Pauwi na ako!!! See ya in a BIT!lll

Well the time has come! I really never ever thought that it would come, it feels like I've been here my whole life haha. Takin my name tag off will be like takin my arm off or something!...
I will forever be grateful for this mission. I am a new person who understands the need for Christs atonement, grace and mercy. Who truly understands why this church is true and not the other ones. Why Joseph Smith is one of the greatest instruments that God has ever had. And how important a living prophet is. I shook his hand twice when I was younger! And I didn't even care, oh I'd give anything to talk to him  again.:) This gospel is true I know it more than anything else.
The Cuevas Baptism was awesome too. We worked our butts off on that family, and it felt so good to baptize them. They are going to be great members of the church. Great way to end it.
My testimony has also grown of just having a good attitude about all things. There is no reason to have a bad attitude. The way we choose to look and respond to things makes all the difference in life!
Cant wait to see you all! I still cant believe it! Love you all See ya soon!
Elder Myles Collins soon to be Brother Myles Collins 

1 week na lang Are you kidding me? Email From July 20

Man why is time so freaking fast! I have one week left before I see you guys! Man I am stoked! hahah, sorry this is super late we had ERC training earlier which is just training that every missionary has to do before he goes. it was alllllll day haha. Then I left forgetting to email, so I ran back to write you before we went to work.
Well this week was a really great week! Lots of stuff happened. We had 3 exchanges this week with Bacoor, Naic, and Las Pinas. We got some work done too, and our investigators the Cuevas family was interviewed and found ready to be baptized! So we will have a baptism this Saturday!

Elder Matina (My Batch) and I had a fun finding experience on exchanges also. People are so kind and humble in Maragondon. We had been looking for a member on the CMIS list and couldnt find it we were asking around and every body was denying us. They said the house was next to a water shop and we saw one down the street, so we decided to walk down it, as we were walking we saw this lady on here front porch. Both me and Matina thought to ask her if she knew. As we went up we said, "hello po sister magandang hapon." She looked up and said with a smile "Pasok" haha. It wasnt the member but it was a prepared soul of our heavenly father. We taught here and her husband a great lesson and set a return appointment for the next day. Really cool experiences that happen just everyday.

Another awesome experience was this last Thursday President had a few small operations planned at the hospital the next day. And before he left he asked me for a blessing! I was pretty nervous, I had never done anything like that. Super cool experience for me. To bless my mission president. He's always so stressed, so I always pondered in the back of my mind who gives him a blessing? I didn't know it would be me.


With the Cuevas family they are our spiritual experience for the week. We have been teaching them since march, and little by little you could really see the change happening and the testimony growing. They have had their ups and downs in preperartion for baptism, but overall I think their ready. They have been inviting all of their other family and friends too to their baptism. They are excited. It was funny, when the wife had finished her interview the husband had his and she was just sitting outside praying he would pass, hah she kept saying, "uh oh hes not gonna pass hes not gonna pass!" But they both passed and are very happy. Im really excited to end my amazing mission with this baptism. Im having a lot, A LOT of mixed feelings about july 29. Excitement, but fear. Happy but sad, Bitter sweet. I have grown I think more than I ever had imagined since ive been here on my mission. My understanding and testimony of Jesus Christs atonement and gospel is strong like iron. And my desire to be obedient has grown also. I am forever in debt to my Heavenly Father for the time he has given me here. then the time I had here. Seeing the some of the happiest, and saddest things in the world. The poorest of the poor, but the happiest of the happy. Also the attitude that has changed since I've been here on my mission. Seeing everything in a positive happy way.

Catch you homies next week :) :)

3 Weeks and happy merica day!

Hey Family! man its just gettin closer and closer, its hard not to think about it! haha. but a great missionary told me, if you think about it and count down, it gives you a drive to work harder with shorter time. That's what I'm going to do! 

Well this week was a pretty crazy busy week for us all! With MLC, and our mission activity, and also exchanges with Carissa and Alfonso it got pretty busy. These weeks are more challenging for our area because of lack of time, but with the small time we had we worked our hardest to teach our most progressing investigators. 

    This week was my last time to teach in MLC, and my last training as an assistant! 

