Sandra was baptized!

Elder Coletti's Letter 1/22/17:

Good morning Utah!  What an incredible week in Taiwan.  When I was with Elder Anderton, he always talked to me about how he felt like he was running to the finish line.  He was on his last transfer with me as his companion. He saw that finish line and he was putting everything he had into running through that line.  At the time I understood what he was saying, but it didn't really click until this week.  I realize how little time I truly do have left in the mission field.  That finish line is getting closer and closer in the distance.  I want to do everything within my power to finish through....Not to finish at....But to finish through!

Huge miracle:  So when I was in Tao 4 back in March and April of last year, the Tao 3 Elders (which is where I am at right now) started teaching this mom by the name of 李慕億 (Li Mu Yi).  She was awesome!  She absolutely loved the church and the feeling she would get when she went  She really wanted to get baptized.  However, she was not married to her boyfriend/husband yet and she said that there is no way she could be baptized.  There were too many other problems holding her back.  So after I left Taoyuan, the Elders ended up baptizing her daughter 李珺珺(Li Jun Jun).  When I was transferred back to Taoyuan, one of the first things I did was ask about the mom.  Elder Lin had never heard about her.  That following Monday, I looked up her address and biked over to her house (about a 30 minute bike ride).  I found her, but she was in the same situation.  She still could not get married.  She had too many problems that needed to be solved (money, family, etc.).  However, she had another daughter.  Her name was  呂苡婠 (Lu Yi Wan) or Sandra!  We got the LA investigator mom coming back to church, bringing her other daughter.  Sandra is almost 12 years old, and is extremely shy.  She saw how much her sister had changed when she was baptized.  So....Sandra decided to be baptized!  It was an incredible experience, watching Sandra grow and open up.  She really looked up to her sister, and wanted to become better, just like her sister had since being baptized.  We are still working with the mom.  She is super close!  The desire is there, but getting married is not:)  We have met with the husband... err boyfriend, but he is not super interested.  He does think the church is awesome and he has seen a huge difference in his wife... err girlfriend from it.  Keep praying for the Lu Family.  

I Love you all!

Elder Coletti

Competitive and Driven

Elder Coletti's Letter 1/15/17
This last week was a lot of fun!  Elder Lin and I went on exchanges every single day, excluding Sunday.  Super busy helping out other missionaries, which has been so much fun!  Ahhh I love it.  We also had interviews with President Jergensen this last week.  He is amazing.  Such a brilliant man.  He told me really good stuff, that I want to share with everybody!  

First off, I was talking to President about when I should start thinking about the post mission.  When I should start thinking about my plans in college, and my plans in life.  He then asked me a couple of questions about what I can and cannot control.  He asked if I can control who I date right now (obviously cannot date as a missionary).  He then asked if I could go to school, and decide what classes I liked, and what I wanted to do for a career.  He then told me, "Elder Coletti, God will not give you revelation for something that you can not do."  I thought about this for a sec.  President was basically saying that at that point in my mission, God wasn't going to give me revelation for 6 months down the road.  Sure He would give me ideas, but He wouldn't give me that clear answer, that definite resolution until I was at that point.  But for the point I am at right now, He wants me to focus on being a missionary.  He wants me to receive revelation to help Him Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts.  That's all.  God is way to smart for us.  And we are way to stupid for him hahaha.  That is what makes God so great.  He takes something so stinking complicated, and makes it so an 8 year old can understand.  So President helped me understand that just rely on God.  God will give me what I need at the time it is needed, at the time I can do it.

President also talked to me about being driven.  He asked me, "What is the difference between being competitive and being driven?"  He then told me that the thing with competition is that there is always a loser.  Now being driven is like being competitive in that you become better.  You look at the person next to you, and you get better in the process.  But the difference between the two is the end result of the person next to you.  Being competitive you try to be better than the person next to you, just to be better.  But being driven is you look at the person next to you, and you are motivated, you are driven to become better.  And in the process of getting better, you bring the person up with you.  You don't get better, just to say you are better than that person, but you get better, just so you can raise them up with you.  So you can both rejoice together.  That's what we are here on earth to do.  To raise eachother.  To help all of our brothers and sisters reach the finish line.  BE DRIVEN.  Driven to finish the work that Christ has started.

Well ya those are some of the stuff President talked to me about.  Such an Inspired man.  I love you all!  Keep pushing.  The pain helps you learn.  But if there's no pain, there's no learning;)

Elder Coletti

Charlotte was baptized!

Elder Coletti's Letter 1/11/2017:

I love the temple!  I was able to go today and had such a wonderful time, time to just reflect on where I have come from, and where I want to go. I love my mission in Taiwan.  I love everything about it!  I love the people, I love the food, I love the country and I love God;)  Life is good!

This week we had a baptism!  Her name is 陳秋燕 (Chen Qiu Yan) or Charlotte.  She was from my last area in DanFeng.  Elder Anderton and I started teaching her.  Elder Moss came and around that time a new rule was introduced that we, Elders, cannot teach single females unless it is a family.  So, Elder Moss and I passed her over to the Sisters. I was then transferred to TaoYuan.  All throughout the teaching process, Charlotte really wanted to become a better person.  She really did.  However, she had a lot of family problems that were holding her back from committing to church, and committing to a baptismal date.  But, she kept meeting with missionaries.  She kept meeting with Elder Moss and I, and she kept meeting with Sisters.  Eventually she started to change.  She started to realize how she was becoming a better person through the gospel.  She started to overcome the family opposition of her coming to church.  6 weeks later (I was in Taoyuan at the time), we received a phone call, saying that Charlotte wanted to get baptized!  It was incredible!  It completely blew my mind!  I hadn't seen her in over 6 weeks and when I left it seemed like she wasn't quite ready.  She had asked me to baptize her, so we went over to see her Saturday night and she was a transformed human being.  She was a completely different person.  It was amazing to see the transformation and it taught me a very valuable lesson about change.  It is never to late to change.  It doesn't matter how stubborn you are, the gospel can change you.  It doesn't matter how hard you are, the gospel can soften you.  I am so happy to have met Charlotte.  She is so much fun to be around and every time I see her, I can't help but smile!  She is a beautiful human being. No matter what your problem is, the gospel can help. You just need to have faith and hope that you can be helped and you will be changed!

Love you fam!  

Elder Coletti

Happy New Year

Elder Coletti's Letter 1/1/17:

Happy New Year!  What an incredible year.  I can't believe I was in Taiwan from Jan. 1, 2016 until Dec. 31, 2016.  That is the weirdest thing to me!  Where does the time go?!  Time just goes by faster and faster. on the mission  I feel like I have learned a lot in the year of 2016.  How was everybody else's 2016?  Transfers also ended this past week.  Elder Lin and I are staying together, which is going to be a blast.  I'm really excited for the upcoming weeks.

For 2017, think of a vision.  Think of where you want yourself to be at the end of this year.  There is power that comes from creating a vision for ourselves.  No matter how far we see ourselves going, God sees so much more from us.  God sees everything in us.  Be bold and specific in your vision, for with God anything can happen.

Love you Fam!

Elder Coletti