Deer

Merry Birthday Ella! Congrats, i hope turning 15 was very refreshing ha ha ha. Thats so sick that you found my ipod! just make sure that when you send it to me that you clean all of the other stuff off of it because I would defiantly be tempted to jam to some Justin Timberlake or Michael Jackson! Please can you load a whole bunch of conference talks on it, and try to refrain from putting on any solo singers who butcher the hymns by singing every note but the ones that were in the sheet music. But if it's in a group of people who change the notes thats not as bad, you see because when it's a group it sounds planned, but when it's one person...

 Today is my 2 month mark of being out on a mission.

Man I am so glad that I have come up north at this point and time in my mission, It would have sucked to come 1 month later than I did I seriously have been up here during the prettiest time ever! and it's really sad to see now because leaves are just falling like none other.  one of the forests near my apartment is almost completely bare of all leaves. And there is a blanket of color all over the ground every where, i keep bringing them into the house on accident because they get wet and just stick to me shoes or my pant leg. The only colors left on the trees are assorted browns and yellows with occasionally one yellow turning red. I was standing out on the balcony on our Zoneleaders apartment and it is really funny how all the trees from far away looks like colored marshmallows in the shape of brocoly (I don't know how to spell that but it's what we call dinosaur trees) 

This week we were out and about and while we were leaving a less actives house we got a text from one of our investigators husbands. it said "smoked venison at the trailer...now" we hit the road immediately! He is a less active member who has been working on a deer processing trailer to butcher deers. He is building this inside a Semi Trailer and has been working super hard on getting it finished in time for deer season (which is bigger than almost any holiday up here apparently, they don't have school on opening day because they know no one will come, and the city is gridlocked with cars apparently. 

 

I saw a bunch of office chairs out on a side walk that had a "for sale" sign on them, they were just regular office chairs but they were being advertised as "good deer blind chairs" ha ha.) We've been meeting with our investigator inside of this trailer and have been teaching her lessons, we set a baptismal date a few weeks ago. But the husband, as he was driving his son to school saw 2 deer get hit by a car and the other guy didn't want them (they were young and they died) he took them and cut them up and started cooking them. When we got there we had a lunch with glass plates, we had salad and venison, and we were sitting in folding chairs with our plates on the table saw table. It's alright tough we made sure to unplug the thing.

It's so funny I don't think I have gone a week up here without eating Venison.

We had District conference out in traverse city this week. It was like Stake conference but it was a weekend long event. Traverse City is about as far away from Mesa To Showlow in the time it takes to drive over there. But I loved Traverse City so much I did not want to leave. 

 

It currently has a population of about 30,000 people, but in the summer it's more than double that amount. It was nice being in a bigger city where there was actually traffic and noise, i could not go to sleep because I loved being in the Zone leaders apartment and being able to look out the window and since their apartment is on the top of the hill I could see city lights and hear cars quietly humming outside. 

 

But my favorite part of the whole thing was just being able to be around other missionaries for once, We stayed with the ZL's and the Elders from the Upper peninsula (the soo), and during conference we got to see like 5 other sets of both Elders and sisters. 

 

The Cop cars there in Traverse city are so sick they are all new Cameros and Dogechallengers I think, I thinks it's sick how they just have super nice sports cars.

 

We heard from Elder Lansing, one of the area 70's. Most of what was talked about in the meetings were for Family History and temple work which doesn't really apply to me because I can't do either at this time.  I really liked Elder Lansings insights on D&C 121 -123 though, he read through quite a bit of it and testified of many things. 

 

One of the things I liked was how in D and C 122 V 9 it says "therefore hold on thy ways" you'll have to read the whole chapter to get what i'm talking about but Elder Lansing likened it to Finding Nemo how Dory would sing "just keep swimming" and how we all have hard times just as the prophet Joseph smith, and we can plead for the lords help just like Joseph did in Section 121, 

 

but the Lord won't always give us the things we ask for in the way we ask for it, he will give us the strength and the courage to just keep swimming and endure to the end so in that way will our prayers be answered and we will be delivered from the things that bind us . 

I love you all and pray and miss you so dearly!

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Chyup! Chyup! Kechyup!‏

Did you know that the Lansing Michigan Mission has the most car accidents out of all the missions on this side of the Mississippi? There is currently 12 other mission vehicles that are being worked on/ that had been in accidents this month..... Man and I thought all of the Stupid Scary driving experiences that I've had where going to be gone once I left Arizona!

