Elder Bobby Crofts

September 8, 2014

Family and Friends!!!!

So this week has been great! There are times where it is easy to get down when people don’t accept. Especially when they have told you they know that your message is true. But they just don’t want to change.

We had a really funny experience. So we have two investigators that are brothers: Sebastian and Diego. Diego has a mental issue where his mind is about 16 years behind. He is 24. We went to teach them but Sebastian was not there so we tried to teach Diego how to pray. He was lifting up his shirt the whole time and kept talking about how much the people love him. ha-ha we invited him to pray and he just went straight up evangelico. When they pray, they get super passionate and say "señor" a thousand times. All he said in his prayer was (and I translate) "Lord, I love my mom. Thank you Lord for my mom. MOM I LOVE YOU!!! I LOVE YOU MOM (as loud as he can....I’ll admit... I opened my eyes to see what was happening..don’t worry I repented)....LORD I LOVE MY MOMMA" then you here a "DIEGO!" come from his dad in the other room and Diego said "disculpe papa" then continued with the same for 20 seconds then finished with amen. So...maybe we aren’t as good at teaching as we thought...haha we just left in awe.

I had an interchange with our DL Elder Lunksgog in Nueva Aurora. We were contacting and got this lady who kept saying how perfect she was and how she didn’t need any help and we should go look for the sinners. She didn’t believe in any religion because they are all full of sinners. She just kept talking and talking so finally I got a second and really just testified with as much power as I have felt teaching of Gods plan for us and of Christ. And how through Christ all those "sinners" can become like God if they follow his plan. She still didn’t accept. But it definitely quieted her down and I know the spirit was there.

We have an investigator who knows everything she needs to do. She wants to follow Christ but she has told us that she won’t be baptized because she doesn’t want to give up smoking and drinking. Another had a baptismal date for this Saturday but she has a boyfriend that is a less active that is really preventing her from progressing because he doesn’t want to leave his life of sinning with her. We are trying to help her and her mom realize that they are ready to be baptized and that they really need to do this for themselves and to show they love Christ. I think they will get baptized; it is just a matter of time.

The language is coming. Elder Dunn and I talk in Spanish as much as possible. I am really feeling the help of God in understanding. It is just so hard with the Chilean slang. The members are shocked at how well I understand since this is my 2nd week. They all say "I remember when so and so came.... he couldn’t understand at all!!" So it helps to hear that but it sucks needing to really exert all effort to simply understand. So President Kahnlein did talk to me in basically all Spanish in our first interview. But the interview went well. He complemented my Spanish and he is just a great guy. I talked to him about student government and how it helped me to be patient and to be a leader and how I am ready to serve however he needs me. He asked me why I was serving a mission and we had a testimony meeting with all the new missionaries. I think he was impressed but I don’t know!

I love it here. The food is good. Although occasionally I think of mom’s cooking or a nice “big n´nasty” burger from Gridelis and I just break down and cry for a little bit. (Joking) But I do look forward to that glorious day when I reunite with a big n’ nasty. September 18th is like their Fourth of July and I guess it is like a full week of heavenly food. So I should be okay. I am really trying to progress the work. I know with the Lords help all is possible. Thanks for the prayers and the support.

Love you all!

Elder Crofts.