Our work this week was small, but by the end of the week we were happy with what happened. We are continuing to work with the Cuevas family. They are actually doing better than ever, I really think they will be ready for the 25th, they keep bringing it up to us. They have been to church about 10 times now. 
I'm not going to lie, this past week has been a rough for me, a lot of trials hit. I'm glad that faith was the theme. this past week we found out that our RC here fell back again into his old habits. Also that the tatay of our most progressing baptism drank a little bit. All of it just kinda put me in a funk, but thats why personal study is so critical. I studied a lot about faith and weaknesses, I read my PMG, and it slapped me in the face and got me outta my funk. I'll always remember my 2nd tatay Elder Kesler, he always said we can be mad and sad, or we can be happy, the situation is the same but the outcome is different. Its all in the attitude, I got back out there and by the end of the week things got better. The little mistake that the tatay made actually strengthened his testimony more and made him want more to be baptized.  All in the attitude toward things, choose to be happy and it will all work out for our good. 
     My last experience was last night, we had made a goal to find an investigator that has been prepared. And because of all the stuff we had to do, there wasn't a lot of time to find. But last night after coordination we went straight out try to visit some potential investigators. Well it all ended up falling through and we couldn't find any body. Tough luck up until about 8:30. But instead of just heading home. We remembered one lady that we had kinda talked to a few weeks ago, well we had nothing else so we let faith guide our actions and went to her house, kind of expecting that she would say that its too late and to come back next time. She opened the door and let us right in! We taught her a good simple lesson, and she already has a friend that she knows who is a member. She said she was going to try to come to church next Sunday. Just a really cool experience to not give up when your tired, but keep going and don't stop till your done. Really good lesson learned, blessings don't come until you show faith.

Love errybody thanks for everything 22 days na lang!

Elder MC

Isang buwan na lang what?? Email from 6/29

Hey family! First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA! Ill bring my Birthday Present on july 29, its called a "malaking yakap" you can google translate to figure that one out. 

Another week! I'm down to one hand on the week counting, haha. It makes me sad to think that there is only one month left. But plenty can be done in one month. And I know its going to be a great month! Work my butt off, haha. Well this week was a good, lots of busy things happening, with the emergency transfer, and taking Elder Haufano to get his license. He is now a licensed driver, haha. Its kinda wierd for him though because in New Zealand they drive on the other side of the road. So the Philippines is good cause it doesn't really matter what side you drive on! He almost killed a few people, haha. But he'll learn fast. We also had a couple of exchanges this week. With the Cavite ZL's, and the Dasma ZL's. Both really great exchanges.

        Well this week of work was actually really great! We have been really praying and fasting for a referral. And yesterday we got one from a member in our area. She even brought them to church. She told us that this is for sure a good one, haha. So we were super excited about that. We have also continued to work with the cuevas family. Are most progressing couple. They are great they have came to church 8 or 9 times now, we just are not quite sure if their understanding and testimony is enough. But this month we made it a goal to do all we can to get them to attain a testimony, and understand the gospel. They are really great though, they are so hospitable, the first thing they always ask when we get there is if we have ate yet haha. They read their assignments and all. They are always inviting all that they can to come join in on the lesson. 
     Another cool experience that we had was last Thursday. After we had successfully finished the emergency transfer we went straight to work and we had a good day. That night we had parked the car on the side of the road down this little street. We parked half on grass and half on the road, went and taught a lesson. Then when we came back to the car, Elder Haufano tried to pull out, and he couldnt, haha the right side of the car was stuck in this muddy swamp. So for a little bit a sat next to the car digging in the mud trying to find traction for the car, everytime we tried to push it ot it just wasnt working. By the end of it I was covered in mud from head to toe. haha Well we were parked next to a Jehovahs Witness chapel, and their church had just gotten out. I thought in my mind at first, "oh man I really hope they don't try to help, I don't wanna have to deal with them." Well I felt the spirit tell me that I am wrong for thinking that, and I swallowed my pride. And actually many of them did come and help, even a catholic man came out from his house and got a rope so we can push and pull at the same time. Well long story short we got the van out. I was really just humbled to see everybody working together in unity to get the van out. Didn't matter what religion, when you see an opportunity to help like that. You do it! I was very grateful for the kindness of those men, although we know as members that their church is wrong, we show charity and love for all men, and I bet that's what most other church's practice too. 
    And the last spiritual experience that i will share was last night. It was about 8:00 or so at night and we got punted, we decided to visit an old man we once taught a couple weeks ago. Well as we walked up to his house his nextdoor neighbor was really nice, she said hi with a big smile. Well we went to the old mans home and he was asleep. As we walked away from the house I thought of the lady that said hi. I said to my companion, "man that lady was really nice," I wanted to go back and talk to her but she was already inside her home, so I just ignored my feeling. Well Elder Haufano was like "well lets go talk to her" I dont know why but I lost courage for a second and was nervous to go up to the house and tao po. But we did, and she came out side we gave her a pamphlet and she said we could come back, and her whole family was really nice! I really beleive we were led to that old man just so we could meet that family. Im glad a didn't pass up that feeling to turn back around and OYM. And I fought off that tiny nervous feeling I had with faith. Really cool experience for me, just kind of hard to explain. 

