Well just nearing the end of my 5th Transfer here in Germany and my 2nd here in Prenzlau. I´m really excited to see what this next transfer call brings. I have the feeling i will probably be staying i must admit, but who knows, anything could happen. I would love to get to jet to another city for a transfer and get ready to train PACO! But i wont get my hopes up... 200 missionaries, 76 cities, but ya, who knows.
Well let´s see, what´s some cool news about this week... hmm... oh i dont know, maybe just that one of our investigators is GETTING BAPTISED THIS SATURDAY!!! Yup, yessir, that´s right my friends. After a couple year pause, Prenzlau looks like we´ll be seeing a baptism. As of now the plan is to do it in the Ucker Lake, a really big pretty lake right next to Prenzlau, and he asked if i would do it, so ya, it will be pretty cool i´m hoping. The last week before a baptism here is always so crucial and soooo hard. We have a text that goes around the whole mission having all the missionaries pray for the people getting baptised by name, so ya it´s intense, i hate to admit it, but Satan seems to have a whole lot of influence here in Germany, so we NEED the prayers.
Aside from that, we also heard from our other investigator who wants to be baptised FINALLY. It´s like she just disappeared off the face of the earth, but she finally called and apparently she´s been up in a bigger city called Greifswald, while here daughter had to have a big eye operation or something, and ya, she still doesnt know when she´s going to be back, but said she´d look us up when she was back in town. Ugh, it´s sooo hard to keep people once you´ve committed them to baptism here... i dont know what it is. Something ALWAYS happens it seems like. Even our investigator who wants to be baptised this week had to go out of town unexpectedly and had to miss church... which led to us having to get special permission from president to still baptise him. But ya, after lots of pondering and prayer, we decided to go on with it, and not give Satan more chances to do anything. The branch isnt very much behind it, we're hoping to have 3 in attendance, but he fills all the requirments in D&C 20 and has the desire, so it calls for baptism. Should the ward not accept him and he fall away, that will not be answered upon the missionaries' heads. Even though we are going to do our best to keep him there.:)
I also got a few letters from some investigators and reactivated members in Kiel these past couple weeks, it always warms my heart and picks me up to know that i was able to impact others at least a little bit in Kiel. The most uplifting news however, came from a member there who talked a bit about how the man i was able to baptise there was doing. Apparently he hasnt missed a week, except one where he was in Belgium, and passes the sacrament every week. He attends every meeting and is a big asset to the ward there. He picks members and investigators up in his car and is always willing to help. That had me beaming for a good hour or so.:) It´s so beautiful to see how the gospel changes lives! I see it so much even in our baptisimal candidate here, and it makes the endless hours of hard, sun burning, seemingly fruitless work, well, more fruitful and fulfilling.:)
Also worth reporting, is our recent success with our community basketball league. It has really opened a couple avenues to gospel conversations... actually far more than i anticipated. Apparently this using your talents stuff really works haha. No real solid investigators yet, but everyone wants to know what we´re doing here and we get to answer lots of questions. My companion and i are doing as well as ever. The plays we draw up in companionship study are working really well, and the pick and roll has really strengthened our companionship, as well as our offense. He always wears his Okur Jazz Jersey, and he has an Al Jefferson one he wants me to use. So far we are 3-1 and we are playing well. Just staying true to the fundamentals, playing hard, playing smart, and playing together.:) Last game we actually beat a team 21-0, it was amazing. Ended the game with a back door cut and finished above the rim. It was really weird actually... i wasnt expecting it, my comp wasnt, and the Germans sure werent either. I dont know, i dont think the hoop is quite 10 feet, but i was still impressed. I wish i had it on video. I flushed the toilet and everything.:)
But back to the important stuff... The church is true. I find that out again and again and again every day it seems like. And even though it still breaks my heart to see so many people reject the gospel, and even though sometimes i wonder if i´m doing more harm than good giving all of these people the chance to accept the gospel only to have them reject it, the notion of the one person out there waiting for me keeps me going. Maybe we knew each other in the pre-existence, maybe i promised him i would find him.. sobering thoughts. But the work does move onwards and upwards, despite my many weaknesses and nothingness, and despite the mentality of atheism so rapant here. Thanks for the prayers and the good wishes. Pray for a baptism in Prenzlau! We need all the help we can get!!! Love you!
-Elder Ott
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