bringing in the new year! (from January 2, 2013)

Dear Family,
Happy New Year!!!
It was amazing Getting to read and finish the book of mormon this holiday season. We had to read like crazy the last 2 chapters to finish it on time (and with a little adjustment of the clock ;) haha :D) My favorite part was the last prayer, though. There was a powerful, sweet spirit as we put Moroni's promise into action. Oh, it was beautiful. And as we asked Fernando about it after, he said that he felt a little more complete, having finished it.
It was a beautiful way to finish out the old and bring in the new year.
Roberto continues to progress. We met with him last night at a member's house. He is loving what he is learning and has started to feel the lessening of stress (the peace) that the message brings to our lives. One of his resolutions for the new year is to keep the word of wisdom :) It is wonderful to work with him. He is a testimony that you never know who is ready and that we should talk to everyone, no matter if it's in the grocery store or on the bus.
We had a former investigator come back this last week. Juanita injured her shoulder so she hasn't been working much the last few days and looked up Sister Cote, one of the members we brought to a lesson. Sis. Cote has been wonderful in fellowshipping her this week and helping her get to church (for the first time!!!) and understand better the restoration. Juanita received a blessing from the elders for her shoulder and wants to read more of the book of mormon and start coming to church. We haven't been able to set another appointment with her, but we hope to very soon!
Something Hna Varley and I studied this morning ties in really well with the new year. It's from a talk about the fourth missionary, written by a mission president some years ago. He tasks in the beginning of it whether we really think about who we want to become. There are two ways to become something--to let it come accidentally or to plan it. If we let it happen accidentally, we will never reach our potential. We must think about who we want to be, when stripped of everything else--car, house, family, career. Who are we? How do people feel when they are around us? Are we becoming more like Christ? That's what we have to plan for. We make goals and plans so that we can become the best we can.
May we all work to that goal!
Love,
Hna. Cottam
Pics: The zone right after finishing the book of mormon read-a-thon! The Toronto Stake Center where we read during the new year. Us and fernando and a random Korean elder--Book of Mormon!!!

a few more pics (from December 27, 2012)

Pics of the read-a-thon group, a Christmas dinner with all the ward missionaries :)

looking to the new year (from December 27, 2012)

Dear family,
It was so good to talk to you all on Tuesday! Thanks for all the letters and gifts. The socks are perfect and the cd's are wonderful :) and the dried fruit is delicious for our read-a-thon ;) I showed the Stephen's hot chocolate to Pres. Scott (he and sis. Scott stopped by for an hour at our read-a-thon) and he was excited (he was ceo of the company before coming to canada :))
the pics are our little christmas tree with the presents, the Book of Mormon Read-a-thon (we got exactly half-way in 14 hours and we'll finish it new year's :), Fernando--a recent convert who joined us for the read-a-thon and gave us christmas stockings :)
And hey it finally snowed! about 10-15 cm last night. :) now it feels like winter.
We had a wonderful christmas dinner with the Najera family Christmas night after spending the morning reading the book of mormon and then talking to you all.
We have a very promising progressing investigator! His name is Roberto. He's from Mexico and Hna. Ence got his number just before she left this area. We called him up last week and set up an appointment. Taught him the restoration and he accepted a baptismal invite. He's set for the 13th of January! He came to church Sunday and we met with him again last night to teach him the plan of salvation and the word of wisdom. He's doing well, keeping his commitments and has such a sincere desire to be cleansed of his sins and leave it all behind. We're excited to continue working with him. And a testimony to me that the Lord knows what he needs is that when we arrived at the church for our lesson, there was another member (Hno Cruz) there who agreed to come into the lesson with us and he and Roberto got along really well. The Lord is mindful of each of His children and their needs.
We continue to look for new investigators and seek the Lord's inspiration on how to help those we continue to teach. I have come to love this work so much! I love being a missionary and helping those around us, now more than ever. I have many things yet to improve, but I know I can do it with the Lord's help. Sprint to the end! Always in the Middle :)
I love all yous guys! (some canadians say yous guys instead of ya'll. hehe:)
Sincerely,
Hna. Cottam
And have a very happy New year! Say hi to all the family for me :)

Regocijad! Jesus nacio! (from December 17, 2012)

This is Jesse, Rachel’s and Rebekah’s brother. I’m sorry to all of you who read these blog posts that I haven’t been posting them lately. I am catching up right now. I am really sorry.

