Maligayang Pasko mga Kapatid!!!

Hey everybody! How's everybody Christmas season?! I keep forgetting its Christmas because there is no snow outside haha Well this week has been a good one! The Gutierrez Family is doing really good! The father is still struggling with the word of wisdom, he likes his dubies, and coffee. But he told us he is improving. Their biggest struggle is reading the dang book of Mormon, we have been teaching for 3 weeks now and they are still on 1 Nephi ch. 1! At one lesson we were so disappointed because we thought they were finally going to do it! But they didn't...:( So we just decided to read with them to get them started, and we decided not to go on with the lessons until they started. So we just shared our testimonies on how important it really is, and how much it has blessed our lives. We visited them again and Sister was in Mosiah 13!!! she said after we left she stayed up till 1 reading! haha I was speechless, this family is hilarious! But Jan. 11 is coming up and im excited! And we also have been teaching this older lady and her less active friend, and they are doing so good. She will also be baptized in Jan. We had the Ward Christmas party this week, which was super good! I was so surprised, everyone we invited showed up! haha cause every Filipino likes a good Christmas party. It was a good way to show our investigators that its not all serious all the time, but we are just normal people .Haha one funny thing about Filipino's is that they are always late! I swear they don't keep track of time! The party started at 5:00, so as missionaries we show up on time, and no one showed up till 6:30 haha and its just normal! It was way fun. Well this Christmas has been pretty hard and different, but when I am working I just forget its even Christmas! The thing about these people is that they don't really remember Jesus Christ other then Christmas time. I am so grateful I get to remind them how much he loves us, how important it is to apply the hymn "I need thee every hour" to our lives daily. Being on this mission made me realize how much I know that I have a father in heaven, who listens to every prayer. He knows me personally and knows just how to help through these struggles. I know that Christ is my savior, and his atonement is for us and through him, I will return to his kingdom. I know that the charity and love that Christ showed in his life is one we need to apply daily, not just at Christmas time. Being here with people calling you names, laughing at you, kicking you out of there house, its hard to have love for them, but the more I just smile and laugh, the better I feel, because this gospel is happy. And I am grateful to show other that happiness. I hope you all have a very Maligayang pasko! Mahal ko kayo! Stay sweet.

Elder Collins


                                                   Pics Of The Ward Christmas Party