Back to Marysville!

Hellooooo!

It has been a good week in Dublin. It is a lot more mellow than Youngstown but it is still a ton of fun. We have had a great week. Here are some of the highlights.

So we started teaching a deaf lady this week! She is so prepared to receive the restored Gospel. She has been searching for it for 25 years! Her Dad was a member of the church and taught her when she was young but the mom didn't want anything to do with the church. They split up when she was young but she remembered the things her dad taught her. She was doing family history one day and she found out that a ton of her ancestors were pioneers that came to Utah from Kirtland! It finally clicked for her that the church her dad belonged to and the one she was looking for was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. We have a missionary in our district named Elder Thomas that is basically fluent in sign language and he interprets for us. When we were teaching the first lesson we got through the first couple points and she stopped us and asked "is this called the restoration?" And we pulled out a pamphlet and showed her what it said and she responded "this is it! This is what my father taught me." It was such a cool experience. She accepted a date to be baptized and is now working with us toward that goal. She is the best. The Lord has been preparing her for quite a long time. I am thankful for the opportunity I have to teach her. 

Another great thing about this week was that I got to go back to Marysville for a day!! I went on an exchange with Elder Barnson. I love Elder Barnson, he's a stud. When I found out he was gonna be in Marysville I was so happy to know that Marysville was in good hands. The day was great. It felt like I was coming home. We had some great experiences and we even got in contact with a lady that I had met when I was serving in Marysville and set up a return appointment. The best part of the day was in he evening. I completely surprised three recent converts. Joan and Paul I had taught when I was in Marysville and Annette was baptized right before I got to Marysville but I was really close with her. They were all so surprised when I knocked on their door!! I didn't tell any of them that I was in Dublin and that I could come back to Marysville. When we went by Paul He answered the door and he said "they let you come back huh?" With a big grin on his face and I gave him a big hug. It was a good moment. We read the Book of Mormon with him just like the good old days. I've missed my buddy Paul. 

It has been a really good week and I am excited for another one. 

I love you Mom! Thanks for everything. 

Your son, 

Elder Collier 

Goodbye Youngstown

Helloooo

A Very Rushmore Christmas!

Well, it is transfer week and I found out last night that I am being transferred. I am heading back down to the Columbus area! I will be serving in Dublin, Ohio. Dublin and Youngstown are sooooo different. Dublin is a very wealthy area. It will be really interesting but I am excited. I am happy to go back home to Columbus where I belong haha! My new companion will be Elder Smoot who I came out with. This is the first time we have served near each other though. It should be good! The best part about going to Dublin is that I will be going on exchanges to Marysville!!! Elder Smoot and I will be Zone Leaders of the Columbus North Zone and Marysville is still a District Leader area so we will go on exchanges there. I am so excited to see Paul again. And everyone else I love in Marysville. It is going to be awesome. 

This week has been a really good one! We had a big half mission conference on Thursday with the four northern zones. We did a service project where we made blankets, we played a lot of fun games, listened to some people speak, had a christmas dinner and watched an end of the year slideshow. It was really awesome. It has really been a great year. It is crazy that I have lived in Ohio for all of 2018! Time really flies. I have made the best friends ever out here and have had the best experiences. At the conference I got to see my really good friends and two of my past companions! Elder Morse and Elder Madsen. 

Newell K. Whitney Store in Kirkland, Ohio

On Saturday we went up to Kirtland! It was my first time going up there. it was me, Elder McInnes, Tyler & Amanda & their two daughters, Mike (Another recent convert), Sister Fellows (who said she is friends with Zach on facebook for some reason haha) and Brother Thibideau. It was such a cool experience. Kirtland is such a special place. The spirit was definitely present. Being in places where God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared was incredible. I know that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet called by God to restore Christ's church on the earth!! One of Tyler & Amanda's daughters said "I feel really good here" when we first got to the Kirtland Historic Sites. It was great to hear that she was feeling the Spirit!! 

I sang in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday!! It was really fun. I am glad I got to chance to do that. It is always a good time doing that. 

Well, that's all to report on this week! I am excited for the chance to serve in Dublin and I am excited for Christmas! And my P day is on Monday again this next week and will be until transfers! Love you, Mom!

