Another Week Gone!

Hey Mom!!

My week was fairly good this week. It was really tough at the beginning, but got better as the week progressed! Bro Huggins didn't even tell me that he was going to record my musical number... haha! People just keep doing it! I'm not going to argue though... hahaha! The Spirit was seriously so strong in that sacrament meeting yesterday, and I was just glad I could be apart of it. It started off with the Branch President asking a few specific people to bear their testimonies on certain topics, and then my musical number, and then there were some speakers. The first person that got up was the Mia Maid president, and her testimony of the scriptures was just so sincere and touching. I truly felt what Brigham Young said that it's not the eloquence of the testimony that matters, but the true heartfelt meaning of it! It was so cool.

Funny story about the musical number... President Evers (my branch president) texted me earlier this week and said, "So how do you feel about singing in sacrament meeting? This Sunday? I Stand All Amazed. Sound good?" and I was like, "Sure?" and he said, "Good you're already on the program." I couldn't believe it haha! I love this branch so much. They're all such great people. It's so cool how you can come to love people so quickly out here!

 So about this week starting off tough... I don't really even know what it was. I think it was just all in our heads. We just weren't focusing as much as we should have. Elder Dumont and I get along really well, and we would quote different movies or tv shows and make jokes all the time. But we actually had a discussion in our last Zone Meeting about eliminating distractions. So earlier this week while we were still doing that, not a lot was getting done. Actually, even though we spent a lot of time outside, we didn't teach a single investigator. Everyone just wasn't home or was canceling appointments. But my companion and I decided to stop quoting movies and different things, and just be more focused on our missionary work to eliminate distractions. And you wouldn't believe how much of a blessing it has been. Since then, we have fond so many Potential Investigators, and have set up a lot of return appointments with people. We have just been far more effective. When our mission president talked about doing this he quoted "Rise Up O Men of God." It says 

Rise Up O Men of God

Have done with lesser things

Give heart and soul and mind and strength

To serve the King of Kings

We decided that movies and worldly entertainment fall under the "lesser things" category, and by following that counsel, so many blessings have come! I think the greatest thing is that it's a sacrifice that we decided to make on our own, and just knowing that I willingly chose to bring myself closer to the Savior makes it all the better. While we aren't perfect at it (we slip up every once and a while) we have been able to see the blessings come from trying! It's great. So since then, the week has been a great one!

Friday I went on an exchange with the Zone Leaders in Elizabeth City and that was a lot of fun! I was with Elder Hintze and we are like the same person.. haha. We both did choir and musical theatre, we graduated in 2015, and we're both going to BYU in the fall of 2017. And we had the same scripture case! super weird. But we got along really well. He's been out one transfer longer than me, and I was able to learn a lot being with him, and he said he learned a lot about being with me! Specifically how to be optimistic and show gratitude is what he said, and that was really cool to hear! 

Doing Service

Washing the car!

North Carolina Farmland

"I broke the door handle!"

I'm glad Sammy had a great game! That sounds like it would have been super fun to watch! And that's so cool that Kenzie is going on a mission! 

Tour also sounds like it's going to be a blast! You'll have to tell me all about it!

I'm glad you're really enjoying your calling Mom! You look like you're having a lot of fun with it and are learning a lot!

My ponderizing scripture for this week is Alma 16:14 "And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually." I'm trying to be more like Alma and Amulek and be fearless with who I talk to! We just have to go out and talk with everyone who will listen, because we never know who will be interested!

Anyway that's about it! We're going to Hatteras today and I'm pretty excited about that! Pictures will come next week. I love you so much Mom! The Church is true. I know it!

I hope you have a great week! Have fun in Utah on Tour! It's going to be great.

Love you so much,

Elder Collier