Mawwaige is what bwings us togeva today

Ahhh That's so awesome! So excited for those events that have been taking place! That whole day Saturday was kind of distracting. I kept looking at the temple magazine and a picture of the Salt Lake sealing room, and kept thinking, They're probably in there right now! That's good. I'm happy and looking forward to meeting everyone.

Today starts a new transfer. I am finally being taken out of Rwanda. I leave on Thurs. and it probably wont be easy. This has been my home for the last nine months and I love it and the people so much. But I'm going to a place in Uganda called Mbale. I will be reopening an area that had been closed for a bit. And I will be training. I don't know anything about who it is yet. But do you know what that means? Reopening, white-washing again, training, and all in a foreign country for the both of us. This is gonna be big. Also Elder Er, whose training I just finished is going to be training here as well. We had a good transfer. We worked hard and didn't get to see a whole lot happen this transfer but really prepared the area for this new transfer. We've met some great, prepared people.  

Besides all this, I went to church alone yesterday. Elder Em was sick, so my companion had to take him to the hospital. So I was with one of the members all day. I also gave a talk again. Just before we were walking out the door I got a call saying the person that was supposed to talk that day couldn't make it, so they asked me. Talked about prophets and it went well and I was the time-filler at the end so I had to extend to like 20 minutes. But it's becoming easier. Just wrote down a couple scripture references while I was waiting, then just spoke. 
 

Love you!

-Elder Collison

 

 August 31, 2015

 A few short things to hit on this week...

We had the monthly service day Saturday. All the three branches came together as a Mormon helping hands group and shoveled weeds out of the ditches. It was really good to see everyone from the other branches again. Also last night we went over to Mama Cecile's for dinner. I just love that woman. In this new branch we've been fed a lot! I think I'm already past the amount of dinner appointments from my last five transfers total. I'm enjoying it :)

The new missionary finally came. Elder A. Elder N is training him. The transfer is already two weeks over but he was waiting for his visa stuff. He's a good kid and super excited to work. A good addition to Rwanda.

I gave a talk again on Sunday.

So a whole white family came to church yesterday. I guess they just moved here for four years now. They came late and left early so I didn't get to talk to them much, but there's a little boy who is exactly like Gabe. At least the Gabe I know from back then. Same age, looks similar, and sounds the same too. Love you Gabey! Don't change!

As we were walking around one day last week, we ended up walking next to a little girl and felt like we needed to talk to her. Asked if she had a family and if she'd mind taking us to meet her parents. So she led us for a little bit until we came to this house we had knocked on a few days before and set up a return time which fell through. The mama we had talked to last time wasn't there but we talked to maybe a daughter and we're going back this week. But she said she had no idea who the girl was that led us there. So we asked her about that and she took us to a different home and disappeared. So we knocked and they didn't know any little girl like that either. But that other family spoke English as well and we're going to go back this week too. So we don't know who it was. Maybe just felt creeped out and was trying to ditch us, but she did guide us well I believe!

Love you all!

-Elder Collison

September 7, 2015

Well, the rainy season has begun again. Back to being super soaked all the time now. It actually feels really nice though. It gets really cool and windy.

We had a really good week. We met several awesome people and had some really powerful lessons. The Chatfields came down for Zone Conference last week. That was super great. It was mainly focused on faith. One of my favorite thing that he said about that was, "Did Moses go up to the water and say I hope the Red Sea parts? No! He commanded it!" This is the Lord's work and we need to believe that when we do our part, things will happen. It was a really great and spiritual conference and every time we have them, missionary work becomes totally different and is a lot better.

I've been washing all my clothes by hand lately. I have a washer at my new place but the problem is the power is always going out. And every p-day now we haven't had any power. But I actually kind of enjoy it and everything gets a lot cleaner.

Love,

Elder Collison

Today starts off my 6th transfer. I'm getting moved... to K1! I was totally not expecting to stay in Rwanda. I was sure I was Uganda bound. But I'm super glad to stay. I passed around my journal Sunday for people to write in. Really glad I did. I'm just going to the other side of Kigali, a few miles away, but it will still be hard to ever see the people from my other two branches. I'll be with Elder Ercanbrack and finishing his training. I've stayed in the same house for the last almost eight months. It's going to be weird leaving. But I am excited. I'll be the first missionary to serve in all three branches of the church in Rwanda. I really love the people here. I've only had to say goodbyes twice now on mission and I'm still very near and see many of the people often but it always makes me realize how grateful I am for the Plan of Salvation. It's hard to say goodbyes but it comforts me that I know I'll be able to see everyone again some day. Especially my family.
Love you all!

