Transfer 10 News

What a wide range of emotions. So much happend this week. It started off going on exchanges with the assistants Tuesday. I got to go back to Federal Way for a day! I didn't see any of the members I knew because I was in the Federal Ward.. not the Jovita Creek Ward. But i still recongnized the area. Then we had a miracle message from our investigator Suzanne. She read a chapter out of the Book of Mormon that we left her (2 Nephi 31) and called us saying, "When can I be baptized? Can it be sooner?" It was awesome! So we did it this weekend! We taught her for 2 1/2 hours on Thursday. We taught lesson 3 and 4, the baptismal interview questions, then she had the interview, then we planned her baptism, and answered a couple other gospel questions. Her baptism was on Saturday night at 8:00 and our mission president came. He left quickly because he had to organize tranfer calls (we'll get to that subject later).


I was also privilaged to baptize someone from the Seattle 5th ward. I conducted her interview and she like it so she asked me to baptize her a couple days later. She was a miracle as well. She was found on Sunday and baptized Saturday... the same day as Suzanne. So I was able to have 2 baptisms this Saturday! Suzanne is from New Jersey and her friend introduced her to the church via facebook. She said NO WAY, however, she kept seeing signs and feeling prompted to learn more and here she is. Her friend from Jersey is sending her a set of scriptures with her name. I wish you all could meet her! She is so awesome and has the funniest personality.

One of the reasons I have been on a roller coaster of emotion this weekend is not only because of having baptims, pnemonia, stress, and transfers, its because we had a sort of emergency transfer. I am still in the Seattle North Zone and will be until at least December 14th. We had transfer calls and my companion Elder Bunton and I were staying together. There was a missionary going home so we took him to the mission office on Monday morning. After he had his departing interview he called Elder Bunton in the office, had a quick interview with him, and asked him to be the next Assistant to the president. I felt like I was shot in the heart because we had just made all these new goals, told everyone in the ward we were staying, had a ton of success together, ect. He is going to be awesome at it though but needless to say I felt abandoned.

Our zone was able to hit our goal of 10 baptisms in the month of October. It was awesome to see the faith and desire grow in the missionaries. We have such a good zone. Our goal for November is 15 and we have a lot of work to do. I am training a new zone leader and his name is Elder Adam Frogley. I was his district leader for 4 transfers in Federal Way. We got along really well AND we have wanted to be companions for so long. Our exchanges were always a lot of fun. I also have a third companion who is on the brink of going home early. He came out in May 2009 and we are watching him for a transfer so I am in a tri-companionship. He made some really bad decisions last week and needs a little boost. Pray for me. It's already a rocky start and we haven't even had our first night together. This is my charity and love/ patience test. And were off!!!!!

There were some other events that took place too but I can't remember them all because there was so much that happened. I miss my old companion a ton already but know that I will have a blast with Elder Frogley (who by the way is from Draper, Utah. I've had all the people from Draper in this mission as a companion). Oh one more thing; I've never wanted to go to BYU.. ever... and the past month or two I have never felt more impressed to go there. I guess only the future will tell. Thank you so much for what you all do. I love you!

Elder Bottema