Johnstown is a Town of Miracles!

Hey Mom! 

I am so excited for Jonny and Emily. They are going to have a fun life together. I'm so happy for them! 

I have been in Johnstown for about 4 months now and I am dead tired. This place has drained me. I can't even explain it. But I love this place to death. The people here are great, the members are amazing. But the work here is so tiring. (And the town is tiny). But there's always miracles. I came to this place and looked at area book and there was only 1 person being taught that was progressing and no one had accepted the invitation to be baptized. It was dead. Flash forward to today: we have 3 people that have accepted the invitation to be baptized and have accepted a baptismal date. JOHNSTOWN IS ALIVE! And here is the amazing thing: none of those people were found as a direct result of us doing something. I fully believe that we were blessed because we were working hard but it wasn't our hard work that caused it. They were miracles. The Lord did it, not us. And that's so cool. So let me tell you about these people!

Jared was found through the members. He is dating a member of the ward and absolutely loves church. He has changed so much and is the most prepared person for the gospel I have ever met. (Okay maybe tied with Jordan and Teilani). He has even seen the change in himself and he loves it. He has come with the ward to help people move twice just because he enjoys service more than anything else! He is becoming so Christlike and it is amazing to see. The grace of Jesus Christ is changing him. We just share the message. 

Ryan came up to us in our apartment complex last week! We didn't say anything to him he just started talking to us. He let us know that he has just recently started to believe in God again and seeing us walking around was a sign to him that he needed to act on his faith. He has a true desire to repent and be baptized. Again, we did nothing, it was all Jesus Christ. We have been meeting with him a lot lately. 

Ash found us through Facebook and another member! It's a crazy story that I think I have already told. But it's still a miracle. She told us this week that she knows everything is true and she doesn't feel the peaceful feeling she has been feeling anywhere except for at church, when she reads the Book of Mormon and when she meets with us. Her faith in Jesus Christ has grown so much. 

I know that this work isn't my work. I know that there is nothing that I could have done these past 4 months in Johnstown to have miracles happen. It is all through Jesus Christ. We are instruments in His hands. He has placed us here for a reason and He has blessed us immensly. I am excited for the future of Johnstown. 

Oh and also, we had an awesome missionary fireside this Sunday. All the missionaries from the mission were there and all the members were invited as well. It was all about member missionary work and doing easy things to invite your friends. It was awesome. I got to see my missionary friends too. I got a picture with Elder Goode (he was in my MTC district) and got to say goodbye to him before he goes off to the Cincinatti Mission. I also got to see my bestie Elder Morse. 

I love you Mom! Thank you for all you do! And I would love for Dad to send me his talk. Have a great time at the wedding!

Your son,

Elder Collier 

The Fine Metropolis of Johnstown!

Hey Mom! I'm glad you are enjoying the beginning of your summer! It should be a crazy start with Jonny getting married next week! I'm so excited for him! You and I aren't very far apart in the Book of Mormon! I read that a few days ago and it was great.

Another week in the fine metropolis of Johnstown, Ohio! I swear I have met every single person in this tiny town. But there's still gotta be more people to find! And it sure is humid over here. I now shower 3 times a day and I'll probably have to start doing 4 times a day pretty soon. It must really surprise people to see two extremely sweaty guys in white shirts and ties standing on their porch. But it makes for a good conversation starter! 

We had a pretty good week this week! Zone conference on Friday was great. We learned a lot and I'm excited to apply it to my missionary work. We learned a lot about listening to and relying on the spirit. 

Saturday we had a ward barbecue. It was a lot of fun! A random thunder storm came in towards the end though and it rained like crazy. We were all under the pavilion outside trying to stay dry. We got to know the ward members pretty well though haha! 

Sunday was a great day! Our investigator Linda came to church! It was so awesome to see her there. She has had really bad experiences with churches in the past so her coming was a huge step for her. She had a great experience as well. We are excited for her! 

Monday evening we had a great miracle. We were walking back to our apartment after a long day and this guy named Ryan starts talking to us in our apartment complex! He came up to us and then basically set up his own return appointment! He asked ifmwe could meet later that night but we let him know we had to be in our apartment for the night so we set up a time to meet the next day. He is so cool. And only a year older than me! (I have surprisingly taught a lot of people around my age so far on my mission). 

Tuesday was my first exchange as a district leader! I went with Elder Barnes. He is from American Fork, Utah. He has been out for about 4 months now. He is a great missionary. I learned so much from him! We had a great day. We were able to teach Ryan in the afternoon and the lesson was so great. Ryan told us that his mind was blown and that he is excited about reading the Book of Mormon and finding out if it is true. Later that evening we went to this Christian brotherhood meeting that our investigator John invited us to. It was a bunch of men from local churches in the area meeting to have food and talk about Christ. The food was amazing! And the conversation was great as well. Elder Barnes and I were able to bear our testimonies of Jesus Christ and it was a great experience for everyone. The Christian world needs more of things like that. People coming together to talk and not trying to divide each other. I also met a man that was there that told me his son lives in washougal and his grandson just graduated from washougal high school! Super small world! 

