My Salvation Happened In Peru

Hermana Ostler’s Update – November 25, 2014

How do you start an email like this one? How do you try to explain your love for a country, people, culture, language, church, gospel, God, and Savior that you have come to know and care about for so long and with so much energy? How do you really explain what it means to you to be a representative of Jesus Christ every single day? To live to make others feel happy and learn the path of true joy? How do you do it? 

The truth is, you can’t. I can’t explain to you how much I love my mission. It is what I live and breathe. And then you realize that those beautiful days of little moments of heavenly bliss are coming to an end, that a new life is coming your way and you can’t stop it, you just have to learn to embrace it. 

I love Peru. It is where I came to love God, to want to do His will always. It’s where I learned what a true disciple of Christ is, and it is where I realized how far away I am from being one, and it is where I learned that it will take me a lifetime to walk the discipleship road. 

I love the people I have come to know and love. They are my brothers and sisters, they are the people I was called to help. I love them with all that I have. It makes me so happy to know that many of them have come a little bit closer to God by hearing His words through me. I will never stop loving them because it was when I gave them my whole attention and forgot myself that I came to really know who I was. I love the way they talk, the way they feel so deeply, and the way they recognize the Spirit. I want to be like these people in so many ways. I came to change them and they changed me. 

I love my companions. ALL OF THEM. They taught me so much. Hermanas Hansen, Masquez, Warner, Luque, Sanchez, Tamariz, and Valverde. What amazingly beautiful and marvelous people I have had the chance to teach, laugh, and learn with. 

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why did I “kick against the pricks” for so long? Why is it that I couldn’t understand that obedience brings freedom? How is it that I thought that being “different” from my parents was only being the same as everyone else in the world? 

I am free. I am free because I came to know that Christ lives, that He loves me. That he loved me so much that he suffered for every single idiotic and cruel thing I have done in my life. How many drops of blood did He shed for me? How many tears fell from that perfect man’s face thanks to my own rebellious habits? I will never know, but one thing I DO know. 

That He lives. He lives and loves us. He is a real person. I do not represent an elaborate fable that has been passed down and distorted over the years. I represent The Son of God. I testify that of His church and gospel every day, and though doing so, I have come to know that it really is true. His word is what I live by, and I hope I can live and die living and worshiping the God I love. 

My mission has not been perfect. Far from it. I have not done what I should have done many times. I have cried and cried over my weaknesses and I have begged God to make me strong so that I could bring His children to Him. I know He lives and I will be eternally grateful for this beautiful year and a half I have had to serve him with all my heart. 

I love you all. 

Hermana Alex

You Can Call Me, "Ask Amy"

Hermana Ostler’s Update – November 18, 2014

We went to Quillabamba this week. I worked with two brand new sisters and let me tell you, they were not expecting a work visit like this one. Me fighting with a pit bull with my water bottle, running for my life screaming, losing my name tag and walking around with Hermana Frame’s name tag for a week, and a drunk man trying to steal my water bottle... But we had so much fun and I learned so much from them. I love being with new missionaries because they are so wise and full of energy and teach me so much. Some of the advice I gave, just call me Amy now and get me a newspaper column. But really, all of it are things that are helping me to become the best missionary I can be, because we ALWAYS have time. 

• Pick your battles verrrryyyy wisely. If you can live with an annoying habit, do it. It is so not worth it to nitpick. 
• Decide that every companion will be your best friend. No exceptions. They are all lovable.
• Do not go a single day or moment without doing something that makes you laugh and is just a tad bit mischievous. 
• Take all your love for your mom, your moto, your boyfriend, your dog, and give it to the people. All those things will be waiting for you. LOVE THE PEOPLE. They should be your very air, the reason you live. 
• Give God everything. Do not hold back anything. Love Him and talk with Him always. My favorite part of the day is when I can communicate all that I feel. He is there. He exists. And we can feel His love. 
• EXERCISE every morning. Just do it. There is no need to roll off the plane like greased up popcorn chicken. 
• Every so called “bump in the road” can be transformed into a super rad jump that you can fly off and enjoy. Perspective and attitude is everything. 
• Read The Book of Mormon in your mission language every day. Read that book. Love it. Help others to love it. 
• Decide to love the food, the people, the culture, the area, the language.
• The way to get over your fear to share the gospel or contact...is to do it. Do it and you will see miracles. We are God’s messengers. If we do not share what we know, no one will ever find the truth. 
• Lose your weaknesses but don’t lose your personality. 
• Obedience brings happiness. Don’t try to find out for yourself by being DISobedient. Just stick with the rules. 
• Be your own convert every day. 
• Don’t forget to pray. 
• Learn how to fast BEFORE the mission. Fasting is hard, but it brings strength. And my typical 8 hour fast I did before does NOT count. Its 24 hours, people. If Christ could do it for 40 days, we can do it for one. 
• Never wait for a reason to love people. If you wait, you will lose precious time with that amazing child of God. If people don’t like them, make sure that YOU do. If they are different, accept them and learn. Do not wait to love. The opportunity will never come if we stall. 

I also woke up this week with a hickey on my lip. FROM A SPIDER: Bad news bears. But I did get to look like a very ugly version of Angelina Jolie that day, so hey, it’s all good. 

