WEEK THREE!!!!!!

Ah, I still feel bad! I've been playing it so safe and I feel so weak! yeah, what the ortho-dude was saying made it sound like it's just something I've always had and I'll have it until I get them stabilized, no fun! but on the plus side;  We get 50 minutes of gym time a day, and since I'm out sport-wise- i've been jogging 3 miles a day, with some biking and good stretch sessions. You're supposed to gain so much weight in the MTC because it's an all you can eat buffet, every day- and I've already lost seven pounds.. haha.

Oh boy, I'm trying to come up with some exciting stories for you guys, but it's really just all the same routine I've told you about. I am really starting to enjoy it. It is sO hard. but I'm learning so much and we're actually starting to have some fun. The language is coming along really well. I guess I won't really know how well I speak it until I head out there, but we know way more than what should be possible in three weeks.

 

Steven and Kate, I saw both of  them! I had no idea kate would be coming to this MTC, so when I ran into both of them in the cafeteria I nearly died. We got some pictures, but I'm on a computer that doesn't allow the upload so you'll have to wait!

 

Conference was awesome! Everyone for the last couple months has been telling me that once I was on a mission all the talks would sound to me as pure instruction for the mission, but looking back at my notes it looks like the only things I learned was what I wanted in my future family, how to find a wife, and how to prepare yourself for marriage. way funny for a guy so far away from that, but all the talks were centered around the family and I really enjoyed it. 

 

um, guess who came for our tuesday devo?? Gerald N. Lund, That's who! I haven't ever heard such simple and profound insights from a non-prophet. ever. I got so much about how God speaks to His children out of that.

 

I love you all so much! I'm already running out of time, but I'm going to reply to your letters today too.

 

Hopefully this makes sense! I've only been immersed in Romanian for 3 weeks and my brain's already starting to rewire my sentences to their backwardness.

 

Isaac! I'm so glad we're going to have baby rabbits to eat when I come home! keep them coming! haha

 

Matthew, I will eat the chocolate from you every single day in your honor, since you can't. 

 

and Gabriel; I love you! keep practicing the name, I'm getting tired of this 'Elder Collison' junk.. ;)

 

I'm out of time!

 

love you all so much! sorry this is scattered all over the place, I'll get to those letters soon.

 

WEEK TWO!! :)

Hand-written letter - Received 3/28/13

The MTC is huge and all the buildings look identical so I still can't find my way around.  My district is only the three of us, which is weird because they usually have 10-20 missionaries to a class, but it's always us three.  This means that I have no friends aside from my companions, but we're also picking up the language incredibly fast.  We've already given our "investigator" Ion (pronounced "Yawn," and equal to John) three different lessons in Romanian.  I've been learning for four days now and I can bear my testimony, say a prayer and some other basic things.  It's taking a huge effort and 15 hours a day of practice, but we are really receiving some divine help in this. 

My simple, yet sincere, testimony in Romanian:

Dumnezeu este Tatal nostru ceresc, 

Noi suntem copiii sai.

Evanghelia lu Isus Hristos Intareste familiile.

The food is great!  They have so much fruit and veggies available that I'm only eating salads- I'm determined to lose body fat in the MTC.  ;) 

Ooh!  Also just found out that I'll be the youngest missionary to ever serve a mission in Romania.  Kinda weird, huh?

My teachers are amazing.  How the MTC works:  We spend most of the day in our classrooms being immersed in Romanian.  The teachers speak English only to get the most important principles across, otherwise they're speaking the language we're learning.  The cool part is that we're seeing a noticeable difference.  On the first day we heard only gibberish, and now we can at least see a basic meaning of what they say. 

One of my teachers, Frati Vizantez came from Bucheresti to go to school in Provo, and served his mission in England.  It's really powerful when he bears his testimony because it's always, "You guys are special, you were called to my home for a reason and there are specific people you will be able to help," and "Go share the Gospel with my people, they need you so badly."  It's really cool and close and personal. 

It's hard.  I thought I was a motivated person, but I've never worked half as hard in my life.  I thought I was humble, but I"m not, and forgetting myself is as hard as you would imagine.

Thinking that the MTC and being set apart would turn me into a "missionary" was a mistake.  I'm the same person I was a week ago.  Girls are still cute.  I still have my doubts and bad days that try to creep in.  Almost EVERYTHING I knew and loved and enjoyed is something I've now got to miss for the next two years.  The point I'm trying to make is: all you future missionaries: start now!  Please identify and ponder attributes Christ looks for in his servants and try to become a servant He could trust before that's all you are.  You'll have a huge advantage over me and most other missionaries.