This week should be a good week, we have our MLC for July, my last MLC and my last lesson ill ever give as an AP. We also get to meet as a mission on Friday to get shots! haha and watch a movie, so that should be sweet, I get to see every one before I go home. 

Well this week has been sweet, im just countin down the days till I see you all again! 

Happy birthday again mom! I love you so much and hope its a great one. Im happy to hear all of those blessings that have came, looks like all that fasting and prayer payed off. Love you have a great week.

Elder MC

Araw ng Aking Ama Email from 6/21

Hey family!  

 Well this week was transfer week! And you know how that is, haha. But it was a great transfer week. I remember like 5 months ago almost when it was my first transfer week. Man was I tired, haha and been tired ever since. But its a good tired, one that your proud of. It was sad saying goodbye to Elder Rindlisbacher, we were together for awhile, and we got along great. But Elder Haufano is awesome too. We have a good first week together, he's so humble and kind, and a great example to me. I have gotten to know him very well this past week wit all the transfer stuff. His look was the same look I had when it was my first day here. But he is trying his hardest to learn everything quickly, and I am trying my hardest to teach him everything quickly. 

Its been pretty crazy thinking about going home, its so close but so far away, I'm having pretty mixed feelings about it haha. 

The opportunity to attend the temple this week was amazing, I was very grateful for it. I was able to put Sam's name in the temple, and talk with the lord about him in the celestial room. Great peace is found inside those doors, and a lot of questions were answered and confirmed. 

       

. We worked every free hour we had though little, but we were able to teach some great lessons. The couple that we have been working with came to church again, that is number 6 or 7, we are just really trying to work on them understanding why this is true, and strengthen their testimony before anything. But I hope in July it will happen. 

      Also we are working with another family, we had just taught the Word of Wisdom to them last Friday, they have problems with all of them except for drugs, they said although it will be hard little by little they would live it. But our spiritual experience for the week was last night. We expected them to come to church because they were really excited to come. Sadly they didn't come, I was pretty bummed myself because my time is running short and all I want to do is help this family. The father texted us and told us that they had family visit to celebrate fathers day and a birthday. Well we went over that night and found out that the Mother had drank a bit, and so had the father. They very ashamed of it and we were too. As I sat pondering what to share, Elder Haufano and I chose the story of Alma in Alma 36. We shared his story and how nothing can be sweeter than repenting and changing your ways. The spirit was present. They felt sorrowful, and the good part was we helped them understand it was a godly sorrow. After the lesson the father shook my hand and said, "Iba and itsura mo ngayon, parang hindi ikaw ang nagtuturo." Which means "you have a different countenance right now, its like it wasnt you that was teaching." he said it with a smile. No doubt it wasn't me, it was definite that it was the spirit. But cool experience, grateful to be worthy of the holy ghost. 
Well its been a great week, im excited for the future. 

Also HAPPY FATHERS DAY, the only gift I can really give is myself, on July 29th 2015, and the person I've become. Yesterday in sacrament there were some great talks given on fathers, made me pretty trunky to see my dad. It made me think of all the times I told my dad to back off or to stop being so hard on me, also made me think of all the things I didn't do, because I knew my dad would get mad, also made me think of all the things I've learned from my dad, to many to count. I really can wait to see ya. Hope it was a good one even though what happened. 

Hearing about Sam was rough, I cant tell you the last time I cried, but I cried today, my little SJ, breaks my heart. But these past two weeks I've fasted for him, and I took his name to the temple with me and he's always in my prayers. Tell him I cant wait to see him too! Well I'm glad to hear hes okay. Well Ill stop rambling on now! Love you all Thanks dad for being an actual dad! Being in the Philippines you see a lot of bad dads, just makes me more grateful.

Elder Collins 

1 transfer na lang!! Whaaaat???

Hey family! Hows summer going, how was St. George? Well we picked up my new Comp last night! His name is Elder Haufano, he is from New Zealand, but he's Samoan. I'm super stoked to be with him. Its gonna be a good time. He's super nice and Humble, great missionary. Ill send ya a pic of us later. I'm sad to see Elder Rindlisbacher go, hes been a great friend and example to me. But he is excited to go home haha, like really excited. you'll have to hit him up when he goes home, go to his homecoming. 

