Fireworks for my birthday

Hope things are going great in Utah!

Elder Cook was awesome! Elder Cook, President Clayton of the 70, and another 70 spoke to us as well as their wives. We also got to shake all their hands. It was a super cook experience. They talked about real growth, and what we should do and be as missionaries. I really liked Sister Clayton, as she talked about really using love in the work, and how we should be happy while working. A lot of great thoughts, I will have to bring my notebook next time of what they said. They spoke to families that were members after speaking to us. Awesome experience. For my birthday we visited lots of members, because Elder Carniero wanted to say goodbye. It was really cool and a member made us a dinner and a cake for my birthday. Also you remember how I said my birthday is the birthday of São Jorge, or Saint George, apparently it was a big holiday. They had continuous fireworks all day and huge parties in the streets, literally almost every block. The second most fireworks I have seen after New Years. I had to just imagine they were all celebrating my Birthday, hahahaha.  So I absolutely love working with Elder Kerr. This past week has been the most tiring of my mission; I have not worked harder on my mission. But it has been super good. Unfortunately we had some problems finding people at home. But we have a few new families and people to teach, and I think some have real potential to progress. We are working a lot right now trying to figure out what investigators we should work with, and which ones should be put in the area book, because out of our contacts probably one in 4 will give an address. But many times they give the wrong address or actually don´t want anything. So we are learning to find people prepared. I think maybe half member families might be something we start working more with. But really I have lots of hope for this transfer; working with Elder Kerr will be great.

Love you guys all so much!  Send my love to Grandmas and Grandpa would you? Will email you next week about mother’s day, man that was fast. ha. Tchau!

I'm 20 today!

Wow wow wow. Haha First thanks a million for the letters and the cards!!! They were awesome. I really can´t believe I am 20 years old. Life goes by way too fast I think. haha. But good news for transfers, I am staying in my area but my new senior comp is Elder Kerr!!! My comp in the Provo, MTC. I am super excited to work with him, he will come to my area tomorrow. He is way smart and a way hard worker too. I really think we can get lots of good work done this week. Also I will let you know how Elder Cook went because it will be tomorrow. Haha but our house stayed the same besides my comp leaving. It is now 3 Americans from our group from the CTM and our American DL. We will have to be diligent about speaking Portuguese. We had a member give us a birthday cake yesterday haha so that was way cool. The members are all way cool in our ward. We will try and find something cool to do today. Anyways this week we met a lot of new investigators. Unfortunately none went to church but I think in the next few weeks we can have for sure some baptisms. I don´t know if it was the same in the Philippines but they have lots of Spiritualists here, mixes of Christianity and African religions that believe in talking with spirits. Today is the holiday of the main founder of it, haha. It´s interesting to learn about other religions because we are teaching some Spiritualists but we really need to make clear on a few points. haha. It was cool we had a lesson with an 80 year old man this week. He said he found an LDS friendship card in his house and he doesn´t even know how it got there. But he wants to read the book of Mormon because he always thought there should be more than the bible. He even has 5 kids legally married and 8 grandkids. Now the sad part about it is that he only works in our area, but lives in another. I´m really hoping he can be baptized there because that could change the life of his entire family. We had some other pretty good lessons but I´ll let you know next week what happens with our investigators, if any progress. But all in all I am super excited for this transfer.

Anyways tell the whole world hi for me. I am having a great birthday here in Brazil!! Besides the fact I feel like I am getting too old way too fast. haha I send my love, prayers, and eternal thanks!! Love, Elder Ottosen

An apostle is coming!

Olá! Happy Birthday Paige!!! I am working on trying to find cool things to buy and send back everyone but my area isn´t really a place to find souvenirs, but I’m keeping my eyes open. Wow sounds like it was a pretty busy week back there in the states. This week for us was a lot of looking for new investigators. We got lots of addresses and we will have to see if we have any luck with them. We had a nephew of a member come to church yesterday, a 15 year old kid. Missionaries have worked with him for 6 years but I think that he might be ready to finally be baptized now. We will see how things go this week. This is the last week of the transfer and next Tuesday the 24th we have transfers and also Elder Cook will talk to us. I am super excited to hear from an apostle of God! What an opportunity it will be! I think Rio is preparing to finally have a Temple here soon, but I really have no idea. haha.

Anyways thanks for everything! Love you all and send my Congrats to Paige, I sent her a letter a bit back but I don’t know when you will get it. Also thank you guys soo much for all the cards, letters and family history! I got them last week and thoroughly enjoyed them. I got history from you and also from Grandma. Tell her thanks a million. Love you all! Elder Connor Ottosen




