Hey fam!!
Well, this has been one of the craziest weeks of my life!!! Talk about stress and feeling like a "visa waiter." My "son", Elder Wanner didn't ever get feeling better so he ended up having to go home, which was really sad. We are all hoping that he will be back within the next couple months. So since last Wednesday, I have been out of my area and have been jumping around from companion to companion waiting for the transfer to come. I won't lie- I was ready!! I was sick of being in a trio. I thought that since Elder Wanner was going to be going home, President would leave me in my area and I would stay one more transfer to familiarize a new person to the place. Well, he decided that that's not where he needed me. Well, I guess the Lord did. It was sad for me because I wanted to stay one more. But I got the call and I am double transferred into a new area and I am training again, which is cool!
My new "sons" name is Elder Frost. He is a stud from Mesa Arizona and I picked him up yesterday! We moved into a brand new apartment with no area book and not much going on. Last night was tough. We just walked around and street contacted people then came home and set up our beds and our rooms. I feel like such a lost dog here in this new area. I guess no point in not telling you because you will get a letter, but I have been called as a District Leader as well. So I double transferred, I'm training, and District Leader... I feel really, really lost. I am trying to learn the ropes of a lot of positions here in the mission and it is fun. Definitely, a learning experience for me. Our zone just got created and things here in the Nevada Las Vegas West mission are going CRAZY!!! It is so cool to be a part of this. There is so much going on and it makes it fun to be a missionary. This past few months have gone by so fast! I can't believe that it has already been as long as it has. Oh, and my new companian is... 18!! It's cool! He is a pioneer! It's awesome!!
Now as for my old area, I was sad to leave it. It was a pretty tough week. It was an interesting week with all the changes that happened. I'm not totally sure what I was supposed to learn from all of that, but I am sure that it will soon manifest itself to me. I know one thing- it helped me to really get focused on the work because I haven't had one minute to think about anything else but my mission. I guess everyone was right - once you hit the 6 month mark you really begin to understand a little bit better as to what your supposed to be doing. I still don't feel like I know a dang thing, but at least I know what I need to do during the days and all of that.
I had to say a quick goodbye to all of the people in my area and that was good and bad. It was super sad to say goodbye to Sabrina and her kids. Also Sister Finau was a tough person to say goodbye to. I knew that it was coming so it wasn't too bad. I really felt like I was leaving my home, but the new area is going to make up for it! I am in what is called the Meadows Stake. You can just continue to send all my stuff to the mission office because I am literally like a mile away from it. Our area is really weird. I don't even live in my area. It takes me like 10 minutes to drive to my area. Hopefully I get lots of miles because we are going to have to make that drive everyday! I still haven't met a single person in my area or from my ward yet, so I am so excited to get to do that tonight! We are just really lost right now. We have brand new Zone Leaders and no one knows where to go. It's pretty crazy. The mission is just booming!
As for how I am doing.... I am doing good. Sorry for not e-mailing yesterday. They didn't have any libraries open yesterday due to Martin Luther King Jr Day. I am so proud of you, Taia! It looks like you dominated!! That's my girl! And forget the judges! I don't care what they say. If you can throw a standing back flip - you win fitness! I'll try and print you out an award and you can post it on your wall. I'm dang proud of you for all you have done! That's good work!
I really wish all of you at home could meet the people I am meeting here. It is awesome to be here and just to meet and see all of the different people and get to know Elders from all over the world! I feel like this has been my whole life - like the mission has always been what I do. Now that I am doing the 36 week program of training instead of just the normal 12 week training program that most people go through, I think that President just thinks I'm not getting it. So he has me train so that I can go through the 12 week training program again. Its probably my last chance or he is going to rebuke me! hahah But really things are going good. I am doing good. Hopefully you guys got my package and liked what I sent! If there is anything else I can do for you guys let me know. I am going to get going for now. I love you all so much!!
Talk to you next week!!
