So Grateful 7/23/12

rom: Colin Montgomery

7/23/12

OLA MINHA FAMILIA!!!!

 

i am so grateful for the opportunity this day that i have to be able to be a missionary and be here in New Jersey. i figured something out this week and i have had a profound experience ever since i had this realization. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE I AM!!!!! this is the lords work in New Jersey in Spokane Washington in Louisville Kentucky in the mtc in Africa or in mesa Arizona! it is still the lords work. I had that realization the other night when i was writing in my journal. i was supposed to play a part i a little Brazilian play ( more on that to come) in the branch party,  but i was being selfish and didn't want to do it because i was afraid of making a fool of myself and getting laughed at because i messed up my lines or something, but then the spirit just hit me SO hard and humbled my soul. The Spirit said to me as if it was the very voice of President Monson, "Your doing the Lords work elder. just because your not in Africa, you have a bad attitude. Straighten up, put on your work boots grab some gloves and get to work. " i immediately knew why i had a bad attitude about the play. because that day i had eaten some gross Brazilian food. and earlier that day i hadn't been able to understand a certain Brazilian person and just small things like that, and i had it in my heart that this was allllll because i am supposed to be in Africa. well let me tell you the Lord had news for me. It doesn't matter where i serve, yes i was called to Africa, but just like hunter getting changed to spanish. it is alllll in the Lord's will. There is something i am meant to learn here in New Jersey. Someone i am supposed to teach or testify to or Something. I don't know what it is yet, but from that moment on i have improved my attitude and just started being A MISSIONARY, not a visa waiter. That was my calling, and that is my mission is to be a missionary. The Lord has given me so much that i have to do what he needs when he needs it, and only

 " when my obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes my quest, in THAT moment God will endow me with power".

 

 

ANYWAYS haah sorry. that was my cool spiritual experience for the week. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

I love you all so much!! I'm seriously having the best / hardest / most learning/ most spiritual experience of my life an i love it. I'm in Moroni 8 and about to finish the book of Mormon again tomorrow! i love that book and i know with all my heart that t is true. i love this gospel. its so amazing to see and literally feel the power of the spirit testifying to people through my words. its amazing.

EXPERIENCES OF THE WEEK

(HIGHS)

- in a super ghetto part of town there was a broken fire hydrant and it was spaying a little water in the street and all that little African kids were playing in it hahahah it was so cute. STRAIGHT out of a movie for real

- i ATE SARDINE PIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'D BE SO PROUD OF ME MOM!!!!

it was like cornbread with sardines on top, and the woman (Marcia) served me three huge slices, and it tasted.... not horrible haah it tasted like dry tuna really. i just put some hot sauce on it and downed everything then had a bunch of fresh pineapple. so that was good

-still NO word on visas. president Jeppson said i will probably be here for two or three more weeks. so that is fine with me:) LORDS WORK remember?

-ahahahahahahah so in church on Sunday i had to lead the music. i guess this always happens but i have never seen it,,, the branch president wife was breast feeding in the middle of everyone with no covering or anything,,, ahhahahah you better believe i had awesome eye contact with one of the other elders sitting on the other side hah it reminded me of (i cant remember which cousins story) of the woman pulling up her dress and doing that and the missionaries are like whispering "shouldnt the relief society president say something to her? " and the other missionary says" that is the relief society president" ahahaha anyways that was an AWKWAD experience

-we were in a teaching appointment and sharing a lesson and ( drumrollllll))))

someone got killed by the cops literally right outside that building we were in. when we left the appointment the firetruck was sparying the blood off the sidewalk. crazy huh? it was the lords timing that kept us safe. that i have no doubt.

-i ALMOST got chased by a dog. ahah it ran out of an open gate and me but i just turned around and looked it right in the eye and it didn't come any closer. just barked a ton then turned around. you better bet your bottom dollar my heart was out of my chest Ha but i was brave! (Greg, save the Sasha story)  ( a huge Rottweiler that chased Colin when he was a little boy, so big mean dogs really scare him~ Mom)

-DID you get my letter with the sd card????????????????????????

i got your letter mom in the manila envelope and that's it.... meg said she sent something but i haven't received it yet.  hope she didn't send it to elm STREET. that is NOT my address and is on the other side of town,.. my address is

 

100 elm ROAD

Newark NJ

07105

 or the 5 cold hill road south address that i sent in another email.

anyways make sure anyone knows that.

i will write another family letter and send it today. and also i sent a sd card hope with all y pictures last Monday. your should have gotten it by now. i how Greg and Court gt the mail it should be there.

 

wow. hunters call getting changed. that's CRAZY! but he sounds sososso good. i love that kid. he'll do fine. i know he's changing in such a good way. he's gonna be a great missionary.

and ZACH! that was an amazing email. i love both those brothers of mine. i cant wait to see the miracles they perform!!!

 

ok. so to answer questions....

this week has been good. when i arrived the areas split since there was 4 Portuguese missionaries instead of 3 so our new area s very slow growing and its been hard to find new investigator s but slowly and surly it will grow.

 

 

i really hope that you all can feel my love for you as much as i can feel yours for me. i pray for EACH and everyone of you individually every single night. and i hope you all know how much i love and miss you.

my family is everything to me. and it always will be. i cant wait till i have a family of my own and my kids have their cousins Graham, Claire, Beau and Meg and Jared's kids and Greg and Courtney's kids. that's what life is all about. and that is why i am serving this mission, so that others can have the knowledge that they too can live with their families for eternity. i love you all so much and hope this letter finds each of you in good times and fortune. <<< that was a really weird sentence ahha sorry. i love you all@! sorry i'm  outta time! i hope you all have a great week and know i love you!!!!

your missionary son brother  brother in law and uncle

elder colin jay montgomery