Your son,

Elder Collier

Four Exchanges in Four Days!

Helloooooo

This week has been super crazy and it has flown by so fast! 

We had four exchanges in four days. So that means Elder McInnes and I were not companions for four straight days. That was pretty weird! On Tuesday we had the rootstown Elders come up to Youngstown. Elder Harmon and I were able to meet this guy that was super nice and had previously met with missionaries a ton! We are excited to go back. 

On Wednesday we spent the day in East Liverpool. I was with Elder Hunter for the day. We met this really awesome couple while we were tracting who have been looking for a church! They let us right in out of the cold and we were able to share our message with them. They are extremely interested and invited us back. I am excited to hear how it goes with them! 

On Thursday we went to New Castle, PA and spent the day with those Elders. I was with Elder Neddo for the day. Elder Neddo and I met with a returning member of the ward who actually was baptized in Vancouver! That was pretty cool. We finished up all the things that we planned at about 8:40 so we had 20 minutes left to work. We decided to head out in the cold and snow and knock on a few more doors. The second door we knocked on we were let inside! We met this lady named Lisa who was the caretaker for this man who is paralyzed. She only works at that house two days a week and only in the evenings so it was a miracle that we knocked on her door! She was really interested as well. I know that the Lord helps us in this work! 

On Friday we went up to Ashtabula and spent the day with those Elders. I was with Elder Hall. We had a great day together. We gave this guy that only speaks Spanish a Book of Mormon and Elder Hall was able to communicate with him pretty well! It was also great to see Elder John up there. I love that guy. 

That pretty much sums up all the exciting parts of the week! Next week is transfers so P day will be on Wednesday. I am thinking that I might be transferred but we will see! I have loved serving in this area and with Elder McInnes. 

Love you mom! Thanks for everything.

Your son, 

Elder Collier  

Christmas Season!

Hello!

It is officially Christmas Season but Elder McInnes and I have been listening to Christmas music for about a month now. You can't be too early to celebrate the birth of the Savior! We enjoyed a very merry week full of lots of twists and turns as can be expected in this crazy area we call Youngstown. As usual, I will share a few highlights. 

On Wednesday, Elder John got to come back to town and went on an exchange with me. That was a lot of fun. We found this really awesome family that is super interested in the Book of Mormon. Elder McInnes and I were able to see them on Sunday and are meeting with them on Tuesday! Really great family that I already love. Anyway, on Wednesday Elder John and I had dinner at Denny's because that is where Amanda works (I have been to Denny's twice in the last month and that is two more times than the previous 19 years of my life). Amanda was our waitress for the meal, she was so surprised and excited to see Elder John! After that we went over to their house to see Tyler. He was super excited to see Elder John too. It is always good to see Tyler and Amanda. 

On Thursday we had a really great chapel tour with this guy we are teaching named Scott. He is a little hesitant about churches so him meeting us at the church was a huge step for him. He really loved the building and he really opened up to us. We were able to answer a lot of the questions that he has had his whole life and he liked and agreed with everything we taught him. It was a really good experience for all of us. Oh, and he loved that we had a basketball court!

Saturday we had a ward Christmas breakfast. That was a good time. I got to wear my Christmas sweater that I love so much. (Shout out to Patrick, Woodson, Parker and Kent for having the same sweater). After that we helped a family of the ward deliver a lot of cookies to members of the ward and the people we are teaching. Delivering the cookies to the people we are teaching really meant a lot to them. It was great to spread Christmas cheer!

Also, this week we had a great time proselyting on Youngstown State's campus. We actually met this really nice girl that is from Vancouver!!! She went to elementary school in Vancouver (not pioneer elementary) but lived in Eastern Washington most of her life. It was super crazy to run into her! 

I really loved watching the First Presidency Christmas devotional last night. I know that President Nelson is a prophet of God. He taught us that the key to loving, forgiving and becoming like the Savior is to make and keep sacred covenants. I know that that is true, it was great counsel given to us from the Lord through His prophet. 

Thanks for everything you do Mom! I love you!

Your son,

Elder Collier

Featuring...Brother Thomas!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

This week was good! This area is as crazy as ever but we are surviving! A lot of stuff happened this week, I'll share a few highlights! 