Yesterday we spent all day contacting. It happens sometimes. But I loved it. I get so much joy to talk to people about why I am here, why I want to share this message with them. It’s even fun when we get rejected. I always tell my companion that it’s my preparation for post-mission dating life. The best part of it all was that we were able to meet Herbert. We were waiting outside a house, but our appointment wasn’t there. Herbert walked past and it looked like he wanted to talk to us so we said hello.....and I have no time but I will finish the story next week! 

I love you all!

Hermana ALEX

Nightmares Up The Waheezy

Hermana Ostler’s Update – November 11, 2014

It seems like something that happens to everyone at this time of the mission...but the daily nightmares are upon me. A couple examples:

-- It’s the day to go home. Everyone is excited to go home and see their families, boyfriends, skis...everyone but me. I literally try escaping from the airport and President Harbertson has to kick me into the plane and scream GO HOME. I cry the whole way home. As we get off the plane everyone starts to see their families and boyfriends and skis and start to hug and cry and scream. In this moment I realize that I AM excited to see my family, very non-existent boyfriend and skis....and then.....NO ONE COMES TO PICK ME UP FROM THE AIRPORT. 

-- Going home pregnant. 

--  And the mother of them all. We are traveling in a bus and I stand up to go to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and give a sassy smile to the glass, only to realize that my front tooth is loose. Don’t panic, I say, I am going home to my dentist, Dr. Burton, he will help me. I sit down in the seat, and ALL of my teeth start to fall out. ALL OF THEM. I start putting them in my pockets, don’t panic. I am going home to Dr. Burton, he will fix them. And then they start turning to dust! NOOOOO. Then I get home, I am standing on the porch and knock on the door, my mother sticks her head out of her bathroom window... Alex! Welcome Home! AND SHE DOESNT HAVE TEETH EITHER. 

Interpretations of the dreams are warmly welcome. 

I am a clothes scavenger. Always have been. That’s why I can always be found in Provo’s DI on a weekly basis. God loves me so much that he has put me in the main apartment for the sisters in the mission. We always have abandoned clothes here. My favorites for this change? Pilgrim shoes and an oversized black turtleneck. Fashion with Hermana Ostler in Cusco. 

Peru is killing me. The taxi man told me to put my seatbelt on when we traveling to Valle. And I got OFFENDED. What am I going to do in the states??

This week Jefferson was baptized. He of course had pínk eye and his baptism was complete chaos...we are talking about the parrot family, mind you. But how beautiful it was to see that little boy make such a sacred covenant with God. He came up out of the water with the biggest smile on his face and he later told us that it was the most beautiful day ever. Better than the baptism was seeing the gradual change in the life of this family. To see a single and very poor mother fight to have her children in the church, to give them a better life. To see them make the decision to pay tithing even though they make about 20 dollars a week, to witness their desire to go to the temple one day. That was the best part for me. 

We went and visited the sisters in Valle this week. Hermana Solar and I went to visit a family that they had contacted the day before. His name was Americo with his wife and baby. They live in a greasy little shack where they fix car tires. We spoke of The Restoration, of the love that God has for us, for the truth that he invites us to search for. The spirit filled that little shack with such power. Americo told us that he had never heard such a story, that it made him want to find an answer, that he wanted to know if there really existed divine truth. God invites us to search for that which we lack. He beckons to us, hoping that we will take a step toward His out stretched hand, to receive all that He has. 

Valle trips also mean walking in fields of choclo and picking off prickly pears from cactus’ and hearing donkeys braying and rivers gurgling...it’s so beautiful. And prickly pears are the best! So so so so so delicious! Hermana Tuione was so kind and threw one on my leg when she thought she saw a yellow spider so I ended up walking around with prickles in my leg the whole day. 

Giovanni is a recent convert from earlier this year. He has recently gone inactive because he does not have a testimony of The Book of Mormon. He relies on reason more than faith. We had a lesson where we shared our testimonies of this sacred book. Hermana Condie went, than Hermana Valverde. He then turned to me and asked, “And you? How do YOU know?” I had to sit and ponder for a moment, I could say a lot of things that are typical to this question, I could rely on others people’s words, I could say it quickly to end the lesson on time. But I felt that I should wait. How did I know? The infinite and everlasting love of God filled me so quietly, so softly, but with a surety. I know the Book of Mormon is true because thanks to it, I know God lives. I am a doubter. I am a person full of my own ideas and opinions. But thanks to that Book I know that God lives, that He knows me, He knows I am a doubter, He knows I lack faith, and yet He still has a plan for me. He wants me to be happy, he wants me to feel sure in a world that is always telling us to change. I love that book because I know that this life is something more than a few moments randomly stitched together.  It’s not anything more than that. Don’t give up. If you read it the first time and feel nothing, read it again. If you hate going to church, keep going. Plead with God to know if it’s true and He will answer you. I wanted so badly to feel a love that comes from someone who never changed, never changes, and never will change. And it took me years, a lot of falling down, and reading that book that helped me know my divine purpose as a daughter of God. 

That is my testimony. It may be small and weak and obscure. But it is what I stand for every day. It is how I keep walking into the darkness, knowing that the light always unfolds before us when we walk by faith. 

I love you all! 

