OVER THE MOONNNN

 Hermana Ostler’s Update – February 24, 2014

Over the moon happy is a phrase in English, right? Sometimes I feel like I am forgetting everything I ever knew. 

But yes - I AM OVER THE MOON HAPPY: Over the moon.

Rosmery and Hilmer got baptized this week! It was the best thing ever to witness them progress from a weak little family to people who trust their spouse and God. They are so happy. They love God and want to serve him. Rosmery calls me her Mamacita because she thinks it was me who brought her this happiness. I am so pleased to say that it was not me. It was so easy because she was prepared to receive it. 

I also got to get on a moto and..... sit on it for 10 minutes. I can’t ride them, but it was such a temptation! 

I love you all!

Love, Hermana Alex

Rosmery

My miracle family

Hilmer and Rosmery

Me making a leaf roof.

Me after finding out I had been doing it wrong for the last 30 minutes.

MOTO!

I feel so blessed to live in the jungle!

Me and Hermana Sanchez

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.

I Am Expecting Again

Hermana Ostler’s Update – February 10, 2014

  

Yes. My little hijita loquita, Hermana Luque has grown up and is going off to Cusco to die in the cold. ANDDDDDD I am getting another hija! This basically means I am training a new missionary and it means a lot of awkward lessons for the first month and stuff like that… It’s the best! I love it. But I am also a little surprised... But happy!

I will have 7 months and a half here in the jungle by the time I finish. That is a long time. 

But happy! 

But sad! 

But happy!

But mostly sad. I love my companion. She is the type of person who pretends to be a dinosaur, or have skype sessions in the mirror, or have water fights... she is my type of person. We have had a ton of fun together and I really got to be my complete self because I had someone at my side who was just as crazy, just as willing to work hard, but also to stop in the path and just laugh and do really really really stupid things. 

I sure will miss Hermana Luque. 

But I will let you all know more next week. I basically know nothing. 

I love you all! The church is true! I have a dino water bottle!! That’s it!

Love, Hermana Alex

Hermana Luque

A picture from Christmas

Swing

And The Rains Came Down And The Floods Came Up

Hermana Ostler’s Update – February 3, 2014

  

Just call me Noah.

Who would have thought that excessive rain equals rivers flooding? Apparently nobody thought of that before they built Pueblo Viejo, the village that snuggles right into the armpit of Madre de Dio and Tambopata. But really, they live in the middle of two GIANT river beds. 

We started the week off BEGGING people to move. The water was up to our waists but they were just content to wait it out, to live in that sewer water until it went down again. Va a bajar. Va a bajar. I felt like Noah yelling at the people, “Come to the Chapel! Come to the chapel with all your things before it rises even more! The rains are coming!”

And... what does everyone do with prophets like Noah or white missionaries like me? 

They ignore us. They decide it’s better to live in the sin and dirtiness of this world. That there is time to move or to repent or to fix the problems with their families. There is time. 

Fast forward to two or three days later. Again we came down to Pueblo to help. But this time it was a little too late. The water was above the head, it was cold, it was fast... it was more than a big puddle. The river had come with full force into Pueblo. At this time we really couldn’t help anybody. It was way too late to help move things or to help them come to Christ, the river had come and it was way way way too late. Oh how the people cried! Really, I have not seen that type of suffering before. People losing EVERYTHING because they would not heed the call when there was time. 

We went down and had to come back up, because WE heeded the call. We knew that the river and the rains were coming, that this life is much more than waiting to change. That this is the time to be the person that God wants us to be. That one day the river will come and that river will be full of crocodiles (no joke), boas (no joke), and other dangers. 

I learned a lot this week. How we really do not have the time to wait, to live in filthy water. That we need to climb up and out of that to live on a higher plane, where the river cannot touch or affect us. 

Now there are 11 families living in the church. They heeded the call. Let us all do the same! 

Love, Hermana Alex