Comfort Zone

I'll be honest with you all! At times Santa Maria makes me feel so uncomfortable! BUT!! I read something pretty powerful! It says "There is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in growth." I decided.... heck ya! This is not comfortable! BUT! There is no other way I could be who God wants me to be!! So that really changed my perspective this week! So whenever something awkward happened... I'm just like... "Bring it on! I'm growing!" :D

Everyday I am reminded of how blessed I am! So... my week in a nutshell:

-Ate eggplant lasagna! Pretty weird. 

-I actually like Mexican suckers now!! The spicy watermelon taste isn't bad after the first few! :)

-Relief society gave us the cutest care packages! It was filled with pedicure and manicure things and had the scripture Romans 10:15 next to it.

-I learned to play some really intense dodge ball with my district! 

I am the only English speaking sister in the zone... so most of the time I just pretend I know what everyone is saying! I've been learning some pretty great Spanish :) My district leader and I don't communicate well... because my Spanish is bad and so is his English!!! hahaha

-AWKWARD moment of the week... we were out tracting all week... and it was so HOT! Well one of the ward members asked us if we would like some water!! We accepted... little did we know what was about to happen.... :(  He asks " We have lemonade, would you prefer that?" YES! Sounds amazing!!!

So here we are drinking lemonade when the wife walks over... and starts screaming..... NOOOOO!!!!!!!! How could you give that to the sisters????...... Apparently that "Lemonade" he gave us was full of laxatives... for their son who was super sick... We had a really good laugh... but that was the LAST time we laughed the rest of the night..... Not cool.

I'm having a hard time focusing while I'm typing you... because we are in the genealogy center... and the ladies behind me just found a bunch of names... so they are CRAZY! haha So bear with me...

OHH!!! I cut Sister B's hair.... She had longer hair and I chopped it to like her chin... I actually didn't do too bad, I was surprised she let me! BUT it was pretty fun :)

If anything, on my mission so far I am really learning the power of repentance... how it can be used daily in our lives.... in the bible dictionary it says repentance is "a change of mind, a fresh view about God, ones self, and about the world." My mind has literally been changed. And my perspective has changed so much!! I know what God expects of me and I know now that I won't settle for less. And all the mistakes I have made in my life give me strength. At times it's hard not to compare myself to all the other Elders and Sisters... BUT! I look back at where I was last year... or even at the start of my mission and I am so happy! You would laugh if you heard me pounding on everyone's door.... because I want everyone in the house to hear my message because I KNOW that this will change their lives forever. JUST like it has changed mine! Repentance to me is just changing to become more like our Savior. I feel so blessed to be here and to be serving my Heavenly Father, to bring his children back home to him :)

OHHH!!! one more thing! There is an ice cream man hear with the FUNNIEST vehicle I have ever seen! It's a white creepy van and in sharpie it says George's Ice cream :) hahaha

I Love you ALL!!!!! 

Things I've learned in my new area

I know, I know, I am guilty of not writing... It's just crazy adjusting to a new area... haha!  and ya :) I'm learning my new area really well! 

Sister B is pretty TERRIBLE at giving directions.... BUT!! I finally got her figured out!! Seriously! Every time she tells me to go left, I just go right AND when she tells me to go right, I go left. She is terrible.... hahaha and there were a few times we got lost... BUT! found really amazing people! So God even helps out missionaries when they are lost, as long as they are working hard!! haha It's pretty comical seeing us driving together... let's be honest, you could probably make a TV show out of it!

So my new area is HUGE! It covers a lot of small, ghetto cities!! And some really cute ones :)

It covers Santa Maria, Orcutt, Los Alamos, Casmalia, and Sisquoc. I'll be honest... it's hard out here... because I don't know anyone, and it is causing me to rely on my Heavenly Father more than ever before! And my companion and I are the only set of sisters in our whole zone... so it's really awkward because the missionaries don't talk to us... and when we sing.... they all sing base and my voice stands out.... hahahahaha! It sounds so bad! BUT!! The weirdest part of my mission now is that I am the minority!! Seriously! It's crazy! And everyone I have ever met here has been in a gang, or IS in a gang! We even taught the Godfather of the mafia... whatever that means! But dont worry! I am being obedient so I know I will be protected! And the rules here are strict! Like we can't be in certain places after dark. Everyday i just want to break down because the people's lives here are so hard... nobody is faithful to anyone. It's made me so thankful for good ol Grantsville and Tooele! Actually, a lot of people out here know about Grantsville, so that's cool! BUT it's pretty exciting, and I'm being humbled so much!  I am learning to really love these people! isn't that cool? But, gosh, I have never felt so alone... so I am praying like overtime... 

