Total Pageviews

Sunday, December 23, 2012

December 17, 2010

Hey family!!

    Hows life for everyone at home?  Sounds like everything is going well and that you will be having a ton of fun tonight singing and visiting people around Parker! Cool thing about that is I will be out doing the same thing with my ward family here:) We are having a ward family home evening tonight where we will be going around singing to people in the ward and taking them a Christmas gift.  It should be pretty good!

     I am really beginning to tell how much I love the wards here.  It's kinda crazy.  I am beginning to see how much of an affect we can have on people's lives, and it is cool. The area I am in right now is going to be pretty dang tough to leave. Sister Finau is like my mission mom at the moment - always taking care of us when we need it.  We are having opportunities to give her blessings quite often as her health isn't so good. We are able to take her the sacrament every week, which is awesome and that really makes her day.

     This week we had a pretty crazy lesson with a girl named Courtney.  She is an 18 year old girl who is dating one of the priests in our ward who is preparing to go on a mission! She has been to church every week for pretty much the last month.  We finally got a lesson with her this last week. It was such a good lesson and we were all pretty much in tears before it was all said and done. She committed to be baptized and hopefully will be baptized by the end of the month, or maybe in January. The only bad thing is that we found out she isn't in our area.  So our zone leaders will  be teaching her, which stinks:/  But what do you do, right?! As long as the work is progressing that's all I care about.  It is a little frustrating to see others baptizing and we aren't. But that's not the point.

      As for next week, Skype will be awesome! What time is going to be the best time for us to Skype?  Maybe in the afternoon or what? And as for Regg and Jake tell them I would love to see those two! Regg is going to be home???!!!! That is so cool! Try and keep him on the straight and narrow! Tell him I said hi and that I love him.  He is a stud! Crazy how fast time goes when your out here. It seems like it is all one big dream. But it's good! These next couple of weeks are going to FLY! I hope that you guys are having fun and go up and enjoy the condo! Don't be too grumpy to miss out on that.  Remember it's not what you get each other, it's what you do together that the kids will remember! I am so stoked to hear from you guys!  Hopefully everyone can make it!  I will call in the morning to double check on what time is going to be best for everyone. I think that I will be able to email next Monday.  Even if not, know that everything is all good and I am alive, even though it does get cold in Vegas.  I didn't belive it either, but it does.  It's in the 30s at night, which when your acclamated to Vegas is dang cold!

     Tell Jake and Regg to come over. I really want to talk to them. Not to be a jerk but probably no one else, though.  Just because I really want to talk to the family the most and I will only have an hour to be on the phone:)

     Elder Wanner has a ton of support from home.  His family is super awesome and his girlfriend sends us bomb cookies!   So he is doing good.  We are having a good time and starting to hit it off:) The Lord just wanted to try us first I guess! He does that to you sometimes while you are on the mission!

     As for Christmas, we are going to be well taken care of.  We have a list of like 7 people who really want us to come by and at least 5 more that said we could.  We just want to space it out enough so we can hit everyone.  Christmas Eve morning we have a breakfast, and then Christmas Eve we have a dinner.  Then we get to chill at the member's house until nine.  So it's going to be awesome!! Their names are the Nicholas family.  They always cook good food and they are super excited to have us! It will be a little different without the whole family opening pajamas! Just do it without me ;) Take lots of pics so I can see what everyone gets and be prepared on Christmas to tell me all about everything everyone has going on! I love you guys so much! Thanks for all your letters and support you are giving to me, I have the best family in the world, that's for sure! And the money I got is going to be going to a family in need this Christmas:) Elder Wanner and I are going to go shopping for them today.  I think that's going to be fun! Thanks for all you do and for always being there! Tell Regg I said whats up!! And tell him he did good work out there and Congrats!!

     I love you all so much and hope that we will all remember what Christmas really is all about... Our Lord Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for all that he has done for me and for everything that he went through so that I could be happy out here serving him:) Crazy how much my love for Him has grown the past couple months. He is very real and He knows us all.  I know that to be very true.

