Changes

Elder Coletti's Letter 03/13/2016 Week 34

This week was pretty crazy! While I was in HuaLian with Elder Crawford, we always thought that Elder Crawford would be the next one to leave, and that I would stay in MeiLun. But when we got the text that someone was moving, and we found out that it was going to be me, we were shocked! We didn't see that one coming at all! At first I was a little upset and sad. I had really fallen in love with MeiLun. We had some really awesome investigators that I know, without a doubt, were going to be getting baptized. We found out that I was moving on Tuesday.  I was upset until Wednesday night when we headed to the Bu (Mission Headquarters) for transfers. After going to the Bu for the first time in nearly 3 months, I realized something. I realized how many missionaries there are in our mission, and how many amazing areas we have. I was asking Elder Huntsman(AP) and Elder Smith(Recorder) about the area I was going to in TaoYuan. They told me how AMAZING it was (both of them having served in the same area previously). At this point, I started realizing how selfish I was being. How I didn't want to move from MeiLun because I really liked it, and all of the investigators. But in the end, it doesn't matter who helps those investigators get baptized, because it will be their conversion, not mine. I loved my time in MeiLun, but I am even more excited for my time here in TaoYuan. I absolutely love my new companion, Elder Alder.  He has been in the field about a year now and he is super fun to be around. The ward here is AMAZING.

 They were so welcoming to me my first Sunday here. After my first Sunday here, I now realize my purpose more as a missionary. I want to help the ward I am in, regardless of where I am. I am super excited to serve here. I want to make a big impact to the ward and try to help them as much as I can. I know that I am serving here for a specific reason, and myself and  Elder Alder will do everything we can to make a difference in the ward and this area!

I love you all so much!  I will take more pics of my area next week!  I am serving right in the middle of the city in TaoYuan. My area is also north of the city in TaoYuan (which includes NanKan) and all the way to the beach on North Taiwan.

My invitation is to think about changes.  Changes are really hard and sometimes we don't want to do it.  But that is the entire premise of the Gospel of Christ: Repentance.  We all need to change through Repentance.  I want everyone to find something that they want to change about themselves for the better.  I know it'll be hard, but it will be worth it in the end! 

 Love ya!

Elder Coletti

Gods puts people in our path....

Elder Coletti's Letter 03/06/2016 Week 33:

This week consisted of a lot of exchanges.  Elder Crawford and I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders over in JiAn.  That was a lot of fun!  I went with Elder Karlinsey and we had a blast!  We then came back to our area in MeiLun.  The next day Elder Crawford went on exchanges with two Elders that are about to go home.  That meant that I was on another 2 day exchange with an Elder Welker, in MeiLun. 

We had lots of fun though.  We are starting to teach another investigator named Liu DiXiong.  His English name is Roman.  He really wants to get baptized!  We have only met him twice and he already wants to buy us kaorou (barbecue). 

This week I learned another great lesson about miracles. I truly believe that God puts certain people in our path in order to assist us on the journey we have taken, or to help us find a different one.  I want to invite everyone to think about who you are with, and think about what influence they have in your life.  They quite honestly might have none. But, they could be what is holding you back from becoming great.  Sometimes people are in our path because they need our help.  They need our smile.  They need to feel our love.

I love you all so much!  Thank you for being such a good influence in my life, and for being a part in my life.  I have learned so much from every one of you, and I am so grateful for all of you!  Have a wonderful week!
Elder Coletti

Members helping Missionaries

Elder Coletti's Letter 02/28/16 Week 32

This week was so good. After Wang Yi Kai's baptism last week, Elder Crawford and I learned a valuable lesson about how to help prepare our investigators for baptism. We had MAJOR developments in some of our other investigators this week.

 

You might remember the four generation family  living in one house that Elder Crawford and I found a couple weeks ago, the Fang Jia Ting family. They honestly weren't progressing as well as we would have like for them to. We were having a really hard time meeting with them because: 1) They are all females and only have two boys in the house who are both children.  In order for us to meet with them, we need to find a peike (a "peike" is chinese for a lesson with a member present.  I think peike is so much easier and convenient to say;)).  The problem with having to have a peike present is that the Fang Jia Ting family can only meet at 6 o'clock, which is a really hard time for a peike to be available to help us teach because of work, dinner, family time, deng deng (deng deng is Chinese for etc.). Therefore, we would have an appointment set up with the Fang Jia Ting family, but not be able to meet with them because we couldn't find a peike. 2) Whenever we do find a peike, the Fang Jia Ting family would live up to their name and "fang" us (Fang means to stand someone up and not show up to a lesson).  Anyway, this week we were able to finally meet with them, and it was an amazing lesson! We taught the second lesson, and we talked about their baptism date. Our peike started testifying to the mom of the Fang Jia Ting children on how her getting baptized would motivate her mom (the children's grandmother) to become a better person. The Fang Jia Ting mama was almost in tears!  It really touched her because the Fang Jia Tang's mama's mom (the children's grandmother) is an alcoholic and most of the time is in the hospital recovering from drinking too much. This testimony from our peike really motivated the Fang Jia Ting mama SO MUCH!

 

We then inviting her two kids to come to the stake activity this week, which was a BLAST! They had so much fun and they really bonded with us.  I feel super bad for those two kids.  They are 12 and 10.  Jake is the older brother and Kevin is the younger brother.  Imagine these circumstances: your dad has abandoned the family and you don't have any relationship or contact with the man.  Your mom has to work from 11 in the morning until 6 every day.  Your mom's mom (your grandmother) is ALWAYS drunk and hospitalized.  Your mom's mom's mom (your great grandmother) is 80 years old and can hardly care for herself anymore.  That is the type of life these two boys are living.  I asked them if they were all right and they just told me, "hen hao wan, jiu haole" (which translates as being happy is good enough).  These two boys have such a hard life, and yet they are still happy.  They still find the positive and keep on living with a smile on their faces.  They are both very mature and inspiring little boys.  I'm excited for the coming weeks with this family.

 

Also, we had a really cool miracle. One of our members referred us his brother who was in the hospital because he had artery clogged. He was about to go into surgery, a very risky one at that! The doctors said that there was a small chance that he could possibly die during the surgery. So Elder Crawford, the member, and I all gave him a priesthood blessing. And this whole time, the member's brother was in his bed, dopped up on pain killers, and just completely out of it. 3 days later, Elder Crawford and I return and this man is walking! Almost as if nothing was wrong! The surgery went swimmingly and he was on the fast track to recovery. He had started reading the Book of Mormon before the surgery, but he showed no intrest in our message or our church. He is showing a lot of interest now! He is what I would call a "miracle conversion";)

 

The Lord has provided so many miracles for Elder Crawford and myself this week. I know that the Lord has provided just as many miracles to each and every one of you.  You just have to be ready to receive them and acknowledge them! Jake and Kevin have motivated me so much this week.  They have motivated me to help others, and help them receive this gospel that can change their lives and give them hope.  I want to invite others to look at these two boys examples.  Regardless of what we are going through in life, God will provide the miracles. I love you all and wish you all the best of miracles!:)

Elder Coletti