Love,
Elder Crapo
LAS VEGAS WEST!!!!!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
January 14, 2013
Hey fam!!
How is it going at home? Sounds like you guys are freezing! So are we. It is like 29 degrees everyday when I wake up and we are going to play football today outside on the grass. hahaha Holy cow, I am glad I am not a missionary in Idaho! No offense - I mean I love Idaho to death and it will always be home, but I do like the Vegas winters. This week has been a pretty tough one, I'm not going to lie. It's not because I am home sick. It's just a tough missionary week. Tuesday night elder Wanner and I were working and we went to all of our appointments and he started to say he didnt feel so hot. Then Wednesday morning it really started to hit him. So I told him that he should go and try to sleep it off so that we could go to work later that afternoon. Well, when he woke up he couldn't remember anything from that morning and he had a bloody nose. I won't lie, it was pretty scary. We took him to the hospital and they checked him out and said all was well. Then on Thursday we took Elder Wanner to the doctor and they did some more tests and everything came up clear. So we came home and he went to bed. I had some other elders come and stay while we covered a few appointments, but basically when your comp is sick, you get to sit at home and study or chill. The whole "no nap" thing has been pretty tough. haha But I am still holding strong. I figure I just gotta get past the 6 month mark at least, before I allow any slack right?? Then on Friday, we had interviews and Elder Wanner was still feeling sick. When he got interviewed by President he passed out - and back to the hospital we went. He ended up staying in the hospital two nights in a row and I went with some other Elders so that we could do the baptisms and so that I could go to church. I have basically been with Sister Black all week because she is the one who handles all of the medical emergencies like that. They think that Elder Wanner just has an inner ear infection that makes him really dizzy and sick to his stomach. The problem is, that it takes time to recover from all of that. So who knows what my week this week is going to have in store. So if you get the sudden urge to write me a letter to read while I sit at home and stare at the white walls of our apartment - feel free!!!:) haha But know that Elder Wanner is doing better and hopefully by tomorrow or the next day we can get back out to work!!
As for the baptisms - they went well. It was a bitter sweet moment because Elder Wanner wasn't able to make it and so I ended up baptizing and confirming both Sabrina and Corvin, her son. My ward mission leader, Brother Whiting, was the one who sent you the emails! But the baptism was pretty crazy! As I said, I have spent most of my week with the Blacks, so President and Sister Black decided that they wanted to come to the baptism, which I was actually glad they would want to do that. Also the Stake President showed up and about 30 other people.... except one small problem. The baptism was at 6 and at 5:55 Sabrina and Corvin weren't there yet. They ended up showing up at 6:15 and I was stressed to the MAX!! Holy cow, she about made me have a heart attack!! I had two other elders there with me but they weren't my companion, so they really didn't know what was going on, so it was all on me. And to top it all off, President was there... Just a stressfull time. Then the next day was their confirmations. So I stayed with my district leader and his companion another night and we went to church at nine for the Southern Highlands Ward. And guess who shows up?.... President Black. I love him to death, but I get so stressed when he comes around. I didn't have a real companion at the time because my companion was Brother Lancaster, our ward mission leader. And there were 2 people who just randomly decided to show up, which was awesome!! Another member had a friend who wanted to have dinner with us and learn about the church. I could go on, but I'm sure that I am just confusing you. Let's just say I have been very, very stressed this week. It has been good and one of the most interesting parts of my mission so far!
Also, last night after Sabrinas baptism, I went with my District Leader and taught another lesson to her neighbor, Mason the 12 year old girl. (I think I may have talked about her). Elder Stewart stayed at our house with Elder wanner. We commited her to be baptized on the 26 of January!! So the Lord is definitely blessing the area with it's trials that come. Our wards are doing so good right now and I thank Heavenly Father for that. All of your prayers are definitely helping as well! Busy is the best way to be! Now we just need to get out of the apartment so we can teach these people. But soon we will!!
