Tuesday 2-21-12
Today was the final test, I believe. From 12 to 5, we knocked doors with no success. It reminded me alot of the hard times I had a year ago in Lynwood - fishing all day long, pleading to God that we'd find someone, anyone to listen. It was rough. Finally at 5, we went to sister Diaz's and taught Victor one of his last lessons before his baptism. We ate with the Barahona's and then went to the stake center for Victor's interview. While we waited for him to be done, I gave his grandmother a blessing. She is going in for surgery tomorrow and is very nervous. Victor passed his interview and will be baptized on Sunday. He asked if I could be the person to baptize him. I'd be more than honored to do that on my last Sunday in the mission. We went to the Calderon's afterwards and helped them clean a really dirty refrigerator. Long day!
2-22-12
Today we went to give service at the old folks home for the last time. It was a beautiful day. I got to take Erna for my last walk. I told her how much i'll miss her and said that i'll do my best to come visit her sometime soon. We ate some lunch with the other missionaries and then had a zone leadership meeting to plan the zone goal for march. On the freeway today we saw a city bus cut off a little honda. The honda honked at the bus and drove really close behind it. The bus driver stopped and got out... on the freeway. He walked up to the window of the honda and just started yelling at the guy driving. The bus driver even walked along side the car to keep yelling at him.. on the freeway. I'll miss you, crazy people of L.A. We ate at the Guarneros' and then took brother barahona a birthday present. He showed us pictures of his gal stones. Bonus...
2-23-12
We went to district meeting today. I brought all of the stuff that I wont be taking home and let all of the missionaries go through it. It was like Christmas for them, I believe. Glad I could help. We taught Hector about the Sabbath day and about fasting. I was really tired for some reason and had to fight to stay awake, He's doing great though, he will get baptized some day.. just not this week. We went to the farmers market near our apartment to see a member that works there. She gave us some food and said that she will miss me coming by. She set up an apointment with my companion to have a lesson next week. We taught Victor 4 of the 10 commandments and then went to dinner with a few guys in the singles ward - cory, jonathon and my buddy hua. It was great to see them all again. They're all really really solid guys with strong testimonies of the church.
2-24-12
Today went well - I went to my last district meeting. Elder Hoyt and Sister Orellana gave great trainings. We went to yogurtland afterwards and I dumped mine on my freshly dry-cleaned suit. Nice. We went to say goodbye to the Barrios and ate some soup there. We knocked a few doors and then went to dinner with Dustin and Shane - two of my favorite guys from the singles ward. We ate alot of food - empanada's and spudnuts. Hopefully some of it will stick. We ate even more food when we went to brother calderon's. We taught The Restoration - Cindy was there again and still really interested. Today some kids at school accidentally kicked their soccer ball over the fence into the road. I ran over to get the ball and kick it back to them. I kicked it really hard.. in the wrong direction. I really didnt' mean to. My companion just sat there and laughed way hard while all of the kids looked through the fence super distraught. I was too embarrassed to look back at them. Someone got out of there car and threw the ball back to them. Whoops.
2-25-12
Today I went to the church to practice The Test with Hua. I think it should go pretty well tomorrow. We taught hector and brian about tithing - they both committed to live it. We drove up one of the canyons in malibu to do our weekly planning one last time. It was really nice. We ate with the Ramos's - sister ramos wasnt feeling too well, so I gave her a blessing. I'm really going to miss that family. We taught Victor the rest of the 10 commandments. He is all ready to be baptized tomorrow.
2-26-12
The day that i've been looking forward to and dreading for my entire mission. We woke up really early and went to a coorelation meeting. We put together the baptism program for victor and went to a meeting with the stake to report on missionary work. President Baker announced that it would be my last time in the meeting. They all thanked me for my service and I said goodbye. The La Cienega ward threw a little party for a girl that just got home from her mission a few weeks ago, and for myself. They had us both bare our testimonies and then we ate. I said goodbye to alot of people that i'll really miss. We ate lunch with brother martinez and then headed to set up everything for the baptism. It went great - everything ran really smoothly. I was able to baptize Victor - a very amazing and humbling experience. He's such a good kid and i'm so proud of him for being baptized. We went straight from the baptism down to torrance for the departing missionary fireside. There are 7 of us going home this transfer. We all sang 2 songs, I sang a solo (The Test) and then 4 of us sang another song. I practiced with Hua and then the fireside started. So many people that i've worked with over the past two years were seated in the audience. I smiled as I watched them all walk in and sit down. We started the fireside with my song, and elder bore his testimony and then it was my turn. The song went well I think. I was pretty nervous. I bore my testimony of service and of the Book of Mormon. It was an awesome opportunity to share knowledge with so many people that i've grown to love over my mission. I had the chance to talk to everyone that came to see me afterwards for about an hour. They brought me so many gifts and said so many kind things to me. It was such an awesome awesome experience that i'll never forget. I have always dreaded the day that i'd have to get up in front of everyone and say goodbye - but I have always looked forward to sharing what I know to be true and having the peace that comes with knowing that you served well. I went back to the apartment smiling from ear to ear and finished packing.
I know that this is the one true church on the face of the earth. I know that Jesus Christ made it possible for us to be clean from sin. I know that if we will humble ourselves and yield to the promptings of the Spirit, we will have happier, safer and more rewarding lives. I know that I have changed because of the things I know to be true. I know that if I apply the things that I have learned on my mission, I will one day live with my Father in Heaven again with the ones that I love. I am so grateful for my loved ones, family and friends whom have prayed for me and supported me in all that I do. I will forever be indebted to them, my Savior and my God.
I love you all so much and will see you soon!
Love, Elder Cottrell
p.s. keep reading, keep praying, keep the faith
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