Well, this week has been crazy!! I have so much to tell you and unfortunately probably won't get to it all. It has been unbelievable and I have had some experiences that I won't ever be able to forget!!! I think the first one I should probably tell you about was that you remember how I said I thought I would have at least six more weeks here? Well, this past week I have been having feelings like I might be getting transferred, but I wanted to stay so bad. I just worked as hard as I could and didn't let myself even think about it. Saturday I got the phone call and I am going to be going to Mesquite tonight!!! Crazy, huh?? I will be covering two wards - the Mesquite 7th ward and the Virgin Valley Young Single Adult ward. My companion is Elder Kredt from Texas and he is a really cool dude. He was actually my zone leader at one point and now we will be zone leader companions. I won't lie, I am super excited because finally after a whole year I am going to be getting out of the city!!!! But yet I am really going to be missing this ward and the Samoan people:( Today is the last day I get to wear my Samoan tag and so I am living it up until I leave tonight and go to Mesquite. I got to go and say goodbye to a few people last night like the Thakers and the Hawks. I am really going to miss them. Mom, you should look up the Hawks and be their friends on Facebook and keep them posted on what's up with me. They are super awesome and totally a family that I am going to come back and visit at some point when it's all over. I have really connected well with them and it just felt like home to me. It made me realize how sad I will really be when I am completely done. I wanted to cry last night when we got back to the apartment. You really do learn how to love the people in all of the areas you serve in. As for my address in Mesquite, I have no idea right now. So if you send me anything, just send it to the mission office and Sister Sudweeks will forward it to me.
Now, as you all know, these past couple of weeks have kind of been rough in finding new investigators. Our ward had a special fast last week to ask for help in the missionary work in our ward. That was one of the biggest reasons I didn't want to get transferred because I want to leave every area better than when I found it. So these past couple of weeks I have been praying so hard that we would just find someone to teach. As I began my fast, I felt like in order to receive an answer I needed to be specific with what I asked. So while fasting, I felt like asking the Lord to allow us to find 5 new people to bring to the gospel and then to find 2 less active members that would actually start progressing. Then I just left it at that and I went about my regular days, praying regularly that we could find new people to teach. Well, we have to rewind a little to start this unbelievable story. So two weeks ago Elder West and I had about 10 minutes before an appointment. So I said, "well, let's go make a few phone calls to some people in the ward and set some things up." But Elder West felt like we should go to the park and contact, so we decided to do that. When we got there we got out and contacted a man named Fransico. And Fransico gave us his address and his phone number and told us we could come back. We were super excited we finally had someone who would actually have us over!! Then we didn't have enough time to contact anyone else and we headed back to the car. Well, two days go by and we go to the apartment #1020 that he told us was his. We get there and a younger girl, like 24 or so answers the door and tells us that there is nobody in the home with the name of Fransico. We were both like crap, the dude lied to us!!!! We just started talking to her and she agreed to let us come back the next day for a lesson.
So we headed back over the next day with our Bishop, and sure enough, another let down. She wasn't there. We then made a few visits and later the next day went by and talked to her again and set up another time to go by and meet with her. We assumed that it was just her in the home because when we asked her who would be there she said just her and her son, who is 3. So the next couple of days go by and I was not really down, but I was just like, dang what else can we do? We are always out working and we are being obedient. Why can't we find anyone? What am I doing wrong that is stopping us from finding people? One thing I was doing to also help us find people last week was the scriptures that I memorized everyday. They were all about finding and missionary work. And on Friday when I was having those feelings, I came across a scripture in Alma 26:27 and it says, "And now when our hearts were depressed and we were about to turn back, Behold the Lord comforted us and said, go among thy brethren the Lamanites and bear with patience thine afflictions and I will give unto thee success." And it really hit me! I memorized it and it really stuck with me all day that day. Well, the lesson comes with Rachel and we take a member of our bishopric over. When we get there, she lets us in. Well, not only were Rachel and her 3 year old son there, but also her sister, Nikki and her husband, Langford, and their 18 month old son. I couldn't believe it!! Not only that, when we taught them they were all super solid! Langford was just thanking us that we had come by and taken the time out of our day to visit them. The Spirit was really working on him! It was crazy. He said he hadn't been praying for it, but that we were what he had been looking for, that he wanted to believe in something and that he felt like this was right. We committed them to baptism and they all accepted. Not only that, but Langford said the first prayer he had ever said and it was awesome!!!
Now to add to all of this, yesterday at church we had a less active guy named Jose, who last week wanted his records removed from the church. Now he is feeling like it's not right and that he needs to come back and we will be meeting with him every week. Well, Elder West will be. But also Brother Ludlow, a guy who was super rude to me the first time I met him showed up to church yesterday!!!! He has been less active for years and he just came to church yesterday because we kept trying to visit him and we were just nice to him. We would leave little thoughts and the Spirit took over and yesterday he showed up!!!
So then yesterday, we were driving in the car and it dawned on me- I had prayed for 5 new people we could help learn about the gospel. Rachel, Nikki, Langford and their two little kids.... that makes 5. Now it wasn't what I expected because I was thinking like 5 adults, but still those little kids can now have that same foundation growing up that I was fortunate enough to have. Then I also asked for 2 less actives that would start progressing. Jose came to church for the first time in a long time and our lesson was great with him! And Brother Ludlow came to church for the first time in years.... I almost started to cry! I couldn't believe that I had been answered so directly. I know without a doubt that fasting works, and sometimes we just have to wait it out. The Lord has blessed me so much and He knew that I wouldn't want to leave without leaving the area with something and He blessed me with that. It is crazy how things work out sometimes and how the Lord will always answer our prayers. It reminds me of the scripture I memorized today in Mosiah 4:9 "Believe in god, believe that He is, that He created all things, both in heaven and in earth, believe that He has all wisdom, and power, both in heaven and in earth, believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."
I know that the Lord is taking care of us all and that He does watch over us. He answered my simple prayer and did it in the way it needed to happen. I am so blessed to even be here on my mission and be able to help out in the small ways that I do. I have so much more I wish I could tell you because we had a sick fireside last night with the guy who sings "How Can I Be." It is like a Samoan guy- I can't remember his name but you should try and find the song on iTunes. It is super good. We had it at the Tropical Breeze ward and it was all about missionary work and how music effects our lives. The song "How Can I Be" is about his testimony of the Book of Mormon and it is really good. So look him up he is awesome!!
(I found this video on YouTube....it must be the guy! It's an amazing song!.....Hali)
I am going to get going. I hope that everyone is having a sweet week!! Let me know if there is anything I can do for anyone. I won't be able to get too many letters written today because I will be packing most of the time! I will try and get you my address next week!! I love you all so much and hope that harvest continues to go good!
Oh, and guess what? In the Mesquite zone there is a place called Panaca and when I go up there for exchanges I will get to see snow in the winter!!!!!!!!! Best news ever!! I will drive through St. George to get to those small towns, which will be kinda cool. But anyway, I love you guys and I'll talk to you soon!!
Tofa Soifua!!
Alofa,
Elder Crapo
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