Hermana Alex

Jefferson's baptism

Angels In Hospitals

Hermana Ostler’s Update – November 3, 2014

On Tuesday Hermana Condie and I had our Pday. (¿Remember the lady part doctors?) We decided to go out to the countryside...again. Every time we go, I feel like a Great Dane that has finally escaped his cage and doesn’t know what to do with its limbs. Sniffing everything, barking at donkeys and sheep, peeing on all the plants, splashing in little streams, climbing up rocks....I mean, I didn’t do ALL of that. The point is that I was thrilled to be out of the city. We went to this cave that is called the Devil’s Balcony, it has a waterfall inside. And a TON of bouldering options. I stemmed right up the waterfall to the top, leaving Hermana Condie to ask, “On a scale of one to ten, how hard is it?” I responded “a four.” The last thing I saw was Hermana Condie attempting to stem and falling, Mufasah-like, arms out-stretched, mouth open, into the water. I have never laughed so hard. So great. (Side Note: The waterfall wasn’t that big, the water too deep, or dangerous in anyway. Although it looked like Mufasah falling to his death by wildebeests, there were no Mufasah consequences.) 

We were blessed to have Elder Waddel of the Area Presidency come to our Concilio of Mission Leaders this week. He asked us, “Why do you eat? Why do you sleep? Why do you shower? Why do you breathe? Why do you exist?” The questions were then followed up by this powerful statement, “You do all these things to preach the gospel and help these people make covenants though baptism and the temple. THAT is why you exist. That is why you live.” He then asked us what we were going to do now. Some said work hard harder, or find new people or work with members. Something told me to raise my hand and I said, “The first thing I am going to do is go home, get on my knees, and beg Heavenly Father to help me do what I came here to do.”

I so badly need God. I can do nothing without Him. In moments when I want to lose my patience, say something negative, or when I just want to rest, I pray for strength and He gives it to me. I came to the mission because I knew that God loved me, that He exists, and that He wants me to be happy. And in the mission I learned how to love HIM. Before, I felt his infinite understanding and compassion for me. Leaving, I know how I can love him back. How often we focus in on how much He loves us, and forget if we really love Him enough to follow Him, to keep His commandments, and humble ourselves to His will when we mess up. That is the purpose of life, learning to love God and change what we want for what He wants. 

This week we continued to see miracles. I worked with Hermana Guajardo one day. I love that woman. She is a recent convert who came on a mission from Mexico. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. We had the opportunity to visit a young woman who was baptized on Tuesday and was going to get confirmed on Sunday, and she fell in the law of chastity. What pain she had in her heart! Our lesson with her was so so heartbreakingly beautiful. The Atonement is real. I felt that as I testified to her that we can change, that we can repent. It hurts, but it works. 

Another miracle. There is an inactive family that has not come to church for years. I have been knocking on their door almost every day for more than 6 months. One day we passed by his house, we hadn’t knocked in a while, we had given up, we had other plans, but we felt that we needed to knock on that door. Just one more time. And Walter Hererra answered the door. He is an ex bishop and was such a strong member. He told us, “Thanks for coming sisters, please come in.” I think everyone could see my innards, my mouth was so big. We went in and taught about the sacrament and atonement. During the whole thing I had this nagging little feeling telling me to ask him to bear his testimony. How can I ask him? Maybe he doesn’t have one. Maybe that is why he hasn’t come to church and never answers the door. ASK HIM. I did. The spirit that filled that entire house is something I cannot describe fully. We were all in tears. As we left he told us, “Sisters, I am coming back to church. I am going to do it.´´ 

Rufina has a daughter that has been living in the hospital for months. She is 12 and has cysts in her lungs. She was recently operated and we went to see her in the hospital. We walked into the UGLIEST hospital, not counting the one from Puerto, ever. I was terrified. We accidently walked down to the basement, the morgue. I swear I saw blood on the walls. The lights were flickering and there were so many false exits. Haunted house on Halloween status.  We went up to the second floor and walk into a room filled with about 6 tiny children, all with cysts in the lungs. We taught the plan of salvation, played games, gave out toys and pictures of Christ. They were so beautiful. They hugged their Jesus pictures, hung them on the wall, and put their pamphlets under their pillows. They had the biggest sweetest souls I had ever felt. I cried as I left that ugly ugly place with such precious souls inside. As we drove home I pleaded in my heart to God to bless those little angels. The thought then came to my mind with such clarity and power. “They are MY angels. I know them. I know what they feel, I know what they need.”

We also found a new investigator Rosa. She is 19 and lovingly laminated the pamphlet we had given her. She cried as we told her the story of Joseph Smith and the First Vision. We are seeing miracles. People are being prepared to receive this message. 

I love being here. I love God’s children. I love laughing and water fights in the apartment and running to go eat quinoa with an old lady on the street corner. I love everything about this beautiful place. 

Nos vemos. 

Hermana Alex

Consecration

Hermana Ostler’s Update – October 28, 2014

Well. I am going to fess up. This last Monday were the changes. I woke up, did my Insanity, and as I was taking a sip of chlorine water...my neck seized up. And I mean, it was SEIZED. I had my head cocked to one side like a confused robin bird looking at a gummy worm. It was sooooooo painful. And then I of course think, “but at least I won’t be here for the change week to lift heavy suitcases, I am OUT OF HERE and this calling.” 

LIES.

