What? Its Thanksgiving already?!

Thanksgiving?! haha I forgot about that! Well I guess its the last week in Nov. so it has to be! I kinda just figured it past! haha Well this week was pretty boring till Thursday! Elder Kesler came down with Denge fever so he was pretty sick all week! So we didnt get out and work till Thursday! Staying inside all day is torture! haha I don't think ive studied and read more Liahona magazines in my life!  But when we were finally able to work it was my test. I was literally training my trainer, I had to lead lessons, area, finding! Scariest thing to do. But I prayed so much to my Heavenly Father, and read and studied. And its amazing what the spirit can do with you. I was saying things I didnt even know I knew, and forgot later! I had conversations with people, we were able to teach lessons together. I dont know how we did it, but I don't think I have any doubt that my father in heaven loves me, and gave me this new companion, this new trial, for a reason, and did prepare a way for us to work, even if its just a little bit. Sure we struggle, we actually struggle a ton! Sometimes im totally blank and cant understand anything, sometimes we have no idea where to go because no one is home and I dont know how to get places. But I dont focus on those things anymore! This week was also a heart breaker because what would of been my second baptism, Bro Alexis Vidal, he is moving:( When I found out my heart just sank.) Thats the second time it has happend to me, his baptism was scheduled for next week! But ya know as long as he gets baptized, and stays strong, doesnt matter who does it. But Heavenly Father made it up by giving me another cool experience. On saturday we were able to work with our branch president, Pres. Bautista hes only 30 and he is just a great guy. We went and visited this family that set a baptimsal date for the week before but usually our lessons are really hard because brother asks a ton of crazy questions and sister just stares at the book of mormon and acts like shes reading it, because she "forgot" to read what we asked. the kids are talking and runnin around dogs barking! Crazy. So I prayed for this lesson to go well because we were teaching about the book of mormon and I really wanted them to understand and wanted us to be able to speak well. The lesson went amazing, it was calm and spiritual, they just sat and listened, even the kids and the dog was gone, and we taught them and it was awesome. They usually say they will try to come to church but never do. But yesterday, their whole family came! It was sick! We were able to give the daughter a blessing, and she had a great time! Man its just crazy how much you start caring about people you have known for 2 weeks, or members of this ward, and your heart just breaks when you see someone fall away, or not come to church. I never thought it would be that way. I love dirty old Bulihan! haha Well on to something else that was funny, the water tower right next to our house pipe burst! So water was just spewing like a fountain!! haha its flooded everywhere, and for service we helped the workers try to stop it! Ill show you pictures it was hilarious. Also I gave a talk in church yesterday, that was fun stuff too! Okay love you all!! Merry Christmas! ( its already christmas here)

Elder Collins

 

 

 

Wow This Week Was Crazy!

Man this week was crazy! So the week started out normal ya know. Still trying to help out with Tacloban and get some work done with my trunky comp. Then Wed. they informed us that we would be receiving 16 new missionaries from Tacloban and that there would be emergency transfers for 1 area in every zone. But since im a trainee I didnt think anything of it because they don't transfer trainers or trainees until there done. Well I was mistaken!!! Friday they informed us of the transfers aaaand Elder ColCol was transfered to Montilupa! And I received a new trainer from the Tacloban mission, Elder Kesler from Laguna Beach California! So I was pretty nervous that I had only been here 7 weeks and already have to lead my area!  I was excited that he is American! So we go saturday afternoon to meet our new comps and he is just a way cool kid! But I found out people in the Tacloban mission speak Cebuano not Tagalog! So im freaking out cause now I have to train my trainer on the area and Tagalog! So its good that migrane medicine got here in time! Cause now I am way nervous! I  know when Heavenly Father puts a mountain in your path, he gives you equipment to climb it. So I dont know how we are going to do this, but Heavenly Father does!! Plus he is a super cool kid, he likes football and basketball, he went to BYU for a year so he knows people from Utah, including Lexi Ogden and Kenzie Carlston. He is way smart and knows 4 languages, Cebuano, Bisaya, and Warai , and a little Tagalog! In Tacloban they had to learn two other dialects other than Cebuano. So super magaling talaga! Hes not trunky, they gave him the option to go home and he said no. He wants to get work done, he talks to me, and we get along pretty well! He is a little shaken from the storm, you should here his stories, unbelievable:o So I think its going to go pretty well but we have not taught a lesson yet so im not sure how thats going to go... haha just cause we both are pretty low on the Tagalog level, but this is going to push my Tagalog a little more which will help me. Super nervous but excited. He seems like a really great guy, with a crazy story. So ill let you know next week how the work goes! Love you all! Thank you for everything! 

Elder Collins

 

                                                              Welcome Elder Kesler!

                                                   Taking The Elders To Their New Area

                                                                       Pizza !!!!!!!

                                            Elder Mole, One Of The Great Zone Leaders!