Now as for transfers - in my interview with President we had a very, very good talk. That man is definitely called of God and is led by the Spirit. He talked to me and I am going to be getting transferred. And Mom, to answer the training question - I won't know until this Friday night. I won't know where I am going or what I am going to be called as. It really could go a lot of different ways. I think I will probaly just go as either a junior companion again, or as a senior companion to another missionary who has been out for a while. I kind of doubt I will train again this transfer, but I really won't know until next week. When I email you on next Monday I will know who my new companion is and where I will be at. So I am way excited!! It is going to be very bitter sweet to leave this area because I LOVE the wards. They honestly feel like home to me now, which is what I wanted. I wanted to love it right from the get go. The mission has been hard, and I now know what my mom went through when I was sick. It is tough, but I am learning patience and I think that his being sick is just as much for me as it is for Elder Wanner. But next Monday night will be the night that I leave and go to the new area with my new companion. Where or what my calling will be at this time, I really don't know and won't know until Friday or Saturday night.
Now as for anything I need right now- I am doing good. Just start sending mail and things to the mission office on about Wednesday. For the people who really don't write me much, just have them always send it to the mission office. That way they never guess wrong. I really should be good though. I am going to be sending you a package home here in the next week or so of my christmas stuff and a few things I got for you guys. So I am pretty excited for that. But really, all is well for VEGAS!!! Just living the good old missionary dream. Now as for Mataia and Jr Miss this next weekend... go out there and dominate!! That's going to be so awesome! I am stoked to hear how it goes!! I am going to go write President now. Keep me posted on the freezing weather. I love you guys so much and I can't wait to hear from you! Pray for me not get too bored in the apartment alone doing nothing! Just one day at a time right, Mindy??
I love you guys talk to you soon!!
Elder Crapo
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
January 7, 2013
Hey fam!!
Well how is 2013 treating you?! As for things here in Vegas, they are going crazy!! We are super busy and having a lot of fun this last little bit of my time here in the Southern Highlands area. We had Fast Sunday yesterday and it was a pretty sad day for me- I won't lie. This place has become a second home to me and I really don't want to leave. We had a leadership training last week and President came and sat at our table. He looked at me and asked how long I had been in my area... well, I said, "if I tell you only one transfer will you let me stay one more??" hahaha He laughed and said I knew it had been a while! So from the sounds of it I will be moving, which is a very bitter sweet for me. I have really grown to love the members here.
I got the opportunity to bear my testimony in sacrament yesterday and that was good. They are probably sick of hearing from me, but I guess what do you do? I really felt like I needed to share it one more time before I got the boot to a new area. Besides, I have so much work to do here in these next two weeks I cant think about it.
We are going to be having a baptism on SATURDAY!!!! Sabrina and her son, Corvin are getting baptized at 6:00pm on Saturday. I wish I could express how happy I am about that, but there really isn't a way. It's like I said yesterday to the wards- I would give up anything, except my family, to come out here and be doing this. I can just remember the way I was a few short months ago and I want to cry it scares me so bad. I don't know where I would be had I not come out here on my mission. It is crazy to think of how scared I was just to go to BYU-Idaho where everyone is nice. Now my favorite thing of missionary work is street contacting people on the busy ghetto streets! I love just going up to random people and learning about them and sharing the gospel with those people. It is unreal what the Lord can do with a little Idaho farm boy! Now that's not to say I am good at it. I'm just saying that He has helped me learn how to enjoy it. Awkward is a missionary's middle name:)
As for other things here, we are actually working with Sabrina's neighbor, Mason. She is a 13 year old girl who has a desire to learn about what we are really about. She is super nice and went to a young women's activity this last week which is pretty cool! We are way excited about all of that because she has been asking us when she can get baptized as well. The Lord is definitely blessing us with things to do and people to work with:) Makes all of this time worth it for sure!!!
