WEEK 65

When you realize you have 9 months left of your mission........

Hey everyone!!

It was a Muslim holiday yesterday and when it's a holiday everyone takes work off haha even if its not your religion. Don't worry we didn't take the day off tho. This week was pretty good! Not a whole lot has happened really tho.

We started contacting in this new area and it's really great. We have talken to like almost everyone on the street and return appointments too. So that's what this week consisted of. We were truly guided to that place too. We needed to find a new place so we pondered and prayed about it and I got a prompting that we needed to be in this new area. So our Heavenly Father really guided us through the spirit to this place. we have had a lot of success in it.

Our investigator with a baptismal date for July 15 is doing well. She wasn't able to make it to church this week but she is awesome. She is really smart and wants to come and be baptized so I'm excited we are working with her.

Not really anything else happened from the last time.  This week I hit 9 months left so I'll be in single digits now haha which is weird. It doesn't even feel like it. o if anyone gets pregnant soon, I'll be there when it's born haha

Also I'm the branch clerk too haha  I'm in the ward directory now.

But anyways have a great week and until next time. one ;love! 

Jacob 2: 17-19 seek the kingdom of God first and everything will fall into place. 

love elder bastian

TRIP AROUND THE WHOLE ISLAND

We drove around the whole island yesterday! it was fun. I feel like a pro driver now. those roads were winding and super small. Try driving a car where only one car fits but you manage to fit two cars there ahah. It was fun tho. We stop at a bunch of different places. I sent only a few pics home but I have more to show ya in 9 months

WEEK 64

HE IS ALIVE AND SAFE....SO BLESSED

A Note from Mom: So the tropical storm Bret/hurricane that went through his area is finally over. I asked him how it was and how he was. I was SOOOO HAPPY to hear from him today. He knows how I worry and feel he has down played it all but that's him....he said "it all good Mom, I didn't blow away and it was just like storms we get at home (YEAH RIGHT...NOT) but he is in great spirit and told me it showed how much I love him and care that I was contacting my resources and I have made some great friends since he has been on his mission. One guy, Justin, that lives in Couva and apart of the church had called him in my behave today to check on him for his momma and he happened to be getting online to write me. I am so thankful for Justin and the compassion he gave and that everyone there made it through the storm. Now on to Colton's letter....

Hey Everyone!

All the email shops have been closed for the past couple days. Monday was labor day and then yesterday was a storm warning so everyone was inside haha.

But this last week was pretty interesting. I flew to Trinidad with Elder Vance and to get my new companion but all the flights were booked so I stayed in Trinidad for the week. And guessed where I stayed ... yep Couva once again haha, so my old comp hagood opened a new area in Couva so I helped him out showing where the members are. So I showed him around Couva but now I am with my new comp in Tobago. His name is Elder Kohlieber, he is from Los Angeles, he's a pretty cool elder, a surf kinda guy. he is a great teacher too.

Not much to tell about this week just cuz I wasn't in my area haha but we did go to the botanical gardens on Monday just like a nature park so we took some pics of that. Also we have a baptism planned for the 15th of July, she is so excited for that. We had a lesson from her last night. She is already gaining a testimony of the things we are sharing. The spirit has really been teaching her so it is great to see that change in her.

That's pretty much it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys this week with all the snow and storms haha pretty weird for June I'd say. 

have a great everyone , one love!

 love elder bastian

pics by the airport.. yea that's by the airport haha

Another tag pic for Mom! And still by airport

THE BOTANICAL GARDENS

ME DABBING

BIG TREE!

Now for the pics I took a couple of Monday's ago at the Argyle Falls...

THIS IS MOM'S FAVORITE!! LET IT POUR....

Tropical Storm Bret

We have not heard from Elder Bastian today due to Tropical Storm Bret heading right to him in Tobago, they have closed the schools for today and tomorrow and on live tv from the Prime Minister....he advised to make sure you had all the necessities to ride out this storm and to take shelter. Please keep our missionary in your prayers that this storm will fly past him and all are safe. Thank You

President's Message

President's Message

June 2017

Issue #23

It has certainly been a month to remember in the Trinidad Port of Spain Mission. We have had two missionary groups arrive, one missionary group depart and conferences thrown in for good measure.

On May 1st we welcomed Sister Pareja, Sister Spijkerman and Elder Keller. Sister Pareja was assigned to Curacao and Sister Spijkerman and Elder Keller to Suriname. Bon Dia and Welkom! Elder Buxton and Elder Marks arrived mid-transfer and are becoming acquainted with the missionary work in Aruba. Bienvenido!

