Last Letter.....

Elder Coletti's last letter 7/23/17:

It's been 2 years.  2 years of sacrifice.  2 years of happiness.  2 years of life changing events.  2 years of new friends.  2 years that will never be forgotten.  I have loved my mission more than words can explain.  I have seen the Gospel of Jesus Christ change people's lives.  I have seen the Gospel of Jesus Christ change my family's life.  It's true how when you truly forget yourself.  Forget who you were, and put yourself to work, to service, you come back a changed person.  You come back who God wants you to be.  The mission has given me a new perspective on life.  It has transformed me.  I truly know who Jesus Christ is.  I truly know the power of his Atonement is my life.  He is my Savior and He is yours as well.  All of the struggles that we face in life.  All of the trials and challenges.  All the blood, sweat, and tears.  None of that compares to what our Savior atoned for.  He has done it all.  He has saved us.  So choose to be happy!  Choose the right.  Choose Christ.  As we choose this day to follow Christ, we are choosing happiness.  We are literally going to receive blessings.  Not only for ourselves, but for our family and friends around us.  For the random people next to us.  As we accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and choose to apply it today, we will have the light of Christ with us.  And everybody will feel the love He has for us.  The world will be a happier place, and we can all be saved together.

I love you all.  I am so grateful for having the opportunity to know every single one of you.  You truly have made me a better person.  You have brought joy into my life.  Thank you for sticking around for these 2 years.  I am so excited to see everyone!  Below is some information about my Homecoming: 

Save the dates:
1: Elder Coletti (Joey) is finishing serving his mission in Taipei Taiwan! Elder Coletti (Casey) is preparing to leave for his mission in Cambodia Phnom Pehn.! We will be having a combined Homecoming and Farewell for these two brothers on Sunday Aug. 13 at our church at 11:00 am. The address for the chapel is 10860 S. 3200 W. South Jordan, UT. It's not the church by the round about, it's the one just North of that. 

2: On SATURDAY NIGHT- Aug. 12th (6-9 pm) we're having an open house at our home. The address is 3032 W. Harper Peak Court (11335 S.) South Jordan, UT. Feel free to stop by, enjoy some yummy food and say WELCOME HOME or GOODBYE

I also want to specifically thank my family.  I cannot express my love for the three of them.  You have brought so much happiness throughout my life.  It's crazy to think how we haven't see each other for these 2 years, and yet I feel like our relationship is so strong right now.  I feel so much closer to the three of you right now than I did before my mission.  Isn't that weird?! No matter how far we are from each other, as long as Jesus Christ is the center, the family will be blessed.  "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).  I testify that I know this is true.  I know that Jesus Christ has played a significant role in my family's life.   

 Love you, Elder Coletti

Wu Hui Yu!

Elder Coletti's Letter 7/16//17:

We had a baptism this week!  Her name is 吳惠玉 (Wu Hui Yu).  Her husband is our ward's Elders Quorum President.  He was baptized 2 years ago.  They met at church in 2014.  Sister Wu's time finally came.  She found out she is pregnant with their 1st child and has been thinking a lot about families.  She also saw how much her husband has changed since he joined the church.  She felt like she wanted to join the church so that she could raise her family in the church.  Sister Wu is incredible and she is a truth seeker.  I'm so happy she came at this time!;)

I am honestly so content with my mission right now.  I am so happy with everything that has happened throughout my mission.  It could not have been written any better. I've witnessed God's hand in every detail throughout my mission.  From all the people I met, all the missionaries I served with, all the places I went, etc. God was there.  My mission has changed me in so many ways.  I am just so grateful.  So, so grateful for all the blessings God has given to me, my family, and everyone else.  He is so good!

Love you

Elder Coletti

Self Reliance

Elder Coletti's Letter 7/2/17:

Self Reliance.  Before the mission, that is something that I didn't know existed! I would just rely on my parents for everything.  I would rely on other people to make things happen.  As I have been on my mission, I have realized the important of relying on yourself.  And when I say relying on yourself, that does not mean disregarding help from God.  It means doing everything that you can, and then asking God to make up the difference.  For example, when I first started my mission, I couldn't do much.  I couldn't speak the language, I didn't know how to teach, I didn't know how to get to places on my own, etc. It was during this time that I had to rely on the Lord quite a bit.  But as I have been here these 2 years, I have learned a lot.  I have learned the language, how to teach the gospel, and how to live on my own.  In doing so, I have learn to rely on myself, not on God as much , to do these things.  That is why we are here on earth.  We are here to learn how to rely on ourselves.  Learn how to make things happen.  If we go our whole life not learning how to do so, then we aren't getting the point of God sending us here on earth.  We are here to learn.  We are here to become like God.  And through time and experience, we do not need God as much as we did the day before.  However, that does not mean we can get complacent.  This means that we need to stretch ourselves every single day.  Put ourselves in a situation that we NEED to rely on God.  We need to become comfortable in our discomfort.  And when we are no longer comfortable, that is when we should rely on God.  Become Self Reliant.  Learn as much as you can.  Learn how to do things yourself.  You need to give all you can.  Meet God halfway, and then God will do the rest.