Remember the skunk?  Well it's still there and it still stinks.  While my companion was avoiding the skunk he almost crashed into a car, I screamed, "CAR CAR CAR!!" and he swerved to avoid crashing into it, so we didn't hit the car but he slid our brand new Jeep into the guard rail.  After the Car Carnage was over, we rolled into the gas station and I couldn't open my door! my companion tried to get it open but i was stuck, I then opened the latch on the door and rammed the door with my elbow and shoulder and it flew open. The door now opens =p it doesn't always make happy noises but it works.

 

Did you know there is a law in Michigan that makes it illegal for wives to get hair cuts without their husbands permission. It's true, The barbers don't ask about it but the wives can be prosecuted for it.

 

So i was pondering and having a very deep and intellectual struggle earlier this week and i came to the great conclusion that When i die and if it is in the Winter I want every one to wear Ugly sweaters =p ha ha and there would be a ugly sweater competition with prizes just like at Dads work, But you know since we are in the Latter days if I don't die and I just get twinkled were going to have a twinkling party where we all wear ugly sweaters =p.

 

I actually wrote a poem that i would like to share

Dark is the night,

fog very light.

With rain paving the ground, 

and on the windshield it did sound.

Just as a jet black mirror,

the streets were shinning and clear.

Reflecting streams so bright,

of the soothing blue street light.

The serenity seemed,

like it was dreamed.

As the moon shone free, 

it did light a few tree.

Oh how I am longing for this, 

to live in this moment of bliss.

For the apartment I fear,

because the skunk is still near!

I need a good title for it still.

I have memorized 1/2 of my P.B.

For the first time in  my time up here I finally feel comfortable up here in Michigan and I actually am starting to like it here. But to be fair I have been pretty blessed, I have probably only had to make my self 3 dinners my whole time here the weather is perfect (at the moment, im not looking forward to the super humidity or the -40 degrees) The scenery is beautiful! I love after brushing my teeth at night or after my workouts in the morning going out on our balcony and just admiring the Forrest that is our back yard. And I actually am starting to feel like myself again. 

A while ago we were door knocking and we passed a few lades and some little kids who were painting their garage white. I immediately turned back around and started to help them out and picked up a spare brush they said I could use. 

 

They were doing crazy balancing acts on a ladder to paint the top of the Garage and so i took that job and didn't even use a ladder to do it. I was really worried because the little girls were a 4 year old and a 6 year old and they were running around with their paintbrushes dripping and flinging paint every where. I was wearing some of my favorite pants and tie, but I said a prayer and kept them in my pre-referal vision. And Surprisingly I didn't get any white paint on me, unlike every one else. 

 

Man this act of service made my day when we were done and the grandma came to me and shook my hand and said how grateful she was that we came and helped her on this day where she was super busy, and it made me really feel good when with her eyes starting to become moist said "i now have time to play with my grandchildren". I loved that and walking by later seeing her out in the back yard with the 2 cute little girls swinging together =p. 

For my personal Studies I got a teaching record and wrote down all that needs to be taught to investigators before they can be baptized and I have been going through all of the topics and reading them up in "true to the faith" and I have been reading every single scripture reference I could find on the subject. And in my note book I have been writing down the scriptures I like and I've been making a cheat sheet kinda like the Scripture Mastery cards but I'm writing it on the front page of my quad so I have all of these references that I can bust out and that I can practice and memorize to help me with my teaching. And I think If every one did their scripture study according to topics and certain stories it would strengthen peoples testimonies so much more on all of the gospel principals, i can just imagine all the good that it would do to every one if they did that. 

Alright well Im gonna head out, Bye Love you have a good day! Enjoy the new temple! Don't get shot!

love,

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

It would mean the world to me

 "I went in a cornfield today..."

I was looking at one of the most attractive people in the world, you know just like I do every time i look at myself in the mirror. And i realized that the scar that I have on my front tooth from me taking a sharp turn on my bike and going tooth first into the street, It totally looks like Michigan! it looks just like the glove! Man if only i realized that was a sign earlier and prepared more for where I would be going. Well yesterday at about 9am it was 28 degrees here!!! Dude it's not even Halloween yet!

But this place is so cool there is wild life every where! Which is a bad thing at times, Yesterday a skunk was hit not even 200 meters away from  our apartment and that stunk up everything! It was hit before 9am and when we were back at like 9 pm it still stank and it's smell started came into our building and into our rooms.

Road kill is rather common, there is always a dead skunk  somewhere, or a Nephite or Lamonite Squirrel (Nephites are brown, Lamonites are black, Anti nephi lehis are a mix but those are uncommon)  Brother K was telling me that he was driving home and he slammed on his brakes because there was deer covering the road! he counted 73  Elk the vast majority of them being Bucks. Bro K owns a large amount of property and he feeds deer and bears and all manner of wildlife, but he only does it because he is a hunter, he has several tree stands where he has a perfect shot of all of the deer that he feeds and he almost raises them to be huge, and he will sit up there and let 20 or so deer walk by until he sees the Biggest ones.  He has more than 50 antlers and heads in his trophy room. He always feeds us something that has venison in it =p.