I stayed here. And let me tell you, I was not a happy camper. I wanted so desperately to leave this calling, the apartment with 6 other hermanas, to leave the unsuccessful area when it comes to baptisms and just go somewhere else. My hope was to see the Lake Titicaca, to fight over evil dogs and forget about picking up people at terminals or having a cell phone that never stops ringing... I wanted peace. 

But how foolish we are to tell the Lord, “I’ll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord” and then be disappointed when His perfect wishes are not the same as our own selfish ones. I have prayed for weeks to understand the law of consecration, to really have a chance to understand it. The law of consecration means doing something because the Lord asks, and then to make his desires our own. It means that Nephi had to kill Laban, even when he didn’t want to. It means that Peter had to leave his fishing boats behind to preach the gospel the rest of his days, even though he really liked to fish. It means that Moroni had to watch everyone he loved and his whole people be alienated in front of his eyes so he could write a powerful testimony in The Book of Mormon. It means that Jesus Christ himself, the son of the Living and Most Powerful God, suffered for every stupid and malicious and evil thing we have ever done or experienced, when He really really really didn’t want to. That is the law of consecration and I have made the decision this week that I will do what the Lord requires of me, may it be small or big, I will do my best to do it because that is what God wants... a consecrated soul. 

This week we had the chance to live with my real life twin. Aliseea. President Harbertson’s daughter. Man. I love that woman. Instant teasing with her. I was the innocent victim, but I still enjoyed it. Her biggest dream is to go to New Zealand to live for a year and marry a beautiful Island Man. Twins. She loves skiing and climbing. Twins. She makes the Gilly double chin smile on a regular basis. Twins. She reads a lot of books. Twins. She loves the gospel. Twins. 

It was a good couple of days with her. She was also there to witness a typical lesson with our investigators, Rufina and Jefferson. The babies were crying, the little girl was clawing my legs like a rabid cat and the pet parrot was opening his prison door of a wooden shelf with his beak and all in all there was complete chaos. In the end the parrot escaped, bit me on the arm, pooped on Aliseea and the baby scratched my companion ferociously with her un-humanlike talons. We also taught about the Priesthood during that time.  

But as you can see, teaching Rufina and Jefferson is always an adventure. One day we go to the house and the woman is serving us SOUP. After lunch. Peruvians are stubborn when it comes to giving food. They offer it and you eat it. There is no choice in the matter. But let me tell you, this turned into the battle of the stubborn heads. She set the soup on my lap, I refused, she told me to eat it, I didn’t, she told me I was not going to leave until I ate....But who do you think won in the end?? CHAMPION I AM. I have no idea how, but she loves me more after rejecting her soup. I love that woman so much. 

Today we were asked to sacrifice our P-day to help some LDS gynecologists do some presentation. I was a translator. Just for your info, women part doctors are as strange as you can imagine. A lot of unnecessary detail today, but they are passionate for their work and really do love helping others. They were telling me, “Now I am POSITIVE that you are going to want to be a lady part doctor now, huh?” Nope. Not at all. But one doctor was straight up Dwight from the office and I got to eat free chicken. What’s up. Life is awesome.

I love you all! I am really so excited to be here in Cusco. What a blessing it is to keep working where God wants me. 

Also, Pet Peeves of the Week: 

-       Meetings that go over the hour. Zone meetings are long at two hours. Don’t make them be 6 hour torture sessions. PLEASE. 

-       Heavy suitcases of Sister Missionaries. Do you want to break my back? Do you want to make me look and act like Quasimodo? 

-       When people put my jello in the freezer. That jello time I have with Hermana Condie every night is SACRED. Do not ruin it by freezing it. 

Love, hermana alex

Baby Miracles in Quillabamba

Hermana Ostler’s Update – October 20, 2014

This week we were in Quillabamba the entire week. I have come to the conclusion that I WILL have my own house there. A jungle paradise with swimming pools on every corner and exotic flowers and parks and fruit markets and chakras full of fresh mango, pineapple, and cocoa. I need to go there to live one day. 

This week I worked with Hermana Tamariz, Hermana Irvine, and Hermana Routson. They ALL happen to be going home tomorrow. What a weird experience to be with people who are ending the mission experience so soon. But it really was an amazing week because I could see the diligence of these wonderful sisters to work until the very end. God blessed us will miracles, as a little thank you to these dedicated servants of the Lord. 

As we were walking through one of the exotic parks we saw a couple sitting down on a bench, enjoying the shade. I remembered the invitation from President Harbertson to talk to every family we see in the street. We went up and began to speak to them and the father told us that he was an inactive member who got baptized in Lima. We told him that we had received a prompting to come and speak to them and that was maybe a sign from God that he wanted him to return to him. He told us that he felt God was telling him something. How easy it would have been to pass that couple, look the other way, pretend that we had not seen them... how easy it would be! But luckily we had been obedient before, and all the rejection in the world did not deter us from at least trying. 

We also had a lesson with a less active man Isidrio. He used to be branch president but now is living with someone and has left his wife. I of course do not know the man. But when we arrived at his house we began teaching of the Atonement and repentance. As I finished speaking he told me that he had had a dream about me the night before, where I came and told him the same exact things. He even told me, “your little pony tail was the same too!” He told us that he takes it as a sign that he needs to change his life. God is just so aware of his children. We forget it so often. 