On Tuesday we had MLC down in Columbus. We drove with the Tallmadge Elders again which is always fun since it is Elder Watkins and Elder Lomax. I love those Elders. MLC was good! It was focused a lot on our roles as teachers. We do not convert people, that is the job of the Holy Ghost, our job is to be in tune with spirit and teach clearly enough to get the message as close to their heart as possible so the spirit can push it in. I hope that made sense over email! The trainings were great. Our mission is in good hands. I love President and Sister Stratford so much! 

Thursday was Thanksgiving! It was such a good day. We ate with Tyler and Amanda and it felt like we were home for thanksgiving. The only thing that could have made thanksgiving better would be if I was actually home with family, so this was the best possible option! I feel like a part of the Thomas family. They are the best. Their daughter Abriana showed us her list of things she was thankful for. She divided it into people, places and things. Elder John, Elder McInnes and I were all included in the people category, church was included in the places category and the Book of Mormon was included in the things category! It was adorable. After the dinner we asked Tyler to star in a video we were making to send out to the Zone announcing our zone focus for transfer. After we asked him her told Amanda "They are making a video featuring me... Brother Thomas!" And he stood up and raised his hands all dramatically. It was one of the funniest things I've seen. I love that guy haha! The video turned out really well and he got to bear his testimony at the end. That man is a convert. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to teach him. 

Saturday was BYU vs Utah gameday. So of course I was one exchanges with my good buddy Elder Oettli who is the biggest Utah fan I have ever met. There may have been a little bit of trash talk but overall it was a great day full of miracles. I love Elder Oettli, I am thankful he is one of the district leaders in the zone. He is a huge blessing! And of course the cougs had to choke again. It is okay, the curse will be broken in Lavell Edwards Stadium next year when I am there. That's just how it has to happen. 

Well, that was basically my week! It was a good one. I am thankful to be serving here in Youngstown with Elder McInnes. We have had a lot of great times. 

I love you Mom! Thanks for everything you do.

Your son,

Elder Collier 

Baptism!!

Hello!

This week has been one of the best weeks of my mission. Things are going really great! 

First off, Tyler and Amanda were baptized on Saturday! It was such a great day. Amanda asked me to baptize her. Brother Clark, a member in the ward, baptized Tyler. The spirit was so strong there and the joy in Tyler and Amanda's faces is something I will never forget. It was such a great day. The following day they were both confirmed as members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints and received the Holy Ghost. Elder McInnes was able to confirm Tyler and Bishop Carl confirmed Amanda. The primary program was the same day as the confirmation and Abriana (their 7 year old) participated! She had two speaking parts and sang along with all the kids! I was so happy to witness that. I would be lying if I said that I didn't tear up a little bit. The fact that Tyler and Amanda's two daughters get to grow up in the church and experience the same family joys that I experienced makes me so happy. I love the Thomas family so much.

We met this guy named Robert this week and he is such a good guy. We taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ it was one of the most powerful lessons of my mission. He is an honest seeker of truth. In fact, I brought that up to him! I told him "you seem like a seeker of truth" and then he said "actually it says thst on my card" and he pulled out a business card with his name on it and that "truth seeker". Yes, that actually happened. I'm not making that up haha! I love that guy. I am excited to see where things go with him. 

So this week is transfer week... which means the trio is being split up. Thankfully, Elder McInnes and I are staying in Youngstown and Elder John is just going back to Ashtabula so we will still be in the same zone and district! But it will be sad not having Elder John around with us all the time. I love that guy, already one of my best friends. In other transfer news: we are getting sister missionaries in our ward! That will be way better because our boundaries are HUGE. They will take the Pennsylvania side and we will take the Ohio side. I am excited to be able to be more organized and able to follow up with all the people we talk to and not be spread super thin. 

I am excited to stay in this ward and keep working here. 

I love you Mom! Thanks for everything!

Your son,

Elder Collier 

Trio Life!

Lake Erie! Stand on the Rock!

Hello from Ashtabula Ohio! Right on the lake and about an hour away from Youngstown. 

