Hi From The Pines

Hey! So this week has been pretty good. Elder Lilly is doing pretty good. He got sick for the first time in the Philippines! So cute right? hahaha I told him he would get used to it:)He is doing better now, im still struggling to get some help from him and keep him happy and motivated! He is just always so quiet and not very social, but he wants to change that and thats why he said he is out here. Teaching lessons alone is starting to get pretty hard. haha Well this week we scheduled another family to be baptized in April! We started teaching this guy who had been taught by the missionaries twice, and both times he got so close to the baptism but the paperwork got messed up or something so he got offended and stopped! haha Twice! but he has awesome faith and wants to be baptized so hopefully the 3rd times a chram right? haha jk I wont mess up;) Also we set a baptismal date for his family because they have seen his example and want to follow it. So thats awesome! We also have this 14 year old kid scheduled for March. It was super wierd we had been teaching his sisters, and we figured he was member because he has been coming to church by himself for awhile. But when we started teaching his sisters it turns out he isnt! So we just scheduled one for him and he was like I have been waiting for along time, you just tell me when my interview is haha! Also we went to Ternate beach in Naic last Monday, that was super fun. So beautiful there! That's about it, just loving missionary work! Mahal ko kayong lahat!

Elder Collins

                                                Some Scenery Pics From Ternate Beach

Ok Its Probably A Little More Fun In The Water? 

This One Goes Out To The Fam Damily! :)

ayyy naku!

Hey! whats up! So this week has been pretty chill! We have been doing a lot of good work this week. We have been preparing two families to be baptized in march! The Molero family, which reminds me exactly of the Guitierrez family in my last area! haha and the Mijares family. They are both doing very well, the only problem with Mijares is the father hates us and wants nothing to do with us, so its only the mother and kids. And its always hard when the father doesnt approve, but we will work on that. Also the pictures you have seen on facebook are of the Ternate family. They are Elder Lillys Recent Converts and they are perfect, they are so faithful, they seriously want us to come over everyday and teach them haha. They have so much great knowledge already of the gospel. Brother is going to be a future bishop or something haha! She loves taking pictures so I wouldnt be suprised if shes posts like a ton! I love going there its kind of like going home sometimes hahaha. But anyways, I also had a very personal spiritual expierience this week. We have two less active families that are just so hard to teach, and they just weren't  progressing at all. They just seemed like they wanted nothing to do with us anymore. This last Saturday we had planned to visit that afternoon, they were both on the same street, so it was kind of one right after another, we were already having such a hard day... well we went to the first family and they said they were "busy", I got a frusterated and doubtful with these people, so I decided that we should just not go to the next family and spend our time finding other people. I kind of lost faith in these families, my heart was in the wrong place! Later that night I just kept thinking, "The worth of every soul is great in sight of God" I felt so bad about my doubt and I prayed and asked for forgiveness, and to bless those two families. The next day in sacrament meeting, both families came to church! It was sooo sick, It was such a faith builder for me! And makes me know, never to give up on anyone. Because we are all family, children of our Heavenly Father. Again made me love missionary work!!! Today for our Zone Activity we are going to the beach in Naic! Super stoked for that too! Well Mahal ko kayong lahat! Malakas pa akoy!

Elder Collins

                  Saw This Sign On A Jeepney And Thought It Was Hilarious, Classic Filipino!

What? Its Febuary Already?

Hey! So this week has gotten a little easier than the week before. Golden City has parts of it that are just like Bulihan and worse, then it has a couple very rich places! Like their houses look American! its sick. with a little jungle, its nice its like the best of both worlds haha. Well yeah last week felt a little crazy with being in a new area and it started out rough. But this week I was able to learn the area and start to get some work done. We scheduled 7 baptismal Dates for March! The work here goes a lot smoother than Bulihan. haha but I still miss it. The bishop in this ward is awesome, he's super awesome and so hard working I love it. Well Elder Lilly is also progressing! He is struggling to be motivated and is learning to love the work and people. He is trying to progress with the language so I am making him practice teach everyday to get better haha. he hates it but it works:) But he is doing better and I love him. And the Elder that  was way chill who went to Olympus, went back to Tacloban today.... sayang haha  So the house might be more quiet than usual... We had another service project out in Squatterville which was way fun too, well it kind of turned into a cake fight hahaha! So yeah I havent been here too long to have a lot of stories. I wish I did! But I love the Golden City ward the members! The people we teach are so receptive and training is sweet haha. Love you guys!

Elder Collins
                                    My Son Elder Lilly (I know he looks way older then me)

My Little Elders

Beautiful Filipino Sunset

          

The City Of Gold......NAWT!