Things I've learned in my new area:

• Wild boars are like way rude and creepy...
• Dogs love missionaries...
• California rats are HUGE!!!!
• I learned how to make a real Spanish tortilla out of eggs and potatoes...
• Gangs are so sad!! When we go to the park the little kids there play sad games... like someone is the druggy... and they act like they are being killed by the drugs....! And they are just so tiny!! They need the Gospel.... what ever happened to good old tag? or hide n seek...?

Our message is so simple but so powerful! Makes me sad to think about how people out here are so devoted to God... but they won't be able to live with him someday if they continue on the path they are on...  BUT! I'm trying hahaha

I have felt more strongly than I ever have before about how much my Savior really loves me... even though I feel 100 percent out of my comfort zone, and I can see how hard Satan is working on my investigators while I plead with God in prayer. I KNOW he is watching over me and that he is proud of the work I am doing. I was down a bit Friday, just because what I am witnessing is so sad... and my awesome comp shared something really neat with me!! She said that we already know the end score on the score board, we are just trying to get people to switch their jersey to the winning team. That gave me so much strength because even throughout all of this wickedness, we are still winning. We just want more players on our side!!

 Sorry my emails have be so short, but I am loving my mission and I feel so blessed to be able to rely on the Atonement! I love my new comp, she is so great! :)I LOVE being a missionary and there is no where I would rather be, that's for sure :)

CONMAN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!  

The work is hastening and I'm so blessed to have such an amazing family! It's sad to see Satan working so hard on families out here. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! :D:D And i miss you... There really is no place like home... and it kills me how much I took for granted before my mission!  Have an awesome week! :D

-Sister Collings

Preaching the Gospel to the Godfather

I have zero time. I only have a 1/2 hour to write today! But wow, I love it here! This is a picture of my new companion! We are so much alike it's weird :)

My favorite street in Santa Maria where we found our new investigator.  

This area is crazy! I taught a godfather of a mafia.... and he was way interested! He went to jail, and has now changed his life around. 

We also taught this guy that said something hilarious, he was like " yeah you my SISTA'S! WE BE PRAISING JESUS TOGETHER!!!! Why you think the birdies in the tree always be singing a song? Because THEY BE PRAISING JESUS TOO!" :) hahahahahaha! I love Santa Maria! I LOVE my new companion! And there is so much work to be done here!

Mom here, Kaylea's letter was really short today, but I wanted to post a few fun pictures I got from people in California. She had gone to dinner at the Giles Ranch and they sent me an email saying how much they loved Kaylea and her companion. This was when she was still in Camarillo. I just wanted to save it for her records.

TRANSFERS!

Transfers!!!!! Wow. haha My world has been flipped upside down! :) haha I don't know for good or bad! But I'm so excited for the new adventure I'll be facing! :)

 So, I will now be serving in Santa Marie, and my new companion is Sister B... I don't know her... haha but I'm excited to!! I hear she is super great! I'll be the senior companion finally!! AND I GET TO DRIVE!! :) I hope i haven't forgotten how.... I hear Santa Marie is a cute farming community! So maybe it will remind me of cute Grannyville :) I'm sad to leave Camarillo! It's the only thing I know!! But I'm excited for change :) 

I dyed my hair! Actually, I had my comp. Sister C, dye my hair haha she has never ever heard of hair dying.... so it was the most hilarious experience! :) 

This week was pretty great! We had SOOO many service projects! We  helped a new investigator move in. Cleaned an investigator's bathroom, cleaned another investigator's kitchen... hahaha I'm really HAPPY that I was a "Jan-ops Specialist" when I worked for dad!! Haha Because I was a cleaning animal! haha And it REALLY softens hearts out here when you clean :)

We had such a beautiful Sunday! Shaylind and Alieke now have temple recommends to go do baptisms for the dead! AND he has the Aaronic priesthood! It's so amazing to see people you love so much progress in the Gospel :) AND MIRACLE!!! RIGHT AFTER SHAYLIND GOT BAPTIZED HE GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!! He has been unemployed for a very long time! Miracles are happening left and right! 