   I love you all and hope you have an awesome week!! Keep up the good work everyone! And have a Merry Christmas!!!!:)

Love,
Elder Crapo


ps... I can see snow on Mt Charleston!!!!! I almost cried when I saw it I was so happy!!!:)

December 10, 2010

Dear Family!!
      Dang sounds like everyone is doing awesome! Things here in Vegas are going well and yes, the NFR is definitely under way! We walked into a less active members' home the other night and they were watching it... couldn't help but see a 3.9 second team roping run. It was pretty dang good. So hopefully you are all able to watch that and think of good old Elder Crapo who isn't able to watch the NFR.

      As for all the missionaries coming home... when the heck is Regg going to be back?!?!?! I haven't heard from him since I have been on the mission.  So when you see him punch him in the arm and tell him he better write me back! That's going to be awesome for him to come home right before Christmas.  I bet he is stoked. That will be good for their family:) I miss that kid a lot.  I got an e-mail from Tanner who said he has heard from Regg. So if he has and I haven't, I'm gonna be ticked!     
    
     Anywho things here in Sin City aren't too bad. And Hali, just to answer your question about the strip-  no we aren't allowed on it. It is kind of like a dead zone.  It is actually out of my mission because we can't even go on the east side of the I-15 except when we are going to the temple. It is crazy how the missions are so divided and from my area we can see Henderson and stuff. The closest church building to where we live is actually in the other mission. So just for your info, Hali we live like in between the M casino and the South point casino, just on the other side of the fifteen. It's a cool area:) After I leave you guys will have to come check it out. The people here are awesome!!

     Well, it is transfer week for us and it is going to be a super crazy one! Elder Wanner and I are the only companionship in the whole zone that isn't switching!  By the time I am done in this area I will have spent the whole first 1/4 of my mission here, which is nuts!! So just keep sending the packages here until January because I will be with the Fryes until then.

    Well, this week has actually been a lot better.  I was feeling a little down there for a while, but the Lord is just trying to teach me a lesson. Stinks when he does that right?! Haha This week we actually got a lesson with Sabrina.  Her whole family took us to go and see a live nativity that one of the stakes was putting on for the community.  It was really cool and fun.  They had live animals and it was outside, so it made it seem really cool! Then after they took us to Raising Canes which is a super super good fast food restaurant that needs to come to Idaho before I come home:)

      In other news you need a funny story right?!  The other night we were heading to a lesson.  Right after we were pulling out of our driveway and we saw these super nice dress shoes in the road. So Elder Wanner was like "woo, stop we have to go get those!!" So I whipped the Good old Toyota Corrolla around and we went and picked them up. Well, we got the shoes in the car and they were way nice dress shoes.  Then it started to stink and there was something on the toes of the shoes! And Elder Wanner was like NASTY!! Someone Threw up on these!!  We had to throw them back out of the window!! It was so dang funny! Good times on the mission.

      It looks like there is a lot of snow there.  Tanner sent me a pic of him riding last week and it looks so sick! I won't lie. Made me "trunky" for a few minutes.  I miss the snow terribly bad.  It just does not feel like Christmas here, which might be a good thing. That way I can't miss home too much, right?!;) As for Christmas, I will be Skyping you guys from the Crowders home on Christmas day. I am not sure what their name or whatever is on their computers but I will be able to call you that morning on our phone and give you the details and then I will call you back. What time would work best for me to Skype you? As for Christmas I don't really know what I need... a few ties wouldn't be bad.  I would like a hard back bible. I have taken just like a regular Book of Mormon and just dominated it, which makes it feel really good.  So if you wanted to just get me a regular Bible that is hard back kind of like the Books of Mormon are, that would be cool, too:)  Other than that Mcdonald's gift cards are never a wrong choice or Subway or any type of gift card. And anything else you can think of.  I really don't need much. And honestly I just want to Skype you guys and see how life is at home. That will be the best Christmas you can give me.  I love my mission to death- don't get me wrong.  I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I do miss you guys sometimes;)

