I'm doing really well. Yesterday was such a fun day! I opened my package, and thank you so much for that picture of Grandpa Doty. It's up on my study desk now. It was definitely a lot easier after I talked to y'all on Monday! I haven't been distracted one bit! I'm so thankful for Grandpa and his example, and that's really what's been keeping me going. I was having some trouble sleeping this past week, but I'm doing better now! I'm glad you got that picture! It was really nice because after I left, they called me and sang happy birthday to me since I hadn't told them it was my birthday... it was really nice. I love this ward here!
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| Jonny is 20! |
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| His birthday box! |
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| His picture of his grandpa |
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| His companion made him a birthday biscuit instead of a cake! |
Yesterday was filled with missionary work just like every day! I think honestly that was the best way to spend the day. The work has hit a stand still this week though. We didn't find a single new investigator this week, or teach any lessons. We taught a few less-active lessons. But it was tough! We were out all day, and when we weren't out, we were in member's homes helping them with their missionary work. Oh, our zone also ran out of miles (because a companionship went way over...) so we have parked our car for the rest of the month and are on bikes. We aren't going to get very far in our area without rides, but we've been biking around town a lot which reminds me of Norfolk!
We got to go to MLC on Wednesday and that was a lot of fun! Plus we got to have our Zone Meeting on Friday. Our focus for the transfer is that Missionaries will Teach in the Savior's Way, which includes also teaching members how to develop their own teaching skills! It's a pretty cool focus. Elder Shill and I have really been trying to use our time the best, so we essentially planned Zone Meeting during the 3 hour drive back from Portsmouth after MLC! It was super cool, because the Spirit just guided us during that time as to what our trainings should be about. And during the Zone Meeting on friday, our Zone was just so great! My trainee Elder Hargraves just got transfered into our zone so that's super cool, plus everyone was just ready to learn before that meeting! They were all sitting, quietly preparing about 15 minutes before it started, and that was just amazing.
Even though the work has been slow (almost to a stand still), I feel like Elder Shill is helping me become the best missionary I've been on my mission. We are focusing on praying with Real Intent. We have been praying a ton, and our prayers have been very heart felt and sincere every time. If nothing else, this week helped me learn how to better recognize and rely on the Spirit in answer to prayers. After what I've experienced this week, I KNOW that God answers our SINCERE prayers. It's been hard with not very much teaching, but we feel successful.
I'm so happy the NAFME conference went well! I'm not surprised at all the reaction that the crowd gave. That's just normal for y'all!
My ponderizing scripture for this week is, James 1:5-6 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." It's amazing to me that this led to what it did. Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, because he simply sincerely wanted to know which church was the church They wanted him to go to. And from then on we've known that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth in our day. What a blessing it is! I just get so excited to tell everyone about it.
Thank you for all that you do Mom!! I'm going to have a fun birthday and celebrate it today with the cake and everything. It's going to be fun! I love you and I hope you have a great day today! I also hope everything goes well with Skyla and the baby!
There's one more part I wanted to expound on in my email... The reason why we feel successful without much teaching. We have been trying to act on every prompting, no matter how awkward it seems! So, first off, we try to not let anyone pass us and not talk to them, but even the other day, I got a prompting to stop by one of our old investigator's houses. It was late and when we got there I was scared she would be upset at us knocking on her door unannounced. So we were about to leave and we said a prayer, and we just got a calm feeling so we went and knocked on the door! And it went super well! We were able to set up an appointment to bring a member to. It's moments like that that make you feel very successful as a missionary.
Love you so much!
Elder Collier
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