December 29, 2015

Long time no see!!! ;) skype was a great experience! crazy how fast if passed by! but it was great to see everyone and be able to share the christmas with you guys:) Everyone looks great and looks really happy!! Nice to know that everyones happy and i as well am super happy:) 

So for Christmas we had a BBQ with an incomplete family and it was awesome! lots and lots of meat:) also as a mission we had a cool devotional where there were a lot of musical numbers (including president) and was awesome! Afterwards a huge lunch with the whole mission:) was a good time, oh and on saturday we had a baptism. Her name is Antonela Serrano. She is the daughter of a family that we are reactivating and it was an incredible experience:)

HAPPY ANEVERSARRY yesterday!!!! thank you so much for getting marrried so that i could be here;) haah but for real thanks you. and thank you for your examples to me on how i should be as a father when the day comes:)

as for a birthday package, um ill start thinking about it:) 

THank you so much!!:)

Love Elder Collins

photo, Elder Tomaz again:)

December 22, 2015

Feliz navidad, mi querida familia:)

Looks like just in a few days we will be chit chattin over the internet haahh :) still cant believe that this day has come! but it is what it is:). So the plan is that we will be able to skype at like 6pm chile time.

So the thing is that there isnt really much to say hahh other than i am the new susan kenny in the chile santiago east mission. hahaha so like in 1 day and a half i put together a choir and we are good;) we will be singing to the whole mission on chrismass ahah and also on saturday in the big baptism "navidad blanca". but its an arrangment of silent night. its super cool:) ill try to record it so i can send it to you guys.

But really its just hot and stuff here but the people are just so perfectly prepared. I love to see the signs of the lords hand in their lives. Everyday is just full of miracles, like even today. Our pday and generally no one contacts or talks to people during pday and i just dont agree with that and in our travel we contacted 3 people and two of them gave us thier dirrections and are really interested to know more. just a little example on how the lord will work and work and work to bless the lives of each and everyone of his children:)

I love youguys and will be seeing you soon:)

ElderCollins

December 15, 2015

WOW! Zoie got home?! thats suuuuper wierd......she left like a a month before me!!! wow how time is flying.....................................its killing me!! I just want to be out here forever haahha and not have to adapt again to a new life ahahah but its un escapeable :)

THe pics of brians house looks super nice! geeewiz they are just doing quite fine arent they;) hahah but really thoug wow! but from what you said about costa, brian is still working for them? i thought he had his own restaurant?? or maybe i just misunderstand ha. 

But sounds like everything is just going fantastic back at home:)

Down here in the heat things are just cookin'! really though, even though the days are just really really really hot, its chill:) the people are super receptive right now, we have been taking advantage of the summer break that is starting and people are a lot more relaxed and there are a couple baptisms lined up:) its just incredible to see how the lord is working. there is this family i'd like to tell you guys about, so its the family Parada Godoy, and the mom "danitza" was born in the church but inactive like the last 15 years, and "manuel" her husband wa<s baptized a year ago, and their two kids, "antonela" and "Joaquin". THey are amazing. Even though manuel is inactive now and the danitza is pretty irregular in her assistence, thier daughter thats 10 years old is putting them into shape so she can be baptized and in the end be sealed to them in the temple. She will be gettign baptized in the next couple weeks and her energy is bringing to life danitza and helping her put things in order:) i love to see how the lord is working through this little girl to save the ones she loves:) straight up miracle:)

I love the work, i truly do:)

Until next week:) 

Elder Collins

December 9, 2015

First off to answer your questions, Elder Jasse is my companion. He is from Cordoba Argentina. He is going to finish his mission in 2 months and we have been together for the last 3 and a half months. He is the other zone leader that i am training, its kinda hard for him to adapt to the lidership side of things but its getting better:) Our zone is called "Cordillera" there were 22 missionaries here but last week they closed an area so we are incharge of 20. 16 Elders and 4 Sisters. Its an awesome Zone. All the missionaries are super funny when its time to be funny but all are super hard workers. I have never had a zone that had such great Unity. Ill send a pic of the facechart of all the missionarys. haha but its cool because now Elder Pile is in my Zone (my comp in the MTC) and also there are 5 of us who all got here at the same time in the zone:) its super cool:)

About Skype, this year i will only have 30-40 minutes. Last time it was an hour, so just to let you guys know so we can keep it within the rules:) um we will probably be skyping around 6 or 7 chile time so 3 or 4 your guyses time. But this week we will make sure:) Thatll be awesome to see whama:)

