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