I FINALLY am able to refuse desert at members homes.... hahaha it was so hard... But you would be so proud of me! :) Sorry this is so short!! BUT! THE MISSION IS GREAT! :) And I feel more and more blessed everyday!! LOVE YOU ALL! :D

Valentine's and Baptisms

BEVERLY FINALLY GOT BAPTIZED!!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!! So we stopped by Friday.. you know to pump her up... and well she said she wasn't sure if she would show up or not... Well needless to say, SHE SHOWED UP!!!!!!!!! She was like super grouchy!! Like to the Max!  And was like " Why are there so many chairs?" "If the waters Cold I'm NOT getting in!" And HOLY smokes she was disgusted with the white suit... and wouldn't let us get a picture with her haha! BUT! As soon as the baptism started the WHOLE MOOD CHANGED!!! She was smiling and laughing and her grandson gave her a teddy bear! Which she tried to take with her in the baptismal font! HAHA! BUT! holy smokes... it was incredible! After she was Baptized she kept saying over and over, "Yes this is what I needed to do." isn't that incredible? Her heart was softened and she let us get some pictures after all!! haha but that was the neatest experience! Beverly has been through about 15 sets of missionaries. So I just kept thinking about all those missionaries who have tried so hard!! I'm sure they wouldn't believe she got baptized! Even the DAY of the baptism I wasn't sure if she would or not!! haha!! but wow. It was incredible!! And Beverly has been paying her tithing for 2 years now! hahaha funny huh!! But now she really is a member of the church <3 THIS is an experience I'll NEVER forget.

SHAYLIND AND ALIEKE GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!! :)

The Spirit was so special at their baptism! Truly! It was incredible! They are the two in white, and the cool thing is that Shaylind's brother came! And he said he wants to take the missionary discussions!! He was drunk... So we will have to ask him again... BUT! He was all up for it then! haha! Shaylind cried the Whole time.. It was so special to see the changes!! We met Shaylind and Alieke outside their home tracting! He was having a garage sale. haha! He was atheist for 10 years and he said he felt the holy spirit that day at his garage sale, so he KNEW there was a god. And after the baptism he bore the most powerful testimony! Alieke gave me the BIGGEST HUG! I thought she was gonna snap in my arms because shes so tiny! BUT wow, they kept thanking us over and over, and you could just see their happiness! Shaylind has been without work for 10 years and finally got a job interview! And he said he knows God is blessing him!! :) I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! This Saturday was such a special day! To feel the spirit really change peoples lives! The gospel of Jesus Christ it here as a gift from our Heavenly Father to truly bring us happiness!! :) Sunday they were confirmed and that was so cute :) Because they were just so in love and happy and teary eyed sighhhh :) it was special!!

I really love you all! I got your Valentines card! I am impressed with the oragamy money folding!! haha! And!!!! I LOVED the Nacho quotes :D I really miss you guys! It's pretty weird... I'm prolly gonna come home from my mission and never leave home again! So HA. you'll be stuck with me forever :) bahaha 

We were too happy this week!

Our Valentines Decor, kinda lame but cool.

Happy Valentines Day!!

...AND transfers are NEXT WEEK!! Isn't that cool!? It's funny because Tyler got transferred to a SUPER nice area in South Africa, it would be funny if I got moved to a ghetto part of Cali huh!! I'll let you know tomorrow :):)

Crazy like a Circus!

Its been a super great week! :) We have had so many miracles happen!! First off Shaylind, Alieke, and Beverly will all be getting baptized on Saturday!! :) I feel soo blessed that I am able to be a part of this journey of bringing these people closer to Christ! it has been such a special experience! :) Beverly had her baptismal interview!! And She PASSED!!! I never thought we would see the day! BUT! PRAYER and FASTING works!!!! :)

-Sunday we had 7 investigators come to church!  Two of them were new! One we didn't even know, just showed up! One was brought with a member! But then we had Becky, Shaylind, Alieke, Beverly, and Sybyl! Holy smokes I felt like I was in charge of a circus! Normally we have like 2 investigators each week at church, so it was pretty fun!! Sister C and I had to divide and conquer! "Within sight and sound", of course! :D But wow. I am blessed!!