THis week has been one of many miracles that there are just too many to write ahha (good thing im keeping a journal) but one that was incredible was we are visiting this incomplete family, Lucho (recent convert), Maria (his mom and recent convert), Luis (his dad, investigator). And we went to visit them the other day and luchos best friend Miguel was there and we started to talk with him and he opened up and told us how he loves the church and wants to be baptized! and then sunday he came to church!!! so that is part 1 of the miracle....heres part 2.....so we went to the follow up appointment and only Maria was home, but she told us her oldest son Jorge was there so we went in and got to know him, as we talked he opened up and told us of all these prioblems he is having with his "girlfriend" of 10 years. We watched "A savior is Born" and he loved it and just started showing this craving to know more and so we talked about the temple with him, and asked him if hed like to visit the temple and he said yes! the next day we fixed a temple tour withthe sister missionaries and we went with the whole fam! Lucho, Luis, Maria, Miguel, and Jorge. THEY LOVED THE TEMPLE! they told us how they feel the strong need to be sealed and that they need to do all that is necesarry to be worthy to enter:) it was incredible:) I love to see the miracles of the temple! CHanges people sooooooo much:)

Thank you for all:)

I love you:)

December 1, 2015

Wow! that is an incredible story, i absolutely love how the lord just puts into place all that he needs to be done. I can see things like that everyday, they are always happening but we just need to  recognize it:) 

Truly it has been a fantastic week, really hot....but fantastic:) tomorrow there are transfers and me and elder jasse are going to be staying together:) we have a little more time together! looks possible that i could be with him until he goes home, but time will tell:) haha but the work is truly progressing and miracles are happening daily. 

Not to much has happened this week.....but i am doing great! truly i am great:) super happy and just ready to work, work, work. There was 2 days this week where i just was tired and like a strong tired that i dont know where it came from but i just kept on keeping on and miracles happened but i just couldnt get myself to feel super animated as usual....i came to the realization that i was killing my compaionship by being too controling, by doing everything on my own in the zone and everythign and it was starting to weigh down on me, not getting aloong to well with my comp was all my fault....and so i repented and asked forgivnes from my comp and he about started crying and i realized that i still have so much to learn and get better at doing and one that i will be focusing a lot on this transfer is giving the weight to my comp, to prepare him to lead the zone as i have been doing if i get transfered in 6 weeks more, so that he wont be so stressed to take the reigns. its going to bee a good time:)

I love you:)

elder Collins

November 24, 2015

:)

Kristin Collins

On Nov 24, 2015, at 11:07 AM, Jared Collins <collins.jared@myldsmail.net> wrote:

well yeah so the rule is the socks have to blend in with the pants, so yeah they arent really allowed to wear to proselyte but just just chillax theyre fine:)

On Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 3:01 PM, Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com> wrote:

Thank you:)

I'll have to see if I can get another package to you for Christmas day you silly!:)

So by your convent on the socks...they're not allowed?  By the way Dad has the camp ones and the blue and pink paisley tie is a match with Scott:)

Kristin Collins

> On Nov 24, 2015, at 10:46 AM, Jared Collins <collins.jared@myldsmail.net> wrote:
>
> First off, wierd to see chelsy married.....wierd to seee these people who i have know practically my whole life growing up and to just realize that im taking the steps closer to that end...WIERD! but thats sweet that Val is goin on her mission!!! she will do great down there in the south, and come back with an even more "hick" accent ;) hahaha
>
> YES i recivedt the christmas packges yesterday!!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH:) i love everything, im not going to lie.....i opened everything:) just couldnt wait:) hahaha but truly thank you for everyting:) the sandals are super nice (my comp is a huge Adidas fan and when he saw them was goin nuts hahaha) and the GATORADE, I forgot how much i truly loved that gatorade:) and the shirts and garments were exactly what i needed and the ties are super dope! and even better were the socks, im gonna rep those every pday for the rest of my mission ahah and thank  you so muh for the pens:) every thing was perfect, thanks:)
>
> So as for me this week it was great, i would have to say its been the best of my mission and also one of the hardest haha but so first of all we had enterviews with President Morgan, and this was my first one as a Zone leader and i was a little nervous because i didnt know what to expect, but it was increbible.....went really long becuase we were talking about the wellfare of the missonaries it was incredible how just in a conversation the spirit took over and we recieved direct revalation on how to help those in the zone. it was incredible:) In the interview we did a practice contact and it went well and the spirit was super strong and president started crying and in the end we talked about it and gave me a great tip on how it could be even better, and that was the Inspired questions. How even though thespirit was super strong and was testifying, the person couldnt open up becuase i didnt ask him to....was a big lesson that i learned and now in these last few days i have really put it into practice and have seen those who we come in contact with open up and just pour out their heart to us, Inspired questions are the key to everything:)
>
> I am super happy and just loving the work here, we had some sweet experiences wtih investigaters that was incredible. one was Monica, we found her from the Area book and as we visited her the first time she told us that she has been looking for so long for the truth but just hasnt been able to find it and the misionaries havnet showed her either, and just in this moment our ward mision leader was with us in the lesson and  he just shared his testimony and she broke down and practically told us that his testimony was all that she has been waiting to hear and wants so badly to be baptized and sealed in the temple with her husband (less active) and her baby, it was incredibl:)
>
> the lord is truly working miracles:)
>
> Happy thanksgiving!!
>
> Happy birthday mom:) i am sending a letter to you so just wait:)
>
> love you all:)
>
> Elder Collins