The Trio

I have been in a trio all week and we will be in a trio all of next week as well. Elder John has been added to Elder McInnes and I. It has been a blast. I love both of them. I have nothing but good things to say about them both. Elder John is from Springville, Utah. All 3 of us are going to be in Utah County after the mission so we are pretty pumped about that. You make the best friends ever out here on a mission. 

There have been lots of crazy experiences this week. Covering two areas that are an hour away is interesting. It takes careful planning. We spent from Thursday to Monday evening in Youngstown and then after dinner on Monday we traveled to Ashtabula and worked in the tiny towns at the very bottom of Ashtabula county on our way up. That was pretty fun. We are here until tomorrow morning and we will head back down for district council and for Tyler and Amanda's baptismal interview! They are doing great and are so excited to be baptized on Saturday. 

The trio

We had a great week. Friday we had to take an unexpected trip to Kirtland to bring President Stratford something he forgot at the Youngstown building. That is an hour and a half drive. We drove up there, dropped it off, ate some Taco Bell, drove past the Kirtland Temple and headed back to Youngstown. It was a fun road trip with the trio. It was the first time I had been to Kirtland! I was only there for a few minutes and I only saw the temple from the window but I can say that it is a special place. I know that the Savior appeared in the Kirtland Temple on multiple occasions. It is a special place. 

Lake Erie

On Sunday evening there was a sacred music festival at the stake center. Five church choirs came and performed including the Youngstown Stake choir. It was awesome! Lots of gospel choirs. It was a blast. So many people were there. It was a great experience for everyone involved. 

Spending time up in Ashtabula has been really great! It is right on Lake Erie. Let me just say, Lake Erie is HUGE. It looks like we are on the ocean. So cool. We had a great day working here yesterday. We met this guy named Harvey who let us right in and we got to teach him about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said that he used to live in Moses Lake, Washington and his son went to our church over there a few times. He was really excited to have us back over next Tuesday and said that he will make sure his son is there too. Working two areas makes scheduling return appointments a little difficult because we are only going to be in Ashtabula on Tuesday next week so we had to plan them all for that day. Harvey is a great guy and I am excited to see him again. 

This week has been great. Lots of crazy times. I love this trio! And I love this gospel. I am so excited for Tyler and Amanda's baptism on saturday. Their 7 year old daughter drew a picture of me this week! I will be sure to include it when I send my pictures. 

picture that a 7 year old drew of him!
Pretty spot on!

Oh and by the way, we were told by our Mission President that our P days are getting moved back to Mondays. Starting November 19th we will have monday P days. 

I love you mom! Thank you for all you do!

Your son,

Elder Collier 

Ballin' in South Youngstown

Hello!

This week has been pretty good! Things are going very well here in Youngstown, I hope I never leave. Elder McInnes and I are having so much fun being companions! In interviews with President Stratford yesterday, I told him that I would not mind being here for 6 months and being companions with Elder McInnes for 3 transfers. That's how much I love this place!

On Thursday, we had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the Assistants. I had the great opportunity to go with Elder Winland. He is a fantastic missionary and I had a great time. The highlight of the day was when we were in South Youngstown which is a pretty sketchy part of town. We started talking to this group of guys that were walking around. We taught part of the Plan of Salvation to this guy named Jonny and he really enjoyed it. He told us that this part of town needs better influences. After we were done teaching him we balled up with him and his Squad. It was a lot of fun and Elder Winland is very good at basketball. After we played with them they told us that we have a g pass, and that they will make sure no one messes with us in South Youngstown. I have never received a g pass before so I feel pretty accomplished.

Tyler and Amanda are doing very well! They are getting baptized next Friday evening and we are very excited for them and they are very excited as well. They have sacrificed a lot to keep God's Commandments and it is very awesome to see the change that is taking place in them. They used to be confused and lost but now you can see a light in them and they are filled with hope that comes from Jesus Christ. It is very cool to see and I love them very much.

Yesterday Elder McInnes and I got to tour some apartments that the mission is considering placing new missionaries in. We are very excited that there will be another set of missionaries in our area next transfer! We have been scrambling to teach all the people in this huge area so another set will be very helpful. They will cover the Pennsylvania side of our area most likely.