Our departing missionaries returned home May 3rd. Thank you Elder Lorenzo, Elder Uri, Elder Tobierre, Sister Masciantoni, Sister Jenkins, Sister Ramirez, Sister De Lima, and Elder and Sister Gertsch. We know you will bless the lives of others and continue to keep mission memories close to your heart.

Zone Conference was centered on the blessings of the temple. The missionaries enjoyed learning that everything we hear in the temple, finds it roots in the scriptures. President Egbert encouraged us to visit the temple often and reminded us that “If you touch the temple, the temple will touch you!” We have conferenced in Aruba, Trinidad and Guyana and will visit Suriname and finish the ABC islands next month.

A two-day Mission Leadership Council was held in Trinidad to discuss the missionary efforts taking place on the 5 islands and 2 countries of our mission. It was inspirational watching the zone leaders and sister training leaders teach and learn from each other. We are grateful to serve with such capable and testimonied young adults.

Our mission also experienced some very timely miracles. For almost a year, we have not had a missionary permit granted for entry into Trinidad. We also had an association bond that was expiring that held the names of eight missionaries. If the bond was not approved and renewed, these missionaries would need to leave Trinidad. Two days before the bond expired, it was approved. That same day, we found out that a handful of missionaries received their missionary permits to enter Trinidad. The missionaries that were approved have been serving in Guyana and the ABC islands. We do not know exactly what this means for the future of missionary permits in Trinidad, but we do know that our mission received a miracle when we needed it.

We are grateful for all the prayers offered by our missionaries and their families and have been humbled by the Lord's hand in making sure that His work moves forward. We are here to gather Israel and He is aware of the people in Trinidad, Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Guyana and Suriname. May we trust in His timing and acknowledge His assistance in our lives every day.

"For if there be no faith among the children of men, God can do no miracle among them;

wherefore he showed not himself until after their faith." Ether 12:12

Love, President and Sister Egbert

WEEK 63

New Transfers

Hey Everyone!

This week was pretty good, really just the normal things. We got our transfer calls this week. So I'm still in Tobago, but I have a new companion. His name is Elder Kohlieber. I'm not sure where he is from I think maybe California. He's been in Guyana his whole mission so I don't know him haha. But he's been out just a little less than me. Sounds like  he is a great missionary tho.

We had a great turn out this week at church, 45 people, so that's more than a year or so. So that was great. This week it was really amazing to see the spirit working with the people that we are teaching. This one lesson we were teaching about nature of God, and he was kinda iffy about him having a body. But then suddenly a scripture came to his mind. It's found in genesis 1:26-27. He was like "of course he has a body it says it right in the scriptures, its true! don't know how people miss that" so it was really cool to see the spirit teaching him. The holy ghost is the true teacher not us, we are just guides. So I know that is what will help people to change and to baptize, as we teach with the spirit they will have true conversion in their lives.

Other than that not much happened. Last week we went to Argyle Waterfalls. It was pretty fun. We were able to climb rocks and go exploring. The waterfall is pretty big too. So that was pretty sweet being able to go there. I'll send pictures in another email probably next week. They are still trying to download here and won't have time to share this week.

Well have a great week everyone! Continue to read and pray and be better than you were yesterday.

John 14:26 the comforter

take care and one love!

love elder bastian

WEEK 62

 already June? haha what?

Hey Everyone!

This week was actually a pretty cool week, something cool happened everyday! So first it's been raining so much lately now which is great cuz it cools down the place.

But a few weeks ago we taught this member who has been struggling with money. He doesn't get paid and when he does it goes straight to loans so he isn't really getting any income. But we challenged him to live the law of tithing and we said it doesn't matter how much as long as it is ten percent. It could only be a dollar and the lord will bless you. So the next week he paid 25 tt = less than 4 US dollars and the very next day a random friend came had gave him $1000 tt. So he was truly blessed so that strengthened his testimony and mine as well. He was so grateful for it too.

Also this week we have been finding some really prepared people! We set two baptismal dates for July and have been gaining some awesome new investigators. We had a lot of really good lessons too. You can see how prepared and the desire they have to learn more. When people have the desire to know the true they will find it and these people have the desire. So we are seeing them this week as well so we will see what happens.

At church we had a lot of investigators than usual, we had four haha so that's a lot. One of these was a man named David and where he lives it takes about an hour to church so he said he was just going to take his fishing boat around the island to get to church next week. haha it takes about 30 min for that. It was his first time at church so hopefully we will see him again at church.

Well that's about it. Have a great week everyone. Always trust the lord and put him first, trust Him and he will bless you in your lives. 2nephi 4:34, that's the only scripture this week. 

take care and one love

elder colton bastian

not much pics but going to Argyle Falls today.

MY VIEW

THIS IS WHERE WE ARE HEADING......PICS NEXT WEEK OF IT