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

Inti Raymi And The Cusco Parties

Hermana Ostler’s Update – June 30, 2014

If I thought people in Hood River partied...I was not aware of Cusco. This week was Inti Raymi, or the day they celebrate their Sun God. It was INSANE. Half naked people in the street, dancing their brains out to weird Andina flutes and conches. We accidently drove though one of their parties for a Catholic Saint.... BAD IDEA. Everyone was drinking and clinging onto the car in their weird costumes covered in feathers and sparkles. Saw a lot of fat rolls but that is about it. I could not stop hysterically laughing in the back of the cab. Cusco is.... Cusco. 

Inti Raymi also meant that no one was home. Absolutely no one. I spent a lot of time walking and walking and walking. What is the purpose of walking so much I ask? Why is it that lots of times I walk and walk and do not get to teach? What is the purpose of being so far away from home and never getting to do any good here?

Those are questions that sometimes come into your head when you are tired and a little frustrated and a little sad. But something I learned today was that there is a purpose in everything. Sometimes the Lord requires me to walk a little. Sometimes he requires me to feel a little bad in order to become a different person. I walk because it changes me. I am serious. In those difficult moments when nothing is rose colored or exciting, that is when I get to know myself. What kind of person am I? Why am I really here? I am grateful for walking because it forces me to just be happy, even though it’s hard, and sometimes it isn’t all that rewarding and successful. 

I know that someone walked a whole lot longer than I do. I know someone that felt a whole lot sadder than I do. That He knows what it is like to work and work and work and not see immediate success. I know Him and for that I can keep going. Christ loves us. He loves us so much that He invites us to come to Him, He even walks with us all those lonely miles, and many times we turn our heads and reject Him. I am glad for walking. It makes me His disciple. 

I also am happy for the uncomfortable moments I have with my companion that make us laugh. We have a lot of them. She is so fun. I am so thankful that I can be with one of my best friends all the time... I never feel too down because all we can do is laugh when we are together. The other day we were looking for a less active family. A weird butler guy ushered us in to the house and we realized that we were in a MANSION. With a jaguar fountain and cages of little pink birds everywhere! They made us sit down at a table and it was so weird. I think we forgot what it is like to be civilized or something. We were soooooo thankful to get out of there. Lesson learned. I don’t like fancy things anymore!

I love you all! Take care! And be glad to not see fat rolls jiggling around during the Cusco Parties!  

Love, hermana alexx

Zona Cusco

This is how I apply my sunscreen every day without fail. You have to find the small moments to enjoy yourself on the mission. 

TAMPICO for lyfe. I remember tampico being the sludge of all beverages in the States. But here... it is like liquid gold. That stuff is soooo good. 

The Mullang

Hermana Ostler’s Update – May 26, 2014

The Mullang. The mullet bangs. Or in other words, I got a haircut in Peru.

Why would I do that? WHY?!!?!?! Well. I did. I told the nice young lady to give me a little bit more form. A little less volume. AND, to not cut a ton. And now I have bangs and my hair in a mullet. This resulted in a full on panic attack (not being helped by the cab driver who confirmed that really, my hair looked really reeally bad.) About 10 minutes after the hair tragedy---we were called to the offices. THE OFFICES. Full of blood sucking Elders who laugh at other people’s pain and are bullies! I was being called to the flippin’ wolf den of the mission with an atrocious haircut! AHHHHH.

So. I naturally wrapped a scarf around my head and went. Naturally. Because looking like an Old Russian Lady does NOT call attention to a bad haircut. Of course, President Harbertson just happened to be in the offices as well and forced me to take off the scarf so he could see the bad hair. AND HE LAUGHED. LAUGHED!

I now look in the mirror sometimes and see that guy from Aerosmith with the big mouth looking back at me. I am officially scarred. 

But other than the HORRENDOUS haircut, this week was good. I got about a bajillion doors slammed in my face. No joke. We only taught about one lesson. EVERYBODY rejected us. I have come to know that some reject with love, and others... with a little less love. I am so grateful to have a companion because it makes doors in the faces, yelling, and insults a bearable experience. Without Hermana Tamariz... I would probably cry. 

I will only say one thing. PLEASE don’t slam doors in people’s faces. It is rude. I do not care if you don’t share my beliefs, but have the courtesy to listen to a message that is so important to me that I have left my DIRT BIKE and powder skis and schooling and cuddling with my mom to share it. Just give a couple minutes of your time to listen and I promise you that you will do so much good. When did sharing the same religion become the requisite for politeness and common love for all humans? Yeah. Enough of the rant.

