Hey Family!

 

Thanks for writing me mom and dad, it was good to hear how you and the family are doing. Thank you soooo much mom for the St. Patrick's Day package! So cute! All three of us wore our little green hat clips to church! I even tried to take a picture for you. I will try to attach it. That is so funny that you made Corned beef and cabbage because that is exactly what I had! That and potatoes. I thought it was okay but the best part was green mint chocolate chip shakes afterward. A family in the ward made it and had us over. It was so fun. So awesome that Camden is rolling over! Love that little man. Hey, I need a picture of his cute face! Would you please send me one? I miss him. Sounds like L.A. was fun! You mentioning antiques made me think of how I haven't even told you how cute Covington is. There are a lot of antique shops and everything seems to be antique. The houses are all really old and cool looking and the center of the town itself is just cool looking. You would love it. But the weather has been kinda crazy. It's usually pretty cold but not temperature wise... it's the humidity. It makes the cold go straight through you! But then some days it gets a little warmer and then the next day it will snow. So good thing my mom prepared me with good clothes cuz this weather is nuts. It's been fun though and I'm glad we have a car. Limited miles lets us walk around town though. Our area covers Indiana and a couple of towns in Illinois. Dad! The other day when we were driving home I counted 69 deer! Luckily we haven't seen any in the roads yet.

Dad! I hope you have an awesome Birthday! I sent something in the mail for mom to prepare to give to you. I hope she got it and can give it to you. But I love you so much! Mom, I was wondering if maybe you could send me an Arizona Sunsets calendar with everyone's birthdays on it...? Would you mind doing that for me? Because since I don't have technology I actually need a calendar. Also, I know you are all busy, but feel free to write me letters in the mail. I love hearing from you and it's nice to get something in the mailbox every now and then. :) Thanks! Oh and thanks for telling me about how you used part of my letter in your talk dad :) That made me feel special.

 

So this last week went by in a flash. We worked hard! Our teaching pool got pretty small after Morgan became a member and a couple of our investigators dropped us. So we have been tracting and praying and fasting for new investigators. This week we gained four new people to teach! On Tuesday we tracted in a little tiny town called Newport and people would not keep their doors open long enough  to even hear what we had to say. Door after door just kept shutting and we had to work to keep our spirits up. Then we had dinner at a members house there and Sister Delp really made us feel better. Good food and good examples of people who accept the gospel and change their lives always brighten our day. She was found by sister missionaries a long time ago in Colorado. After hearing her story we left to tract a few more houses before heading home. It was snowing and people wouldn't even let us in. Just as we were finishing up, thinking we hadn't had much success at all that day, the very LAST house on the street was our miracle of the day. Jane Wood answered us with a "yes" .... my response was "Really?" I was so shocked that she actually wanted to hear and learn about the gospel! She said her dad was sick and just recovering from surgery so we would have to come back in a week but she genuinely wanted us to teach her and her son. What a great day! Jane made the whole day worth it and we were so excited!

We taught the Carron family two more times and then had to say goodbye. We are SO sad that they have to move and we didn't get to see them baptized here. But we are going to stay in contact and make sure they find the missionaries in Arkansas and get baptized there. They are such an awesome family. I love them so much and just wish they could stay. But everything happens for a reason.

We've been back over to Cynthia's house several times. She's the lady in the tailer I was prompted to knock on. Each time we go she is either not there, not feeling well, or not there... BUT I have faith that we will catch her on a good day and we WILL teach her and she WILL gain eternal salvation! Haha. :)

We tracted a lot this week. It was fun but I think we need to work on our door aproaches. I've been thinking a lot about how to make them better.

We taught Morgan the last lesson after baptism and she is a rockstar! She told us about how she has decided to stop listening to certain bands and she has even decided to start working out! I was so happy to hear that and explained to her that she is becoming truly converted because she is changing. To repent means to change and that is what she is doing. Such an awesome girl! Oh and she brought her sister to church yesterday and guess who wants to keep coming to church and take the lessons!? Ally does! That's her sisters name. BUT she is 17 and her mom won't let her take the lessons. :( Hopefully when she turns 18 in July I can still be here to teach her. She's such a cool person.

How is the Book of Mormon reading going for you all? I try to read 15 pages a day so that I can have it done before next transfer but I'm falling behind. I'm really gonna have to step it up but I just hope that Billy is reading it as much as we are. He needs to know the Book of Mormon is true.

We're planning a trip to take Morgan to the temple in a few weeks! HA! Her husband is sitting two computers away from me... that is not a coincidence. Last time we were here Ron Stevens was on that computer. God is bringing us the people who don't want to hear the gospel. Haha! I hope her husband Jake can one day accept the gospel. He's really young though and probably just needs some time to mature. He's 18 and says he just doesn't like church. He won't listen to us now but I bet he will come around.

A couple of days ago Bishop was at the church for some reason when he saw a car pull up. A man walked up and tried the door. That's when Bishop asked if he needed something. The man's name was Tom Miller and he asked what time church was on Sundays and if he could have one of those Mormon Bibles. HA! We were pretty stoked when Bishop called and told us this story. Bishop gave him a Book of Mormon and told him what he needed to know, got his address and we went to visit him on Saturday. Tom and his wife Lori are an older couple who are looking to know which church is true. We taught them about the restoration and the Book of Mormon and asked them to be baptized. They were open to everything except for that last part. But hopefully coming to know that this is the true church will help them want to be baptized.

We tracted in Eugene and the only people that let us in were sweet little old ladies. Gotta love 'em! They were pretty old and lonely but we taught them and both said we could come back so we were happy. That night we ate dinner at the Kesslers who have a 23 lb cat that I took a picture with. Crazy good food too!

We are also teaching a 13-year-old named Nani and we are going to meet her parents today. She really likes church but her dad is Catholic so we'll see how he feels about her being baptized. Fingers crossed.

Corey Bugg is also taking the lessons from us and was at church this Sunday! Even his wife's mom Wanda was at church and she has been less-acitve for a while. We are working on getting their entire family back to church and will hopefully have a baptismal date for Corey soon. He has a crazy work schedule but he knows it's true, we just need to teach him and get him ready. 

We had 21 'Other Lessons Taught' this week! Which is a LOT! And we were all pretty excited about that. We're always improving and becoming better missionaries each day. This work is awesome and I love being out here! But I do miss you all and would love to get some letters. Have so much fun in Hawaii and soak up the sun for me! Love you all!!

 

Love,

 

Sister Collett