New mission blog for Elder Camden Collins

Camden's mission blog has moved to:

http://www.mymission.com/eldercamdencollins/

Become a follower on his new mission blog!  

Monday, March 3rd, 2014

Hi everyone,

I am doing great.  My new companion and I are working hard. We taught an investigator this week and he is solid and I hope that one day he will have his entire family come and listen. We have been tracking a lot I finally gave away my first Book of Mormon which was awesome. Nothing has come from tracking yet it's kind of funny how many people will say their Jewish haha.   But ya they usually really mean, I'm not interested. Hopefully The Lord will soften their hearts at a later date. 

Well today we are snowed in again so ya another day inside the house..........not cool at all . Hopefully it will only be for today.

Love,

Elder Collins

Monday, February 24th, 2014

Hello everyone,

Thank you all so much for the Valentine Day gifts -- they were sweet and yummy, but there was so much, that I had to give most of it away to the children of my congregation!  So, I'm pretty much the most popular missionary right now. I honestly wasn't expecting any packages for valentines day, but I got a total of 5!!   Hahaha-- the other missionaries were pretty envious of my abundance of goodies. I loved the cards and I am so thankful for them. 

This week was a busy week since it was transfers week. I have another trainer named Elder Gardener, he is from Provo and is pretty chill and an obedient missionary which is what I need.  

He loves sports and shopping which is something I love to do as well. We have a lot in common and we talk so we are getting along. The only thing that really bugs me is that he doesn't accelerate when he drives so we almost get rear ended a lot!:)

Its kind of weird because he is my trainer but he is new to the area and doesn't know anyone. So its not like he is training me,  but we are just working hard and working as a companionship.  We are tracking a lot which is fun, its not like I love tracking, but I want to teach so this is a way to do it. 

He is trying to be a health nut like I am so its awesome so we can support each other in that.  I have gained 3 pounds which isn't that bad but its still 3 pounds. 

Since we have started to work we have seen blessings after blessings come into our lives. We have come into contact with people that Elder Palmer and I had been trying to contact.

I'm excited for this transfer and for the experiences that I am gaining, since that is all I need really at the moment.  I just need to learn to listen to the investigator and listen to the spirit. I can't wait to work and to be more comfortable in what I am doing. 

I love you all and I hope you all are happy in the Lord, and lean on him as much as you can.

Love,

Elder Collins

Monday, February 17th, 2014

Hi everyone!

This last week was busy, we have a new investigator named Byron and his family. They are former investigators and they asked us to come back because they realized they didn't put a lot of effort last time.  Byron likes WWII stuff so we get along really well and his kids are so cute. I don't know if he wants to wants to learn more, but he wants to hear spiritual things so we will work on that. We are in a newish area so we don't have really anyone to work with.  So this winter we are doing a lot of tracking around our area. I wonder who my new companion is going to be......

Yesterday my companion and I were talking to some members after church and a member ran up to us with her baby. He was having a seizure, due to the fever he had. Thankfully we had someone with us who was studying medicine so he took over. But we helped as much as we could, then my companion put his hands on the babies head and nodded over to me. The moment we both put our hands on his head he came out of the seizure and the moment we ended the blessing he started crying and was fully aware.  Moments like these on your mission will stay with you the rest of your life. If you feel a prompting to use your priesthood, follow it no matter what the situation. The priesthood is real, it allows us access to power beyond our comprehension. Honor your priesthood, and the mysteries and the blessing of heaven will be opened to you.

Love,

Elder Collins

Monday, Feb 10th, 2014

Hello everyone, 

It is the last week of the this transfer. Man has time shot by this last month, and I'm forgetting stuff that I knew before my mission. Like what is name of my favorite baseball team or what is the name of my favorite author. I'm starting to lose myself and it's weird haha. 

We are still teaching the Romanian couple and they are awesome. We have a couple appointments set up this week so they should be great. We went on exchanges with the zone leaders this last Saturday and that was weird being away from my companion and having someone sleep in his bed.

My companion and I are finally breaking the ice, but I still think I still need to give him a swift spiritual kick in the pants tonight so that will happen. I can't wait to teach because I finally am understanding my companion.  I am probably getting a new trainer next week but I have learned my lesson from this experience and I will not allow it to happen again. I am thankful for having this trial early in my mission so I know now what to do. I just wish I could have figured it out sooner and acted on it. 

I hope all of you are well and happy, I pray for your own missionary work and I am thankful for your prayers for my own missionary work.  

Love,

Elder Collins

Monday, February 3, 2014

I'm doing fine, things are getting better over here. WE GOT iPads !!!!!!! I have an iPad to do stuff. We are turning into a paperless mission. Everything is on my iPad and its awesome, its great teaching with it because we can share videos and Mormon Messages on the spot. Its a huge blessing to the mission.

Its been slow because we are putting a lot of faith in the ward to help us find people to teach. I been sick for the last two days but I am fine now. We are teaching a man named Conrad, he is from Ghana and is a manager at the super market around the area. He's a great guy and I can't wait to teach him more.

Love,

Elder Collins

Zone Conference Photographs - Jan 2014

Here are some photographs of Camden at the New Arrivals Zone Conference.  They just received ipads to use!

New Arrival Zone Conference

Elder Palmer and Collins