The sabbath, Who knew‏

I don't have alot to talk about this week, I had 1 member present lesson that wasn't at church, and 14.5 hours of door knocking even with missing 2 days of working. We got a boat load of potentials that we have lessons set up for that are all falling through ha ha.

I don't know if I have gotten mail since before Christmas, the dang wafer lock on the mail box broke our key. I went to go pick it with one of my auto Jigglers to find out that the lock it's self was broken and I couldn't even fit that in the key hole. So I am really grateful for all of the Christmas letters I have been getting but I may or may not have some more waiting for me.

I was reading the General Conference ensign and started freaking out when I saw The Ellingson Boys in it! 

Why does the virgin Mary always wear Blue? I have only seen one statue of her where she isn't in blue.

The note book that I carry around in my shirt pocket finally got filled up and I no longer have room in it. I have been carrying that around since before I graduated Highschool! I got a new red one in my pocket now.

It's been a few weeks so I can share this now. Church was a wreck! I honestly can say I didn't feel the spirit after the sacrament was passed up until 3rd hour. During the talks in Sacrament meeting the fire alarm was pulled... I wasn't able to get back into listening after that happened and after the while of trying to get it shut off. 

During gospel principals the teacher for that day came in 100 percent unprepared and wanted to mix two lessons together since Christmas was coming up. So we had a Gospel of Jesus Christ lesson and then with out explaining anything going straight into the millennium, and just as swiftly back into the Gospel /life of Jesus Christ/ word of wisdom. For once I was glad not to have investigators at church haha. I was super confused, I was!!!!! 

I wonder how the Resent Converts where thinking about that lesson! No scriptures were used, no Manual was used (except for one paragraph to start us), No testimony,  questions being asked that required specific answers (that I couldn't answer)..... I was seriously wanting to walk out of the class. 

This might be rude to say but I don't think it is, But it's easy to see how that can lead to not being able to retain members and people going less active. I say that because people go all week long being beaten by Satan with a baseball bat, being sad, miserable, having hard things happen, being tempted,..... and they look with hope for the opportunity to go to church because they were promised by the missionaries that it will help them with that it will sooth them, heal them, strengthen them... And they show up and they get a experience like that and they leave church not feeling any better than when they came. There is no way they are gonna want to come back to church! 

They aren't going to believe that what the missionaries taught is true because they don't experience it. I can see why it's such a big deal with The Apostles and Prophet to make the sabbath day more special of a day, Because that could make a world of a difference in peoples lives.

In my case for that week I was going through garbage and then I get to church and have that and am not rejuvenated at all from that I start searching for something to relieve my stress like p-day, jamming to music in my head, taking naps... It's so easy to see How Less actives and Investigators do the exact same thing causing them to relapse on Word of Wisdom things...... 

Yah thats basically all I have to talk about this week. Who knew the sabbath was such a crazy thing! It really is important to keep it holy and to prepare for it!

I gotta go Bye I love you have a good day

Don't get shot!

-- 

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Are Green Christmas's even Legal here?‏

So You don't have to worry I will probably not be a popsicle this Christmas, we hare having a thaw and all the snow will be gone says every one (but no one is ever right when it comes to the weather, Dang lake effect!) Something about El Nino what ever that means. =p

Thank you every one for all of the Christmas Cards and what not I have been getting, I really appreciate them all. I opened up Miyas and the glitter dumped on my church clothes...... I do accept your apology though. I made sure to tape the front cover of the card up before I put it in the letter journal so that glitter doesn't continue to get every where. AGL!

Those Beatle Boot snow boots are nice! they aren't as warm as my other pair, but it is so nice to just be able to unzip a zipper and take them off and have them still be water proof! It makes it easy when you go to a house where people want you to take off your shoes before you come in.

This Christmas We are going down to Mt. Pleasant for a Christmas party again, and they asked that when we return home we spend the rest of the day with members and do no proselyting for that day and Christmas day. Which is nice because it doesn't matter what time of day it is no one wants to be door knocked on Christmas day. So that will be loads of fun, I am excited to show off to Elder H that I actually finished the suit that I bought with him. I am also really excited to chill and play board games and have fun. Every Day is pretty much shot, or super booked. Which is nice, no complaining there.

There is so much posts on facebook about starwars! I feel like I need to stop trying to contact people on it for like 3 months until it dies down. I am so excited about it and I can't do anything about it! I got a message from Will that I would like to share today about it "So I haven't seen Star Wars yet but I thought about waiting to see it with you so we can enjoy that together!" Oh my goodness I am honored, it is almost just as much commitment to keep that promise as it is for a person to wait for a missionary! That is if he can stand that heat, I probably couldn't ha ha! For realzies though every post see while I contact is about that or a marriage or engagement.

We have a sweet investigator who is progressing to his baptismal date, I actually think he is going to make it which is a nice change for once. We meet with him twice a week, every lesson in a members home, goes to church, reads the Book of mormon with members when we aren't there. Has been getting really good answers to prayers, witnesses from Holy Ghost. What more can we ask for! I think we are gonna have a lot of success this transfer. S didn't come to church this week because another one of her friends died and had a funeral on sunday, and is out of town this next week (this is the 3rd friend who has died and had a funeral on sunday, I guess she has to run out of them eventually... and will be able to come to church weekly ha ha jk thats horrible).

We got hit hard by the snow this week it was snowing basically non stop all day long and night. We were way out in the boonies too and we just kept getting inches. The roads were way slick and as I SLOWLY turned the corner I calmly looked to my right and thought " I wasn't looking at my right blindspot" realizing I was basically going sideways at that point. Good thing they taught me how to stop that in drivers ed... Oh wait they didn't ha ha, But it was totally natural to pull out of it. I just took up the whole road to do it ha ha, good thing no one was coming at me =p.