Thanks for the packages

Hey Happy Easter!!!! As a matter of fact I got an Easter package from you last week!! Thanks a million! I have been reading parts of your mission to. Wow it makes mine seem like a wimp. hahaha but thanks a ton. Also tell Ashley thanks! I got a package from her to! I hope Easter was fun!!! And I hope Grandpa is feeling a bit better. This week was pretty normal and calm. Not a lot of people home from Thursday to Sunday because of the Holiday. Unfortunately  we didn't have any investigators in church. But it was cool I did a division with Diego, a 18 year old kid who leaves on a mission the end of this year. It was cool and we taught a few lessons with me directing and stuff. I won´t lie I am a bit anxious to be senior, lots of responsibility, Anyways we taught a woman named Elizabeth, I already talked about a little, She is really cool and really likes the ideas of the church. The only problem is she thinks that all churches are good, and you don´t really need church except in your heart. I guess in a way first we do need the right `church` or love for God in our hearts, but if it is true it will later turn into doing ordinances and covenants with God. I think I will show her the `faith without works is dead` scripture. But we have very few others progressing now, I think this week will be a lot of finding new investigators. I have been reading the New Testament right now and am almost done. Wow I wish I would have read it before, so so many good pieces of advice. I find a million new things every chapter. I have really developed a love for the scriptures and the words of the prophets. When I am able to when I return i want to study them more in depth and with only books too. Speaking of which when the Conference talks of April arrive, after you guys use them, do you think you could send me a copy of them, also fall of 2011. Thanks a million! Anyways-good luck for Romney against Obama. Wouldn´t that be awesome to have a Mormom President! haha But things are going good here in good ol´ Irajá! Temps are definitely much much better now without all the heat. I pray for you all and Love you all Tons! 

Love, Elder Connor Ottosen
Also Thanks a million for the history. I seriously love reading and learning about it, so thank you!!!!

Conference on laptops

Olá!

So first send my love to Grandma Ottosen for her birthday.  I love and miss her and all the things she has done for me throughout the years! Second, give my love to Grandpa Ottosen and get well wishes. I´m really glad he is doing better but keep my updated. I don´t know a lot of people tougher than him. haha.

Anyways conference was great! Honestly I loved it, we watched it in the stake center, and the American missionaries watched it in English on a laptop. I also really loved Jeffery R Holland´s and Dieter F. Uchtdorf´s talks. They are consistently good and I really loved the emphasis on love. Also I noticed that many talked on personal revelation, which I loved, a huge part of everyone´s lives. I unfortunately did not see David Archuleta, but haha that is way sweet! Unfortunately we only had one investigator go to conference, and it is a bit complicated, but maybe something he heard in conference will give him a motive to change. I think it was difficult because the stake center is about an hour away from Irajá by bus, a lot faster by car but no one has a car. haha. But we do have a family we found I am really excited about. Elizabeth was a reference, and she has a daughter, son, a mom that is interested and I think a husband. We talked to her and she knows the church through a young women’s activity. She was very interested in learning more and agrees with many points of the church. On for example is our church stressing a living Savior, not everything on his death. She also already knows about the word of Wisdom and thinks that’s great that we treat our bodies well. I am really exciting to see what happens. We have only met with her once but I will let you know next week what happens. Also this week we have the wedding of two recent converts that are way cool. They got baptized last year, but weren´t ready to marry so they decided to live separately. But on the 7th they will be married in the church and then go to the temple I think a little later this year. They have a non-member daughter that hasn´t been too interested, but maybe seeing her parent’s example will change that. Anyways I hope you guys have a great spring break! And enjoy crazy Utah weather, which I admit I miss. My comp thinks it is crazy weather to go from 100 to 75 in a day, haha so 80 to 40 would be a bit different. Also no we don´t have zone conference, but once every 3 weeks or so we will have mission conference with 2 zones. No plans for my birthday yet, haha maybe I find something cool to do. Oh I almost forgot, Quentin L Cook is coming to Rio and will talk to the missionaries April 24th!! I am super excited about this and am really looking forward to it! Anyways Love you all so much! Thanks for everything! And send my Love to everyone. Elder Connor Ottosen

Last training session with the president

Olá!

This week was good but a bit slow. Lots of lessons fell through. But I admit I am super excited for this weekend of conference! I will definitely try and go to a live session after I return. Hoping to bring a bunch of investigators there but it will be a bit difficult because we have to go to the stake center to watch, like a 40 min bus ride. Not sure if I have already talked about them but probably our most probables for baptism is a family with a mom, dad and 14 year old kid. I think this week we be searching for a lot of new investigators. It is good though that we continue to have lots of members offering to leave with us to help teach. We helped a single sister move a few weeks ago and today we moved some sand and gravel for a older brother, reminded me of my summer job. haha. 

The last training went really well! President has a really strong spirit and lots of good advice. Hopefully we will get to hear from him lots more in the future. We teach on average 15 lessons a week. Some of them are really good with members and everything, and some are quick street lessons. Gabriel the boy we baptized is doing great! He passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday! I was way happy when I saw that. The man we baptized, Marciley, didn´t go to church yesterday so we will have to go and figure out why. Lots of people work on Sundays and that is often a big problem here.

So tell Grandma and Grandpa thanks a million! I will write them both, but I don´t know how long things will take seeing that you are only just receiving letters to Jake and Nick. I already sent one, but if Grandpa doesn´t get one send him all my love and tell him to get better. So Dang, I have to admit I am really jealous about the City Creek Center, sounds pretty awesome! Also the Hunger Games films, but the wait just makes everything all the better so don´t worry about that. Let me know how things go for Spring Break!  Again send my love and I hope you guys have a great conference experience!! We are blessed to have such a great opportunity to hear the words of a living Prophet! Love you all! Elder Connor Ottosen