Week of April 26 - The power of fasting and prayer

Hey

This week has been pretty good. Our teaching pool is still really small. This week we were able to teach Evelyne again. We just taught her more about the commandments (lesson 4 in Preach My Gospel) and really emphasized fasting. She told us that she knows the Book of Mormon is true and she even told her husband that she wants to go to the temple! He is still the only stumbling block for that family. I fasted this month for the situation (the obstacle of the father's attitude) to somehow be dissolved.  At our next lesson she said that her son, who we had not taught, told his dad that his prejudice was unjustified because he had not even been to our church. The husband acknowledged his mistake and commented that he will come to church in the future to check it out. Her whole family came to church and she said that she really wants to be baptized and has felt ready for some time, She just wants her husband to at least accept her decision. 

Other than that one of our other investigators went to enrichment and loved it. Up to this point, she has not really had the desire to find out if the church is true - hopefully, this was a step in that direction. We are teaching another man (kind of). We go and drop in on him and just answer his questions at the door. Other than that, we just do finding. 

This week we have been trying something new. We have been just going around and cleaning peoples windows and telling them that we are the missionaries for the Church. Lots of people have been more willing to talk to us about what makes us do what we do and what our church believes. We haven't gotten any concrete teaches from it, but I feel that it is a lot more effective and people actually appreciate what we are doing a lot more. 

Happy birthday dad. Thanks mom for those magazines. The mission gives each companionship the ensign each month. I kind of wanted some more meaty discourses, My bad for not making it clear. thank you for your effort. 

Elder OTterson

Week of April 19 - Service opens doors.

Yo!

This has been a pretty good week. This last Wednesday it was pretty sunny outside so we decided to go and wash peoples windows. We sure got a better response from the people than if we were knocking on their door to talk about what we believe. They were super pleased to have us do something for them and actually came out while we were doing it and asked us why. As a result, we were actually able to have some legit conversations instead of them just trying to get rid of us. 

Interesting thing happened to us this past week.  Some old guy told us that there were 23 billion people in the world and that only 7 billion worshiped Jesus Christ and that 18 billion worshiped Buddha. He also asked why he couldn't just go around the gates of heaven. Besides his math and numbers being WAY off, he sure is misaligned with what's important.  Man you meet some really ignorant people while serving. All is well. 

Elder Otterson

Week of April 12 - Time constraints in writing home and insights on conversion

I know some of my E-mails have been pretty slack, but on P-day, we usually do our studies and then go to the library to e-mail. The mission rule is only an hour on the internet, so that includes downloading chrome, which takes a couple of minutes, entering stats, and e-mailing president which I usually do before getting to your e-mails. This combined with the fact that I am not the best at making small talk conversations is where I point the slack e-mails home. I guess I can start giving a blow-by-blow report on my often pretty routine weeks though.

On Monday, our investigator was supposed to bring her family to family home evening at one of the member's houses. She texted us a little before and said that she wouldn't be able to make it because here husband was acting up meaning he didn't want the kids to go. Tuesday we tried to visit a lot of the less active people and invite them to General Conference, and then we taught this guy named Rob about the Book Of Mormon. He has a lot of questions about it but we haven't had a really formal lesson with him because he is always on his way out or similarly busy. On Wednesday we had Zone Meeting, which was good but took out a large chunk of time and then I got  massive, debilitating headache which is hard to get rid of on a bike. Thursday and Friday we tried to make contact with some people we had met previously and then did some "tracting" (door-to-door contacting). Friday, I started to get a sore throat which stunk majorly.

So then we had conference on Saturday and Sunday which was awesome. I left my notes, so next week I'll try to add what insights I got out of it. I was mainly looking for revelation as to how to change your heart in order to make conversion part of human nature and not so much a choice you have to make at all times. I don't know if that makes sense, but I learned that that question (of choice) is quite irrelevant unless it becomes a habitual one as you practice it over and over again.

I hate being sick and this is the first time I have been so on the Mission which stinks really bad. It is getting better though and also our investigator watched all sessions of conference and loved it, but her husband really doesn't want the kids to participate which is lame.

Love ya. 

Elder O

Week of April 5 - Obedience and Diligence Yields Miracles

Hello,

This has been a fun week. Our investigators are awesome and dedicated. Their little girl even sang in the Easter program! I am convinced that through obedience and diligence miracles will happen. I am super excited for conference this week. We had our investigators come and attend sacrament meeting, which was awesome. There were heaps of nonmembers and less active people who were there, and the spirit was super strong. The members are definitely more on board than before. Last one we had, only one non member was invited...Sad. I love the lord and serving Him. The Atonement is real. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Otterson