I have been going easier on my companion now that we have to stay together, but in other ways I am planning on being harder on him to make him stretch. But hey isn't that the whole point of being "leader" of some sort.

Well I gotta go Bye I love you have a good day!

Don't get Shot!

Happy Christmas!

CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT!!!!!!!!!! I WIN (since I wont be there Christmas eve I am saying it early)

Elder Truman Rex Crockett

I had a dream... yup‏

Well I didn't get the cops called on me but I ended up in court today... yup!

One thing I heard this week that I liked a whole lot is how with our beliefs we should be like a compass (one of the ones for a ship in pirate movies, it's an old quote) We should always have our one foot planted firmly on our beliefs and never stray from it, but use the other to look around and learn and to greater know what direction to take.

We got Transfer calls and I am staying here with Elder M. I am glad because I  definitely think we will see good things happen this transfer.

Oh i forgot to wish Mommy and Robby a Merry Birthday!

Ella I hope you enjoyed the dance, and I hope my videos gave you inspiration for WinterFormal. I really hope you didn't do the Magicarp because every one thinks it's lame ha ha, It's the best though!

OUR INVESTIGATOR CAME TO CHURCH!!! OH YAHHH! After all of the Crazy things that has happened, Car accidents, immature adults ditching her, devilish phone and T.V. disruption, Sicknesses, Crazy Medication...,...,...,...,...,...,... She made it! I saw her take 3 pages of notes from it too. Our Recent Convert Sheila gave a talk in church this week and she SLAYED it! She had us review it twice before she felt comfortable reading it to the branch, but it was WAY good. It blew the socks off people.

Yesterday was the first time I ever Backed down from a dog. I have had a pair german shepards that looked pretty bad charge us, and all I did was stand still let them smell me and then keep walking, and Most cases thats all that was necessary. But the Dog yesterday was hard core. Most pitbulls aren't even bad But this one was ticked at us when we were 200 ft. away from him. 

 

I walked up to the door and he got louder and scarier showing his sharp teeth. He was chained right next to the steps of the door I walked into his circle and he got worse. My companion stopped, I kept walking it ran away to the top of the steps and then it got in a fighting stance and would no longer move, all teeth ready. I went to the side of the steps not wanting to be by his face and tried to reach to knock and as I reached, it jumped and bit inches away from my raised arm and jerked his head from side to side. After he missed he went for it again I quick stepped back (I finally got the message) and he missed the second attempt. I am pretty sure there was some divine intervention there. I am now going to give up for once when it is a scary dog, because a ITL isn't worth it.

We were out door knocking on Tuesday and we did it forever, all day long. We were walking to the next house and then I knew this is the one where we are gonna get a new investigator. We knock on the door and she lets us in, I saw the little scroll thing that Jewish people put on their door frame as I stepped in. We sat down at her kitchen table while she informed her Husband we were there and then went to the counter to get us banana bread. 

 

I started learning her religious background while she did that, even though I already knew, I wanted my companion to know. While she spoke I had a "flash" of memory happen and a big wave of the spirit hit me strong, I knew this moment... I saw it in a dream 2 weeks ago. She said what she said and did what she did in the dream and then gave us the bread. Things got real. 

 

She showed us e-sword some free thing that shows the Hebrew words of the bible and how it really should translate and it was actually really cool. She knew nothing about our beliefs from what she said, We started to teach and it turned way bad. She was trying to catch us in our words to disprove us, and would ask questions that would be bash no matter what we said and she knowing nothing Assumed so much about us that wasn't true and tried to throw down on us. 

 

I tried as HARD as I could to change the situation to actually teach her to help her feel the spirit. I created needs, I bore my whole soul out in testimony... she wouldn't commit to anything. She Hard core Gander Ranted (talking FOREVER!!!!!! So many people in Michigan do it) on how there could have been Christ as a false prophet. My companion couldn't stand it and he tried to get us out of the house. 

 

I tried so hard. I refused to stand up and I bore testimony to her over and over again, it changed nothing. I eventually stood and left. I got out side and I couldn't take it. We got to the Jeep and I started crying hard core. It was uncontrollable, my whole body was shaking, I think the last time I ever came close to crying that much was in Elementary school. It went on for like 7 minutes, I just wept and gasped for air. I just couldn't handle it. It knew I saw her in that dream, I tried everything I had and she refused, it broke my soul. I had to fight so hard to stop crying and even to get music in my mind so I could move on and keep knocking.

I was basically Tapped for the day after that. Every door we hit people came out trying as hard as they could to bash us, and every one went on gander rants. Every door. I jumped for joy when the regular catholic slammed the door because I didn't have to talk to him unlike every one else. after 2 hours of that it was finally dark and we started teaching our investigators. I got enough persecution points for 3 weeks all in like 4 hours. I went to bed early unlike usual.

I think one of the most touching things that I heard this week was a prayer Shirley gave after we had thanksgiving-gratitude to the elders meal that she spent all day preparing. She said "thank you for sending me these two pure boys. Please bless them to be like a Snowflake, as my mother would always say. So that they will continue to always make a mark and never leave a stain where ever they go."

This is probably the best weeks lesson and finding wise that I have had here in this area though.

We had a awesome miracle where we went to Taco Bell with a member and ate lunch. While we door knocked we had the cashier open up the door! We were tight immediately and had alot to talk about and picked him and his girlfriend as a investigator ha ha. I was even more grateful for my XXL Chicken burrito after that.=p

Well I gotta go

Bye I love you have a good day

Sleep good and have nice dreams

Stay away from super fast vicious pitbulls

Don't get Shot!

