Way too fast

Okay guys.  I can`t take this anymore.  Where is the hidden camera?  who stole the last 16 months of my life?  HUH?!?!?!?   where are they?  This is all a dream right?  well let`s just face it.  I found it all out guys so don`t be expecting me to come home next week.  I am probably just going to stay here and kick it with President Hart and Sister Hart.  They already said I could, but that mom couldn`t get mad.  :)  ha ha I just laughed.  Anyways, this is probably my last email.  I don`t know why but it really doesn`t feel real.  It is all flying by soooo fast.  I feel sick to my stomach but excited all at the same time.   Sometimes I get really really happy because I won`t be hearing the same excuses all the time.  BUt then I think of how much I am going to miss the same old excusses all the time.   I don`t know how I am going to handle it all but we will see.

So this week was interesting to say the least.  There was a party in the street on saturday that went all the way until sunday morning people dancing and drinking, very cool when your church is in the center of the city.  Okay that was a lie it is really not that cool it kinda sucks actually.  But it is nice to know that all will be made right one day. These people will one day realize the truth and everything will be beautiful.  I am super excited for the millenium.

I learned a really cool lessont his week.  Sometimes we get really frusterated with other people.  Some of the are rude. Some of them think they are always right.  Some people don`t like us because we are mormons.  Some people say mean things to us at school/work/wherever.  Some people play music REAL REAL loud and don`t think about others.  Some people are just plain awful.  This week I decided to remember that ALL of these people are my brothers and sisters.  I feel the love of Heavenly Father soooo strong in my life.  I know I am His daughter.  I know He loves me.  This week I felt the love he has for ALL the other people.  Heavenly father loves each and every one of the people on the earth.  Even that guy who cut you off on the freeway.  Heavenly Father loves them no matter what.  If God can love them why can`t we?  I made this personal goal to always remember the they are my equals.  It makes life soooo much easier.  It makes life go so much smoother to remember that I also am not perfect but God still loves me.

I learned loads and loads as a missionary.  I have made goals that I will take with me into my future life.  I have learned lessons that will help me in my future life.  We will just ahve to see if that life includes a boy and children, ha ha I mean look at Barbara Thompson......just sayin.  But I know that being a missionary has blessed my life more than anyother thing that I have done in my life. There are moments that I think, wow, I didn`t baptise the world.  I didn`t convert all the people I talked to.  But I know that Heavenly FAther is pleased with my work.  He is happy that I decided to serve a mission.  And I am soooo grateful for all the amazing examples that I had growing up to help mold me into the kind of girl that could be worthy andready to serve a mission when I did.  OKay, well scratch the whole "ready" part, there is no one in the world who can prepare themselves for this.  ha ha but seriously. 

I just really want to thank all of you: My parents who have supported me and encouraged me this whole time  My mom for writting every week.  My Dad for always knowing I would go on a mission but forcing me to make my own dicisions. my siblimgs for pictures and stories to keep me informed and laughing each week, my grandparents who also encouraged me to go on a mission Basically thank you to my whole family who loved me unconditionaly and showed me perfect examples of happiness and diligence.  My church leaders from primary to Relief Society who taught me to follow Christs esample.  Seminary teachers who taught me to read the scriptures.  Friends who loved and accepted me always even with my imperfections.  I love you all I am soooo grateful to each and everyone of you.  I don`t know if being a missionary would be possible without you guys.  I will never be able to pay back all the prayers, boxes, letters, emails and love I recieved from you all and just your thoughts being with me.  THANK YOU!!!!  

I am immensly grateful to all of you.

I don`t have that many cool stories this week. But I will be able to tell you all some great stories here in a couple weeks.

I love you!!!!  I miss you!!!

XOXOXOXOXOX,

Sister Ottley

Missão Brasil Salvador Janeiro 2011-Agusto2012

Sei que O Livro de Mórmon é verdadeiro, sei que atreves a leitura dele nós podemos nos aproximar mais a Deus do que qual quer outro livro.  Lendo Este Livro eu aprendo somente sobre Jesus Cristo.  Eu amo meu Salvador Jesus Cristo, Sei que ele Vive.  Não tenho duvida disso.  Por meio da oração eu sei que Joseph Smith foi um profeta,  sei que ele viu Deus e Jesus Cristo.  Sei que ele traduziu um registro antigo e restaurou a Igreja de Jesus Cristo.  Eu amo meu Pai Celestial.  Eu amo vocês.  Basicamente Eu amo Bahia.  Sou Baiana já e não pretendo mudar NUNCA!!!!  Fiquem firmes.  Nunca desista!!!  Sempre lembram que são filhos amados de Deus.