 Hey! Hows errybody! Well this week has been a different one! I'm now in Golden City! Its like 10 minutes away from Bulihan....hahaha Its like one step up from Bulihan instead of all squatters its has a few really nice areas! And the chapel is huge, the members are more involved and the bishops is very good. Well transfering kinda stinks though because I miss Bulihan and my old investigators, but ill find love for the ones we have! It feels like I am restarting my mission, but this time im not being trained, I'm training! hahaha My anak is Elder Lily He has already been here a few weeks before I started training him. But when I got to Golden City things were a mess for him. He didnt know the area well or the people he was teaching or Tagalog, so it was pretty much the same as shotguning haha. He had struggled bad with his first trainer, and everything else. Things started out very quiet! We are pretty much opposites. He's a gamer, he kinda just spent his life gaming on the computer so he has poor social skills. He is going on 21 and im 18. Hahah its so wierd im training someone who is older than me. Sooo yeah the first couple days were rough, but I got him to open up a bit, and weve been pretty good now! I really hope I can help him and be a great trainer. Teaching the whole lesson, is probably one of the hardest things about training especially when your not quite fluent!! haha But its been okay this week, hard...but fun Well that was this week not too much! haha Love you!
Ay NAKU!

                                                    Some Yummy Foods Of The Big P

Letter From Pres.Tye

Malilipat ako!

Hey! This week was pretty sweet so much stuff going on! Well first last Monday we went to Tagaytay! It was beautiful there! Just a ton of nice views and stuff. Its was way fun! Then that night I got a call from President Tye... and IM TRAINING! haha And im transfering! haha I cant believe im training already! But im excited im not sure where I will go but ill let you know next week. So im super excited but flippin out at the same time. I never thought it would be so hard to leave Bulihan. I dont wanna transfer, but I also do, definalty a bitter sweet thing. I will miss the Gutierrez baptism,  and all the members! I have a feeling im going to hate future tranfers! But yeah anyway moving on, on Wednesday I had exchanges with Elder Mole which was really sweet! And Saturday was the best! In the morning we had a service project in the middle of no where jungle it was sweet! We helped build a house for a family , guess what we used, Bamboo! haha then after we picked some fresh mangos and sliced them with a big knife. And saturday night we had our first baptism!! Super good experience. Julieta Abalos, she's awesome. Like 4 days before her baptism her husband went to the hospital and might have to get an amputated foot! And he was a driver so he wouldnt have a job. So she had a huge trial right before here baptism. We just taught her about obediance faith and how you don't receive blessings till after the trail of your faith. She just cried and said she knows that and shes going to stay strong. She went to the hospital the day before her baptism and she brought her book of mormon and to take her mind of everythig she started to read. When she started to read the doctor told her that he will not have to amputate! So awesome! Ladies got a strong testimony, im gonna miss her. But the baptism was awesome. Great week!

Elder Collins

Hey! What's Up!

Hey! so whats up! So ths week was pretty much the same! I had two exchanges this week! One on Tuesday with Elder Moisher! Then one with Elder Creager! from my batch! That one was pretty sweet! I love Elder Creager hes theeeeee shyest kid you will ever meet! Every one always asks him why he doesnt talk and he just stares at the ground. But me and him are homies so he talks to me! We went to his area and because he was so shy I had to start and teach like all the lessons, And I didnt even know the people at all! But it was pretty sweet, two white boys with broken Tagalog hittin the streets! It was a good time. Well.... Im Gonna Have My First Baptism in the Philippines! This Saturday! Sister Julieta Abalos, shes 58 and shes dope, after only one lesson she came to church and she hasnt stopped yet, she pretty much had no problems with WOW. We asked her to pray for the first time and during her prayer she just started tearing up. It was awesome, shes like the perfect investigator. With the Gutierrez family looks like their baptismal date will have to be pushed back again, they dont have there cohabitation certificate so we cannot baptize them. I know right... But they are ready. As far as any other investigators go.... were struggling to find new people. But we are teaching a 25 year old guy named Bryan, who is fluent in English. So we teach him in English! But he wont commit to baptism because he has a strong belief in mother mary being a god and you need to pray to her or have her pray for you or something like that. But I think in the future it will be good. Well what else happend this week? Well today we are going to Tagaytay!! for our zone activity! Its sobrong maganda there! Ill have to send pics later tonight or next week of it! Super stoked! Also transfers are next week and word on the street is I might be training!:/ Which means ill be in my first area for 7 or 8 months! So if I am training pray for me, and if im not do it anyways:) haha Well my email time is a little more limited today love you! Elder C

Fitting 30 People In A Jeepney?

Exchanges With My Man Creager