Dearest family,
Adriana's doing a bit better.  A sister in the ward is helping her with her childrens' passports and she came to church for a little bit yesterday! It was so good to see her.
Hna. Varley and I have been having a great first week together. We get along really well. She served in this area at the beginning of the year so she already knows most of the people, which is a wonderful plus :). The word is that a lot of new missionaries (the first young batch :)) are coming in this next transfer (or the one after, i've heard both) including about 20 sisters :) It's an exciting time.
William was confirmed yesterday and even gave a little talk in sacrament meeting (it was missionary work sunday so he bore his testimony :) He's doing really well.
Almost all of our recent converts were at church yesterday and Angela also came--very late, but she was there! She starting to settle in to her new place. We taught her grandmother--Azucena--and her on Monday night and it went well. Then we stopped by during the week. Azucena has been reading but Angela is still having trouble finding the time. She said she will make a greater effort despite of the craziness at her job right now.
We taught Herbert this last week with a member. He loved that we had her there. He said it helped him understand since she had been catholic and he is catholic. His main challenges are getting to church and stopping smoking, but there is sufficient time for him to do both and make it to the 6th. :)
As Christmas approaches, don't forget what it's all about! (and if you've forgotten go to mormon.org and take a peak :))
I love you all so much and I'm excited to continue the work of the Lord here in Canada.
Love,
Hna. Cottam
Pics: William's baptism, including the elders who were originally teaching him, transfers--we just switched companions :), Fernando (amazing recent convert) and us at the ward christmas party.

changes in this beautiful Christmas season!

Dear Family,
William's baptism went really well. (I'll send pics next week) There was a sweet spirit there as he made this covenant with his Heavenly Father. I feel privileged to have been able to help him make the final preparations for his baptism this last week.
We have also been helping Angela with her move a lot. She has very little but her apartment will be a home yet :). We met her grandmother Azucena with whom she is now living. She has some experience with the church already--her sister is a member!. We're excited to start teaching them both!
Transfers are this week. My companion is being transferred up to Kitchener and I will be staying here with Hna. Varley. I've been hoping for the opportunity to work with her more closely after going on an exchange with her a couple of months ago. But I will certainly miss Hna. Ence. It has been wonderful to work with her again the last 6 weeks and I have learned so much from her...again :). She has helped me a lot this last transfer. We have learned a lot about humility and patience and faith, and diligence. Just to keep going when it gets tough and we're not teaching as much as we'd like. (sorry if this doesn't make a lot of grammatical sense, my thoughts are all over the place right now, though nothing like Hna. Ence.)
And with the change, God is so good! On our way to do a little shopping today we ran into one of our investigators with whom we haven't talked all week: Adriana! We didn't know how Hna. Ence would be able to say goodbye. Adriana will be going back to Mexico very soon. We hope to help her continue to progress and to find the missionaries down there. I love her so much and will miss her.
We also met two new investigators who have some promise. One of them is a scientist so it was a very interesting lesson :) He was a little blown away when we taught him that God has a body and that heaven is a place. He's excited to learn more :)
Here's to another wonderful, jolly week in this beautiful Christmas season!
Love,
Hna. Cottam

CHRISTmas

Dear family,
We found someone new to teach! His name is Gelbert, and we found him by calling old street contacts. He is really interested and wants to change his life for the better. He is having to overcome many addictions at this point in his life and wants some extra strength. He accepted to be baptized on Jan 6th :)
Adriana is not doing as well. She had an appointment with immigration and they are sending her back to Mexico. She did come to the primary party but missed church yesterday. She is really stressed and has asked us not to come by this week. We were able to organize so that she could get a blessing of comfort and counsel and she appreciated that. So we will be praying for her very hard.
Angelo had a change of heart. He wants to be baptized now. So we set a date for Jan 6th as well. The Lord works in mysterious ways and he has with Angelo. :)
We've met several in-active and less-active members this week (we are hoping to find investigators through them). So we have started to work with Bro. Ortez and Bro. Espinoza. Each have their challenges, but both seem to have the potential to make it back. Bro. Espinoza has many friends and family we can work with, so it will be good.
Two of the investigators from the Elders are moving into our area so we're excited to work with them. William has a baptismal date for this Sunday. Angela also is very receptive and prepared. We will be helping her move tonight.
I love that Christmas is on the air. It's a wonderful time of year (and a great conversation starter :)) And I know that as we put our trust ever more fully in the Lord, His purposes will be fulfilled. So often this work is hard, but it's like the currant bush and the gardener. Sometimes He cuts us down so we can grow and bear fruit, eternal fruit. I love you all. I love this work. I love the Lord. I will do His will.
Love,
Hna. Cottam

CHRISTmas (continued)

“[President Brown] told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and he thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”
Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered: “I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, …I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall. “And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. … And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’”God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship.”
I love this story! It is so true and applicable to my life many times.
Hna. Cottam