Com amor e carinho,

Sister Ottley

The power trio!!

you know you are a true missionary when you can sleep in any situation under any circumstances.

Yet another awkward family photos picture

Waiting to pick up the newbies.

Sisters' P-Day

CHUPA uma MEIA!!!!

GUYS!!!!

Okay this week was super super crazy, I recieved a letter from my 3rd companion who I sent home almost a year ago.  Then I got am email from my "mom" a.k.a. treinadora and another from a sister that has been home for a while.  I can`t believe that these people are already home, it is insane to think that in less than 3 weeks I will also be at home........can I stay?  ha ha no, I know that I need to get home to see you all, I miss ya lots and lots;  but for sure I will miss these crazy bahians too.  man, I just got a little sick to my stomach thinking about the whole going home thing, who will be my companion?  who will make me food everyday?  who will I talk to about hte gospel?  GUYS!!!!  I don`t even have a testimony in Inglesh, I`M NOT EVEN SURE IF THE CHURCH IS TRUE IN ENGLISH!!!!!  I know that it must be but seriously.....  Ha ha anyways that is enough, Sister Davis and I don`t talk about going home because we just end up in tears and it is about to happen again right here in this awkward internet cafe.....not cool, not even a little bit.

ANYWAYS!!!!!  fun stories: yesterday we were walking back from our lunch appointment to do weekly planning.  I looked down on the ground and saw 2 little dead things in the street, they looked like pink little gerbil babies.  I let out a little squeel and my companions stopped to check it out too.  I wanted to continue because stuff like that makes me queezy and I end up feeling really really bad and wanting to help them.  Well, apparently Sister Costa has the same problem and She noticed that they were STILL ALIVE!!! SHe was feeling real real bad wanting to take the little creatures out of the sun and give them water..... then a flood of crazy happened, they almost died being stomped on by some guy, we realized they were blind, they were wiggly, we were desperate, what can we do to help these little weird thinggys?, and some guy stopped to look at what we were so distraught over and said, "those are rat babies."  ha ha all three of us "ooohhhhh....just forget it then."  ha ha we learned this week that for EVERY person on the planet there are 10 rats.  10!!!!  TEN!!!!  can you beliveve that?  grody.  well guess what, there are 2 less.  

SO as you all know, this state is not known for its overwhelming amout of weddings and so we invited President Hart to come over and do a fireside about eternal marriage, guys, I know that I have to get married but I just don`t think I will EVER be mature enough.  ha ha He talked about how the best decision in his life was to marry Sister Hart and how they are going to be eternally happy.  It was all very very beautiful and I want that happiness, but Seriousy?  it  has to come with a boy?  ha ha I am sooooo not ready for that step in life, good thing I am on a mission.  

I bore my last testimony......well like this:  at the last zone meeting or training the missionaries that are going home always bare their testimonies and it is called "the last testimony"  I cried, Sister HArt cried, President Hart cried.  People took picctures, thanks guys.

HGa ha I have some cool stories about investigators and stuff but It will have to wait until next week I ran out of time.  I love you all soooooo much!!!  I miss you but not enough to come home early.  I can`t wait to see you all and to hug you.  I love the saviour but he loves you guys more!  k, I don`t  think that translates as well into english as it sounds in Português but oh well you gut the picture!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX,

Sister Ottley

me and Elder Brown one of the AP´s he is basically Cris Browns Cousin, very cool

My district and our awkwardfamilypicture.com shot

All the Missioanries in our zone headed home with Pres and sister Hart

Sister Davis and I on P-Day

sweet boats in Arembepe

Lunch with pres and the harts

I made cookies.....woot woot

Giant bug that actually tried to eat me, no joke it like attached itself to my dress.....I wanted to cry

SERVICE PROJECT!!!!

Tarsisio, my Boyfriend, he gave me a ring.

