Baptism of Icaro

the mirror I use to do my hair....outside.

the mirror my companion uses.......

Godzilla

Yep....I´m an idiot

This is when I poked my eye out on a piece of wire.

If all of the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops.

Hello friends and FAMILY!!!!

How is everyone?  Everybody healthy?  Firme and forte?  Espero que sim!!!  Eu amo vocês muito!!!!  So this week I made a realization......Peanut Butter in Brazil is like ciggeretts in Prison.  Yea it is THAT prescious so thank you to my beautiful family for sending me gold in the paste form.  I love you guys ;)

I have almost 8 months in the mission and my first name tag broke this week.  It is like my soul fell to the ground.  I don´t really know what to do.....the new one is a little stif I gotta break ér in still... ha ha its really weird to think that I have been away for 8 months already that is almost half of my mission.....so weird.  I don´t feel like I have done everything yet.  I don´t feel like I have done suffiecient work for it to be half over.  But I have a month still to work hard before its half over. 

BAPTISM!!!!  FINALLY!!!!!!!  Icaro was baptised FINALLY!!!!!  it only took a little forcing ;) jokes he is totally ready and totally converted it is just rough because his dad isn´t SUPER excited for him his mom is totally cool with everything but his dad not so much.  I have a favor to ask of each and everyone of you.  If the Missionaries in your ward have a baptism....GO!!!!!  It doesn´t matter if you have NEVER seen the person before you just need to support them.  Who knows he might be your bishop someday or relief society president.  It is sooooo important to have the support of the ward I didn´t understand this before the mision I just let the missionaries do their job and left it at that but seriously the church doesn´t function without missionaries the church doesn´t progress without missionary work.  So, help em out!!!

SO sunday we went to get Icaro and take him to church and as we were walking I about lost an eye.  Ha ha I was walking and this wire was sticking out all rude like and stabbed me in the eye.  I tried to send a picture but it isn´t workin super well.  Anyways I freaked out innicially because I am a dramma queen but I am fine.  My eye is super red still and people like to point it out to me I just say "really?  is it like really really red?  wird....."  ha ha I am a brat. 

T|here was a fireside for young adult s on sunday and Dalin H. Oaks spoke about Marriage or something like that.  ha ha I wasn´t understanding much because the sound was all skrewed up and so they were using the spanish translation.  ha ha I still remember quite a bit of spanish and it is really super similar to Portuguese but still I was confused most of the time.  Language is a really funny thing.  In my mind everything I say makes sense.  ha ha I speak a little spanish sometimes and most people understand me But I say everything in the form I would say it in English Apparently we have an odd way of speaking.  ha ha so I just explain to people that I am speaking Ottlenese and they just laugh and except it. ha ha.

So everyone sent me questions this week and I don´t have a whole lot of time to respond so you all hafe to share one email.

I am really good I am healthy and loving loving Brasil.  I am a little sunburned but its not that horrible.  The language gets easier and easier everyday Portuguese is not hte language of my heart but it is a beutiful language and I plan on studying it and keeping it fluent after the mission. 
Transfers are every six weeks the next one is October 26ish (the tuesday close to that date at least) I will  stay with my current comanion until that date in this area but after that I think I will be transferred.  But I am not certain.  I might have an american companion some day but I don´t know.  It isn´t that common to have 2 americans together but it happens, actually my 2 companions from the mtc are together right now. 
I am not still teaching english but the daily dose program is an AWESOME opportunity for those who are wanting to learn english and it´s and even better one for those who want to find eternal happiness at the same time.
if you want to send me a letter i]my address is on my blog meredithsmission.blogspot.com but right now the post office is on strike.

Anyways I love you all I wish you all an amazing week!!!

XOXOXOXOX

Sister Ottley

Wait, you´re telling me I am a Lamanite!?

AHHH!!!!  TRANSFERS!!!!!!

 

So I have been in this area (Feira II) for 2 transfers and Yesterday I found out that I will be here for at least one more!!!!!  I am just about 100% okay with this.  You may remeber that about 2 months ago we went through quit a struggle trying to move into the house that we are in right now.  Yes well I never want to leave this house it is beautiful....never had elders live here and we have 2 bathrooms.  I don´t think there is a better place ont he mission.

 

I am staying with the same companion (sister Utida) and we are going to figure out how to destroy this area.  It was really really difficult this past transfer BUT I have faith that things are going to turn around. 

 

We have a baptism this week.  His name is Icaro and as long as his mom is in town it shouldn´t fall through.  He is way awesome.  We taught him about Patriarchal Blessings and he can´t wait to get baptised so that he can get his.....I didn´t have the heart to tell him that he´ll probably have to wait another year after baptism.  ha ha Oh well.  He is reading the Book of Mòrmon and LOVING it...but I mean who doesn´t like it.  He asked me why the Nephites were killed unless they would deny Christ and I had to rack my brain to figure out what he was talking about.....MORONI!!!!!!  you are reading in MORONI!!!!?!?!  ha ha ha haha he skipped ahead he really is just reading in 1 nefi still.  BUT he read a chapter heading and was really curious anyways, I had to explain to him that the Lamanites were wicked and threatened to Kill the Nephites if they wouldn´t deny Christ.  And he said...I am a Lamanite.....uhhh....yea most likely you are from Lamanite descendants.....ha ha it was funny.

