A Drunk and an Eel Killer

Hermana Ostler’s Update – January 27, 2014

Yes. This title is a little startling. But it’s also my life this week. Let me explain...

This week we painted a bed for a member here. Her name is Reyna and she is the best. She was so utterly sweet that she offered us to drink: mozata. Or chicha de yuca. OR FERMENTED POTATO JUICE. Of course, I hate yuca, and I am not a fan of anything fermented, seeing that I am a MORMON and do not drink ALCOHOL. But hey, I didn’t know that it was an alcoholic beverage. First of all, my gag reflex is very very very sensitive. If anyone knows me, they will know that I am always dry heaving at everything. I just can’t stop it. So of course I am dry heaving on this potato juice and she is going off on the intricacies of making this.....Peruvian Delicacy. 

But yes, we left and that morning was a little more crazy than usual. We were helping someone wash their clothes and we poured a bucket of water on this lady’s head. (What?) I mean, we were REALLY REALLY weird. Then came the headache, the upset stomach, the strong urge to sleep...

Chicha de yuca before the tipsiness, or before tasting it, for that matter.

After further investigation we realized that yes...

We got tipsy off of potato juice.

But yes, I felt really bad. But it was so so so unintentional and the moral of this story is to not drink potato juice or really anything with alcohol because it’s horrible. WORD OF WISDOM, YEAH!

Also, it’s still rainy season and this means rain. A lot of it. And lightning. And rain. But mostly a lot of rain. Yesterday we went to go pick up people for church and Pueblo Viejo was full of water. To the brim. There were rivers up to our knees in the streets. AND EELS ABOUT TWO FEET LONG. It was so incredibly scary at first. We saw about 30 of them. But then a little kid gave us a machete and I killed two! It was incredible. Such an adrenaline rush to chase after these giant eels, hacking them with a machete, with the entire village filming me and cheering. It was amazing. I love being the spotlight. Hahaha. I do recommend killing eels at one point in your life; it’s an experience you will never forget. 

Also, I finished reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish. And it is true! I can only invite everyone to read. Just read it and see for yourself. They are the voices of people speaking from the dust, a civilization that was so full of light and then that fell on this American continent. It’s the story of God’s love for us, of redemption, of change, of the way we can return to God’s presence. Heavenly Father is real, my friends. We are His children and we have so many memories with Him that we cannot remember right now. But the Book of Mormon can open our eyes to that love. It can make us try to be better. I will never live another day without reading a little from that book. I know it is true beyond a shadow of a doubt. Read it and see for yourself. 

I love you all!!

Hermana Alex

Eel killing. (Please note all of the heads watching on the other side of the fence.)

VICTORY SCREAM!

Found a Diet Coke with lime!

Fight or Flight? Definitely fighting my first jaguar.

Falling in the mud. From last week.