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Cut to the Heart

So To break the bad news the Christmas present I really wanted to send home was way to expensive to ship =(. The Elder that I replaced left a (I think it's called a ) Drifting Trike. This 15 lb aluminum scooter for adults , equipped with hand breaks. The thing is SO COOL! I found it in the apartment and then went to a park and bombed some hills just like I would on a long board. The next day i found out that that was actually against the rules..... so I decided I would just send it home, to keep the missionaries more obedient you know =p. So I brought it there and it would have been $140 to ship it. I thought it was cool but sorry not that cool. But to be fair I labeled the address to be a present for me ha ha. It was nice being able to go down a hill and slow down when you were unsure of a turn though. I don' t know how much it's worth but I don't suspect that buying it would be to much less than that. 

Thanks for the new shoes, I like them a whole lot, I can't believe my old shoes used to look like the ones you sent me! comparing them is really funny.

On Thanks giving day we were door knocking and a lady answered and when I reached to shake her hand  I saw a little star of David tattooed to her hand. After we left, we talked about how interesting it would be to teach a Jewish person, we fantasized about it for a while. We got a referral way out to the southernmost part of out area, WAY out in the Boonies. The guy requested both a Bible and Book of Mormon. We got there Turns out he was Jewish! That was a really interesting lesson, It was up 
there with the time I taught a Buddhist. We picked him up as a investigator so we'll see what happens.

Or not, Transfer calls are this week. I am not putting my money on the idea that I could be staying here. Since my comp will be done training I would be shocked if they kept me here and shipped him away.

I came back from district meeting and started to set up our church house for the branch Christmas party like we were asked to. A member from the Family History center came out to talk with us and watch us work. I caught on immediately what he was doing. He comes in "Whats your favorite Starwars figures?" the way that was put made me super suspicious, I shot a lame answer and he walked back to the center. I then realized what I just did, I am gonna get some starwars action figures for Christmas and he wanted to know what to buy me. We stumbled into him again and I changed my answer =p. He then came back in a few minutes later... "wait when is transfer calls?" He wasn't even cleaver about it ha ha.

This sunday I swear was Missionary appreciation week in testimony meeting. several people testified of how we helped them, how we brought the spirit into their homes/lives, taught them things. A member who comes out with us just about every week said "If these boys worked out like they did missionary work they would look like Arnold Schwarzenegger" ha ha.

Last week we came to email and when we did every computer except 2 were taken, there was one computer separating the two of them, and because of time we emailed anyways even though you need to be able to see your companions screen because if I leaned back I could see his. That went well until people left and my companion got feeling really guilty and asked me to get a new computer pass so we could sit together... I begrudgingly went to do it after like 2 minutes and then I was actually really impressed how I was blessed for being obedient immediately. I went up to the table and a guy said "are you the new missionary here" I said I was and he told me that he was almost baptized a year ago but had to cancel a few days before, I got his info=p. I then no longer was irritated that I had to pause my emailing ha ha.

I have been going hard on my companion this past two weeks to prepare him to not have me as a companion. I haven't told him I have been doing it on purpose, I just slyly put more and more pressure on him one day at a time. I have been basically having him be Sr. companion and leading out in everything. I don't ever suggest we start comp study I just sit there patiently, I had him do all of weekly planning and I listened but I pretended I was to busy updating records (which I was but...) and would only help when he asked my opinion, He's led all of daily planning, and starting up lessons and teaching. I basically have played like a district leader would when he comes to a area that's not his for a trade off. But because of that the only things I have been writing in my planner are the appointments we set up with people.

So last week I talked about us teaching a guy and him being "pricked" in the heart by the spirit and got him to commit to everything, This week we tried it again. We tried it on one of our investigators who was baptized but never confirmed a member of our church. He has been giving us every lame excuse he could think of, he was super afraid of what his family would think If he did join, and we wanted to have basically a do or die lesson with him. 

We went in there and I didn't write anything down in my planner and I had no clue what we planned ha ha. I caught on when my companion led out with that acts chapter 2 verse that says pricked in the heart and said "today we are planning on you having that experience" I popped the restoration video into his DVD player and watched it until we both felt the spirit. We then stopped the video right then and pointed out that we all felt it. He seemed a little shocked but didn't deny it, he couldn't. We had him. I then invited him to be baptized again. He thought about it and battled within his mind and then vocally contemplated it.  

Eventually he turned though and said "I can relate to what you guys are feeling....but" and then started sharing why he feels like he doesn't need to change and how God will allow him to stay the same person, and then said "I have all of these problems with your church, but I don't want to ruin this feeling so I won't tell you". After he reacted a bit more unfavorably to the spirit. 

I then told him I only have 9 months left on my mission so I intend to spend it on people who will actually progress, and we followed the example of Snoop Dog and  dropped him like he was hot. He said he would call us still, thats what every one says though. 

We have now dropped 23 investigators in the last 3 months. For some reason I still have 11 people on my board! But those ones are ones we wanna keep. It was cool though I now got to see both reactions to the "Pricked in the heart" deal  the ones who gain courage from it and those who get "cut to the heart" when they feel it. I am glad I didn't have to go through what Stephen did though; luckily I was not bit, or hit by rocks.

We have zero snow at all, infact I didn't even wear my thermals a few days ago, the rest of the state is getting it though from what I have heard.

