Boriinnngggggg Uppdddaaatttteee

Hermana Ostler’s Update – September 9, 2013

  

1. The dog bite is healing. My heart will need more time.

2. We had a surprise baptism this week! Her name is Mabel and man, her story is inspiring. I will have to elaborate later when I don’t have less than ten minutes on the freaking internet!

3. But yes, the baptism... What a spirit that was felt there! My heart was filled with a joy that will NEVER die. Never ever ever. This woman and her family have found peace in the midst of heart wrenching tragedy. This is possible for all. 

4. The culture for what girls can do here is different. Kicking rocks, dancing in the streets, throwing things, not agreeing with everything that men say..... these are things that are not permitted (according to my companion). I just smile, and then maybe just throw a smaller rock or something. :)

Not much time. This week I spent a lot of time looking out my window and dancing to Zumba like a maniac because my compy was sick. I’m keeping the faith and smiling through it all. One step at a time to become more like Christ and just be happy, happy, happy. 

Love you all! 

Hermana Alex

Pictures to make you smile:

Gorditas, Locas, Y Feas

Hermana Ostler’s Update – August 12, 2013

  

So I am still getting used to the directness of the Latino people. Calling someone fat or saying that their hair is ugly is completely normal. AND YES, Elder Rosado is always commenting on my crazy, curly hair. He thinks it is absolutely atrocious that it is so unruly. But hey, best friends forever??

The other day we were visiting El Verge (the orphanage), and they offered me a giant glass of what looked like the most amazing grape juice in the Universe. A dark purple hue, rich with volume, and straight to the very lip of the glass. I eagerly swallowed a river full…to be greeted by a VERY unfamiliar taste. Upon investigation, I found out it was juice from BLACK CORN. No sugar or flavor added. Just straight up black corn juice.

This last Saturday we had two baptisms! It was such a beautiful, beautiful moment in my life. Edith is a twenty year old and Juan is a nine year old who lives in El Verge. They came out of that water with the most amazing, angelic smiles. My heart was filled to the brim with love. They have started a new life, a new beginning -- a new start. It made me think what will it take for people to turn to their God, to have this kind of happiness?

For Edith, it took getting sick, losing her job, and not getting paid, to accept the comfort of Christ and His suffering for her. For little Juanito, it was the fact that he was beaten and abused, ran away, and living in an orphanage. He has the desires and faith of a child, and that is so perfectly sufficient to feel the love of God. For me, it took living in a personal spiritual darkness for a while before I truly turned my life to my Heavenly Father. What will it take for you to turn to that God who gives you life?

Food for thought. 

I love you all. I love Peru. I love these people so much that when they suffer, I weep. When they accept the Gospel in their lives, I am filled with a joy that is incomprehensible. 

Love, Hermana Alex

Bruce and Alex on their way to Church

Eating A Slice Of Pizza In One Bite In Peru Equals Liquid Poop

Hermana Ostler’s Update – July 29, 2013

Sorry about the title. It’s a little graphic huh?

But yes, I dared Elder Rosado (a missionary from Ecuador who loves dirt bikes and dares. We have become best friends, obviously) to eat a slice of pizza in one bite. This was our second dinner of the night (fattttttttiinesss) and so I was amped. Did it, no problem. Next day, all is well. Exhibited my awesome dance moves, taught lessons, appetite uncontrollable, as always. 

BUT THE NEXT DAY I PROBABLY POOPED 6784574875 times. TMI? Yes. But I was oh, so sick. My goodness -- apparently being in a different country changes things? We couldn’t work for the longest time. My companion was livid with me. And I was still pooping! Sometimes I would just stare into the mirror and mutter, “What is wrong with you? Why can’t you flippin’ control your bowels, woman???” So yeah, I also couldn’t eat anything for about 10 meals. BUT BEFORE YOU WORRY, (I lost some weight and now look fantastic), I am on some medicine. I have no idea what it is, and my polar bear appetite is back in force. The medicine makes my mouth taste like a cuy (guinea pig) up and died on my tongue. BUT I’M GOOD SO DON’T WORRY.

I love Peru with all my heart! The dirty children, the crazy motos everywhere, my Peruvian companion (her name is MILAGROS. Which means MIRACLES. Good sign).

I live in a little one-room apartment right next to “Discoteca Manhatten”. The patrons of the said establishment keep it very classy by waking me up every hour of the night with drunken yells and Adele remixes. 

There are no stop signs in Peru. We walk in the middle of the streets and when we hear a moto we jump onto a tiny one-foot wide sidewalk, if there is one. Accommodating the fatties, you see.

The people here are so amazing! They are always so well put together but they live in these crumbling shacks. Everyone is always so happy, and they think it is hilarious when I accidentally start speaking in English. They are fascinated with my “rizos de oro” or golden curls, and the fact that I speak Spanish like a four year old. But I have made friends! Frrriieeendss! Don’t know how, but I have. Language barriers, my butt!

I also sang about 5 solos last week for members. For some reason they thought I sang so horribly because of nerves. It’s because I can’t read music. So my dream of becoming Britney Spears?... Still lives on. 

We had our first baptism this week. His name is Michael and he loves playing soccer with us missionaries. What joy filled my heart when I saw his smiling face as he came out of the water! He is a chosen Son of God.

Each of us are so important to Him. We each have a divine nature; a spiritual hunger inside us all, which will never be appeased unless we search for the truth. Search no longer, my friends. The truth is here. I can promise you that much. It is here and it will make your life so much more full, with so much more joy, and so much more peace in times of loneliness and hardship. It is here. 

I love you all. I love Peru. I love the people. And again, I love you all!

Love, Hermana Alex

"the medicine makes my mouth taste like a cuy up and died on my tongue"
(Picture of Alex before the mish on a duck sculpture at BYU campus.)