A Baptism through Skype!

 May 26, 2014

     Hey Family & Friends!!

This week has been a really good week. We are finally starting to make some progress. Hopefully we can keep it going and make this area amazing. Transfers are coming up soon! This coming Saturday is our transfer call 5-31. I can't believe that this transfer is almost over! I wasn't able to get on he computers today, but I was able to slowly write this throughout the day. I hope you understand. I'll write you guys tomorrow.

Monday: We did the normal routine in the morning, then went to the library to email. Elder Harris needed to get some new pants so we went and got some. We came back and wrote some letters and took a nap. haha. It was a pretty good pday. haha. After dinner we went out and talked with a referral we received from the Bellevue Sisters. We met him at work. He works at an old fashioned diner. We met with him for a little bit and got to know him. He has some potential, but he is just super busy. The day went by too fast.

Tuesday: We helped out one of our members, Sis Rowe. We helped her move a bunch of furniture in these super fancy and expensive apartments. Her dad or someone in her family owns the whole building. It's pretty ridiculous. Haha. After dinner, we went up to the north part of Vanderbilt. We found this one area up there that's pretty golden. We were able to have 5 solid lessons with some of our investigators. We are finally starting to see some success. We are coming back to a lot of the potentials and teaching them again and making return appointments. It's still slow, but we're making progress.

Wednesday: We started the day off with Zone Meeting. We had some really good trainings for the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. We switched with the Zone Leaders for an exchange. Elder Fore went with me to Green Hills and Elder Harris went with a Elder Loveless to Antioch. Elder Fore and I had a great time. We work really well together. We had 3 solid lessons with return appointments in the north-west side of our ward. After dinner, we went to the north part of Vanderbilt again and had 2 more lessons and follow up appointments. We found 5 new investigators that day!

Thursday: I was still with Elder Fore and it happened to be his birthday on Thursday! After studies and Facebook, I bought him lunch and this little sub shop. It was pretty good. We went to sweet Cece's after that. We headed up to the north part of Nashville and found a bunch of new people to teach and taught a lot of Restoration lessons on their front porch. We committed a black guy named Robert Smith (;) haha) to be baptized after he came to know the Book of Mormon was true. We haven't set a baptismal date yet, but he has a lot of potential. After dinner, we went to the north part of Vanderbilt again!! Haha. We were able to have 3 more solid lessons and follow up appointments that night as well. I loved working with Elder Fore. He is a really good missionary and he works hard. Together in the 2 days, we had 11 other lessons and 10 new Investigators!! That's a ton in 2 days. Thursday night, President gave me a call and told me that Matt was going to be baptized on Sunday!!!! I was so happy. Matt is Tim & Trudy's son. He is 17 and just finished his Junior year of High School. President told me that it would be after Church on Sunday and that I get to Skype in!! I was so happy to hear this!!

Friday: We had a normal Friday with Weekly Planning. We planned for the first part of the day, then tried to go out and teach people in the area where we live, but not too many people were home. After dinner, we tried to see a couple people, but they were busy. We headed to the Church because the Green Hills Sisters had a lady named, Janice being baptized. I interviewed her for baptism and got to know her better. She is a great lady and she has gone through a lot. Her daughter was just baptized about a year or less ago. It was a great story overall.

Saturday: We tried to see some people before we went to Janice's baptism, but we didn't have much luck. We attended her baptism and it went perfectly. It was a great services. We had dinner after that and tried to see some people that night.

Sunday: We had a good time at Church. Not too many people because a lot had graduated and were off on vacation for the memorial weekend. After Church, I skyped in to see Matt's baptism!! It was so fantastic!! He has become a different person and I could see this amazing glow about him. I was able to take some screen shots before and after the baptism and I was able to talk with him before and after. I also talked with a lot of the old Princeton members. It was so wonderful. I miss them dearly. They are family to me. Matt was so happy after his baptism and it was just so wonderful to go through this process with him and his family. It made my week!!! We came back and studied after Church. After dinner, we went to the patriotic concert held at the Church. It was a good way to finish the night. What a day!

Today: Well I wasn't able to get on the computers because it's a holiday, but I was able to type this up as Elder Harris and I have been going back and forth to Bellevue. We went up this morning and went bowling with them. It was pretty fun. We got to relax a little bit and have some fun. We are heading back to the apartment to write some letters and have dinner. It's been a pretty good day. I'm getting on the computer to email you guys tomorrow, so I'll talk to you guys then.

Thanks for being patient and thanks for your support. I love and miss you guys so very much! I'm having a lot of fun and I'm learning a lot. Thanks for all your prayers and thanks for your letters/emails. Have a great week!

-Love Elder Cottam

Elder Cottam got to Skype with Elder Roney who was also watching the baptism through Skype.  

LOVE IT!!