Another transfer in Kalihi

So for transfers I'll be staying in Kalihi! My new companion will be Elder Gunnell. I've served with him before in Kaneohe and Mililani! So I'm pretty excited. He is about 6'7 hahaha So playing basketball with him is going to be really fun for finding people! So this week I had a real humbling experience. I was thinking to myself how come we don't see some of the great things that happen in the scriptures here today and what can I do or work on to see those things happen in my life? So I was studying in the bible dictionary about Faith. And towards the end it explained how when we use TRUE faith THEN we see miracles and visons healing etc.. So it humbled me to know that the only reason I don't see some of these things is because I'm lacking the faith to actually see them. So it was a real testimony to me that we can always increase our faith in Christ which comes from the simple things.. Daily scripture study, prayer and church etc.. By doing those things every day then we are slowly always building our faith and becoming more like our savior. But I love you guys all so much and hope you have a great week! It's going to be another fun 6 weeks here in Kalihi! hhaa 

Elder Collings

Lots of Success

Since it was a holiday I couldn't really write last week! So sorry.  I was able to use a members phone but couldn't send an email to everyone. We had a really good week this week! So we had 5 people with a baptismal date! Some of their names are hilarious.. So here are the names haha! Flava, Voldemort, Vladimir, Ashley, and Pamela! Kinda funny! 

This week we worked really hard to get our investigators and other people we visit, to sacrament meeting!  Kalihi Ward is pretty small for attendance.. there is normally maybe 30-40 people that come to sacrament meeting. But on Sunday we brought two big families, and it totaled up to about 20 people we were able to bring to sacrament meeting! It was a really crazy day haha! We taught elders quorum and Gospel Principles class and we had to watch a lot of the kids who we brought to church so their mom can listen, and not worry about the kids for awhile! We also had fellowshippers to go and pick all of them up from their house! So it was a pretty crazy day, but all in all it worked out great! The baptisms are set for March 9th, so we're pretty excited! 

All is going great! just working hard and loving it here! Hope you have a great week! And thank you for the birthday package! 
Love Elder Collings

We had a awesome week! So cool story... An old missionary who served in our ward about a year ago gave me a call and gave a a referral for someone he met when he served here! I was kinda laughing since he waited a year to tell about it but its ok haha! So he met her while he was knocking on doors and when she opened her door she explained how she had a dream the night before that Mormon Missionaries would come to her home and convert her! So she allowed them to come and teach etc.. But something happened and the elders stopped going haha! So then he gave us a call a year later.. Well, we went to contact her and it turns out, the day before we came, her son has been asking a lot of questions about Christ, and wanted to know about him! Then we showed up. So she felt it was meant to be and was an answer to prayers! We taught her and she came to church! So hopefully all will keep going well with her.

Another cool story! So we had even more people at church this week haha! We had the same group from last week, and two more less actives and one part member family! It was so cool to see all of them! Sundays have become very busy for us haha. But everything is going great! 

We'll have 3 baptisms this week. two had to be pushed back but should still be happening soon! But Voldemort is still getting baptized so I'm really excited about that. But Everything is really good! I love ya'll and hope you have a awesome week! 

Love Elder Collings 

Baptism of a friend

So I had an amazing week. The man who I told you about that I met on the plane was baptized and confirmed this week. I've been so grateful to be part of his journey to the church! I truly feel like he was one of my close friends before this life and I had the privilege to teach him the gospel while we were here. So this week was really special to me. 

This transfer has been full of miracles and blessings from the Lord haha! 

We got transfer news this week and we'll both be staying! So I'm really happy about that! I'm looking forward to this next transfer. I hope everything is going great in Uganda Love you :) 

Elder Collings

Sick companion

So I don't have much to write about this week.. my companion was sick with a stomach flu.. So we were locked up most the time. This coming week is going to be awesome! We should have three baptisms. So I'm really excited for that! and we have a couple of solid investigators who we're hoping are ready to take the steps to be baptized. So we'll see how it goes! A lot of the people we meet and teach are Chuukese who live in the low income housing over here.. So I've been learning how to speak a little bit haha! But Kinnisou swabwun! Ai tong ngonuk. Sipwapw chu!! 
Elder Collings

Baptism!

