"That is Exactly How Missionary Work Should Be"

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

I am going to be in heaven for another 6 weeks :)  Last night we found out transfer information and I get to stay here in East Layton for at least another six weeks. And as if that wouldn't be awesome enough, it will be with Elder Thevenin again.  By the time we end our missions, we'll have spent a quarter of our two years together.  Woohoo.

 

Life has been going great up here.  Last night we had a lesson with the family that I wrote about last week.  Both of the girls that haven't been baptized decided that want to be baptized on November 9th.  Their dad is going to baptize them and their grandfather will confirm them.  The whole family is coming to church and they seem to be loving it.  Next week I think I'll write a little bit about how I personally feel about baptism.

We're teaching a ton of people and more people seem to come out of nowhere everyday (which has been far from the norm on my mission).  I've loved my mission like nothing else, but I would be lying if I didn't say that it is so much easier when we're teaching a lot of people.  We're teaching people who aren't actively going to church as much as we are teaching people who aren't members of our church, which has made me realize that that is exactly how missionary work should be.

Love ya'll,

-Elder Colton

"An Awkward Moment..."

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

General Conference was legit but it feels like an eternity ago, not just one week.

We had a really great experience this past weekend.  For a few weeks now we've been visiting a family.  They've been coming back to church in the recent months and its been awesome to see how happy they are. 

The mom goes each week and the dad goes just about every week.  But his daughters were a little more hesitant.  Two are teenagers and one is eleven. When we first visited, the daughters felt kind of awkward (or at least it seemed that way to us) and who can blame them?  Two twenty year old's suddenly walk in and start talking about Jesus Christ and how he can help us, prophets, a plan of salvation, and who knows what else. I would be weirded out at first too (I never realized just how awkward some people feel with us until I was talking with the couple who are our landlords...she was baptized two years ago and is able to give us great insights on what not to do in first lessons).

In our second lesson we had an awkward moment when we started talking about the parents preparing to go to the Temple to be sealed (when a family is joined together for eternity) and pulled out a lesson pamphlet.  Then the dad whispered loudly to us "that was still a secret." Opps...they hadn't told the girls about it yet. The girls were a wee bit surprised, but it worked out well in the end. 

Now they are going to church and are enjoying it.  One of the teenagers isn't baptized and said she wants to be baptized in November.  All of them have said they want to be sealed in December with their parents.  Last night we talked about the plan of salvation and repentance and we could see the "light bulb moment" happen for one of the girls.  They are one of my favorite families from my mission. 

Only a few months left but it will be the best few months of my mission. 

Love ya'll,

-Elder Colton

Life: Experiences and Realizations

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

My companion and I changed houses this past week so our new address is:

Elder Brandon Colton
1262 N 1450 E
Layton, UT 84040

We're living in the basement of a family from our church and they are legit. If you already sent letters don't worry about it.  I can still go back to my old house and pick them up when they get there.

This past weekend was a little bit interesting.  Here's a summary...
 
1. Seeing Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Dave, and Aunt Julie.  Thank goodness for all those "law and religion symposium" signs which led me right to them as we left the Sunday morning session. 

2. Got caught in the middle of a family fight.  Imagine a dad and his adult son arguing with another 20 family members with their heads down trying to be invisible.  Not pleasant.

3.  Helped a 12 year old girl be baptized after her waiting for 4 years (her mom wouldn't let her before that).  She basically taught us the missionary lessons rather than vice-versa.  Doesn't look like the mom understood the doctrine of 8 years old as the age of accountability.

4. Watching the Sunday morning session of conference from seats very, very close to the pulpit. 

5. Watching the Sunday afternoon session with one of the families we're teaching and another family from our church.

6. Listen to President Monson chastise the world for either not home-teaching, or home-teaching the wrong way, and then listening to members talk about it and not realize they were just told by a Prophet of God that they need to repent.

