Last Post - HOMECOMING!

MISSION REPORT / HOMECOMING

For 2 years, letters and pictures on the adventure of a lifetime has come to an end. I would like to thank everyone that supported and prayed for me. I am truly grateful for all of you in my life.  I would also like to thank my friends and family that came to hear my mission report. Here are some pictures of that day and also some souvenirs I brought back. One Love

Airport Homecoming

WELCOME HOME ELDER COLTON BASTIAN.....WELCOME HOME!!

 SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO CHRISTIAN, CORBRIDGE, LILLIAN AND ISABELLE FOR BEING A HUGE HELP!!!

This was from a family coming home from Florida off their spring break and happened to be on the same flight and sent above picture with this message below....

MELTED A MOMMA'S HEART!!! Thank You Julie Taylor from Utah!

MOMMA FINALLY GOT HER HUG.........

AND DAD........

GRANDPARENTS LYNN AND CHRIS WITH UNCLE HANS AND AUNT MAELI GETTING THEIR TURN!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE FOOTAGE LIVE IT IS ON FACEBOOK!!

THANK YOU FOR NARRATING HANS AND MAELI ON MARCO POLO!!

CHURCH HOMECOMING WILL BE AT THE ARIMO CHURCH ON APRIL 15 @ 9 AM FOR ALL THAT WANT TO COME

WEEK 105

See ya later alligator

Hey everyone!!

This will be the last email I send as a missionary.. it is so bitter and sweet. I am so grateful I was able to serve for these two years. I have been able to learn so much and to have experiences that I will never forget! These two years I'll never forget. I encourage all you can to serve a mission. You will never regret one second of it. I am grateful I was able to be in Trinidad as well. These people are amazing. Trinidad truly has a place in my heart.

This last week was a busy week, we had zone conference which was great, we talked about the restoration and the prophet Joseph Smith. Also about priorities in life and the desires we have. It was great! We also got news that since missionaries still can't get into Trinidad and with the numbers of missionaries in Trinidad (with me leaving it will be 10 missionaries), they are closing the Arima area. I was pretty sad to here that. This area is so amazing and we have some great people preparing for baptism too. The elders that cover Port of Spain will cover our area now, making them cover all north of Trinidad now. So it's pretty sad soon there will be no missionaries in Trinidad. But I do know things happen for a reason, also I know those that are prepared will be baptized.

 

Also General Conference was amazing. A lot of new revelation. If you weren't able to watch it, I exhort you to. There were many talks I enjoyed I was able to learn from. I especially enjoyed hearing from President Nelson. I know he is God's prophet on the earth today. And as we follow and listen to him and the leaders of the church we will be guided through out this life.

Thank you for all the support, love, and prayers for me while I have been out. I felt it and I am grateful for it. 

Always remember challenges bring change and change helps us come closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. And they will always help us if we turn to them and have trust and faith in them.

love Elder Bastian

PS my homecoming will be on April 15th at 9 in Arimo. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come

we dyed eggs for Easter

I have more pics but I'll show you when I get home

WEEK 104

THE LAST STRETCH

Hey everyone!

It's crazy my time is almost up. I can't really believe I am going home already. It was great! This last Sunday was my last sacrament meeting Sunday. It was fast and testimony meeting as well. So I was able to share my testimony with the branch here. This branch is amazing, I know it will continue to grow. 

This last week we went over to Tobago for the day it was lots of fun. Elder Hill is over there so I was able to see him and also an Elder named Elder Tablot. We had a good time, I was able to see a couple members I knew as well. It was great seeing them. One was Sister Henry, she tried to hung me haha but she realized that she couldn't. We also saw a member Elder Kohlieber and I contacted when I was there several months ago. She turned us down the first time but eventually got baptized when I was out of Tobago. So I was able to go back and see her. It's great to see how happy she was! We also had teaching visits with the assistants, it was good. Elder White came with me, he is a stud of a missionary. Had some good lessons and had bake and shark for dinner.

This week was a pretty great week. I'll miss it here in Trinidad. This coming week we have Zone Conference, probably an exchange to Couva as well. It will be a great last few days.!!

love you all and cant wait to see everyone!

love elder bastian 

HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN????

21 JUMP STREET

EARLY MORNING PIC..HAHA

EARLY MORNING BASKETBALL

COOL PIC OF TREES

VIEW FOR DAYS

WEEK 103

3rd to last email

hey everyone

It is pretty crazy to think my time is almost up on the mission! These past two years have been great. So many great people I met and so many great experiences I had! I'm grateful I had this chance to go on a mission!

This last week was really good. We have been working really hard this past week and we have been able to have some great experiences. We have been teaching the Victor family. They are a big family of members and nonmembers. They are progressing so well. They want to be baptized and make those changes in their life so its been great working with them. That was a great highlight.