-Elder Collison

A few years ago, Elder Holland came and dedicated Rwanda for missionary work. Today our zone went up to the hill he went to to look over the country to do it. It was a pretty neat experience. Last week the Chatfields came down for interviews/trainings. The Chatfields are super awesome. As he was doing interviews, she was doing role plays with us teaching the restoration as a companionship one sentance at a time. Role plays are hard for me. I can never take them seriously. Something happened and we all started laughing and I started crying and couldn't control myself. We've got a really awesome zone. 

Love you!

-Elder Collison

 

 

 June 15

Welcome to my new cousin Aleah! 

The conference with Elder Carl B. Cook was really awesome.  He's a powerful guy. Something he said that touched me was about what it would be like to be one of the first missionaries to go to England almost 200 years ago. That's the same as we're doing in Rwanda. (I think there have only been like 20 missionaries in the country before me.) How we're the builders of the foundation of the church in Rwanda. 

 We had a baptism yesterday! Justin's brother is a member and Justin started coming to church with him. He met with the other missionaries a few times, then they left and I came. Taught him a lot more and now he's baptized! He's a good kid.

I came pretty close to death this week... You know the pedal-bodas I mentioned before? Now that I'm in this branch we use them a lot more whenever we go to Batsinda. On Saturday we were coming back from there and we decided to tell the drivers to sit in the back and we would drive and race each other.  The seat was really high, handlebars messed up, brakes like a foot away from the bars. And we were starting off at the top of a steep bumpy hill. I try to start off and get going out of control, wobbling down the hill. Towards the road. I'm squeezing the crappy brakes and sliding my feet and finally come to a stop just before colliding with a bus. Kinda scary. All the people were pointing and laughing at the "stupid mzungu!" I felt pretty embarrassed and pedaled out of there pretty quickly. :) 

Oh yeah. Something we hear a lot, 'I don't know French.'. It's just what a lot of people say when we try to speak with them. In English.

Love, Elder Collison

 

June 22

We're going to Mama Cecile's for lunch after emailing! It's been over a month since I've seen her. I'm excited. This has been a really good week! Nothing too close to death this time. Went on a pretty cool African adventure. Going from one appt. to the next we decided to take a "shortcut."  It wasn't that short. Instead of staying on the main roads on the hills we tried cutting through the valley. Turned out being a lot farther than we thought and all through the fields and swamp lands. I miss-jumped some stream spots a few times and got my pants and shoes soaked for the rest of the day.

We broke some of our records this week. We met 12 new investigators and set a bunch of baptism dates. We met some awesome and prepared people.

We had another baptism Sunday! It's a kid named Cedric. He always reminds me a lot of Raymond.

Ok. Love you!

-Elder Collison

 

 

 

 June 29

Another good week. We've still been meeting with a lot of cool new families. Missionary work becomes a lot more exciting when you focus on them and get to see the gospel blessing them as a whole family. Not too much to say this week. One of the families I had been teaching a lot in K2 just got baptized yesterday. I didn't get to go but it was awesome to hear about. Our mission is discontinuing the wearing of suits. Sunday will be the last time we wear them. I'll just try to find a member the same size as me. I gave a talk Sunday. You know.. Teaching and talking to people all day every day makes it a bit easier to get up and speak. I spoke about missionary work. I went up with a sticky note with a few thoughts written to guide, and I made eye contact with people the whole time. Glad I'm drifting away from the 'get up, read quickly the small things I had prepared without looking up, close, and rush back to my seat'. 

 Mission is weird. Since I left in the middle of winter, every time I think about home I imagine it as winter. Then I remember it's summer and even hotter than here right now. I really miss being able to work hard outside. Like wood hauling wood, digging, and just any outdoor farm work really. We'll occasionally get some service in but nothing really fun like that. So I guess you can expect plenty of help getting wood in a couple winters.

