Weekly Email

August 27, 2018

Elder Vanoli and I had a really good week this week! A little unconventional, but we taught two people at the same time. We had an appointment sent with Alex, and some other guy just showed up and started talking to us. When Alex came, Elder Vanoli went and sat on a bench to talk to him and I stayed with the man (named Joseph). Although he started the conversation very negative and not really open to anything, we talked a lot about our lives and at the end he decided that he wanted to read the Book of Mormon in order to find more peace in his life.  

My companion shared a really cool scripture this week from James 3, where he states that "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." Our words can be used to bless and lift others, or they can be used to hurt and degrade others. We must be kind to everyone, in word and in deed.

Elder Coleman

Here's a random fire on the side of the highway

Weekly Email

August 20, 2018

We saw so many miracles this week! A member of the church that hasn't gone in more than 10 years invited us over to do a barbeque, and 10 of her friends came! We were able to get to know them which was super awesome, and some of them are interested in coming to church and playing sports with us. We also became friends with L­­­­_____, who is a friend of a member of the church here. She came from Venezuela last year and is living alone here in Granada. She really likes coming to English practices and talking about Jesus Christ!

Right now, we're with a ton of Venezuelans in the church and they’re making us Arepas so I guess you could say we're living it up!! A Spanish family also made us Paella which was super good. I feel like all I talk about is food, but that's really the only thing that changes weekly. A really funny thing that happened this week was we were in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere and the sister missionaries showed up and literally every child in the town started following them around and talking to them. When they showed up at the house for a meeting we had, there was this mob of 20 kids haha. They asked us why none of us had blue eyes...

Someone showed me this pretty cool scripture this week that's in the Book of Mormon: "But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love" (2 Nephi 1:15). God's hands are always open to receive us as we come unto Him. His atonement can encircle all of us in the arms of His love.

Pic2 - Spanish Paella
Pic1 - Pasta with Italian comp
Pic3 - With compi

Weekly Email

August 13, 2018

My new companion, Elder Vanoli, got here to Granada Monday night. We've had a really good week together! We felt that we were supposed to share a message with a family about how the small and simple things are important in order to accomplish great things. However, we changed the lesson plan at the last minute and talked about something completely different. During the lesson, though, the father basically taught his sons exactly what we were going to teach before about small and simple things. When God wants a message to be taught to someone, he makes sure it gets to them one way or another.

I love this scripture from the Book of Mormon that teaches us about God and why bad things happen. Many say that, if bad things happen in the world, God cannot exist. However, "none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; ... and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; ... and all are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33). God invites us to follow Him, but he does not compel us. We all have our own agency to follow His commandments and partake of His grace.

Elder Coleman

Pic - Me and this cat (for those who don't know, I like cats)