I love this area, I love these people, I love this work, and I love this gospel! Things are going great.

I love you Mom! 

Your son, 

Elder Collier 

Lives Are Changing

Helloooo

This week has been such a good one. I was able to go on two exchanges this week. I went with Elder Reed on Thursday and Elder Oettli on Monday. It was good to see Elder Oettli again. We were in the MTC together and he served in both Marysville and Johnstown. So that was a lot of fun to be able to talk about those places. He is a great missionary and a great district leader in this zone. I'm very happy he is here. 

Saturday was a really big day! PAUL GOT BAPTIZED!! I got to video call in and "attend" the service. I was able to talk with Paul and he is so happy. I miss that man a lot. He is the reason why I served in Marysville. I'm so happy for him.

Tyler and Amanda are doing amazing. Meeting with them is my favorite. They are so excited to be sealed together as a family after they are baptized. It was such a wonderful experience for me to testify of how I have been blessed because I am sealed to my family. They attended church on Sunday and loved it! Their two little daughters loved it as well. Every time I see them running around I smile. I love this family with all my heart. There is a trunk or treat and chili cook off at the church this evening and they are all going to attend. It's gonna be a lot of fun. 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives. Through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ people can find hope and peace in this world that is increasingly hopeless and chaotic. I am a witness to the miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have a front row seat right now and I am loving it.

I love you Mom! Thank you for all that you do. You're the best. Thank you for raising me and teaching me to have faith in our Savior. 

Your son, 

Elder Collier

The Book Of Mormon Is True!

Hello!

So first of all, transfers were in Thursday. I said goodbye to Elder Dixon and hello to Elder McInnes. To answer your question, yes we are both Zone Leaders. It is a lot of fun! Elder McInnes and I are very similar. He is from Twin Falls Idaho. He likes all the same music that I like. He's a huge twenty one pilots fan, and a huge Hamilton fan. Needless to say we are getting along super well. 

This week has been so good! General Conference was absolutely wonderful. I know that President Nelson is a prophet of the Lord. This conference really solidified that testimony for me. Did you see how fast he got out of his seat when he first spoke? A 94 year old man should not be able to do that! It's amazing! I really loved his talk about the name of the church. To be completely honest I was a little hesitant when they first announced the emphasis on the true name of the church. But I was called to repentance and I realized how important it really is. We should NEVER take the Savior's name our of His church. I have already had awesome opportunities the past couple of days to explain the importance of the name of the church to people that have called us Mormons. I know as we follow the counsel of the Prophet then miracles will occur. 

We met with Tyler and his wife Amanda on Saturday in between sessions of conference. It was such an amazing lesson. They accepted the invitation to be baptized on November 3rd. I am so excited for them. On Sunday we texted Tyler in between sessions of conference and he told us what his favorite parts were from the first session and he also let us know that he was reading the Book of Mormon out loud to his wife and two daughters. That made me happier than I can explain. This man was having family scripture study in between sessions of conference! This family is the absolute best. I love them a lot. We are meeting with them again tonight. 

Elder McInnes and I councilled this week about what our focus should be this transfer for the Zone. After prayer and discussion we came to the conclusion that we need to emphasize the Book of Mormon as a zone. Specifically finding people to teach using the Book of Mormon. This revelation we received was confirmed when Elder Bowen gave his talk about the Book of Mormon and its purpose to gather scattered Israel. We implemented this focus on Monday and miracles are happening here. I had the opportunity to go on an exchange with Elder Michels yesterday and we made sure that in all of our contacts we taught about the Book of Mormon and how it testifies of Jesus Christ. We handed out all of the copies that we brought with us and found 3 new people to teach. It was a miracle of a day. I know that as we follow the counsel of the leaders of the church and on personal revelation we receive from the Holy Ghost then miracles will happen in our own lives. It happens in missionary work and I know it can happen in our personal lives. 

I love you Mom! Thank you for everything.

Your son, 

Elder Collier 

Another Transfer in Youngstown!

Hey Mom! 

Tomorrow is transfers and from the subject of this email you are probably assuming that I am staying for another transfer. If that is the case then you are correct. I am staying another transfer. 

