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:)

On New Years Eve, I made that same oath.

Feliz Ano Novo!  Feliz Año Nuevo! Happy New Year!

What is happening my family!!!  It seems like for ever since we have talk......   Jefferson!!! I´m soooo happppy foooooor yoououououuu!!! That is absolutely amazing!  And keep your head up during the senioritis.... I don´t remember me getting senioritis. Benson, I hope you are improving your skiing skills and can do a 360 now. No fear just do it.

I´m holding up a 15 (not a six) for 2015. 

WELL I think that my news year eve was a little more upbeat than your guy´s.  The elders quorum pres from the ward Êxodo invited me and Elder Maia to pass the night at his house.  Êxodo was Elder Maia´s first area and it was one of my favorites. Y*, if you remember is kinda a crazy guy but awesome! He has about 2 years of church now.  Elder Maia taught a family that eventually got baptized when he got transferred. When I went to the area to serve I helped reactivate this family.  They stayed firm while I was there.  Then they fell away little by little when I left.  So when we got to the area we went over to Y*´s and he drove us down to their house.

Y* gave us the low down on them. We went over and just started with small talk. Then Y* started talking to them and counseling them. The atmosphere in the house changed from calm to disastrous (how was that for a sentence my english major sister?)  . . . raising voices . . . accusing.  Y* got ahold of the talking stick and gave them a sermon. . .  Then Elder Maia gave the training that we gave at the Christmas conference on companionship... it was pretty awesome.

I thought of what I could say to help them.  I thought of the marriage triangle.  The husband and spouse are at the bottom two corners and Christ is at the top.  The closer that they individually get to Christ, the closer they become one to the other... I was looking for the right opportunity to say it.   raising voices . . . accusing.... it was at one of these times that the prompting came.

It was at this moment that the thought came to my mind.

"Stand up!"

Usually when we talk about the ways the spirit talks to us we talk about it as a still small voice... this was no still small voice.  It was a thought.. not a voice, But it was as strong as ever...

"Stand up!"

"Stand up!"

I knew it was the spirit.

Well... I didn´t act quick enough.... My heart sank. I hadn´t follow the prompting of the spirit.  As we were saying goodbye and shaking their hand I said "I have one more thing to say....... " and then I said it. Then Elder Maia asked if we could end with a pray. We knelt and My Companion offered a beautiful pray.  We then left.

As we were driving back to Y* house for a churrasco I remembered the story of Pres Monson when he was a bishop I believe. He was in a stake meeting and the stake pres was speaking.  He got a prompting that he needed to leave that instant and go directly to the hospital. But right during the stake presidents talk? he thought. "I´ll just wait till the end and then leave." When the stake pres finally finished his talk, Pres Monson bolted out the door and to the hospital.  When he arrived he ran up the stair and saw a hospital room with commotion in it.  The nurse outside the hospital room door asked him

"Are you Thomas Monson?"

"Yes I am."

"The patient was calling your name right before he passed away 5 mins ago." She responded

In that moment, President Monson made an oath that he would never again ignore the promptings from the spirit or even delay to accomplish them.   On New Years Eve, I made that same oath.

The party was pretty good. We staed from the midnight part of it.  Here they don´t have a countdown and then go wild.. they just kinda go wild at 11:55 till 12:10 with fireworks.  Y* had bought a couple of bottle rockets and blackcats on roids! They just make a massive "BANG!"  Here the tradition is a big meal at midnight... so after the commotion we ate. It was churrasco, pork, lasanha, rice, and farofa, with chocolate cake for dessert.  Mom and Dad, when you guys come down.. we are definitely passing by that house.. he is a great man! 

On the 2nd we did a division with some Zone leaders.  I stayed in our area with Elder Marina and Elder Maia went to their area with his comp. It was a pretty good day. I got in my first bible bash!;;  It wasn´t even that heated. They came to the lesson with the bible in hand.  Right from the start they were saying this or that "I could never go to your church because you have dances and listen to worldly music, in the bible it says we should only listen in louvores (praising hymns)" or "the bible says that you have to be baptized in running waters like Jesus." or "the bible doesn´t say that you have to be married before the baptism if you are living with someone."  Yeah but it does say that fornication is a sin and that you can´t be baptized in sin!  Yes, 1+1=2.  We didn´t really respond to these concerns because they didn´t give us a chance. They just went on to another topic.

