I Met A Celebrity And He Tried To Kiss Me

Hermana Ostler’s Update – September 15, 2014

October is the month of the Mayor Elections here in Peru. As a citizen of the highly recognized city of Hood River, I can honestly say that I never knew Mayors were that important. Who IS the mayor in Hood River, anyways? I remember that about 6 years ago we got all progressive and elected a Mayoress and I think she dedicated a new baseball field or something.... 

But the point is, I had NO IDEA that Cusco would go completely APE for their mayor elections. Everyone is running around in the streets, bands are playing, people are fighting, candidates are buying votes with free beer and saltine crackers... it’s a nutcase. As a missionary I try to keep myself in a 3rd party perspective, neutral Switzerland status kind of thing. That is, until I met Mormontoy. 

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A MAN WHOSE NAME IS MORMONTOY? He is an architect and wants clean parks and paved roads and oh! Did I forget to mention that I met him? He is so much skinnier and younger and all around a dapper fellow. We met outside the church and he told me that he would actually LOVE to be a Mormon one day and gave me two calendars with his face on them and then tried to KISS ME. It was definitely love at first sight. 

But really. What type of missionary gets all googley eyed for a Mayor candidate of the Wanchaq district in Cusco? Hermana Ostler, that’s who. 

My vote is for Mormontoy. MORMONTOY MORMONTOY MORMONTOY!

This week were transfers again. I am pretty sure that President only puts in overly high energy people in this calling because WOW, if it wipes me out, someone who literally cannot stop moving, it would kill a normal person. 

HERMANA CONDIE is living in my apartment now! I love that girl. This meant that I also had to put a bunkbed together for her... I can’t even fill a bike tire with air sometimes! It took 5 sisters and about two hours, but we FINALLY managed to put that bugger together. Congrats to me. 

The miracle of the week was being able to see Hermana Sanchez and get the scoop on the people I love in Puerto. Norka and Pamela got baptized! It made me so happy to hear that sometimes we don’t get to see the reaping, but our sowing efforts really do help. Hermana Sanchez told me, “Thank you for teaching me how to be happy. Thank you for reminding me that it will always be hot in Puerto so we might as well accept it, love it, and move on.” I love Hermana Sanchez so much. 

When we were in the bus station of Cusco... I SAW HERMANA ALICIA! She was my mamita in Puerto. She ran towards me with giant tears in her eyes. Her father had just died and she was praying for a miracle. She fell into my arms and began to say the most beautiful things to me in Spanish. “It’s a miracle. You are my little gringa daughter, my princess my queen.”

My love for the people here is so big. I feel like they have every little part of my heart and for this reason I don’t miss anything from home. I don’t miss skiing or windsurfing or boys or garlic bread... but I love these people. And sometimes I feel like that love is something that they will forget, that maybe they will never remember how much I wanted to be with them forever. But that little miracle of seeing Mama Alicia in the terminal taught me something. Love never goes away. It never forgets. It never fades. How grateful I am for the love of these people. 

My new companion is the best. Hermana Valverde from Trujillo. She is so funny and crazy. We get along great. We love to work hard, walk fast, and get things done. She always puts her bangs in the classic 7th grade “bump.” She also is missing half of her front tooth from chewing on a glass bottle trying to open it two years ago. That kind of explains her personality right there. 

I love you all! 

Hermana Alex

This is my new companion, Hermana Valverde. I especially love her for her giant bump of hair on top of her head and for threatening to kill me our first 5 minutes together. (She is a major prankster and the best ever.)

My favorite companions together

 

When I got to be with hermana sanchez and we saw our mamita Alicia in the bus station of Cusco! Such a miracle!

CUSCOOOO

 Hermana Ostler’s Update – February 18, 2014

  

HEY! 

I went to Cusco (IN A PLANE. I AM A PRINCESS.) to pick up my new compy. World... meet Hermana Sanchez from Honduras! She is really awesome. She is a little confused at all the weird things I do… Like, every morning I wake up, open the window, and scream GOOD MORNING PUERTO or CUSCO or wherever I am. It’s become a habit, I’m not sure why... But yes, I love my companion. 

We went to Cusco and then couldn’t come back. Something like the entire highway fell into the river. I mean, its Peru, right? This meant I was in Cusco without clothes (especially for the cold), deodorant (mistake), or garments (bigger mistake.) THIS WAS FOR A WEEK, mind you. But thanks to my woman, Hermana Sheets (our dads are Air Force buds, what?), I was well taken care of. 

I also got electrocuted while contacting in Cusco. The doorbell zapped me so hard that I couldn’t even control my t-rex arms. (My arms naturally hang in a t-rex position, I have to consciously think about having them by my sides to not walk around like a dino.) But after being shocked (and maybe saying a curse word in english?) I had to walk around like a dino for the entire day. I have great luck. 

Electrocuted T-Rex arm

Also, we finally got back to Puerto. Eleven missionaries crammed into a minivan and made the trip. EVERYONE was throwing up and I was just laughing and laughing and taking pictures. It was great. 

I also missed seeing the wedding of my investigators because I was stuck in Cusco. That broke my heart. I cried and cried. I worked so hard for these people to get married and I couldn’t even be there! I love them so much and I am so grateful that I got to help them. Their baptism is this week. I am so grateful that I was given the gift to love so much. I really do love people. I love them. 

And I love you all!

Hermana Alex

New companion: Hermana Sanchez

Hermana Sheets loaning me some clothes!

This is Ernesto. He wants to read the Book of Mormon so badly, but is blind. An inspiration to me.

Motherrrr

Hermana Ostler’s Update – November 25, 2013

  

I am a mother of a big haired, loud, singing in every moment, Ecuatorina. I present to the world: Hermana Luque! She has the biggest heart and is so so so so so amazing. She cries every time she talks about her puppy. WE ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER. She told me that everyone always says she is so strange for always singing, talking in weird voices, and just being really crazy. WELL, Hermana Luque, you have met your match! It has been so much fun. She lived in Spain for 13 years and so she talks with a lisp. Sometimes I just stare at her like, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING??? But I am getting used to it. She is also learning English from me and is always saying, “Thanks Heavenly Father for my puppy” in a very heavy Latin accent. It’s awesome.

I made a trip to the big city Cusco... and had a giant binge of English. There are so many gringo sisters there that I just love. We are going to be best friends when we get back. I love speaking in Spanish but there is something about talking in your own language. I left fat on english slang and a lot of worthless conversations about everything. I loved it.

Also. I still have my talent of having really precise memories about food. My sister Jessica emailed me to ask if I remembered what we ate after Dan’s dissertation. I was really, really worried and anxious because for a moment I COULD NOT REMEMBER! Yeah, but then after 5 seconds I could recall what I ate before, after, and during this event in time. Bring it! I challenge you to challenge me to remember what we ate after whatever moment we have had together. DO IT. Do it and be amazed.

And I realize that my English is awful. I will need to practice writing in English more.

Love you all!!

HERMANA ALEX

P.S. Still need to send those pictures......