     I have to share with you an experience I thought I would never in my life have. Yesterday while at church we had just got done with Sacrament meeting.  We were talking to our investigator, Corla and she was just walking out of the door when I turned and looked at the stand and there was a man who was in just regular clothes talking to the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric.  I turned to Brother Whithing our ward mission leader and asked if he knew who that was. He said no. So immediately we went to go and talk to him. Turns out he was actually from Santa Anna California and he has been having some real struggles in his life. So he needed to just go for a drive and he drove 4 hours until he had a feeling that he needed to just come into the building and listen to the people there. Now our church building isn't just on the most traveled road, so that was crazy!! We went into the nursery room and Brother Schofield gave Abel one of the best blessings I have ever heard. The spirit was so strong. I couldn't hold back the tears. We then taught him the first lesson and gave him a marked Book of Mormon.  We got his information and he went on his way. Hopefully he will go home and then find the gospel and he will be able to apply it in his life and save his marriage.

     I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and he watches out for each and every one of his children. I don't know Abel very well, but my heart aches for that man.  I know what can help him and his life if he will just go home and find the missionaries. I hope that they can get in contact with him from the information that we will send them today.  It was such a testimony builder for me, and even though I do miss you guys and the snowmobiling, it is experiences like those that make everyday I am out here worth it. I hope that we all will remember what Christmas really is all about and what the purpose of life really is. We are here to serve and give ourselves to God's will and I know that if we will, we will be blessed. I love you all so much and hope you have an awesome week!!

 The Church is true and the Book is blue!!!

Your son/uncle/brother/friend,
Elder Crapo

November 28, 2012

Hey family!!!

 Dang, it is good to hear from you!! This past week has been crazy fast with things to do and super busy for Elder Crapo!! I have so much I could tell you about and I can't even believe that Christmas is going to be here soon!! As for Brett, I am so glad he is ok.  I almost pulled out our phone and called home when I saw heart attack!! Don't be doing crap like that anymore! And Grandpa, hopefully you are getting better and having a better week now. Things here are going well and Thanksgiving was a good/weird time to be a missionary.  Thankfully Bishop Crowder is the best guy in the world and he fed us really well. We will also be calling home from there on Christmas:)  I want to Skype so I can see the whole fam and stuff. That would be awesome! I am pretty sure that we have right around an hour to talk during that time so that will be fun!

   Well, as for the week of a missionary it has been a tough and a good week. I won't lie. I have been having a lot of different struggles this transfer that hadn't ever come up when Elder Cunningham was here. I am learning a ton from all of this. Crazy how the Lord is constantly shaping and molding us as missionaries. Sometimes it isn't all that fun, but I am learning how to handle things and situations that I haven't ever been presented with before my mission. We have been really having a struggle with all the work in the area and I have really been praying hard on how I can change that. For months the Southern Highlands ward progress record has just been the front page and then the Somerset would hit the back. Well, we went and had breakfast on Saturday with Bishop Nelson and I just asked for as many people as he knew that we could go and visit and share a Christmas message with and he gave us several names! So even though we aren't having a ton of luck with new investigators or baptisms we are doing a ton of less active work!  Then the other day we got two mormon.org refferrals on the phone and I was so happy I could almost cry!  It is really hard to go to district meeting and everyone else in the zone has like 2 or 3 or even 4 people set for baptism in the next month and then we have zero. It makes me feel like I am doing a crappy job.  We work really hard and we see tons of people- just no fruits as of right now:/ But I thank my Father in Heaven every single day for the less active work that we have and have done! The Mitchells just met with the Bishop on Sunday so they are working toward the temple:) And the our other family comes to church every week!! So they are doing awesome...But unfortunately their dad told them they couldn't get baptized. He just has a chip on his shoulder about something that happened in the church a while ago. But one day the kids will be baptized and they will be strong members of the church!:)