Elder Dixon, on the other hand, is not staying another transfer. He is being sent to Hilliard Ohio to be one of the Zone leaders over the Columbus Zone. I'm pretty bummed that I only got one transfer with him but that's the way things go! 

My new companion will be Elder McInnes. I don't know him at all but I hear he is a really good guy so I'm excited to meet him! It should be good. 

This week has been a pretty good one! I'll give you a few updates. 

So Letricia finished the Book of Mormon! It only took her 5 days. She loves it and She knows that it's true. She is the best. She will be baptized pretty soon! We also started teaching some other people that live in her apartment complex. 

Do you remember me talking about a guy named Tyler in my first email since being in Youngstown? Well on the first Sunday of me being here we met this guy named Tyler and taught him about the restoration. He loved it and the spirit was so strong in that lesson. He had been searching for God and was happy that he was finding Him. We set up a time to meet with him that upcoming Thursday. We had been in contact with him over text and he was reading the Book of Mormon but then Thursday came around and we texted him and he blocked our number. So we stopped by anyway for our appointment but no one was home. We were pretty disappointed about that but Elder Dixon and I both had the feeling that he would reach out to us sometime. We tried contacting him here and there throughout the transfer with no luck. But then on Sunday one of the members of the ward asked us if we taught a guy named Tyler! And we said yes! Turns out he had met Tyler and his wife the day before and the subject of religion came up and Brother Clark told him what church he goes to and Tyler asked if he knew the Elders! Brother Clark said yes and Tyler told him that he had met with us and really felt like he finally found the truth but then right after that his phone broke and he lost all his contacts and had been trying to get a hold of us but couldn't figure out how to. And so Brother Clark gave him our number and now we are in contact with him again!! It was a miracle! The Lord led them together so we could get back in contact. We are going to be meeting with him and his wife tomorrow and I am so excited. Great things are happening here in Youngstown. 

We have a few more people we are teaching that are progressing toward baptism. We have also faced some opposition lately with people showing us Anti Mormon things and stuff like that. I was able to bear my testimony very boldly of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and that I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that Jesus Christ called him to do that. The Book of Mormon is true and has brought my closer to my Savior, there isn't anything that someone can say that can convince me otherwise. 

I hope you have a great week! I love you! 

Your son, 

Elder Collier 

JumpShotUSA--Pennsylvania

Helloooo! 

This week has been pretty good. It has flown by like crazy. Again, there's so much stuff that has happened but I'll give you some of the highlights! 

Zone Conference was on Thursday! I had the opportunity to conduct this zone conference. I was a little nervous but it turned out great. It was combined with the Kirtland Zone and Elder Morse is one of the Zone Leaders of that zone so that was fun to lead the conference together. Elder Dixon and I gave a training and it went really well. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me with courage and the ability to speak in front of people lately. Here is a really strange thing I have learned about myself since being on my mission:  I am the most comfortable teaching when I have a chalkboard or whiteboard that I can write on. Almost all my training as a district leader involved me writing on the chalkboard or whiteboard and this training contained that as well. It's a little weird haha! By far my favorite park of missionary work is teaching. More specifically teaching the Gosepl of Christ right out of the scriptures. The scriptures are the best! 

Anyway, the rest of the week was good as well. We went on exchanges with the Alliance Elders on Friday. I was with Elder Hooper who has only been out for a few weeks. He is a great missionary though. I was super impressed. He is gonna do great on his mission. We spent the day in Sharon, PA. We found a really awesome person to teach that day and we are excited to teach her. And then... the moment you've all be waiting for... I made another jumpshot on this JumpShotUSA tour. Pennsylvania is now checked off the list! For those keeping track back home that is jumpshot #11! Life is good. 

On Sunday we had the opportunity to stop by Letricia. She ordered a bible on Mormon.org. She is the best. She has been studying our beliefs online and knows a lot. She is super smart. She has a really good memory. We were able to teach her about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she loved it and was so excited to read the Book of Mormon. We met with her again on Tuesday. She had already read up to Alma chapter 18. That is almost half of the Book of Mormon! She read that in two days! And she understands it all super well. We were blown away. And she was telling us that she believes it is true! We are meeting with her again on Friday and we are expecting her to be finished with the whole book by then. That was such a sweet miracle. Letricia is the best. 

