CRER

Família!

Wow, this week was a fast one and I seriously cannot believe that I´m already back at the lan house typing away to you guys.  First off all my shirt size is 15 1/2. My pants are 35ish.... (my waist has grown on the mission.  I can barely fit into my white pants...... kakaka, no laughing:))

Speaking of white pants.... we baptized A* this week!  It was THE BEST BAPTISM I`VE BEEN TO ON THE MISSION!!!!  For starters she was totally prepared!  It was so great.  She has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and knows the church is true.  Also there were a ton of people there because we were inviting people all week long.  And the relief society made a cake and decorated with balloons and a table cloth!  It was amazing!  So many people, probably like 30!  So thank you for going to that baptism mom because there were a ton of people at ours! Thank you!

It was such an awesome service and all the Irmãs from the RS did a musical number which was great!  Just so awesome! That night we were going by one of our recent converts house who wasn´t home.  A*´s cousin lives next door.  She was there.  She came out on the street to talk to us.  We talked for a little bit.  She said that she finally got why we have a prophet. She thought it was a little weird and not necessary but she said that day in gospel principles it just hit her that it is necessary!  It was so sweet!  I can´t wait to just see her testimony grow and grow!

That is alot of crazy stuff goin on at home with Paul being married and Kolby and Alyssa getting their calls.  And that is crazy about Jonny Steele meeting Duane and Beth!  Who´da thunk.....

The weather (is that how you spell it Jackson......kakaka) is almost the same everyday.  It is pretty cool right now and just rains... all the time.  Like it goes from calm blue skys to buckets of buckets of buckets of water from the sky.  Just crazy.  Oh and if you are sending a package today I would love 2 things,,, a tide to go pen and (right now a preacher just walked in the lan house and is preaching to us.... only in brasil..... not even kidding.. happens all the time) a spray and wash type thing. Elder Walbrecht has like this thing that looks like a stick of deodorant that is a stain remover. It works just like spray and wash except you rub it on, I think that would be easier to send.  But if you aren´t sending anything for a while just send it when you send other stuff.  Don´think that right when I ask for something you have to send it right then.  Just send it whenever.   One other random thing... we were walking on the street last week and the song dancing queen came on and I started singing it.  It reminded me of you mom:)

So this week was a little... stressful.  I think it was because we just have no time.... ever.  In the morning we wake up and exercise (which I´m getting better at, last week I didn´t do very good at that but now I´m doing better:) and make breakfast and shower and get ready and by that time it is time to study.  Then we go out and work till 9.  At nine we plan till 9:30 but sometimes we don´t get home till nine thirty so then we plan to 10. Then we have to do the area book (which we are actually doing!)  We do it everyday when it needs updating.  We didn’t really good this week but it just takes to much time.  Then afterwards we have time to take a shower and get a bite to eat and then it is 10:30 and time for bed.

I got a letter (the one in the picture) from you guys on Tuesday and didn´t have time to open it till Thursday.  But when ever I start to think "oh poor me, I have no time," I just remind myself that this isn´t my time, this is the Lord´s time.  When I think about that I stop thinking poor me and think instead of the good I´m doing on the Lord´s time.  We worked hard this week. Every day we came home just wiped out.  Elder Walbrecht loves to talk to people which is a real strength of his.  Every opportunity he is always trying to share the gospel. He is so great and such an example to me.

Some of my favorite things in the world...... letters form home, Açaí and being a Missionary!

On Monday night last week we had a FHE with JW, a man in our ward.  He is paralyzed from the waist down so he is in a wheel chair.  He has 4 kids.  They all live at his house. (that is how it is in brazil.  The kids usually come back to live with the parents after they get a spouse)  One is 12, the other is 10 and the other two are like 22 and 24.  The two older ones have "spouses" that is to say they aren´t married.  They all live in the same house.  They are all members (except the two spouses)  and the two older children are inactive.

JW wanted us to give a lesson on repentance.  So we did.  We talked about the joy that repentance brings and how much the gospel blesses our lives when we LIVE IT.  The spirit was so strong there.  He was so happy.  I haven~t met a happier man in a while.  He is paralyzed from the waist down and just always full of energy and happy!  He bore his testimony to his kids of the importance of the gospel in our lives he said something like this "since I got baptized 14 years ago I´ve been nothing but happy and that is because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is our only source of true joy."  It was so great.  The spirit was so strong.  I hope those kids felt it and will change.

So this week in the mornings I was pretty down. Homesick a little maybe and maybe it is because I just want a break.  Anyways on one of the days I sat down for personal study and just wasn´t feeling the spirit.  I remembered the Atonement of Jesus Christ and wanted to feel comfort from it.  That day I was studying in Éther 4.  Before I started I had the question in mind "how can I use the atonement in my life to receive comfort and repent of my sins." In that chapter, Moroni talks about believing in Jesus Cristo and believing in his words, CRER. That was my answer, believe more in the words and teaching of Christ.

Then I thought "How?"  The next day I studied that in Éther 5.  My question was how do I believe in the words of Christ.  In that chapter the people of Jared cross the ocean in their boats that are tight like unto a dish.  They talk about the trust they had in God and that they knew that he would deliver them. They also sang the whole way for 344 days praising God the whole time.  Once they got there they knelt down on the beach and poured out their gratitude to the Senhor for delivering them to the land of promise in safety.  Within that chapter I found my answer.

In order to believe in Christ I must TRUST in Him and trust that He will cause the winds to blow in the direction that I need to go.  Also be GRATEFUL is the other way to believe in Christ.  My testimony of the Book of Mormon grew this week. You know how everyone always says "the BOM answers REAL questions that you have."  Well it is true.  It really does. I had two questions and they were both answered through the BOM.  That just amazes me that the BOM can do that.  It is because it is the most true book of any book on the face of the earth and a man can get closer to God by abiding by its precepts.  I know the Book of Mormon is True.

Another reason I was down is because I think I am comparing myself to the missionaries in the district.  They are great missionaries and teach with power.  Sometimes I feel like I´m just teaching cookie cutter lessons.  So this week me and Elder Walbrecht started making PLANOS DE LIÇÃO.  It is great but it takes work. You have to have the spirit when you are making it and you have to have the spirit when you are giving it.  We are prepared now for our lessons. I really want to continue making lesson plans for the rest of my mission.  Now and with Elder Pothier (and a few other times) are the only times I´ve made lesson plans.  It takes a lot of time to do but in the end it is worth it.

Yesterday we had a ton of people that said they were coming to church that didn´t.  It is just so annoying when that happens. I think it is just a South America thing because Saydi and Jackson (Feliz Aniversário!) talked about that too.  We went out with the elders quorum pres Irmão Jesus yesterday and he talked about that.  He said that Brazilians, when you mark something with them or invite them to something they usually just forget.  And when they forget they just mark something else for that time and then they can´t come.  So that is annoying.  But I´ll live.

We get to go to the temple tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I´m so excited!!! I haven´t been in over 2 months!!!! I can´t even imagine going your whole mission for 2 years without going to the temple!  It is going to be sweet!!  OH AND yes mom that battery is the same one I have so no worries.

I love you all more than anything!  I hope you have a great week! Have you thought about a prom theme yet? When is it?  Happy Birthday Wilson!  Your are turning..............8?      no its 12!! Parabéns! I Love you all and hope you have a great week this week!

Love Elder Ostler