  Now with the mormon.org referrals we got- we went and we contacted them last night and they are two high school kids.  They are super interested! Their brother is currently attending BYU-Idaho and so we have a tie already! And their dad who wasn't too interested was still really cool to us and they will be feeding us tomorrow night! We are going to have to be eating twice which is never good on the diet... but, i guess, what do you do?! Haha

  Now for the Turkey bowl, That was so fun! We all dominated! We played our first game and we tied.  So whoever then scored the most touchdowns in the next game was the winner.  We played another zone- the Red Rock zone and Totally dominated them 12 to 2! We felt pretty bad because we had to slaughter them in order to make it to the Championship game.  Red Rock zone is where Jimmy Mai was from and I baptized him, so I think Elder Wrathall, my buddy from Michigan probably wanted to kill me doing that to him. No he is way cool and it was a ton of fun. But then in the championship game things got a little heated. We were kicking and dominating with Elder Jones, and some other Elder on the other team who thought he was pretty cool just like laid him out. We still scored. But in order for the AP's to avoid a brawl they just had us replay the play and we ended up losing by one touchdown. I guess I would say that we really won but Tule Springs thinks they won... Anywho, haha it was a really good week!

    Now that I have told you about how slow the work has been the church has come out with a new website called mormon.org/christmas.  If you all haven't gone on and checked it out, please do!! Go on for FHE and watch the videos! It is such a good thing that we can all share with our friends. We have been trying to get into every member in both our wards home and share this with them and then commit them to post the E cards to Facebook so hopefully their non member friends will see it and go check the website out and then request us to come by:) The non members can even request us to bring them a free Bible!  So everyone- will you get on mormon.org/christmas and post those ecards to your Facebook? (This is where you say, yes Braxton. We will.)  Then I say I promise that if you will do that you will have a spiritual experience of your own and our Heavenly Father will bless you and your friends because of your efforts:)  Really,  though, please go on and do that for the Lord! He is giving us such good resources and we need to be using them to hasten the work! This week is going to be awesome! We are so booked and the Lord is going to really bless the members of the church through everyone's service. Oh, and if you could post those to my little Facebook thing you all set up that would be awesome as well!!

  As for Christmas cards I am going to go and do that today.  But I need some addresses like Matt's moms and Austin's moms. So if you could send those that would be awesome! I am so thankful for all of you and all that you do for me! I love you guys so much! And let me know if you don't want to Skype. Sister Crowder said we could do it at their house, so just let me know!  I hope everyone has a good week and Brett- Don't be doing crap like that anymore! I love you all and Foster, I don't know when your basketball tryouts are, but go kick some butt!!! Oh and Tell Mr. Jake Angell that I am still alive and I do still get mail and that it is legal to write a brother.  But tell him I said hi as well and to kick trash at the new job!! I will talk to you all on Monday..... but until then!
Ofa Atu!!

Elder Crapo

November 19, 2012

Hey fam!!!
  
