Hey Mom!
Thanksgiving was awesome! After our studies we went to the Denbigh Community Center (which is like their Firstenburg) and we helped out over there! They were doing a free Thanksgiving lunch for the community and we set up the decorations and the tables and brought in food and everything. Then we walked around and talked to people. Just gave them company, because some people are really lonely on Thanksgiving. I felt really good listening to their stories and just what they had to say! We also got to talk to a lot of people about the Church, but no lessons came out of it. But at least we helped out and they saw us! Service always leads to good things. Then later that day we went to dinner at the Piggott's! It was SO GOOD. I ate so much I thought I would explode. But it was really fun over there. Then afterwards we went home and had to do our weekly planning like we do every Thursday. Normally we do it in the morning, but since we were doing that service we had to do it later! It takes about 3 hours so it took up the rest of our day... Overall I had a great Thanksgiving. It sounds like you all did as well!
So this week within the span of 5 days it was crazy. On Saturday we met this guy on the street and he told us we could come by his house. Then on Sunday we taught him with a member from the ward there, then on Monday we taught him again, and he had kept his commitment and agreed to be baptized on December 19th! Then on Tuesday we were going to see him again and he wasn't home and wouldn't answer his phone! Then on Wednesday, we finally got a hold of him and he's like "Yeah.... I moved to Virginia Beach." So we went from having an investigator who is progressing with a baptismal date, back to nothing! It made me so sad! But we're trying to get the missionaries over there to go see him because he is super cool.
This is one of the tougher areas of the mission I think. President Baker sends out a Monthly newsletter at our Zone meetings and it shows the total number of baptisms for the year by zone, and our zone is 8th out of 9 total zones. But I just keep plugging along trying to find new people to teach! We have also been working with a lot of less-active members because getting them to come back to church is a great feeling. We are so close with this one Sister! She just can't get work off on Sundays so we keep praying and praying that she will, because she wants to be there.
And Mack Daddy can't get me all the way out here! Haha I actually laughed out loud when I read that! He's the best, I love that guy.
I can't think of anything I need for Christmas... I just would like some more music! How should I send my iPod home? The rules on music are pretty easy over here so I could use some more! Thank you so much. I can't think of anything else specific though!
You got a new tree?? The old one was perfect! Ah well...
I am doing well. Thank you for your segments from your lessons everyweek! They are awesome.
I had the opportunity to speak this week! I was asked Saturday morning two days ago to give a talk yesterday in our Sacrament Meeting. But I did it! I also ended up giving the same talk at the group on Fort Eustice because one of the speakers didn't show up. It was about keeping Christ in Christmas. I used the song "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day" And an article by Elder Gary E. Stevenson in the December 2014 Ensign as my main parts of the talk. You should definitely check out that article it's really good! He wrote it while he was still the Presiding Bishop.
My Ponderizing scripture for this week is Alma 7:13 "Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."
Thank you for everything you do Mom! I love you so much and I pray for all of you every day. Thank you for your prayers as well. I'll talk to you next week.
Love your son,
Elder Collier
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