Sign me up for med school

Família!!!  

Nossa!  Que legal!!  O que é legal... tudo! vocês.. as coisas que estão fazendo... em fim.   Just a few comments to start out.... Benson!!! You are massive!  How did you get so big! And Jefferson, won´t it be a bit hard to go on a mini mission AND go on a date this week cause you know that is breaking the rules.. kakakka  Wow I crack my self up.  But that is way awesome that you are going on a spanish speaking mini mission.  Too cool, and keep up the awesome dates.  Do you remember what Elder Ray told us about his dates?  He had a dating journal and he wrote about every date he went on in that journal.  Then when he wrote in his main journal he would site the page number of the date in the dating journal. Remember... just an idea.

Wow well you guys had a crazy awesome week... crazy awesome with a lot of people in home.

Me chilling in our hammock after the operation.
Elder Volk made me some tapioca:)  only in brazil:)

So about the toe.  The picture is of the toe on Monday night when I took the bandage off... it was like jellitized blood.  Pretty nasty.  So I found out that the doc took off a huge chunk of my nail... not massive, just bigger than I expected.  It only hurt a little on Monday but after that it was tranquilo.  No pain.  But when we had to go buy stuff at the store next to our house it started to hurt a little.

This pic is of right when I took the bandage off.

This is of when I cleaned it.  That line is right where he cut it and the red stuff is my flesh... yummy.

Sign me up for med school!

On Sunday I went out and walked and stuff and it was good... it started to hurt a little but tudo bem.  I walked around and went to church with one foot in a shoe and the other in a flipflop with my toe bandaged up.  So what did me and Elder Volk do? Well we studied... I read a ton of the conference talks and boy are they good.  It is one thing to have scriptures and it is another to have updated scripture.  We played cards like speed and war (yes... we played war.. with 2 decks) and I, we wrote letters.  It was a good slow week.  Elder Volk was supposed to go out with some members and other missionaries but they always cancelled so we basically did no work this week.

For my hump day we had a mini party, Elder Gomes and Elder Oliveria came over (they brought the boy they were baptizing for us to interview).  We bought two pizzas and I made brownies.  It was a fun party.    

Well we really didn´t do much else this week... I wrote in the letters more about it. That just blows my mind that Saydi is done in a week...... 1 week.... I just can´t even believe it.  And Derek is leaving in a week!  That is crazy that I already have a year and he is just now leaving.  That has got to suck for his parents.  

So yes... transfers were this week.  I wanted to stay sooo bad and Elder Volk wanted to leave soo bad and we both got what we wanted:)  He wanted to leave just because he has been in this zone now for more than 6 months.  He went to roraima and I received Elder Sidrão as my companion.  ele é de São Paulo, Brasilian.  He is really cool and loves to talk and eat.  Man he eats a ton!  He goes home in a little more than 6 months... I´m really glad I got a brasilian. I´m really excited to go back to just Portuguese.  He does speak a tiny bit of english though, but not enough to converse.   I´m excited for this transfer.  It is going to be great.

Like i said.... he eats a lot!!!!!!!

So we had an investigator in church yesterday.  He is our neighbor that was taught by the missionaries before us.  It was his first time at church. He is really our only progressing investigator. Me and Elder Volk have been working (menos a semana passada) and trying to find news but none of them presta.... how do you say that in english .. none of them prest?  sei lá.  So he is like our only investigator...... we got to work from the ground up... but I know that Elder Sidrão is a good missionary who follows the rules and loves to work!!  It is always a little bit nervous to get a new comp but I think we´ll do fine.

Thanks Mom for your little testimony there about missionaries. I thought about that this week a little, about just how far the mission has taken me spiritually, ou seja, how far Christ has taken me.  Looking back I can see the times when He was carrying me.  I´m trying to rely on Him more and more every transfer and everyday. I think the reason why it is hard for people to rely on Christ is because we cannot see Him.. that is why we need faith... faith that we really CAN lean on Him.  

Reading your letters really made me miss you guys... not in a homesick way but more in a "I´m so proud to be an Ostler" way.  Priest boating..... man those were the days....... ahhh... boating... ahh.... cool nights..... kakakak just kidding.  I sure miss all of that stuff but I know this is where I need to be and I know that if I were home right now I would be miserable. My heart is here.  And it is going to stay here. Thanks for all the letters. I got the package too!! You guys rock!  I got about 7 letters!  Wow my family rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a super awesome week and keep me updated about the Sade! I want to know how she is when she gets home... Crying... happy... ya know.....I got to prepare myself... kaakakaka Amo vocês!

Elder Ostler