May 28, 2018

Mexican Level 3

Hola hola 

     Transferred!! Hermana Jensen is going home on Thursday and I am being transferred to Myrtle Beach. I am really, really excited. They are dissolving our area up here and the Spanish Elders are going to take it over. They can do it and we did lots of good pass off lessons so I think it'll all be okay. It's so sad that Hermana Jensen is going home because we've had 4 transfers together and are practically the same person. How do you say goodbye ya know? I am going to Myrtle Beach with Hermana Jones. We are going to an English ward. There used to be a Spanish branch there and so we are going to hunt all of the Hispanic members down and hopefully get lots of good stuff going there. We are going to be doing English and Spanish work... which is terrifying!!!! The only bad experiences I have had at the door has been English speakers from the south. Please pray for us!! 

     This last week was awesome. The highlights: 

     We had a Spanish group activity that the Hernandez hosted. They had everyone at their land. We had lots of yummy food and they set up a slip and slide for the kids. It was cool because they just had the chance to all fellowship each other. We were a little sick so it wasn't as dun for us because we woke up and felt horrible. We just ignored it and then worked all day and slept sooooo good that night. 

     Last night, we were saying goodbye to a bunch of people. Part of the group is one huge family with all the cousins, parents, grandma's, and everything in between. We went to a birthday party with them and said goodbye. While we were there we were eating. We went from Mexican level 1 with the hot salsa, Mexican level 2 with the hotter salsa, finally they got the hottest stuff for Mexican level 3. Gringos beware. 

     We had a lesson this week with our new investigator Duglas. He was kinda awkward the first time we met him, but this return appointment he was so excited!! We were thinking hey this is cool. He kept his commitment, he felt the spirit, he's gonna get baptized, cool. We were teaching the restoration and we were talking about families. Suddenly he's talking about the importance of families, telling us he's single, asking how he can find a woman of the church, proposing to us and asking if one of us will come back for him after the mission as he points to his house and his nice car. Ahhh man. I was doing everything in my power to not break a smile, it was so hard that my eyes started watering. I thought I was going to break but don't worry, I waited till I got to the car. 

We had a couple of really good lessons and got to meet some cool new people. We passed them off to the Elders so yeah that's all the exciting news. 

Robert & Gina at church on Sunday

Study Desk

Saying goodbye to Edith. She's been someone we worked a lot with here. We love her and she's like a mom to us.

Last day of MMA. Last time Hermana Jensen & I got to beat each other up.

The famous Gaffney Peach. It's a huge water tower that looks kinda like a butt in the sky.

May 21, 2018

Hola AMIGOSSSS

     Well it has been another wonderful week!! It went by so so fast and time just seems to be slipping through my fingers faster than I can catch a hold of it. 

     Wednesday we had a lot of finding, which is fine, but it was all during the tarde (afternoon) which usually isn't successful... BUT THIS TIME IT WAS!! I wasn't really wanting to go out and knock doors but before we left I just prayed "Heavenly Father... Please help us out. Please help us find someone who's ready." We went and just found. We met a lot of really cool people. One of them was Duglas. I saw him in the window as we were walking up. He is from Honduras and is here alone. We talked about where we go when we die and saw him again on Friday. He was really shy at first and wouldn't say much, but we got him to loosen up by the end of our lesson on Friday. We met a couple of other cool people, but they weren't there when we went back for our return appointment, so we'll see what happens. 

     FLYING SQUIRRELS. As we are leaving Duglas' house on Wednesday we are walking away and out of his GIANT tree (Like at least 50 ft up) I here this huge thud, right where Hermana Jensen was. I look back and see a squirrel scurry off back up the tree. It had jumped from 50 ft and missed Hermana Jensen by all of 2 ft. I was dying, Hermana Jensen actually almost died. #deathbysquirrel Her death almost came 2 weeks early. I guess you had to be there. Hey it's the little things that keep life happy. :)

     Emmanuel. Well he was our investigator that was the preacher. We finally met with him again and he just expressed how confused he was by everything and he expressed his desire to learn. After that lesson he DISAPPEARED. For 3 weeks we tried stopping by (we're in that area a lot and so whenever we were there we would see if he was home) and nada. We went with an ultimatum, okay, if he's not there this time, we have to drop him, we'll stop trying. We go and he's not home, but as we are walking away his roommate pulls up. His name is Daniel. He was so so cool and we talked to him for a bit. He told us that we could come back and teach him sometime next week. The next day Emmanuel finally calls us back and we set up a lesson for that night. Daniel came and sat in on the lesson. It was awesome!!!! Emmanuel helped Daniel see that we are there to study and learn, Daniel helped Emmanuel see that we are not nuns and real humans. :) It was a good combo. 