 

Anywasy I really really love teaching this people even if they ARE Lamanites.  Ha ha they are all just so cool!  Last week we found a man and I can´t say his name....I just avoid it at all costs.  ha ha it is eneius.  there are just WAY to many vowels in that word.  He is super cool.. Has about zero Interest in the gospel BUT that is just because he hasnt prayed yet.  He is trying to learn English and so we marked a time in which we go and he and I just speak in English.  It is really funny because I try to talk about gospel stull and he tries to talk about other stuff.  But we´ll get em...don´t worry.

 

ANyways, I am glad to hear that everyone is well.  I am also doing very well.  I am healthy and I am swimming in the blessings.  Brasil is a beautiful country full of anazing people.  My Portuguese is slowly getting better....sometimes I feel like it is standing still but Everyone tells me that for 5 months in the coutry I am speaking well.  I think Portuguese is a very pretty language, we´ll see if I can perfect it in the next year and then not forget it after the mission....I think that is going to be the hardest part.  ha ha ha

 

My Zone leader, Elder Feilds, is goin home today his dad came to get him here in Brazil.  It was really really hard to talk to him in English, i think this is a good sign.  ha ha Anyways, it was really neatto talk to an american who hasn´t been in Brasil for the past few months.  We compared mosquito bites and talked about basketball.....I honestly don´t care...at all about Jimmer but it was cool to hear something about the US.

 

alright I love you all I am gonna sign off now but As always, stay awesome, stay possitive, never regret!!!!

 

The Chucj Is True....ad so is the ChurcH!!!!

 

I LOVE YOU!!!!

 

Sister Ottley

lets not get tooo excited there

so my life is a whirlwind of crazy.  I recieved an email a couple weeks ago from a friend and she reminded me that it was just a year ago that I decided to serve a mission.  I had NO IDEA!!!!  ha ha I am doing SUPER well here in my 3rd area in a country that I knew NOTHING about speaking a language I barely knew exsisted.  SOOOO many things have happened in a year.  I had a vision of missionaries that has completely taken a 180 turn.  I love that mission.  I love all of my companions.  I love the missionaries that I know.  But I understand now what I am doing.....ok NO ONE understands what I am doing because I´m a nut-case BUT I am learing soooo much about my call as a missionary and I am learing more and mroe everyday. 

 

I thought that a mission was just go there....talk about jesus....eat weird food...return with some cool stories....and a tan.  Ha ha ha ha ha haha any of you that are returned missionaries know that this is all FARSE!!!!  ha ha I am here in a country that doesn´t believe in air conditioning OR Vacuums...yea just "go there"  ha ha if only it was that simple.  I was called my God through a Profet to live here in Brasil for 18 months and serve.  I have to study for 9 weeks and still don´t feel adequate.  I talk about our savior all the time.  But I really understand that he is my savior I teach about HIS gospel and I love him.  This opportunity is open to ALL you don´t have to serve a mission to talk about Jesus.  Weird food....yea I´m not gonna go there.  Let´s just say that if I ever have to eat rice and beans again after this next year I will not be super excited.  I will be returning with some AWESOME stories.  But not just because I am in a cool country.  I am meeting the coolest people that exist and I am doing the best thing there IS and "cool story" doesn´t cut it.  I was sent here to meet these people and to help them find the gospel.  I was sent here to have these experiences and cool story doesn´t even scrape the surface.  And I will just let the tan speak for itself.

 

Ha ha so we have been working really really hard in this area trying to teach somebody...anybody....ha ha I love the area, I love the members and my baptisms from last transfer but I am not going to lie....it is SUPER difficult here.  For example, we knock doors an average of 1.5 hours a day and we are allowed to enter in an average of 3 homes per week.  It is super discouraging BUT those of you who know me super well know that I still have a smile on my face.  Ha ha I have faith that Our Heavenly Father is preparring someone Extremely special for me to teach and I am just hoping that I hfind them soon because this is the last week of the transfer and no one knows if we´re going to stay or be transfered this week.

 

ANyways I honeslty don´t know what happens to the time but I gotta go I just want to tell you all thank you soooo much for your emails of support and all the letters.  It really means alot to me knowing that somewhere out there someone is thinking of me.  ha ha I love you all soooo much!!!  stay awesome, never regret!!!

 

Have an awesome week!!!

 

XoxoxoXOXXo

 

Sister Ottley

Can you find me?!?!?!?!