Monday, November 1, 2010

My "Sons"

These are the two Elders I have trained - Elder Aguilera on the left and my current companion Elder Martinez on the right. In our mission we call the ones we train our "sons". This photo is from the conference we just had with President Perez. He "macheted" us for about 5 hours on being more obedient. It was intense. But the whole Zone baptized again this week, so it worked! Changes are coming in a week and a half and I am hoping I don't get changed.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

October 2010


This week was really good. It started out slow, but buy the end we were "echando fuego" or throwing fire! We found a few really good families, and even one that is already married (that is a miracle), and what's even better, is that they came to church. Even better is that they said they really liked it, and even more, said that they will be coming back, and then said "baptize us"! OK, that is just a joke, that last part, but in 2 weeks is what we have planned.

One of our converts kind of went crazy on us the other day in front of her sister who is planning on getting baptized this Saturday. She started going off on the temple, and how it should be open for everyone. We explained how it is, but they just have to go through preparations first and all that stuff. Then the mom who is super sweet, but crazy and goes to another church said ´I agree, that is true´ to what we were saying. But the daughter kept saying, I don´t like it and all this junk. Finally, we, as did Alma to the people of Zarahemla, spoke out in pure testimony. We were not angry, we just spoke absolute truths about the true gospel of Jesu Cristo. As we were talking, the mom would shout out "that is true" every now and then (the mom has read the Bible like 5 times). So when we finished up, the daughter was upset because she knew we where right, we said a prayer and went home. As we were on the way home I was talking with my comp and we decided that it would be a miracle if they came to church in the morning. We were really sad. But as you know, what we said needed to be said. So we were at church, and at 8:59 there entering the door was our convert and her sister both smiling and happy! A miracle happened! At the end of the meeting we went and started talking and the convert told me that it didn´t matter if she knew everything now, but that everything would come in it's allotted time. I was super surprised. When talking with my comp after church, he said he had talked to the sister and she told him that after we left the mom got mad at her for talking to us in that way and for acting so crazy. She also said that everything that we said was true and that she needed to believe us and not worry about the small things, but to know that in time the understanding will come.

Last month some of the group of missionaries that came to El Salvador with me got together on Monday and had a fancy lunch at the Chili's. This is our photo.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday, September 27, 2010

For Travis

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS TRAVIS I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That made me so happy.*

*Colin's reply after learning that his friend Travis got his mission call to Chile.

Monday, September 20, 2010

New Photos


This is the celebration for Independence Day.

The next photo is Hermana Karen, she just got her papers through and is going to be moving to Seattle, so we will have to go and visit her when I get back. She is super nice and always feeds us and gives us ice creams when it is super hot. She also is the only person that helps us with our investigators at church . The little girl is her niece that she looks after because her parents are in the US, but happily her papers just got through too, so she can be with her family. She is 2 years old and weighs 50 pounds! she is soo cute and super funny.

The last photo is of me making cheese, it was pretty tight!. The daughter is getting baptized on Saturday. Her name is Patty. Please pray for her.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

A Great Week


Well, this last week everything went perfectly with Pablo. He was baptized on Saturday, and I am not going to lie, I think he will be one of my most powerful converts. He is going to be great! Pablo even bore his testimony that after we first visited with him, he had a dream of entering a church and then being washed by water. That first Sunday he came to church with us, it was the church in his dream and he knew that he had to be baptised and go there.To add to the miracle, when we first found him, we were walking by where his house was and we had actually walked passed it, but I had the feeling to go back and knock on his door, so I did. Because of that moment we now have another priesthood holder in the church.

So yes, things are going well. We also had another family come to church this week, it was really good!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Things are Great

Well, this week was super good. To start off, we taught 45 lessons! That is insane, because the standard of excellence is 28, and usually people do around 25, but 45 baby- oh yeah.

Monday night the mission president called me and said, Elder Price, 37 companionships haven't baptised this month, Cojute 1 (the other area) is one of those, do they have any possible baptisms this week? I said that they had one. Then he said, what can we do to help them out? I replied, I will go on divisions with them tomorrow and see what we can do. He said, thank you elder, do what you need to do.