     We had our interviews with President Innes this week. That was so wonderful. President Innes is just such an inspired guy. I have been reading and studying a lot about the 4th missionary and what it takes to just be the best servant of the Lord possible. I hope I can give all that I can because I really do love my Savior and love the people here and want them to be happy. He also told me we get to go to the temple in like 2 weeks!!! Which is definitely the best news ever. We'll see where I am in 2 weeks. Hermana Jensen is leaving so I could stay in this area (which will be my 5th transfer here), or maybe we will get whitewashed... To be continued... 

     We also had stake conference this week! That was interesting! Elder Parker, an area 70 came and talked to us. He talked about why bad things happen to us. He had a cool perspective on it. He was also the most Southern Baptist Mormon I have ever met. He's up there shaking his Bible with his thick Georgia accent. He was neat. He just got called to be a mission president in Jamaica. 

     Well I know the church is true!! I love being a missionary. Have a blessed week y'all. 

Con mucho amor

Hermana Crofts

Amy sent a package with the coolest shirt ever. ttuhsc (Texas Tech University Health Science Center). Is everything actually bigger or better in Texas?

Hermana Jensen. Refer to Squirrel story.

Have you ever seen such a religious Coke? Only in the Bible belt.

Alicia sent me a package with lots of my favorite things

Our apartment

TACOS

Hatcher Garden last P-Day

We made Agua de Pina- Just on our way to becoming Mexicans

May 14, 2018

HUMP DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Hola hola!! 

     Ahhh I hope y'all have the happiest Monday and best week! We had a really good week and we got to finish it off by talking to my sweet fam. 

     Well... Big news. HUMP DAY. Last Tuesday, I hit my 9 month mark. I am actually in complete denial and don't really like to think about it. 

     So, there's been a bit of a miracle. The Hernandez have been inviting us to their land to teach them and talk to them. It's been super awesome because when we first got up here it was like pulling teeth trying to get appointments and now we get to see them all the time. It's really opened their hearts a lot to us. 

     On Friday night, we had dinner with Sister Flowe. She's part of the English ward and they wanted us to spread some Hermana love. Mainly it was just us dying and Sister Flowe laughing. She says that she likes to "give people experiences," it worked. She got all these weird exotic foods and then we had them in a circle and we would spin the bottle and eat whatever it landed on. Don't worry it was mainly just funny (and traumatic). We ate Durian, anchovies, squid in it's own ink, crystallized sugary fish, and chili mangoes. Good thing I have been practicing my chew chew swallow for when I am given something I don't like. You can check out my reaction to the anchovies in the pictures. 

     MILAGRO. Well on Saturday we went to a lesson with Edith.. We've worked with her for a long time and we just were essentially going to go to the lesson and tell her we can't come by anymore. The time before we had left her to read 3 Nephi 11. SHE READ!!! For the first time in a while, she kept her commitment. She stopped half way through the chapter at the Baptismal prayer. Suddenly the Spirit is just shouting in my ear to challenge her to baptism and pray about it. It was a really cool lesson. We went back the next day and she had prayed. We didn't choose a date but she is going to keep praying and reading. 

     Last week, we only got to see Carmen for a quick stop in lesson. We gave her the Book of Mormon and we came back and she read!!!!! We read with her and she loved it and loved the spirit she had felt while reading. 

     Mainly it was just cool because a couple weeks ago we were praying that we would be able to find some female investigators that would progress and now these two are just doing awesome! Keep Carmen and Edith in your prayers. 

     Wednesday was a little tough. Our plans just got cancelled. Backup plans cancelled. I was just a little discouraged and tired. It was like 7:30 and so only had a little more time. We decided to fight through it. We knocked into this awesome family!! Her name was Lupe and she just let us right in to meet her husband Jose and son Jose. We were able to talk to them about their beliefs and what we do. They're active Catholic but agreed to have us back this week to talk about Jesus. :) The moral of the story is when you feel like quitting just go anyway. When you get discouraged just push through and you'll see the amazing things God is putting into place. 

     Sunday, we had a really great day. We went to church and Mother’s Day is always a good meeting. There are 6 missionaries in our ward and so for the Relief Society we all shared our testimonies about how our Mom's have influenced our lives and our mission. We also sang “I Feel My Saviors Love.” We were a hit. --Later we went and saw Gerardo and Adela and their 7 kids. It is really confusing to go over there. They always let us in and want us to come teach but mainly because they want us to teach the kids. The kids are so sweet. It's a really sad situation. We don't really know what to do because the kids are too young to progress without their parents, but when we teach them I just look into their eyes and I feel the spirit so strongly telling me that these are my brothers and sisters and I must help them! Ah man. It's tough. 

     Talking to my family was the very best. I just forgot how much I love them hahahah. Ahhh it was awesome. I am so glad that I am a missionary. I love this area and my companion. We always have so much fun together and she helps me a lot. I know the church is true. God is so good and he's always reaching out to us!!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK.

Con mucho amor

Hermana Crofts

Skyping with the fam

Battle of the foods

Before and after the anchovies