November 17, 2015

So this week has been a solid one, we found these two families that are incredible!!! as we were visiting one for the first time (they are an incomplete family, the dad Jorge is inactive and his wife Monica is an investigater) Jorge right out of the gate said how strong of a desire he has to be sealed in the temple and how he feels the strongest desire to come back to church! His wife was iffy and didnt know how she feels about being a member of the church because she is really catholic and stuff, as we taught with our ward misionleader he started talking about the simpleness of the gospel and how we just need to ask god what it is we need to do and if she needed to be sealed in the temple. At the end of things she looked at jorge and told him that she wants to be sealed in the temple and be baptized!!!!!! it was incredible:) i love to see the lord work so perfectly:)

All is good, About extending i havent talked to my presidente about it because im still in the process to see if it is what i shoud do, waiting for my answer:)

I LOVE YOU:)

Elder Collins

Zone Activity



Service Project painting

November 10, 2015

Look at you guys, getting ripped and stuff!! you gotta let me know what program your doin so maybe i could start it. because its hard to get a good work out in under 30 minutes:)

Chelsy pennock got married or a different chelsy?? 

HAHAHAHAAH Caden humphries ahahah thats so cool! tell him i say hi and want to see him on a MISSION! that he needs to put it all on the line and just do it:)

So for me this week, its been super good like everyweek. you know me that everyweek it the best weeek of my life ahah it is just an experience that never goes bad, unless you want it to go bad:)

I have learned a lot on what type of person i want to be and become after my mission. Its kinda wierd to be thinking about but just has been on my mind lately. As i see and hear things i recive these feelings on how i should be and so i write them down and i am truly exticed to put that all in practice when i get home so that i can truly be the man that god wants me to be. Everyday is an experience that i will need to aply in the "real world" and i am finnally getting down to realizing that. Its going to be hard, but i know that as long as i complete with the lord he will do the rest:

"if in your quest you do your best the lord is there to do the rest"

That is my theme, my slogan. 

I love you all so much and am so grateful for your examples to me to make me the man that i am today:)

Elder Collins

November 10, 2015...Conversation online

thats right! then i still have one christmas more:) sweett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha but really though, i have been thinking a lot this week that i might extend my mission until september...what are your thoughts?

On Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 5:19 PM, Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com> wrote:

Whatever…everyone is excited to go to Chile with you next Christmas!!:)

From: Jared Collins <collins.jared@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 1:17 PM

To: Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com>
Subject: Re: Package For christmas

ooooooh how exciting!!!:) haha its kinda wierd to think that this will be the last christmas away from home! the time is passing tooooo fast!!!!! 

maybe ill extend my mission a christmas more;)

On Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 5:14 PM, Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com> wrote:

Nice:)  So fun to have you almost here with me!  I’ve been wrapping your christmas presents…so fun to think about you for so long:)

From: Jared Collins <collins.jared@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 1:13 PM
To: Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com>
Subject: Re: Package For christmas

Hi mom!!:) hows it goin???

On Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 5:12 PM, Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com> wrote:

Hello there son!!

From: Jared Collins <collins.jared@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 1:05 PM
To: Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com>
Subject: Re: Package For christmas

the model 005 is the good one:) thanks mother:)

On Wed, Nov 4, 2015 at 2:18 PM, Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com> wrote:

Ok, thanks for the list:)  I have been researching these pens.  I found the Zebra ones.  The Micron ones don’t come in .02.  They have a .2mm which is model 005 and they have a .3mm which is model 02.  Which one are you talking about?

From: Jared Collins <collins.jared@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 2:54 PM
To: Kristin Collins <kcollins@collinscorp.com>
Subject: Package For christmas

Sooo as i have been thinking of a few things i have missed, First off Gatorade Fierce Melon:) other thing would be Reeses....:) and somethings that i need, a head for my electric toothbrush, the CREW hair cream. and some ZEBRA pens (they are the metal ones that you can buy refils and they are wow soooo good) and maybe some Microon pens that are of point .02 because to mark my scriptures they are great becuse i can write a lot and they dont leak:) But more than that i am doin great:) no worries:)

THanks my beloved mother:)))

November 3, 2015

WOWWO that is a huge fish!!!!! looks and sounds like the sabbatical was a success:) 

Also halloween aswell, what were the costumes of rachael and scott, also did brian and kinsie dress up?? id love to see some pics:)