At one point I interjected and said "have you guys ever heard of the Book of Mormon?"  We explained what the Book of Mormon is and how it came to be.  I focused on the part about Jesus appearing unto them in 3nefi11. The whole time I was talking they were flipping through their bibles trying to find something that disproved what I was saying.  The man said "I can´t find the scripture but Jesus said that he wouldn´t appear to anybody until his second coming, so how could he have then appeared to these people?" We gave him examples of Saul and Stephen both seeing the Lord. Well Saul didn´t see him but he heard his voice and saw his light and was blinded because of it.  Then he said that the bible doesn´t say anything about the BOM so we showed him one of the many examples in João 10:16 and 3 Nefí 15:21.  We sealed the lesson with our testimony and the invite to read 3 Nefí 11

On Saturday the sisters in our ward had a baptism so they asked me to baptize her.  She has been going to church now for quite a while.  It was the first time I’ve been in the water since August. That is a long time.  But it felt good.

Well have fun going back to school everyone!!! Love you all and have a great week!!! Elder Ostler

I'm on a gurney!

Família!!!

What a great week..... The favorite part was definitely Christmas day talking to you guys!  Wow, that was the best session out of the 3.   Everybody was together... minus Chris.. but still.. absolutely awesome!

So the best day of the week after Christmas was definitely today... the pictures should explain:)  Me and Elder maia went to the hospital at about 1 in the afternoon but this time I went with the determination to get it out.  I was not going to walk out of that hospital with an ingrown toenail. And the doctor took it out!!!  He was awesome and so was the nurse.  The first picture is just of me................"I´m on a gerny!"  The last one is of after he numbed it (which hurt so bad) and used a shovel thingy to whip the ingrown part out. It is massive!!!! I was so surprised that that was in my toe.   Pretty crazy stuff.  Hope that Jefferson can handle it.  :)  

That sucks about the Christmas day break down of the car... our car sempre seems to break down on really important days like when the day that Amanda got home from the mission.   And nobody ever told me that Elder Garland got home..... when did that happen? recently?

So the Christmas package got here today... at least I think it is the Christmas package, it has a stocking on the top.  I still haven´t dove into it but I´m positive it is good!!!  And don´t know what happened with the birthday package but it is whatever.  It gets here when it gets here.  But thank you sooooooooooooooo much for all of the stuff that you send!!

This week we have the meeting with all of the zone leaders... well tomorrow it is.  Then we will be working in our area and doing a split with one of the other zone leaders.

I´ll be back later but that is all for now. Love you guys!! 

Best part . . . just being with all of the missionaries

The view from my front door.
That is where the US played Portugal

A Família

So since we have the mission office I can really do it at any time.... But I´m thinking at about 4pm or 5pm here.... so like noon or 1pm where you guys live in that freezing waste land. Wow I´m super stoked.. especially now knowing that all of you are together!  I´m just so happy right now to be able to talk to you guys all...I was thinking a little bit about what we would talk about…. Presidente Castro said that we should plan our calls and aproveitar os 40 minutos que temos. Thats right it is still only 40 mins but I´m fine with that.   It is plenty of time to talk it up. But I do want to ask you guys to share this one thing with me... For the year 2014, What is your most favorite experience?  Does that make sense... Think of the one thing that happened during the year that left you most happy. A experiência mais agradável.  I want everyone to pick one thing and be ready to share with me... and with everyone. Since I haven´t really been a direct part of your lifes this year.. I want to know what is going on:)  Got it.. don´t forget. Also, think of questions you have for me NOW so that you don´t have to think them up on the spot. I think that just about covers it for the Christmas call. :)  excited out of my mind! 