So we had a great week! We had a baptism for Narleen Ekeik her story was that she used to meet with missionaries a long time ago but for some reason she just never saw them. A couple weeks ago she was picking bread fruit at someones home and it just so happened the missionaries from Kaneohe showed up and started to talk to her! She was so excited to start to be taught again. Since she has been taught, she has had so many tragic things happen to her and her family.. she has had 4 of her family members pass away in just over a month. But she knew if she relied on the Lord, He would help her out of the wilderness she was in.  

13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, 
if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led. 1 Nephi 17:13

She had so much faith going through these trials. She always told us the she prays and asks the Lord for council every day. We also promised her about eternal families, and how she can see her loved ones again. The spirit was very strong. She is going to be an awesome member of the church! Now we're working with her husband!

Also this week we set 6 people with a baptismal date. So we're very excited to be working with them and help them on their journey to baptism! But I love you guys and I'll try to send pictures as soon as possible.

Christmas

It was nice talking to you guys! Christmas is a little weird without snow huh? hahahaha  But we had a great week. We decided one night when we were street contacting that we would say a prayer and ask for a very specific person we could teach the gospel too.. So in the prayer we asked that we would find someone wearing a yellow shirt that would let us teach him! So we walked down some alleys and streets for awhile and we found someone wearing a yellow shirt! So we jumped on it and started talking to him haha! But it was crazy! He knew exactly where the church was. His boss has been inviting him to come to church and he said he has been searching for a church as well! So we invited him to come to our Christmas Sunday Sacrament Meeting! It was so cool how we acted on that little particle of faith and the Lord blessed us with someone to teach his gospel too. 

We had a awesome christmas! Lots of people had us to their homes and the fed us plenty haha! The Light the World challenge was amazing as well. Each day we would send out a mass text to all of our investigators, less actives, and anyone in the ward or zone that wanted to hear what the challenge was for the day! Almost everyone talked about amazing experiences that they had while trying to Light the World. 

I love ya'll and Mele Kalikimaka!!!

Three weeks of letters

December 5:

This week was real good! The family I told you about last week we met with them yesterday! Turns out one of them has been baptized already! But the other kid has not been. So we're excited to be teaching them! She has a baptismal date for the end of December! But this week while we did a lot of street contacting and passing out all of the #LightTheWorld pass along cards, we had a lot of success! It was really cool because while we were doing it, we even had some people come up to us and wanted to meet with us! Then others asked for Book of Mormons and some other things! It was real fun. 

So we ran into a problem while doing laundry.. me and my companion put our clothes in together and he left some gum and chapstick in his pants! So I have two pairs of pants that I can't wear anymore :/ So for Christmas or something I could use a couple dollars to go buy pants from Ross or something! haha I love you guys! Hope you had a great week. Love Elder Collings 

December 12:

We had a pretty fun week! our area flooded .. so we were locked up for most of the time.. and on Monday I  had to go to the doctors to get some stitches.. hahaha I was hiking and some bamboo got the best of my hand.. but don't worry I'm totally fine. :) 

December 19:

The flood was ok! In Kihei it normally only rains about 2-3 times a year! It's just normally really hot and crazy! But when it flooded, it rained the whole week! So by Sunday almost all of the roads were shut down! We live right by the ocean so we had to sleep at the zone leaders home, since the water was getting close haha! But it wasn't bad.. there was a guy kayaking down the road hahha!!

My finger was a pretty good cut ha! We were hiking on P-day and broke a piece of Bamboo.. And bamboo is really sharp when you break it! It cut my pointer finger pretty good! I had to get stitches and get part of it glued.. but I'm totally ok! It's more just annoying having my finger wrapped up and trying to type or write things down hahaha! It doesn't hurt and is healing just ok so no need to worry :)

I was told I can call you on Christmas eve! I can plan on calling around 6:30am Hawaii time, and if we can find someone to FaceTime, I'll FaceTime you guys! But if not I'll just give you a call :)

So we had a crazy week! There was some things going on in Kihei and we got whitewashed out.. So I am now back on Oahu! Serving in Moanalua Samoan ward! haha I'll be there at least until this transfer ends or maybe stay. I'll just have to see when transfers come! My new companions are Elders Alalatoa from Western Samoa and Elder Ball from Alberta Canada haha! It's been a real good time! But for now I'm just learning the area and meeting all of the investigators here! We teach a lot of Samoan people, so me and Elder Ball have no idea what's going on during the lessons since it's all in Samoan haha! But the spirit is always there.

Sorry for the short emails we've just been really busy! I love you and can't wait to call this week! Alofa atu ma manuia le aso!!!