HEY! I got rejected a ton this week, but I really did see a ton of miracles as well. We started to leave the door slammers to themselves and began to work with the members. INCREDIBLE. Also, President Harbertson talked to me this week about expectant faith. That so many times we have this wishful faith, “I hope we find someone to teach today. I hope it does not rain.” But we do not have the real firm faith in God, that he really fulfills what He says. He does not lie. If He promises you happiness and success, you will get it. If you feel that you should do something, we must do it because He ALWAYS follows through. I really felt this during the week. I don’t care if everyone says that I am wrong, I will find someone who is searching for something more in this life. 

And then we found Miguel. He is the son of Paulina (an absurdly adorable lady who is super fat and has no teeth). Miguel was baptized when he was a teenager but fell away. He started to find himself wrapped up in other things and he always wandered about for his work, without a purpose in his life. We found him one day and started teaching about the love of our Heavenly Father, and that He is always waiting for us. That there is always time to come back. I will never forget the look in his tear filled eyes as he explained to me the emptiness in his heart, the gripping sadness and bitterness inside of his soul. He then looked in my eyes and said, “I know where to find what I am missing. It is in the church.” He was in the Chapel this Sunday. In suit and tie with his little son. He has found those living waters that fill our souls with so much joy, if we but let it.

This morning we went up to the mountains of Cusco. I never wanted to leave. There is something about exploring that makes me feel like a little kid again, without worries and jumping and leaping and dancing and climbing things. I never wanted to come back to the city again.

Last of all. Hermana Harbertson told me something that will always be with me, especially in that moment when my life crashes headlong with tragedy. 

“He never makes mistakes.”

How grateful I am to be His daughter, doing His work in His time. I love you all. And I hope you will love me back after seeing this new haircut. 

Hermana Alex

Before the haircut

I love picarones.

I am offically a monster. And my companion as well. But me more so.

Peruvian Hairdresser. With her muse? Oh boy.

What did we do??

We became a lot happier when we found out how to hide the bangs. 

This is Gustavo. He told me that I was way beautiful, haircut and all. Thanks Gustavo. 

I am officially a tall person in Peru. 

I Went to Ecuador

Hermana Ostler’s Update – May 19, 2014

The responses to my Double Dragon letter were a hoot. Some were completely grossed out (I am sorry, Ben, if I am shameless, but I HAVE NECCESITIES TOO), and some people even shared some of their own detail-filled pooping the pants stories. Yay for shameless people! 

But I have recovered. Thanks. 

This week I went to Ecuador. I guess they don’t like it when you stay illegally in a country for a year? So I basically got booted out and had to spend three days filling out papers and having a giant English binge. Sharing stories about the mission…I basically beat everybody with all the crazy things... pee getting thrown on me, paint wars, killing eels, getting tipsy, miner strikes, accidents… I have had a full mission!  The only thing I saw from my travels is that there are a lot of bananas in Ecuador and that Elders are disgusting because none of them brought a change of clothes. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GRACIE LOO, KENZIE KURRR, AND KARRIE BABY. I love you all, my May babies! 

Living in Cusco is sweet. My sector is pretty fancy and well to do. People have tile floors! There are also supermarkets and American food and microwaves. All things that do not exist in Puerto. The ward, (ITS A WARD!) is really cool. The people want to help out and have strong testimonies. We are reading the Book of Mormon with all the members to help them finish it by Christmas. It is amazing to see the change that people have when they read that book. I will need a man who loves it as much as I do because I get soooooo carried away reading it. But I can see how people get so excited to read when they see that someone else is overly stoked. Testimonies are contagious, share it. 

Fleas are also contagious. I have them. 

Sometimes I think like we all get a little down sometimes. The other week I was in the PITS (That is for you, Ellis Island). The type of week where everything is so fun, but there is a lot of sadness right behind it. But then you lift up your head and realize that the clouds are pretty amazing in Cusco and that you live with 5 Latinas who are crazy fun and that it doesn’t matter where you are... there are still children of God waiting to feel His love. Life is so beautiful. It’s the kind of beauty that breaks my heart into little fragments and then picks them up and makes an extraordinary stained glass mural. Sometimes we feel broken, and then He makes us whole. Sometimes we feel ugly, like maybe we aren’t that special, and then we see that we are all a giant artwork of moments that our Heavenly Father has given us. And then we forget ourselves and find happiness again. 

Also...... I realized that I don’t function without exercise. I was thinking, “WHY AM I SO SAD??” And then I remembered the words of my wise, wise Mother. Have you exercised? Go out and move around and then come back and see if you are still sad.

