Elder Bobby Crofts

August 24, 2015

When the going gets tough the tough get going

Weeks sure do fly by!

Hey dad, I listened to your talk and I absolutely loved it. The spirit was really strong and I had chills as I listened. I really do feel blessed to have you for my father. I have thought as I have been here and as I have seen so many people who are so far from the truth and so lost. Some may have the excuse of "oh well my parents were like that" .... I know I have no excuses. You and mom are the best parents that a kid could ask for. I don’t know what I did before this life but it must have been something really great to deserve parents like you. As I listened to the jellyfish story I felt the spirit really strong and felt tears flowing in my eyes. As I thought afterwards, I realized that you are right. My testimony started that day in Mexico when you gave me a blessing. You may not have been prepared with the medical instruments, but I sure am grateful that you were spiritually prepared to give me the help I needed. I may not remember exactly how it all happened but I know how I have felt afterwards as I have thought about it. Thanks for your example and for your worthiness to exercise the priesthood. I love the church and I love my testimony. Thanks for giving it those first sparks. Love Elder Crofts

So this week I had the privilege of teaching the Relief Society how to do mom´s oatmeal no bake cookies. They all loved them and were really excited to learn. Looks like I am my mother´s son! They want me to teach them how to do other things as well. haha A few of them invited friends but they didn’t show up. But I feel like we are winning the confidence of the ward and we are trying our best to work with them. The Relief Society President also invited us to paint her house so we have been trying to serve and find people to teach!

Well, I had some of the hardest days of the mission up until this point. On Saturday, we really worked hard and tried to talk with EVERYONE. We had some good appointments planned and a lot of them fell through and we had to leave or were left by a lot of investigators. There was one man who told us 3 weeks ago that he was going to read all of the Book of Mormon by Saturday and that he would have an answer for us if he would be baptized. On Saturday, when we stopped by his house he told us that he had not read anything from the Book of Mormon but that he had read a lot of stuff on the internet and that he wasn’t interested (what a great idea). He told us that he was there just to be our friends and asked his wife to bring him a glass of wine and expected us to do karaoke with him. He had planned on us eating "once" with him (it is like a late afternoon meal) but I quickly took control and told him that our mission wasn´t what he was trying to make it. We were rejected (bad) by a lot of people but we are still excited to keep working and I know that this week is going to be better. So looks like this week we focused on pulling out the tares and we are hoping to have some more luck on finding the people ready for the harvest.

Yesterday in church we talked a lot about tithing. I loved some of the things that were said. Our bishop talked about how the material things in this life really just don’t matter. Our ward leader mission said "Tithing isn´t paid with money, it is paid with faith." I know that all of the commandments that God gives us are spiritual, not temporal. It all just comes down to one thing: Faith.

Well my focus this week is going to be to really love everyone I serve and contact. It has been tough to love the people who really don’t treat us well. This week I am going to try hard to follow the Savior´s example and love the work and strive to do my best. I love you all! Thanks for all you do.

Un Abrazo,

Elder Crofts