8.25.2014

Dear Family,

Wow.  I can't believe that these are my last few days.  I am kind of in denial.  Sunday was really sad saying goodbye to the branch and being there for one last Sunday.  I am really going to miss it here.  I am so grateful for the opportunity that I've had to serve a mission.  It has truly been a life changing experience.  I have learned more here than I could have imagined.  Each companion, area, the people that I've met have truly had an impact on me.  Ahhh I'm so sad to leave.  

But.. we still have stuff to do here!  We are leaving on Wednesday morning, so Baptism tonight!  Wow.  It really is a miracle that our investigator is getting baptized today.  When Sister Howell first got here we made a goal to help someone be baptized before we left.  We have taught several lessons, racked our brains day and night, fasted, and prayed unceasingly.  When we bring a righteous goal to the Lord, He will help us to accomplish it!  Our investigator that we've been teaching for 8 months, is finally getting baptized.. yay! It's a miracle.  He's been coming to church and doing everything consistently for about 8 months, he just wouldn't committ to baptism.  So we started to get a little discouraged and lay off him for awhile, but when Sister Howell got here we decided to focus on him.  We held a special fast on Wednesday and then that night he agreed to be interviewed.  He didn't quite committ to baptism yet, but he committed to the interview.    The interview went really well, and he was able to recognize that he was prepared.  So... he's getting baptized tonight!  He told us that he was locking us out of the baptism and we weren't invited haha.  so we'll see how that goes haha. He might actually do that... plus he's kind of like the hulk.  But I know he'll come around and let us in haha.

Anyways i don't have much more to say.. i will see you guys soon??!! so crazy.. Thank you for all your love and support!!

xoxo 

Sister Cole 

I am so grateful for the opportunity that I've had to grow closer to my Savior Jesus Christ by bringing others unto Him.  I know that He lives and this is His work.  I am grateful to have been apart of it.  

I love this talk!  If you have a chance read it! 

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/07/young-adults/becoming-perfect-in-christ?cid=HPMO081814354&lang=eng

xoxo

Finishing like we started..Sister Howell and I in front of the chapel

Recent convert! 

Girls of the branch

Group leader and wife from Nevis

Cute baby monkey. I'm obsessed. Only a few days old. Maybe I will switch to Zoology? 

Meals these days..canned beans and canned peas

Rainy Caribbean day

8.18.2014

Dear Family,

Wow I can't believe this day has finally come.  My last full week in the mission field.  It is such a bitter-sweet feeling.  Every time I think about leaving St. Kitts I get a little depressed.  I really just love the country and the people so much.  But I am excited to see everyone again!  I can't believe only 10 more days.  So crazy! 

Well this week we've had lots of work to do.  We are working on two investigators to get baptized this Saturday.  So to get them there is a lot of work, but we are praying and I know if it is their time Heavenly Father will make sure it happens.  So I'm not worried.  They've both been to church lots of times so its just helping them overcome their fears.  

This week we've been eating like horses and cowboys.  Literally.  We have no money because we've spent it all on getting to and from Nevis.  So we eat canned beans and radishes.  Lets just say I am excited for some cafe riooooo yaya!!! But the sacrifice to get to Nevis is worth it.  I am truly humbled by the time we've spent there.  The group is so small, but faithful and I know that it will grow.  I am excited that there will be missionaries out there again after we leave.  There is a lot of potential!  One of our investigators there did his 7 day challenge of reading and praying every day so we are excited to hear how it went for him.  

Anyways not much else is new, just trying to finish the mission that the Lord has for us.  I know that there is still lots for us to do in this last week!  So I am excited to see what else is ahead.  Thank you for all your love and support! Lots of love!

Sister Cole 

8.11.2014

Hello family,

    Another crazy week.  The weeks are going by wayyy too fast.  i can't handle it.  ahh.  We have committed 4 people to being baptized on August 23rd.  So we are really praying for that.  This week we were really praying about people that could be baptized on that day and a new name we hadn't considered popped into our heads.  We went to visit him the next day and he committed to August 23rd.  So we are going to visit him everyday this week and help him prepare.  He is awesome though.  He is kind of just jumping through all the commitments on his own.  When we went he told us he is trying to talk to his boss to come to church on Sunday and that he has switched from green tea to herbal tea.  So that was a miracle. We hadn't even visited him for a few weeks.  So he has lots of potential.  