We have also been spending time on Youngstown State's campus which is a blast. I love being on a campus again. We have met some really great people. Go Penguins!

I just want to end by saying that I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It is the word of God. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and without Him I could not do this work. Without Him life would be pointless because we would have no way of living with our Father in Heaven again. I am thankful for His Grace and Mercy. He has saved me and continues to save me each day. 

I love you Mom! Have a great week! 

Your son, 

Elder Collier

JumpShot USA--West Virginia

What a week it has been. It has been one to remember for sure. I love this area and Elder Dixon and I get along great. Miracles have occurred this week I know this is the Lord's work. 

Here are a few of the highlights: 

We were able to go to the temple with Mike Spoljaric on Saturday! He was baptized on August 19th (The Saturday before I got here) and it was his first time going to the temple to do baptisms. It was a really awesome experience. We drove 3 hours to Columbus with him and Brother Thibideau. It was a great experience. It's actually the farthest away from home Mike has ever been. He was able to be baptized and confirmed for his father. He was so happy and so were we! 

On Monday we went on exchanges with the Elders in the Lisbon South area. Elder Dixon and I both went down there for the day. I was with Elder Loutzenhiser who is the district leader of the Lisbon district. He's from Idaho and is very similar to me. His first name is even Samuel!  It was a really great day! It was pouring down rain all day and we walked everywhere so we were absolutely soaked but it was so much fun. We spent most of the day in Chester, West Virginia. We found 2 new people to teach who are super awesome and I made a jumpshot in West Virginia!! That's 10 states down... I'm a 5th of the way to my JumpShotUSA goal. I promise that I was more concerned about the people we were talking with that day. But making a jumpshot in West Virginia is pretty darn cool. The day was so great until the end. We got picked up by Elder Dixon and Elder Robinson at the McDonald's in Chester so we could head back to the apartment and we got into the car and then someone backed into us. Broke our taillight and dented our back bumper. It's not terrible but it was just pretty annoying. 

Yesterday we had a really busy day with appointments and doing a bunch of reports. And then the accident report that we had to fill out took a huge chunk of our time too so that was irritating. We didn't have any finding time whatsoever. But then at 9:20 we got a call from Brother Thibideau and he was with his best friend Steve and he had just given him a copy ofnthe Book of Mormon. We were able to talk to Steve a little bit and he told us he wants to be baptized! We set up a time to meet with him. We are so excited. This really is the Lord's work. We cannot do this on our own. There's just way too many things to do and not enough time but the Lord will always provide. Really neat. 

Well, that's all the exciting stuff for the week! Tomorrow we have zone conference so that will be a lot of fun. Thanks for all you do Mom! You're the best! I love you!!!

Your son, 

Elder Collier

No Time To Catch My Breath

Hey Mom! 

This week has been insanely busy. We have had so many teaching appointments, exchanges, administrative stuff and hardly any time to find people to teach. But the Lord has helped us so much in this area! 

So this week has been way too crazy to share every experience but I'll share a few.  

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to have all the missionaries in the Ashtablua district go to the Warren Elders' area in the evening from 6-9 to help them find more people to teach. Some members of the ward got involved as well and we were able to go on splits to cover more ground as well as having the people we find have am immediate fellowshipper. I was able to go with this guy named Isaac who is 20 years old. We took off and went to a oretty sketchy part of their area. We talked to people on the streets, tried by potentials and even knocked an entire street but had no luck. It was time to head back so we started walking back to the car. We passed by this sketchy bar and a car pulled up next to us and this guy asked what we were doing. I explained and asked if he would like to talked to us. He said that he would love to! So he pulled over into the parking lot of the bar and talked with us. We ended up teaching him the message of the restoration and he was so excited to read the Book of Mormon. It was such a sweet miracle to end the evening! 