Love you all so much!!

Miss you like crazy and wish I was there, but I know this is where I"m supposed to be.

Elder Collison

And here's this weeks email!

April 4th, 2013

Oh so frustrating! I was playing volleyball after taking it easy for so long and I was feeling strong, and my right arm came back out. did exactly the same thing it did awhile ago. I sat out a round, then went back in cause my adrenaline was pretty high, and my left arm came out! The exact same thing! I figured I could just take it easy and it would heal up, but in my last branch presidency interview they specifically asked me if I was having any physical problems, and they suggested I should get it checked out just to be safe. The doctor at the Health wing here referred me to some orthopedic dude. Got a bunch of x-rays and apparently I have something wrong with my shoulders and I'll need some kind of surgery after my mission to stablize them. He had just returned as a Mission President though, and he said I could still serve as long as I followed his guidelines. I've started on physical therapy to try and build it up a bit before I take off, but I won't be able to throw a ball or play volleyball, throw a punch, anything like that until I get it fixed. I feel awful to be wasting your money like that, after I took my problem to the doctor it was kind of out of my control cause they just want it all fixed up before I leave.

 Dad, just so you know; when they called you about insurance information I was totally in the room and I could hear your voice, dang! haha, I was so ready to get out of my chair and yell 'love ya!' before she could hang up.

Anyways, onto the fun stuff! For Easter we had a MASSive sacrament meeting in the gym where all the devo's are held. The sacrament was administered to over 3000 people! it took exactly 15 minutes and 48 seconds (yes, the watch you talked me into has already been useful) with 30 passers. pretty sweet! and all week we were told that a general authority would be instructing us, I was totally expecting President Monson to be there, but we heard from a guy I didn't know existed. Great talk though! I learned a lot of stuff that I can't remember, but I can probably write it out in a letter once I get back to my notes in my apartment.

I'm trying to think of stuff out of the ordinary that would be exciting to hear but after two weeks here EVERything is ordinary. haha, it's definitely getting better now that I'm falling into a routine. When you first arrive they tell you to just make it until Sunday, because that'll be the longest part of your mission. I scoffed, but it's true! I was so dead homesick, but this last week and a half has just felt like one long day and I'm being spiritually edified every second of it! The language is coming along.. well enough I guess. No, it's amazing. We have been here TWo WEeks, and we know more than what should be humanly possible for that much time. We're spending about six hours a day in language study, then the rest of the time our teachers are giving teaching us about gospel doctrine, mostly in romanian. My finnish companion has already learned several languages, including english- so learning this is nothing to him and he already sounds like a romanian. Van dyke and I on the other hand, are normal human beings that'll most likely get laughed at for the next two years of our mission.

Crap, thirty seconds left on the computer,

Love you all so much! I'll write more in the letters!

Week Number ONE!

My FAMILY!!!!! yes, it is finally p-day! of course I was one of the kids who had to wait for 8 days for it. I'll try to answer all your questions, if I don't you guys can just keep bugging me til I catch on ;)

 

sorry you guys all have the pukes again! that's no fun.. haha, guess that was a good time for me to leave then? maybe I'll be able to avoid it for the next two years ;) my companions and I grabbed a sack lunch the other day and the milk they gave me was spoiled! I had a bowl of golden grahams WITH a donut on top of it, so I definitely didn't taste anything wrong with it. I went to drink the rest of my milk after I finished my cereal and I almost spit it all out- worst taste in the world! I didn't puke by shear will power, but I had the WORST gas all day, I destroyed all my neighbors at that night's devotional.

  

The MTC!

I've only been here a week. longest week of my life! I think I like it, I haven't really had a lot of time to mope and consider all the things I'm missing out on. somehow I'm already down to 10 minutes so I'll make this fast. I was really hoping to upload some pictures but I can't figure it out, the computers here are really weird- with everything locked.

 

High point of my week; Probably Sunday. Before then I was kinda miserable and I was halfway wondering what I was even doing here. But we heard from a member of the 70 who gave a really moving address, then we watched a video only available in the MTC. it was a talk given by Elder Bednar last Christmas to the missionaries. He talked about overcoming the natural man and forgetting yourself on your mission. EXACTLY what i needed and i'm now in the process of trying to do just that ;)

just figured out the pictures and im now over my time limit.  in the mission field they just changed the time on computer to an hour a week because we're now allowed to email friends too. but for now im stuck with a half hour and that apparently is not enough.