Genius.

For some reason I sat by the same person for all 4 flights this week. Elder Nicholls. He is from Kennewick and knows Dan and his family! Weird how there are so many connections, right? We talked about base jumping (we decided that sky diving is better), shark tanks, ending the mission (scary), real life (even scarier). Basically, we came to the conclusion that it would be better to just be a missionary forever and never have to worry about anything, but also to have time to go hang gliding or skiing during p-days. Hahaha.

I love you all! Never go to Ecuador for just a day because it is SO NOT WORTH IT.

Hermana alexxxx

In Ecuador

The weird and extremely awkward Titanic shot with the Tamariz. She is my Peruvian comp that is the BEST. We have way way way too much fun together. 

Going to the airport to drop off Hermanas at 3 in the morning. My life! 

Double Dragon and Cusco Life

Hermana Ostler’s Update – May 12, 2014

Right before coming to Cusco I was hit with a bad dose of the Double Dragon. I woke up at three in the morning with a terrible pain in my belly. I army crawled to the bathroom and started to puke for a couple hours. Normal right? NO. BECAUSE WHILE I WAS THROWING UP, I POOPED MY PANTS. I will not go into more detail... but there it is. I pooped my pants and I am twenty years old. 

Sister Training Leader Life is HECTIC. It means picking up people there, dropping them off here, paying for this, going to that meeting, going to this house, waking up at three in the morning to go to the airport... It is so so so so so hectic. It also means leaving the house with makeup on ONE EYE because with all these things in my head, I kind of lose my mind. But it’s cool. One eyed makeup is totally hot and in style right now. 

Cusco is a big city. A big city with old cathedrals on every corner and about a million cars. CARS. I am used to MOTOS. Cars can kill! Crossing the streets is a big hullabaloo for me. The other day this man had to accompany me across an intersection because every time I tried to cross, I ran back to the other side screaming. A MAN IN A WHEELCHAIR CROSSED and I couldn’t do it. Full on panic mode. 

Cusco also means buses. There is always way too much pressure to get off those things. Everyone screaming, “BAJA BAJA” and there is no time to stop and pick daisies or anything. The other day we were trying to get off the bus, (me screaming BAJA for about 3 blocks before they stopped) and it was so so so so so crazy. They can cram people onto those things. Well, I was trying to escape and as I was pulling my money out I tripped on someone’s foot and WOOOSH. All my money just flew. And that is how I lost all my money on a bus in Cusco. 

I love you all. I love my compy, Hermana Tamariz. We are way too comfortable together after only a week. We have so much fun together! I love you! 

Hermana Alex

Leaving Puerto

Beautiful Puerto

My Ruizita. I love her so much and miss her like crazy. We are going to be neighbors in the Celestial Kingdom. 

I got to see my convert, Yovalid, in Cusco, at CHURCH! Her daughter got way sick and had to come here for an operation. She told me that she has almost finished reading the Book of Mormon. I walked around with a goofy grin on my face for the whole day. 

This man is named Jesus. He doesn't speak Spanish, only Quechua. He was the most beautiful little old man. All of his family died and his sheep too and he is completely alone. He had the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. We gave him a pamphlet and he lovingly put it into his little bag on his back, promising to visit because his dentist (HOW DOES HE HAVE A DENTIST IF HE HAS NO TEETH?) lives close to the chapel. I literally could not stop weeping while talking to him. My heart was so full of love for someone that I didn't even know. I love moments like this.

The Easter Egg House - also known as, the Mission Home.  

This is my Mission President and his wife, Hermana Harbertson and my new companion, Hermana Tamariz. I was feeling extremely inadequate for my new calling and was talking to Hna Harbertson. She told me that the world needs more strong pioneer women. Women who roll with the punches, who laugh at the hard moments, and just keep going on with hope and faith every day. She told me that I was one of those pioneer women. Completely untrue but I am now going to do my best to live up to it. 

My old buddies from the MTC are now mamas! It was so great to be the shorty again and share some uncontrollable laughing sessions. Love them. 

Good Bye My Beloved Jungle

Hermana Ostler’s Update – May 5, 2014

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 

After 7 and a half months battling weird critters and falling into holes full of water... I HAVE A CHANGE. I should be happy, right? 

Well. 

