WEEK 70

8 months left!!

Hey everyone!

It's weird to think I have been out here for this long now haha

This week has been pretty interesting! Since Elder Kohlieber and I are pretty much running the branch we had to get the quarterly report in and the wifi was down. There was like no way of doing it, so that took a lot of our week trying to get the wifi up and going. It's still down haha but we were able to send the report in so that was really good.

Trying to find people has been kinda tough. A lot of people are always too busy or just don't want to meet with us haha so we have been trying to work on finding people that are truly prepared and that actually have a desire to learn more about this message. We did find a new family, they are pretty nice, we taught them yesterday and they were pretty interested. We asked what it would mean to them if Christ's teachings are here today and what they would do if they found those teachings. They said they would follow it and be baptized by His authority. We testified that they are here again and it's found in this church. So I can't wait to teach more about Joseph Smith and the restoration.

Hazel finally came to church!!! She seemed to enjoyed it. We are seeing her tonight and so I hope she can continue to come and eventually be baptized!

Other than that not much happened this week.

I hope everyone has a great week.

John 15:16

I just liked this scripture. Just remember that Christ is always there for us and it's up to us to follow Him.

take care!

one love

elder colton bastian

service wound haha roofing someone's house with metal roofing

Tobago views

scarecrow haha

WEEK 69

new transfer ...#12

Hey everyone!

This week was pretty productive. Still the same old same old. 

We had exchanges here so two elder from Sando came up, Elder Mckinlay and Elder Mckay. It was a really good day with them. We split up so we could cover more ground. We ended up having a lot of contacts and lessons that day. It was finally nice to be with other missionaries for a change haha when you are in isolation up here it's great for a change. We also had the APs come up this week, it was really good. We had a really great lesson with Elder Boyce (he's from Idaho too) and me. We were meeting with Hazel and helping her to understand the Book of Mormon better. After the lesson she was able to understand it, as well you could tell the spirit was working with her a lot. At the end everything just clicked to her why the priesthood was important, why we have the Book of Mormon and the bible, why there had to be a restoration. So it was really cool to see that. I asked her, "who told you that" and she said " well the spirit" and I was like yea how did that feel " and she said "it feels good" so I know she knows these things are true and she will defiantly be baptized it's just a matter of getting her to church.

We also had our transfer call this week. I'll be staying here in Tobago for 6 more weeks with Elder Kohlieber. So that's pretty sweet!

Oh also a girl Elder Hagood and I taught in Princestown clear back in February just got baptized! She is awesome, I knew she would eventually.

That's really about it... not much other than that. I hope you all have a great week and there was a talk I liked from last general conference. It's called stand up inside and be all in. So you should check that out! As we are all in nothing can stop us from achieving our goals.

take care! one love!

elder colton bastian

in going hindu;)

elder Mckay and Mckinlay on exchange

sunset from last week

WEEK 68

hey everyone!!

This week was pretty challenging haha but it was good.

The week consisted of teaching and finding people to teach which is pretty much normal. A lot of the people we are teaching are slowing progressing but they are getting there. We have been trying to find new people to teach because need to find those that are prepared.

It's interesting, we are always able to teach a really good first lesson but when we come back the second time they are either not there or cancel on us and after that we can't get a hold of them anymore. So that's been hard but we are working past it.

Nothing else really happened this week. We had only 14 people at church so I had to pass the sacrament haha haven't done that for awhile. So that's been hard getting people to church, including members and investigators. So that's been tough but all is well.

We took a young man named Christian out teaching with us, he is 17 and preparing for a mission. When he leaves for his mission he will be the first Tobago missionary so that's cool. But he is already an awesome missionary. He taught and testified in the lessons. We have been teaching this man trying to help him to understand that there is a God and when Christian testifies pray and ask Him, he is there, you can feel the spirit telling this investigator the truth. So that has been cool as we having been taking him out teaching with us.

We went to argyle again for p-day last week so that was fun. I bought a few bamboo carvings which are really cool!

That's really about it. Have a great week everybody!!

