June 29, 2015

WELL HOWDY! 

I really cannot believe how fast each week goes. haha Well we had a good week.  We really need to find some new people to teach.  We have contacted a lot of really good people who we have given Books of Mormon to but we just struggle finding them in their houses.  I am trying hard to believe that the Lord has prepared people and that they are waiting for us and that the success will come.  We have 5-6 investigators that aren’t really keeping the commitments and a few others that have accepted baptism but are just never in their house! Time sure is flying and I am trying to make the most of every moment.  I love Ether 12.  It talks a lot about faith and about miracles.  It was "by their faith" that all of the miracles were brought about.  I am trying to look for and make miracles happen.  Hopefully, we have a little more success this week than the last.  

We are teaching a man named Marco.  His parents were baptized 4 years ago.  He is 36 and started living with them just a few weeks ago.  He has been taught by a lot of missionaries because they have always been over in his parents’ house.  He says that he knows the church is true because he has seen such a big change in his parents.  The only reason that he hasn’t been baptized is he is afraid that he would do it and then go inactive in some point of his life.  He understands the importance of baptism and hopefully we can help him to overcome his fears and JUST DO IT. haha We set a date for the 19th.  He said if he receives an answer from God he will be baptized that day.  Part of the problem is that he works from Monday to Friday close to Argentina.  So we can only teach him Saturday and Sunday.  He said he will do his best to keep his commitments.  He is a really good guy so hopefully we can make it happen! 

We had an awesome ward activity on Saturday with different countries and cultures throughout the world.  Each country had some food and a dance or song to go with it.  La obra misional? We had USA!!!! haha We had planned on some members doing a country dance but it didn’t work so Elder Goulding and I had to sing the national anthem in front of everyone.  It was last second but no one died so we´ll call it a success! haha one sister said to us "you should have translated it.... we didn’t understand a thing!" well... maybe next time. haha we also made some AWESOME food! We looked up some recipes and went to town! We made an awesome apple pie (it was the best thing I tried in the whole activity), funeral potatoes, cinnamon rolls and two stuffed and roasted chickens (turkey doesnt exist here. haha)  It was a success.  A lot of people showed up.  We had a lot of less actives and it just would have been nice to have some more non-members!

But I am doing really well! I just finished the Book of Mormon and I started to read the New Testament and the Book of Mormon from the beginning.  I love the mission and I really hate how fast time flies.  There are so many people here that need the gospel, so many that don’t even have a clue that they need it and so little time to get the work going to invite others to come unto Christ.  I love my Savior and I am grateful for his atoning sacrifice.  Thanks for everything! 

Con amor,

Elder Crofts

oh P.S.... this Friday I will meet President Diaz and his wife.  We have a meeting with all the leaders in the mission! 

Look at that baby

My best friend....apple pie

Master Chef

USA!!!

Hermana Aranda & Hermana Holmes

Hermana Holmes from Cali

 

June 22, 2015

Hello HUANHUALI!!!!

holaaaa mi querida familia! 

First a quick shout out to Dad and to my two awesome grandpas.  I am really grateful for all that you guys have done and do for me.  Every time I read in Helaman about how Nephi and Lehi were given their names so they would remember their forefathers, I think of how blessed I am to be Robert Dawson Crofts III, representing the name of two AMAZING men.  

Well, we had changes this week.  I loved my time in Chamiza and I feel like I am a better missionary than when I got there.  I will miss a lot of the members and the good times with Elder Brown.  It was tough to say good bye but I am excited to have some new experiences and learn some new lessons!  As I was packing, President Kahnlein called and told me that I will be a new zone leader.  I honestly still feel really young in the mission.  There is always so much to learn and improve and I don’t feel like I have the experience but I am going to do the best I can and hopefully I can motivate and improve our zone.  My zone is called Villa Alemana Oeste.  I am in a ward called Huanhuali.  It is one of the wards with the biggest attendances in the mission.  This last week, we had 154 that came to church!!! My companion is Elder Goulding.  He is from Atlanta Georgia and is an awesome guy.  He only has 3 more months in the mission so we are working hard and trying to make things happen!!! We don’t have anyone that is progressing but in the last four days we invited 4 or 5 people to be baptized who said that with an answer about the Book of Mormon they would be baptized.  They don’t really want to commit themselves to anything but we are trying to network through the members and recent converts so we can strengthen the families and have a lot of baptisms!!!! It is just tough when people have no desire to change.  They don’t feel completely satisfied with life, but aren´t willing to change anything that they do.