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

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett
      

I want to live like a kid always.‏

My companion wanted a hair cut in walmart today, I borrowed the clippers from the Alpena Elders but he didn't want to do it him self and didn't want me to do it. When we got there we had to wait a half hour so of course we went to the toy section.=p OH MY GOODNESS! The STARWARS toys are SOOOO cool! I have been in a transe all day since then, All I want to do is buy a million star wars toys and play with kids all day long. As we were walking around I saw "Frozen" cheese sticks with olaf on them and I mocked them "people would have to be dumb to buy those, They are no different...." And then my companion pointed out my Star Wars Gogurts in the shopping cart that I kept because the box was so interesting to me.=p

I have openly been coming out to my companion that I've been brainwashing him to do things our whole time together that I didn't want to have to do. A previous companion never washed any dish so I really drove how we need to clean as we go and it's been a habit he's kept this whole time and I Love it =p.

We were with some recent converts reading where they were in the Book of Mormon since they haven't been reading. They are all under the age of 13. Turns out they were in 1ne 13 or 14 one of the two. And by the time we were done they knew a new word that I was not proud of a  word which is used to describe the great and abominable church, the w. of the whole earth. When ever they would hit that word (it's used like 13 times) I kept my nose in the book and let them really struggle to sound it out themselves because I wasn't going to teach them that or allow the chance for them to ask what that means.  my zoneleader was fighting so hard to not laugh during the lesson.

During church T T told me "E. Crockett make sure you don't fall asleep today, your snoring is distracting." he has autism and is ALWAYS 100% honest, It is SOOO funny! His Mom had to make sure I wasn't offended I was just dying on the inside though. Latter we were over there for dinner "Here E. Crockett I got this Iron Man sticker for you because hes lazy too." ha ha ha!

One of our top investigators dropped us this week. It was the one whose kids always say the pledge of Allegiance when the word prayer is brought up. She went on her own accord to talk to her husband about them joining our church together, and after a really long discussion he didn't want to become a mormon. So she dropped us to stay true to her husband. That one got me, I have dropped 21 people in this area in my almost 4.5 months here, but that one hit me harder than a punch. I couldn't hold it, I cried when I read the long texts. 

In a better light our investigator (who is still missing for INSANE reasons, Went to the hospital saturday night) has been talking to her friend about the church alot and her friend keeps asking questions. She gave her one of her Book of Mormons and her friend accepted it and was really excited for her trip down south because she would have time to read it. She told us that in her head she thought "GOTCHYA!".=p

Last P-day I went to a members house to learn some of his wrestling moves. It ended him showing me how a wrestler plays the game so I could figure out how to fight them better. While on his carpet after he couldn't break my guard and stopped out of fear that his wife would walk in and yell at him for destroying the carpet, well so he said anyways (jk he taps brown belts I got nothin on him) he started talking about his mission. 

He had loads of good stories and principles to all of the things he brought up so i kept hitting him with follow up questions like I love to do. And he eventually broke and gave me info that was useful in my teaching. He had me sit down at the couch by my companion (who has been sitting there for like a hour bored out of his brains, his idea of a sport is croquette). And using Acts 2, 7 he taught me about how the spirit Pricks people in the heart. 

I had read over those verses several times for the 12 week missionary training program but they explained to me something different. He taught me things that Elder White talks about but he explained it so it was useful. In the verses an apostle teaches about  the prophet, God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost and it caused the the holy ghost to prick every one in the area's hearts at the same time so peter points it out and those who aren't "cut to the heart" (see acts 7) joyfully accept every commitment.  

I love the foot note for "fear" some where around there it says "courage". So he explained to me that when ever you feel the spirit stop the lesson and help them recognize thats what they felt . He would normally like to preface the lesson with a few verses from the chapter so they knew that they were going to get their heart pricked when they are taught truth so when it happens you don't have to explain. (see also Alma 12:3,7-8)

So That was awesome to me and I LOVE when people use the scriptures like that to teach me about the small things that make a big difference and actually can be applied in life and ISN"T Stipulation. I thought about it and applied it to the stories E. White told me and it made sense. 

We get into one of our investigators houses who I once got to recognize the spirit but was kinda denying it. We taught him and he brought up how he was baptized as a baby catholic and went on... I then used the scriptures to resolve his concern. Then I felt the spirit, I knew it pricked his heart. And I stopped right then and there and said... I know you know these things are true, and I know that you know it too because he is teaching you that right now (or something like that, super bold), I know you feel it.... He just started to cry and then looked at me and said " you feel that too? Right..." and then at the exact same time we pointed to the same place of our chest "...here....   ." and then it got stronger. 

He committed to every thing I dished out. And he told us he was going to talk to his significant other so they could join together. His significant other dropped us once and I don't think shes too fond of the idea of changing what she grew up with, But that experience was WAY COOL! Alma has been some one who has fascinated me for quite some time now. Just because when he taught people they either loved him or hated him because none of them could deny what he told them, because they all knew it was true. I was proud, I felt like him for a second. 

Thanksgiving our rules was "door knock from 10-12 and then act as much like a normal human as you can for the rest of the day. No turkey bowls though!" It was nice, we got into the Sr. Missionaries apartment and got all of the Christmas Decorations and Tree to set up and then we played games with members for most of the day. And finished our night with a feast with 2 families and the Brutally Honest kid who likes to sit by me =p.

  

Well I gotta go 

It's hard to keep a dinner appointment when a different member sets up an appointment for you to teach a friend who now wants to be baptized. We rescheduled for 8pm tonight ha ha!

I gotta go Bye I love you have a good day!

Don't get shot!

-- 

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

"YOUR A FORIGNER! I AM NOT LETTING A TERRORIST___ ___ __ IN MY NEIBORHOOD!"‏

I was in a Zone training this week, and that was the first I heard about that policy change thing so I asked all about it. But it was good because that very day some Former Investigator asked about it and set up a lesson. But the only reason why I bring that zone training up is for 2 reasons.
 