 

My left eye has been twitching all week, IT"S KILLING ME!!!!

I was on my way back from the city of Hillman on Wednesday And during that 45 minute drive I was really discouraged, I felt like we wasted our whole day, we spent the whole time at a district meeting, and then we drove back to a go into medical facilities to read scripture with "less actives" who would be active if they could move, and all of our lessons fell through, we didn't go door knocking because my comp felt like I needed to change out of my suit pants and then we had a dinner appointment with a member. I felt like we wouldn't have been able to do the things that we did that day in the timely manner and fashion that we did it, But i felt like i just wasted just so much of today where I could have done actual missionary work. BOOM! I was hit by a spiritual Baseball bat! "your doing what your Heavenly Father wants you to do".

That really changed my out look on missionary work alot.

It really softened my heart loads towards what we were doing, my companion, and many more things. 

I was knocking on some doors and a Lady answered the door and we got to where we asked her if she is a believer in Christ and she said ya I belong to (a certain) church and then Elder W whoopped out (since he actually knows things about other religions, I have a hard time keeping up with all of the different beliefs that are here, I've counted more than 19 churches so far in this city alone.) He asked her  "Well what would it mean to you to tell you that there is a prophet again on the earth and he is leading our church just like Moses did" 

She paused.

Looked up and said "that would mean the world to me!" 

Heck YA! we started testifying to her and then she said that shes happy where she's at and slammed the door in our face. WHAT!!!!

She Legitly said that would mean every thing to her! Man it kills me when people have their own agency ha ha ha.

I was still door knocking and I saw 2 guys and their daughters in front of a house I started walking over across the street and Elder W followed behind me. We struck up a conversation with them and one of them said "well since your a servant of God can i tell you my conversion story?" you could feel the spirit. 

 

The other guys who was Big, Black and hilarious started telling us on how he came to feel the spirit. and then Elder W told of a experience where he was super down and felt the spirit really strongly. and I had to pick out one of my spiritual experiences that I was actually comfortable sharing, and i had to filter it down to one non members could understand. So I shared part of the Longboarding one when we went to the parking garage and the cops came but i felt like i needed to get out of the car and walk to the temple instead. When i told them that the Cops came the big Black dude got that amazed look on his face and was like "OOOOuu OUUU OUU! Man I can't stand being around you guys! You guys make me so teary eyed! When you guys were walking down the street I KNEW you guys were with Jesus!" 

 

he then said something that was was about him feeling the spirit  and he walked away to a guy who just pulled his massive truck into their lawn. Elder W gave him a Mormon.org card with our number on the back and started walking away and I was like that's not good enough for the spirit they felt. I then exchanged numbers with both guys and I said I would love to see them and talk about more things like this again, and then I invited them to have a FHE with me and with tears in his eyes the other guy was like "Yes! I would love to see you guys again" Dude you could tell that they both felt the spirit so strongly with just our presence there and they were truly sincere about wanting to see us again. I love it when people can recognize the spirit!

My comp woke up today and couldn't work out, his heart is hurting him....... Me and Elder S gave him a blessing. And from what he was telling us and from what Sister J was saying it probably has to do with the Supplements he has been taking to help him loose weight and gain muscle, that or super stressed, So we were told to have a very chill day today. It's so cool, it's raining right now but it falling down like snow does you know when it's not a storm it just kinda gently falls every where.

Hey Can i have some pictures that I can put on my wall like every temple in AZ (that i know, Ill come to love phoenix later in life), Family, grandparents, cousins, John Brzenk stuff like that. 

Aight well I gotta go Bye Love you keep me updated!

--

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

The Lord Answers Prayers

As I was walking out of the chapel I heard Elder S talk to the Branch clerk saying "Man that Elder Crockett is impressive, when ever I have fed him he always seems to be able to finish any thing and every thing, I swear it just all gets put into one leg". every time Elder S feeds us  he always jokes about how all of the food goes into one leg and how he really wants to see me when finally the food goes to other places in my body and i'm fat.

I would tell you how much I weigh today but i don't think it's any more than what it's been the last time I told you, that and my companion got mad once the scale told him he gained more weight even though hes trying so hard to loose it, he kicked the scale into the wall, and now it gives me kinda unbelievable numbers, ever since that happened I am 200 lbs all the sudden...