I am trying to do the best I can and learn all I can.  It is a struggle at times but I am enjoying the ride and trying to learn from the bumps and bruises.  Thanks for all you do! I am praying for you! 

Love,

Elder Crofts

Elder Goulding, my new comp

Part of our zone when I was in Chamiza

We had to meet up to get materials

The Daza Family. I will miss them.

Rosa Farfan. I will miss a lot of people from Chamiza.

Hermana Dominga. We did a lot of service for this hermana.

Last day of the change. PIZZA!!!

Last lunch with JUANITO!!!  He left us begging for mercy. Haha

Said goodbye to Juanito....I might have cried a bit.

Elder Dunn, my trainer at transfers.

Elder Roach

How you doing?

Attempts to have a cool Book of Mormon picture. Haha

June 15, 2015

Holaaaaaaaaaaa querida familia,

Cristian was confirmed a member yesterday and it went well! We had ward conference so it really was an awesome meeting.  I always play the piano but yesterday we did a special music number and it went really well.  (Two sisters were sitting up front bawling so it either was really bad or really good)

So we are in the process of trying to find new investigators.  We found two the other day: Belén(15) and Manuel(24).  They are both awesome and we were really excited when we found them.  We taught them the restoration and they said that if they received answers about the Book of Mormon they would be baptized.  We taught them outside in their yard because their dad is not very interested....at all.  It was later at night and it was SUPER cold.  They live up in the top of the hill that is in our sector so there was a ton of wind blowing through.  At the end, we apologized for it being so cold and for being outside so long.  Belén responded "It was worth it".  So hopefully this interest that they have can grow so they can be baptized.  They didn’t come to church yesterday.... so we will see what happens next week.

So in our search for investigators, we were knocking some apartment doors and nobody wanted anything to do with us. haha We started walking and an old 90ish year old man was slowly walking using the hand rail.... and I mean SLOWLY.  We started to talk with him and asked if he was interested.  He kept his slow and steady walk and said "Quizás mas adelante" (maybe later on) haha we almost died of laughter after we left him. haha Well... His arms are always stretched out still.  

Today I read a talk that Amy sent me when I was in the CCM.  It is called "Swallowed up in the Will of the Father."  It really inspired me and gave me a strong desire to work hard.  It is hard to get rejected constantly every day.  I think the hardest part is not getting used to getting rejected (who knows... maybe it could be useful for the dating life after the mission...haha)  I am trying hard to follow the spirit and not just pass by each day in the routine of mission life.  In the talk, he talks about the sins of commission and the sins of omission.  Most of us don’t have problems with sins of commission (Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity...etc)  But rather it is the sins of omission(the things we should do but that remain undone).  But the Celestial kingdom won’t be filled with people who just "didn’t do bad things".  It will be filled with people who don’t do bad things and who try every day to do good and to be more like the Savior.  I love the mission and I love the privilege I have to try and have my will be "swallowed up in the will of the father."  I love you all.  Thanks for the prayers and emails.  It means a lot! Prayers coming your way! 

Love,

Elder Crofts

I made some of Mom's cookies for the Relief Society. They were a hit!

Our Ward Mission Leader. Super great guy!

The Bishopric. Jose (the one next to me) served his mission in Ogden!!

Marcela! Haha we were taking pics and she wanted in as well!

Family night with a less active and JUANITO!!

I died when I saw this pic. Haha

Interchange with Elder Gomez from Argentina. Great Day!

Last district meeting of the change!

Family night with the Jorquera family!