Here's some of the email Collin sent to his dad:
I hope you have a wonderful father's day and eat lots of pie. I want pie.
I am realizing how this could be the best two years of my life.. Never again will I have the chance to serve the Lord 24/7. I am in a pretty normal country too ... So that's pretty cool. I have realized that really my mission isn't THAT hard.. I live in a 1st world tropical island that would cost prolly 2000 dollars a month to live in and I'll never get to live there again.. And on top of that, I'm on a mission. It's rad. I love it. I hope you find the cockroach. (he sent a dead cockroach in his package -and yes, we did find it! yuck!)
I love you lots and I hope you have many awesome fathers days to come.
Love,
Elder winget
And here's some of the email he sent to me:
Well hey guys!! I'm glad you got the silly little package.. I hope it's not too silly. Well this week was kind of interesting.. We got one of our amis to come to church- his name is Gerome. I think I may have mentioned him- he was a kid we met on the street carrying a planter full of marijuana. Anyway, we had a short lesson with him and asked him to come to church- and he said sure. So we show up at his house with a shirt and tie and find him asleep on his porch-- and it was freezing the night before-- and he slept there allll night! He was like waaay hung over.. and I didn't expect him to come with us.. too hung over. But then we woke him up and said hey, come! and he was like... alright! so we were late for church but he came. I was way proud. He also said a petit little prayer in our lesson.. first time ever! He looked great in his shirt and tie. It was awesome to see him there. He asked great questions during church, and said he liked it and wants to come back. I think he's wonderful. He's the same ami that gave my bag back with my camera and everything inside. Me and my companion have been realizing.. These aren't bad kids, just cuz they smoke and drink their lives away and graffiti anything that doesn't move - they just don't have anything better to do. After 7:30ish at night, the streets are deserted- not one store is open. So they have absolutely nothing fun to do. So they drink. This is a great kid- he doesn't steal, he does nice things for the community- and sure he drinks a bit, but it's a small problem compared to the real bad people that exist in other countries that kill people and stuff. There's like only 1 murder in this country like every 5 years. So that's rad.
We also taught a dude named Soane. Different Soane than the one we baptized in Païta. But he asked lots and lots of great questions- and we ended up staying at his house for 2 hours just answering questions and such. He really understood the idea of apostasy- the real problem around here. And he's like well, do you think a restoration is coming or not? And I'm like well, actually that's why we're here! At the beginning of the lesson he was like well, I really don't know why I let you guys in, I never let the JWs in.. Aren't you guys just like the Pentecostals? and we're like well, let us show you why we're different. And so he really understood the Apostasy and the reason for why we need a restoration. And we're like well actually the reason why we're different, is because we're not just another breakoff of the catholics, we actually have a prophet! He just ate it right up. He believed us and asked us if we couild come back. He's like well, I loved the lesson, but I'm not ready to just get into your church or anything.. Can you guys just like.. Come back and teach me more?! And I'm like well... yeah! That's what we do! And he's like well.. you can come over next saturday.. And I'm like well, sure but can we come over even sooner? And he's like well, how about twice this week? Is that too much? I mean, I don't want to bug you guys if you have other stuff to do.. And I'm like dude, you ARE what we do! We'll be there! I think he was really prepared to hear the Lord's restored gospel. I'm excited to teach him again.
So there's this family in our branch that was baptised last year- they are the most amazing family. they just sit around and read scriptures all day. They don't have a huge amount of support from the branch, but they just love the gospel so much that they can't be stopped! We eat with them every monday and they're absolutely awesome! I love them. I hope you get to meet them someday. I think it's really people like them that are the hope for New Caledonia. This place really needs some strong member families who won't jet at the first sign of trouble. So many people go inactive before even one year in the church.. It's really hard. But we're working hard, and we'll get this place into shape.
We did service at a blind center this last week- I'm not sure if I told you about it. They're really cool people. There is this one guy that had a brain tumor when he was younger so when they operated on it he lost a lot of his sight, and is now kind of handicapped. But he speaks surprisingly well in English, and we talk to him a lot. His name is Gilles. I'll send you some pictures of that dude some time.
So that's pretty much what happened this week. :)
I'm really glad that you're all being blessed.. I know I am too. I'm so happy to be the Lord's servant. I'm on the downhill, and I figure I could let myself get lazy.. But I don't want to regret it so I'm going to try to work as hard as I can for these last 10 months! That way you guys can all stay blessed and stuff.
Well I hope y'all have a wonderful week. I love you!
Love,
Elder winget
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