, and he stood at the table while we three sat.  We prayed and then I asked a few simple questions to know what to teach them, and how to help them.  Within 2 minutes, I knew that this would require all I had.  I had just walked into a marriage nightmare.

While they did not fight, there were very real problems.  They are just a young couple and have 3 kids.  So for 45 minutes I was a marriage counselor!  Without the spirit, I would have been lost.  But I’d say we did a pretty good job.  It was an incredible experience.  Reuben is an amazing man who really just wants the best for his kids and to save his family.  And at the end, we kneeled in a circle in prayer.  And I taught Daniela how to pray and she prayed.  And cried. And in the prayer asked forgiveness, the forgiveness of her esposo.  She humbled herself.  And the spirit of the Lord was poured upon that house.  I look forward to going back and following up. 

The Doctor was cool.  His name is Juan.  And I remember when Casey said this, but it was so cool unfolding and teaching the Gospel on a deeper level.  If we usually play in the kitty pool with everyone else, we were swimming in the 12 feet deep end with Juan!  He already knew the Joseph Smith story and about the restoration a little.  I was bold.  Elder Moon did good.  And I just hope that man can find the humility to pray.  Because  he doesn´t think he needs too.  He’s fine where he is.  That type.  I hope we can teach him again! 

Ernesto made some progress this week, but still is just crazy.  But we saw the sheep they have and they were prancing, or bounding!  I love watching sheep.  After the missino, I totally want sheep and pigs.  Or maybe when I’m a married man.  But I really love sheep.  So cool.

Carlos, so hard to find.  Didn’t teach him this week.  Mirta, dropped us.  Knows it’s true, but won’t repent.

Another time we were walking to a cita, down a street I have walked down probably 30 times before. But this time it was different.  After some 100 houses passed, the spirit told me to knock a door.  And after 1 minute of convincing (I love convincing people to listen to us or to repent, Ammon did it all the time) she let us in her house.  But at first, when she first poked her head through the crack in the door, an outsider would have thought that there was no way we were getting in that house.  People put up an automatic barrier when they see us.  But I tore hers right down.  The Spirit baby.  The spirit is So Amazing.  We were in the house the promised 5 minutes, and then were off to continue teaching.  She really liked us, she’ll let us back in.

OK, my comps computer just died.  So here we go.  Off to another cyber.  Or if it doesn’t work, maybe I’ll have to finish this tomorrow.  I LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Ostler

Back in action.  Different cyber.  So today has been good.  Futbol on a rented field.  Then we bought from some street vendors.  I had choripan.  So good, but they put mayonnaise on it.  Pretty much, I’ll eat anything now.

So to top off an amazing week, we had stake conference.  We had to travel to Villa Mercedes Sunday in the morning to participate.  And for that reason it was extra hard to have people come to church.  But to my great surprise, Stake Conference was a broadcast from SLC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We heard the sweetest cane drop talk from Elder Zivic.  And then one from Elder Andersen, in his greengo Spanish.  It was so cool!!!  You could totally hear the European accent in there too.  And then Elder Packer, the GA for the last 50 years, was the anchorman.  And he gave a great discourse on the Espiritu Santo.  But Zivics was my favorite for sure.  He visited this mission just before I got here.  The themes were definitely rescuing and strengthening less actives and also TITHING!  And the Holy Ghost.  But it was such a surprise.  Such a blessing to be able to live that experience.  And we sat next to the stake patriarch AND temple sealer.  Such a sweet couple, I’ve eaten with them before on pday.  They love me.  I can´t really describe it . . the strength I received from being with other members.  And SO MANY MEMBERS.  Maybe 70 - 100.  It was just incredible.  Singing with them, praying with them and just being with them.  What a blessing!!  I was filled.

Then we traveled back to Justo and for almuerzo (lunch) had homemade mac and cheese and pancakes with peanutbutter and syrup.  So American.

I’m trying to think of some other experiences this week.

O yeah, we found a great lady, Olga, and have had 3 lessons with her and her brother, a member, 67 years old and almost all there.  He is so spiritual and funny though.  Just a great great Son of God.  So much love for God.  Baptized 8 years ago.  It was the classic lesson outdoors around the table, with gallinas at our feet pecking for food.  The classic Argentine lesson.  And the normal one in Justo.  Olga is great, I was bold with her, and the third time, a cause de no guardar sus compromisos, we read with her folleto 3 and explained baptism.  But her brother, Roldolfo, is such a Gaucho.  So Argentine.