I do not have a change. Last transfer in Cusco. 

Hermana Alex

Valle Sagrado

Hermana Ostler’s Update – October 14, 2014

Valle Sagrado is a giant valley full of choclo (giant corns) and kitchens full of guinea pigs, and people who pretend they only speak Quechua when we contact them. It means walking for days on end, climbing mountains to get to investigators who basically live in Incan ruins. It also means a pleasant heat, talking to sisters about our awkwardness, and coming back to Cusco with fleas. I love visiting the sisters in Valle. Life is slower than it is in the city. It takes time to drink some chicha and get drunk in the middle of the day, and it takes time to wander around with herds of sheep and giant oxen and stop to look at little wildflowers. It is magical! 

Living in the country also means some interesting conversations in lessons. 

Me: How can we be good examples to our friends and share the gospel with them?

Country girl: I always talk to my friends about the church. We even talk about the bones they are finding in the catholic cathedral they are constructing. It’s always good to find bones. 

Me: silence followed by uncontrollable giggling.....Let’s end with a prayer! 

I loved conference! We just were able to watch it this week. I am obsessed! I loved every single little word. Just made me want to be better. 

We are still working with Jefferson and his mom Rufina. She is a less active member and he is her nonmember son. What love I have come to have for them! They only understand when we play a lot of games. I love games! More than the actual games, I love screaming without control. My father always told me to use my “inside voice” for years until he finally just gave up and realized that I only have one volume...very loud. But they are progressing very well. I love to see that it doesn’t matter who we are, or what we understand, we are important to God. He doesn't care if we are super intelligent, He cares about happiness and peace, something that all His children can find. 

Off to the jungle tomorrow! Wish me luck! 

hermana alex 

besos besos besos

The Heart Attack Scare

Hermana Ostler’s Update – October 6, 2014

Being a Sister Leader usually means we get about 10 panicked phone calls from people every day. Sometimes it’s about throw up, sometimes it’s about bugs, or a lack of blankets. It’s always a crisis for them but is usually resolved very quickly. But this past week I received a call from a sister who told me, “my companion is having serious chest pain and now she cannot feel her left arm... is that bad?” I about pooped my pants. HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS. I call Elder Nicholls, the nurse of the mission, and I think he about had his own heart attack. He called Sister Harbertson... the same. This resulted in thousands of breathless phone calls (the breathlessness can be attributed to my stress eating that was taking place) and butterflies (another sickness I suffer from) and running around like a chipmunk that lost its acorns. 

Let’s just say that the day was one of hospital visits and anxiety attacks. Because after all, she was having a HEART ATTACK. At the end of the day it wasn’t anything serious and the doctor sent her home with fungus medicine (not related to the heart attack) and I went home late at night to spend the entire night vomiting up all of my stress eating. Point of the story. Don’t call me with heart attack scares. 

This week I have thought about the Atonement of Jesus Christ in almost every moment. It cannot leave my head. I thought of His pain and His hurt that He suffered for all of us. I thought of the exquisite pain of our Heavenly Father who literally allowed His most beloved son to be murdered before his eyes. He did it for all of us, even if we do not believe in Him or follow Him. He did it for us and yet many times we live out lives without even thinking about that great and infinite sacrifice. Oh how my heart hurt for God this week. Oh how I suffered to think of what He did for me, a very undeserving little creature. 

My increased testimony of the Atonement was put to work during a couple of lessons. One was with the young girl that we are visiting who had been sexually abused recently. We explained to her the power of the Atonement to heal us of all our wounds and help us be whole again. I have no idea what I said during that lesson, but I will never forget the tears that we both shed to remember how much God loves us as His daughters. This teenager looked at me with such trust, because what I said was the truth. Christ lives and because He lives we may live in a happy manner. 

We also had the chance to teach the Ceballos Family. They are very active and Ghina is the hottest mom I have ever seen in my whole life. Her nails and hair and face are always perfect. I love her so much that I can’t help but love her despite her perfection. AND SHE SMELLS SO GOOD AND ONLY WEARS BLACK AND HIGH HEELS. But enough about Ghina. We taught them the plan of salvation and the two of them began to cry as they spoke of the two babies they had recently lost and their hope in seeing them again one day, thanks to their temple covenants. Hno Ceballos told us through his tears, “We live this gospel despite all the challenges because we want our daughter (the one that is living) to return to where she came from, the presence of God.” The plan of salvation is here to give us comfort in the darkest moments in life and give us the energy to keep pressing forward. 

I finally was able to meet my twin! Her name is Alicia Harbertson and she is the President’s daughter. President has spent my whole mission talking about how we HAVE to meet and how we are the same person. I don’t know if we are the same, but she is RAD. She says she wants to spend her whole life skiing, climbing and being a mom. HELLO. Same life dreams! President wants us to work together for a couple of days, super exciting stuff! 

We didn’t get to see conference this week. The mayor elections were going on and there is a law in Peru that we cannot have meetings of any kind, or proselyte. This meant that there was a rule for yesterday that we needed to work in jeans and not wear our nametag! Weird stuff. I prefer the missionary look. But it did mean that my companion and I could have a full on cracker war in the street without people judging the church. There are always perks with everything. 

