Happy Birthday Sam!!!- Email from Jan. 4th

Hey Family! Well now I'm chilin in Los Pinas with Elder Burbidge. Man I love Elder Burbidge, hes a stud! Hes from Washington state, near Seattle. Hes a twin, and his brother is serving in San Pablo Philippines. We get along great, hes such a humble guy, and always looking to serve others. So im excited to be here with him. 

Well new years was pretty sweet. Just like last year, it sounded like you were in the middle of battle. haha People here will just make big old fire works out of a ton of gun powder haha, and it just makes big bombing sound. They are not so much flashy, but loud! haha If they don't have money for fire works they will just throw random crap around like an old TV or glass cups haha. Well the Los Pinas area is awesome. It kinda funny. The ward is super awesome and the people are super awesome. Its like L.A. Its pretty rich and pretty, but our area is literally like walking through Compton I would imagine. haha its pretty sweet. Im going to take pics this week and a video to show you. Our area is mostly squatters, or just really run down and poor. But everyone is accepting here I love it. The last missionary here was going home, and there were like two or three families that are totally potential for baptism. But he didnt capitalize on it. Soooo we are going to! haha But we are working on baptizing to families this month. One being the Lachica family. They are so great, Man if you could see the changes made in this fathers life it would touch your heart. He used to be into crime and drugs with family problems, they were homeless at one point, his whole life has been changed. And it makes you really sit and think about the wonderful merciful plan of our father in heaven. And to see this family of 9 kneel down and pray together, it really just gets ya.:) it shows that when a man follows god, he is happy. He couldn't really tell ya why he's happy, but he just is. 

I am having a great time here, and I will take a ton of pics for you next week. God lives, and so does his church.

Elder Collins

PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!! Love ya bud! Hope it was  great one. Saturday was such a great day for me and elder Burbidge, and I  didn't know why, until I looked at the calendar, and remembered it was your Bday!  

Ahhhh Man!

Hey Family! Well Merry Christmas! It was awesome to see you! Defiantly brought the Christmas spirit back for a bit. Well its transfers, and ill just tell ya straight up. I'm leavin, I'm going to Las Pinas 3rd ward! That's up in the city part of it all, closer to Manila and stuff! Im pretty excited! But then again, I'm pretty bummed to leave elder Christensen and Imus, I love Imus even though it was challenging! Man this is crazy! I totally thought I was staying! But Elder Burbidge is my companion! Another one of my batchmates, and im pretty excited about that! 

Well this week was good, We found another family this week which was taught by missionaries 8 years ago and they had a great relationship with them, something just happened that they didn't end up being baptized,but they are willing to hear the gospel again. We found them in a really cool way, we were only given a subdivision when they gave us an address, and it was a big place, but we went in just looking for people to ask to try to find their house. Well my companion got an impression to ask this kid on the side of the road, and it turned out to be his sister and parents that we were looking for! It was really cool. Its been a great week Happy New Year to everyone! I cant believe I'm leaving! Little weird to think about! Love, Elder MC

This is the present I got for you mom.This is Taytay Ed. and he made this with his bare hands.  Man I am going to miss him!

Christmas Skype

Merry Flippin Christmas! :) Dec. 22 email

Hey Family! Merry Christmas! Man this Christmas is so much different than last year. I dont even want to think that this is my last Filipino Christmas! I love it here, I cant believe the changes that ive had this past year. I never felt better in my life. Ive also never been more tired. My testimony of the savior has never been stronger. During this Christmas season I have really tried to reflect on its true meaning, because last Christmas I think I was just a little hung up on the fact that santa doesnt come to the Philippines. haha

 Well this week has been a good one! Our christmas party as a mission was super fun! And yes we successfully did the dance that you sent mom in a skit we put together as a zone! We also had exchanges with the APs again this week! I got to be companions with Elder Zacarias again! It was way fun to be with him again for the day! We have continued to work with a few part member families. The Vergada Family, and the Seno family. They both have less actives and investigators in the family, and we hope and pray we can get them to church, especially around this Christmas time. I love being in Imus, but im not gonna lie, the work is so different here. Seems like with some people there is no missionary spirit, like in the ward and stuff, but Elder Christensen and I have done all we can to change that. Its been challenging but were trying:) There are some great members though and they invited us to lunch and dinner on Christmas! So I might have to use that money on a different day for food! haha. 