So the next day we did divisions and I went over there, and we brought a member with us. We started talking and the lady said that she didn´t want to get baptized that week, that she wasn´t ready, which is what they always say. So then we started talking with her, and the spirit came in to the lesson. I read a scripture that popped into my head that happened to be perfect for her situation, then the member that was with us said some wonderful things, and then the other elder read another scripture, and by the end of the lesson, the investigator was crying, and saying that she knows it is true and was going to get baptized that week. The Spirit was so strong, it is what brought all these scriptures to us, it was a perfect lesson. Not because we taught, but because Heavenly Father himself was talking through us, we didn´t teach, He did. And so we were able to complete what President Perez asked us to do. It was a wonderful week.

So yes, things are going well. Great in fact.

p.s. She was baptized yesterday!

Monday, August 23, 2010

August 2010

We had changes this week, My comp and I are still here together, but now I am a district leader. So that is pretty interesting, and cool. I did the totals and we are teaching 7 families that are actually really positive along with a few other investigators, which adds up to be about 28 people. Now this next part is great but at the same time sad - in comparison to the number people we are teaching - we brought 7 people to church, so that was great! And, one of the families came. This week we taught 33 lessons which we feel really good about. I had to be a marriage counselor with one of our families this week - that was intense. So things are going really well, I just pray that it keeps up. We keep praying super hard and are trying to work even harder. There is a saying something like: Pray to God as if everything depended on Him, then work as if all depended on you. So I am trying to put that saying to work in my life.

So yes mom, things are going great. We just need to baptize these people so they can be families forever.

How do you like my photo, I have been LATINOED hahahaha! The bus ride into town today was crazy. I was hanging on outside and going about 60 miles an hour. Pretty intense.

Friday, July 30, 2010

July 15, 2010 One Year Anniversary

This week was action packed to say the least.
On Tuesday I went on divisions with my District Leader and he said "Hey, we are going to be in some forest area for these appointments I have", and I thought that was sweet! I brought my sling shot so I could shoot an iguana and have it for dinner. It had just finished raining so we had to cross a river that was much bigger than normal from the rain and I almost fell in! Fortunately I didn't. After that we were walking super quiet, and in a tree we spotted a hawk, so I pulled back and let fly my marble and missed by only 2 inches above it's head. I am happy I didn't hit it though. I think I would have felt super bad. We never saw an iguana, they were all hiding because of the rain.


Later that night, we were at a lesson and the lady's toddler started choking on a penny. The mom started yelling and was being crazy with fright, so I went and did what I had been taught and smacked the baby on the back while holding her upside down. But instead of coughing it up, she ate it. Not the result most favored, but she is still alive! When you walk by Magnolia pool tell Leanne thanks for teaching me, it did have a purpose.


Saturday night we were talking with a family we hope will be baptized, about the law of chastity for almost 2 hours. It was so draining, but now they are going to give us the decision if they are going to get married or separate on Tuesday. Please pray for them to get married.


Yesterday we went to a new part of our area and got lost for about 3 hours walking in the jungle and having to cross rivers. We finally found a man and asked him to drive us back to Cojute.


So yes, it was an intense and great week.

Monday, June 28, 2010

MS 13

This is Lindsey and I wasn't sure if Colin would send Mom this photo, so I decided to post it for everyone to enjoy!

Colin said that this week was pretty boring because, as a result of heavy gang activity, he and his companion had to stay at home for safety reasons.  Colin, however, being the epic schmoozer that he is, managed to get an unusual photograph with his local MS13 (the internationally notorious El Salvadorian gang) leader.  Not sure how or why, but here it is:

Frankly, I'm not too surprised :)

Monday, June 14, 2010

Let's eat!


This is our now cook. She is a Seventh Day Adventist and is she is super nice! Could you send some recipes for brownies, chocolate cake, taffy and other American things? Some of the people we visit and our cook would like to try cooking some American food.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Hurricane season opens


Thanks for your prayers, and everything!

We are all safe and sound. Saturday I was super drenched all day, and then at about 6 we met up with some other elders that told us the President had called and said that we should go home so as not to get sick. The President also said that we had to have our 72 hour kits ready by Monday. We don't know if he just said that, or if someone from the First Presidency told him to tell us, it doesn't matter- so that night I told my comp we are buying food now! So we went to the Super Selectors, that is the Von's here, and we stocked up on beans and ramen noodles, spam, water, granola bars, and Snickers. We are ready for Armageddon. Or another hurricane, hahaha.