7. Realizing that in one year, none of the Colton kids will be teenagers (sorry Mom). 

8. Realizing that in two weeks, I'll start my last full transfer as a missionary.  That freaks me out. 

Love ya'll,

-Elder Colton

Living the Good Life

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

Unfortunately I only have 45 minutes of email time today and spent most of it emailing my family.  Everything has been going wonderful up here in Layton.  We're teaching 15+ lessons a week (which is a lot for Layton) and having so much fun.  I love this Gospel and love what I'm doing. 

Love ya'll,

-Elder Colton

"Maybe White People Aren't Half Bad"

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

This past week has been another wonderful one.  We're teaching many people and having such a great time (maybe white people aren't half bad). 

One of the reasons that its been so great is because every Thursday evening at 7:00, our stake holds an open house that stake members invite their friends to.  Each week we have less-active members of our stake and people of other faiths joining us for presentations on the different organizations in the Church. Its legit. One ward "sponsors" the open house each week and we're just about done with the opening round and will start back at the first ward again. 

People are genuinely curious on what goes on in a Mormon church or what its like (or at least they are here in Utah...and I imagine its the same everywhere else). 

One of the families that we've grown close to is a mother and father with their two kids.  The parents have had rough lives and in the past years have been getting out of drugs.  The mom has been going to church for a month or so trying to make sure they keep the changes they've already made.  And her 14 year old super rebellious son came to church this past week (we nearly passed out we were so surprised).  On Saturday morning she is getting baptized at 10:00.  We're very excited.

Love ya'll,

-Elder Colton

Heaven on Earth

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

I am in heaven.  We must have one of the most missionary minded stakes in the entire world.  The people here are incredible and we're teaching a ton.

But I am going to be "that" missionary this week and not write anything.  We've been super busy and I just don't have time this week.  Sorry.

Love ya'll,

-Elder Colton

"The Work of the Lord is Hastening"

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

Well...surprise: I was already transferred, and on Wednesday will be transferred again.  Last Monday night at 9:00, our missionary president, President Hansen, called me and told me that Tuesday morning I would be leaving Glendale and heading up to Farmington to serve as an English missionary.  So right now I'm serving in Farmington.  I went from covering half of a spanish branch (congregation) to covering three english stakes (which is the equivalent of 25 congregations).  A little bit different.  Glendale is sort of the ghetto of Salt Lake and Farmington is the Johns Creek.  Basically like going from downtown Atlanta to Johns Creek. 

But its been a great change.  I've loved it with all my heart up here. (And on that note, don't send any letters for a week or so until you get my new address).  My last companions promised to forward any letters that were already sent. 

And on Wednesday, I'll be moving up to Layton to serving with Elder Thevenin again (I served with a year ago in South Salt Lake).  And I'm staying in English, which is exactly what I've been hoping and praying for.  We've had some great experiences.

On Saturday night, a member from one of the wards called us and asked us to come to his house for dinner at 7:00 on Sunday.  He told us that his sister-in-law wanted to meet with us. 

When we got there, we met Nate and Jordan (a young couple from the ward), along with Jordan's little sister, Kinsie.  Jordan grew up here in Utah and was baptized three years ago when a friend invited her to church on the pretense that there were cute guys there.  Nate is a returned missionary who served in El Salvador.  Kinsie is a senior in high school and hasn't grown up in really any religion but has always believed in God.  Her sister had shared a lot with her about hte Gospel.  And she is legit.  She had already decided she wants to be baptized and basically just asked us to help her get ready. 

As we share the Gospel with our friends and invite them to learn more, they will accept that invitation.  Pray about how to share with specific people and God will answer you.  Ask the missionaries for ideas.  If they are good missionaries, they will help you invite your friends, not try to go around you to reach your friends.  Ask me for suggestions if you have any questions.  The work of the Lord is hastening.  I see it everyday and I hope you can see it to. 

Love ya'll,

-Elder Colton