August 10, 2015

GOT CHICK´N?

One of my favorite weeks so far on the mission! We have had a lot of miracles and a lot of laughs....

Well why "got chicken?"  Get ready! haha on Tuesday we were in an interchange.  I was with Elder Choez from Ecuador.  We had a service planned in the morning and we thought that we were going to paint a members wall.  When we got there, they weren´t prepared and told us that they would ask their mom who lives right beside them if she had something that she needed.  She said that she needed to clean the chicken coop.... OKAY! let’s do it! We started cleaning when she said to us "That rooster right there never leaves me alone.  He always pecks me and I just want to kill him and turn him into a soup..." Elder Choez who has a little more experience with that kind of thing than I ( that being ZERO experience) said "well alright sister! LETS DO IT!"  She said "really? You would do that? Alright! Go on ahead!" So basically Elder Choez went chasing after the chicken and after a minute or two had it ready.  I had to hold it down and then he killed it.  She then asked if we could pluck the feathers and cut and clean it up.  So we got going and were just about done when we got to the part of pulling out the intestines.  I was doing great and the sight and texture didn’t bother me.  I then took a big breath in and honestly thought I was going to faint.  Everything went blurry and I couldn’t see almost anything.  I had to hurry and lean up against a wall and breathe for a minute or two until I felt better.  It really was the craziest feeling I have ever had.  So it wasn´t the service that we had planned but.... "insasmuch as ye have done it, unto one of the least of these my brethen....." haha 

HUMBERTO!!! I think I said that last week a man came to church that was invited by some members.  Yeah his name is Humberto.  We taught him on Wednesday.  He is trying to stop drinking and doing drugs and has been drug free for almost 3 weeks.  He recognized that he needed God´s help to do it so he showed up Sunday.  He accepted the baptismal invitation and we have taught him every day from that time.  He wants to leave behind his past and hopes for a better future.  When we invited him to be baptized the 16th, he told us he would be out of town.  We then promised him blessings and explained baptism a little bit more and HE CHANGED HIS PLANS.  He announced his baptism on Friday to the family that invited him in a family night we had.  He said "well... these last 61 years of my life, I feel like I haven’t really had a purpose.  For the first time I feel like I am in the truth.  I feel something.... I don’t know what it is but I know it is true.... that is why I have decided to be baptized."  He later told us that it is the only desire that he has.  We are super stoked and getting him ready for this week! Sorry out of time!  Love you and I know that this church is true! 

Love,

Elder Crofts

So only Bobby would send pictures and include no pictures of himself but put 2 pictures of a pizza he made. Classic!

August 3, 2015

So on Monday, we were in a trio for 3 days because we had to pick up an Elder who´s companion had finished the mission.  It was cool and all because we could enter in whatever house we wanted but I think I will stick with 1 companion from now on.  I was the clean and neat one and it just gave me more stuff to do. haha  It was also a little hard to keep really obedient with the schedule because Elder Goulding got a little laid back... but that´s over now! 

I am now with Elder Avila from Argentina.  He is 8 months into the mission and is awesome! This is his first change as a zone leader (I was a little surprised that they put us two new zone leaders together... haha) and we are already getting along really well.  He is a really sincere, focused, dedicated and hardworking guy and I am really excited to be with him! I am hoping that we will stay together here for 2 or 3 changes! He is really dedicated to being obedient and it makes it SO much easier to want to do the same! I feel like we are going to make some good things happen! 

Well, since we are both new zone leaders, we had a meeting on Friday with President Diaz and the other new leaders.  It was awesome! We talked about qualities of a good leader and some of the expectations that President Diaz has for us.  It was great! I really feel more confident working with Elder Avila.  We are learning as we go and trying to do our best! 

