Last week's e-mail

Because I made this blog today I couldn't put the other e-mails on.

 From my mom to Elder Otteson: It was so great to talk to you last Thursday! and fun to talk to your companion. I'll be looking for his family on Facebook ;) I hope you are doing better, We are planning on sending letters by mail. it will help you to have them and go back and read them again. I am getting a packet ready for you as well. I though of a few things you can do to alleviate been homesick, First count your blessings, you are so good at it! Yes, stay positive and look everything with a more positive outlook. Write your blessings count them one by one....it really works for me, it bring a good spirit. Second, give a prayer of gratitude to our Heavenly Father, think in every thing you are grateful for and listed to him in your prayer, don't ask for anything in your gratitude prayer. Record in your journal for a week how you feel after saying your prayers. Third, Exercise! kick your booty by exercising periodically. Fourth if none of the above works, you may consider taking happy pills. :) it can help you to stay focus and it makes a big difference. We went yesterday to see Katie's home coming, it was great to see her. Oh boy she speak fast!!! She was so cute as always. I invite her to come and visit us so we can have a good chat about her mission and get some selfies. Hijo I love you, we are so proud of you and your positive attitude. Keep up the good work. Keep control of your thoughts and get busy doing the work of the Lord. I LOVE YOU!!!! Your mama!!

 Elder Otteson in response: Hey!! How are all ya guys doing!? Ha ha, sorry to hear that skiing didn't turn out, we were never one of those skiing Utah families anyways, were ten times cooler than that. So this Sunday i had to give a talk in church about faith, i found some points i thought were pretty cool about how we can find and grow more of that faith that I thought I'd share with ya guys. The first is listen and read the written word of the gospel, and search for more, The second is accept it in your heart and pray about it, the third is share what you've felt and spread the word. I've definitely seen my faith and the faith of others grow a ton by sharing the gospel. To be honest there are times when i feel kinda homesick, some of my best friends on the mission are guys that have 20 months or more, two of them are going home in a week, one being Elder Filgueira, i could talk about anything to that guy, But the more i work the more i feel better. Anyways, ha ha, this week has been kinda weird...sooo, fifty shades of grey seem to be a hot topic around here in Sonora, 8/10 of the houses we visited yesterday had the movie playing on their TV...with full volume...and this made it very hard to teach. In the end we started convincing people to watch Saratov Approach since they wanted some sort of movie. Anyways, that's about it on the weekly report, oh, the (are ya there's) are cuz what the majority of missionaries do is chat with their families using the email but you guys sound kinda busy. Oh, I'm down to my suit pants, most of my pants have ripped in the area were the legs split ;) send me something to stitch em up with in the package, that'll help a ton. Love ya guys!!! Elder Otteson I can't wait until he is home!!!