1. I don't know if you can see in that pic on facebook But I am in a grey suit that I got for 8 bucks at goodwill. I am really proud of it because it fit my body so good, I liked it alot, but it was just to small. So I took a exacto knife to the seams around the waist, the sleeves, the hem and I resized it needle and thread to fit me. I let out the waist 1.5 inches, the pant legs until they were perfect and then re hemmed them, and same with the sleeves. I did it like 10 minutes at a time during my dinner breaks that we didn't have members feeding us. It took me for ever to get it done I bought it like my last week in Holt. I really only worked on it once every 2 weeks or so, if that. I realized I forgot to sew a button on the sleeve though, DOUGH! BTW I love not having the lint on my suit being SUPER obvious. 

 
2.We practice taught at the Zone training and I was in a trio and a Sister and a Elder taught me and I thought it was super cute, and I would just like to say that there should be young couple missionaries too. =p

 

I have been thinking, it's a dangerous pass time I know... But I realized how much being on a mission has encouraged my love to learn. I would say before my mission I loved to learning skills and hobbies. But now I LOVE learning. I have loved being around Sr. Missionaries, and I blame them for this love to learn because It is my favorite to ask them about their lives and learn all the things from them that I can to see how I can use that in my life. It has gotten to a point where I have purposely looked for people who are full of knowledge and like to share it so I can question them about their lives and then hit them with a million follow up questions to understand, organize and then ponder on the principles they talked about. And I have learned so much from so many more people around me because I look for all of the truth in what they say even if it might be a grain or half truth to filter through and understand and greater develop that truth (tends to be a grain with people who you Door knock into). I even have desires to learn Math now, math that isn't Geometry, But I put a disclaimer on that because I have no clue how I will like my college math classes. 

I was in Alpena and we stopped by a potentials house, I answered a text, and then we said a prayer and while we said that prayer the potential drove away without us knowing. Since we were out in the car so long this lady came out and knocked on our window really prying to see what we were doing, we answered questions and got her to leave and then we tried the potential. She wasn't there of course so we returned to the car to move to the street we were going to knock. The Lady came back out holding a pen and paper and talking on the phone......*sigh*. Walked behind the jeep wrote down our plate number and had us roll down the window to tell us the cops were coming.  

I again didn't have my proselyting license on me because I left it in my jeep. She held onto the Jeep and swore up a storm at us saying how there is terrorists every where and that she wasn't going to let go of the jeep until the cops came. ("can you run 60 MPH" is what Elder W suggested after ha ha). She wanted proof we weren't terrorists and I had to keep tapping the Elder I was with to get him to stop arguing with her, and to drop it. I tried to be way nice and I found out about her and she has been way paranoid about terrorists since Paris and the plane and kidnappers and..... and even though no one would come to that neck of the woods for that. 

She flipped a biscuit HARD on me for that and wanted my identification accusing me that I was from Australia (because of my "accent" =p) and when I flashed it she went off on how I can't be from Arizona. She called the cops again to learn that they thought she was crazy and wasn't going to send a officer, She put another biscuit on the frying pan and went off and then hung up on the operator. A cop showed up several minutes later and when he saw the lady his head went back and eyes rolled and took a deep breath. ha ha She asked for him to check us and go through all info and...... he looked at our name tags and said "ya lady I see these guys around, their legit...". 

She tried flipping but he went off on her and she marched into her house and demanded he come after hes done with us. We talked to him and thanked him, he asked us to pray for him because she was going to chew him out. He gave us a referral to teach her because "she REALLY needs some guys like you to help her in her life", But I wasn't to fond of following up on that referral.=p GUYS who knew I am not a terrorist from Australia! I always thought Rojer City was a tough crowd though. Cop, Gun, Cop all in about 7 days, I have some major persecution points racking up, I am waiting for a special deal to cash them in.

We tried a "Former Investigator" Turns out he actually was another less active not on the directory. His wife has Altimers and was a basically a inanimate being. I was really touched by that visit. He explained to us that he does everything for her, feeds her, puts her to bed, bathes her, she doesn't have a catheter, spends 24/7 with her to care for her. We talked to him and he told us how she rarely "comes to life" and how she doesn't speak anymore. 

We talked to him and then he would snap and look at her, stop mid sentence and grab her hand and recognize she was listening to him and ask for a kiss and she would perk her lips but nothing else not even move her head. He then would go off on a gander rant and ask her if she remembered it and you could see her eyes come to life and answer even though she couldn't hardly blink and he would converse with her like that. I was so touched by the love that he had for his wife, this old man had his limitations but his love was so powerful he did everything for her. 

He told of how she would make him anything and everything because how madly in love she was with him no matter what time of night, and he told later not relating the two stories that one time she came to life at 2 am and he woke up she wanted cake so he spent the whole rest of the night making her cake so he could feed it to her. She said 4 words in our time there all separate and he marveled at how rare that was and was off that walls excited hugging her and kissing her and rubbing her hand. It brought the spirit so strong after the T.V. went off that it felt like being in the temple. 

I have had alot of examples of real love in my life but this was a example I marveled at, his love was far greater than personality, far more than her mind, or body, or heart; It was her soul, it reached far beyond what was there in his life, I would even say before his life too. My companion and I left there and my companion commented "that was the most sacred thing I have ever seen" while crying. I was too busy trying to keep my cool to agree, even though I felt that same thing he did.  I can't even express what happened and give that moment it's justice that it deserves.

It was hard core.

I gotta go Don't get shot!

Be nice to Cops!