This week I noticed Argentine style, especially the Gaucho dress.  It is Fantastic!  I am 100% a fan.  Just the sweetest guys looking so dapper.  The sweetest jeans, shirts, jackets, and hats.  It is so fun.  If only I could be an Argentine cowboy someday.  With sheep and pigs, hunting fish with guns and killing pigs for a living.  O the life.

Also, as Mirta dropped us, she fed us noquis, which I pedired and received.  Ask and ye shall receive.  And the noquis were SO DELICIOUS!  Licked the bowl clean.  O it has been too long.  The last time I ate noquis was with Hermana Ponce in my beloved Rivadavia.

I love declaring repentance.  I love teaching the people here in Justo Daract.  They are good people. A lot of them lie.  Actally, most of them lie and teach their kids to lie.  So, like yesterday, when the little girl answers the door of a good potential investigators house, she tells us no he’s not here.  No my parents aren’t here either.  Ok so your just home alone.  And why then can I see an adult sitting right there?  And then I asked her why are you lying to me?  So that part of the work is so frustrating.  Love is required.  And I hope I can love the people more.

Elder Moon has had a lot of firsts.  And it is really good working with him!  Like he said last night, he is the inspirational speaker, and I’m the one who actually does the work.  Not like he doesn´t do the work, because he works hard, but you know, just the Spanish thing.  I do 80 percent of the talking, but he is So Great.

Of course, he already had his first alfajor, like the first day.  But all I can say is I hope when Hebrews 13 warns of whoremongers, Paul is not talking about alfajormongers!  Because that’s Elder Moon and I.  We are constantly eating Alfajors, trying all the different kinds.  They are SO GOOD.  Also, when he had his first factura, he thought there was cheese on top!  And not the dulce!  HA.

This week in Villa Sillas he had his first lesson where a child wanted suck.  First asado.  It’s cool training.  I mostly just try to lead by example.  He’s going to do great things.

Amy, I got your letter this week and Loved It.  Thanks so much.  The Lord is going to test you and push you.  So just be ready.  I love you Amy, mande saludos a su marido y hijito Chase.  El capo.  And the dogs.  You are so funny with your dogs.  I guess we all have our loves.  Yours is dogs.  Mine is sheep. . . and pigs.

I really just cannot getting over the picture of those sheep dancing and prancing down the street.  Or dirt road should I say.

In Justo, we constantly smell like smoke.  Fire smoke.  Because here, many people heat their houses with estufas, or they burn wood to heat their homes.  And inevitably (good word) some of the smoke escapes.  And then everyone burns their leaves in the streets.  So everything smells like smoke.  The first time I came back to the pench and smelled the smoke on my clothes, I changed and showered.  It was a siesta.  HA.  Nope, don’t do that anymore.

No I don´t need g's, clothes de ningun tipo.  Just malvaviscos!!  And more amazing emails and letters that I receive at an amazing rate.  Harrison, raca, your great.  YES!!  You like Rush.  Fly by nite, listen to it for me.  And don’t forget an important part of life is Work.  Enjoy livin’ at home.  And please, go with the missionaries.  Not just so they can get lessons with members,  ha ha ha ha that’s a joke, but so YOU can have some amazing missionary and spiritual experiences.  Pray with them, and study with them.  They are the Lords servants.  Take every opportunity to work with them.

Jefferson, thou fool.  You are awesome.  My clone, if I understand correctly.  Keep growing your testimony.

Saydi, boyfriend?  A first kiss story?  CMON!  Just kidding, play it cool and develop your Christlike attributes.

Benson and Wilson.  Yeah.  Do good things and be obedient.  And read.  And have as much fun as you can.  And write in your journals.  It will be GOLD in the future.