The other day, we entered in a woman´s house and started to talk with her. She has some Mormon grand kids and is not personally interested in joining a church.  Right as we were about to get to the message of the restoration, a Baptist man came in and started preaching to us about the Bible for 15 minutes.  After he was done talking, I said "Thanks for sharing that with us.  We now have a short, 5 minute message that we would like to share with you.  Is that okay?"  "You have one." He responded.  So we started to testify of prophets and the restoration.  The spirit was definitely there.  The Baptist man didn’t change his opinion and after trying to contend for a minute or two left.  The woman we were teaching said after "wow... I had no idea that God and Christ appeared to Joseph.... I thought he just started a church".

We taught another man that wasn´t very interested but after explaining the Book of Mormon and the restoration he said that he wanted us to give him 3 weeks to read the Book of Mormon and that he will let us know if he will be baptized.  We are going to pass by before then but it was just so cool to see how the spirit changes hearts.

I know that this church is true! I love the mission and I love all the things that I can learn! I love my companion and I know that we are going to have miracles this change!!! 

Les quiero mucho!!!!

Elder Crofts

Elder Avila at his finest! (yes he looks more gringo than I do)

A crazy fruit that I sometimes see here.

Charlie gave a sweet apron to Elder Goulding to say bye.

I made OMLETTES!!!

I made breakfast empanadas!

Loving the view!!!

July 27, 2015

Hola! Que pasa Mufasa?

Kristy!!!!! Congrats on 18 months of kicking butt! You are a great missionary and I am really proud of you! Hope that you all have fun in New Zealand! 

Well this week flew by! On Wednesday, we had our zone conference with President Diaz and his wife.  They really are such loving people and we had a good time and also really felt the spirit.  He talked about the importance of teaching by the spirit and the importance of our being worthy of the spirit. It was well needed and I also really liked my interview with him.  It was so comfortable and he is an awesome guy.

So we didn’t have any contact with Camila and Diana.  We don’t know what happened but they haven’t answered and have never been in there house when we have gone by.  So hopefully, we can have a little more success this week.  Our zone has had a lot of miracles in finding people to teach and inviting people to be baptized.  Hopefully, we can follow the trend! Despite our lack of success in our own area, we have been able to help out others.  We were walking to an appointment on Saturday when we passed a 40ish year old woman walking with her two daughters (15 and 9).  We decided to talk to them and they were really receptive.  They don’t live in our area but we gave them a Book of Mormon and wrote down their phone number and passed the reference to some other Elders in our zone.  The elders called them that same night to invite them to church the next day.  Sunday in the afternoon we got a call from the Elders saying that all 3 of them came to church in DRESSES and they stayed for all of the 3 hours of church.  They told the Elders that they have been looking for a church for a while now but haven’t found one that they like (well how about the true church of Jesus Christ to end your search! haha).  I bet they will be baptized in 3 weeks.  She even told us that she stopped taking coffee a few years ago because a Mormon friend she has told her it was bad. haha

We talked with this guy that has lived in New York for 30 years and has a REALLY strong New York accent.  Almost every line had the word "man" or "do you feel me" or "that’s just disrespect" or a swear word..... haha He told us that his wife is coming to visit him next week. He then said "hey a man has got to be honest....  I am going to meet up with my girlfriend right now".  I was in an intercambio with Elder Stayner (the giant) and we both just left this contact busting up laughing.  Hopefully we can find him in his house someday to help him sort things out.

This week was a little tough.  I am trying to keep progressing and improving each day! I have learned and know that it is only through Christ that we can be our best selves.  We mess up, we fall down, but we can always get back up and keep fighting until we get it right! I love my Savior and I love the mission.  I love you all and hope that you have a great time on vacation! Take lots of pics! 

Love,

Elder Crofts

Zone Conference with President Diaz

Futbol!!

This is Elder Stayner. He is 6' 8" and I totally windmill 360 dunked it on him.

Lunchtime....

What a cute little puppy. Hey there little guy....

....oh does somebody need a hug?

The Pavez family. He made us some AWESOME hamburgers.

Elder Stayner and Hermana Aranda from Peru.  Haha

I made breakfast burritos...

....yum!

We stopped by a less actives house and a whole bunch of members were there to celelbrate her birthday. They had a ton of food and invited us in.....don't mind if I do!  Haha