week 1 in the new area

Dear family,

Hey! first week in Christie! It's been a big adjustment for me with all the new people and new area but it's been great. There are a lot of good things happening here.

For example: we had a baptism! It was a grandmother and her grandson. Three of her children are active members in the church. The grandson had a fear of water so that's why he waited a year to get baptized, but as Hna. Ence and her previous companion came to teach him they found his grandmother. She's been going to the church with her family for many years now but now was finally the time for her to make that step. She let go of her stubborness and knew it was true. It was wonderful to see the fruit of that work.

We have lots of investigators we are currently working with. Some more promising than others, and there are a lot of recent converts to take care of so we are busy every day teaching and finding to keep our teaching pool full.

A little about the area: It a ward of mostly spanish with some portugese members. We are located in downtown Toronto. There are four--yes four--sets of missionaries in this ward! 3 Spanish and one Portugese. We share the building with an English ward.

I'm excited to work here in Christie with Hna. Ence. We may have started out together but we've had two pretty different experiences and I'm excited to learn from her. I think one of the biggest things I'll learn this transfer is faith. Faith that we can and WILL reach our goals. Faith to reach higher than what's been done in the past. Faith to endure to the end and let this mission completely change me. As I have met all these new people I have been working hard to open myself up to them so that I can help them. It's a work in progress, but I'm starting to learn names and faces and getting to know the people here. It's been good. And every once in a while I see someone from Black Creek :) which fills my heart with joy. One family came to the baptism and there's a family that moved from Black Creek to here several months ago that I'll be seeing all the time.  

I love this quote from my mission president today: "“In life we will never achieve 100%, when 90 % is OK". To succeed and find joy in missionary work we have to place everything on the altar. We have to decide that 90% is NOT OK. Would you consider your car reliable if it started only 90% of the time? Would you consider your electricity reliable if the lights in your apartment came on only 90% of the time?  We must align our will with the Father in every aspect of the work. We will be blessed as we discover for ourselves that 90% effort, or 90% obedience, or 90% commitment will not bring us the blessings that we otherwise deserve."

It's so true. This transfer 90% will not be okay. I'm excited. We're excited. and we're working hard.

(and sorry if this sounds kind of all over the place. so are my thoughts with all that's gone on!)

Love you all!

Hna. Cottam