I really liked one video that pretty popular on the lds.org. its called he is the gift. You have probably seen it, but if you havent watch it because its is so great. It really helps you realize the importance of Christmas, realizing that he truly is our only great gift. Our savior and redeemer. Our path to salvation. This mission has helped me to come closer than I ever have to him. I love Christmas, and im glad I love it for the right reason now. 

Merry Christmas.. Ya filthy animals. (What Movie?)

Elder Collins

Maulan Pasko!

Hey family! So we lived! haha no I'm just kidding it wasnt bad at all just a big rain storm! We had to stay inside all Monday and since there is three Americans in our apartment we were all just dreaming of white Christmases:) haha Its just been raining like crazy here so it kinda bums you out for Christmas but its been a great week! Pretty normal work. We have really been looking for families, especially this Christmas season! We had a really great spiritual experience with a family that we found this week. The mother is an less active member from Tagaytay, and shes always wanted her kids to become members and be a happy family because she can see that in her sister who is still active. Her kids are not very interested. Her faith has been pretty shaken and its been ten years since shes been to church. When we re taught the restoration of the gospel and how it helps our families out, she cryed and testified with all her heart to her own children about the truthfulness of the message. It was really great, spirit was very strong, and we think it changed them a little bit more. Now we just gotta work on the husband. 

Man do I love the Christmas season, during this time I have really tryed to strengthen my faith in Christs atonement and that has really helped me be able to bear valiant testimony of Christ to others. Read Christ in the bible dictionary, its great. He is our savior, our advocate and redeemer. He loves each one of us, and he is proof of a loving Heavenly Father, he is our gift, a gift from a father to his children, our only Christmas gift, and what better time to embrace it.

Love You All Merry Christmas:) 

Myles Email from Dec. 5

Hey Family! Ill make this short. We were asked to email today becaue the power will be cut off this next week due to another Typhoon. Apparently its supposed to be pretty strong! Stronger than the last one, but not as strong a yolanda. Crazy how many typhoons you go through in the Philippines. But were not worried! shouldnt be too bad, we are in the lords hands! :) This week has been great! Many spiritual experiences this week. We were encouraged to try to find more families this week. So we made a goal to find one family each week. And as we prayed to the lord to lead us to families, that same day the lord led us. We were looking for a referral given to us a couple days ago, and as we were looking I had an impression to talk to this lady standing on the road and ask her for directions. Well we did, turns out shes a less active member, and her kids and husband are super potential to be taught and baptized! Really cool experience, the spirit just does its thing and im happy to follow it! Love you all! Have a great week! I got my rain boots ready!

Elder Collins

Man I want some turkey...

Hey FAM!!! How was turkey day?! There is absolutely no change here in the Philippines on Thanksgiving. haha We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal though. Me and Elder Christensen decided to break the bank and get ourselves Mcdonalds... haha Don't hate me dad haha. Nothin like a quarter pounder for the holidays:)

Well im grateful for so many things that if I typed them up we would have to make another bible haha, But one thing I am so very grateful for is we had ourselves another baptism! It was great. Sister Carla and Brother Rayhan. We also had some other missionaries that had some so it was a total of 8 for the ward. President Tye came to see too so that was cool! Well I can't describe the feeling I had when they were baptized! You could just see their light in their eyes glowing. Im grateful for the wonderful opporunity I have to be a missionary. Nothin better:) Sister Carla is already thinking about a mission and in 4 years Brother Rayhan wants to do the same. 

Everything is going great, I cant believe its December already!! Last December I was in Bulihan, feels like just yesterday, times going way to fast! We gotta slow it down. I remember last Thanksgiving I was wishing time would go faster, now its the opposite, your right dad... your always right:) 

Well not too much changed I love you and am grateful for Gods Wonderful plan, and his love. 

Elder Collins