The Mute

Okay this week was super interesting.  I drove a car yesterday.......sortof.  Ha ha yesterday (Sunday) we were headed to church in Jacuipe (the district) and Marci (member) called me out an said I need you to drive and as I started to explain that no, on the mission I can't drive he said, the battery is dead ( I am going to push the car and you are going to steer it......BAH HA HA Hah ha I drove a dead car.....It was fun.  I like driving, a lot.

 

I am soooo grateful to be a misisonary I feel like I recieve blessings and miracles all day everyday I can't even keep up with the prayers of gratitude.....it's getting out of controle.  ha ha yesterday we went to our branch normal in Sao Sebastiao do Passe and then we were waiting and calling all of our investigators and no one showed up just 2 eternal investigators that have no intent to get married.  oh well.  So we had all our hopes up to have all sorts of people at church in Jacuipe.  we went and tried to pick a few people up to go to church, no one went.  ha ha all the people we went to go pick up were like "oh yea we'll be there!!" LIARS!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It is okay because we had a fantastic member there who stood outside and acted as usher, ha ha he basically begged people to come in to hear a message about Jesus Christ.......we ended up with 8 people at church.  I LOVE MY LIFE!!! 

 

Cool story:  we went to contact a referral from a youth and she was FINALLY in her house.  She let us in and when we started talking to her she was like oh yea I read the boook of mormon and we were like oh, you read the chapter the missionaries marked for you and she was like no, i read the book.........um...page one to 620?  yea I read the Book of Mormon and I have questions too but I lent the book to a friend and she hasn't given it back yet so I haven't had the chance to read it again......

 

I about peed.  I wanted to cry.  I was like we beg and implore people to read just a small part of the book of mormon and they tell us they don't have time and YOU without anyone telling you to you read the whole book.  Do you want to be baptised?  ha ha she was like I was baptised in the catholic church but I don't really agree with baptiseing small children and when I read that one part I really liked it in the book.

 

GUYS!!!  this is insane!!! This doesn't HAPPEN in Bahia!!!  ha ha I was sooooo happy but there is just one little problem, she works studies and has an extra course at night.  ha ha it stinks because she is like NEVER in home.  I do not like it.  If I am not there with my amazing companions satan and his friends can be there......GRRRRR  .v. super angry

 

ANYWAYS, we will be trying to baptise her this week.

 

So we are going to teach a deaf mute lady.  Get excited.  I am sooooo excited.  I have always hade a secret desire to learn sign language...did you know that it is not the same in Portuguese and english?  it isn't even the same in bahia and other states.  talk about confusing.  but her daughter speaks and hears so we are going to teach the two of them together.  I like it.

 

Well I just want to once again bear my testimony but s you all know I don't really have one in english so here you go....this is why google exists guys.

 

 

Sei que Jesus Cristo 'e nosso salvador e que ele morreu por cada um de n'os  minha fam'ilia 'e muito muito importante por mim.  Sabe porque?  porque ela 'e eterna!!!!  Eu amo o evangelho e sei que 'e verdadeiro!!!!  Joseph Smith foi um profeta chamado para restaurar sua igreja.

 

AMO VOC^ES!!!

 

 

XOXOXOXOXO

 

Sister Ottley

 

Nunca desista!!!!

 

be awesome!!!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!

Hello friends and Family!!!

 

WEll I have a comparison to make for you guys; some of you maybe all have already heard this but I want to make it again.

 

Did you know that the Gospel is like orange juice?  Imagine tis:  you invite a good friend of yours over to your house for breakfast.  You made pancakes and waffles and bacon and eggs, EVERY good thing there is to eat for breakfast.  And while they are eatting you started peeling oranges and making fresh homemade orange juice.  You fill up a nice huge pitcher and set it on the counter.  You don`t place it on the tabel where your friend is eatting it is out of reach but not out of sight.  You don`t offer them any because you are afriad they might not like orange juice and you don`t want to hurt thier feelings or offend them.  The gospel is like the orange juice.  You are afriad thatyour firend might not like the gospel so you don`t even offer it to them.  How are you going to know that they don`t want any if you don`t even offer it to them.  Just remember that the next time you think "oh he would never want to be mormon."