So on to the week.  This week was one very unique week of the mission. We left on Sunday night for Porto Velho.... we took an hour plane ride and we went to sleep at the Zls house.  It was Elder Robinson and Elder Batemon.... funny right.  Elder Robinson is one of my favorite missionaries on the whole mission. Before I got to my first área, he was there being trained. All of the members loved him to death!  I haven´t been able to talk to him a ton because I´ve never been in his zone. But I´ve always loved him.. anyways... the conference was with only 2 zones.. the 2 from Rondônia.  The training went a lot better I felt.  I had already done it once and knew what I was doing.  It still wasn´t perfect though.

That night (monday) was the birthday of one of Elder Robinsons recent converts so we went over to the bishops house and we made tacos and salsa!  The brasilians loved it.. especially the salsa... I was pretty good if i say so myself... When we went back to Elder Robinson´s house me and him had an amazing talk.. we talked about our first area.

That night we caught our flight with President and Sister Castro at 2am.  We landed in Rio Branco, Acre at 3:30am.  There was a one hour difference; in our heads it was 4:30.  Boa Sorte.  We went to the Zones leaders house and I had the privilege of sleeping on the floor, it was great.

The next day (Tuesday) me and elder Maia did a division with the Zone leaders there. Their area is out on the outskirts of the town. Lots of forest and dirt roads and wood houses.. pretty cool... That night (see picture) we had Tereré.  Man that stuff is good. And as you can see Elder Pothier was at the house as well!! He was my comp last year at Christmas time.

The next day (wed) was the conference. It was the best out of the 3. I felt like me and Elder maia finally nailed the training!  We did good. And the talent show was legit!  The missionaries sang Feliz Navidad and got Pres and Sister Castro to dance! And it is on film. So funny.

That night we flew back home at 3:45am.  Caught a flight to porto velho and then to manaus. We landed at 8am. Talk about a sleep less night. We had to go right to the mission office because the arriving Americans had to do visa stuff. Finally at 2pm we were able to go home and sleep; we were DEAD!!! We were out till 8pm and then didn´t have any problems getting to sleep at 10;30.  So that was just a quick run by of the conferences.  Overall awesome... The best part was just being with all of the missionaries... sleeping in their houses and just conversing with them. Elder Maia is telling me the importance of gaining their trust. I think I´m doing pretty ok with that.

So on Saturday we were able to work in our area! It was incredible. Sometimes it is hard to leave your house after lunch to work in the hot sun. But on Saturday we were both so excited to get out on the streets and work!  The bishop gave us a list of members to visit... more to just see if they still lived there... none of them did so we were able to make some good contacts with the people (the other 3 elders in the office with me see the size of the email that I send to you guys and just can´t believe that I write that much.  Elder Wilson just asked me what I´m going to tell you guys on natal because I’m writing you soo much right now).  Next week we will start doing division s with the ZLs.  It should be pretty fun.  To go work in other areas.

That is about it for the week.. Eu espero que saibam que eu amo vocês demais! Estou muito animado para falar com vocês na Quinta-feira.  Vai ser bom demais! 4pm to 5pm Manaus time... don´t forget. (not like you could). That will still give you time to go to Hermiston if you desire....  Até quinta!!!!!

Elder Ostler!

FELIZ NATAL!

Played Nertz this moring with some sisters…
They just got here by bus so they stopped by the escritoire
and happened to have a couple decks of cards. 

Qual é melhor, arroz ou feijão?

Família!

Wow, What a week it has been.  Full of everything... Stress, happiness, embarrassment, awkwardness....But overall just awesome!  I don´t even knw where to start... well maybe I should start with why I´m writing on Saturday and not Monday.  Yesterday we had the cnferência de Natal em Manaus com todas as zonas de Manaus, Boa Vista, Tefé e Itaquatiara.  There were a ton of missionaries here... Kinda crazy. Tomorrow night we are going to Porto Velho to have the conferência de natal with the missionaries from there and then on Monday night we will fly to Rio Branco to have our last conferênce... we will get back on Thursday early morning.  So that is why I´m emailing you now... make sense.... I hope so:)  Oh and before I forget... about the Christmas call.... I can really do it anytime on Christmas because I'm in the escritrio now... we have computers.. we just got to get some webcams. So that can be at any time.... we will set up an exact time next monday (10 days).  I´m thinking like afternoonish here so like 10 or 11 there... and since I´m your only missionary yu don´t have to worry about anybody else..

