Week 90 - "...the Joy of Christ"

February 13, 2012

Buenooooos dias! Feliz dia de amistad y amor!

Sorry, this is getting out a little bit later. Lots to do today, not too much time to do it all! We're going to be having our Zone Activity today over at the new building where we have church, around 2:30, so we'll see how all that goes. I'm excited! We'll be playing soccer and decorating sugar cookies, and speaking of that...I'm kind of hungry.

This week has been a really good week. We had a stake devotional yesterday, and it was a really big turnout that we had! The room was completely packed, and most of the missionaries had to stand out in the hall. In total, there were 15 investigators there! Way cool!!!!

Magdalino is doing well! He's working on dropping coffee completely, and he's making some really good progress. There's a lot to do, but with the Lord's help, we know he can do it! He's been working on switching out his coffee for hot chocolate and some soda, and he seems really content and happy, especially with the love and support of the ward members.

Elder Duran is doing well. He's making the adjustment a whole lot better, and he's doing especially well with the Spanish. It hasn't been easy, and people's comments about, "Oh, you don't know too much Spanish," haven't made it any easier, but he's doing really well. Just this past Sunday, a member told him that his Spanish is sounding a lot better! He looked really happy about that. We've been getting along well, although sometimes I think that there are things that may bother him, and he doesn't want to say them, so I think we need to work on developing that more open relationship. It's been good, though: I've been very blessed to have him as my companion. He helps to keep me going and a reason to be excited about the work...well, more excited. He ran the area for the first two times this past week! He did really well, too. Both days didn't go exactly as they would have liked, but I know he really did give his best, and the Lord knows that, too.

I'm really grateful to be serving as a missionary in the GREATEST MISSION IN THE WORLD!!!! I love the THSM!! Some days are tough, some days, the blesings just pour from heaven. But the greatest blessing is to preach the gospel to those who don't have it. Seeing that happiness in their eyes is worth all those bad day sand rough times - Because I think as we go along, as Alma said, our sorrow becomes swallowed up in the joy of Christ.

Thanks for all your love and support!! It means the world to me, and I hope one day, everyone in the family will be able to spend time in the service of the Lord and see just the intense amount of happiness it brings!

Les amo, a infinidad, y mas alla!!

Con MUCHO amor,
Elder Devin Collins

P.S: We might be getting the opportunity to listen to Elder Christofferson this Saturday!! And then later, the Elders of Houston 4 North have a baptism scheduled!! The blessings of the Lord are pouring down!