     Well, sounds like the life in Idaho is going really well!! I am glad to hear that Coy isn't feeling all that well since he went and played without me... Just so you know I will be expecting a good trip to Lake Mead with you Cade, Wes, Brett, Jeff and Dad when I come home in a few years, so get it all planned out will you?! Haha you punks! No, just kidding. That stinks and I am sure that was pretty fun for you guys!! Things here are going well. Weather is awesome - mid 60s and lower 70s! This week was good for mail!  Everyone in the family is awesome! Sorry if I don't get to read everyone's email that you sent.  I don't have a ton of time! But what do you do right?!
   Well, I just as well get right into the week here in Vegas.  It was definitely a week of ups and downs. The work is super slow right now and all of our investigators are flaking on us or just too busy to meet with us. Mark and Jerri are on vacation in California, and then Sabrina is still not feeling well. We haven't heard from her much and we are going to try and see her tonight:/. But we did have some cool stuff happen! We went to see Corla toward the beginning of the week and that was pretty cool/crazy. She tried to drop us and tell us that she was moving. At first I was pretty bummed and I was just letting her say what she wanted and then the Elder Cunningham came out in me. Haha I felt really strongly that I shouldn't just let her drop us. So the Spirit really took over. I honestly don't even know what the heck happened and what I said I am really not sure. But she started into saying that she just felt overwhelmed and that she was looking for something.  She felt like she was just in a rut that she couldn't get out of. Well, the Spirit saw that as an opportunity and we just told her that this is what she was looking for and that she needed to really experiment on our words. She took it well and we began again with teaching her the next day:) We had an awesome lesson but I could definitely tell something was off.
  Well, she committed to come to church and then yesterday rolled around. We texted her and she said she wasn't going to be able to make it, which stunk.  But we told her to come late and just hit the classes but she never replied... Well, last night at 10 we got a text from her that said she had tried to commit suicide and that she wasn't doing well.  She is now in the hospital on the other side of the I -15 so we can't even go see her, which really isn't good. But we are going to call the missionaries over there and see if they will go and see her.
     Honestly, things this week as far as work goes was really slow which wasn't too fun.  I guess, what do you do! We are having a struggle with finding people to teach and we really want to get some new investigators, as well as we need some people to come to church. I feel bad because I want to do a good job.  Obviously, things just seem to keep falling through.  Hopefully this week will turn around!!  The Lord teaches us in pretty crazy ways I know that.  He has been teaching me a lot about myself through the trials that I have and with not having too large of a teaching pool. We did find a new investigator last night, though so that was really good!!:)  Already the week is on the up!
    We had our mission tour with Elder Larry Echo Hawk and he was super good! He told us about his conversion story and he did an awesome job. Super smart guy and definitely a servant of the Lord! We also got to hear from President and Sister Black, which is always a treat. We also heartd from Sister Echo Hawk. The whole day was full of spiritual enlightenment!
  Well, the best part of the week was that Jimmy, the guy that Elder Cunningham and I found while teaching the Critchlows, got baptized!! And I had the opportunity to do it for him:) It was really cool. I just kind of felt bad because I had planned on not getting in the water my whole mission because I would much rather have someone from their ward baptize them. But when I tried to tell Jimmy and Elder Wrathal that, they said that he really wanted me to do it. So I did it because I decided that since I am worthy and it is what the Lord has commissioned me to do, I can't not baptize him out of selfish matters. So It was good to get to do that and we got to go with Kevin and Jen to the baptism, so that was really cool. They are doing awesome! I love those guys. I told them they will have to come visit us in Idaho someday!
  Oh and before I forget - next week we have Temple day!!!:) Boy, am I stoked about that!  I really can't wait!  I won't email until next Wednesday, so no worries when you don't get an email on Monday.  I got the potatoes and all the packages and letters from everyone this week! Thank you so dang much! You guys are awesome. That really makes my weeks go by so much better to know that at least I'm not completely forgotten at home and deep down you all miss me:) Oh, and Mandi, just so you know, you're the only one who has sent California pics! Thanks for those- they were awesome! And Jensens - your package was awesome. Thank you so much.  Coy and Emilee, thanks for the emails.  Jeff and Hali, thanks for all the letters. You guys are awesome! Everyone- thank you! I definitely have the best family! Oh and Grandma and Grandpa- thanks for the cookies and the popcorn balls. They are all gone:) I know one thing- you all won't recognize me when I gain 50 lbs. I
I'll come home and make you all go run with me so I can lose enough weight to find a wife!
    I got a sweet new CD from our ward mission leader. He is a guy named Arty. He is the brother in law of Brother Lancaster. He is in a band and he sings hymns as well as country stuff.  He is super good.  We have his hymns CD and he is awesome at that!
   Oh, and Thanksgiving is going to be awesome! We are going to Bishop Crowders and then to the Mitchells. Our favorite places! That is probably where we will be for Christmas, too:) But I can let you know more about that when it comes!!! Oh and not to make ya'll trunky for Regg to come home but, when he does punch him and tell him to write me. I wrote him to no reply, that punk. But, anyway, on Thanksgiving we are going to be having our Turkey Bowl where the whole mission gets together and plays. It's going to be sick!!! That is why we have been practicing for like two months. Last week I went and got some sick 17 dollar cleats at Ross!!  We are going to dominate and I will send you some pics! I love you all and hope to hear from you soon! Have an awesome thanksgiving!! I am so Thankful for all of you and all you do in my life and for everything you have done. You won't ever know the impact it has had on me while out here in the mission field. I have so much I could tell you and just not enough time!:( Just know I am doing well and having fun serving the Lord!!! He will take care of me, so no worries:) I am also very thankful for my nieces and nephews. It's so good to see you guys in pics and see how much you have grown. You are going to be leaders to all your friends, so have fun and live the gospel!! Be an example to those around you because you never know who is going to be looking! I am so Grateful for my Savior and his Atonement because without it I know I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't ever be able to preach his gospel. And I am definitely very thankful for my Family:)
   I will talk to you all next Wednesday! Have a good Thanksgiving and eat enough for me too!!!! I love you guys!!!