I went to the Taipei Recent Convert and Investigator Fireside yesterday, and I was overwhelmed with love.  Love for the people.  Love for God.  Seeing so many familiar faces, and how they have changed through Jesus Christ.  It is amazing to see how much God loves us.  He really does want us to be happy.  He has given us so much in life.  I love my Heavenly Father so much.  I am so glad to have felt of His Love.  I'm grateful to have been able to share it.  God is real.  And so is His Love.

Elder Coletti

Continuing Discipleship

Continuing Discipleship.  That is something that I have been pondering throughout this week.  How can I continue to follow Jesus Christ, and stay on the straight and narrow path after my mission.  It is very easy to follow Jesus Christ while I have 2 years set apart to teach the same things that he would teach.  That is the easier part.  What about after when you become "one with the world?"   There are so many distractions in life that can give us detours.  As we focus on our priorities, everything else will work out.  As we put God and His Commandments first, everything else falls into place. However, we need to stretch ourselves as well.  We can't just go through the motions of reading the scripture every morning just to say we "read our scriptures." It's actually reading, pondering, and applying.  It's acquiring spiritual knowledge.  It's through these little means that we are made whole.  That is how Jesus completes us.

I love my mission.  It is the greatest decision I have ever made.  I love the people that I have met here.  From all the people that I have taught, to the members I have served, to the missionaries I have talked to. I love them all.  These people have changed my life. I want to be Continuing Disciples with them. I want to stay in contact with them for the rest of my life.  But most important, I want to stay in contact with Jesus Christ for the rest of my life.  Never forget all of the ways he has taught me, served me, and talked to me.  The end of my mission is almost here, but so is the beginning.  The beginning to Continuing Discipleship.

Elder Coletti

Atonement

Elder Coletti's Letter 6/11/17:

I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  I was reading a talk by Boyd K. Packer today for personal study and it talked about His Atonement.  The word Atonement is actually 3 words: At-one-ment, which means to be one with God, or to be in line with. It's through the Atonement that we are put in line with God.  But, how do we have the Atonement to put us in line with God?  It's through Jesus Christ.  It's because of His Grace and Mercy, that we are able to be saved.  It is ABSOLUTELY necessary that we have this Atonement.  Because if we do not have this Atonement, it is ABSOLUTELY certain we will not return to our Heavenly Father, nor be with our families again.  It's because of Jesus Christ that we can be together forever.  He has so much love for us, and He sees so much in us.  That was why He was willing to do it.  He could see what we can become.  He has so much love for us, but He has many expectations from us as well.  He expects us to follow Him.  He expects us to be faithful to Him.  When we use our agency to repent and come closer to Him, we are able to more fully use His Atonement.  The Atonement literally gives us POWER!  Power to overcome.  Power to illuminate (not literally haha) but spiritually.  Jesus will blot every single dark spot we have, because He has already done it before, and will do it again.

Elder Coletti

Last Transfer

Elder Coletti's Letter 6/4/17: 

Another great week!  Many of our main investigators are progressing really well.  I'm looking forward to the future and loving life;)  Prayer is so powerful.  We honestly can receive so much revelation when we counsel with God.  When we talk to him about our problems and struggles.  We need to be patient, but God is always listening.  He is always there for us.  I love serving with my companion Elder Dong.  He is an incredible missionary.  He has such a love for the gospel.  He makes me love the people here in Taiwan that much more.  It is such an honor to serve, and learn from him.  Always look to serve your companion, or if you don't have a companion yet serve those that need help.  Pray for the opportunity.

Elder Coletti

Su Shun Yi was baptized!

Elder Coletti's Letter 5/28/17:


蘇順義 (Su Shun Yi) or Ken got baptized this past week.  He is 35 years old and is from Hualian!  He works in Taipei.  His mom was in the hospital and in really bad shape. Ken's Uncle (who is a member!) called the missionaries to go to the hospital and give Ken's mom a priesthood blessing. One week later Ken's mom was able to leave the hospital.  Ken was moved.  He wanted this power in his life.  He started to investigate the church.  Before he started to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ, he didn't really have a good relationship with his family. There was not a lot of love in his family.  As he continued to learn more about the gospel, he changed.  He started to love his family.  He started to pray for them and he started to feel that power in his life.  Ken is a changed man, and it eventually led him to the waters of baptism.

