Christmas season and the 90's

Hey Family!!

So unfortunately Estela wasn´t feeling prepared for baptism, so we marked for next week. But then she disappeared and we haven´t heard from here since Thursday. I am guessing she went traveling or has been really busy. People are always going to the beach or Christmas parties during December. But we are going to keep trying with her. Also we had a streak of good luck, Thursday in the middle of knocking doors on one of the highest hills in our area (but not a favela) we found this guy that said we could return Saturday. We taught them Saturday and it was great. A married family with two daughters and were really interested. They will visit the church next week and we are going to take extra care visiting them with members and everything. Besides that everything has being going pretty slow unfortunately. We have some investigators that we are teaching that are super strong in their beliefs. It is interesting because we you look at things, it only makes sense that religions can only be true if God revealed eternal truths to someone. How can you discover eternal truths about God by just studying the Bible, or by trying to see what is logical? I am not attacking other religions, I am just so happy to know that I can get on my knees and receive truth from God, of receive direction from God through Prophets and scriptures. Anyways we have some plans to find new investigators this week, I will let you know what happens. 

Sounds like the Christmas party was fun! Glad you guys had a good time. 

So the pizza buffet was super delicious. Yes Barra da Tijuca does have tons and tons of shopping malls and areas. They are actually building the biggest mall in southern or Latin American there. But no it is not part of my area. Also no I have never been in the same zone as a sister. They have a few zones that they usually go to.

Oh and we are trying to plan to go to the forest that is in our area, but we need a member to take us by car.  There isn´t a whole lot more in our area that we can do. Maracanã is a huge stadium is in my district, but it is under reforms for the world cup. 

That is about it for this week. I am starting to feel a little like it is Christmas season, even though it is the high 90s, the have quite a few Christmas lights people put on the apartment windows and stuff. Hope you guys are doing alright. Love you all!

With love, 

Elder Ottosen

Visit from the presidente

Hey Family! Hope you guys had a wonderful thanksgiving!

Things have been going all right here in Tijuca. Estela finally went to church yesterday! She liked it tons, and we are going to return tonight to confirm her baptismal date of this Sunday. She is loving our visits, but I am a bit afraid that she is more impressed by what we do as missionaries, than of the Gospel. Joana, the woman that showed up in church, we weren´t able to contact her his week. She had tons of things going on, but said she would go yesterday. She didn´t show up, doesn´t answer her phone, and wasn´t home, I wonder if something happened. Anyways this week we are going to do some serious searching for new investigators. We have very few people to teach, and those that we have are never home. I think we are going to continue to visit members and start working out of the area book. It was cool cause on thanksgiving we got a call during personal study. Presidente was outside our house. Lucky that we cleaned. haha He had comp study with us and I learned a ton. He is really such an inspired man, and I felt a huge desire to work my hardest to baptize families here. 

So we didn´t do anything cool on thanksgiving, but we are going out to eat today at a really good pizza buffet, man I am excited. haha

So I am glad to hear you all had a wonderful time on Thanksgiving and last week. Man I won´t lie I am pretty jealous, but it´s all good, haha my time will arrive soon enough, probably faster that I want actually. It is so weird to think about snow and the cold, it seems so foreign to me now. haha So was the new Twilight movie really big there? I ask because there are Twilight posters on literally every bus and bus stop and everything. I have never seen a movie so popular here. haha

Man Kory is home and Tyler soon after. Man that is crazy. Tell them hi for me. haha

Anyways things are going great here. I am excited for the opportunities I am having, even if it is a bit difficult. It helps so much knowing I have you guys behind me. Helping me in everything. I am so grateful for my mission, my family, and my Savior. You guys should watch the church movie on Christmas, in Portuguese it is mundo feliz, maybe Joy to the World? It is really good and I felt the spirit really really strong while watching it. I love you all so much. Hope the spirit of Christmas and Christ are with you all. 

Love, Elder Ottosen

The power of a blog

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Haha I know it is a bit early but yeah. 