Love you!

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Don't get shot

I talked about us contacting every less active but one in my last email, as I left the library and turned a corner I heard my name called and there he was! It made it pretty easy.

I got Suzie's letter, Suz your nothing but a bully, calling me a weirdo. DO you know who I think I am!

I miss the Birch boys!

Hamilton I got the journal, it is Makob! Other than that all I can say is...
L. to the I. to the N. to the K....

We had some pretty awesome miracles this week!

But before I get into that I have to tell you of the Major persecution points that we racked up. Door knocking over In Alpena. I was enjoying the cute little houses with the steps up to the front doors and being able to see green grass unlike the snow tundra it was when I left there. Knock on a house and the guy sounds pretty gruff.... And then my eyes caught hold of the Hand Gun he had in his hand.

My criminal mind started racing through the out comes that I could do if it was moved, all of which was run, no way was I gonna get a move on him, even if he did raise it a little more, the storm door in between us. Instead of my instincts to run like a girl and vault the metal railing of the porch I invited him to learn without out anything else said and then walked away calmly. Basically every door after that we picked up a potential ha ha.

We got into a less actives house who lives WAY out in the boonies to the point no GPS can help you and you need 4 wheel drive In between East Jorden and Boyne city. We teach the restoration to this part member family and then get to the book of mormon and teach about it. It was such a hard lesson for some reason I felt almost embarrassed the whole time but tried hard to not let it effect me. The Less actives non member husband chimed in.. 'well this is my beef with the book of Mormon'..... I then calmly did my best to resolve the concern and explain it to him, he actually accepted my explanations and then I got way shocked.

His wife without any prodding, without the table being set up for it in any way Bore her testimony of Joseph Smith being called as a Prophet. She shared a personal experience from sunday school where she felt the spirit and we were blown away! It was SWEET to see her testify to her whole family who is not members and has different beliefs that these things are true. Elder Miles shot out a invitation to church and then all of the kids got excited and they all agreed to come to church.

This sunday they came all 5 of them and they talked to their less active sister (who we have tried working on for some time) and they and her family also came to church. We also was very surprised to see the Less active who I met outside of the library there, and the 2 that got a calling last week, and some former investigators who Showed up with our resent convert, and a nonmember that a member brought.... Moral of the story there was 15 people at church who aren't normally there. It was WAY cool! It's not hard to see that it wasn't all because of us.

But when the Active father and mother of the two less active daughters came in and saw them, and their grand kids =p.

I love to share the miracles that I see on a mission but I also don't like doing that, it's so easy to share the awesome experience and then all the sudden crazy stuff happens and there is a major set back. Dude I hate satan, for realzies if only people would have a stable life where no crazy work schedule or any other garbage could come up, but I guess thats life.

My camera Tapped out for good this week, so I picked up a new one for 50 bucks that I like a whole lot, Probably even better than the last.

I have given like 8 blessing this week

Well I gotta go Bye I love you have a good day!

Don't Get SHOT! Make sure you hop the rail!

love you

--

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

    

Everyone has trials of their faith, especially on a mission....

Dennim, I have been doing good, I have had a way good day today.  I made home made pizza which was AH REEEAAL nice, and then I went to walmart and spent like 20 minutes looking at all of the StarWars toys. Love you too! Take A Bath you hippy!

Susie, I haven't got your letter yet but I am really excited to get it!

Dad, when you said "Excellent!" in your letter, without thinking I threw my arms up and did a air guitar like Bill and Ted.
Ella, Congrats on turning 16 I hope it was Refreshing. Party hard, circles at dances is one of the last legal forms of Communism. They are only good if you got a good "crowd pleaser" to go Hard core on.

Every one has trials of their faith, especially on a mission. The fact that I can't buy a million starwars bionicles and play with them and kids all day long was one for me today ha ha. I LOVE all of the starwars stuff thats out.

So we have our investigator S, she is so funny, she has been dissing HARD on my companion the last few lessons because he's 18 and shes almost 80. "That young buck....The Nerve he has thinking he can walk around being 18!...When the car's full, strap him to the hood of the jeep for more space, I mean he has the nerve to be 18!". Some people in Michigan physically can not stop talking I swear, But I love her "Gander Rants" (as missionaries call them) on Hating on how Elder M is 18. She thinks I am 21 so I am not gonna do anything to make her think differently because It's hard enough to teach her when she's dissing only on him.

I woke up. It was august 2k15 in Holt Michigan. I had this guy on my mind from my very first weeks of a mission. I have no clue how I would contact him, all I knew was he was a less active in Hiding out in the boonies of Ossinike with a son who wanted to be baptized. No clue why This guy even got on my mind. Transfer calls come, I still can't get him off my mind, no clue where he lived I was so discombobulated at the time and unaware of my location other than in a endless sea of trees. I got called To serve In Gaylord where I am now able to go to Alpena the area where he lives. I spent ages on LDS maps trying to find the place. Thank you Facebook, after all that time all it took was a quick message to my trainer who is now out in Uoootah, And then I was able to give the info where he lives (minus now they have to knock like 40 doors to find which one is his, so I am going over on a trade off this week to find it for them).

I have been super pumped about Less Active work because of the fast. It bothers me how I have no records of any less active work at all. I made several really good points about it talking to the zone leaders and they called back a few days later saying we have a zone goal and they based it off of what I told them ha ha. Because of that we had a goal to try and contact every less active in the area, There is only 1 I haven't left a message or talked to yet. Our week is stacked!

We had a less active come without our help to church again. They were called by the executive secretary and they showed up and were given a calling. She left saying to her husband "Ya, our break time is over." =p We had several others there as well.

