Washington Spokane Mission Welcomes Your New Missionary

27 November 2012

 

Dear Brother and Sister Grant,

 

I was pleased to welcome your son, Elder Grant, to the Washington Spokane Mission this week.  I’m happy to report that he arrived safely.  I had the privilege of meeting and associating with him the day of his arrival and note that it is evident that he comes with a great desire to serve Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Elder Grant understands the role of the Holy Ghost in accomplishing the work here in the Washington Spokane Mission and has committed to live worthy of that power.

After prayerful consideration, I have called Elder Kelly to serve as Elder Grant’s companion in the Mattawa, Washington area.  It is our objective to call only the best missionaries to serve as trainers and I believe that your son is in excellent training hands.  We expect that your missionary will serve in this area for the next 6 to 12 weeks as he begins his mission.

  

I have enclosed photographs of your missionary and assure you that Sister Mullen and I will love Elder Grant. Our great desire is that his time here will further establish him on the path of righteousness, as well as bless the many people he will serve.

 

Attached are the new updated recommended guidelines we have for parents.  These guidelines are based on many years of accumulated missionary experience, especially those guidelines concerning personal contact with your missionary. Elder Grant needs your good example.  I sincerely request that you consider them for the benefit of your son and his fellow missionaries.

 

The mission has a website where you can see what is happening in the mission.  Go to:  washingtonspokanemission.wordpress.com

You can send mail to your son at:

Elder Colton Curtis Grant
10498 Rd 24 SW
Mattawa, WA
99349

 

Thank you so much for sharing Elder Grant with us. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Donald E. Mullen, President

WASHINGTON SPOKANE MISSION

Colton Arrives in Washington

Hi Everyone… my wife and I were fortunate to meet your missionaries last night, and host them for the night after their arrival in Spokane. I picked them up from the mission home about 9pm last night, and they were a pretty tired bunch after having been awake since 4am that morning. We gave them soft beds to sleep in and a hot breakfast this morning before taking them to the Spokane East stake center at 8:45 to meet their new companions and begin their service.

Attached are some pictures of them at breakfast (we had green egg breakfast burritos in commemoration of their first day as “greenies”!)

Your young men are delightful. We greatly enjoyed the little bit of time we spent with them, and we found them to be eager and prepared for the journey that lies ahead. Thank you for sending such terrific ambassadors to our little neck of the woods. We’re certain the Lord will bless them (an you) in their service.

Steve Uptain

Builder Services Representative

Last week in the MTC 11/22/12

Hey everyone! So I saw and heard Elder Holland literally less than half an hour ago, as of right now, and it was incredible. He emphasized to us, that he really was human. But that he had a knowledge of Jesus Christ, and it was incredibly powerful and deep. He testified to us the most important completely mortal man to live on this Earth was Joseph Smith. Because through him, the Lord began the LAST dispensation. Think about that. Every other prophet, including the Apostles of old, knew that their dispensation would not last, and yet they did the work anyway. And now, the church will NEVER fall again. We are at the beginning of the End.

 

I want to let everyone know, that yes, I am nervous for this last week. I'm looking forward to what's to come, and know that I will be alright. Nothing can go permenantly wrong, with faith in Christ. But it's still kind of scary! I found out that marijuana was voted as legal in Washington by popular vote, and same sex marriage was almost voted in by popular vote. Luckily I will be teaching the more down to earth side of Washington, but I think I will still have some challenges. But I know I will overcome them.

 

I want to end this short email with my testimony. It feels incredibly right. My hands are literally shaking with how excited they are! I know that my Redeemer lives. He lives, and because of him, I will live again, there is NO doubt in my mind. I know that the spirit has born his testimony to me on thousands of occasions of the truth of this matter. I know that all are able to receive Eternal Life, the life of endless happiness. I know that no matter what in this life, God sent us to succeed and NOT to fail. We are able to overcome all that the devil, the world, and even the Lord's refining fire has for us. I know that the gospel, and Jesus Christ, have given me a perfect brightness of hope in this life. I know that he loves me, and knows I can be great. I will be forever thankful for his strength and kindness. I absolutely know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He would not have died for a false book, and a false church. He sufferred agonies, and was martyred for the Book of Mormon. All he had to do was deny its truth, and he could have lived, likely for at least another twenty years. But rather he died for what he knew was true and right, and just. He could not deny that it was the word of God, just as I can't. I want to let all who read this know, that I will never give up the faith. The gospel is one of happiness, and my life is so incredible because of it. I will endure. And I know I will because of my faith and hope in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of all. I say all of this, in His name, Jesus the Christ, amen.

Travel Plans! 11-15-12

I got my travel plans for going to Spokane! I am to report at the travel office at five a.m. on Monday the twenty sixth. I hope I can fit all my stuff in my bags again. :) Man I'm SO excited. I'm not even sure what to write about! I loved the temple again today. I've got lots of new ties that I traded, that I want to take a picture of and send home. Um.... What else? I don't know. Oh, gosh darn it, I don't get to see my favorite teacher ever, Hermano Ballard, for a couple days. That's a bummer :\ But I'll see him before I leave the CCM/MTC. Darn that angel.

 

Oh, I hosted this week. Meaning, I helped new missionaries into the MTC and find everything, get their new class stuff, etc, and lead them to their class to finally get spoken to in a foreign language, (no english at all) for four days straight. Good times. :) One guy I hosted had six bags, three of which were massive, and one of which cut my thumb, and got blood on my white shirt. That crazy kid. My companion hosted someone that looked so sad, that he gave away the "Pinegar Treasure", a treasure of mostly candy and some cute little toys, and notes from a bunch of missionaries of support. There was probably about 150 dollars of candy given away, in six rather large boxes. And it was good candy too. That missionary is staying on his mission whether he likes it or not.