Friday we had a pretty packed day. We only had time in the morning to go finding. So we went out and started walking around Niles planning on knocking doors in a specific area. We walked down the street and the first person we talked to wanted to have a study with us! So we walked with him to the closest dunkin donuts and taught him about the Book of Mormon and it went well! He is also a rapper but that is a story for another day. In the evening we had the chance to go to the hospital in Sharon, PA to meet with someone thst is being taught by some missionaries in the Pittsburgh Mission. She was admitted into the hospital in our area. We were able to go read the Book of Mormon with hee and give her a blessing. It was a very special experience. She is awesome. 

On Monday we had exchanges with the Assistants. We woke up early Monday morning and drive 3 hours to Powell, Ohio and spent the day there with them. I was with Elder Hepler who is 6' 9". Sadly we didn't get a picture... But I definitely looked extra short next to him. Anyway, we had a great day! The last door we knocked on was at 8:15 at night and the family let us right in and we were able to teach them the message of the restoration. It was a really neat experience and they are so prepared to receive the gospel! The next day we woke up early and drove to different universities in our zone to talk to administrators to get permission to proselyte on campus. Let me just say this: I am extremely impressed with Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. They were very helpful and respectful and let us know what we could or could not do to teach out to students. And all the employees and students were very kind. Overall, I am very impressed with that college. And then after we got back to our area yesterday we had 3 lessons and then were back home. Life is crazy. 

Well, that was pretty much my week. It was extremely busy. But great! 

I love you mom! Thank you for everything. 

Your son, 

Elder Collier 

We're Not In Central Ohio Anymore...

Hey Mom! 

I am now serving in the Youngstown ward. My companion is Elder Dixon. He is 22 years old and has already served 4 years in the army. He's a great guy and we get along well. He is an amazing missionary and I've learned so much from him already. Being a Zone Leader is pretty stressful but I'll get used to it. I'm having a good time! 

Saying goodbye to Marysville was really really hard. Saying goodbye to Paul was one of the saddest moments of my mission. I love that man so much and he has impacted my life way more than he knows. Hopefully I can go back for the baptism next month. I also said goodbye to the Hiltschers who are such a great family in the Marysville Ward. I'm gonna miss them as well.  

Youngstown is nothing like central Ohio. This place is weird. The majority of my mission I have been in pretty well off rural towns. Youngstown and all the other towns we cover is nothing like that. It is the sketchiest area I've ever been in. I've seen some sketchy stuff on my mission but in this place that's just the norm. I've felt completely out of place my whole week here and it feels like I just arrived to a new mission. I now can relate to a lot of the experiences Zach had on his mission. But, I love it here! There's a lot of work to do and a lot of people to talk to and I'm excited to keep going. I'm just gonna say this about this area: I was pretty sheltered in life back home. I lived in a nice town,  I went to a nice public school,  I had good friends, I felt safe 90% of the time. I knew bad things were happening around the country but to me it just seemed like that was something on TV and it doesn't happen in real life. My eyes have been opened on my mission and I know that things like that happen in real life. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can help these people though. Living a Christ like life and keeping the commandments will make the whole world better. I know that. I have experienced the benefits of the Gospel in my own life and I have seen the problems that occur when the Gospel isn't there for anyone. 

Anyway, it's been a good week! We had a lot of fun talking to lots of people and finding people to teach on top of zone leader duties. The missionaries in my zone are awesome and we have lots of miracles happening here. We have worked in Sharon, PA a few days now. That is a really interesting place. Really cool town though. I have not made a jumpshot in PA yet but I promise that will happen soon. On Monday I went on exchanges with Elder John the district leader of the Ashtabula district. We spent the day in Sharon and Greenville, PA. Good times. We got to knock this one street called Stateline road. One side of the street is PA one side is Ohio. That was pretty cool. 

We had a sweet miracle on Sunday evening. We met this man named Tyler. He has been searching for truth for so long. He was so thankful that we came by to talk to him. His friend has recently gotten baptized and he has seen such a big change in him and he wants that. The spirit was so strong when we taught him on his porch and he has such a strong desire to change and find God. I am so excited to meet with him again and help him on his journey back to our Father in Heaven. I already love Tyler. 

I'm excited to keep working here in Youngstown. It is so different but I know the Lord will help me in this place. The people need the Gospel here really bad. And I'm going to try to bring it to them. 

I love you mom! Thank you for everything!

Your son, 

Elder Collier