I got to experience all 4 forms of Precipitation on Thursday. It was way cool! It all happened while we were door knocking, It made me break out the thermals but I loved it after that. It was sweet seeing the rain come and hit my knitted sweater and then freeze seconds later leaving little puffs of snow and ice on me. 

I would say we actually had like 5 types of precipitation, snow, rain, hail, sleet; and my companions sweat from when the cop car slammed on the breaks, popped into reverse, and then turned onto our street straight towards us, window came down, car came to a stop. 

Don't worry apparently I have a clean record, wasn't a surprise when my companions was clean (mine either though ha ha). I worried for a half a second when I realized I didn't have my proselyting license on me though. No big deal though we just racked up loads of persecution points. 

When we walked by the house that called the cops on us "My doctor is a Mormon and hes a good guy, But you guys are MORONS!". The Cop wouldn't spend the time with me and answer all of my questions about his gadgets and different laws though =(. Basically got the cops called on us because I am tall and did a quick step over a dog gate to knock on a door, to which they didn't even answer... But I learned a lesson quick that cops frown upon stepping over small dog gates. I got fed poppy seeds yesterday so when the cops stop us again we wont pass our drug test... thanks, but the bread was good!=p

I would say we cashed in all of those persecution points though, the 4 hours of non stop precipitation, cops, ornery old folks, for the miracles at church and today. We sacrificed part of our P-day to teach a lesson to a investigator who told us he got answers to his prayers and took sunday off of work, and will live the Word of wisdom so he can be baptized. And i'm like Yes! Please! We have 3 LA lessons today as well.

I gotta go!

Bye I love you have a good day,

have a Most Excellent day

EXCELLENT!

Don't get shot!

Love,

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

"Crockett & Miles! Is that your attorney?!?"‏

Our investigator, the one who has a million and a half crazy things happen to her to prevent her from coming to church loves to talk to people about us. Shes in her 80's I think or late 70's and she was on a hospital bed talking to a doctor and she started telling him about how she meets with "Crockett and Miles" and it's been helping her. The subject title is what his response was. She has since suggested that we start a small Law office.

T-Calls came and we are staying the same. I assume I am going to kick the bucket in this area after this next transfer and I have a whole lot I still want to do and arrange so the missionaries who come after me have greater things to do then I did. I say that Because Alpena is still in some of the habits my trainer had me do with him. And it's interesting because this whole time one of the Elders over there has had some of the same thoughts I had when I was there that I never acted on, I have really been encouraging him starting now to change that. 

We had a Halloween party here as a Branch, it was pretty sweet, loads of people invited non members to come over and to join us for the trunk or treat/chili cook off. I didn't even trick or treat and people just kept giving me candy, And then they asked me to be the first person to try all of the different types of Chili and be the judge them. Dude my life is SOOOOO hard! I then after ward with all of my candy keeled on the ground and traded with the kids of the branch, making sure I got the better end of the bargain ha ha =p.

Mommy I need that S.D. Card back, preferably before Ella asks some one to winter formal. I have a surprise and It will be healthy for you all.

I decided this week to build upon what I want done at my Funeral. I want every one to be in knitted sweaters, whether ugly or not, and there needs to be a dance competition (without circles) to win Stella. 

I almost started crying this week, I was door knocking and people kept slamming their doors. The wind was brutal, even with ear muffs my ears were cold, it was raining, I was soaked, my gloves were probably actually just making matters worse because of their wetness but I didn't take them off because of the rain and wind. 

But that actually has nothing to do why I almost cried, I walked up to a door that had it's snow room door open and I saw some one I haven't seen in a LONG TIME! They hadn't grown or changed, in fact they wore what they normally wore still. They still had the lime green kicks that I loved so much, And the build was almost unmistakable. When some one came to the door I immediate asked if I could see the long board that they had propped against the wall. They brought it to me and turned out It actually wasn't some one I knew It was just some long board that stank. =( I have missed the trashy hippy van, lawn chairs, and beer cans on the back of Stella. =p

Our Branch has had what they call "the 40 day fast", It was a fast where there was some one in the branch fasting and they would pass it on to some one else who would then start their fast and that continued for 40 days. They have been fasting and praying for Missionary Stuff like : Less actives to come back to church, new investigators, Active members to move in to strengthen the district, missionary opportunities; all so the Traverse City District can become a stake and we can do our part. Yesterday the 40 day fast ended and we had 8 less actives at church, we had only worked on 4 of them, one  less active couple even brought their 4 kids too =p. 

One of the ones We helped get to church recently got offended and stopped coming like the week I got here. We called to set up a appointment to see them and continued on with my day. They live on a Golf course and it was night time when we were heading over there on our car fast day. They way I have always gone there was driving but I wasn't that fond of the Idea of crossing M32 on bikes at night that had few reflectors on them and a light. 

That day I actually saw another entrance to the golf course that I had never seen before. I presented it to my companion, without realizing it I way talked down the M32 way and so obliviously he chose the way I said "all I know about that is it will be a adventure". 

Dang straight that was a adventure! We had time to kill and ended up 40 minutes late. We entered the new way and went through a fancy neighbor hood to realize the turn we took was a wrong on because of the dead end it led us to we then went on a dirt road trail that was the only other option to take, which led us to the heart of the golf courses, we Bombed huge hills, had to take different trails, walked down steep inclines, was rained on, my companion crashed his bike one one of the hills, took wrong turns, ended up on top of a hill that ski lifts bring people to (that was cool!) to learn we went the wrong way..... 

