Both Saydi and Jason are getting their papers in!?!? This is so so exciting! For Saydi I am guessing Spain. For Jason, I'm guessing Germany.
Along with the package of letters I got from home, I also got letters from Saydi, Jackson, and Bro Nickel this week. It was awesome! Saydi wins the joke of the week award though. She spent almost an entire page telling me about this awesome guy she met and is getting married to. After I finished reading about this dude, I just sat there stunned, "So.... I guess my cousin Saydi isn't serving a mission after all...." Of course I was super happy for her, but at the same time, I was super bummed that I would never find out where she would be serving a mission (due to the fact she wouldn't be serving a mission if she was getting married). For about 30 seconds I sat there trying to imagine this stud of a man. She described him as being the best qualities of both Jackson and Myself all mixed into one person. And as I thought about this guy, I couldn't help but think how lucky Saydi was to end up with such a guy. But then, I realized I hadn't even finished reading the letter. The next thing I read was, "PSYCH! Gotcha!" I got totally and completely dominated. Nice one Saydi!
I was thinking about my good ol budy Jacob last night as I was riding home in the streets of East LA. He probably leaves the MTC to head down to Columbia either today or tomorrow! That is so exciting! I'm super pumped for him. I'm hoping you can keep me updated with how he is doing down there in Columbia and all that Jazz.
Well, this was another great week out here doing the real deal. I have been learning so much. There is so much I can improve on. So much I can do to become more clear in my communication skills. So much I can do to simplify my teaching. There is just so much I can do to improve. However, while there is so much I can improve on, I try my best to just focus on one little thing at a time. There is always going to be something to improve on: someway I can improve my teaching, some way I can relate to people better, someway I can better fulfill my purpose as a missionary. So I might as well not stress over the thousands of things I need to work on and take it one step at a time. I think in the MTC I let the thousands of things I needed to work on cause some feelings of overwhelmment. But now that I'm here, in East L.A., I'm realizing more and more that as long as I'm honestly giving it my best shot everyday, there is not need to worry. I will fulfill my purpose as long as I'm doing my best. And my best will only get better each and every day. That's the goal. Constant improvement. And that's what I'm striving for. And it is fun!
Sure, I have given myself plenty of opportunities to be embarrassed while giving my "best efforts", but in reality, those are super funny to think about. And when I embarrass myself for lack of being able to communicate effectively, it helps me remember that I really do have a long way to go. And those reminders are gonna be so helpful in the long run.
On my first day here, we met this man that invited us to come back the next day to teach him about the gospel. We went back, but he decided to hide behind his couch rather than answer his door. We tried to go back to see him several times. But each time, when we knocked on the door, he ducked down lower in the coach (I guess to make it look like he wasn't there) and continued watching TV. While Elder Ingram and I find it pretty funny to watch him think he is hiding from us, we decided that we could probably use our time better with other people. Anyways, on Saturday night, Elder Ingram had to use the bathroom. So we went into a Grocery store. As we were walking in, I made eye contact with someone I knew that I recognized from somewhere. And then, it hit me! "L...! Hows it going!?! We tried to stop by your house several times, but you were never there!" L... looked super confused. And then I realized that in my excitement to see the man that has been hiding from us, I had spoken to him in English... whoops.
So, I quickly said as I knocked myself in the head (Latinos use lots of hand gestures when the talk and I love it), "OH, Lo siento yo olvido que yo necisto hablar en espanol." I struggled to talk with him in Spanish and see when we could come over. I even told him we could be at his house in ten minutes (he was obviously heading home with his groceries) But, he nervously came up with an excuse for why that wouldn't work. Something about how he had to put food away and sleep.... couldn't understand perfectly.
Anyways, with the help of my companion, we set up another appointment with him for tomorrow.
So that is just one example of a somewhat embarrassing experience (getting so excited that I forget to talk in Spanish) I have had which shows me how much I still have to improve. But, it was pretty cool for me to be able to remember his name when I had only talked to him once before (especially since remembering names has never been a forte of mine).
Three minutes left.
I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting at church yesterday. I was already planning on doing so as a way to introduce myself, the new greengoe missionary, the the ward. But, they opened up the testimony meeting by saying something along the lines of.... we will first hear from Elder Ostler.
In that moment, I thought to myself, "Crap... I'm first?!?! Shoot." I was really hoping to have some time to put my thoughts together in Spanish before I had to bear my testimony. But alas, this was not to be.
I did pretty good though. I was able to get everybody to laugh... so I guess that is a good thing ;)
Love you My family
Elder Ostler