We were walking past a big wall fence last night on the way home and some dogs were going crazy on the other side. My companion hates dogs so he picked up the pace and went to the opposite side. as we get closer we realize the dogs weren't on the other side but on top of the wall. They were nasty and angry looking things. barking and howling and snapping at us. We just walked past and nothing happened. So not really an exciting story at all. 

Well I think that's pretty much the week. Love ya!

-Elder Collison   

 

 

 

July 6

Transfer number five begins today! My companion and I are both staying here together. This is a big deal for the Kigali 3 Branch. It got white-washed three times in a row but I think we've broken the chain now. :) So all the members are excited about that. And for the first time since I've been here our whole house is staying the same. Which I'm glad about. It's an awesome group. And one of the K1 elders who has been here a transfer longer than me is getting moved so that means I am the missionary that has been in Rwanda the longest with the current group. Other than this, not a lot has happened out of the ordinary. On Saturday Elder Empey and I sang all the American songs together. Also on the 4th was Rwanda's Liberation Day. It was a bit harder to find work to do that day. But that's pretty much it.

Love ya!

-Elder Collison

 

July 13

So this week was... an interesting week. One of the K1 Elders got moved to Uganda this transfer and a new one came. A brand new one from Utah. Elder Ercanbrak or something. He's a good kid. Haven't been able to get to know him too well yet. We got fed like 6 times last week. Our feedings come in spurts like that. Weeks without, and then nonstop for a week. It was nice. Ate a lot of rice. And my companion has been making me posho. It's interesting. Another exciting thing- iron chest... I have learned a good lesson this week. That is; don't' ask someone to iron your shirt for you. While you're wearing it. I think this was on Thursday. Not gonna say who, but he put it against my chest and pressed the steam button. It was hot. It turned red and painful right away and I kept a wet rag on my chest during my studying. Now it's still red and blistery. My shirts are turning yellower in the same spot there from the blisters popping. It feels fine now. It's a fun story.

We had a baptism yesterday! Her name is Angelique. She's a shy but super smart girl. She understands everything really well and always keeps commitments. Whenever we would leave a reading assignment she would come back with notes and summarize the chapter and explain what she learned from it. She's really awesome and I'm really glad to have been a part of her conversion.

That's all for now. Love ya!

-Elder Collison  

On Mon, May 11, 2015 at 10:52 AM, Caleb Collison <caleb.collison@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Didn't really get as much talking time and it was a bit sketchy but I really enjoyed it. It was really good to see and hear you guys.  

Saturday was actually my record for lessons taught in a day. We got 9 lessons and had to do splits all day.

It's the culture here to offer the guests a drink. It's mainly pop, but we do sometimes get hot water, after just being boiled to clean it. I think all the hill climbing here is whats keeping me from gaining. So I think I might chunk up a little in Uganda.

It hasn't been too hot lately. I've actually been waking up pretty cold because it cools down and with a fan on me all night... So for a while in the mornings I have my blanket wrapped around me. And in town we have all the tall buildings shading us when it isn't raining.

I guess I look really young here. Everyone's always asking if I'm my companions younger brother. saying I look around 15. That ones the most common. I have also gotten pretty much everything between 13 to 28.

One last thing. Another gross food. Well, drink. Ikivuguto. It's rotten milk. It's this sour, cold, thick, almost sourcreamy or yogurty tasting. It's not good.

Ok. Love you all!!

-Elder Collison

On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 9:45 AM, Caleb Collison <caleb.collison@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Yesterday we had two more baptisms! Claver and Junior. Junior just turned 8.  He wanted me to baptize him so that was neat. His mom guards at the church during the day so we play around a lot while we're there waiting. Then Claver. I got to baptize him as well. I first found him like 3 months ago outside of Bank of Kigali while we were street contacting. We've met a lot since then and he's been really accepting and understanding of everything and he's really gonna help the branch here. The baptisms went well and I'm really excited about them.

Today we went bowling as a district/zone/all the missionaries in Rwanda. (It's all the same now.) There's actually a pretty nice place here. And I won. Surprisingly. After bowling we went out for some Ethiopian food. It's some sort of thin, fluffy bread thing and you use it to pick up different sauces and foods. It was pretty interesting.It's a fun group of Elders and we had a good time.

That's pretty much my week. Love y'all,

Elder Collison