HE CAME!!!!

You’re doin’ it Collin!!!!!!! YOU’RE REALLY DOIN’ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SPAIN???? hahaha That’s sooo nuts! So it turns out Aubrey will have to be the one that goes to Africa, or Jared since you've got Europe covered.... Funny. Micaella Wilson is doing a nanny job in Spain for the time being. She was just telling me how pumped she is that my little brother is going to serve there. Well DANG! I will admit when I saw January 7th I was a little bit taken back. [This means that they will probably miss seeing each other by about three weeks.] Whatever the Lord wants though right??? You’re going to be great, Collin! Start preparing now. I know you have been but even double now! Mom is right. Still focus on your school (you kinda need to), but YOU ABSOLUTELY cannot lose focus of the little things (Book of Mormon reading, praying, and other church duties) don’t get stressed out and enjoy every bit while you can!!!!!!! The next minute you will be on your mission wearing a suit and tie every day! Remember YOU.

Sorry Mommy. I did not send the pictures last week because I forgot my cord and I did not realize that until after I sent my email and I had limited time left. Then I went to find my camera today and … sad news … I left it in my backpack which I forgot at an investigator’s house... DARN!!!! I STILL FORGET EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!! hahaha Even though I’m training I find that I am the one being reminded to do certain things or to not forget my planner, or to remember to put the phone on the table so we don’t leave it behind.... I am proud of my son (trainee). He is pretty dang good. I have made it a goal to have him ready to train in six weeks. We do something new called the 12-week program which might be just before Trevor’s time, but we do an extra hour of companion study, going through this program to let the new elder take the lead in different things bit by bit until on the 12th week they take over on everything as a senior companion. I am trying really hard to cram all of the 12 weeks into 6 so I am definitely working Elder Hammar hard and making him take on a lot of

responsibility and he is doing a good job!

Awesome story that happened this week… we ran into Brother M a Maori fella who was once a bishop in Tauranga but then moved down here and has been less active for more than 20 years... We met with him to give his wife a blessing, then a week later we visited him at his house. We started to get to know him and I figured out he plays badminton. I am still trying to figure out if it was my own will or the Spirit telling me to offer to play with him (it was probably both), but we asked if we could come play with him... Sure enough he agreed and we told him we would call our mission president to get permission and let him know what we would be doing. So after we left I called president Rudd and he said, “Yeah, go for it!” So we went for it! We played on Thursday night at the local YMCA so we played with a big group that gets together every week. I still got GAME!!! It wasn't super competitive but still great. Then when we had to leave, Brother M gave us a hug and said, “Thank you Elders for coming out with me. I will see you at church on Sunday.” J  And when Sunday came around, HE CAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He actually made it!!! So that was a big deal and a half. It made me happy.

Lately I have been having a hard time because we have very few progressing investigators with C and C putting the brakes on things... We have been doing excellent bringing a lot of less active families and people back, but I still get a little bummed sometimes with how few people we have to teach, especially while I am training Elder Hammar... It would be great if this week the family could just pray for us to find some investigators who are ready to receive the gospel!

I hope things are going well at home. It sounds like Aubrey is having fun doing swim! Don’t quit, Aubrey. And keep having fun with it! Ava is still Ava. Dad hasn't broken down yet. It sounds pretty much normal to me. Give me a round of inspired questions if you can, Mom! You should find a “Preach My Gospel and go to Chapter 10 and look under “Asking Questions and Listening,” two awesome chapters in PMG!!! That story was great! Thank you.

Love you tons family,

Elder Ward