Say hi to Case for me, tell him that i feel his prayers and that i am truly grateful for him and miss him:)

For me this week was stellar:) We had the incredible opportunity to go to the temple with the Marileo family to see them recieve their endownments!!:) It was the neatest experience to see them there so happy that finnally after 20 years of being members with 18 years of being inactive they finally recieve the blessings of the temple:) it was incredible, and now in short time they will be sealed as a family:))) The work of the temple is just incredible:) Also later in the week we were able to go do a temple tour with Irene (Inactive) and Jorge (active recent convert) and as we are in the tour with the sister missionaries irene was still pretty skeptical and not showing so much interest....but then when we got to the part where we enter the temple up to the reception desk and sat there for a couple minutes i saw this change in her perplexion, as we left she almost started crying just telling us that she now understands the reason the gospel exists and now wants to to everythign to be able to go recieve her endownment!!!:) Also Jorge said the same thins!! its incredible how strong the spirit works in the lords house. I have seen miracles happen just by talking of the temple. This is our message to the world, the temple temple temple!! this week we have two more tours planned out so we will see even more miracles happen:)

Love

Elder Collins

October 27, 2015

Mi familia amada:)

I just want to start out saying that i just love you guys:)

The longer i have been away from home and the constant influence that you guys have givin me my whole life, i have come to realize how grateful i am for my family and friends and all who have influenced me in my life. I love being on my own "finding myself" its the most interesting journey i have taken. Everyday is truly a treasure pot of beautiful experiences that i know will change my life. This last week my companion and i put the goal to write down 2 miracles that happen each day in our agendas. As we have done that i have truly been humbled to see how often the lord intervenes in my life. i love the savior, i truly have come to know him. I have embarked on the journey to become like him, and it has now taken me over a year to truly understand and feel that eternal gratefulness. I have been changed, i love change! The church is true, the gospel is designed to bless the families and to progress. I know these things to be true. I now hope that in one way or another i can be a positive influence for those in my surroundings. That is the magic of the gospel, be blessed and gain your testimony then turn around and share it with everyone so they too can enjoy the same blessings:)

I feel so great:) 

I love you guys

Elder Collins

October 20, 2015

scottt looks SKETCHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that kids not worthy of rachael. (Wyatt Frampton pic)

The poleras that i designed for the Zone:)

SOOOOOO this week was fantastic! first off one of our investigaters was baptized!!:) his name is manuel farias, he is so funny. The bishop is who baptized him because they are good friends:) it was amazing!!!!!

More than that I am feeling great! Super excited to keep on giving all i have got! its been a little hard these last days because my comp just hit this "wall" and i like had to do everything the last couple days in the sector, contacts, lessons, and i tried and tried to talk to him but he just wasnt in it. But today was better! Hopefully it stays how it was today and we can keep commuincating and working together:) I knew it was a challenge the lord sent me because last week we had the chance to go to the temple and there i recieved a very strong impression that i needed to "sharpen the saw" and become a more consecrated misionary. I have been studying two talks 1. the fourth missionary and 2. Becoming a Consecrated missionary. They have helped me to open my eyes and really make the best of every possible second in the work. I have been faithful since i promised the lord i would do all i could to be more dedicated and now i know i will see the fruits of the labor:) 

I love this work, i love helping people. It truly is my passion to see people progress and find joy and smile!! i am so grateful for the oportunity the lord has given me to be a misionary and to give my all to them and the lord. I Love the trials and i love the dificulties:) Thank youfor everything:)

Love, 

Elder Collins

When asked what I can send him for Christmas...

Sooo as i have been thinking of a few things i have missed, First off Gatorade Fierce Melon:) other thing would be Reeses....:) and somethings that i need, a head for my electric toothbrush, the CREW hair cream. and some ZEBRA pens (they are the metal ones that you can buy refils and they are wow soooo good) and maybe some Microon pens that are of point .02 because to mark my scriptures they are great becuse i can write a lot and they dont leak:) But more than that i am doin great:) no worries:)

THanks my beloved mother:)))

October 13, 2015

soooo this week has been soo good:) to start off we did exchanges with the Assistants and we had aaa great day:) one thing that they introduced to us is this tack that they would like us to try to put in practice to see if it works in our stake and its called the vision to baptize and its sooo powerful!! in the end it really talks how we need to teach the gospel starting with the end, not withthe beginging (for example not start with the resoration, but with the Temple) and as we have done that inour area we have truly seen miracles happen.  people who we never would have imagined be blessed by the gospel be cahnged in an instant is truly amazing:) i am so grateful for the lord that he has trusted in me to bring to pass teh work here in chile. I will forever be grateful to him:)

I love you guys:)

Elder Collins

the package came:) the cookies are sooo good!!!! also the fart piano is HILARIOUS:)