That is Good afternoon in Portuguese. Yes, it's kindof funny that we have been teaching a lot of Brazillians latley. I'm trying to learn Spanish and Elder Shepherd knows this much(imagine my thumb and index finger really close to eachother) of Portuguese so it's been entertaining to try and teach them. We mostly just watch our church DVD's in Protugesseie and then 'try' to teach a little after wards. It's like I should be called a Foreign language missionry not just spanish. I've handed out 3 Books of Mormon, 5 Livros de Mo'rmon, and 10 Libros de Mormo'n since I've been here in New Orleans. Weird town all around. It's like you take every race of the world (and thier religions too) and stick em in a city that is below Sea level and you got NEW Orleans. Thank you Sarah and Roseanne for the letters this week. Keep up the good job ;-). I dont really know if I'm allowed to watch that DVD or not so.....we'll have to see. We recently got our new mission President From Mesa Az last week. I haven't met President Woods yet, but we are going to a special Zone Conference this week on Wednesday and so I'll see him there. The spanish is coming a long good. I learned recently how to use the future tense. I really love my Previous companion from Mexico, but it's one thing to speak the language and another to teach it (Yeah that's how it went for me too Trisha). All is well though. I'm learning like crazy now. Our mission Tripled in the amount of missionaries from AZ in the past 4 1/2 months. Three of them are from Gilbert and one is from Mesa. Man, All of this AZ influence is cramping my style here. For a while I was just 1 of 3 in the whole mission. Egh it's all good, it's just a sign that the church is growing. Please pray for Wilfredo. He's been acting kinda weird latley. He needs a spiritual witness of this church. Also please pray for Reinhard. He's a little boy that just comitted to baptism for the 19 of July. Please pray that his Mom will be a help and not a hinderment to his baptism. He's about the most spiritually sharp boy I've ever met. He asks us Questions that I've never been asked on my mission before. He's cool. PLEEASE PRAY for them. Thanks. I gootttta go so I LOVE YOU GUYS
eLDER cOLVIBN

Hey
This week was pretty crazy but cool. Wilfredo came to church again. That was Awesome. He's told us that he already feels like a member. We have just been recieving the blessings here in Meterie. God gave us a ton more people to begin teaching. they are mostly famlies too. SWEET! So, if I didn't tell yall yet, I was mugged last week. JUST KIDDING. I ate Pig's tounge tacos. First of all BLECH!!!!!!! The worst part was that they didn't do that great of a job taking all the skin off of the meat. Some chunks had the grissly back part of the tounge on them still. I almost puked....for real this time. I was trying to figure out who was tasting who here, hehe. I should probably stop complaining though. Elder Baysinger can probably top me on weird food he's eaten. Elder Shepherd is my new companion. He's cool. He likes to go-go-go but at the same time he's very laid back and cool like. Elder Orellana lives like 5 miles away from me so, we see each other like 4 times a week for various meetings and stuff. So there is 4 Elders total that live in our Apt. Therefore we started this tie wearing thing. Everyday we go and wear Only Elder _____'s ties and then the next day it'll be someone elses. It's fun, It mixes things up. well I have to go so Bye Everyone. May God bless you all.
-Elder Colvin

Well hello my fine freindly family from the flippin furnace figured out as Arizona!
how is everyone?
HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you got 1 '!' for every year you've been a father...I think..eh who's counting. Well dad here is a story for you. I remember one time at father's and sons outing, us boys were shooting at McDonalds toys or something with a BB gun. while doing this All of the sudden 'Jacob's dad' walks up and start blasting them away with a 38 special (I think it was a revolver too). ...........................hehe I'm laughing right now just thinking about it. I wondered what the other boys thought 'party's over ' :-). Thankyou Dad for showing us how many pieces a barbie could blow into. I Love you 'crazy head'. now..back to me ;0). It's been going great here in New Orleans. I was under the impression that the whole city was just a big 'hifuup' (think about it) but actually this area is a lot better. It must have been that area that I was trained in (Algiers) that gave that feeling. The Lord (I think) feels sorry for me becuase he sees that I'm doing it all wrong that's why he gives these people for me to teach and bring into the church. CARMEN GOT BAPTIZED WHOOO DOGY! It went great! Her husband and son are both changing their schedules at work so that they can go to church with her too.COOL! I Think they'll be joining the church too shortly. Thankyou everyone who prayed for her.

