July 1, 2013

Hola familia!

Thanks for your emails! Dad thanks for sharing that with me, it really motivated me to be better and to give it all. And Mom I still haven't gotten the packages because our zone conference got moved but I'm banking on this wednesday to get them finally haha. In regards to the heat in Arizona, its the same here. I heard that in some parts of our mission its been like 120 degrees sooo I'm kinda anxious to see what happens with the transfers this next week to see if I'm going to be roasted alive or not.

This week we officially became missionaries of both wards (altos y palmeras). Before we were just missionaries of altos and were helping out in palmeras so our leaders got after us when we were only baptizing in palmeras because I guess they thought we weren't focusing in our assigned ward. But now we are missionaries for both so I'm excited to be able to work where we have work and to not get grief about it haha. Also we have started to work with the members more and have them a little bit more excited to share the gospel so we are excited to get some more references from them.

This last week we got a phone call from some other elders and they said that they were with somebody who lives in our area who wanted to be baptized. I talked with him and we put an appointment. So we went to visit him and he (Jose) is seriously super awesome. Like the first lesson he kept saying how he wanted to be baptized and the spirit was super strong. When he said the closing pray he said how he just wants to be used in the church to help everyone and when the temple is here that he wants to work in it and it was just super awesome. But the thing about him that really has me thinking is that he has known the church for a long time and like all of his family are members of the church but he is just now accepting the invitation. It's really made me realize that not every investigator that doesn't end in a baptism is not a failure, that also maybe the Lord only needs a seed to be planted. 

This last week for p-day we went to a place here in Tijuana called Cecut, which is alike a musuem/aquarium place. So the musuem was pretty sweet cause it was like a bunch of history about here in Baja so it was cool to learn about all of it. And it was all in english and spanish so it was pretty easy to understand ;) But we also watched an IMAX about Arabia and it was really funny cause it showed video of all of the muslims circling the rock dealeo, and afterwards Elder Alfaro (one of our zone leaders) was like "okay guys I need you all to go home and pray about if our church is true again cause that was just really cool and I just want to be sure". It was really funny :)

This next week I'm really excited for all the things that we have. We are going to have a zone conference and a baptism so I'm pumped for those. Also I think we are going to do exchanges with our zone leaders so I'm excited to see how they work and to see all the things that I can learn from them. I'm running out of time so sorry that this letter isn't super good but thanks for all that you do and for who you are! Share the gospel and don't be afraid to invite people to meet the missionaries! 

con amor,

Elder Crockett

Elder Crockett

June 25, 2013

Hola familia!

 

In response to your questions mom, our zone conference was going to be this next Friday but it got changed so its Wednesday of next week. So I still haven't gotten the boots of the package, but I'm hoping I will get them this next week. Yeah if you could forward me ben's letters and kylie's that would be great. What did you send me in the last package? I need stamps but other than that not anything I can think of right now, thanks!

 

I had been excited to get the boots cause my shoes were starting to wear out (as you can see by the picture attached). We went to go contact people in the "sobres" (pretty much a whole suburb full of garage sale type dealeos in the street" and I was just looking at shoes for the heck of it, not really planning on buying anything but the first little shop that we looked at, I found a pair of Ecco's that fit me perfectly so that was really cool and was really cool to see that God is looking out for me. So I left with a $120 pair of shoes that are slightly used and just super bomb for only $12 bucks. Pretty sweet deal :)

 

On Sunday we went to watch the missionary broadcast and like you guys said, wow it was really really good. My favorite part was during the first hymn with the video of the whole family working together to share the gospel and really just to serve others as Christ would. It really made me think of all of you at home and the ways that I know you are sharing the gospel little by little, serving others and helping them feel the love of Christ everyday. It was really powerful to see a family united in helping others, and I know that its the way that God wants us to do the work: together as families.  It really made me happy to read your letter mom as you are just constantly thinking of ways to share the gospel and are excited to have opportunities to do so. Thanks for your example :)

 

In regards to the announcement about starting to use technology, we got an email today that said this: “We know that every missionary, and almost every mission president, will want to be part of this as soon as possible. However, it will begin in phases and only in designated missions for the rest of this year. We anticipate that where safe to do so, these tools will be available to missionaries throughout the world sometime next year. Further details, guidelines, and information about missionary use of the Internet and digital devices will be forthcoming.” So maybe I will get to see a part of it but really I don't want to cause its just more things to worry about and more opportunities to get unfocused.

 

Things this last week were good. We have a baptism this Thursday for Patricio, and we have made sure that he hasn't killed anyone hahaha. This family that he lives with kept telling us that he had told them a while back that he killed like 8 people when he was younger and doing bad stuff but yesterday we taught the 10 commandments and asked him and he said "no he matado nunca" soo I'm believing him and we are excited for him to be interviewed tomorrow to be ready for Thursday.

 

This week has been good and I've realized some of the things that I need to work on personally. I was reading the talks from conference and one said something like "the mission is to prepare yourself for the great things that the Lord has in store in the rest of your life." So I decided I would study and pray to figure out the attributes and character that I need to develop here in the mission to be able to be the person God needs me to be. So I was studying and got the answer that I shouldn't worry about stuff like that right now and that I should just work harder and forget myself in the work. So it was kinda cool to get an answer like that and I know that I can always put more into the work and that I really need to forget myself and just go to work.

 

I'm out of time though so I hope you all have a good week! Pray for opportunities to share the gospel and act on every little positive thought that comes to mind!

 

Con amor,

Elder Crockett