So a little bit about what I´m doing right now. I´m in the area of alvorada which is the same place that has the mission office.  We share the area with a dupla f sisters... and unlike the APs in the past we will be working a lot more in our area instead of traveling.  We will also be doing divisions with the Zone Leaders on a weekly basis.  But we won´t be able to work in our area everyday. We have to do relatorios and such.......... Honestly , I still don´t know what I´m doing. I´m just kinda following Elder Maia around and doing what he tells me to do.

This week was like the most unique week of my whole mission because we gt to participate in the arriving and saindo missinários.  Monday night is when the Missionários that are leaving Left.  It was Elder Volk (my old comp) and Elder Nielsen's groups.  I´m gnna miss those guys.  They went and dined at the house of president and then we went there in a bus and picked them up and took them to the airprt. All of their flights left at like midnight or later. We got there at about 11pm.  We got everybody thru the check in and on through security, there were about 12 of them leaving.  But one of the sisters was going to panama and had to wait till 1am to check in .. so in the ffice the elders have a tradition.  The new elder (in this case me) has to buy everybdy subway. There is a subway right next to the airport so at 12am we went.  It was pretty good.  And when I say pretty I mean really!  Then we took the sister back to check in só que she had way to much wait... She was allowed 23 Kilos and have 60 Kilos!!!!!!!!!!!! So we sat there for another hour as she rifled through her stuff and got rid of it. Mainly just books and clothes.  We got home at 2am and went right to sleep.   So that was pretty fun... 

But what was even funner (yes Saydi, It´s a word) was on Tuesday when the new missionaries arrived. We went to get them from the airprt at about 11am with the secratarios and Pres and Sister Castro.  There were 6 of them.... (one thing that is happening here is that there are massive groups of missionaries going home and small ones arriving, a lot of areas have already closed and will continue to close).  2 Elders from Honduras and 4 Sisters, one from Brasil, one from Columbia and 2 AMERICANS!  I couldn´t believe it. They are the first Americans to arrive since January (discluding visa waiters).  They were in the São Paulo MTC.  We picked them up in the bus (it is a rented bus with a driver) and we went to the temple to snap some picks......  Then we were off to the Presidents house fr Lunch.

Lunch was pretty good.  Afterwards Elder Wilson one of the secretaries gave a short training and so did Sister Castro. I had to translate a bunch of it for the two english sisters... What I can´t believe is that I once looked as deer in the headlights as them!  They didn´t understand much but now that I think f it I understood almost nothing when I got here.  They are both from California and are my age, graduated in 2013.  Then president Castro interviewed them all.  Then we were off to the chapel to meet their trainers. By this time it was like 8pm.  Elder Stenquist is training ne of the Elders and the two Americans got put with brasilians.  It was a pretty fun day...

And then we had the conferencia de natal yesterday.  It was kinda put together at the last second. All the missionaries from the cidades in the state from amaznoas and Roraima flew to manaus the day antes.  There were a ton of missinaries there.  We started a little late (like I said it was kind of thrown tgether at the last second, the planning part).

I conducted the meeting.  Me and Elder Maia gave a training.  I was pretty nervous. It was well over half the mission... and my first training...... In the Zone trainings I was always bem tranquilo because it was a smaller number of people and just more comfortable.... This time I was a little nervous.  Elder Maia is a pro at giving trainings. He just is a natural public speaker.  We talked about planning and companionship and hw they are connected.  I felt like I didn´t do all that well.  I should have prepared better for it.  But when I talked to Elder Klumker about it afterwards he said I did great.  I still feel like I could have been butter.

