Hoooooooooola!!
It's good to see how everything is going! And AWESOME to see the Spanish, mom! Google Translate has gotten really accurate!
It sounds like this week has been a good one! And THANK YOU for the Valentine's package! You'll be happy to know that I didn't eat all of the candy at once! But there is definitely a lot less candy in there than when I started...And the pole vault, huh? That'll be really cool! You have to send me pictures - that's always interested me a lot!
Sorry to hear about the people who passed away this past week. I don't think I knew them very well, but their names sound familiar, so I think I've at least met them, probably...
This week...where to start? It's been interesting. P-Day wasn't my favorite, like I talked to you about in my e-mail, but it improved. I think a lot of times we are given expereinces that either draw us closer to God and let us learn, or we distance ourselves from Him and we have to be taught the lesson in a different way. I don't think I was learning what the Lord wanted me to learn in the beginning, but towards the end, I hope I was more humble and teachable, more receptive to His will.
Wednesday was the day when things really started to change here. We were in a lesson with Magdaleno, and we received the impression to change his baptismal date from the 25th of this month to the 18th - just 3 days away. We talked about it after we left the lesson with Magdaleno, and then made the decision to follow through with the prompting we had received from the Holy Ghost. From that moment on, our focus was on preparing Magdaleno for his baptism on Saturday. We were blessed with the opportunity to have his interview that night at Mutual, which went well. We called him again on Thursday to make sure everything was still good. Friday we went by again and began filling out the baptismal form. We made the last preparations, and scheduled his baptism. Saturday...
We got the chance to hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson!!! He came and spoke to the 3 Houston missions, because he was down here for a Stake Conference. It was amazing to be there, in the presence of one of the Apostles of the Lord. He promised some really great blessings on the work and even on our studies here. It was a great boost as we prepared for Magdaleno's baptism that night.
That afternoon, we had to make some changes in the program, because another ward was going to be having their baptism at the same building at the same time. So we were able to stagger the baptisms and tried to let everyone know about it.
Elder Duran then baptized him that evening. It was a little tough because the water wasn't at the level that it should have been at, so they had to figure things out in that way. But in the end, Magdaleno was baptized, and confirmed the next day by Bishop Rovira. He bore a great testimony, and was just all around the happiest we had seen him!
I definitely know that this work is real. I'm so grateful for the opportunity the Lord gave me to really pray as if everything depends on Him, and then going and working as if everything depends on us. The heavens were opened, and we were able to see the blessings rain down. It's really interesting, seeing just how many ways the Lord blesses us in our lives, and how "All these things [give us] experience, and shall be for [our] good."
Well, it's about that time to get going! We're not being transfered - we each have at least one more transfer together here in Houston 8, but it looks like there is going to be a lot of people moving around in the mission. It should be a great transfer meeting tomorrow!
Thank you for all your love, support, prayers, and care, especially during this time!! Los amo, con TODO mi ser!
A infinidad, y mas alla!
Con MUCHO amor,
Elder Devin Collins
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