8 month mark

Elder Otteson has been out for eight months now, which means he only has 2/3's left on his mission! This is his latest e-mail: AH!!!! No way!!!! Thayne and i were in Nogales for the first half year, that guy freaken awesome!!! Milligan is the funniest guy ever!! Van Aken's always so chill!!! That's so awesome! You listed some people that I don't want to lose contact with, Filgueira says Smith is pretty cool so I cant wait to meet him as well! That's awesome to hear, things are doing alright around this neck of the woods, i actually have a family I've been really excited to talk to you guys about, the Gomez family. we found them through a member, they're actually related when we get there we find out that Suyita (one of the daughters) had already been taught by the missionaries, so we started teaching them and they turned out to be the coolest people ever. They were totally cool with the lessons, did their prayers, read the book of Mormon, participated, and yesterday they went to church for the first time too, they said they really enjoyed it. Ha ha, I also got pretty sick these last few days, but the members have been helping a lot, I really appreciate them. But ya, my Facebook was erased all the way so we cant get it back, but your welcome to create another one if you'd like. Don't worry too much on making a blog, your already pretty busy working in the art studio, when I get back we can compile some memories and make something cool. Ha ha, i was with lupita as she was checking out your Facebook after you added her and started getting all trunky, but anyways things are doing fine here, I'll write ya guys next week, love ya! Elder Otteson It was in response to my mom's e-mail: Dear Elder Otteson, I have so much to tell you! I found this page on Facebook called Parents of Missionaries in Hermosillo, and now I am friend with Brother Milligan parents, Van Aken, Elder Anderson from Centerville! Elder Smith who is now living in the same blue apartment you use to be and Jonah Thayne, ja ja ja, I have seen so many great pics where you are at, and I heard brother Van Aken ho is in Cananea has good things to say about you in his letters. Where are your letters talking about all these people???? ja ja ja ja, I am so excited, all these parents are amazing and they keep it really "suave". Also I want to congratulated you for your last January six month mark! I am sorry I haven't been good at keeping track of those kind of events, I have been surviving with structuring the studio for the past eight month, Is coming alone and I can't wait to open my time to enjoy what is most important for me. Any ways, I just started a calender, a journal/folder for all your emails and a sheet to keep track of your transfers,missionary companions, areas etc. It's really fun to see the letters, pictures and all the details you have sent. So far you have had 3 companions and great experiences, Elder Bernal from August to October 13 a day before your birthday, Elder Filgueira, from October 13th? to February 16? I didn't hear who were your companion missionaries while waiting from Elder Filgueira? Can you please tell me in your next letter. And last but not least Elder Cabrera from February 16th to now. I didn't hear about your companion at the MTC? can you also please tell me who he was? You have wear out two pair of shoes, and soon how many pants? To continue, your next mark a really important one will be August 20th! make sure to save some of your ripped pants to burn in celebration of that occasion, I am just teasing! Make sure to take periodically pics. You will treasure them after your mission. I am sending you a packet with journals, albums, cards so you can keep track of your experiences and people. I am organizing a blog for you as well, I'll need your help to keep good information in there. Also if you want to sent letters, pictures or any items you'll treasure, get them in a box and I'll get you in contact with my friends so any time they go driving to Hermosillo they can bring a packet so you don't have to carry it with you, only if you think it will help, I don't know home much stuff you might have. Another detail, would you mind if I activate your Facebook account. I will only post pics of you, I promise I won't put anything that will embarrass you, and don't worry about what I can find in there, you have made so much progress, that the pass should be left alone. Keeping your Facebook updated will be of a great help when you get back from your mission, it won't be a shock for your friends and the people who surrounded you before, and it will help you to a better transition into activities. If you would like me to do that, please give me access to you email or password. I want you to know how much I love you, you are facing different challenges in your mission and a range of emotions. It is good to keep a good perspective of those challenges so you can have the control and shift your mind accordingly. You will feel loneliness, you will be tired of the pressure of intense study for long hours, rejections and approvals by strangers, less sleep, frustration for the lack of cooperation of members when it comes to help investigators, changes in companions and an easy feeling of the unexpected every time you'll get a transfer. But I want you to know that you are no alone, Heavenly father is with you and with us since you left on your mission, the spirit feels strong in our home and in our hearts. You are not alone. We pray to our Heavenly Father to bless, comfort, sustain and make you efficient and all of those who surround you in the mission field, when doors or people's heart are shut on your face, we ask Him to give you grace, forbearance and forgiving hearts. When coldly spurned by scornful men, warm my son by thy precious love. When cruelly treated, be their to shield him by thy power. Help our missionaries to feel thy present. Feed them with spiritual life and with perfect love which dissipate and cast out all fear. We ask our Heavenly Father to make you know you are his servant and he is your God, to feel his presence so he can fill all your bodily needs. We ask thy to bless our missionaries with a clear mind and useful knowledge, and your memories to retain His truth. May you be humble before our God and meek and lowly as our savior. Put your trust in him, and your words and in his promises. And may wisdom and judgment, prudence and presence of mind, discretion and charity, truth and purity, and honor and dignity be with you and the other missionaries always throughout your work. I pray that our Heavenly Father bless you abundantly so the power of opposition never can influence your hear or your mind while you are in errands of our Savior. I love you my son, and I am so glad you found yourself by giving your self to a full time mission, the Lord will fulfill his promises and his blessings will be upon you always that you keep yours. I love you. We all can't wait until he is home! The next sixteen months are going to pass by very slowly I can tell ya that!