Summer in Seattle

The weather here has been insanely nice the past week. It's been in the 90's with hot sun. It's not too fun when you are wearing black pants everyday but I still enjoy it. I heard this doesn't last long.

Crazy news: We ended up moving apartments because ours was not up to health code. It was pretty disgusting. I wish I took before and after pictures because it took me the entire transfer to clean it and then we moved. It was a blessing. Our new apartment is right next door but the difference is fresh paint, new carpet, and new appliances. It smells a lot better as well. We also got new cell phones in our mission and I'm surprised because they are really nice! I can't believe they'd give missionaries a phone this expensive. It's made for texting and our mission president is pushing hard for texting to come back for the assistants, zone leaders, and university wards. I am definately on our mission presidents side. Who wouldn't be? Hopefully this time around nobody will abuse the privelage.

So as far as transfers go I stayed with my companion and it looks like I'll be with him the remainder of his mission. He goes home on September 20th 2010 and I came out September 30th 2009. Oooh! So he is a full year older than me. He's from Draper and excited to go home but not trunky. There is a difference and I've had trunky companions so I know the comparison. This means I will probably be taking the area over and will most likely be here until the December transfer. I know I'll be here until November 1st at the earliest because that's the transfer after Elder Scott (my companion) goes home. I don't feel like I've been on my mission for 11 months and I don't feel like it's going to end. I feel like I'm going to be a missionary forever so I have the same attitude... still the same Elder Bottema. I assume I won't really start freaking out until the last 3 months. I guess we'll see.

We took some companions to the mission home on August 9th to go home and it was the first time I was destroyed about a group of missionaries going home. This group taught me and helped me a lot when I was new to the mission and I served around them constantly so it was weird to watch them go. I wonder if we'll be good friends or if it'll be like EFY when you leave and tell everyone you'll be best friends and then 2 weeks pass and you can't even remember their names. hahaha so typical. I feel like this is a bit different because it was a longer span of time and you go through every emotion on your mission and in that sense I think your a lot closer. Only time will tell!

Thank you for all your birthday wishes! I probably wont get packages for a while because we don't have leadership training until August 24th. I got one from the Saint George clan and I very much appreciated it. The quarters have helped immensly. =) I also enjoyed the visit from the Hamilton family even though that's a huge no no. I thought it'd distract me but I was too busy to be distracted. We got a picture together and I'm excited to celebrate a Disneyland reunion next October! haha! I love you all and thanks for everything you do.

Love,

Elder Bottema