O, and Amanda Panda. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  Yeah 22.  Wow.  You’re so old!  Wow, we just have the best family, don´t we.  I love you guys.  And it’s summer!  How cool is that.  que tal

O, I forgot.  Moises.  He’s just great.  Just Gold!  I love how he listens to us.  I love how he wants to learn.  I love him so much.  We’ve had 3 lessons with him.  He’s old, and can’t hardly read.  But not a super crazy.  Just a normal.  He believes what we are teaching him is true.  I hope he comes to church this week.  I hope we can fill the chapel so they don´t have to shut Justo down.  Because there’s talk of that.

Well, now the pench of 25 de mayo to eat more alfajres with Elder Moon and play TRUCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Ostler

Good thing the future comes one day at a time.

My Dearest Family:

Hello I love you all so much.  I loved the letters so much.  Like the emails I mean.  What a family I have!!  While I do think about you all sometimes, I never think about the details of your lives.  So I loved the gardening, and fasting and testimony prayer.  And the best part was Wilson and his cute little head on the Book of Mormon.  I read that part twice.  I love you family.  I can´t wait to see you again!

And we are officially in our final year.  Yes, Thursday was quite the day, unforgettable.  I’ll tell you later, like later in this letter, not I’ll tell you next week, that’s Braden´s classic line.  Wouldn´t want to steal that one.

Really, today for some reason wasn’t the best.  And I’ve just been waiting for this, knowing it would fill me with life.  And it already has.  And now remembering my amazing week and putting it on virtual paper will help.

But first, you finally got all my memory.  WOW.  So such a relief.  That’s sweet, Vicky met Wetzel.  Yeah, that picture of Rachel was taken down when Moon showed up (obviously), that’s old news.  The new news is Macall!  Hahahajajaja just kidding, but she just barely graduated high school, so she’ll be a freshman at Hawaii.  O and boys, great to hear you’re all practicing again.  Keep practicing!  I certainly did this week!

Wow, finally, you got my memory, I can’t stop thinking about that.  And I found out today that Elder Arrua is training!  He’s in Chimbas.  That’s so sweet!

I think this week should be called ‘The Last Effort.’  Because every single day, at 8:30 PM, we thought, should we go back 15 minutes early, or keep working?  And Every Single Day, something amazing happened from 8:30 to 9.  One day, I proposed that we finish the day by knocking/clapping a street.  ‘This one up strait, or that one, to the left’ I ask my companion, Elder Moon.  We both got the biggest impression form the spirit to turn left, and voiced it at the same time.  And the 4th door we knocked we entered.  And we found ourselves sitting on a Miracle.  It was Divine Intervention that we knocked that door, because one of His Daughters needed help.

We had an amazing first lesson with Yesica (seria Jesica).  And then the next day we went by with la Hermana Alaniz and had an even better lesson.  Yesica is so receptive to the Spirit, and by the end was crying.  She has had so much pain in her life.  It was no lesson out of preach my gospel that we taught.  It was directly from the spirit.  We taught to her needs.  A heavenly moment in Justo.  The obstáculo is that every fin de semana she leaves to visitar her parents who live in the campo.  But we have almost had daily contact with her since Tuesday.

I echo what Amanda has said.  That I am not training, but in fact, am being trained.  My Son, Elder Moon, has filled me with faith, hope, and ánimo.  Y una mas el deseo para Bautizar (and a desire to baptize more).  My Son is Making Me Great.

On my true birthday, Thursday, during comp study, we had the idea to go make banana bread with one of our potential investigators even though neither of us has ever made banana bread before, the idea just sounded golden, so we threw the ingredients in my bag and off we went.  Well, the woman wasn´t home.  So we just went around preaching the Gospel, with ingredients to banana bread in the bag.  And I offered alot of people if they wanted to make banana bread that morning.  And lots of denials.  It’s all about trying new and different things, but me di cuenta that it’s a little strange to walk around with a shirt and tie, especially in Justo, offering everyone to make banana bread for them.

Anyway, that was fun, and then after we went to the carnicería and bought some meat!  1500 grams.  And I made an asado for my son.  He didn´t believe me that just some coals would cook that meat, but we ended up eating the BEST ASADO.  And what’s more, it was my 1 year mark.  It was so sweet.  It’s strange to think that my mission is one half of the way over.  One year lived and gone.  I still have so much to do.  And so much to learn.  But whats more, so much more to Become.  I want to be so much better.  I want to Improve and be the Best I can be.  And I got one year to do it.  It’s exciting to think about what lies ahead.  Good thing the future comes one day at a time.