 

Me and Elder Pinegar also got to go out in the snow this week I think? Might have been last week. But basically, he was kind of sick, went to the doctor here, and got approval to leave the MTC for the health clinic down the street! I put on my super coat, he got out his umbrella, and we walked in the snow incredibly happily, singing a funny little tune over and over again for probably twenty minutes. SO much fun. There's something exciting about leaving the MTC.

 

Well, I hope this was a good letter! Keep writing me people! <3 Love you all, and thank you so much for the support!

 

Con amor,

 

Elder Grant

Woo Hoo 11/8/12

I'm not Zone Leader! :D I win! Me and my companion do not have leadership positions anymore, and we are very excited. Leadership isn't fun. We can finally own up to our true callings as the meddlers of the Zone. :) Or as we like to call it, the "fun". We started playing tag in our district for example, and once had a sword fight with large rolls of poster board in the middle of the classroom. Tag doesn't really distract us from our studies (we actually get to class faster!). The sword fight.... Well, we repented. Anyway, I've received some complaints, er I mean, comments, about the fact that I haven't given anyone a run down of my actual schedule yet. So I'll do that now!

 

Sundays, if you're not a leader, you have lots of study time, but if you ARE a leader, you have lots of lame/important meetings. We have Sacrament Meeting at 12:30 each week, and we are supposed to prepare a talk each week, and be ready to say it (in spanish of course) at any moment. You aren't notified that you're the one giving a talk until they announce it during the meeting. Fun stuff. We also get to walk by the temple on Sundays, and we have Firesides at 7. I actually also said goodbye to Ben at 9ish last sunday, he will send Lorene pictures of that. We didn't cry, or have much to say, because frankly, we knew eachother would do fantastic. Its interesting though. This will be the longest duration of time I won't see him, I think in my entire life. It'll go fast though.

 

Monday are typical. We have breakfast at 7ish, class at 7:50 to 10:50, and then personal study til noon. That's lunch time. Then, we have companion study at 12:45, class at 2, and dinner at 5. We have "workshops" on mondays at 5:45. They're something. Then gym at 7:15, and planning/story time at 9:00 at night. We like to tell eachother stories in our district. :)

 

Tuesdays, we get sack breakfast (so we don't need to be in church clothes) and have personal time til gimnasio at 8:50. It's for changing the sheets. Don't ask me why we get the time from 6:30-8:50 to change sheets. Then at 10:10 we have TALL which is the computer learning program here. My companion hates it. I'm only so-so. Apparently the FBI wants it, but I don't think its that great. Then the day is typical, until Devotional at 7. We always get 70's members or apostols at these devotionals. Good stuff. Then we review the devotional with a member of the branch presidency, and plan.

 

Wednesdays, are my favorite, don't know why. Breakfast, class, PS, lunch, CS, class, dinner, TALL, gym, and planning. We get to plan for P-day this night.

 

Thurday, is P-day of course. We do laundry, do endowments, initiatories, or  sealings for the dead at the temple, and we relax. Then after dinner, we plan, and then we go to Class/TRC. TRC is where we teach members, and that's always fun.

 

Friday is the same as wednesday. Nuff said.

 

Saturday has class at 6:30-9:30 at night, and I don't like to talk about it.

 

Yup, I got lazy toward the end. Of course, we wake up at 6:30 every morning, go back to residences at 9:30 each night, have "quiet time" at 10:15 at night, and turn off the lights at 10:30. We are in bed at lights out, but we don't always sleep right away.... Lots of fun stuff to talk about in a room of four funny guys at night. :)

 

Well, that's my week.  Love you all!

 

Elder Grant

My Teachers 11/1/12

Have I sent a letter about mis maestros ya? I don't think I have. I'll do that now.

 

Hermana Bair is our morning and late night teacher (we only have late night class thursday and saturday). She's 5'2" and really nice. She went to Chile for her mission, and speaks kind of like Cameron for his spanish. All funky. She puts up with us when we are most tired, pobrecita. She carried us through those first few days, when we were traumatized from culture shock. She's on the national dance team for BYU, which is really cool. She's a pretty lovable Hermana.

 

We didn't meet Hermano Ballard for quite a while. At first he was our first "investigator" and we didn't even know he was our teacher till week three I think? But to put it short, he glows. Everyone loves the guy. He pushes us really hard, while Hermana Bair is really easy on us, so they complement each other really well. Hermano Ballard currently has a double major at BYU (this is unheard of), works at the temple, has two jobs, including his one here at the MTC, work 50 hours here even though he only gets paid for 22, is learning portuguese through tutoring, and gets about six hours of sleep each night. I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something, but you get the point. He's gone through a lot of hard things in his life, (he's told us some of them) but they've made him into an incredible man today. I honestly think he's the greatest teacher at the MTC. We would have also died if he taught us those first couple weeks. He makes us do our best, but he does it through love. It still would have been too much for us at first though, and so I'm glad they worked everything out the way they did.

 

Oh, by the way, I've traded quite a few ties, including one with Hermano Ballard. I'll have to show you the new ones in pictures. I think I will also send you pictures of mis maestros. Give me questions guys, I need to know what to talk about! :)

 

Quiero todos ustedes,

 

Elder Grant