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First Week in AZ!

First week in AZ!

HOLA EVERYBODY! WE IN PHOENIX NOW BABY! 

I was so ready to leave the MTC. It was getting pretty repetitive, and I just wanted to be in the field already. The only thing I was sad about was having to leave my district and my teachers. We were all prepared to be missionaries in one place, and then we were split apart to go all over the world. It’s so amazing to see the Lord’s work in action. The week before I left, 1,032 new missionaries came into the MTC within like 3 hours. That’s over a thousand more servants of the Lord, going all around the world to spread the gospel and show people the joy and love that it can bring into their lives. 

To start off this email, I can tell yáll a little bit about my travel. Most of my district was going to Madrid Spain North, so they had to be on two plane rides, one of which was 15 hours long. Mine was only an hour and a half long and then I was meeting my mission president! I felt a bit bad for them, but I am a little bit jealous of them after reading some of their emails this morning, talking about traveling through the islands and seeing all the beautiful beaches. I got the HEAT here! It was 118 degrees the day I got here! It was one of the hottest days of the year so far, though. I’m hoping it drops back down soon because it is like walking into an oven when I go outside. 

Okay, enough about that, and more about arriving here. The day I got here, all the new missionaries went to the mission home, which is where President and Sister Fisk live, and we all had a little interview to get to know President. We took it easy the first day. The next day, we woke up and went on a hike with Pres and Sister Fisk up to a lookout where we could see all of the different areas that make up the Phoenix mission. It was beautiful. After that, we went back, showered, and got ready to meet our trainers! 

My trainer/companion is named Elder Gonzalez, and he was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He’s an absolute G! We’ve been getting along really well already. 
Once I met him, he told me that we were in the biking part of the mission. I didn’t know if he was serious about it at first. Then I realized he wasn’t joking. 
We live in one of the sketchier parts of the mission called Glendale. There’s an apartment right across the street from us that frequently has police tape up from stabbings or shootings, and I couldn’t count on my hands how many times we hear sirens or see police cars/ambulances drive by every single day. The first day I got here, I saw a single guy getting arrested surrounded by 5 cop cars in front of a tire shop. This place is pretty crazy, but we don’t pay any mind to any of that happening, and nobody really has a problem with us. The only run-in I’ve had so far was someone driving past us while honking, and I looked up and saw him giving us the bird. Elder Gonzalez and I just laughed about it. 

There are so many great people here who believe in Jesus Christ, but a lot of them hear Mormon and think that we aren’t Christians. One of the most common responses I’ve heard so far is, “No thanks, we’re Christian.” We believe in Christ, too!

So far, I’ve had some pretty wild and some pretty amazing experiences. I’ve had someone say he worships a character from Dragon Ball Z, and he had the character tattooed on the side of his arm and was showing it to us. Another was a guy declining our message, saying that his whole family is Christian and he didn’t like it, so he worships the devil. It’s so crazy to see people in such dark places in life and in this world. 

On the other hand, I’ve had some amazing experiences with the Spirit already. I don’t know much of what is being said yet because I don’t understand much Spanish, but I can share a simple testimony and promise some blessings from reading in the scriptures and praying to Heavenly Father for guidance. I shared my simple testimony with someone we met on the street, and I gave him a Book of Mormon. I looked at him while I was talking, and I could see the Spirit working through me and my companion. My companion is usually there to answer the bigger questions since I don’t understand much yet, and I am there to provide a little testimony of why this is so important. 

Something else I would love to note is how nice the members of the church here are. We have dinner most nights at a member's house, and the food is always SO GOOD! I’ve had tostadas made for me multiple times already, and some of the members will buy us food and deliver it to the church for us. 

It has been a struggle for me so far, for one, hearing about my dad and everything that is going on with him. I almost felt selfish and questioned why I am here when I could be with my family, while there is so much stress going on there. I have prayed that my family will be protected, loved, and comforted while I’m gone. Although I wasn’t able to contact anyone about all that was going on, so I didn’t know if my prayers were working. Then I read an email from my mom where she listed out all of the miracles she could think of, most of which involved other people blessing, protecting, loving, and comforting my dad and my whole family. That brought me so much peace because I realized that even though I am on a mission, my family can be blessed because of the work that I am doing to serve the Lord. And I figured that out very quickly. I figured out that the Lord works through other people. Other people back home can be there for my family when I can’t. Some of whom are missionaries serving in my church at home, doing the same thing I am. I am working in Phoenix, Arizona, to be that light and comfort for other people who don't have it, and while I am doing that, the Lord puts people in my place back home to be there for my family.

If I were to have one takeaway from my first 5 days here, I would say that I trust in the Spirit, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father. I have seen miracles in my service here already, and I have seen countless miracles happen back home. Trusting in the Lord is all I can do at this point. When I’m struggling with the missionary work, I can trust that the Spirit can help me through it. When I am struggling with the language, I can trust that in God’s timing, I will understand the language and be able to effectively teach the gospel to people here in Phoenix, Arizona. 

I love my Savior, and my testimony of Him has grown so much since I left on my mission. I’ve learned that the best thing I can do in times of trouble is to just turn to Him. That’s my invitation to all of y’all who are reading this letter. Trust in the Lord always, and I can promise you that you will be blessed. Pray often, and you can receive guidance in your life. There is never a bad time to talk to Heavenly Father and ask for help, no matter how big or small your situation may be. 

Thank you to everyone who follows along with my emails, and I am especially thankful to the people who are currently proving to be an answer to my constant prayers for my family. Thank you for all that you do to be there for them. YOU are an instrument in God’s hands, just as I am right now. You may not have a tag on your chest, but you should always try to be a representative of the infinite love of Jesus Christ. I love you all, and thank y’all for all that you do. 

We’ll see you next week, where hopefully the temp will’ve dropped a bit. (it probably won’t)

-Élder Collins










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