Well this week was a bit busy because of Zone Conferences, transfers coming up, new trainers meeting and all that good stuff. But I really enjoyed this week and the work that we were able to do! Teaching at zone conference was actually a cool experience for me. I really don't know if I've ever spoke in front of people like that, or at least been confident while doing it. I could really feel the spirit working through me in a different way as I was up there. Just like sister Tye, I dont think I wrote that talk, it was Heavenly Father that wrote it. I talked a lot about Alma 37:6-7, about how small and simple thing bring about great things, I showed them the difference in our work if we fail to do the small and simple things of daily obedience, it went pretty well. I hope every one got the idea of it and they apply it to their missions. I really believe that if we do the simple small day to day things of obedience we will have success and the spirit at all times. But it was a great experience, and I'm grateful for it. 

As for our work this week it is going well, we are continuing to work with these 2 families we have, we hope that they will be baptized in July. They are starting to really understand it more, we are just working on weekly church attendance, and word of wisdom. Then they are ready to go. With one family we had a great lesson with them, the father had a pretty big problem with smoking and drinking. But the second we introduced the WOW he accepted it, it was so cool, their faith as a family is growing and I'm excited for them. 
We actually had a really cool finding experience this pat Saturday. Last week we had OYMed a man who sews. He told us that his father was a member of the church. He said we could come back in a few days, we went back and he wasn't home. Then we kind of forgot about him for a while. Well during finding time last Saturday, we had gotten punted a few times and didn't know where to go, elder Rindlisbacher and I thought to visit this man. When we showed up he was there and his younger brother who was taught by missionaries before and was very close to baptism. They welcomed us in and we shared the restoration, he had already knew the story of Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. He invited us to teach him and his family next Saturday. The cool part was that the brother rarely visits his older brother, he just felt he should that day, how cool is that? I know that that was the reason he was prompted to visit his brother that day. The spirit works in mysterious ways, this is his work, no doubt, if we are faithful he will guide us and we will be his will, his hand, his mouth. Really great experience.
Well I'm excited for another transfer week! haha its gonna be a busy one as usual, I have a lot to teach Elder Haufano before I leave too. Its going to be a great last transfer, I can feel it!

MANILA BOUND..../Email from June 8th

HEY HEY HEY! Sorry I'm late again! We actually had our x rays for our going home batch up in Manila. I had to get 23 of us up to Manila and back! Its was a crazy day. Elder Christensen, Jenkins, Johnston, Jimeno, and Calaunan rode together in our van. While the others went with some area drivers. Well long story short I've driven that route like 5 times. But I got lost earlier!! Like reeeeeally lost! haha Just one wrong lane change, or turn or something and we ended up way far around the end of Manila into Quezon city! In like the Compton of Manila. It was crazy, it took us like 2 hours to ask our way around and eventually make it back on track! haha oh man.

Well this week was a great week. This past Tuesday Elder Baylon and I were able to go on exchanges in Las Pinas. It was a great day. They are going to have a lot of success in the future. It was really spiritual for me to go back and see some of these people that I taught and prepared, and now there baptized. So cool to see your hard work pay off now that they are active in the church. Especially the Lachica Family. Amazing with all these rough trials they are going through they are still active in the church. They are a great source of strength and Humility. 

We have been continuing to work with these families that we have been teaching. Because of MLC and other things we did have a whole lot of time to get out there. But every hour we got to work we focused with them. Both of these families have been taught many times and are attending church, we are really just working on their testimonies of the gospel. So no matter what they stay strong. But I know its gonna happen soon. We had a really good lesson with the Reforsado family this week, we were able to teach the fathers other two daughters who don't live with him. It was really cool to see how great of an example he was being to his children. Instead of joining in in drinking parties and stuff, hes a family man. Although his two older kids thought it was lame at first that he was listening to us, they ended up really being interested in the lesson, just because of him. That's when you know an investigator is progressing, when you can see the gospel change them. They are some of Gods Elect I know it. 

Well it was a pretty crazy day. Getting all 23 of us to Manila and back. Plus getting lost over there. haha I really don't know what happened just not paying attention, or just one wrong lane and it threw our whole route off. haha But I learned a good gospel lesson from it. Just one wrong turn, or one wrong lane, or not paying attention enough in life can throw our whole life on a different path, a path that we don't want to go down. Just like in 3 nephi, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him." It wasn't till I found myself in prayer that we started to get on the right path. We always need to be watching our paths, to make sure were on the right one. :)

We also have two Zone conferences this week! I have to do training in both of them! Which means giving a talk to our whole mission. It will be my last one! I'm pretty nervous, I am no public speaker! But well see how it goes, I've got some ideas! Then transfers are next week. Man time is flying. 1 transfer left! WHAAAA? LOVE YOU, --E. Collins