One thing that I need to do better is have more cnfidence in the Lord that he will help me. More faith and mre humility.  That is really what I´m striving for.. to have Heavens help... because I´ll be honest.. there is no way that I can d this alne.. way to much to do.

After the trainings we had lunch then a talent show by zone and district.  It was pretty funny. I was in charge of the mics and pianos...  It all went smoothly......Then we had the testimonies of the missionaries leaving and arriving.  The leaving ones were all the same "It goes by so fast, I never thought I would be at this point but now I´m here......"

The arrivals missionaries were SO GOOD!! Elder Klumker also bore his testimony cause he just got here 4 weeks ago and he is a baller.  He said he was just so happy to finally be serving in brazil!

I´ve never really thought about that but I´m so blessed to serve my whole mission in brasil.  Thank you so much Mom... w/o you that would nt have been possible.  Thank you so much for flying to san fran I don´t even know how many times, 5?.  I thought that the 2 arriving Americans woulds have trouble but there testimonies were my favorites, along with Elder Klumkers.... They couldn´t say much, just the simple stuff.  "I know the church is true.  I know the Book of Mormon can help us. I'm reading it.  Portuguese is hard but with God, will learn."  But when they said it it was just so strong and I knew that they really meant it.  I was actually surprised at how much they were able to say.

The gift of tongues is a real thing and I don´t doubt that. I still remember the day when I landed.  I said a prayer. God heard my pray that day.  He has blessed me with it so much.

After the conference we took a picture with everyone... I´ll see if I can send it to yaall.  I was with Elder Klumker and Elder mount.. man I lve those two.  Elder Klumker talked to us abut all rooming together at BYU.

So that was the conferece. It got over at 9pm.. we were shooting for 4pm... we kinda missed and we still had to cut some stuff out... the two this week should do better because we already ran through it once....

So here is bottom line of the week. I have no idea what I´m doing...But Elder Maia said that that is normal. He said that he didn´t start catching on really till his secnd transfer...But the week was super fun and excited from the leavers to the arrivers to the conference.

Oh yeah one other thing, at the conference I felt such a massive love for all of the missionaries. It was amazing. From sitting up on the stand to talking with all of them. All of the GAs that have passed here have always said that they love us so much and that God gives them that love. Well it is true.  I know most of the missionaries and abut 1/3 I know on a personal level but I still just loved them all. 

I hope the week goes well for you guys and that you enjoy that cold weather kakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakkakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakaakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakkakakakakkakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakakkakakakakakak!

Falou!

Elder Ostler  

The birthday was great!

FAMÌLIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the craziest weeks of the mission by far..... but I´ll get to that later.. (the "o" on this keyboard doesn´t wrk very well so it might be falting a couple of O´s)

Wow it sounds like things are going great for you guys.  That is sweet to here about amanda and chris and how they will start t rake in the cash....  btw... where is chris wrking at?  And Jefferson that is awesome that you are playing for the RHS varsity team!!! Just awesome!!!  Christmas here doesn’t feel like Christmas just because it is so stinking ht.. and the peple get trees.. they are just about a meter high and are plastic...

So on Tuesday I did a division with elder mount from my group in the MTC.  It was great to talk a little and catch up on things.  My toe is doing just fine... kinda.  You should have gtten my other email that I sent to vangorkum....abut me going to the hspital.  We went on Friday night because I couldn´t stand it anymore. Just this time we went to one f the best hospitals in manaus. We got there and we waited for like 20 mins then I gt called back to the surgeon.   The funniest thing happened... I said.."I have an ingrwn toenail that I need taken out." 

This was his next question, "well how do you know it is ingrown?" 

I just wanted to dye of laughter right in his face.... "HMMM i don´t know, maybe it just feels like a bunch of fire ants have a attacked it and then paul Bunion smashed it with an ax... yeah that is hw it feels....  and when I accidentally hit it it feels like jack sparrow stabbed it with his sword and then poured rum all over it.... yeah... so that is how I know that it is ingrown..."