I LOVE PERU. I love PISAC. I love that every little ruin reminds me of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I love that book and I love this mission and this people and this life. I love you all! 

Hermana ALEX

Happiness

Hermana Ostler’s Update – September 29, 2014

This week I really understood what true happiness is. It’s preaching the gospel with every single ounce of energy I have. In the scriptures it describes missionaries as going out and preaching to every soul and every creature. I feel like I am really spreading some seeds in this time. If God doesn’t want me to reap, he will have me sow. I have always liked the process of planting and weeding sunflowers and strawberries. Of course, I love to see the towering flowers and eating the sweet strawberries, but I can’t help but think that the most rewarding part is the stuff that comes before. That is my life as a missionary. 

President invited all of us to take the time to say hello to everyone that we see. He told us that we would bless lives and change people’s perspective on missionaries.  I was on splits with Hermana Ponce and I saw a very old lady walking down the street. She was stooped over and looked like she was born in Noah’s time. I stopped, looked her in the eyes, and said hello. The biggest smile broke out on her face. Her name is Joauqina and is very Catholic and has a huge love for God and Jesus Christ. She even kissed the pamphlet we gave her about 6 times. She told us that she had been waiting and praying for someone to say hello to her the entire day. We helped her walk to her house and shared a short message with her. She was so happy. She even prayed to Saint Mary and sent the souls from purgatory to lead and guide us, her little angels. Such a beautiful soul. I know that we are here to brighten up the lives of the people who live in darkness. We are to be a light on a hill that cannot be hid. 

I live with 5 other latinas in our house. This means that almost everyday people are coming into my room to ask for medicine or lotions or moleskin. They come in to ask me if I could sing at a baptism, or play the piano or braid their hair. Much to their utter dismay, they have learned that all of these things that define “gringos” do not apply to me. They tell me I am not a “normal gringa” and leave with their noses in the air, to talk to Hermana Condie, that meets the requirements much better than I do. 

My companion has an obsession with chili peppers. She eats about 7 of them on a daily basis. She eats them like I eat sugar; quickly and without control. The other day she was on her “cycle,” as my mother says, and happened to put in a tampon two minutes after lunch. The bloody murder scream that emanated from the bathroom was horrendous. You can imagine the pain, the sting, the agony. Chili pepper hurts when it gets on your face… the other one? Forget about it. Hahaha. 

One of the hardest things about being a missionary is controlling natural feelings like heartache and anger and replacing them with a calm demeanor. This Sunday a less active teenager we are visiting came to the church sobbing. She told us of the sexual abuse she had experienced, he is her sister’s friend, and showed up to her house the other day. Her pain was so evident. I hate seeing people suffer. I hate that ugly things like abuse exist in this world. I had to pray to ask God for me to give her the right words. All I could think of was the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because He suffered the most horrid abuse, we too may be healed with His love. She will be okay because she has a lot of support in the church and from her Heavenly Father who loves her more than we can understand. It takes time to heal, but it comes to all those who trust in Christ. 

I love you all! 

Hermana Alex

Hermana Valverde Is A Freak

Hermana Ostler’s Update – September 23, 2014

My companion is completely nuts. A couple of examples: 

-       She is learning English and only says verrry inappropriate things. 

“Don’t provoke me, because your butt is so attractive when you dance.”

“You have worms in your butt and that’s why you dance like that.”

She told me that now she has memorized the word “butt” and “dance” and that repetition is necessary to learn languages. Such a nutcase. 

-       Hermana Valverde was sitting on the bed and I was standing up talking to her about our plans for the day. She stares at me with a blank face and then says. “I just peed.” She had peed the bed when the bathroom was literally two steps away. She told me that she panicked and didn’t know what to do and really it is actually normal to do things like that...

-       The other day we had to go to the airport to pick up a Sister that was returning home from the mission. We waited for about 40 minutes, pretending to be nervous and emotional (or so I thought). When the sister comes home her family starts screaming and crying and hugging each other. I look over at my comp and she is literally bawling. BAWLING. We don’t even know these people! She then told me that I have a heart of stone and that she was just a tender person. 

But honestly, my companion is so strange. We are perfect together. 

This week was the Multi-Zone Conference. There were three zones of missionaries there and the leaders had to give training. We had planned a super spiritual lesson with our zone leaders that we were excited to give. This was going to make everyone burst into weeping hysterics because it was so well planned! We were the second group to go, and WHAT DO YOU KNOW, the first group stands up and says word. for. word. our super spiritually uplifting lesson. Pure panic ensued as we gestured stressed out nonsense to the leaders on the other side of the room. In the end we had to walk up to the front, dragging our feet, with sheepish giggles and dry mouths. (Is it just me or do mouths dry up right when you need them?) I am not aware of what we said or did, but luckily God put into our mouths something to say. There were no tears from the crowd but they didn’t throw rotten tomatoes either, so we are good. 

We are teaching a new family, the Oliveres Family. It is a single mom with her three children and younger sister. We had a beautiful lesson with them reading 1 Nephi 1, the first chapter in my most very favorite book. The most special feeling came over me reading that simple little chapter. It was a feeling of the greatness of this gospel, of its power to completely change us, to change our families, to change this world. The gospel opens up new horizons, gives hope to seemingly insignificant families and individuals and it makes us big and loving like our Father in Heaven. The Spirit once again affirmed to me that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is everything we need to be different and become more like Christ. I know that I am so far away from perfect, and my testimony isn’t the strongest or biggest, but I know that this book changes lives and it changes hearts. It is worth the time to read it, especially as a family. If we are not reading it in family, we are missing out on some of the biggest blessings that God is offering us. 

