Hey fam!!!
It is good to hear from you and hear that all is well! Things here in Vegas are going really good and we are having a ton of success. I hope that everyone got to go and see the broadcast yesterday. It was unreal! As I looked out over those young missionaries coming into the field all I could think was that there is no doubt that this is without a doubt the Lord's work. Don't let yourselves miss out on this. There is so much to do and so many people who are being prepared right now in our places like it says in Alma 13:24.
We had a really busy weekend and I feel so blessed to even be a part of the work that is going on here in our area and in my old area. I had the opportunity to get in the water and baptize two different people that I have taught and that was so cool. The first lady's name is Cathy and she is in the area I am serving in right now. That was quite an experience. She was SUPER nervous I was going to drop her or leave her under the water too long. So every time I put her under the water her foot would come up and she would let go of my hand and try to catch herself which was not good! I ended up having to put her under the water 3 times, but we finally got it done and she was confirmed a member of the church yesterday.
Then on Saturday I got to go back to my old area and Baptize a lady named Chaquita. She is a really cool lady that we met through some investigators in my last area and Elder Frost, my boy finished teaching her and she got baptized. That was a really neat experience to be back with all the people from my second area and get to touch base with a lot of them. That area really seems like a blur to me because I was only there for 12 weeks and Elder Frost and I worked so hard and built it up from nothing because of the double transfer. It is crazy how the Lord works! I love that I have had the opportunity to be here at this time.
As we watched that broadcast yesterday the excitement was definitely in the air. I was so stoked to be there and to be there with the whole zone watching it was really fun. There was a pretty good turn out from the stake. I was able to say goodbye to the Mays and I also met Dorla Jenkins son!!! He is in my stake and Bishop Stephen's cousin is serving in his ward, which was pretty cool. I didn't really put it all together but after he explained it I was like, "oh that makes sense!!" He is heading down to visit today and was asking if I needed to have anything taken home, but I really didn't have anything for him. SMALL world, huh?? I seem to meet people with connections to St. Anthony every single week. I am sure that Elder Peacock is sick of hearing about my small little town. It is crazy to all of these missionaries that I wouldn't ever live in a city... I do love my mission and I love Las Vegas but I would do almost anything to work in the tractor for a few hours. So have fun with it!!
The one big thing I took from yesterday's meeting though, was love. We should just love everyone!! I know that is pretty tough to do sometimes, but it just seemed like the message that was being restated was that we should love people into the Gospel. Even if they won't accept the message, that doesn't matter. We have to just keep loving them. I find that hard when people slam the door in our face or we get yelled at for some stupid reason or people are rude, but remember people can always change. For instance, there is a guy from my old ward that Elder Frost and I started teaching. His name is Dan. Now Dan had been into some pretty heavy drugs and has served ten years in jail for dealing them and doing things that he shouldn't have been doing. When we started to meet with him he wanted nothing to do with God or our message. But his brother and sister in law, who he is living with are both members. His brother also is a recent convert and served 10 years in prison for the same thing. Well, anywho Dan has kept talking to the missionaries every time that they come over and they were just friends with him. That is all we ever did with him. We just tried to connect and then we would share like a 15 minute lesson at the end of dinner. Well, I guess since I left his interest has sky rocketed and now he has a baptism date of July 5. His family just loved him and never tried to push, but he could see that there was a difference in their lives and he wanted it.
I see now how easy it would have been to just invite people to talk to the missionaries. And I know that there is a fear that people might get offended. But as stated by Elder Holland last night "an invitation that is extended sincerely out of love for the person and the Savior will never come across as offensive."
I don't want anyone to miss out on this awesome opportunity to share the gospel. I know this sounds crazy but it gets you going. My adrenaline pumps and I get super excited. Last night I wanted to run out of the church building and just go find people to teach!!! I really do believe that if everyone would just listen, this message would ring true to them and they would desire to come into the fold. Now all we need to do is show people love and extend the invitation. First we must prove to people that we love them and that we really do care about them and that we aren't just trying to baptize them. That really isn't my purpose out here. I really am just trying to learn how to love everyone and help them feel the love of Christ. I know I am on one today so I am going to shut 'er down. haha I am just so pumped about the work and how it is progressing forward:) I know that you can all be a part of it, too.
I hope that you all have an awesome week! I love you and if there is anything I can do for you please let me know. I am going to get going. I'll talk to you soon!!
Love,
Elder Crapo
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