One Year!

Hey Family!

So finally got one year. Man it is absolutely crazy how fast the time goes, it seriously seems like one month ago I was getting ready to leave on the mish. It really goes to show how we need to take advantage of the time that we have to use. So this week we tried a lot of new ways to find new investigators. We have very few, and they aren´t progressing at the moment. We are trying to mark a time to help with an English school, and meet some new people like that. Also I am starting to know some of the members, and we are going to work with them to get new references. Last Saturday there was a cool activity that happened in all of Rio. The ward got together, and everyone (30 members that came) grabbed some pass along cards and then went out of the streets, knocking doors and making contacts. I thought it was really cool cause gave the members a taste of missionary work, and will help them to continue participating in the work. They bore their testimonies after and many had some cool spiritual experiences. It was also cool yesterday, we didn´t have any investigators in church so we prayed and went to the front of the chapel and did contacts. Right when we were giving up we talked to a man who gladly accepted to come watch. It was literally a miracle because everyone was not receptive at all. He lives really far away at the top of a mountain but we have marked to visit him this week. It shows the tender mercies of the Lord in our life. Besides that the week was pretty normal and a bit difficult, i am seeing the we will need to be really creative to find people to teach

in this area. But it was cool one night we were walking down the street and heard a person say "hey do you guys want some water?" in perfect English. This guy was born in Germany, and has lived all over the world doing missionary work. His Dad was from Georgia. He has now

lived in Brazil for 12 years and has a family here. He is part of some church I had never heard of, really small. But I was really impressed on how happy he was serving others and doing this work his entire

life. His mom did the same thing. She served in Africa the majority of her life, really an inspiration. She died in a suicide bombing in South Africa during the 2010 world cup. Anyways I thought it was really

cool to see the sacrifices some good people do to help others. It is so so true, that we will only find our lives when we lose them. I have been studying a lot about love, I think that is what we are really

needing to have more results here. Anyways wish Grandpa and Grandma luck with the surgery. Without a

doubt everything will go fine, and I expect to see a wonderful garden planted by grandma when I get back.

Well I got to go, we found a Wal-Mart in our area that we are crazy to go to. I love you guys and thank you so much for the prayers and help. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Elder Ottosen