I woke up this morning and felt like I was in Hawaii

Família!

Well I just got on real quick before we go to lunch.  Thanks for the pictures dad, Elder Maia will love them.  Speaking of you Dad, we went to the orthodontist today!  It was just like it was in the states.  Just that he didn´t have any helper bees like you do.  We talked while he was adjusting elder maias braces.  I told him about your practice and how you have helpers who prepare everything for you and then you come in and do the hard stuff.  I said you have 8 chairs in your office (I think, maybe less) he said that there is no way that you can do that many people at once. He said that your helpers have to be doing some of it and not all you.  But it was still fun to be there and think of you. 0 PS when I come back in 200 days we are having a "take your RM to work day".  

So the toe..... it isn´t getting better.  I´m still with an infection but I´m not using shoes.. only flip flops.  I don´t know why it is infected still because there is no toenail ingrown on it.  I think I will go to the hospital today just to get it checked out.  BUT I`M FINE and no I don´t need sandals.  Once I get rid of the infection it will all be great.    

And that is awesome that those 4 all have the same class together. What class is it?  "how to get a life"? kakak I crack myself up sometimes...well I´ll be back in..... sometime later.  bye

Elder Ostler  

This is a panorama that I took this morning from our balcony….
as you can see we got hit with a massive rain storm this morning….

this is seconds before it started to pour....I mean POUR!

Mom: You know it's coming. The mommie in me just takes over. You need an oral antibiotic. And you need to soak your foot in Epsom salt. Daily. The infection will not go away without an oral antibiotic. Please please please talk to the mission medical person and see what they can do. I can mail one to you Monday but it will take awhile to get there. 

And you don't need to tell me not to worry. I'm not worried. I'm just mothering! Trying to take care of you even though you're on another continent.

Elder Ostler: I was taking an oral biotic and nothing happened.... but then I ran out. ugh.  I would go to the hospital this second but I don´t want to make my comp suffer.... again.   And the mission medical person is Sister Castro, the wife of the presidente

Mom: I'm mailing you a RX on Monday. But you really need a better, stronger oral antibiotic if it's ever going to get better. I could tell you the name of one but I'm sure they are different in Brazil. So is it possible to make an appointment with a doctor? So you're not sitting in a hospital waiting?

Elder Ostler: What is the name of it.  It is almost always the same in Portuguese... just add an accent mark here or there and you are good :)  there is a pharmacy right next to the church where I could probably get it.  

The hospital here isn´t that bad.. you get out in about about an hour.  The problem is getting there on a stinking bus.  

Mom: Dad called VanGorkum. He said to get Augmentin 875mg and take it twice a day. He also said if you could get amerigel - that's an ointment for wounds. That will help. He doubts they will have that.

He also said to soak your foot for 20 minutes, 2 times a day in HOT H20, (water), as hot as you can stand, and to add salt to the water. He didn't say how much.

Will you promise me that you'll soak your foot twice a day as described above?

Will you promise me that you will make a massive effort to get your hands on an antibiotic this week?

What is the name of the antibiotic you took?

Elder Ostler: Cephalexina.... or something like that.   

I, Elder Ostler, herby promise to soak my foot twice a day as detailed above.  I also vow that i will do everything in my power to "get my hands on an antibiotic this week."

                                                     Elder Harrison Kyle Ostler

Mom: Sweet. I knew that commitment thing would get a great response from you. Doctor called in the RX. We're picking it up today and mailing it Monday. But I've got Jackson checking on if anyone from the MTC is headed to Manaus. Cause we'd send it with them. But hey, you work in the office - you should know that information. Is there anyone in the next couple of weeks scheduled to head to Manaus? What kind of information do you have available to you about that kind of stuff?

Make sure you buy salt today. You're going to need a bunch.

Elder Ostler:   Wait a second.. Are you going to send me this augmentin......? 

Mom: Yes, we're going to mail it on Monday. But I just texted Jackson and he's at the MTC and I asked him to see if anyone was heading to Manaus and he just answered and said he thinks he found someone, he's confirming it right now. If we have a person who can bring it this week, or even next week, then I'll let you out of your commitment to get your hands on an antibiotic. But if I have to mail it, you still have to search for the antibiotic in Manaus, cause as we know, it might never arrive at your door.

So do you have access to that information? Like what missionaries are coming to Manaus and where they're coming from? The office has to find out sometime, otherwise how else do you know when to go to the airport????

Elder Ostler: There is one sister to come next Monday but she got reassigned to a different mission because she didn´t get her VISA.

But I think that this is not a good plan. By the time you send it and it gets here, I won't have a toe anymore (if this is a serious infection).

Mom: Dang - so you don't know of anyone else?

It's a prescription. That's why I made you promise to do everything you can to get it this week. I'm mailing it as a backup plan.

Elder Ostler: There is nobody else.  I can just take a trip to the hospital and get an antibiotic there.  You really don´t have to go through this hassle.. and I think it will take WAY to long.. like 3 weeks or so.

Mom: Jackson says a girl in the MTC is coming on January 19 or 20. I wonder if its the same girl that you said didn't get her visa, and whoever he is talking to just doesn't know that she's been reassigned? But anyway, try to get the antibiotic. I'm mailing one, just in case, and it's not a hassle.

Elder Ostler: Her name is sister p and she did not get her visas.  The secretaries found out yesterday.  

I will go to the hospital and get a prescription..... no big deal.

Mom: Jackson said he talked to the girl personally and she's leaving a week from Monday. He's going to check with the office people to see if she has a ticket bought. Maybe she just doesn't know yet that she's been reassigned. Do you know her name?

Elder Ostler: Elder Wilson talked with somebody in são paulo that said that she still hasn´t gotten it yet.  She might this week

So a little about the week. Well nothing really happened this week.  We didn´t go out to work at all.  We were in the escritorio da missão doing stuff.  But I made a new year resolution to study the book of mormon todo dia and to read preach my gospel todo dia as well.  So far I´m going strong.  In my spare time here I read the liahona of the book of mormon. The liahona is great! I never read it before my mission but it is awesome. I guess the biggest thing that happened this week was yesterday. We moved houses.  The sisters are living in the secretaries house which is on the top story (4th floor) of a nice appt complex (if you can call it that).  We are living in the AP´s house with the 2 secretaries.  It is really crammed.  The transfer to come, the secretaries will be training 2 new secretaries so we will have 6 missionaries in one house.  The house we were in won´t do it so we traded houses with the sisters... it was raining and we were lugging luggage up and down flights of stairs. Man I need to get in shape again.  Our new house is legit!!!  4th floor allows us to see a good part of Manaus.  We can see the stadium and the bridge that crosses the amazon river. I´ll take a picture and send it to ya.  Our house is the most expensive house in the whole mission... last night I felt like I was in Hawaii just because how nice it is.  We have a sweet view.. it is humid and hot.. the house looks like a hotel.. the only thing falting is the beach........... so I woke up this morning and felt like I was in Hawaii:)