So after the asado celebration, we started planificación semanal.  I set a personal mission record as it lasted 6 hours.  It was AMAZING!  We talked about everything, and it was in those 6 hours that I really got to know Elder Moon.  He is INCREDIBLE.  We talked about Doctrine.  We talked about Baptism.  We talked about the Temple, but in a very sacred manner, and I felt the Spirit So Strongly.  We talked about the fac similie numero dos, and it was so cool.  And of course we talked about Justo, and what in the world we can do to get this place moving.  And one of the first steps is to get Branch counsel happening.  So we did that, we have a meeting scheduled for jueves.  And I don´t know, it was just an incredible time where we read the scriptures together, and talked, and decided to be Exactly Obedient.  It is possible.  The stripling warriors did it.  And were Blessed.  We also talked about Dominion.  We also read form the king follet discourse, from Joseph Smith.  WOW.  They just don´t talk about that stuff anymore.  My knowledge about and relationship with God strengthened so much.  He is an Exalted Man.  Enough on that.

Before I forget, please send me Bednars talk on working with the less and menos activos.  It’s recent. 

I love a scripture in Alma 62:45.  It talks about how they Convinced the Lamanites and Baptized them.  I think.  I read it last nite and wrote it down.  But I really love it.  They preached the word of God with POWER.

And I have realized that a missionary becomes great by studying.  It is what you do during the no proselyting hours that count.  And this week I studied every loose minute I had.  I devoured that Book of Mormon in Spanish.  And practiced the piano.  So Wilson, when you’re reading, think of me, because I’m reading that great book too.  I love the Book of Mormon and know that it is True.

So this other nite, before turning in, I decided to go a certain way and knock some doors.  Well, we knocked on this one and a young 14 year old kid answered, and he was nice enough.  He was there alone, and it didn’t even enter my mind to enter.  So for 6 or 7 minutes, we taught him on his porch about the Book of Mormon.  And he totally accepted it, it was sweet.  Then on the way home, we heard some heavy metal, and I just had to investigate.  Justo’s a pretty quiet place you know, so stuff like that is cool.  Anyway, we waited outside this garage type thing until the metal stopped, then I called out the pibbes inside, hoping to talk to them a minute about their music (it really wasn’t that good, metal and screaming, you know the type) but when the first one saw us, he said, O los Mormones, Tomatela’ and thew his hands up.  Then leaned in to that guitar.  So now that’s a good inside joke we have.  It was so funny.  Tomatela is very disrespectful and is kind of like Eat That, or Get Lost.  One of those things you had to be there, but it was so funny.

I think Saturday night it really hit Elder Moon, and he was tired and a little homesick.  And has started walking slower, because I guess I just Run everywhere.  But again, it was a last effort that paid off, and we had a great lesson with Ernesto, the guy we once taught with the lambs next to us.  Anyway, he is so missing so many screws and it was a memorable lesson.  Blanca blanca blanca blanca luz!  He said that about 20 times.  Such an animated guy.  We taught him the Restauración, and he actually understood a part or two.  So at the end we got on our knees, and I helped him through a prayer.  He really did ask if Jose Smith fue un profeta.  But his position was so funny, kneeling, hands reached up to the heavens and all.  My comp and I laughed about that lesson for a long time.

Yeah dad, I was thinking about reading my first journal entries to know a little better how to help my comp.  But he’s doing a lot better than me!  That’s for sure.  The real struggle is Spanish.  While it has improved SO MUCH this past week, he still really struggles, and then just kinda ignores it.  So that I need to help him on.  But really, just such a cappo!

And on the tema of casteshano, wow, I realize that I understand just about everything now.  Just about.  And I can, at times, talk really well.  I’m working on my accento a lot.  La lectura en el libro de mormon, that’s what LDM means Amy, bytheway, me ayuda un montonaso!  It’s amazing and such a gift from God, as you say mom, the Spanish that I have been GIVEN from God, mi padre celestial.

And no, Amanda shouldn´t marry Elder Wetzel.  Opposites attract, but not that opposite:).