Blessings blessings I love the blessings,
and they're only from God.
Whooya!

that is my Psalm. I've always desired that God would bless me with a family to bring into the chruch. Family means a whole lot to me especially eternal familes. I will not (let me repeat) will not be married outside of the temple. It's not in the game plan of this Elder Colvin. there is eternaity to think of when dealing with this subject. I know this is the restored church of god 'spoken by the mouths of all his holy prophets since the world began' Acts 3 :19-21. I'm greatful to have temples again upon the earth where we can be sealed for time and all eternity. It's interesting how every ancient civilzaiton in any land had some kind of temple edifice to go to. Scientists have called it patternism. I call them different breakofs from the first kind that God establised. Oh yes, Logically the Church is true in millions of ways, but that wont sustain you when Satan's shafts in the wirlwind come to test your faith. You MUST search(search the Book of Mormon) ponder(meaditate in your heart the message it contains) and then Pray to God (ask like he's really there saying 'please let me know the truth'). Then and only then will the Holy spirit give you that witness of it. that is my testimony. I know it is true. I declare these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ Amen.

well,
cool
I get to write one more email
Orellana needed to come back to the library to email his mom so I am writing agian to yall!
Yeah! It's like double prizes or something!
well, we went over to bowling were the rest of our Zone was. It was fun. I won both games! I've never won a game of bowling in my life! my last score was 163. It was alright. you'll see pictures of it later. then, we went to Mcdonalds, then after 5 miles down the road, we went to Mcdonalds agian. That was funny. we were all still hungery. I don't think I've ever went to two restaraunts within 15 min. before. That will be going in my journal. Man I am gonna miss Baton Rouge. It's pretty much the most normal city in Lousiana. The rest are weird or Hill Billy places. but hey New Olreans makes the stories so Yippie! and I'll get to eat at a place called Rallies again in New Orleans WHOHOO! It's basically a NASCAR themed burger place. Oh yeah! I looked at E. Orelleana and he's still typing away nxt to me........ok it's time for random book cover I spy today: its FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Badbury. Thankyou Gabrielle, Grant, Trisha, Roseanne, Bon....Sister Colvin, Dad, Mom, and Kodelaun :-) for your emails earilier agian. Well I'm gonna leave you with a President Patterson quote today in memory of him (I'm gonna miss him too) the quote is(but I'll apply it to everyone): "whatever a worthy missionary (or person) can conceive and believe he/she can Acheive". I love it and it has become apart of me. When we show our best (and only us and God know what that is) Then the lord will help us as we pray earneslty and "go and do". I love ya'll again
-Elder Colvin

Hello everybody!
This week was amazing!!!
First let me tell you the bad news:
Herbin and Nicalosa dropped off the face of the planet. We have no Idea where they went. the last time we saw them was two sundays ago when they said they were getting kicked out of their Apt soon. I guess 'soon' was the very next day.It was a heart breaker that we didn't baptise them. Hey, life goes on and probably somewhere down the road they'll (where ever they are) be baptised.

Now onto the great news:
I had the AMAZING opportunity to shake the hand of Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the 12! That is something I will never forget. He has a good firm grip. this last sunday and saturady was Stake conference for the whole Baton Rouge area. The days before it, we found out that Elder Chiristoferson was coming along with Elder Neil A Anderson of the 70. It was fun being able to say to people (when we were inviting them to church) that an Apostle would be their equal to Apostles of the Bible. Our Mission President (who happens to be going home in a few days :-( ) after the Saturday Evening session invited all his missionaries up to the stand to meet Elder Christofferson. he served his Mission in Argentina so he talked a lot longer to my Mexican Companion :-). THAT WAS COOL! Also this week we found out that Carmen from my previuos area is getting baptised....TODAY!!!! yes at 7:00pm tonight we are going to her baptismal service. I'm happy I get to go. That's a whole lot better than meeting an Apostle. The next day (being tomarrow) I'm headed off to NEW ORLEANS again! Yes, we got our transfer calls last night and I'm going to 'Meterie' (I think that's how you spell it). That's cool I haven't been down there in a while. I first got there year and 11 days ago. I was trained there and then I was taken up unto Baton Rouge until now. everything is happy. Oh yes THANK YOU ALL FOR THE 22 EMAILS!!! I was so happy I almost .....never mind. I think it's the first time I had to push the 'next' button to see all of them. Yeah! Keep it up!
Well it looks like I need to get off. This week was amazing! :-)
Thank you guys again
-Elder Colvin
(the loved)


ps. thankyou Roseanne and Trisha for the mail this week too!

....OH I KNOW NOW! the reason that NOBODY wrote me an email or letter this week is becuase they were so busy getting those things I asked for last week, that they had no time for it. whew...and here i thought that my family doesn't care about me. well I can't think of anything else to say.

-Elder Colvin :-( :-( :-(
(the lonely)



PS please write me somthing this week :-(



Could Ya'll please pray MIGHTILY that Hervin and Nicalosa will indeed be baptised this weekend. Satan is already trying to stop it becuase all of the sudden they have been getting financial problems and such.
Please X3!!!
Thank you
-Elder Colvin