- Pete and Deneice let us come over and do a service project for them.... THIS was pretty awkward... because, well they had me clean their bathroom... and Welp in ALL my years of being a janitor... welp... I THOUGHT I could use.... toilet bowl cleaner to get off the hard water... around the sink... welp I tried it... and it like BURNED THE SINk!!!!!! All the faucets like turned dark brown.... and were stained... so that was a really awkward moment... :)

-We painted Elle's home! BUT she did something that was... well not very intelligent. She got all the paint buckets, and paint brushes, and put them outside of her appt.  and then started dumping them in the gutter... and so then she was freaking out because she realized it would stain and paint them all!! So we spent the next hour running back and forth with buckets of water, making the white river run down to the drain! Hahaha! And when we left her apartment, the white river gutter was like 2 miles long..... yeah. it was pretty awkward.

 BUT!!! HEEYY!! Its been an amazing week, that's for sure! and I'm so grateful for all of your prayers and support. I really do love you all! :) Sorry it's so short but here's some pictures! :D

 "Asparagus field!" 

(Mom here, I'm thinking she's confused, they look a lot like artichokes! Haha! )

"Us and our cute investigator!"

A Week of Miracles

Hello!!! :) My week has been so full of miracles I feel so blessed to be a part of this work! So I guess I'll just tell you about my week! 

- We had Peggy (Beverly the pine cone lady's mom) show up at our correlation meeting with our ward mission leader on Sunday, and tell us BEVERLY WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHH! She is finally off the coffee!! So Feb. 15th will be her date! Pray for her :)

- Shaylind and Alieke came to church yesterday and we talked about baptism!! For Feb 15th!!!!! So we are praying!!! SO HARD! And Beverly wants to get baptized with other people so we don't waste the water on her! So we could have 3 in one day!!

-ANOTHER MIRACLE! Our whole area in Southern California were fasting and praying for rain!! And GUESS WHAT!! Right when Sister Cox and I ended our prayer, it started raining!!! Wow. I don't think I have ever seen the power of prayer AND FASTING WORK SO WELL!!!

-We cleaned a less active lady's whole home! She is a hoarder and we organized her home! And then she was just bawling!! It was so cute! Then at our next lesson she was praying, and she gave the most spiritual prayer in Spanish! BUT!!! IT WAS A MIRACLE!

-CHASE! he had the bishop give him a blessing before he went to try out for some major league baseball team! And had a miracle happen. He said he felt like someone was with him that whole day! And he even had some famous baseball player put in a really good word for him! Whose name is Willie, and he even got paired up with his actual catcher (he's a pitcher) which is unheard of! So indeed the priesthood works! And he was so blessed!

- BECKY! hahaha She is a lady we met when we knocked at her door. She lives next door to a member's home! And she was like " Oh hi! what do you want to teach me?!" hahaha! WHAT?! So we taught her about the restoration! And then at the end she was like "Well, I can't come to church with you this Sunday, but I'll come next Sunday" WHAT!?!! We didn't even invite her!!! And THEN!! She saw her member neighbors and she was like" do you know them?"  We said yes.... haha, and she was like "well go tell them I'm coming to church next week"!!! HOLY SMOKES!!!! So we did,  and yeah it was awesome, and we will be seeing her this next week!! 

I am just getting blown away with how God is blessing this area!

AND! When you work hard you truly are blessed! Its so incredible!

So yeah, that's been my amazing week! But I sure love you all and I LOVE hearing from all of you! :) Thanks so much mom for that CD you gave me! It gave me so much strength this week! You have NO idea how much good music motivates me to be the best missionary that I can be! And how deep I start thinking... you would ALL be amazed at how much I think before I speak out here on my mission! There was one time when my companion was like " Sister Collings are you OK? You seem sick" hahahahah! And I was like "Oh, I'm just trying hard to think deeply... it's a new thing for me!!" bahaha it's hilarious!! :) Well I love you all to death! And just keep being amazing!!