I love you mom! Have a great week! 

Your son, 

Elder Collier 

It Was A Week!!

Hey mom! 

That is so crazy that school is ending soon. I graduated high school a year ago... weird. Time flies for sure. I'm so excited to hear about the musical next year. That sounds like a solid cast. It will be great! Tell K-Rich and Ms Evans I say hi and that I miss them!

This week was probably the strangest week of my life. 

Thursday we had district leader training in the mission home. It was great! Anytime I get to see President and Sister Stratford is a good time. I learned some great things and felt more confident being a leader. We had two lessons later on that day and they went great. We are meeting with this lady named Linda and she is so nice. She has been through a lot. At the end of our lesson she said "all of my neighbors keep saying that you are atheists. But don't worry I set them straight." I thought that was hilarious. I don't know how anyone could think we don't believe in God. But there's still people that do! 

Friday was my first district meeting. I was so nervous. The Zone Leaders came as well. I wrote on the chalk board "welcome to district meeting." I thought it was so funny because I used a period instead of an exclamation point. Elder Watkins thought it was funny too. Anyway, the actual meeting went alright! The Zone Leaders said it was really good but I'm not entirely sure. I didn't have enough time to get through everything I planned but that's alright because I can save that for next district meeting! The rest of the day was good! 

Saturday was a longggggg day. The zone leaders came and helped us out in our area. We tried by every single person in Johnstown that has ever been taught a lesson. That was exhausting. It was fun to be with the Zone leaders though, they are way cool. Sunday we finished up trying by everyone. We still have a few more people to contact. 

Monday was a rough day. Our lessons fell through and it was raining a ton. We had a chapel tour scheduled with the family we are teaching and we got there and the church was being deep cleaned! So we had to cancel our tour sadly. On our way out of the building Elder Johnson said "Nice hat, dude" to the guy that as vacuuming and the guy must have heard "Nice tattoo" because he said "that's not even my best one. Wanna see my back?" And before we could respond he had his shirt off and showed us this huge back tattoo. And we were so confused why he showed us his back because Elder Johnson complimented his hat. It was hilarious. Not what I was expecting at all. It was good to get a good laugh in.

Tuesday. So this day we had a strange experience as well. Most of the day we did service but in the evening we were walking down the street and this car starts honking at us a lot and pulls up next to us and this guy gets out of the car and he is choking!! So Elder Johnson does the Heimlich maneuver and stops and he is still choking so I take over and do it and then he coughs up his piece of steak! Then he thanks us quickly and drives away. That was the strangest experience of my life I think. But we saved his life! God placed us in the right place at the right time! 

That's been my week! Strange stuff in Johnstown. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It has brought me lots of comfort the past couple days. I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ. He helps me through everything. 

I love you Mom! I'm glad you get to begin your summer!

Your son, 

Elder Collier  

Miracles in Johnstown!

Hey Mom! 

Happy anniversary to you and Dad! 34 years, that's amazing. Thank you for being such great parents.

So this week was full of miracles, it was a blast! 

On Friday we had exchanges with the Zone leaders in Newark. Most of the day was training me to be a District Leader. We went over my responsibilities and also how to conduct baptismal interviews and things like that. But the evening was full of miracles. I was with Elder Stephens (who trained my buddy Elder Morse) and it was so awesome. We get to this area and we talk to this man and woman that are having a yard sale. We find out that they are siblings and the man actually lives in Johnstown! We had a great conversation with him and set up a time for me and Elder Johnson to meet with him in Johnstown. It was quite the miracle that we were able to find a new investigator in Newark! Then the rest of the evening was so great. We talked to so many people and the spirit was so present in all of the contacts. Elder Stephens and I were both wishing we could have been out working longer! That evening we got to watch the church's Be One devotional and it was so great. I highly suggest watching it if you haven't had the chance to yet. It was incredible and the spirit was so strong. 

Saturday morning we got up early and left Newark to get to our church building to play soccer with some members and an investigator. The investigator's name is Jared and he's so cool. Super good at soccer too. In the evening on Saturday we met this amazing family! We talked with them on their porch and they are looking for a church. The first family that I get to teach on my mission. I'm so happy and so excited. 

Sunday we had church and Jared came. That was sweet. That evening we had a lesson with him in the Argyle's home. It was amazing and he accepted a baptismal date for August 11th. We are so excited for him. Member missionary work brings miracles. 

Monday evening we had a great lesson with that family we are teaching. It's Scott and Andrea and they have 3 kids. We were able to teach the first lesson and it went great and we built a really good relationship with them. Braxton is their oldest son and we shot hoops with him for a bit after the lesson. They are so awesome and I already love them. Words can't describe how happy I am to be teaching a family. 

Well those were the highlights of the week! It was a pretty good one. On Friday I am doing my first district meeting so prayers would be appreciated! I am excited though. I love you so much mom. Thank you for everything!

Your son, 

Elder Collier