Week 17

Chandler is doing really great!  He had a fun and random encounter this week.  He and his companion were having dinner with a family and the conversation turned to where each elder was from.  It turned out that this family had just recently moved from Utah and proceeded to tell Chandler where they used to live.  Chandler mentioned that his Aunt Jill lived in the same area and it turned out that they knew Jill because she was the YW president and taught their daughters.  Small world!

Mom,

This week was great! It rained like a mother but it was a good week. We taught a lot of lessons and got some new investigators that we can hopefully baptize next transfer. My cool experience this week you already know about but I met a family that knows Aunt Jill personally!? Crazy! We talked about that all of dinner it was so awesome! They're an awesome family we had a lot of fun last night it was a really cool experience. We taught an awesome lesson to a less active about the priesthood and it was amazing! The spirit was there and it just was a rocking lesson. I wish you could see this guy like 5 years ago and then now because he's changed soooo much! He's awesome! My companion and I are best buds! I'm hoping and praying for one more transfer together. We're like a dream team! Picture what Elder Taylor and Balledos were like and you have what me and Elder Madsen are like. There are a set of Sisters. So four. (The Sisters drive me crazy! :P ) We had an Elder in our zone involved in a hit and run. He was hit by the car and dislocated his knees and broke his hand. He's missing three teeth and has a concussion and also he's really scratched up. So yeah that's the cray cray thing that happened this week! 

I did get your package. Thank you so much! Thank you so very much it means a lot. I've been budgeting $20 a week but with the sudden influx of no dinners and high prices in Coquille I've quickly ran out of money. So thank you! We are making the trek to Coos Bay to the WalMart today but that'll take two hours and 60 of our miles out of our allotment. So we can't go very often.. Just the cereal bars and Pop-tarts make a huge difference. I'm set on shaving stuff for now but that would be awesome too. I'll let you now when I'm running low. 

I have a request? So if you could get email addresses from people from our old Ward and the new Ward and family as well if they're interested and tell them I'll be sending a mass weekly email out to all the people on the list so then that way I can email everybody at once. 

So how's the job? How's Meridian? How's the new home? How's getting old and having a son about to get the priesthood? ;) Haha! I hope things are going good for y'all back in Idaho! I love you!!!! Thanks for all you do mom!!! 

Love, 

Elder Colton :)

Week 16

Chandler's email this week was very short with nothing new or exciting to report so I'm not going to post the letter, but he did send some pictures of Coquille and also some "epic selfies" that he has taken over the weeks that he thought were pretty funny.  Here are a few of the pictures that he sent:

Faces only a mother could love!  Robert and I are so proud ;)

Glad to see that he's eating so well.....

Beautiful pictures of Coquille:

Week 15

Sorry it took me some time to update the blog, but I've been busy getting settled into our new home.  Chandler's email was short and sweet this week, but he is enjoying his new area and getting along well with his new companion.  He said his new area is pretty run down and he sent a few pictures:

Mom,

My week was great! Coquille is boss! It's so flipping small and there is nobody here and it's super redneck and white trash, but it's close to the coast and the weather is nice so I can't complain! Haha! My companion, Elder Madsen, we totally clicked right off the bat! We get along better than Elder Taito and I did. I think it's because we are more alike in a lot of ways. But yeah he's awesome we have a ton of fun! The ward is old... very very old.. lots of old people everywhere. Haha! It's like being in a hospital, but it's fun they're all very funny and enthusiastic old people with fun stories! The apartment is clean and tidy. Elder Madsen is a clean freak and likes cleaning the apartment so it's nice not living in filth. We fixed the "broken" toilet that according to the previous Elders had been broken for months. We just put a new flapper in it and filled the tank with water and it works like a charm. Haha! 

       So nothing too crazy this week. I've been driving the Sister missionaries crazy so that's been fun. They probably hate me, but I don't care. Haha! We did service for these people whose house had just burned down. We have to gut the inside to the studs so that they can decide whether to rebuild or demolish. It's pretty flipping disgusting in there everything is burned and stinks like crap! Other than that, things are kinda slow, but I'm still enjoying myself! 

