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