[From Mom: So I received my Monday letter on Friday this week. It has been a tough week wondering if all is well. This is a fun letter and worth the wait!]
Family!
How's everybody doin?
So... I have a little bit of a story....
It all started last week when we realized I decided that we should
make cookies for one of our most wonderful investigators. She is so
great! But we hadn't been able to contact her for more than a week.
So we decided to try to stop by with cookies and if she wasn't there
we would just leave the cookies with a note at the door.
So I preheated the oven just like my mommy taught me and mixed up the
cookies. Everything was going great until I realized that it was time
to put the cookies on the pan....which we didn't have. (this is the
first apartment i have been in that didn't have one). Elder G
thought that the story ended there. He started teasing me about how i
am a fail of a sister missionary (he claims this is the first time he
has ever made cookies on the mission). It was pretty funny. But just
as you all know, I am not one to quit easily (or at least not usually)
so I decided to go over to a member of our ward's apartment who lives
in our complex and ask for a pan.
As we were leaving the apartment Elder G said something like, "So
sister Ostler, are you sure we shouldn't turn off the oven before we
leave?" But i didn't think that would be necessary. I mean cmmon!
If the oven was hot by the time we got back then all we would have to
do is put the cookies on the borrowed cookie pan and throw them in the
oven! ... Right? Right.
So anyways, we went over to our member's apartment and SUCCESS! They
had a cookie pan for us! WOOT WOOT! But before we headed back, they
loaded us up with some fresh fruit they had just bought for us.
Yummy! As we re-entered the apartment with our cookie pan and fresh
fruit, I remember thinking, "Wow....Something doesn't smell right in
here....it almost smells toxic! I wonder what the neighbors are
burning?...it must be coming through the vent."
But when i commented on it, Elder G just reminded me, "I told
you we should have turned the oven off."
And that was when I got the idea to check the oven (that is something
I don't think I ever had to do back home because we never stored stuff
in the oven...but come to think of it, maybe i should make that a
regular practice).
When I opened the oven I found some sort of plastic thing melted all
over the place(we think it might have been a strainer of sorts.....but
we aren't sure.....it was pretty un recognizable. Yep. It was a big
mess. And it totally explained the toxic smell. It ended up taking
about an hour and a half total to clean up. We have one less kitchen
knife due to our cleaning efforts. We were trying to cut off the
plastic that had glued itself to everywhere but most horribly the oven
grate shelf thingies that you put the pan on (those are what took the
most time).
Then after we got one of the shelf pan thingies cleaned up, we finally
preheated the oven again for the cookies. We had obviously cleaned it
out completely, but because I deserved it, Elder G kept
reminding me to check the oven to make sure I didn't forget anything
in there. So that was fun.
I forgot to set a timer before returning to the cutting/cleaning job
of the other oven grate shelf thing. About 20 min later I remembered
I had cookies in the oven that only needed to be baked for 13-15 min.
Yep they were burned. The only thing we now had to give to our
investigator was a story about how hard we had tried. But hey!
That's ok right?
So we valiantly headed over to her house with nothing more than a
funny story. When we got there, there was no answer. She lives in
the back room of the house though so we tried to give her a quick
call. No answer. Bummer. But then she called back about 2 min
later! Woot woot!
In our short conversation, we learned that she had left the area for
the day and wouldn't be back till the next day. But then she told us
the bad news. She started explaining to us that she didn't think she
wanted to continue visiting with us. She was pretty set on the idea.
She was just thanking us for who we are and what we do but letting us
know that she wouldn't be continuing her studies with us. Just
hearing this almost crushed me. We love visiting with her so much.
But luckily the inspiration started flowing before the conversation
was over, "oh man! That is so sad! We would miss you so much if you
decided to do that. whatever you decide for sure we will totally
respect. But at least before you make that decision final, do you
think we could at least say goodbye in person? It feels kinda weird
having to say goodbye for forever on the phone. And besides, we made
you cookies! (I figured I wouldn't mention we had burned them at that
point)"
She accepted! Woot woot! I was so grateful for that because often
when we get dropped by people it is because somebody antied them. and
when that happens, we often don't get the chance to reason with them.
As soon as I hung up the phone Elder G of course gave me a hard
time about my cookie comment with our investigator, "so... You want to
give her those cookies that you burned?...I'll never understand
Spanish missionaries..."
So pretty much the entire experience is one I will never live down.
It is perfect though. Elder G's version of the story gets told at
dinners and I get to try to defend myself as different details are
added and altered for enjoyment. So I'm sure you can imagine we are
having a lot of fun with it.
And in case you are interested, our investigator is also doing great!
She even came to church this Sunday! Woot woot!
That was pretty much the highlight of the week. We had a total turn
around with her. She even asked about some of her concerns at church
on Sunday in gospel principles. And because we have a great ward
mission leader (he is also the teacher of gospel principles) we didn't
have to say a single word for her to get her answers. That was really
cool because I remember in my Spanish wards that whenever anybody
asked a question, the first instinct of everyone was to turn to the
missionaries. This had its pros and cons, but I am always a fan of
members teaching and answering questions. There is something powerful
about somebody other than the full time missionaries sharing the
gospel. I love it!
Hmmm well, I'd write more, but we are celebrating one of the members
in my district's birthday today. It's time to party! Don't worry....
The sisters are making the cake....so it should all be under control.
;)
Well love you all so much!
Yours truly,
Elder Ostler
P.S. love you mom! You are the best!
P.S.S random inspired thought (strategically remembered after I told
you how much I love you): can you get me hooked up with a BYU all
sports pass? Thanks....try to get my seats with Jackson and Saydi if
you can....assuming they are getting allsports passes too.
P.S.S.S. (This p.s. Is written today, Tuesday). I don't know what is
going on with my iPad. Anything I try to do on the Internet doesn't
work. This definitely includes sending mail(although for some reason
it receives mail just fine) ..so that explains why You didn't get your
letter yesterday mom. Sorry about that. Truly I am. For some reason,
I can't send out anything. I am going to have to talk with the office
about this problem because it is affecting my area book app as well.
If it makes you feel any better, president is also currently missing
his letter from me this week which is really really bad. Why might it
be so bad that he hasn't gotten my email yet? Because it is transfer
week and he needs his reports from his leaders regarding how
everything and everyone is doing in their areas. So...yea....not sure
if that helps with the whole not getting your letter yet this week
thing, but it was worth the try.....love you! Hope you get this soon!
This should leave my outbox someday.....