This week was better. We taught a ton and found a ton, but still no success with them going to church, so that is something that I personally am never going to let happen again. I will always have at least one person at church, this is the second week that we haven't brought anyone to church and I was MAD. I know it was raining, but that was no excuse for us, I need to stop being weak and just tell my comp "hey, we've got to do it" and then do it!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

President Funez


Something amazingly cool happened last Monday, we were told by the mission president to go to the charity play about the mentally handicapped and racism stuff, so we went. It was neat! There were special needs kids that did a whole bunch of dancing and stuff. It was nice, but that is not the amazing part- right before it started I was sitting by the aisle way, and walking down, surrounded by cameras was good old Presidente Funez, president of the Republic of El Salvador. So Elder Robinson, who I was with, looked and saw him and stuck his hand out and shook it. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I shot my hand out too and I shook hands with the president of El Salvador! That is pretty cool. Also, after the show I got a few pictures of him, not with him, but then I got a picture with his wife, the first lady, That was pretty sweet.

But now looking back on it and what you guys got to do with Elder Oaks, I would have rather have met him instead, because he is that much more important, and less... communist, hehehe

So the working with the eye doctors was cool. There are these people that come down from the United States and they go around and give free eye exams to the poor people, and they just needed some extra help because they don´t know Spanish. It was way fun and so nice to see when the people got their glasses and everything. It was awesome.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

My week was not very action packed, just knocking on a ton of doors. That is pretty much all you do the first few weeks of opening an area, but then by the end you start having some regulars that you can go and visit. Our area is crazy, there is one main street that we walk on, and from that street there are passages that feed off the side, and they go straight down. That is right- the main street is on the crest of the mountain and we just go down the sides. It is pretty intense and really sweaty, but that is good because I think I have been losing a few more lbs.! The stairs are good, giving my legs an excellent work out. We will have to have some races when we get home on your trails. Yes, there are parts that are poorer then others but everyone lives in the same cement block houses with a little variation of paint colors. The people are nice, they listen to us sometimes, sometimes not, depends on the day and how big we are smiling.

My comp is good. Very quite and keeps to himself, but he is a great teacher. So I am sure we will see success- just got to keep working hard, and he likes to work hard, it is I that has to be doing the stepping up. We live about 20 minutes away from our area, so every day we have to walk that distance just to get to our area, and then at night time it is too dangerous for us to be up there, so we have to have dinner at 8, which is kind of lame, I would rather be out working, but at the same time it is nice to have something to eat. Our cocinera and her family are so nice, they have this baby daughter that is about 2 years old and she has got to be the happiest little girl I have ever seen. She is hilarious.

Well, we have to go to the office today so that is going to take about 2 hours out of our p-day. The fun thing is is that there is a Burger King by the mission office, so we are going to go there for lunch.

Things are going well and I am happy. Last night we went out with a few of the youth and did divisions with them and we were able to teach about 10 lessons so that was pretty good. With my youth it started out a little rough- all of our appointments fell through, but then we finally had some success.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Zona Cuscatlan area Jardin 2

Well, today was change day and guess who had changes, me! So now I am in Zona Cuscatlan area Jardin 2. And guess what? I am opening up this area too, which is cool, but tough- but someone has got to do it! Maybe I am becoming the opener. You know how they have the tv show The Closer, well I am The Opener!! So that is cool. We don´t know but it should be good. Hopefully we will have a baptism by the end of the month.
Oh, something funny that happened this week; while we were teaching we heard a rustling in the tree above our heads and heard something hitting the branches. Down fell a pigeon, dead! Then my comp touched it! I was like- wow you are going to die from a weird disease. (ha ha)
So, yes, things are going great. I am so happy, and happy to be out of that house! Did i tell you that it flooded when it would rain. That was lame, but no longer a worry.
Anything else? No, I don´t thing so. Tell ? to write me or I am going to be angry and find a scripture to read her! You know there is a scripture for everything, everything. It is pretty amazing.
One thing that I have realized is how much we need both the Bible and Book of Mormon together, they both have major principles that we need for the church. There isn't just everything in the Book of Mormon or the Bible. Structurally speaking, when people have doubts and have crazy incorrect doctrine stuff it is usually easier to start with the Bible, and then use the Book of Mormon, they have everything we need, it all is so good and important.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Photos from Chalatenango