One thing I learned this week. If someone asks for service, give it to them. We had so many opportunities to serve other sisters this week. It helped me know my Savior a little more to be His hands and show His love. If we are asked, or if we feel that we must serve, we need to do it. It blesses us and it blessed Gods children. It doesn’t matter how much time we lose, or if it affect our personal goals and plans, we must do it. 

The other day we were walking down the street and we saw Brother Aguero. He looked at me and said, “I have a very special something for YOU.” We went to his house and he told me to take off my shoe so he could super glue it. I love that man. 

Yesterday we were searching for an inactive member. They lived in the street ´´La Verdad´´ or The Truth. We could not find that blessed little road and began to ask everyone in the world where it was. We were walking around asking. “where is la verdad? where?” They all looked at us funny and said, “la verdad doesnt exist. Only Libertad (liberty).” Everyone told us the same thing. And it honestly made me think, so many people believe that the truth does not exist, only liberty to live and do and think as we please. There is not just “one way,” only “many ways.”

I am here to say that even though La Verdad probably doesn’t exist as a street in my sector, it DOES exist in this life. Truth is truth. There IS a way to return to God and following whatever brings us momentary pleasure is not libertad at all. The liberty of this world leads us so far away from the truth and the freedom that comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

LOVE, HERMANA ALEX

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!

Puppy Pee and Changes

Hermana Ostler’s Update – September 8, 2014

I am sad to announce that my frenemie, Hermana Tamariz, is leaving me to suffer (according to her) in the jungle of Quillabamba. But really! It’s heart breaking to see her go because that sassy, name-calling Peruvian has really become one of my best friends. I swear, we spent the whole time laughing together. She called me Llama Face and Butt Face and Man Face and so many other things and yet my love for her is only bigger because she just GETS me. She didn’t mind that I dance to church music like a crazy every night or that I can eat a whole box of cereal in 10 minutes or that sometimes I just really need to eat before I talk.... I love her! And her testimony and spirit is so big, she loves this life and it makes me happy to think that she may be coming to The States to insult me in English as well! 

My new companion will be Hermana Valverde. I do not know her at all. But I know that she is very small so I will continue to enjoy my slight giant status for a little longer. 

President Harbertson has been inviting us to do our 3 visits each week. The 3 visits consists of visiting 1. The Bishop 2. The Ward Mission Leader and 3. Other leader in the Ward. Our ward mission leader is such a cute little man. He is the only convert to the church and walks on his tiptoes and made us pizza once. But honestly, this man does not do much to help us with the missionary work. He is the key to having success and yet does nothing to help us advance. We decided to take up President Harbertson’s invitation and visit this brother. His nonmember wife opened the door, told us her husband was not home, and invited us to sit down and wait for him. I usually don’t like to wait because Peruvian time is Peruvian time (2 hours late), but we felt that we needed to visit this brother. The brother walked in about 10 minutes later (miracle!) and we began to share a message with him and his wife (another miracle!). We shared the scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 121 which talks about trials. We then sang the brother’s favorite hymn (How Firm a Foundation) and invited the brother to pray. As this wonderful man began to pray, he also began to sob. He thanked God for sending us, the missionaries, to his home because as he walked home he felt overwhelmed with sadness and despair. He told us that he felt so so so alone and didn’t want to share his burden with others. He thanked us for coming to his home and giving him the strength to keep praying, to keep trying. I know that God sends us to homes to help His children feel loved. We are never alone. 

This Sunday we made one of the biggest mistakes that missionaries can make. We accepted TWO invitations to eat lunch. WHY??? The first one was supposed to start at 12, but cooking beans in Cusco means waiting for 2 HOURS MORE. Beans are such rebellious little suckers in altitude. Justamente the second lunch started at 2 as well. Let me tell you, I have never eaten so fast in my life. The first lunch were BEANS and FRIED BANANAS and FRIED EGGS and AVOCADO. Talk about a punch to the digestive system. We then sprinted to the other house where they had prepared LAMB SOUP and CARAPULCRA and DESSERT. I think my companion and I rolled out of that house like little ticks full of thick blood. I will NEVER do that again. EVER. 

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to be marked as the territory of a puppy. I LOVE PUPPIES, mostly because they are so wiggly and have extra skin. I go completely looooopy for puppies. So I naturally stopped in the middle of the street to play with one, as my hysterical squeals and giggles increased, the puppy went beserk and lost complete control of his “bodily liquids” and peed all over me. I need to start controlling my excitement with puppies, but it’s so hard when they have EXTRA SKIN. It kills me. 