I'll definitely tell you more next thursday! sorry i don't have much time.

Love you all so much, miss you all a lot.

love you! 

Elder Collison

First Letter!! HOORAY!!!

Sent via snail mail  
No date, assuming Thurs March 21st.

Hello my Family!

So. Day one!  I have never been so busy in my life.  Every moment of every day for the next six weeks (yes, six) is perfectly planned out.  My p-days will be Thursdays, and since I just got here, you'll have to wait 'til next Thursday when I can send an email.

In the second that I have I can tell you about my companions.  I'm in a threesome because there are only three of us going to Romania. 

Elder Van Dyke is from Utah (yes, he's related to Dick Van Dyke) and he's a pretty cool kid.

Elder Hokkamen is an explosive specialist in the army from Finland.  This is his first time in the U.S. but he actually speaks English really well.  How sweet is that?? 

Anyways, they're both really cool and we're already close, I'm already having a crazy spiritual experience and we were able to teach "investigators" on the first night! 

Love you all so much!  I'll write again soon!

Elder Collison

Oh, he also made a rectangle of his name tag with the words:

Elder Collison
Bisecica Lui
ISUS HRISTOS
A Sfintlor
Din Zilele Din Urma

Some letter are made a little differently and some have accents I'm not sure how to replicate, that's the best I could do. :)

Andrew is a MISSIONARY!

Wow.....    That about sums up my feelings at this moment.  My oldest has been set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I'm so proud, so ecstatic, so nervous, and so in shock.  We all just witnessed an amazing blessing which promised great blessings to Andrew and to those he has been called to teach.  My little pioneer... Forging new paths for the Collison family.  The first missionary from my line that we know of.....  Thanks Andrew for your example and love for the Gospel!!!!  I love you!!!   Dad :-)

Mormon Profile

Check out my mormon.org profile to see what I believe to be true and why I've decided to serve a mission.

Hi I'm Andrew | Mormon | BDZ2

Mailing Instructions!

MTC Address:
Elder Andrew David Collison
MTC Mailbox # 131
ROM-MLD 0430
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Or use "dearelder.com"  

Pouch Mail Instructions:
(This sounds complicated but this will most likely be the cheapest and fastest way to communicate.)

“Items sent by pouch mail use the United States Postal Service (USPS) from your location to Church headquarters, where they are forwarded to the missionary by a private courier along with other Church mail. Pouch mail leaves Church headquarters each Friday. Items received after the pouch has been sent will be held for the next week. Only postcards or one-page correspondences (no envelopes) written on one side of the page may be sent through the pouch. Notebook or other light-weight paper will not process through the USPS machines. Photographs are not acceptable. Items restricted from the pouch may be sent through the USPS or a private courier. Cash is not accepted for conveyance by any courier. Please consult with the USPS or the courier of your choice to determine allowable items, as they will vary by delivery location. Items not complying with the following instructions will be returned to the sender or discarded, if the complete return address is not included.

Letter folding instructions: 
Lay the letter blank side down.
Fold the bottom of the letter about one-third of the way up the page and crease.
Fold the top of the letter to the bottom of the first fold and crease.
Secure the long side with two pieces of tape about one inch in from each end, but do not seal the ends.
In the top left comer write your name and complete return address.
Affix first class postage in the top right comer.
In the middle write the missionary address as follows:


Romania Address:
Elder Andrew David Collison
Romania/Moldova Mission
Sos. Pipera Nr. 41, Et.7
Sector 2
014254 Bucharest Romania

You can also use "dearelder.com" for free to Romania while he is in the mission field. 

Package Mailing Instructions:

Andrew David Collison
Sos. Pipera Nr. 41, Et.7
Sector 2
014254 Bucharest, Romania

Just a warning - “Clothing, food products, and merchandise should be sent directly to the mission office address (The one listed above). However, clothing or other dutiable merchandise often does not reach its intended destination or, if it does arrive may be subject to customs duties that the missionary will not be prepared to pay. Small packages of nominal value may be sent through the United States Postal Service. Photographs and tapes may be included in these packages. Merchandise sent through a commercial mail carrier is extremely expensive and may be subject to customs duties, but this is the best way to send credit or debit cards”

Please write me! As excited as I am to serve, I can’t say it’ll be easy to leave home, and every letter will help and be loved to death!