Colin was able to send a few photos home and I thought you might like to see them.
Baptism of Hermano PastorOn one of the volcanoes.
Baptism of Familia Herrera
Colin's first vision.
Along the stream outside town.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

March 1, 2010


I am transferred from Chalate and now I am in Cuscatlan Vista Hermosa (beautiful view). It is in the middle of the city so we will see what happens. Also I am opening the area, and I am TRAINING!!! I am training a fresh new missionary from the MTC. I wonder if he will be a Latino or a gringo, probably a Latino but that doesn´t matter. I am so scared I still feel green, but we will see how it goes. I am sure it will be great. Pray for me, I feel like I have been tossed out of the frying pan and into the fire, but I am thinking of it as the refiners fire so this will definitely be a good experience and a time to show what I know.

It was sad to leave Chalate, almost all the people that we visited yesterday were crying. I am a little foggy eyed, but that is all. Just to do something to help the people and work with all you've got, and then to just leave it is pretty crazy, but it was great.

Oh, something not good that happened- I think I have eaten something bad and now my tummy is a little rumbly. It is pretty crazy. Actually it is a lot rumbly, but I will go get some tests done and we will see what is up. This has the potential to make me a lot skinnier (he he he, not just jokin').

Monday, March 1, 2010

February 17, 2010



Things are going well, thank your for all your prayers. I know they are helping to keep me happy, and everything.

OK- something funny happened last week. We were talking to this guy and teaching him, and it came time to drop the challenge, so we did. I asked him "so if Heavenly Father answers your prayer that these things are true, what do you think you need to do?" He answered, "Well, it would give me diarrhea." WHATT!!!!!! I thought I heard him wrong, but when we got outside, I asked elder Call (were were on divisions) and he was like that guy said that if he received an answer it would give him diarrhea! We busted up laughing so hard it was crazy, and really funny!

For my spiritual thing that happened to me this week: We were teaching a family of members and preparing them for references. If you want to read in alma 16:4-6 , it talks about how a bunch of Nephites were taken captive, so the general asked Alma to pray to know where the Lamanites were going so they could rescue their brethren. So Alma asked God, and got one of the most direct responses ever known. So the armies were able to go and rescue their brethren. So what we did was, we told the family that they were like Alma and we were the army, and asked if they could pray and ask Heavenly Father which of their friends or neighbors we could go visit and rescue and bring back to the gospel ( because they already know God's plan, we are just here to help them remember, but that is another subject for another day). So Sister Abarca prayed, and it was a very powerful prayer, so much so that one of my friends came into my mind. The thought and impression was so strong, so please invite him to hear the missionaries.

Monday, February 1, 2010

A message for Seth

I wrote to Colin about his good friend Seth, who will be leaving on his mission soon. This is his message for Seth:

"I have something for you to tell Seth about starting his mission. It is in Ether 6, verse, 4. It says, I am translating so sorry if it is not perfectly correct, 'and when they had prepared all types of food so that we could live upon the waters and all the food for their animals, behold when they had prepared all these things, they entered into their boats or barges, they set off to sea and commended themselves to the Lord their God'. Just from this scripture we need to be prepared. Prepare yourself, because 2 years is a long time, you need to prepare well. Nothing will be harder and nothing will bring you more happiness. The people of Jared were in their boats for almost a year, and if they had not been well prepared they would have never made it to the end. Just thinking of being in a barge for a year would have been super tough but when they finished their joy was sooo great. Just go out with a firm testimony, make sure you want to do this, missions are not for the week,. The devil will try to do wherever he can, but you have to be like the barges of the Jaredites, tight like unto a dish, so nothing can enter and make you forget why you are doing what you are doing, why you are happy, the knowledge of the plan. What God has given you almost no one knows. Only 14 million people know the plan that God has for them, there are billions of people that do not know this, we have a ton of work to do. Read the last 5 verses of Doctrine and Covenants 84, they always give me comfort and the strength to keep going. You will be an excellent missionary- you rock!!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010



This is the artist's rendition of the San Salvador Temple, due to be completed in late 2010. Colin does not think he will be able to participate in the dedication ceremonies as it is in the West Mission, but we can hope opportunities open up for him to visit.