A quote that Christian said "as we stand up for what we believe in we will help others to change" referring to the Anti-nephi-lehies burrying their swords and changing their brethren. Alma 23-29

I encourage you to read those chapters and think how as you stand up for what you believe in, how you can help others to change their ways.

love from Tobago

elder colton bastian 

SEAFOOD AND LOBSTER AT SUBWAY BY THE SEA

THE SUNSET

CARVED MY NAME IN BAMBOO

BAMBOO SHACK AT ARGYLE FALLS

WEEK 67

Hey everyone!

This week was pretty good, I can't complain:) 

I hoped everyone had a good fourth of July! I didn't do much , we had district meeting then after my companion and I made cheeseburgers and hot dogs, cuz you got to on the 4th. But other than that it was a normal day. Can't wait to see fireworks next year haha.

Also this week we moved hazel's baptismal date for the 29th of July so I can't wait for that. She is really smart and can't wait to be baptized. So that will be great! Also we set a date with Kerleene, she is funny, she surprises me every time we go there. She is really humble and this last time we didn't think she could read so as we were teaching about the Book of Mormon we found out she can actually read, she just needs super big print to read haha so that's pretty great. Her date is set for the 5th of august.

I had a cool experience, we had a fall through appointment. So we had like 20-30 min till next lesson so I decided to drive to this area to contact. It's a designated contact area. We parked the car and we were sitting there for a little bit, as we were sitting in the car I saw a guy through my rear view mirror walking behind the car. He sat down right by the car along the curb and started to smoke and it seemed like a lot was on his mind. I got a big feeling to get out and talk to him. My comp was a little iffy bout it but I know we had to act cuz that feeling was urging me pretty hard haha so we went outside and started to talk and had a lesson with him on the curb. After he was so happy we talked to him and he said he's happy that we came by and that he has a church to come to now. He is really searching for guidance in his life. So I'm grateful the spirit spoke to us and that we acted upon it.

Lastly I gave another talk in sacrament meeting. There was 23 people there so not very much, but I talked about member missionary work. cuz as we look at it we are all missionaries, as we look for opportunities to help, share, and serve one other that will bring happiness and peace in our lives and lives we help.

but that is all. two scriptures I liked this week are enos 1:12  and also john 14:27

have a great week and continue to see those blessings in your life that brings you peace and joy.

one love!

elder colton bastian 

GOT THOSE $100s

 THE CHURCH

 FOURTH OF JULY LUNCH

 SOME VIEWS

 WHEN YOUR FOOD IS LOW SO YOU HAVE PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE COVERED HOT DOGS....HAHAHA

WEEK 66

Happy Fourth of July!!!!

Hey everyone!!

This week has been pretty busy in a way, we have been working hard finding new people this week like always. The famous phrase is " call me next week" haha so you can imagine what that's like. But we are finding a lot of people pretty interested now and had some great lessons.

Thursday we went and did service at Sister Cupid's house. Sister Cupid is a boss, she is a farmer/fisher women and loves to work. She wants to go on a senior mission at a temple. She is selling her house and land. She's currently living in a smaller wood house and also she tore out all the bush and trees on the hill next to her house. And it's pretty steep, but she going to plant corn and sell it to save money up for a mission. So it's pretty amazing what people do to give back to the lord. So she is really awesome! For service we cut branches and put it in a pile bigger than two tractors and we burned it. The fire was pretty big haha.

Friday we had zone conference so we flew to Trinidad again. It was good, we talked about teaching skills cuz you can always improve no matter what you are doing. So we stayed there and flew back Saturday. President flew over with us as well. It was really great having President here for a couple days. 

Hazel didn't come to church this week so we have to push the baptism back a couple weeks. That's a tough part getting people out to church. investigators and members. so that's what we are working on strengthening the branch and finding people and working with Hazel.

The scripture I liked this week was Jacob 5: 61,62,71,72, 75 those are all good. As week labor diligently we are going to receive those blessings and be filled with that joy in our lives. Also Jacob 6:12 says it all haha

have a great week and a great fourth of July!! and take care!

one love!

elder bastian

FOUND A SNAIL...HAHA

PILE OF TREES

THE FIRE

AND ME WITH NEW HAIRCUT

UNTIL NEXT WEEK