February 8, 2016 OPEN WITH CAUTION!

READ WITH CAUTION: QUANTITY OF MIRACLES MAY CAUSE AN EXTREME BOOST IN FAITH, RESULTING IN POSSIBLE FAINTING, NAUSEA OR VISITATION OF ANGELS

What a miracle filled week! I am just going to cut to the cream of the crop! Yesterday was full of miracles.  We planned a lesson for a man named Miguel from Ecuador.  He has been coming to church the last 3-4 months with his wife and two kids who are members but he has been REALLY stubborn.  He wanted to take his time and analyze everything before making a decision.  He works all day every day except for Sunday.  We couldn’t share with him the last 3-4 weeks so we had to take advantage of the lesson.  We really felt good with our lesson plan and entered with confidence in the lesson.  We talked about obedience, following the prophet, and then shared the story about Moses and the serpent (Alma 33).  The spirit was so strong.  Elder Call invited him to be baptized and you could tell the Spirit was just working on him.  He said "I would like....." Then his wife interrupted and starting talking about stuff that had nothing to do with this point of the lesson. AAHHH! Fortunately, we followed the spirit and got the lesson back and he accepted the invitation to be baptized on February 20th, Elder Call´s last Saturday in the mission.  We both left that lesson just amazed and in unbelief with what happened! 

The other miracle was in one of our other branches, our investigator named Diego (9) went to church with his endowed, inactive mom.  He has a baptismal date for the 21st (I have no idea how we´ll do it because Elder Call has to be on a bus at 1:30 and baptisms are normally at 1:30.... We´ll have to work it out! haha) In our lesson with him last week, we invited him to be baptized and he said "Well.... I was telling my mom the other day that I feel that I am missing something in my life.... like I lack something..... maybe baptism will help me to find that." umm....OKAY!!!  We really feel that these are just people that the Lord has prepared and we are here to help them get there! What a blessing! 

Guillermo was confirmed.  I did the confirmation.  It was an awesome experience! We had interviews with President Diaz on Tuesday.  He is such an awesome guy.  This Wednesday, we are going to La Serena because Elder Texeira of the Seventy is coming to our mission.  They let us know today that the ZL´s and Sister Training Leaders will have a meeting with him before the conference with everyone.  So there will be about 10-12 of us in the meeting! We are REALLY excited.  It is going to be an exciting week!   

I read and loved Alma 24 yesterday.  The thought "prove your repentance" came to my mind.  The Anti Nephi Lehites wanted to prove their repentance by living lives worthy of the Celestial Kingdom.  Every day, we have the chance to prove ourselves and show God how grateful we are for the forgiveness that he has granted us.  I love the mission! 

Besitos,

Elder Crofts

We both bought some mantes!

It is a traditional Chilean clothing that they use when they dance their national dance.

We look good!

We passed Superbowl Sunday with Hermano Maximo.  There is no Superbowl food like a nice hamburger (No we didn't watch the game.  We didn't even know it was yesterday.  He told us after we were done eating that it was later that day!)

Elder Call got a little tired on the way to Punitaqui

February 1, 2016

Down to the water we go!

Hola mi linda familia!

We had a great, but crazy, week! Elder Call and I have looked at each other and said "dude.... this could be like high school musical".  There was a lot of drama and crazy stuff that will just have to wait until after the mission but.....crazy is a good word to describe this week! 

We ended a crazy week well with Guillermo´s baptism.  We had invited ALL of the branch with like a weeks notice but still only had 3 active members that came to the service.... so that was a little frustrating.  We have A LOT of work to do here.  Ovalle was made a district almost 15 years ago by Elder Holland and he said if they worked hard and did everything right, he would come back in 6 months to make it a stake..... and here we are.  So we have a lot that we need to do to really strengthen the district and we are trying to be creative and get things moving.  So.... PRAY FOR US! 