      The address is 1597 Hemlock Coquille, OR, 97423.  And yes, I've seen Meet the Mormons it is a flipping tight movie!! I loved it!! It was really good. 

      Anyway I love you!!! I hope everything goes good this week with y'all back home!! See ya in 21 months!! 

Love, 

Elder Colton :)

Week 14

Chandler has been transferred to Coquille, Oregon and he is now on the coast.  He wasn't expecting to be transferred for some time, but I know that he is loving living so close to the ocean.  It sounds like he had some fun experiences this week.  I can't wait to sit down with him when he gets home so he can tell me all of his stories in person!  I'm sure he'll have us all laughing our heads off!

Here is a map showing where he is now:

Mom,

Yeah, I saw you!! I saw tons of people I know and I did see fanny pack teacher as well :P Haha! I'm jealous!!

So, transfers were today and I am now in Coquille on the coast!! My new companion is Elder Madsen who has been out for like 18 months now so, no, I'm no where near senior companion status, but we have a car!! That's exciting especially since it's cold and rainy here. Haha!

Let's see...this week an eight year old kid picked a fight with me and that was pretty funny. We just laughed at him and called him cute and then he flipped out on us because we called him cute. So this eight year old called me an a-hole and like legitimately wanted to fight so we left before anything went down. Haha! Shortly thereafter we met a legit witch who taught us the ways of Whicka (I think that's how you spell it...?) anyway she tried to convert us to become wizards of nature. We totally trolled her and just went along with everything because there was no use trying to convert her because she was not at all interested. But she really wanted to teach us about witchcraft so we listened and she like harnessed all of our negative energy in an obsidian rock and told us if we believed all of the negative energy will be removed from us. It was funny! It took everything for Elder Taito and I to remain calm and collected through this entire thing, but we did! Haha! 

I loved conference too! The best talks were Elder Holland and Lynn G. Robbins. They were hands down the best talks of the conference. We watched the Saturday sessions at a members house. Then we watched the priesthood session at the church and after we all went to pizza at this place called Bobbio's and the ward rented out the skyhook and so all of us men chilled up there eating pizza and watching the U of U @ UCLA game for an hour or so. It was a lot of fun! Then the Sunday morning we watched at the church and the Sunday afternoon session we watched at an excommunicated members house. So we got to watch all of them. However, I'm ashamed to admit I fell asleep during Richard G. Scott's talk, but who can blame me!? I'm a full time missionary who doesn't stop working ever. Haha! I get tired sometimes!

It's cool you guys are getting settled in at school and the ward. I hope they're all nice to y'all!! Anyway talk to you guys next week!! Love you all!!!

Love,
Elder Colton :)

Week 13

Chandler had his first baptism!  He was very excited and he sent some pictures.  He is happy that he is no longer a "greenie" and can now be the senior companion.  I can't believe it's been three months already!  Time certainly flies.

Mom,

That's awesome! The poem was inspired!! Haha! I did get your package a
couple of weeks ago and I forgot to mention that last time, but I did get
it and I enjoyed those pop tarts and cereal bars very much! We had our
first baptism. That was really awesome! The dad is less active and the
mom is not a member. All the kids have been or will be baptized and
we're working to activate the dad again because if he goes back then
his wife will be baptized right then. So we are working with them to
get her baptized and him back to church! We have found
tons of potential investigators, but they're all out of our area so we
just keep handing off these golden people to other missionaries. Haha!
It kinda sucks, but hey, we're still finding people. We had a lesson
with this investigator that lives behind us named Brad and his
daughter Stephanie. We showed them the Mormon Message "Mountains to
Climb" and he is about to have a surgery and they're scared and after
we showed that video the spirit was sooooo strong and they both just
started crying. It was a pretty neat experience. I took over the area
twice this week on exchanges, which was neat. That means I was the
boss!! Haha! I enjoy being in charge way too much! This is the last
P-Day of the transfer, predictions are Elder Taito is leaving and I'm
staying and becoming District Leader. So I'll let you know next week
how close our predictions were. For the Christmas care package I would like a spiral
bound hymn and children's songbooks and as many CDs as you can afford.