 

So this week we ran into a guy who stopped us and said "I used to be part of this church."  ha ha we asked him if he`d been baptised and all that stuff and he said no so we got even MORE excited.  haha we invited him to church and all that and he told us about all his old friend from the church.  We lied and told him they were always talking about him too.  Well, guess what......he WAS baptised, haha we asked some members and they said that he was baptised like 16 years ago and then became inactive.  ha ha awesome.  guess what else, after he promised us he would go to church, he didn`t show.....shocker.  I don`t think I trust anybody anymore.  ha ha the mission is sad that way.  ha ha maybe if I had more confidence and faith in people I would have more people in church.  ha ha

 

So this  week was the "spring cleaning" of  our "chaple" a.k.a.  the rented house above the local clinic.  ha ha  So we went to help.  After a few cat-calls in the street (we were in work clothes, which is a novelty beccause the people ONLY see us in skirts)  we went and threw some water around at the chaple.  This is cool and all but when we were done the place was still a mess.  The Irmã who cleans wvery week said that if you were to stay there all day you wouldn`t be abele to ge thte dirt out of the cracks.....yes, the floor is cement.  I am sooo grateful for the beautiful chaple I had and have and I will NEVER complain about being called to clean it EVER again!!!!  haha

 

So we have to send the numbers into the office eery week as part of our accountability towards the mission right?  well we made a competition with the elders from our district.......who could do the most contacts with addresses.......this week we got 143  the other two companionships didn`t get that together!!! ha ha we SMOKED them!!!!!  so now they have to buy us ice-cream.  I love a good competition but now it is getting out of hand.   ha ha this week there is a pizza at stakes and we just have to take 5 people to church.......we have 2 wards........These boys are NOT thinking things through every well.. ha ha we practically have 2 areas because of the district where we work and so wew got 12 people to church last week........This should be interesting.  ha ha

 

So needless to say I am wokring really really hard and am really tired.  I want to stay here on the mission forever but my body cannot handle it.  ha ha my spirit wants to continue but my body won`t allow it.  I will be back in the states the 10th of August.  I won`t lie I am excited to take a real life hot shower but I am more sad to think that I won`t be surrounded by this beautiful people anymore.....not that you guys are ugly or anything.....ya`ll are just real real white.  ;)

 

I love you alll sooooo much!!!  life is sooooo good.  I don`t know where I would be or who I would be without each and everyone of you.  I know this church is true.  Eu sei que temos um proposito aqui na terra e que esse proposito é voltar para presença de nosso pai celestial um dia.  Infelismente Eu não tenho nenhum testemunho em inglês, me desculpa.  mas Eu amo vocês de mais!!! 

 

Have a great week!!!!

 

XOOXOXOXOXOO

 

BEIJOS!!!!

 

Sister Ottley

If you could Hie to Jacuípe

Alright people so this week has been really interesting.  I am here in São Sebatião and just loving life.  It is an area that has been a branch for about 19 years.  This is kind of a big deal so if you could all just pray that it becomes a ward soon I would appreciate it.  We are working really hard and Sister Costa is amazing.  She is learning super fast and her missionary shoes fit her realy really well.  I love her as if she really were my filha.  

So last week or so we recieved a refrerral from a member who is pretty cool.  WE didn`t take it toooo seriously because it was a little strange like maybe this person had talked to missionaries before but maby not and she didn`t know the house number.  Tudo bem.  Well this week we were in the area and decided lets go do some contacts and try to find the house.  We did.  It was SUPER easy to find.  Know why?  Heavenly Father wanted us to find it.  They are this fantastic family of 6.  Yes, 6 people.  I love them already.  WE taught them about the book of mormon and they are trying to read it.  It isn`t very easy to read so they are having difficulties.  They are soooo great.  Ane, Cristiano, Nicole, Flavia, Joaquim, and Miguel.  I love them.  THey need to get married but I do believe that once they have a testimony that will not take too long.  PLease pray for them.

We had meetings in Jacuípe again...... no one went.  Ha ha Damiana who was progressing sooooo well needs to get married.  I am thinking about becomeing a professional wedding planner.  ha ha soooo fun!!!!

Life is soooo good I am super tired but super happy.  I am healthy and loving life.  Can`t wait to hear from you all.  have a great week!!!!

Love ya!!!!

XoxoxoxoXO

Sister Ottley