A funny part this week was when we went to visit Carlos.  You see he has this prized chanco jabali (like a wild bore) and we were almost to his house, and we saw 4 pibes riding away through the sand, on there bikes with a dead chanco jabali over the handlebars of one of their bikes!  My heart sunk.  I thought they had killed and stolen his prized pig.  Stuff like that happens a lot to him.  So we hunted.  We turned into missionary detectives as we followed the bike tire tracks through the sand, but eventually gave up as everybody in Justo rides a bike, so we lost the track.  Bryce could a done it.  Good on ya mate!  Tell him I love him.

Anyway they didn’t kill his pig, but hunted their own.  And we found that out Saturday night when, by a miracle of God, we found Carlos.  If we would have arrived 8 seconds later, he would have been gone.  But he said he was coming to church, si Dios quiere.

Also Mirta, a long time investigator we picked up again, told us that.  But it wasn`t that easy.  Because our 2nd lección with her this week she started out by telling us she had made her final decision not to bautizarse this week.  Wow, that was like a brick in the head, as we have really been focusing on her.  Well, the Spirit of the Lord was with us and we saved the lección.  She has a testimony and reads the Book of Mormon.  She’s just not willing to live a true principle, as she didn’t come to church.  Neither did Carlos.  Neither did any of the 3 miembors menos activos we had committed.  Neither did any of the other 4 investigators that might have come.  Like Yesica.

But odd enough, as I played that piano during church, and especially during the sacrament himno, I felt peace.  Absolute PEACE.  I was so focused in Jesus Christ it was insane.  I am filled with so much love for HIM.  I bear testimony of Him, that He Lives, that He Came, and that He will come again.  I know that Jesus Christ lives.

Sunday for lunch we went to President Jose´s house and ate, you’ll never guess ..

Armadillo.

It was so sweet.  He had hunted and killed it on his farm in Cordoba the night before.  It was so sweet!  Not like sugar, but I mean it was sweet.  It tasted EXACTLY like turkey.  And they don’t have turkey here.  So that was cool.  And I ate some of the skin.  It was cool.  I devoured that peludo.  Then we ate chorizo.  Isn’t that some good stuff Casey?  We’re going to have to open a kiosco that sells bread, chorizo, asado, facturas, and alfajores.  You can name it.  A good one here in Justo is Juan y Juan.  We could call it that.

So after finally making banana bread during the siesta with Elder Moon, we went out and had another last effort miracle.  After some rejection, I realized something needed to change.  I needed to start doing something different.  The somos misioneros deal wasn´t working, at all.  So the next couple I saw I mixed it up.  I went up to them and was so happy and started talking about how I was a foreigner but how I LOVE the Argentine Asado.  It took some work, but I won their trust.  And then invited myself to walk to their home and pasar por dos minutos.  Sounding familiar??  Think Jorge and Rita.  They accepted, but very tentatively..  So we get in their house and the woman Norma looks at me and says,  ‘dos minutos.’  I’m cool with that and we start.  What followed was not a 2 but a fifteen minute lesson.  And it was good with overstaying our welcome, because Norma was the one wanting to know more, and asking the most sincerest of questions.  That lesson was amazing as we introduced the Book of Mormon to them, I shared Dads favorite scripture, and the spirit was so strong.  I bore testimony of that sacred Book and they knew it.  I knew they knew it.  I’m excited to continue visiting with Norma.  And also with Yesica.  And this other super super cool RECEPTIVE old man named Moises.  Hmmm you can probably guess we talked about prophets that lesson.  Jajaja.

So yes Wilson, we are finding people to teach.  Norma is ready.  Tenative, but SO ready.  And Yesica, she will really have to show her faith, but So READY.  And Moises, willing and ready.  Mirta, ready,  she will be baptized someday.  It’s now her choice.  And Carlos.  That man just is working so much.  I have not given up hope.  I love you Carlos.

Thank you for praying and fasting for me Wilson.  I love you so much and wish I could wrestle with you so bad.

All I can say is I hope we have a Jorge y Rita repeat with Norma.  And what’s funny is that with Elder Molen, we tried to get in that house but didn’t.

I love you all so much.  Enjoy this long letter.  Enjoy those pictures.  Have you watched Carlso kill the pig?  That’s the best best best one.

I will have a great week.  We really focus on our daily goals.  And study time is precious.  Wilson, your great.

Love Elder Ostler