Temple Day!

Hello WASUP!

 This week was really a great week for Elder Rindlisbacher and I. Transfer weeks are defiantly the most tiring of all the weeks. Man I think we got like 4 or 5 hours of real sleep in two days! It was actually really cool for me to have the opportunity to be at the going home fireside.(The fireside we do for the missionaries going home) The testimonies were great, and to see the sadness but excitement in all those missionaries eyes really strengthened my desire to work even harder. Because I don't want to even imagine blessings or people that I would miss If I didn't give it my all. 

      Being able to go to the Temple this past tuesday was also amazing. Every time I truly learn something new. My experience in the celestial room was amazing. Blessing of being an Ape:) I was told never go to the temple without a question in your heart. And every time he answers, without a doubt. Its like he's right there, actually he is right there. We also got to visit the American Cemetery in Manila on the way home from the temple! It was soo cool. Its the graves of all the Soldiers that served here during the war. Pictures on the way! 

   We also have a baptism coming up this week! I'm really stoked for it. Even in all the busy times its amazing to still be able to find and teach people like Brother Raymond. His story is really great too. He was a very prideful person back in the day. He had it all, great job, money and all that stuff. He smoked, drank and partied with friends. He wasn't very nice to people. Then one day life really hit him. His brother died due to alcohol. He lost his good job. And many other things. Well he broke down a bit and it really humbled him. That's when Bro. Yaona, his friend and member of Molino 1st,  introduced him to us. He was so excepting about the gospel. He knew that it was time to change, trusted in god that this was the right way. Well just like it always is step by step, Sunday by Sunday you could see his countenance change. He started out with so little knowledge. Wearing a t-shirt and jeans to church. To now wearing a shirt and tie. Shaking every ones hand as they walk in. Really being excited to become a member. People are surprised when they find out he's not a member. haha, It was really cool this last Saturday we taught him about temples and family history. As we started to teach him he asked us, " Hey wait, what about my brother who never got to hear the gospel?" And man, to see his eyes widen when we told him about temple work for the dead. It was so cool. Time and time again I've seen the atonement purify, and change peoples life. Unbelievable, the church is so true, all you have to do is look at the experiences of the members of this perfect church. 

   Elder Rindlisbacher and I actually read in the Preach My Gospel in chapter 9. Is whenever given the chance ask members and recent converts to share their conversion experiences with you because most people here are converts. It will help you get new finding ideas and also strengthen your desire and testimony. So we have made a little goal to do that whenever we find the chance. 

    We had a pretty cool experience this past Friday. We were walking and our plans fell through, so we were trying to think of where to go. We both had the impression to go to this nanay that we had OYMed last week, and every time we usually go there, she has an excuse for us not to teach. But we went anyway, and as we had thought she denied us again, saying "she was leaving." So right as we walked away this man called out to us. He asked us who we were, we introduced ourselves, and he said, "Halikayo! Lets go to my house!" We went with him and taught him the whole first lesson. He is a great man, who teaches his kids about Jesus, and how to follow his example. he reads the bible daily, and believed also that some kind of apostasy happened on the earth. What a cool experience, we are excited to go back and teach. I'm grateful we followed that prompting to go to that lady that day. Who knows if we ever would of met that man. We are truly in the Lords hands.

 Love, Elder Collins