December 30

Hello Family!

So my P-Day is on Thursday, so that's when I will be able to E-Mail. We weren't allowed to call on Christmas because there are like 2,000 missionaries here and only 5 phones, so... that wasn't going to happen haha. Thanks for the Christmas presents, the elders in my residence hated the smell of the oysters but it made it feel like home haha.

So I already accomplished one of my goals here in the MTC; I wanted to read the Book of Mormon before I left, and I am done now, so maybe I'll read it again haha. I would love to send pictures that I have taken, but that's not allowed on the computers, so i'll have to mail them... But, I haven't gotten any printed yet... so you'll have to wait longer =)

All is going good in the MTC. I am learning the German language a little at a time, it's kind of funny, they only teach the things that we need to know in order to preach, so, I have no idea how to say any of the colors, which is okay since i'd probably mess them up anyway, and I didn't know how to ask how someone's day was until a couple of days ago, but, I certainly know how to give the first lesson! We give a lesson every single day here, i've been giving lessons since the second day, we have people that volunteer to act as investigators and we teach them the lessons and resolve any concerns that they have. I actually had a pretty funny thing happen, I was having the investigator read a scripture about Jesus, so I found it in my English Book of Mormon first, then I turned to it in the German Book of Mormon. I accidently turned to chapter 7 of 3 Nephi instead of chapter 17, so when I told them to read verse 10, i told them the scripture was about Jesus they read something about a man becoming king of the robbers and the wicked. It was pretty embarrassing, but hilarious to look back on.

Well, all is good here in the MTC, hope you all enjoyed your Christmas, I hope you enjoy your New Year, feel free to send me a tie or two, it's the only thing us missionaries really have to brag about haha; every night TONS of missionaries walk around the Residence halls to trade ties, it's pretty funny.

Tschus!

Elder Collings

(This was in a letter to Conner) I forgot to put this in my letter to the family so you'll have to tell them, for Christmas we had Elder Nelson from the Quorum of the twelve apostles come to the MTC, he spoke to us three different times, it was super awesome.

December 23

So I finally figured out how to get the e-mail thingy to work! I only get 30 minutes a week though... So I have been in the MTC for 2 weeks now, and it is amazing how much I have learned. I can understand a lot of the German language, and I can almost speak as much as the other Elders here who have 5 years worth of learning the language already, I just barely was able to say the First Vision in German today which was pretty awesome.

So things here have been awesome, the food is okay, but, it gives my companion (Elder Anderson) gas, so he is constantly tooting. I have put on 8 pounds so far and i've been waking up early every morning to work out with some of the Elder in my district, for the first time in my life I did 150 pushups =)

Last Sunday, we had a guest speaker, I'm not exactly who he was, but he was in some high position in the MTC. He told us (the German branch) that Satan is attacking this branch more than any other branch. We have already had around 3-4 Elders leave, and there are many more struggling with home sickness, there have also been more sickness and injuries in the German branch than any other branch. He bore an amazing testimony, he said he knew something amazing was going to be happening in Germany for us, and he inspired everyone in the room the to work through any problems that they may be having because the lord needs us.

I have noticed my companion has started to struggle a little bit with homesickness. He gets like 3 letters a day from his Mom and aunt, but there was one day where he didn't recieve mail and he was so depressed; I had the hardest time getting him to do anything, everything that came out of his mouth was negative, I finally just bore my testimony to him and told him that something great was going to happen tonight if he changed his attitude, he appologized to me and then we went to gym... He got hit in the face with a basketball and broke his glasses, so he was REALLY mad. I just told him once again that Satan was trying to distract him from the spirit and if he would focus on being positive and listening to the spirit he would have an amazing day. So that night we has a lesson with one of the role play investigators, I was doing most of the talking (in German, which is weird because he is almost fluent) I then looked at him to bear his testimony, he started to bear his testimony and while he did I prayed that he would speak with the spirit. The spirit got so strong right as I started to pray, I thanked God for answering my prayer the second I started haha. At the end of the meeting all my companion said was, "That was amazing."

I am thoroughly enjoying my time here in the MTC, it's amazing how strong the spirit is here and there is no other place I would like to be, even though it's Christmas haha. I am almost out of time (I spent half my internet time trying to get the e-mail to work) so, thanks for the Dearelder letters, I am getting them. Thanks John and Molly for the gift, I can't wait to open it, and Jessica, CONGRATULATIONS! I can't wait to be an uncle!!!

Tschüs!

Elder Collings

Another letter

Hello loving Family!

So things are going good in the MTC. I found out the pilot program I am on is extremely different from any other. We start teaching in German as of day 2. Normally they start at day 42, so it's way hard, but in 2 Nephi 33:1, I learned I can babble stuff (as long as I really mean what I'm babbling) and the investigator will know, or feel, what I am saying through the power of the Holdy Ghost, and I do that a lot ha ha. In one of my lessons, the investigator (a memeber who volunteers their time) was asking tons of questions, my companion can speak pretty good German, and I'm not so good, but, after I said something along the lines of "Holy Ghost good spiritual feeling of Book of Mormon true: the investigator looked right at me and said something I didn't understand. My companion turned to me and said, "He wants to know why whenever you speak he can feel that spiritual feeling (shpiren) even though he can't understand you." So even though I'm not speaking German YET, I am thankfully inviting the spirit to work through me.

Another thing for your info... if you use Dearelder.com and send me a letter before noon, I will receive that letter at 6:00 that same day, just so you know.

Anyway, hope everything is going good at home.

Tschus!

Elder Collings

Our First Letter!!

I was so excited to find a letter from Steve when I went out to the mailbox this morning! Here's what it said.

Dearest Familie,

I have only been in the MTC a day and it is incredible how much I have learned! I have been placed in a pilot program to learn the German language, so basically my district and I are all learning in a completely new way.

Today we were all expected to bear our testimony and pray in the German language. I was unable to do this completely, I am still learning the basics, however, I know as long as I am faithful and do my best I will be able to learn the language.

I have become the senior companion, mein mitarbeitan is a cool guy, he is from Cedar City and we get along great, he tutors me on German because he has around 3 years under his belt.

It has only been a day and I have already seen an Elder from my district walk out. He left his companion at lunch, when we came back to the residence halls all of his belongings had been packed and taken away. Fortunately he returned this evening. I hope he decides to stay.

The spirit is so strong here, I have never felt it so much so often at one time. I can only think of 2 times where I have been so overwhelmed with the spirit that I have had tears come to my eyes, and I have already had it happen once here, and my lip started to quiver a couple of times.

I am loving it here, I am so thankful for this time in my life when I have the opportunity to serve the Lord, and I am even writing in my journal. I can't wait to see how much I will have grown in as little as a week, and I can't think of how much knowledge I will have in a year.

I love you all so much, thanks for being the Best Family in the world.

Elder Collings

Dropped off at the MTC

We took Steve to "The Brick Oven" in Provo before we dropped him off at the MTC. He said time was going too slow, and he just wanted to get there! I was very sad after we dropped him off, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

Buying Suits