Love,
Elder Crapo

The Church is true, and the book is Blue!!!

November 12, 1012

Hey fam -  how is everyone!?

  Man, the mission life is taking some crazy turns this last week.  It has been a week of straight ups and downs for me. Frustration of training and not knowing exactly what to do in each and every situation is tough. But things are pretty sweet.  I am keeping busy and doing the Lords work:) Elder Wanner and I are doing much better but things are still a little rough but I can definitely feel your prayers and they are being answered each and every day. That is sweet that it is snowing at home and yes, it did snow a little bit here, which was sweet but it was just a few flurries.  Nothing like we get at home. I just really want a day of white when I wake up! But hey, what do you do right?
     As for a box of potatoes to give away that would be awesome!!! And Coy I am ticked everyone is coming so close to me and I can't see ya'll.  I didn't think our family ever came to Nevada and now that I am here it seems like a weekly occurrence!!!  It's all good.  That fishing trip is going to be sick! Hope you catch a lot and don't freeze. I am definatly getting acclimatized. It has been in the low 50's all week and you would think that I am frozen.  I don't even leave the house without my coat on. It is dang cold!!! I don't know how I will adjust coming back to the 0's in Idaho. As of now, Vegas is treating me well!
    We got to go to a sweet symphony last night with our investigators, Mark and Jerri Woolworth, over at the Smiths Center on the East side of the freeway- Elder Cunningham would refer to it as the "promised land". President Black was there and it was a really really neat experience and we got to know the Woolworths so much better.  She is super awesome and a wedding planner and loved being in the Smiths center to hear the symphony and the performance was awesome! They did a really good job and they talked about the pioneers and all the hard things that they had to go through when they settled here in the west. Jerri hadn't ever heard that story, so it was really good to have her there. The only thing that really stinks is she is going away on business for 10 days so we won't be able to meet with her for a while.
    As for everything else this week has been a tougher week than most, I guess you could say. I have been knocking doors all dang week with not much success, if any at all. But I am praying for better success this week. The Lord is just trying to make me tougher.:) I am enjoying it and Elder Wanner is a tough working kid, which helps.  I am not really sure how the heck I would do it if he wasn't at least willing to go out and do stuff. The apartment makes me crazy!!!  The twelve week program that the church has instituted for training is amazing and it does so much for us new missionaries and especially as trainers.  24 weeks of it is going to be good...:)  It is just a lot of time to study which is good for me and we keep ourselves busy which is good but It is getting long. Elder Wanner is a really good kid and he is learning very very quickly. He is a really good missionary.
   I am going to write president so hope you all have a good week! Keep me posted on if I can help you in anything.  Love you guys!

PS:   If you could send me another journal that would be awesome! I am almost through my first one  Have a good week love you guys!!