Well yes, they were all baptised and confirmed this weekend! All 5 of them! The littlest one is 5 and she was so sad that she could not be baptized yet, hehe, she was so cute. There are a few people that go to the baptisms, not too many. Now I feel bad about whenever we had baptisms at home and I never went, even when you told me I should. I will always go now. Yes, we have a building in my city, and it has a font.

I love that scripture (Alma 17:10-11), it is so great. Look in the Preach My Gospel book and in chapter 6 are the Christ like attributes, and patience is one of them. It gives some great scriptures- one that I really like is in Alma 26:27. It talks about how when their hearts were heavy, to the point when they were about to turn back, the Lord visited them and said to "suffer afflictions with patience and I will give thee success". That is about how the scripture is, not exactly, but close enough.

So yes, Spanish is coming along, I feel like I am getting better, and I know I have a lot to learn, but it is coming along.

Thank you for everything, EVERYTHING!!!! Especially for praying and fasting for this family. Thank you so much.

Monday, January 18, 2010

January 18, 2010

Do you think you could send me a boy scout handbook in Spanish? It is official, my companion is now the Branch Pres. and I am first councilor. Now we really need to start taking care of the youth, so we need to have mutual, and more then just playing soccer which is good, but could be better, as you know.

The wedding was great. The children I think were the happiest of all, and hopefully they will be baptised this weekend. Thank you so much for your prayers on their behalf.

No, I am not getting transferred and neither is my companion, so this will be another interesting chance together. I told you already he is 30, right?

So things are going well. I was reading the scriptures, as one often does while on their mission, and I happened to stumble across a beautiful passage in Doctrine and Covenants, 127 verse 2. It is very good, and helps me a lot in my times of trial, it is truly beautiful. It just helps us to remember that this is what we have been called to do, and yes, it might be tough or it might be easy, it might be for better or for the worse, but our Heavenly Father will save us for all that we do for him, we just have to go all out.

Tell Seth congrats for me, that is so awesome!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Answers to Dad's questions

We are getting ready for stake conference too, it is pretty intense since there is a lot of planning that we have to do and at the same time have to contact all the people which will be coming. So it should be a good, but a very busy, week.

About working with the youth, I help the Young Men's president out. He has only been in the church a year and a half and is basically waiting for his mission call. I was talking to him and asked him if there was any thing I could do to help him out in his calling and he said that having a good councilor that helps with stuff would be nice, there is no body in the ward that can do it because nobody can read. So I am now the unofficial helper. No, they don´t really have scouting, but I am giving a lot of encouragement for the Duty to God award, so we are starting to do that stuff.

Things are going well. The family we are teaching is getting married on Friday, so that is great, and they went to church yesterday, and all enjoyed it. We are going to go visit them tonight and have family home evening.

I am so happy that I have this opportunity to serve the Lord.


Monday, January 4, 2010

January 4, 2010

(click on the photo to enlarge)

I have some very important and exciting news, WE FOUND A FAMILY OF SIX!!!!!! All of them are of baptizing age except the youngest daughter, and they went to church, all except the dad and and son. But the mom loved it and wants to come back next week, and they are all going to go the dad said. The reason he didn't go was because he is scared that if they leave the house that it will be robbed or something bad will happen to it, which is sad, but he said that he will go next week. They are just super nice. They are not married, so we taught them the law of chastity and they were, well, OK , if we need to do it we will do it. So we are getting all the papers and stuff ready for that. Oh, they are just so nice, they have next to nothing but they invited us over for tamales for New Year's eve, and it was just really great and they are super nice and oh, please keep praying for them, the familia Herrera.

So that is basically the biggest news that we have, oh, we went to this zoo place today and the monkeys started going crazy and it was really scary! I thought they were going to somehow get out and rip my face off or something! Who knows?

Speaking of stories, you can tell this one to dad: we tracked into this guy who fought in the war and he told us how one time, he was the only guy left and the bad guys were coming, so he took handfuls of blood from him companions and just poured it all over himself and played dead. The bad guys came and took his boots off of his feet and left him alone and he was able to get away. So that was pretty intense.