Today in my studies, I read Alma 12.  I love how Alma and Amulek could know all of Zeezrom´s thoughts and intentions.  It made me think of the word "countenance" and how much it can tell you.  It has been cool to see how the spirit helps guide me to know the motives of those around me and also to recognize the motives that I might need to change in myself.  It gave me a desire to do what is right for the right reasons and not to look for attention or recognition or self-satisfaction.  I love the Lord and I love serving Him and trying to be better every day! I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Con Cariño,

Elder Crofts

Guillermo's Baptism

SUBWAY!!!

We played basketball......It's been a while.

Family night with the Vega family!

January 25, 2016

Con las pilas puestas  (With batteries charged)

So Guillermo was not baptized on Sunday.  He couldn’t come to church because he had to stay home to take care of his dad who has Alzheimer’s and wasn’t feeling so good.  He tried to get someone else to take care of him but all of his family members were out of town.  The bad news.... he didn’t get baptized.... the good news.... he is ready and excited to be baptized next Sunday! :) He has changed SO much.  I am just amazed about how much the gospel and the atonement change us.

I am really grateful to have Elder Call as a companion.  We are really trying to work hard and be creative.  He now just has one month left so we are working with everything we have! He is so great! 

This week, I “ponderized”  Mosiah 4:2.   I love how the gospel can take something so filthy and corrupted and make it into something pure, wholesome and good.  I just love my Savior so much.  I feel like for a while I would beat myself up for not being more like Him or the person I felt I should be.  The mission really has helped me learn the importance of loving God, trying your best, and learning from your mistakes.  I hope you all have a great week! Pray for Guillermo! 

Con MUCHO amor,

Elder Crofts

Replica de Zona

We had a ping pong tourney.....guess who came out as the champ?  Yours truly! :)

The way back from one of the branches called Punitaqui

We got locked out of our pension and had to climb it....haha

Out lovely pension!

Sorry if this video doesn't play for you. If you would like to see it just message Bobby's sister Kristy!

January 18, 2016

Hey Fam! 

I got the second package this week!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! It was great! Nothing like Christmas in mid January. haha  You asked if I used the gym at the Marriott in Santiago. OH YEAH! We used that gym.  We woke up nice and early Tuesday morning.  I did 15 minutes really intense on the bike and then we got doing weights.  My chest and arms were sore until Friday or Saturday! haha I might have over done it but I got really excited! 

Well, after a crazy week we are excited to get to work! Thursday and Friday night we slept on a bus because we had to go to Viña for a leaders meeting so we have been a little tired these last few days but we are doing great! Even though we had FOUR DAYS outside of our sector, the Lord has really blessed us and we have seen a lot of miracles.  Guillermo is progressing and still has his baptismal date for this Sunday but we might postpone it a week, depending on how we feel he is doing.  He has a sincere desire to change.  It is so cool to see how the gospel has changed him.  Ana is also doing great.  She really has become more responsible and obedient in this last month or so.  She also is being a better mother and I think she will have a calling here shortly! We also have struggled to work well with the church leaders here but it looks like things are starting to improve! Hopefully we can get Ovalle on its way to being a stake! 

Today, I was reading in the Book of Mormon where Abinadi is teaching King Noah and his priests.  He basically tells them how it is and says that they haven’t applied their hearts to the Gospel. As I thought about how we can better apply our hearts, I realized that we need to BE where we ARE.  If we are in sacrament meeting, our mind and heart needs to be there.  If we are reading the scriptures, we need to really be there if we hope to get anything out of it.  I remember on Sunday driving to Grandma´s house and Dad and Mom would sometimes ask "what did you learn today?" uhhhhhhhhhh... and I would really have to think about it to remember.  It made me think about the mission and how now that I am here in the mission, ALL of me has to be in the mission.  I know it is going to be a great week and that we are going to make things happen.  I love you guys and hope you have an awesome week! 

Les Quiero muchísimo!

Elder Crofts