He got online and shwed me the prcedure that shuld be done just like vangorkum did with the phenol that stops the toenail growth on the sides... he told me he could do that but that he didn´t have phenol...... how des one of the biggest hospitals in manaus not have phenol? I asked him if he culd just take it out real quick but he said that that wouldn´t solve anything because it would just grow back.. so this is what he did... he gave me a prescription for phenol and told me to go to a pharmacia and get it.. but not just any pharmacy would have it.. it had to be a good one....  then I was to come back the next morning.. (he was still gong to be there) and he would do the precedure.  Great.

So we left the hospital and went on our search fr phenol.. but this time it as 10pm. We go to a pharmacia that would have phenol but the pharmacist said that it is super rare and that a pharmaci wouldn´t have it.  We needed to go to a stre that sold hspital supplies. He gave us the general location of one.... he really didn´t know. So we got on the bus and decided that we wouldn´t come back the next day because we had no idea where to find the drug and our day was FULL!  But then when we were at lunch on Saturday the irmã who is a RC told me to take my shoe off so she could see it.  She liked in disbelief.  Then she grabbed here stuff and started digging.  The ladies that d manicures here also take out ingrown toenails.  And when I say that she started digging... I mean she starring DIGGING!!  She drained out all of the puss and blood... there wasn´t that much.. and she got some massive chunks out and boy did it hurt....  but it is feeling 50 times better now so nothing to worry about..  she said she would get the rest of it out on Monday (to day) because the swelling would g down...but I told her that we had transfers on Sunday and that I pssibly would get transferred...…

December 6, 2014.... 20 years

The birthday was great!! There is a girl in our ward that was born on 6 dec 1994 as well!  She is the step daughter of our ward mission leader. She made us a cake and rented a trampoline fr the night.  So that night we went ver and had cake and jumped on the tramp;... and boy was that fun... it was tiny though.. 3 meters in diameter and on really uneven ground.. but still fun.  Her friends went first (just like 3 YW from the ward) and me and elder brown were telling them t do flips... but obviously couldn´t.  Then elder brown went up there and they were like "do a flip do a flip" just like we were doing them.. just that they didn´t expect him to do it.... it bounced 3 times and pulled out a backflip....they were all shocked!!! It was funny.  Then I got in and did a frontflip 180.  It was a great birthday...:)  Right after that we ran t the church for a wedding of a less active member and her nonmember boyfriend.  We have already taught him once and he said that he wants to be baptized.  He is just studying and working to much for us to teach them...

We have two other baller investigators..... A* & F*.   We found A* about 3 weeks ago and said that she wanted to go to church. She was´t able to go last week. She is like 40 and divorced and has a daughter. We taught the first and then invited to church and she went and loved it!!! S col.  We also met F*...  she is kinda crazy but went to church.  And has a baptism date for the next Tuesday. It will be great... and she wrote me a letter asking me to marry her..... no thank you.

So now fr the craziest part.  On Saturday afternoon Presidente Castro called me and told me that he had been praying and fasting and told me that the Lord had called me to be the next Assistant to the President................ I just didn´t know what to say to him.  He asked if I accepting and said yes.  He told me I should pray and fast that the Lord confirms to me as the Lord confirmed to him that it is me that should be the next AP.  I will need a lot of faith that God will help me... I got here to the office yesterday... it is so weird.  Our house is tiny.. there are four of us living there.  Me and elder Maia, (my comp, see pic) and the 2 secretaries, elder wilson and elder suoza silva live there.    It should be fun with a lt of work....  We have our own area and elder maia said that we will be able to work in it and do lts of divisions with ZLs

Well that was the crazy week.... h´pe everything ges well for you guys!!! Love yu Guys!

Elder Ostler

The bugs of Manaus

Hotter than . . . . . something very hot . . . . . like a BBQ!!!