I love my family.  They have such an impact in everything that I do everyday.  They are amazing, and I know that it's because of this gospel we are so happy today.  It's because of Jesus Christ, that we are so close with one another.  Just like Ken, as we apply the teaching of Jesus Christ in our daily lives, we are changed and so are our families.  Families are keystones in this plan that God has given us.  If our family is a success, then everything will be alright.  Work will be okay.  We will be happy.  No matter how far we are from each other, the family will be connected through the light of Christ.  The families relationships will only improve without actually being in contact with each other.  That is what I have witnessed on my mission.  If everyone applies the gospel daily, everyone will be blessed.  If the family puts Christ first,   puts Christ on the mantle, everything else falls into place.  I love my family, and I love you all.  But more important than anything else, I love Jesus Christ.  It's because of him I have everything else.

Elder Coletti

Elder Cook

Elder Coletti's Letter 5/22/17:

This was honestly was one of the greatest weeks of my life.  I was just filled with the Spirit all week.  God is too good.  He is way to good to all of us.  This week Elder Cook came and shared his testimony with our entire mission.  It was one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard.  It was so powerful.  There was so much power in everything he said.  The part that I was most moved by was when he said, "I have heard His voice, I have seen His face."  Then he stopped talking for a sec.  The Spirit just grabbed my heart.  I knew what he was saying was true.  I knew that he was an Apostle.  I knew that Jesus Christ was real.  I was filled with so much love and I knew, without a doubt that I was in the right place.  I have never felt the Spirit like that before.  I am just so grateful.  I am so grateful for our Savior.  It's just not fair.  It's not fair how much he loves us.  How much he helps us every single day.  We have so many weaknesses.  We have so many faults.  Christ doesn't care.  How I wish I could just have a fraction of the love Christ has for every single one of us.  A fraction of the mercy he has for us.

Thank you all for hanging on with me;)

Elder Coletti

Transfers

Elder Coletti's Letter 5/7/17:

Transfers!  I have a new companion and his name is Elder Dong!  He is originally from the Southern part of Taiwan in Tainan.  He has been on his mission basically the same amount of time as me.  He will go home 1 transfer after I finish up.  He played college basketball and is super fun to be around.  I love serving with Elder Dong.  I have been having so much fun!  Mothers day is coming up really quick which will be fun;)  Nothing super notable happened this week.  Lots of changes, lots of trainings, lots of fun;)  Thank you!  Have a wonderful week!

Elder Coletti

Pacita was baptized!

Elder Coletti's Letter 4/30//17:

This week was so much fun!  Shout out to my little brother on getting his mission call to Cambodia! Is that in Africa?;)  haha

We had a sweet Phillipina lady named Pacita Hung get baptized this week!  She was found 3 transfers ago.  Her brother was contacted on the street by missionaries, and he was willing to listen to them and bring them to his house.  The missionaries went over to his house and rang the doorbell.  Eventually Pacita answered the door and wasn't too interested in the message.  The missionaries got in contact with the other Phillipinos in the English ward, and had them make a nice Phillipino meal, and then they brought it to her house!  After that, Pacita was very moved by that act of kindness and she was willing to listen to the message.  It was pretty cool.  It started out with Pacita's brother, but as the lessons went on, Pacita progressed a lot faster than her brother.  Pacita is one of the nicest ladies in the world.  She is so much fun to be around.  She takes care of her mom, who only speaks Taiwanese (they have been in Taiwan for a while;)).  Pacita speaks English, Taiwanese, Tagolog, and Chinese.  Conversion is so real.  She started off having no interest.  Absolutely none.  But through a simple act of kindness her heart was opened, and she eventually was converted.  Serve others.  Open their hearts.  Open their life to the gospel.  Love you!

Elder Coletti

Have a Vision

Elder Coletti's Letter 4/23/17:

Hello!  So sorry about last week.   I'm still alive and kicking, just busy being a missionary! I'm loving life right now with Elder Hammond.  We are seeing so many miracles, and having so much fun together while we are at it!  Ahhhh, I love my mission!  Alright enough of the small talk.:)  

 Something I learned this week was about raising your vision.  It is so important to have a vision and to have a point which you want to reach or see from.  It's from our vision, that we can improve.  That we can learn more.  However, there are lots of times that we become complacent.  We become happy with the perspective we are currently at. What makes special people special is that they have so many different perspective, higher visions where they can see so much more, and get so much more done.  Raise your vision and expect more from yourself in life.  As we expect more from ourselves and have a higher vision, we invite God to make an impact in our lives and help us reach our vision.  When we have a lower, not as fulfilling vision, it is harder to feel the influence of God in our lives because, quite honestly, he doesn't need to help us in order to achieve our sub-par goals/vision.  Raise the vision and raise the potential of God's influence in your life.  Love you!

Elder Coletti

田甜圈長老

New Suit!

Elder Coletti's P-Day was delayed this week due to their temple trip.  He did not send a group email because he is just too busy!:)  He did send pictures though.  

He was able to purchase a new smaller suit that actually fits his skinny body now!:)