I am heartbroken. I have never loved any place more than Puerto Maldonado. Movie star status here. My intoxicating love for this little jungle city is an obsession. I love the people, I love the cool music in the streets, I love when the sun rays fall down and we walk around with short sleeves in the dusty air, talking to people about my Savior. I love it when the people tell me that they are searching for something, but that they just don’t know what it is. I love how we get invited to drink about 10 gallons of soda every day and they serve it with so much love. I love that I was here so long that people finally started to learn how to correctly pronounce my last name. I love the monkeys, the birds, the free mangos, the adventures that I had every day. I love the members, my investigators, I love the change that I can see in myself, that I love with everything that I have, that I hold nothing back. I love my Ruizita and all the memories I have with all my companions. 

I love it all. 

But on to the next adventure! 

I will be the Sister Leader in Cusco. I have no idea what President is thinking to call me, someone so imperfect and a little on the loopy side, to train other sisters... But I will do what the Lord wants me to do because I know that He knows better than I do. It will be a really big adventure to just go out and see everything and get to know a lot of the sisters. Also, the apartment of the sisters in Cusco has an oven so you can better your bottom dollar that I will be eating a lot of cookies. Hahahaha. 

This week was a little bit of a “Refiners Fire” so to speak. A couple days where you are just so so so tired that you come home and cry. A lot of feeling really sad about the bad decisions of other people, especially because I love them so much. A lot of circumstances that made me ask myself, “If I am trying so hard, why am I not having success? Have I done any good here?” But then I thought about all the prophets of The Book of Mormon, that they usually didn’t have crazy success either. At least in the beginning. I thought about mission stories where people come home and they haven’t baptized a single person but that THEY came back CHANGED. And last of all I thought about my Savior, Jesus Christ. How HE also cried for the sins of others, that HE also experienced a little (and I mean A LOT) of unfairness. And although I cried and although I felt really really alone, I lifted up my head and was full of joy. I KNOW now that it is possible to be happy even in the hardest of times. That every situation that we come across is an opportunity for us to think, “This is a chance for me to be like Christ.” And the whole perspective of “trials” really changes. I am so grateful for that. 

I also learned that our Heavenly Father is also preparing the minds and hearts of people everywhere. For most of my mission I have felt that I have been doing my “Noah Routine” which is basically imploring and convincing people to do that which is right. Just begging them to follow Christ because I know that is the way for us to be happy. Trying to help people stop in their tracks and really think about their course of life, that maybe they are sad because they are doing sad things. That is the Noah Routine. But this week I saw that God really IS preparing people to receive the message of the gospel, that if we let Him, He will guide us to these people. 

This week we started teaching the sister of a recent convert, Pamela. I always bug her and invite her to listen to us but she was always pretty cold with us. Well, this week her brother Edwin (MOST AMAZING MAN EVER) told us that Pamela wanted us to see her. We go to their house, share a message with her and after she starts telling us the reason why she wanted to listen to us now. She explained that she was about to start up a really bad job, one that would send her way way way off track and basically just cause a lot of hurt and pain. That night she had a dream. She told me that she was inside of a volcano and that there was lava everywhere and big black rocks. (In this moment I was totally thinking about Lord of the Rings and was about to get REALLY distracted with all my Frodo-Sam memories.) 

She then started to explain her dream the next day, that she was basically in the Land of Mordor or something and that there was no light. But then she looked up... and saw US. Saw me and Hermana Sanchez. We were encircled about by light. WE walked towards her... Then Pamela looked me into the eyes, and I was definitely not thinking about Lord of the Rings anymore... And she said. “YOU. YOU talked to me and told me to come back. To stop walking in the dark and come to the light. To come back to God because He loves me. And that is why I needed to talk to you so bad. I trust that this is what I need to do.”

I know that God loves His children, and even more so the people who have strayed. The people that are imperfect and lost. I was one of those children and He saved me. I am now here to follow God’s plan for me and help save my brothers and sisters. I know that He lives and loves us. 

I love you all. More Cusco Adventures next time! 

This is my leaf hat. And this is Alfredo. I was sitting in the shade of his bar (that sounds bad), because it was raining. I was humming a little tune when he comes up behind me and asks,"what are you doing?" It scared me so bad that I started to scream. Hahaha. But then we were friends. 

This is the family of Hans and Yovanna. There are menos activos and are not married, but are amazing. The other day we were all kneeling down and Hans was praying, and that big tough man started to WEEP. Crying without control asking and pleading and begging God to change him to make him a better man. I have never been so happy in a prayer before. 

This is Hermana Lido! I love her. When I first got here she didn't want anything more to do with the church. But after 7 and a half months of working with her she is back to church and is being a incredible leader here. 

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.