What the???? scuba diving!!!  I was thinking about that this week and how right when I get home I want to get certified…. Just a little jealous... but not really ... this week was absolutely amazing!!!  But first thing is first..... I’m dying of heat!!!!!!!! It is definitely over 100 outside and in this lan house the AC is broken.... me and Elder Brown are literally dripping in sweat.... but I guess that is better than just freezing to death like you guys kakakakak.  And Benson I will gladly take over the business when I get home... consider it DONE! kakak  That is pretty cool that you are doing the drumline and good luck with Babal Jethro.... do the ostler name proud..  So this is the last email you will get from me as a teenager!  Já pensaram?  I´m turning 20 baby!!!  And even better... there will be a full moon on my birthday!

So this week we had a baptism!!!  wahhwhhoo!!!  I think I mentioned it last week.. it was R*...  he has been going to church now for almost 3 years but never felt like he was ready for the baptism... until two weeks ago.. we were working really close with him the past 3 weeks and we tried to mark the date for last Saturday but when we were weekly planning we felt we should change it to this Saturday (this was LAST week, like 14 days ago).  When we went to his house to remard the date he said that he wanted to be baptized and that date.. we didn´t even invite him.. he just said it!  It was great.  He knows the baptism is essential.

It was a great service.. great turn out and his non member dad was there.  He is 19 and has a girlfriend who is a member.  The bishop bought a cake and salgados and we had kikão too.. it was great!  Elder Brown did the ordinance and he said that when R* left the agua, his eyes were SHINING!  I thought that was soo cool. I don´t think I´ve baptized anybody on the mission who was more prepared than R*.  He knew Everything and had a forte testemunho da restauração.  

I´m really having a stronger love for these people, especially R* and F* and his family... they are progressing good.  K* told us that she received an answer that the church is the true church just not the Joseph Smith was a prophet... we invited her to pray about that.... well all of them..

It is HOTTER THAN HOTT this is supposed to be the wet rainy season... but it isn't.... Hotter than .... something very hot... like a BBQ.. it is hitting records also we are in manga season and the members are giving them to us like candy on Halloween... most people here have a manga tree in their quintal... we got a bowl of about 10 right now with 5 more in the fridge... they are sooooooo gooooood!!!!

I also gave a talk on Sunday.  I was told before hand so I had time to plan. All of the talks in our ward are on the same thing... tithing, fast offerings, law of chastity and drugs.  I decided to talk on Conversão using the talk by bednar that he gave in 2012,, converter to the lord.   I did alright but not the best.. I should have practiced it a couple more times to work out all the kinks...

We had thanksgiving at Irmã C´s House, she is a less active but she made us jaraqui.. it is a fish about the same size as a rainbow trout.... it was super good!!!! She works in a kitchen so she knows how to cook....  I just sent a pic of it....we are inviting her back to church.

Thanksgiving meal….
ate the whole fish….
INCLUDING the head!

I ate three of them. Afterwards all that was left was the spine... yumnmy.  The head is super salty but good.  I felt like Grandpa Skinner eating it. I remember one time when we were over at his house when I was young and we were eating fish and he just bit off the head….I thought it was disgusting and here I am doing it!

On Tuesday me and elder brown gave a zone training to our zone on the things elder Aidukaitis taught us.  I think we did really good.  Our zone just sat there with a .... shocked look on their face....they understood and they told us last night that they did it.  It is taking them about 8 hours to do..... me and elder brown just did it for a second time so we are getting better....

Did you guys go to coconut´s?  or night diving? any sea turtle attacks? kaka  

This morning we woke up at 3 in the morning to go get my ingrown toenail taken out.....the hospital here is a first come first serve.. you have to get in line and then wait till 7 when they start attending people.  We got there at 530 and I has about 20th in line... pretty good.  When I got up to the window to talk to them they told me that all of the opening for the day were full and that I needed to come earlier if I wanted a spot....... I didn´´t get mad... there was no point in it... but now we will figure out a plan b.... maybe not the public hospital but the private one.....my toe isn't killing me.  I´m taking advil so that is helping.... only when I hit on something which is rare.  I´m not the clumsy type... but it sure was a fun adventure to be on the dead silent street at 3:30 in the morning...

I hope that everything goes well this week and that you don´t freeze to death!!kakak  I´ll hope not to melt to death.  see you in 24......

Elder Ostler