Christmas

Hello fellow blog readers! It was a treat calling home on Christmas as usual and quite strange to think I only call home one more time before I see them face to face. This call home was much different. It didn't feel strange at all and it felt like I hadn't been away from my family for a long period of time. It really helped me refocus on my purpose and to remember that our time as missionaries is short. I heard on the phone from several family members "only 9 more months..." It made my heart sink. Only 9 months left? That's only a school year of time? I get attached to people far more than the average Joe. Its one reason transfers is so hard for me. I don't like all the change of companions and areas all the time.

I like getting to know everyone in my area. It's fun to contact on campus when you see people you talked to back in August and they smile and wave. I hope to see them again because maybe something has been stirring inside them since we've last spoke. I guess to make my statement clear: I do miss my family and will be excited to see them, but my mission is sinking deeper and deeper into my soul. I like the way I'm living and helping others. It is most exciting.

For Christmas this year it was fun opening presents, making a breakfast, and staying in our sleepwear longer than usual. It felt so weird but it was fun for a day. Now that the Christmas holiday is over it's back to work as usual. Last year we didn't do the same proselyting on New Year's as this year. This year our mission president wants New Years day to be a regular finding day in the mission with lessons, church tours, and tracting. I think it's weird but what president says goes. I'm very loyal to my mission president and have realized I have a lot more flexibility when I am. Similar to obeying the commandments and feeling more free.

Thank you for all who sent a Christmas cards. I loved it! Thank you for all the prayers and support you give to me. It helps my mission be more positive. Have a wonderful New Year!

Love,

Elder Bottema

Merry Christmas!

Hello fellow family and friends!

The mission has been quite stressful lately and very rewarding at the same time. We have found so many miracle people here in the University wards. Some of which who'll be baptized in January and some who just got baptized Saturday! Another surprise baptism! These are the most fun baptisms to have. We still have one more for December 31st. We might even have two on that day. Bai (the Chinese guy in the photo) brought his sister to the baptisms and we have a lesson with her on Wednesday at 10:00. We are going to commit her to be baptized on the 31st as well. How cool to be baptized one year and confirmed the next? I think it's cool.


This week is going to be horribly slow in finding considering campus looks like a ghost town. We are trying some unique finding ideas such as posting fliers around campus and bus stops, Christmas caroling, hot chocolate stand with church supplies, and the good ol tracting. I haven't tracked forever because street contacting is so much more effective in these high density populated areas.

This past week was transfers and I stayed so that means I will be in this area at least until January 25th. I'm hoping to stay until Spring because that would mean my next area would most likely be my last. Only four areas in two years would be pleasant. I get too attached to people so I don't want to have to transfer any more than I have to.

On Thursday we had a half mission activity for Christmas and we watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the animated version (which is my favorite one.. the Jim Carry one is really annoying in my opinion). We then ate a ham dinner that the Bellevue Stake relief society made us. It was really good and the funeral potatoes tasted like Gladys Hamilton's. It was very much a treat.

Saturday was our surprise baptism that just fell into our laps. We are going to have two more before the end of the year! We really want to hit our mission goal of 720 and if we do that it'll be a lot easier to get 1000 next year because we'll get referrals from those baptized this year.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Merry Christmas! Thanks for your continual support.

Love,

Elder Bottema

Zone Conference & Zone Leader Council

Hello my friends. This week was a big deal for my mission. We are coming up to then end of the year and our baptismal goal is 720. Last year it was 610 and we hit 555. This year we are now just over our last year actual which means we have a long way to go to hit our 720. We are praying and fasting to find more people to teach. There is a really unified feeling in our mission right now and we've seen some pretty amazing miracles of families being found and accepting baptismal dates for December.

This brings us to our next point of conversation. We had Zone Conference this weekend on Friday and we discussed that if each of us could achieve 2 baptisms per companionship we will hit our stake goal and our mission goal. We have one on-date and most everyone else does too but we need to find one more person! It's quite a challenge with school coming to a close but there has to be some students staying over the holiday. After zone conference we had a zone leader council that was only 3 hours instead of the usual day on Friday and we had it at the Seattle North Stake Center instead because we held the meeting right after zone conference. We discussed our goal for next year and you could feel a pretty powerful feeling in the room.

After much prayer and council we set our new goal for the 2011 year. Our new goal is 1000 baptisms for the Washington Seattle Mission. This is amazing! Our mission is improving more and more and it's interesting to see why mission presidents are called at certain times. Our mission goal in 2008 was 416 and they hit 446. Only three years ago the goal was 416 and now it's 1000 with a Stake in our mission preparing to split. We may have a new zone within the next year. If we were to get 416 this year we would have all felt like failures as missionaries and yet... that was a big deal just three years ago.

I love seeing the mission become more unified and teach the doctrine better. Especially the doctrine of baptism. I thought baptisms were always a huge thing and expected investigators to be perfect. The opposite is true. After baptism the Holy Ghost is what gives people the drive to stay worthy. After they have done all they can the holy ghost will help them along the path.

Transfers are next week which means I may not have the opportunity to e-mail. We have transfer calls this Saturday and I am extremely nervous as always. I hate transfers! It's the worst. I've never had one where I felt completely confident or at ease. I'll for sure let you all know within the next few weeks what happens. As far as how my companions and I get along... Elder Frogley and I are unified and for Elder Jordan... lets just say we have a difference in opinion.

Thanks for the encouragement. Keep it up and live your life righteously!

Love,

Elder Bottema