On Saturday night we were buying some food at this place and the owner came out the back room and wanted to talk with us. He invited us in the back of the shop and we just talked about what we did as Missionaries and how we share the gospel. He was really interested and never heard about the church before. He is from Syria and is in Trinidad for the time being. He was really nice. We told him where the church was so he could come, he said he wanted to bring his family as well so it was great. He also gave us the food for free.

Also on Saturday our plans we had were falling through but it is amazing how things work out. We ended up seeing a lot of people that day and as we went about the day people we contacted in the past saw us and asked when we can come by so we taught them right there. So the day was filled and so many great people are prepared for the gospel. It is truly by divine design. I'm pretty thankful for that!

Thank you everyone so much for the support and prayers. I'll be seeing everybody real soon! love you all

love elder bastian

Malcolm our branch mission leader, he's a boss he just left for BYUI

some views

WEEK 102

hey everyone!

Not much to say this week. It was pretty normal week.

We had an exchange this week so I was with Elder Mckay, it was really good and we had some awesome lessons. 

Also this week we went to a baptism in Chaguanas a man named Jonathan got baptized he is awesome. He was so excited about his baptism. He shared his testimony how he found out about the church online and he read some of the Book of Mormon and after chatting online with missionaries he was able to meet with the missionaries that cover that area. So it was pretty cool to see him get baptized.

Really other than that we have been finding awesome people and have been working with a family to get them baptized so it's been great!

I wish I could stay a little longer to see them all get baptized but I'm grateful I was able to teach them a lot.

Our area covers 3 different wards so we have been working with all of them and so it's been great to work with the members here in Trinidad. You really come to close to each one.

I'll try making my email a little bit more exciting next week but have a great week!

love elder bastian

WEEK 101

ONE MONTH LEFT!!

hey everyone! 

Not a whole lot happened this week! The area is doing great and I'm doing great. I really hope there is snow on the ground when I come home. By looking at it, I may be lucky. But we had a really cool lightning storm yesterday. So much rain and thunder, it was really cool.

We have been meeting a lot of great people. This man we talked to last week is really prepared, we got there and he said "this is the same foundation that Christ built His church isn't it?" so that was really cool he is seeking. Also we set a baptismal date with a man named Brother Harper, he loves the Book of Mormon. So we are going to continue to prepare him for his baptism next month.

I also finally weighed myself, from the beginning of my mission to now I have lost like 11 pounds. So I have gotten smaller haha but Elder Peterson loves to cook so maybe I'll gain it back before I come home, he made meat loaf yesterday.

Other than that everything has been pretty normal. Have a great week... enjoy the snow. Always be working on those good habits like praying, reading, going to church, helping those around you. It's amazing to see the difference it can be in your life. 

love from Trinidad.... elder bastian

- my planners front and back

WEEK 100

Hey everyone!

 

It'll be a short email, not a lot of things happened this week.

It's the start of the new transfer and last transfer. It's strange to say it's the last. It's kinda sad haha. But my new comp Elder Peterson is pretty great. We get along really well. We are working hard and trying to find some more people to teach. 

There were some great lessons we had, one was with a man named Atiba. He is really wanting to know more about his gospel and has a great desire to learn more. He had some questions about Joseph Smith so we taught a lesson and all we did was read the whole way through the first vison account and see what we could learn about our heavenly father. It was great, he learned more how he appeared to Joseph Smith to restore His church and that they have bodies of flesh and bone. He said he has to do some serious praying but those who seek shall find. And with his desire I know he will get answers to his prayers.

Other than that it just has been a fun week of memories. 

enjoy each and everyday. 

love elder bastian

WEEK 99

LAST TRANSFER!!

Hey everyone!

This was a very productive week! A lot of this happened.

It was carnival week and Valentine's day. For a few days we had to go in early cuz of the craziness going on outside haha, during those days we had exchanges. I was here in Arima with Elder Mckay, he is a great elder. 

On Thursday we had a few special guests, Elder Kearon and Elder Zivic from the Seventy and their wives came and spoke to us missionaries in Trinidad. It was awesome to be able to hear from them, the spirit was really strong and they talked about some great things. They mentioned how it's a commandment to rejoice. So be happy... be joyful of the things around you. We have so many great blessings all around us.

Also we had a baptism this week!! Dionyese was able to get baptized. She has been so patient for it. She's been waiting for almost 2 years and now she finally accomplished her goal so I am so happy for her, her knowledge and testimony has grown so much!

We also got transfer calls, I am staying in Arima for my last transfer and Elder Peterson will be my companion. He is from California and a pretty funny elder. It will be fun and working really hard as well.

Elder Hill is going to Tobago! so that will be fun for him.

It is amazing how many experiences you have as a missionary and how much the spirit helps you along. The experiences I have been having has been great to see how much His hand is helping us find and help those around us. I know as we always rely on the spirit we will see things happen.

love elder bastian

ELDER MCKAY AND I WITH SOME BROWNIES WE MADE ON VALENTINE'S DAY

PAINTING A SHOP FOR A MEMBER

DIONYESE BAPTISM

CHANGING A TIRE.....HAHA