                                                        The Whole Acosta Family

 

 

HEY IM ALIVE!

Hey family! So I guess you all already heard huh? Yeah there was a typhoon that visited the Big P. it was insane! Friday and half of Saturday we stayed inside! Luckily it wasnt as bad as other areas, but its was definalty the worst storm ive ever been in! We were just sittin at home listening and feeling our house shake, and the doors flying around! And trying to fix all the cracks where water was pourin in .It was insane to watch and feel. I felt like I was Dorothy and our home was about to be taken to Oz!  Haha but no one told me it was the biggest storm ever! That probably would of freaked me out! Tacloban is pretty close to our mission, I think? I hadn't heard about all the destruction there, so I will be praying for them. I haven't seen the news here so I am not sure about what is all going on? But everyone in the Cavite mission is okay! How is Lexi? I heard there are crazy storms going on Legaspi too! I write this missionary from the MTC there Elder Poulton and thats what he said. Also I wrote lexi just bearly too cause its free here if its in the Philippines. Yes, my comps family is fine, he is from Cebu Ozamis City. And it wasnt close. And same with my roomate families. Well as far as this week goes that was definatly the most interesting! Theres not as much damage in our area as others but this week weve been looking for service to do. Which I hope we can help! I love service work! haha I dont really have a lot of pics because we werent allowed to go outside at all till it was clear and it was really dark anyway. I cant send any pics today anyway cause these computers suck! haha but I will try! Well love you family! Be safe! Write me please!!!! errybody!

LOVE,

Elder Collins

Sup mga Aso

Well this week was a different. I had 3 companion exchanges this week! Including today! One with our DL Elder Villa then another with Our ZL Elder Magistrado and today with Elder Mole our other ZL! Companion Exchanges are pretty much to test me and see how well im getting used to things. Its where you switch companions for the day, they sleep over and what not. It means I have to lead my area, which means talking to people, leading lessons and finding people and stuff. Its good thing my first one was on Halloween cause it was scary! haha Well I had to lead the area with Elder Villa and it was pretty fun! But super hard just cause I cant fully understand people quite yet so when I start leading the lesson and they talk back sometimes ill have no idea what they said and ill just sit there and then continue with our lesson haha. Also did my first finding by myself and that was way fun. Im not even close to being good at Tagalog, but im finding myself being able to converse with people a little bit and stuff which is way cool! But this language is so much different from English and Spanish that saying one thing could mean another! So thats a big struggle! I could want to tell someone that the gospel of Jesus Christ was lost and Joseph Smith restored it, but I could be saying Jesus Christ has no gospel but Joseph Smith does hahahaha. Its pretty sweet being able to converse with people though! This week was also sad because we lost what would of been my first baptism this month, because she moved! haha siyang!  But as long as she is baptized then thats what matters!:) Count it! haha Well Elder Col Col and Elder Collins are still the same but this week was interesting, so Tuesday was frusterating, the whole day we had 1 lesson, because no one was home! We decided to visit a less active for the second time, but the first time was like my second week so I didnt remember where she lived, but of course he just expects me to know, and so when I didnt know instead of talking to me and training me and showing me what to do, he just fast walked away like a mad man just mad as can be. When we got to her house and she wasnt home he was frustrated and he goes speeding off again through the streets of Bulihan, not even caring if I followed, and I lost him for a while. We ended up sitting at this members house until it was time to go, not saying a word to me. This whole time im just ready to explode, and had the biggest migrane ive ever had before this whole time. So we get home, get ready to plan, he doesnt say anything and just expects me to plan everything. So I plan, then as we were about to close I just exploded on him. haha but missionary explode not real people haha, and I just started telling him how doing that stuff does not help me or you or us! And how I need his help, I need his training and that doing that was not exceptable. I layed into him for a minute. I just couldn't hold it in. Then it was silent for a while, and he just said sorry, and he said that I was right, and I said sorry and we made up haha. But we still dont talk, and things are the same he just doesnt leave me anymore and give me dirty looks. haha sooo yeah. But to end on a lighter note I meet a guy from England with one of those strong English accents! haha We tried to share with him but he wouldnt let us. He speaks no Tagalog and he lives in Bulihan? whaaaa? haha well then we met with him again and he listened to our Restoration message and had a lot of philosophy of man questions haha then he invited us in for a cup of tea as he was lighting his cigarette and telling us how spiritual he is hahahaha oh man it was hilarious, Elder Magistrado had no idea what was going on haha! So ya they do not celebrate Halloween here, its called all souls day and its on Nov. 1st and people just stay at the cemetery all day haha But I got all my Halloween packages which was sweet! Thank you so much to the Miller family, Grandma and Grandpa and to my Mama!!!!! I pounded all the candy in like 3 days! Thank You!!!!! haha Well I love you all! Thanks for everything!

Elder Collins

 

P.S. This computer does not allow me to send pics, so it might have to wait till next week? Sorry!