Christmas is coming!

11-29-11 Tuesday

Today we had our zone leader council down in torrance - we talked about a new Standard of Excellence for 2012. We discussed certain goals we would like to achieve personally and as a mission. We decided a baptismal goal as well for the year of 2012. It was a pretty good meeting over-all - but i'm sure we need to really pray about the standards and goals we have set before we put them in stone. We taught Hua at the visitors center tonight - he hates testimony meeting, so we talked to him about that. We watched Elder Hollands testimony about the B.O.M he gave in conference a while ago - it is so powerful. After explaining what it is, Hua gained a new appreciation for testimony and said he will stay for the meeting now every fast sunday. I interviewed one of the sisters investigators for baptism this coming saturday. There were some things that I didn't feel very good about and asked for a second interview. She passed and will be baptized. She really has an amazing story - she is from the phillipines and is what you call 'golden' when it comes to investigator status. She has a great testimony.

11-30-11

Service today went great - I took Gwynn around - she was just happy to be outside. We ate lunch near venice beach afterwards and had a good time getting yelled at by some people over there - I guess we kind of asked for it... going into their territory 'n all. Oh well - good experience. We planned for some trainings that we found out we will be doing on thursday and friday and then ate with the Ramos's. I'm gonna have to invite them back to Utah for sure - they are awesome.

12-1-11

We trained the westwood zone today on 'listen, discern and teach' - they seemed to enjoy it and I felt the spirit - so i'll give that a 'bonus'. We weekly planned for an hour and then taught Hector and his mother the first couple steps of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He really wants to get baptized but he wants to wait for his wife to do it as well - we haven't even been able to meet her yet because she works all during the day. He is confident that she will accept it though. Elder Matheson burnt his mouth on some soup we ate monday... like really really bad. The top of his mouth is charred... the skin is peeling and its super nasty. He doesnt have any taste buds or something so he didnt recognize how hot it was when we were eating it.. he's in some pain. We had a good lesson with Hua and helped him to realize that he HAS FELT THE SPIRIT. It was awesome! He still is not convinced completely though.. He's getting there.

12-2-11

We taught fundamentals again today for 3 hours. I think it went a little better than yesterday - it was our zone and another one. We ate with the Gonzalez family and Pres. Baker called for some advice on what to do for transfers next week with some of the missionaries in the zone. We taught Marianna, her mom and her dad. We watched the Restoration - they didnt have the remote for their dvd player so we had to watch it in english - but they retold the story to us in spanish pretty well. They liked it and said they would watch it again - we want to get them to the V.C. while the lights are up. They have alot of potential.

12-3-11

Saturdays are so stinkin long some times - we never seem to have many appointments. We ate breakfast with some members - that was rare but really fun. Then we got asked to go give a blessing at the UCLA medical center - there is a boy there from Utah that has had over 10 surgeries on his heart since he was born - he's 16. I got kind of light-headed and had to sit down.. I hate that I can't handle that stuff. Anyway, this is supposed to be his last surgery until he is well over 50. He was asleep but we talked with his parents for a while - they are from spanish fork and were really kind. I could tell that they have a great spirit in their family. He is a wrestling coach and had heard of Johnson - his last name is Span. We went to Gabrielle's baptism today - it went great. She is happy as can be. We helped bro and sister ramos make a cake and shoveled some more mulch for them. They really are the happiest couple in the world - I asked brother ramos what the key is to his happy marriage as I was shoveling manure.. He shared some really great insight and advice that i'll hold close to me as I go throughout life.

12-4-11

Church started off early again today - Hector and Brian came - they loved it ! Hector enrolled Brian in scouts and he has already been twice. They are doing great and the ward is really helping and making them feel comfortable. Hua came to church as well and even bore his testimony in elders quorum - I was not expecting that. It was so awesome. He told us later that he really enjoyed it and he felt something 'different' as he did it. He took us to the departing missionary fireside later on - there are a couple of my good friends going home this transfer and I was able to see some people i've really come to love over the past time in my mission - from different area's of my mission. It was good, but hard at the same time. The zone did really well this week as far as numbers are concerned - we are hoping for alot of success during the holiday's!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Keep reading, keep praying, keep the faith

Love, Elder Cottrell