Elder Jonathan Collier: The Gospel is Simple!

Hey Mom!!

Oh my goodness Sammy just keep getting closer and closer to getting his call. I can't wait to find out where he's going! I keep hoping that it's going to be this mission, I think that would be so sweet!

That's cool that you've talked to Elder Shill's Mom! Yeah he's been a ton of fun to be companions with. Definitely one of my favorite companions. We found out that we are going to stay together for another transfer too, so that's going to be fun! And transfers got pushed back a week, so that's why I'm going home on the 13th now! So I'm still going home on the same day. They called me this week and confirmed my departure date with me... Time is going by super quick. Can't it just slow down a tiny bit?

This week was another really good week. We've been still driving to areas, and biking around them, and we have seen a lot of success from it! We went to this place called Pollocksville on Friday and spent the whole day there. We saw a sweet miracle! We were contacting a potential investigator, who wasn't home, so we knocked on the neighbor's door. They were a younger couple, and they let us right in, and we started to teach them about the Restoration of the gospel. During the lesson, we invited them to church, and they said that they had literally just been talking about finding a church because they didn't like the one that they were at, right before we knocked on the door. Miracles like that are everywhere on a mission and I feel like I'm able to notice the little things so much more since I've been out here. It was a great lesson because they noticed the Apostasy, and they wanted to find where God's church was. We essentially just told them, you've found it! So i hope they will pray about what we've shared and continue to meet with us!

I've felt really good most days this week. The best days I think are the ones where you come home just exhausted and sleeping sounds like a great thing! I have slept the best I have the past couple of weeks compared to the rest of the past transfer. So things are going great.

Last night something funny also happened! We were driving by a less-active family's house and we saw all 4 kids pulling weeds outside, so we called out to them and asked if we could help! They were like, "Sure?" They looked kind of confused, but we got out and helped and after a few minutes they were having so much fun! We had mainly been working with the Mother to help her come back to church, and hadn't talked to the kids very much, but all the kids are teenagers, so this was really good. And then the mom came out and she was like, "Why are you doing that in your white shirts??" she was so upset haha! But she was really happy and thankful that we stopped to help. Then we were able to teach them, and actually teach the whole family instead of just the mother and the oldest son, so that was a lot better than what it had been before! It was just a really cool blessing to see. The more we go about doing good, the more opportunities will arise!

My ponderizing scripture for this week is Mosiah 2:22, and I thought it was super profound! "And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you." So even after all that the Savior has done for us, all that he asks us is to follow Him and keep His commandments! And when we do that, we can have the Spirit more present in our life, and we can KNOW that we are on the right path! I know that this is true!

Thank you for sharing that experience with me Mom! That is so cool to have already known because of how well your parents have taught you. I feel the same thing, because you and Dad have shown such great examples for all of us boys and I'm so grateful for that.

Thank you for all that you do Mom! I love you so much! I'll talk to you soon, have a fantastic week!

Elder Collier