Elder Colton West

Elder Colton West

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Monday, October 3, 2016

Week 101: One More Time!

Well, this is it.  My last time writing an email to all of you as a full-time missionary.  This feels very strange.  Not that I'm complaining.  But I feel very odd thinking that in just three more days I will be home.

Well, today I just want to share with the whole wide email list my testimony of this work.  It truly is the work of the Lord.  Nobody but Him would be willing to trust the future of His church to a bunch of 18, 19 and 20, and in my case 23 year olds.  Nobody could possibly trust us that much except for someone who knows us better than we know ourselves.  It is truly incredible what a huge change that such young missionaries can make in the lives of people.  Sending us out to go preach the gospel to the world, inviting everyone to repent and come unto Christ...  God truly is in this work.  Only He could convince investigators to listen to a couple of young men from a foreign country about how to live their lives.  Were this not the work of God, it would never have had success.

If any of you out there doubt that God exists, or that He loves us, let me just tell you that He is there and He does love each of us.  Nothing that we can ever do can change that.  God is always there, and He never moves, never changes.  He never gives up on us.  His gospel can and will change our lives, if we let it.  If we live according to His will and keep His commandments, He will bless us beyond what we can imagine.

I have seen and participated in great and wonderful blessings here.  Greatest of all is the opportunity to watch the miracle of conversion take place in so many lives.  The gospel of Jesus Christ truly is universal.  It applies to everyone, in every circumstance.  Those who follow it receive the blessings that God has promised.  It does not mean that they will not have trials.  Quite the opposite, trials seem to intensify when one lives faithfully.  The blessing is not a trial-free life, but the strength to withstand those trials.  I pray that what I've learned here will be enough for me to withstand my trials that will undoubtedly come in life.  But come what may, Christ is my foundation, "the rock upon which [I am] built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

Well everyone, it has been an amazing two years.  A bit of a roller coaster ride to be honest, but I have loved it!  I can't wait to get to see and catch up with all of you!  Take care!

Hasta la próxima!​


Elder Colton West
El Salvador, San Salvador East Mission

Super legit 3rd world bridge between my area and the zone leaders area.
It's literally and I-beam that they put across the river!

Watching conference in comfort

Conference!

#mormonlife





Monday, September 26, 2016

Week 100: Just Dunk It!

Wow, this is the second to last time I'm going to be doing this.  How strange.

Baggy moment aside, we had a pretty good week this week.  The absolute best part was getting to baptize one last time.  That's right, we had a baptism!  Rafael was baptized on Saturday September 26th.  I am super grateful for the chance to baptize one last time in the mission field.

Other than that...  Well, we're working with Rodolfo and his family to help them proggress enough to get baptized.  Really, they are already ready, but we just have to help them understand that.  I'm hoping that Elder McDaniel will baptize them shortly after I leave.  We just have to have a grown-ups only talk with Rodolfo and Julia and get them to decide if they're going to get married or if Rodolfo is going to move out.  That will be for sometime this week.

Well, that's all for now.

Til next week!

Love,

Elder Colton West

El Salvador, San Salvador East Mission


We took a goofy picture after doing some boxing traning with former
Central American boxing champion, Tony Portillo. The hats were his idea.

There was  a cow chowing down on the church lawn a few days ago!

And then a few days later we found a tarantula on the wall of the church

Best for last: Rafael's baptism photo!