The fun thing is that I love what I do! I love the work and I love the people. The hard part will be changing it all up!! Dang it. But that is what the Lord is doing to us out here. That is one thing that I have been learning is why we are doing all this and why we really are here. This life is so short and in reality it doesn't take much time at all. In an eternal perspective, what we do here can effect us forever. We are learning to be more like our Father in Heaven. He doesn't allow us to go through things because he wants us to suffer. He does it because we need it so that we can return to Him. Simple stuff but super hard for me to start to understand.
I have also begun reading the Book of Mormon again for the 3rd time on my mission and - dang is it blowing me away! I have been marking every reference to Jesus Christ and it is so full you wouldn't even believe it. I know Coy would because I found a Book of Mormon of his that he had on his mission and I actually have it out here with me. He doesn't know that yet, but now he does:) Sorry, man. haha I have just begun to see how much that Book can affect us. So here is my advice to the fam for this week. Whenever you feel down or you don't know what's happening in your life and not much seems to be working... Read the Book of Mormon. It really does make such a huge difference!! I know that you are all going through some tough and scary times in your lives but remember our Savior is always there. He knows what it feels like when I am out here and it has been a long day of knocking doors and no one wants to talk to us. Or when we knock a door and we get yelled at. He knows what we are going through. And He loves us so much! That is definitely something I didn't know or understand at all until I got here.
Yesterday people bore their testimonies about how grateful they were to the missionaries... I don't think they understand how grateful I am to them. I told them that my family would be forever grateful to them for helping make me who I am today. I know I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have had to be out here serving my Heavenly Father and because of that service it has made me love my family so much more. You guys are awesome! Taia good luck with Jr Miss! Just go dominate out there and have fun! And to all the other grandkids - I love you guys! Keep having fun and enjoy life! Have fun in the snow because in Vegas there is none of that!!!
But I better get going. I hope you all have an awesome week and I won't know my transfer call until the 21st, which is the day I will be leaving my area. So I will tell you that day!! I love you guys so much and let me know if I can do anything for you guys!! Talk to you soon!
Love Elder Crapo
PS Do you know if Kenny DAlling ever got the tie I sent him???
LAS VEGAS WEST!!!:)
Well how is 2013 treating you?! As for things here in Vegas, they are going crazy!! We are super busy and having a lot of fun this last little bit of my time here in the Southern Highlands area. We had Fast Sunday yesterday and it was a pretty sad day for me- I won't lie. This place has become a second home to me and I really don't want to leave. We had a leadership training last week and President came and sat at our table. He looked at me and asked how long I had been in my area... well, I said, "if I tell you only one transfer will you let me stay one more??" hahaha He laughed and said I knew it had been a while! So from the sounds of it I will be moving, which is a very bitter sweet for me. I have really grown to love the members here.
I got the opportunity to bear my testimony in sacrament yesterday and that was good. They are probably sick of hearing from me, but I guess what do you do? I really felt like I needed to share it one more time before I got the boot to a new area. Besides, I have so much work to do here in these next two weeks I cant think about it.
We are going to be having a baptism on SATURDAY!!!! Sabrina and her son, Corvin are getting baptized at 6:00pm on Saturday. I wish I could express how happy I am about that, but there really isn't a way. It's like I said yesterday to the wards- I would give up anything, except my family, to come out here and be doing this. I can just remember the way I was a few short months ago and I want to cry it scares me so bad. I don't know where I would be had I not come out here on my mission. It is crazy to think of how scared I was just to go to BYU-Idaho where everyone is nice. Now my favorite thing of missionary work is street contacting people on the busy ghetto streets! I love just going up to random people and learning about them and sharing the gospel with those people. It is unreal what the Lord can do with a little Idaho farm boy! Now that's not to say I am good at it. I'm just saying that He has helped me learn how to enjoy it. Awkward is a missionary's middle name:)
As for other things here, we are actually working with Sabrina's neighbor, Mason. She is a 13 year old girl who has a desire to learn about what we are really about. She is super nice and went to a young women's activity this last week which is pretty cool! We are way excited about all of that because she has been asking us when she can get baptized as well. The Lord is definitely blessing us with things to do and people to work with:) Makes all of this time worth it for sure!!!