Those pictures I sent you home in the Letter are for Ella, so she has something unusual to draw or paint. I don't know how i feel about the first two but especially after general conference I think that she needs to draw the one with the feet on it. " oh how beautiful their feet will be upon the mountains" or somethin like that, I loved how that was brought up in general Conference in Elder Hollands Talk where he talks about Thomas s. Monson how he gave up his shoes off of his feet for some one who needed them. If i'd advise drawing any of those pictures I would do the feet one. All of the notes on the back are just details of how I image it the picture is to give the visual to work off of.

Did any one else notice Hamiltons Trainer in the World Report in between conference sessions? They talked about an Elder from Chile in it and it totally shows a picture of Elder Larson.

 Something else that I thought was interesting about conference is that all of the big red chairs has a tissue container built into the arm rest because they know that the apostles and such are going to cry. 

So this week has been insane! I started out on with trade offs to Gaylord. And me and Elder A are both new he is 4 months old as of next week I wanna say. But we woke up and made our beds and did every thing we could to be exactly obedient, because we've been told being obedient brings blessings, but being exactly obedient brings miracles. 

They had really been struggling with investigators over there in Gaylord and actually so is every one up here. But we worked hard going to former investigators houses and talking to them and teaching them according to what we were prompted to. By the end of the day we had taught 5 lessons and we had 4 specific return appointments. Because we were exactly obedient they had 4 new investigators by the end of the day!

 

We then had Zone training where we had really good lessons from the Sister Training leaders and the Zone leaders and President Hoover. But we also got to watch the new movie "Meet the Mormons" ! That movie is awesome I really think it will help with clearing "The MORMONS!" name and make people more open to missionary work, sadly the only place in Michigan that it's going to be played is in Lansing so it's not going to help me all to much at the moment. It was SO nice to be able to see other missionaries! There was about 9 sets there at Zone training, several of them had to travel over 200 miles just to go to that meeting though. 

I said a prayer while I was on the way back from Gaylord and asked or the opportunity to get better at running because I felt like I don't get enough practice and I don't want to loose my abilities. 

After that Since our Zone leaders are so far away from us they used that opportunity to do a blitz in my area so I got to go and do work with one of the Zone leaders.  

When we were out knocking doors Elder R talks to every one even if he has to yell as they ride their bike away, and he also waves to every car and he is really good at starting a discussion at the door step! 

But while we were knocking on a door a runner ran by and Elder R yelled "could we talk to you for a moment about Jesus's restored church on the earth" and the runner yelled back "if you can catch up!" we then looked at each other and abandoned the door step and started booking it after him. I caught up first and started a conversation with him and about the church and then Elder R came up a while later, and we ran about a half a mile trying to teach him as we ran, dude it was hilarious! 

We finished the run with him and we gave him a Mormon.org Passalong card with our number stamped on the back of it and invited him to go on the website and to learn more about us and to give us a call if he had any questions. We were busting up laughing after we left that guy it was so funny, us trying to teach as we were breathing so heavy, running down the street with a book of mormon in our hands and in our white shirts and ties. 

While I was in Gaylord I was looking through the Area Book with Elder A and we came upon a page that said all of the active members and all of the inactive members in the branch there and there was over 300 inactive members in the Gaylord branch! These are mostly all people who has been baptized who were made deacons, priests, elders, etc. But only about 45-60 people go to their branch each week... that inspired me to check that out in my area book and it was around the same and all the sudden I knew what me and my companion needed to do, 

My "Criminal mind" as i like to call it snapped on and brilliant ideas just started coming to me. I talked to Elder W about it and he was trying to throw me off of the idea and convince me that was all the members duty and we just need to leave it to them. And so I searched PMG to try to find something that says the Full time missionaries need to help in bringing back inactives to the ward but I couldn't find anything on that topic. I gave up and as I was fasting for conference made sure to pray about some guidance or help or something on that subject.

General Conference first session in every talk they talked about us needing to help the inactives come back to church, and Chi Hong (son) Wong said specifically that Full time missionaries need to work side by side with the members in bringing back inactives to church. I was so happy! Because not only was that a answer to my prayer but it was encouragement to do that, that really was inspiration and all of the ideas that I was getting was to help them come back. I am now SO EXCITED to go to branch counsel or PEC so I can bring up that talk and ask all the ways we could help and to start talking about some of the ideas I had.

Any ways I gotta head out, were going to go and visit some light houses today and we have to get going if were going to get our laundry done and get me an electric piano so i can continue to practice (thats all i did in between conference sessions, I am dying to be able to play it well with two hands in sync)

Alright well I gotta go Bye love you! have a good day! Don't get shot!

love,

-Elder Truman Rex Crockett