This morning were the transfers. Transfer day is always a day of secrecy and such in the offices because no one can know where they are going until 10. Well, chismosas que somos, we went to attack the weakest Elder in the offices, the mail elder (Elder Medina). We asked him oh so kindly to print off the transfer list, which he did with so much enthusiasm. I, knowing the brutal nature of the other office elders, ran to the printer to take out the paper. As I did so, I heard battle cries and saw that my companion was literally obliterated by one of the assistants (Elder Albert) as he tried to cover the information on the computer screen. The Nurse Elder (Elder Nicholls) sprints past me trying to intercept the paper in the printer, not knowing that I had stealthily obtained it. It basically resulted in the other elders screaming “YOU ARE WEAK YOU ARE WEAK” to the poor mail elder and us leaving victorious, knowing the transfers. So if you want to steal information, go to the mail Elder. 

I love you all. I love being a missionary because I learn so much and have the chance to focus in on others, to love them into following God’s plan. Love is the essence to all that we do. If we do not love, than we are not living as God would have us to. Another thing I have learned from the mission is that being a complete nun and super super single has made me learn so much about marriage. Woah there. But really, I feel like a wise little owl that can see a different perspective on relationships because I am not blinded by my own. Interesting musings, no? 

hermana alex

After finding out about the transfer.

TEMBLORRRR

Hermana Ostler’s Update – September 2, 2014

Did anyone feel the temblor last week? I was walking down the street with a sister when I felt such a good rhythm in my body that I couldn’t help but start swaying side to side. It wasn’t long until I realized that the sweet beat I was feel was actually the earth shaking. Hermana Liza grabs my arms and starts screaming, “TEMBLOR TEMBLOR TEMBLOR!” I look up at the buildings and see faces of pure panic squished up against the glass. Everyone runs out of the houses; in towels, with mouths full of rice, with babies and elderly folks... Meanwhile my companion was in the hospital with another sister in the 7th floor. Her experience resulted in her ABANDONING the recently operated sister as well as screaming nurses and oxygen tanks smacking against each other, ready to explode. Basically pure chaos. It lasted for literally one minute. I fear for the day when Cusco has a real earthquake. They CANNOT keep their cool. 

This Monday night we had plans to visit a less active family in the ward, but as we were walking I felt that we needed to visit a less active teenager, Lisbeth. She moved to Cusco a couple months back and has been trying to get into college here. I feel her pain because she has a hard time with tests, which makes getting in a little hard. As a result of this she has stopped coming to church. So we went to visit her and it was such a beautiful lesson. Her really active, recently married sister was in town and she reminded me so much of my sister Jessica. Beautiful, smart, and very very spiritual. She bore a powerful testimony to her sister of the beauty of living the gospel. She maybe doesn’t have a lot of resources now but she understands why she is here, and what is important in this life. She began to cry, begging us to never stop coming, to never give up on her sister because she wanted so badly to live with her after this life. She had been very concerned about her sister and was praying for a way to help her when we knocked on the door. I don’t understand how it happens, but God is guiding us to the people that need us most, all without us even understanding it. 

This week we visited Quillabamba again. I LOVE IT THERE. We go so much that the members and investigators are starting to recognize us. I love how traveling gives me the opportunity to know and love more of God’s children. I worked with Hermana Luque (MY BABY) for a day. Puerto memories up the waheezy. There is no control with her. We were in a lesson with a severely depressed woman and were in the middle of a hymn when by chance we messed up the tone and it resulted us in completely losing control in the middle of the song. I literally could not breathe with the laughter. Siempre una locura con ella. 

I also love how when I am in lessons I learn so much from the people I teach. Hermana Wahlen and I were in a lesson with 4 new investigators. There was a young man, Juan, who seemed very timid because of his lack of ´´religious knowledge.” We were teaching the Plan of Salvation and he had this face of earnest desire to learn. I asked him what he thought was the purpose of this life and he told me something that really made me think and that I had never thought of before. He told me, “I think the purpose of life is for us to get to know who we really are.” It blew me away and it is the truth. We lived with God as His children before this life, but did we actually really understand the magnitude of being children of God? I think it took for us to come down here to earth to see who we really are and who we can really become. Every day is another chance to look down deep into our hearts and start to know who we are at the core. 

Quillabama is in STRIKE. I am honestly a little scarred when it comes to strikes, after my experience in Puerto, so I was pretty nervous. But let me tell you, this strike was such a bust. A little bit of rock throwing and yelling followed by a giant party of Inca Cola and beer. A drunk man chased us down with a shovel, but nothing more and nothing less. 

Remember Marleny? We found her after I chased down a wayward bouncy ball. Well, meet OSCAR, her little brother. He is 22 years old and tall, dark, and handsome. Hahaha joke, but he is strangely tall for a Peruvian. We met him the other day when he was leaving the house. We were all sitting on the couch and he comes in for the typical farewell, a kiss. He first kisses his sister and then he goes in for my companion. As missionaries we usually do whatever it takes to NOT kiss men, and my companion tried...a little. But in the end she went in for the cheek kiss too. And now he is our investigator! He is actually really awesome and has a ton of questions. He was super sassy at the beginning but as we ended the lesson he told us that he felt something different with us. He told us it was like he was getting to know Jesus Christ through us. That is what talking with representatives of Jesus Christ should feel like!  And do not fear, he now understands Sister-Investigator boundaries. 

I loved this week. Traveling means a lot of drool on pillows in the vans and eating stale animal crackers and learning from other sisters. Being in my sector means seeing President Harbertson and goofing off with my companion. And being a missionary means feeling the spirit every day and learning how to see others the way God sees them. 

Besos, Hermana Alex