Sister Collins takes on New Zealand: March 1, 2015

Hi family! J

I’M TRAINING!!!!!!

Sorry to start off my email this week like that but that’s all I can think about! So yesterday, President Hudson came to our ward to interview Kyliegh for her baptismal interview, and while he was there he pulled me aside to talk to me and ask how I was going. Then he told me that next transfer (which is next Wednesday) I will be training a new missionary! I’m just now finishing training for myself this week and now next week I’ll be doing it for someone else! I’m SO excited but I’m also really, really nervous. That means that I’ll be in Feilding until June.

On Saturday we had Jades Baptism! Everything went really well and her baptism was so amazing. After she got baptised we met her in the changing room to congratulate her, she gave us a hug and said “That was the best swim I ever had!” Haha J I love Jade so much and I’m so happy that I was able to teach her and be there for her baptism. She also got confirmed the following Sunday, which was also so amazing. She bore her testimony afterwards during Sacrament meeting which was so cool to watch, because when we first started teaching her she didn’t even know what the word ‘testimony’ meant! J She’s really grown so much and it makes me so happy.

What was also cool was after Jades baptism, Sister Shaw and I went to the Mataki’s home, the family that let us teach Jade in her home. They told Sister Shaw and I how grateful they were to have missionaries like us. They said that they had had a lot of missionaries in their home before but there was something different about us. They also told us that their family had been struggling a lot this past month, and having us over 2-3 times a week really helped their family so much during this time. They also asked me how much longer until I went home, and when I told them that I was still in training they were shocked, they said they thought I was almost done with my mission! That made me pretty happy, I try really hard to not act like a greenie missionary. J

We had exchanges this week with the Sister in Palmy, but this time Sister Shaw went to Palmy and I stayed in Feilding, which was my first time leading the area. I was really stressed about having to lead the area by myself for 3 days, but honestly it was really fun! I really liked this exchange, but I was so happy to have Sister Shaw come back. Having her away all week made me really sad because this is what it’s going to be like when she leaves soon!

On Saturday night we went to the Walker family’s home in Marton. They had invited a non member family over for some dinner, games and a small message. It was really fun and it was a great way to get to know potential investigators. It’s a lot more effective then just door knocking. The night went really well and the family had a really fun time!

Well other than that, that’s my week! It was a pretty good one! J Thanks for all that you do for me! I love you all! J

Brittany