So my comp is Elder Mademann, another comp from the Brazilian North East. He is really cool. So this week there were a few holidays in Brazil, the Day of the Republic or something like that. A bunch of people traveled, so we didn´t find anyone home. But we did have a miracle happen yesterday. We got to church and there was a woman waiting for us. Her name is Joana, and she has some friends in Idaho that have a blog. In their blog there are always talking about the church. She got interested, and researched it, and went to church all by herself. The miracles of technology! haha We are going to start teaching her on Wednesday so wish us luck. Estela is still going well, but she didn't go to church again. We are going to teach her with some members, and try to have members take her to church next week. 

I think that was about it this week. It was cool cause all the new trainers spent the day together Tuesday. My comp of the MTC Elder Stanger is training, as well as my first child, Elder J Lima. I´m already a Grandpa! haha

Ugh Thanksgiving dinner. That is one thing I will miss alot. Haha I hope you guys have a great time though!! Thank you guys so much for everything. You guys keep telling me thanks, but have to remember. I am only here because of the wonderful example that first my parents, and after my other family members and friends gave me. I love you guys tons. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Elder Ottosen

training again!

Hey Family!!

So..... I am training again!! haha I will meet my new comp on Wednesday so I don´t know anything about him yet. But I am excited, I really liked the opportunity to train the first time and I am excited to train again. I will stay here in Tijuca for at least 3 more months now. Anyways this week was good but a bit slow. I am glad to have a new transfer to get all energized and excited. Alda decided to not be baptized yet because she is still attending other church. She says she believes in the Book of Mormon, but I think she doesn´t have a strong testimony yet, so we are going to continue working with her. Estela is still awesome. She couldn´t make it to church yesterday, but will go this week. She is so impressed by our church and us missionaries. Yesterday she said she wanted her daughter to marry one of us missionaries. Haha I had a good laugh at that. Anyways things were pretty normal this week. I also visited the dentist and the ortho this week. President didn´t have any recommendations so I asked some members. I went into the ortho to fix my retainer and left with a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth somehow. haha I didn´t really understand what she was doing until after, ask Dr. Brown if that is okay. It looks pretty sturdy and normal to me. 

So yeah unfortunately I heard about Mitt Romney. haha I am glad to hear that Grandma is getting better. And snow!!?? Man I am jealous. haha I am glad to hear about it though. And yeah I could look at going out to eat on Thanksgiving, because sometimes we don´t have lunch with a member. Also no Christ the Redeemer is really close, but not in my area. And I won´t be able to visit until the very last day of the mission. I also have not heard anything about missions being extended of shortened. Sounds like the ward is going well in Utah, lots of good talks! 

Sounds like things are going well.

Anyways I am loving the mission. Things are a bit slow here, but I am sure these next two transfers will be full of miracles, and lots of work. I love you guys so much

Love, Elder Connor Ottosen

One more door!

Oi Family!

So Happy Halloween!!! How was it? Halloween here was just a normal day. Almost. So we have these members in our ward, the woman is Brazilian and the husband is from Arizona, a complete farmer that doesn´t speak an ounce of Portuguese. They are just visiting until February. They gave us lunch and decided to take us to Outback Steakhouse! haha it was so delicious, one of my favorite meals yet. haha. Anyways this week was a lot better. We had two investigators go to church yesterday, Alda, a woman of 32 years, and her cousin Anderson. They are both way cool and open. Alda has a baptismal date marked for next Sunday if she receives an answer. We found them while just doing street contacts. We also got a great reference yesterday. Estela is super prepared. She was contacted during that pass along card activity. She wants to visit the church and has a date marked for the 18th to be baptized. She loved the message, and understood better than tons of others. These two people came at a good time cause it is the end of the transfer already, and it sometimes gets hard to be excited when nothing is working. haha but It really shows how the Lord blesses us when we do everything we can do. 

It was funny cause last Friday we were knocking doors and absolutely no one wanted anything. We got kicked out of a street and my comp got frustrated and said "We are just wasting time here" I kinda felt the same way but decided to try a few more housed, finally I did a silent prayer and surprise, haha the next door opened to have a woman happily accept our message (a super rarity) and be really excited to learn more about the church. 

I have learned so much on the mission about how God really gives the good blessings only after we put all of our trust in my and do everything we can, then the miracles come.

Anyways I love you guys. Getting excited for Thanksgiving? It is absolutely crazy how fast time goes in the mission. Anyways have a wonderful week!

Love, Elder Ottosen