March 14, 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

18 months is too short!!! It drives me crazy how fast time flies by. I just can't seem to get a handle on it - it just floats away and before you know it you have already been serving the Lord for over a year and three months and everyone is asking you shen you are going home and you have to face the fact that it is not that long before the inevitable happens and it is going to be the hardest day of my life and everyone wants to talk about it but I don't!!!! That is all. ;) I just love being a missionary and I just can't imagine what my life will be like when my mission ends. I just feel like I have meaning and purpose and even though sometimes it is hard, I just love every minute of it!

This week was AMAZING!!!! We had President Perkins of the 1st Quarum of the Seventy come and have zone conference with us and it was great. WE talked all about faith and I learned so much. I have never been so impressed that Faith is truly a choice, and when we simply choose to believe we will see miracles. Every time Christ performs some miracle he always says, "According to your faith, be thou healed." It really strikes me that no power in the world can heal us or touch us if we do not have the faith that God is there. faith, Faith, FAITH! That is all it takes!

Also, a really special experience - President Perkins did interviews with six missionaries in the Zone, and out of all of the missionaries in the zone, I was one of the missionaries that got to be interviewed. It was a really special experience. I can testify that He is a Special Witness of Christ. I know that as we look to the chruch leaders - especially those we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators - we will not be lead astray. This is really a unique message we share with people - we have living prophets! WE have the authority of God on earth today to lead and direct his church. And the greatest part is we have PROOF that what we say is true! This proof is a record that God had given us to help us come to know his truth. It is called the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. You can hold it in your hands. You can study it. Through sincere prayer you can know for yourself it is a true book and truly testifies of a living God, our savior Jesus Christ, and living prophets. I love sharing this message!

I especially learned a lot this week. We had Stake conference in Hualian on Sunday and I really learned a lot. President Perkins also came to that and it was really good. He talked to the branches about unity and the sidtructive power of contention, and the healing power of the gospel. He told the story of a family that was torn apart because the father had done some bad things. He and his wife were seperated and the kids wew living wiht the wife. After several years of living apart and several months of not communicating, the father met the missionaries and started hearing the gospel. Two weeks later his sife called. She said she needed his permission to be baptized into a chruch. He said, 'Which church?" She said, "The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He said, "Hey, I am hearing the gospel too!"

He gave his permission. He also started preparing for baptism. They lived inthe same ward, but still did not associate with eachother, but the fater attended his wife and childrens baptism. Some time later, they also attended his baptism. Over time, they even started sitting next to eachother in church. Finally, the wife and children moved back in withthe husband and they were sealed as a family in teh temple for time and all eternity.

The gospel of Jesus Christ really can heal all wounds. I know that this is true. I am so grateful for this knowledge. I love the gospel and I love the people here in Taiwan and I love being a missionary!

This week also Sister Sun came to Hualian with us and she seemed to really like it. WE also met some new friends that are great. There is a Sister Lin that is really looking for the truth. Her friend Sister Hou introduces us to her and she is really GREAT!!!!! I am so excited to see how things go.

I lov eyou all and hope all is well!

Love

Sister Collyer