The computers here are really slow, and I don't know why but sometimes I will only see letters from one of you or none of you (mom and dad). But the next week I will see last week's letter as well as this week's...strange. Also, sometimes it doesn't update my inbox, so I will open the e-mail up and it will still show only last week's letters - so I'm not aware of any new mail. I don't know what is going on. I really do appreciate the letters and they do mean a lot and are nice to see every week. I apologize that I don't have many things to say each week. Maybe I just feel like most of the things that happen to me are kind of boring and no one really wants to hear that stuff in a "Missionary Letter".
So, a little more about Mornington (my new assignment area). The area is awesome! It is apparently one of the richest set of subdivisions in Victoria. Hugh Jackman has a house just in Mt. Eliza on the other side of the road that separates our area from the next one just north of us. According to missionary lore, the leader missionaries (Assistants to the President) received a call a couple of months ago from Hugh Jackman's wife's sister that she needed a blessing and they went to his house and administered one. This was a couple of months ago but that is pretty legit. The ward is awesome and they are super kind and feed us pretty much everyday which is super nice. I have been doing a lot of tracting (door-to-door contacting), trying to get new investigators in this area, but my companion and I are really bad with door approaches. Most of the people open the door, see our badges, and then close the door. The stake has just implemented a family mission plan which is super cool and hopefully they will be more mission focused and help us out. At testimony meeting, a couple of the members said that we are some of the best missionaries that they have been blessed with (as for as ability goes), which was very nice to hear.
We had an investigator that a recently baptized member had brought to church last week. We had set up an appointment and taught him and he said he felt the Spirit and felt that what we said was true. We invited him to watch a baptism just in passing and he said he would see what happens. His friend urged him to come with him to the baptism and then wanted us to teach him again right after. We taught him, and the Spirit was definitely there, but we extended the baptismal challenge and he said he needed some time. We said okay but his friend bore testimony over and over and over again about the importance of being baptized into the church. Being a new member and being excited about his own conversion, it is sometimes difficult to temper that exuberance. The investigator was taken to church again by the new convert and after the meeting we asked how he felt and he said the whole thing was negative. It's just an example of how member-missionary work is such a delicate balancing act - knowing when and how to invite, and then letting the Spirit do the rest...and not being overbearing. I have no idea what happened but that and tracting was the only thing that happened this week.
We had an investigator that a recently baptized member had brought to church last week. We had set up an appointment and taught him and he said he felt the Spirit and felt that what we said was true. We invited him to watch a baptism just in passing and he said he would see what happens. His friend urged him to come with him to the baptism and then wanted us to teach him again right after. We taught him, and the Spirit was definitely there, but we extended the baptismal challenge and he said he needed some time. We said okay but his friend bore testimony over and over and over again about the importance of being baptized into the church. Being a new member and being excited about his own conversion, it is sometimes difficult to temper that exuberance. The investigator was taken to church again by the new convert and after the meeting we asked how he felt and he said the whole thing was negative. It's just an example of how member-missionary work is such a delicate balancing act - knowing when and how to invite, and then letting the Spirit do the rest...and not being overbearing. I have no idea what happened but that and tracting was the only thing that happened this week.
My companion sings in the ward and at firesides all the time, which is great. But companionship study is always interesting because I am tone deaf and can't really sing with him. I feel so bad every time.
Love,
Elder Otterson
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