Traveling around the Amazon

April 9, 2015

WHAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could demonstrate my excitement through a screen and a keyboard!!! El salvador!!!! Belize!! You are goin to rock it..... But I won´t see you ;(  mas tudo bem!

This is the first time this week I´ve had time to email.. crazyness... I´ll catch you up on pday.  Love you all.... especially Jefferson!  PARABÉNS!!!! Tu é o Cara!! I love you so much and am sooooooooooo happy for ya!!! get practicing your spanish... you are leaving in less than 3 months!! The Lord needs you... and a lot.... he needs good strong elders that he can trust with anything... be one of those Elders:)  

Falou! Abraço!

Elder Ostler

April 13, 2015

So as you mentioned it has been a good 2 weeks with out me talking to you guys...... Jefferson I cannot believe that you got your mission call already. Well this email might be more like a travel log than anything....... But that is really what I´ve been doing the last week.......... so let´s go back to last week... like 2 weeks ago.  

Travel log March 30 - April 6

1969 Miles

12 Hours by car

5 Cities

4 Flights

3 Conferências de Zona

2 Elders

1 Purpose

Me and Elder Thompson on the plane with President Castro

On Tuesday night we left for Rio branco.  We had soooo many bags because of all of the materials that we were taking for the other zones.   We got there not to late thanks to the hour change.  We got there at 1200 midnight.   We were able to sleep a little before we were off to the zone conference the next day.  It was for two zones and pretty good.

On the runway at midnight

We went back with the elders to their house until 3am where pres picked us up to go to the airport.  He was a little late so we had to book it to the airport but seeing that the airport was about a 4th the size of pasco airport.... we were fine.  Then we flew to porto velho for another conference the next day.... the same day actually... we got there at 6:30 am and the conference stared at 8am... talk about no sleep.  That conference was different because instead of having a regular lunch of rice and beans the ZLs ordered Pizza.... It was fun.

Then right after the conference we left for Ji paraná at 4pm.  But this time by car............... 6 hours in the crammed back seat of a pick up with Elder Thompson and Sister  Castro.  It made for a great time!

Car ride returning to porto velho with Elder Thompson and Sister Castro.  tá com sono?

Once again.... we did the conference the next day..... It was Friday if you've already lost track.  After conference we did divisions with the Zone Leaders.  I went with Elder Pothier!  It was great.  We got some super good açaí that night as well.

With Elder Pothier in ji parana

And the next day was what!!!?/?!?!?!?!?

Only General Conference! We went into the secrataries office at the church and pulled it up on the internet in english... for the first session our sound was pretty bad so it was almost impossible to hear Pres Packer speak.  Conference was awesome..... By about the 9th talk on the importance of family and marriage we stared to role our eyes... kakaka not really it was just funny.  I don´t know if you have watch the Saturday session but it is all about marriage and family.... Encouraging Young Persons to get married.... It was funny.

The priesthood session was great so well... I love Ballards talk where he had a personal interview with young men everywhere.  Such a powerful talk!!! Once again... the importance of marriage.  And I don´t remember his name but one of the released members of the YM presidency spoke on fatherhood.  Dad, I couldn´t help but think of you.  You are an amazing dad and I couldn´t have asked for a better one!  You raised us kids right.  You always have showed us your example of hard work.  Elder Brown (who goes home tomorrow) told me yesterday that you are a role model for him.  You started out with almost nothing ($) and worked your way up to be the best orthodontist in the Tricities!  You are truly amazing Dad. I love you!

The next day we left from Ji-Paraná and went back up to porto velho to watch the Sunday sessions.  We didn´t make it all the way to Porto Velho so we stopped in Ariquemes to watch the first session.  It is a little town in the middle of Rondônia.  We got there right as it was starting and then as soon as amen was said we split to make it to portovelho to watch the last session... then we had to catch our flight at 11 that night.  Elder Hammer was there in Porto velho.  Him and Elder Brown are going home tomorrow.  Right now they are having the dinner at presidents house.  We cought the plane that night and flew back to Manaus....... we got here at about 2 and just went straight to Pres house to sleep.  An elder called me and told me his comp was planning something stupid for the next day. They were going to the institute building and then to the center...... We have a rule that you are not allowed to have zone p days here and that was looking like what they were going to do.... I've had a pretty good hunch that stuff like this has been going on for a while now.

So the next day we had a plan.  We went to the institute building to break it up.  We got there and Pres Castro acting with so much kindness.  He didn´t yell at them or anything.  There were about 12 missionaries there from varias Zones in Manaus. I don´t remember exactly what he said but he said.  He had them recite the purpose and asked if what they were doing fell into the purpose.........................

We went and ate lunch at presidents house then afterwards I talked with Sister Castro a little.  She told me that I needed to find a moça fiel to marry....a faithful young women.  Then she told me not to worry because there are plenty of them:) it was funny.   Then she made me and Elder Thompson go take naps..... it was funny... we hadn´t got that much sleep that week... after we woke up we went with Pres Castro to the mall to buy shoes for Elder Thompson.  He is like me.... very indecisive so it took a long time.  By the time we got home it was pretty late and by the time we were able to make it back to the mission office to write you guys and to find out where jefferson would serve his mission, the internet was down!!!!!!!!  

This weeks we were just getting ready for the missionaries going home and coming.  President interviewed all of the missionaries and on top of that on Tuesday and Wednesday we stayed up till 2am doing to transfer. (we slept at pres´s house)   There are about 23 missionaries leaving tomorrow and some of them are rebellious. With the Interviews and the training on Friday they really didn´t want to work so they were trying to make plans just to fubecar together.  To goof off and stuff.  There was one point where I was just sick of it and just sent the elder back to his area.  He was here in the office for his interview and ....... he just looked at me in disgust.....  It was hard to stand up to him I´m not going to lie...... But I knew that I had to do it……..

After all the interviews pres told us that in some there was no light in their eyes... just nothing. He told me that some would surly fall away from the Church... that was the sad part. After a 2 year mission they will still fall away.  It is obvious just by looking at them...... But then there were also some baller elders like Elder Brown and Elder Hammer!  Man I love those guys.  They are going to stay with us tonight because their flight doesn´t leave till tomorrow! booya!

On Saturday night I was super stressed out! … .. weight of the mission on me….. every problem on the mission just comes back to us....  If something is wrong it is usually our fault.  I just said a prayed that night and just..... It was in between pouring out my soul and complaining to God.  I just told him all of my problems and wanted solutions... then I had an idea... inspired obviously.  I would right down all of the problems and if there was a solution I would right that down as well.  Then I would forget about IT ALL!!!! All of it! AND deal with it tomorrow.  As I was about to start, Elder Thompson came in and just started talking to me.  He told me how much I had helped him out over these past months.  That was just an answer to my pray. After that I felt way better!!! It was great!

Today was the transfer and it was just normal... nothing too big happened... Me and Thompson will stay together for this transfer.  I´m happy because now I can use everything that I´ve learned thus far but it is also very stressful.... But I´m happy with it:)

That was the week.... 2 weeks really. Lots of traveling, Lots of Stress, But a lot More Jesus.  It is amazing what I´m able to do because of Him.  I´m sooo weak.  But with Him I´m strong.

Love you guys... have fun in Mexico!  Love you Amanda!!

Elder Ostler

Making a torta with Elder Hammer at President's house. President loves to cook!