The fun thing is that I love what I do! I love the work and I love the people. The hard part will be changing it all up!! Dang it. But that is what the Lord is doing to us out here. That is one thing that I have been learning is why we are doing all this and why we really are here. This life is so short and in reality it doesn't take much time at all. In an eternal perspective, what we do here can effect us forever. We are learning to be more like our Father in Heaven. He doesn't allow us to go through things because he wants us to suffer. He does it because we need it so that we can return to Him. Simple stuff but super hard for me to start to understand.
I have also begun reading the Book of Mormon again for the 3rd time on my mission and - dang is it blowing me away! I have been marking every reference to Jesus Christ and it is so full you wouldn't even believe it. I know Coy would because I found a Book of Mormon of his that he had on his mission and I actually have it out here with me. He doesn't know that yet, but now he does:) Sorry, man. haha I have just begun to see how much that Book can affect us. So here is my advice to the fam for this week. Whenever you feel down or you don't know what's happening in your life and not much seems to be working... Read the Book of Mormon. It really does make such a huge difference!! I know that you are all going through some tough and scary times in your lives but remember our Savior is always there. He knows what it feels like when I am out here and it has been a long day of knocking doors and no one wants to talk to us. Or when we knock a door and we get yelled at. He knows what we are going through. And He loves us so much! That is definitely something I didn't know or understand at all until I got here.
Yesterday people bore their testimonies about how grateful they were to the missionaries... I don't think they understand how grateful I am to them. I told them that my family would be forever grateful to them for helping make me who I am today. I know I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have had to be out here serving my Heavenly Father and because of that service it has made me love my family so much more. You guys are awesome! Taia good luck with Jr Miss! Just go dominate out there and have fun! And to all the other grandkids - I love you guys! Keep having fun and enjoy life! Have fun in the snow because in Vegas there is none of that!!!
But I better get going. I hope you all have an awesome week and I won't know my transfer call until the 21st, which is the day I will be leaving my area. So I will tell you that day!! I love you guys so much and let me know if I can do anything for you guys!! Talk to you soon!
Love Elder Crapo
PS Do you know if Kenny DAlling ever got the tie I sent him???
LAS VEGAS WEST!!!:)
Friday, January 4, 2013
December 31, 2012
Dear Fam!
Well, I am really sorry. I just had a whole letter that I had written and the computer deleted it... but I just wanted to let you all know how much I love you!!!
As for tonight, we are going to have to be in at 6:00pm which really stinks because Elder Wanner and I will just have to look at each other and play with our nerf guns:) Yes, I wont lie. I had to splurg and get an $8 nerf gun so I could defend myself. haha
This week has been super good!! So far we think that Sabrina is going to have her baptism on January 12 and that her son will be baptized the same day!!!! Also we are hoping that Roderick and Chantell will be baptized that day, which would be so awesome!! I would love to leave this area with some recent converts at church:)
The phone call home was awesome to see everyone! I love you guys so much! You're awesome. Sister Fianu said that you were a little worried about me, Mom, which I thought was good. It made me feel loved! Yeah, it was tough for a little bit, but in the mission life you have no time to be homesick. You just keep on keeping on! I remember Mindy the day before I left- she told me the best advice that I have used everyday on my mission. She said "Just one day at a time, Brax. We will get through it one day at a time." I have found that to be so true! You just have to take everything as it comes and enjoy the ride:) The missionaries in my district call me the robot because they say that I have no feelings. haha I just don't show a ton of emotion, so they say. I guess I must put on a pretty good front for them because with you, I felt like I wasn't so emotionless! As for the phone call, it really just kinda recharged the batteries. It was so good to see you all and see how life was going. I am a little ticked that coy was pretty much in my area and I didn't get to see him. But that was a good thing for sure. Just so you know, Coy I'll be at Bass Pro either today or tomorrow. So if you're there and you see me - run! haha
As for the work- I really think that this has been kind of a turning point in my mission. I remember this week after a lesson with Sabrina, I turned to Elder Wanner and I was just like "Elder, I love my mission!" I just feels so good when you finally get to see the people you teach round the corner and hopefully make that last step toward baptism:) If we make it to that I am going to be so happy!!