My favorite scripture is.... Drumroll please!! Moroni 9:25 it's a great one!

We'll be looking for you in conference!! Love you all! Good luck in Idaho!!! Over and
out talk to you guys next week!!!

Love,
Elder Colton :)

Week 12

My sweet son made me laugh and cry with his email this week.  I can't believe how much he is changing on his mission.  He's maturing and learning to appreciate the little things in life.

Mom,

Its crazy! I'm going to miss that home. But! I'll go back and see it and meet the new people that live there. Heck if they ain't LDS I'll convert them! Haha!  We haven't had transfers yet. That is in two weeks, but that transfer will mark three months and the end of my training! Super excited to stop training! I'm just ready to be a missionary that isn't a greenie. Haha! 

So my story for this week, we're working with this Less-active member (I won't name names) but he has had a rough go in this life. His wife died and he learned like a month ago she was going behind his back and all that stuff. So he got in a relationship with this "girl" on some dating website in England and she scammed him out of every dime he has... He wasn't rich to begin with, but now he is going to lose everything. Well so we talked with him a bit and he said he gets down on himself and makes stupid choices because he doesn't thank God for what he has already. He has a home, a car, an a computer. But that isn't enough. He needs a girlfriend and a bigger home and acceptance and just worldly things. He told us all this and by then it was time to go so we left and we were walking back to the apartment and I looked up to the stars (It was like 9:30 :P) and just said thank you for everything I already have. After that I felt like I needed to write this and show it to him. I haven't shown it to him yet because we just haven't met with him this week, but I felt like this was directly inspired for him. Anyways here it is. 

I open my eyes, it's the start of a new day. 

I pull on some pants and I get on my way. 

I brush my teeth and I get in the shower. 

I go downstairs, work starts in an hour. 

I shove breakfast down my throat and put on my shoes, 

I pull on my coat, it's the working mans blues. 

I do this everyday, you could say I'm pro. 

But really I'm not I just go with the flow. 

But therein lies the problem I go with the flow, 

taking no time to look and explore where I go. 

I wake up in the morning to my alarms ring. 

And I think it's too early to think of anything. 

I should go to my window and look outside. 

I should look out and thank God I'm alive. 

For he's the reason I opened my eyes. 

He's the reason we have those gorgeous blue skies. 

And most times we lack to thank God for our lives because
we're too busy working and swallowed by pride. 

If we would look up and look at the stars 

we might come to realize what we really are. 

We're children of God, the one, the most high. 

The one we can thank for our precious lives. 

If we would slow down and take more time, 

to smell the roses, and to make this climb. 

We would know who we are 

and we would reach for the stars 

striving to live to our fullest potential and live
with God in his home, the Celestial. 

That's my little poem. And, being a guitarist and being raised by an avid music lover I put guitar chords to it and made a song out of it. Haha! But it sounds just as good in the form of a poem and I feel as if this will make an impact in his life to change and thank God for his circumstances he's in instead of trying to be more than he can be. That's my story and the highlight of my week. Hope everyone is safe. I miss all of you!!! And love you guys tons!!! Tell the ward I miss them. 

Love, 

Elder Colton

Week 11

This was another quiet week for Chandler.  His email was a short one, but here you go:

Mom,

Let's see my week was actually a very uneventful week. We will have this kid Carson Gorze over for a 3 day mini mission so that will be really neat to have him over with us. We have a baptism in two weeks. We got two people to commit to baptism last week so we're just looking for a date for them. We found a Nerf gun in our apartment and we were dorking around with that all morning yesterday it was way too much fun. Haha! Our church starts at 1pm so we wake up, finish studies, and then hangout till 1 o Clock so yeah we get bored and start doing stupid stuff with in this case a Nerf gun! Haha! Other than that we've just been teaching and all that missionary stuff! I love you too! 

Love, 

Elder Colton :)