      We have another investigator that we hadn't visited for awhile out in the country.  We went out there to visit a less active member and they weren't home so we decided to stop by and see how this guy was doing.  We taught him the restoration again and committed him to be baptized on the 23rd if he receives an answer.  So we are really excited about these two new people because they weren't even part of our focus people before.  We are still teaching a few others that we've been focusing on for awhile and really hope they will be able to prepare by that date.  So miracles are needed here so we are praying for that!

      We went over to Nevis again.  It went really well.  We had an investigator at church!  Which is definitely a miracle.  We taught him a lesson after about the Sabbath day.  He grew up a 7 day Adventist so we were a little worried when he started questioning but with the spirit and the scriptures we were able to testify of the Sabbath day and he understood and accepted it.  We gave him a 7 day challenge to pray and read every day and he was really excited about it.  So next time we go to Nevis we are really going to focus on him and helping him be baptized soon!  

       We have lots of investigators and things to do so we are really excited to keep working.  So much to do in these next 2 weeks.   I can't believe how fast time is flying by.  I read a scripture this morning that i really liked.  Its Omni 1:26 "And now by beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ who is the Holy One of Israel and partake of His salvation, and the power of his redemption.  Yea come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him and continue in fasting and praying and endure to the end and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."  I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have to invite others to come to Christ and experience His mercy and grace.  

 Thanks for all your love and support!  See you soon!

Sister Cole 

8.4.2014

Wow. this week was so eventful.  I don't even have the energy to write about half of it!

Sister Howell and I just always have adventures haha.  This last week has been a big one.
 We have about 7 or 8 focus people that have been to church a few times and we are really pushing them towards baptism. Hopefully a few before we leave.
One of them is a recent convert's brother.  He was Hindu and is recently discovering the power of Jesus Christ. He is addicted to alcohol and smoking. Since he has been to church, he has stopped drinking. He is going on 3 weeks without drinking. We had a lesson with him on Tuesday and began the 12 step addiction program. At the beginning of the lesson he put a cigarette in a glass of water and at the end, he drank the water, which was disgusting from the cigarette. He did it so he wouldn't have the desire to smoke anymore! I was so impressed with his desire and commitment to stop. Since he drank it and began the program, he hasn't smoked for almost a whole week now.
It has been so rewarding to watch his faith in Jesus Christ grow. From day 1 until now, there has been such a big change in him and it has only been 2 weeks.
For fast Sunday, we fasted with an investigator to receive an answer. We are going to give him a challenge this week to read the Book of Mormon every day and pray, so he can receive his answer and be baptized at the end of the month.
It was definitely a blessing that we were fasting because we took the ferry over to Nevis and the water was really rough. Everyone was vomiting, luckily, we didn't have any food in our stomachs. Another blessing of fasting was when we got to the apartment and saw the black mold in the freezer. If the ferry wouldn't have made us throw up, that surely would have. In conclusion, I am very grateful for the law of fasting.
Nevis was a great experience. We were there Saturday and Sunday. We found a few good investigators that the Elders were teaching. I think they have a lot of potential. We also found a less active family. The father is an Elder and the wife is a member. The children however are not members. We didn't know really how to get a hold of them, but the Lord led us to them. We hopped on a bus and started asking around. A sweet old lady led us to their house and we were able to make an appointment to meet with them next week. Hopefully we can bring this family back, that would put the group at 10.
We also contacted our neighbor in Nevis. Before church started we went over there and invited him to come. At first he said he was busy, but he ended up putting on his church clothes and coming. It was a miracle! Church went really well. The spirit was really strong and it was a very sweet and humble meeting.
I am so grateful for the wonderful area I am called to serve in and for all of the people here. There is lots of work to be done in the next 3 weeks! Sister Howell and I will be very busy!