And as for the Redrock Stake Nativity - we were at that Sabrina and her husband Jimmy. They took us and we all went and watched that. It was a ton of fun and super good. Sabrina is actually doing missionary work herself and she has been allowing us to teach a neighbor the lessons. So she might be getting baptized soon too! So the work is going well right now. Tomorrow we don't go out and work. We just have the day off tomorrow to just kind of hang out with our District and have fun. You will probably get a few letters because I have like 3 hours tonight to just chill because we cant leave our apartment.
Sorry this letter is so short. I will be better next week. I love you all so much and hope that you have a Happy New Year!!! 2013, here we come!! This will be what's called my "black year" because it is the year I will be out the whole year - which is awesome!! I can't wait to see what it has in store for us! I hope you all have a good week and enjoy the snow! I miss it so much! I love you all and will talk to you soon!
Love
Elder Crapo
Well, I am really sorry. I just had a whole letter that I had written and the computer deleted it... but I just wanted to let you all know how much I love you!!!
As for tonight, we are going to have to be in at 6:00pm which really stinks because Elder Wanner and I will just have to look at each other and play with our nerf guns:) Yes, I wont lie. I had to splurg and get an $8 nerf gun so I could defend myself. haha
This week has been super good!! So far we think that Sabrina is going to have her baptism on January 12 and that her son will be baptized the same day!!!! Also we are hoping that Roderick and Chantell will be baptized that day, which would be so awesome!! I would love to leave this area with some recent converts at church:)
The phone call home was awesome to see everyone! I love you guys so much! You're awesome. Sister Fianu said that you were a little worried about me, Mom, which I thought was good. It made me feel loved! Yeah, it was tough for a little bit, but in the mission life you have no time to be homesick. You just keep on keeping on! I remember Mindy the day before I left- she told me the best advice that I have used everyday on my mission. She said "Just one day at a time, Brax. We will get through it one day at a time." I have found that to be so true! You just have to take everything as it comes and enjoy the ride:) The missionaries in my district call me the robot because they say that I have no feelings. haha I just don't show a ton of emotion, so they say. I guess I must put on a pretty good front for them because with you, I felt like I wasn't so emotionless! As for the phone call, it really just kinda recharged the batteries. It was so good to see you all and see how life was going. I am a little ticked that coy was pretty much in my area and I didn't get to see him. But that was a good thing for sure. Just so you know, Coy I'll be at Bass Pro either today or tomorrow. So if you're there and you see me - run! haha
As for the work- I really think that this has been kind of a turning point in my mission. I remember this week after a lesson with Sabrina, I turned to Elder Wanner and I was just like "Elder, I love my mission!" I just feels so good when you finally get to see the people you teach round the corner and hopefully make that last step toward baptism:) If we make it to that I am going to be so happy!!
And as for the Redrock Stake Nativity - we were at that Sabrina and her husband Jimmy. They took us and we all went and watched that. It was a ton of fun and super good. Sabrina is actually doing missionary work herself and she has been allowing us to teach a neighbor the lessons. So she might be getting baptized soon too! So the work is going well right now. Tomorrow we don't go out and work. We just have the day off tomorrow to just kind of hang out with our District and have fun. You will probably get a few letters because I have like 3 hours tonight to just chill because we cant leave our apartment.
Sorry this letter is so short. I will be better next week. I love you all so much and hope that you have a Happy New Year!!! 2013, here we come!! This will be what's called my "black year" because it is the year I will be out the whole year - which is awesome!! I can't wait to see what it has in store for us! I hope you all have a good week and enjoy the snow! I miss it so much! I love you all and will talk to you soon!
Love
Elder Crapo
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