Training and Hurricane!

Hey Mom!!! 

I'm safe! The Hurricane was crazy but we didn't get nearly as bad as other places from what I've heard. We were pretty far north from where it actually hit. It was a lot of fun biking in it though! haha! WE GOT DRENCHED. I've never been so wet in my entire life! We just started to accept the water getting splashed on us from the cars passing by! It was so fun! Our apartment complex flooded so bad, but I forgot to take pictures! I got one of Elder Richins (one of my zone leaders) that I'll send though! It's pretty funny. 

Jonny and last companion

That is one wet tie!

Drenched from the Hurricane!

This is how their zone leader got through the flood!

New Companion!

It was a crazy first week for my new companion that's for sure! But he is awesome and I love working with him! His name is Elder Hargraves, and he's from Shelly, Idaho! He's 19, but he turned 19 right before he came on his mission. He left straight out of high school like me! It's super weird that he graduated in 2016 though! Something super crazy... He was in the MTC with Taylor Lowder! They were in the same MTC district so they went to classes together and stuff. Super crazy! 

I did not think training would be this hard! There are so many things that I do as a missionary that I just thought were regular things, but I have to explain them! It's a lot of fun though. We get along super well. The 12 week training program is a lot of fun though. I didn't appreciate it as a Greeny but I really do appreciate it now! haha! And I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad for my experiences of homesickness at the beginning of my mission, because I can use those to help him out. It's been a pretty long couple of days but it's been so great. 

I kinda feel bad, but I'm also jealous of him, Elder Hargraves is starting his mission in probably the most physically trying area of our mission! We bike on average 20  miles a day so it was pretty tough on him the first couple days, but soon it'll just be normal! It was super hard for me when I first got here, but I'd have to say I can bike pretty fast now! I did the math, I've biked close to 1000 miles since I've been in Norfolk... crazy! It's so much fun though! We talk to so many people and Elder Hargraves is doing great. He's got that  "Greeny fire" that is real! He's super excited to go out and work which makes it easy! 

Ashley Welker is still doing great! She's the 9 year old that is unbaptized that we've been teaching. She's so excited about everything and it is just a lot of fun to teach her. She's still on date for oct 29th. On Tuesday when the new missionaries flew in to Norfolk, we had some of the new missionaries learn how to teach and we brought Ashley as a real life investigator! She loved it. At the end she said the closing prayer and she said, "Thank you for letting my missionaries let me come and teach these other missionaries." it was so funny! I was trying so hard not to laugh! She's just the best. And her mom is still super on board with everything also! 

Not much else happened this week... But it was so much fun! I loved it. I'm learning so much by going through the training program again! 

I'm so jealous that Elder Anderson is coming to our stake! That sounds like it would be a lot of fun! You'll have to tell me how that goes for sure. And the Messiah is my favorite! Good luck with that!

My ponderizing scripture for this week is Alma 30:34 "And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren?"  I read this this morning and the Spirit hit me pretty hard. I love being out here so much, and the only thing I get out of it is feeling joy for others! But that joy makes it totally worth it, and definitely has more fully converted me to the gospel. I love being a missionary! 

Thanks for all you do Mom! I'm safe so don't worry too hard! I love you so much and am so thankful for everything. 

Love you so much!

Elder Collier