All until I saw the light of a building which I soon recognized. My I wasn't sure If we'd get busted for the ride we just went on but I told my companion jokingly (him being very innocent)  "if we get busted it's gonna be because they see your light", While climbing the hill I now notice his light is no longer on behind me =p. Psh there wasn't even a thing to worry about, I think they let people romp all over the place. We had a good lesson and talk about our adventure, "Hey I said it was the adventure way". We took M32 on the way back and there was like 4 cars on the road and it was like 3 minutes long ha ha ha!

Well I gotta Go Bye I Love you!

Have a good day!

Love you!

Send the S.D Card

-Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Basic Principles, Stick to the Basics

I can't believe it! We locked ourselves out a-(freaking)gain. This time I had my wallet out with me. I felt like David marching up to Goliath as I pulled my wallet set out to try and crack a SCHLAUGE. I swung my sling, I hit the pins, I raked with my might, cast the stone, and the bad boys face cracked!  In the wrong direction and relocked the door..... "Dang it!" I then tried the other way so it would actually unlock and got nothing it was way hard. I realized I never even tried to credit card the dang thing, it popped open in 5 seconds..... I am constantly being reminded how important it is to stick to the basis in missionary work (12 wk) and life.

I was sick on my microwave smelling bad because of burning bread in it for several minutes on accident. So I went and cleaned it and then after like 15 minutes of working on that thing IT catches fire!!!! Dang I am never cleaning anything again =p. Not only did it now smell worse but the house did now too.

Got ear muffs!

Are we related to a C.Webb Crockett?

We have this Investigator, we picked her husband up as a potential and then my companion dropped him on trade offs 9 weeks ago. We then got a referral from his wife wanting a bible. We gave her it, placed a Book of Mormon and picked her up as a investigator. 

This week we committed her to live the word of wisdom and that was a miracle that we got her to do that and to desire to quit smoking. She told us no once and then the branch president (who had to quit all of the don'ts of the WoW) started bearing testimony, sharing personal stories, and then I bore a testimony of the Do's and she committed to quit and got a priesthood blessing. But I bring this up because of how sweet it was all of her kids joined around for the blessing and was quiet (miracle) and then I gave the blessing. 

I love the kids, they are so funny every single time the word prayer is brought up they start talking about the pledge of Allegiance and their hands will go on their hearts. =p ha ha That's because of the church some one brings them to they will say a opening prayer and then the pledge, the Mom hates it! So after the blessing the kids started and Mom flipped a biscuit (smaller sized) on how that's not a prayer. 

But I got to hear it in English and Spanish =p. It was really touching after the blessing the one who said it in Spanish wanted to say the closing prayer and he prayed really hard that his Mom could quit smoking and be baptized. As we were leaving the littlest girl was pretending to smoke a sucker or something and Mom came up from behind and whacked her on the head with the WoW pamphlet and said "we no longer do that!".

I have been thinking. Yup that's about it =p

Just kidding, we went to Traverse city this week for District (stake) Conference. Elder and Sister White came and picked us up and gave us snacks as always on long car rides and then they taught us using a article from a guy online about being successful and 7 attributes of successful people. 

This is not a first for things like this they are always trying to teach us and be a good example to us of a good married couple and teach us what they have learned throughout life so we could have and be better fathers and spouses. I thought about Sr. Missionaries and what role they have played in the past 14 months of my life. I am super grateful for all of the Sr. Missionaries I have been around: the Swensons, The Whites, The Ekins they truly helped me in ways NO one could have. They truly bring pure wisdom, and I learned From them things I could have never learned in 80 Trade offs and blitzes about how to teach and how to be aware and how to listen to the spirit. 

And that's just in the teaching aspect of what I did with them. I learned and gained a testimony of principles of the Gospel that no zoneleader could have taught me. I cannot even begin to scratch my love and gratitude I have for them and the help they gave me and the lessons I learned from them. It's just like how for missionaries like me when we come out in the field we are molded into husbands/fathers/priesthood holder/workers/..... The exact same happens to Sr. Couples in a different way; They learn how to be active members of the church/better parents/....(I don't know all the other things I haven't experienced that Yet, Sister White could tell you though). 

I heard from a Member who was talking to Elder Ekins he said "Going on a second mission has really screw'd up my priorities in life! All of my Horses are up on the mountain for opening day of the hunt! And I need to see my mother again, so I am going there instead". I encourage ALL to serve a Sr. Mission there is nothing that could help more people and do more good for you and the church and the people. I am out of time but could go on for ages on this.  

Well I gotta Go Bye I love you

Have a good day!

Don't get shot!

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

"Welcome to the Snow Belt"

Ella your essay is great! It deserves to be carved into white marble and hung on a racquetball court. So to edit it a little, lets be real It did not take me that long to pick the racquetball court lock, we had like a good 20 seconds before security whooped around the corner... Drama Queen =p. With the softball field we had to romp through I don't remember having to back up out of the mud but the inching around the corner is very accurate. Those tracks were in the field for months to come nonetheless. It was a most excellent adventure though! One part of the story that I don't think is in the story is what we did with the couch after that, my journal should tell that part of the story, but we turned that court into what we called "the bat cave" welding a look out ladder to peek over the wall, put a candy stash in there,trash can, and would hang out during stuco. Try not to get me arrested though ha ha!

I have been on a hunt for all of the cool fall colored leafs this year. I have been collecting them to flatten and tape up and put in my letter journal. I have had the hardest time getting a dang pink leaf though, they must be a different type of species comparatively to other leaves because every time I pick one it gets bruised and turns brown.

October 16 2k15 was the first sight of snow for this year. And you guys had 100 degress ha ha! I actually had to put on gloves and wool socks this week. I am going on a hunt today for ear muffs, I searched all last winter and never found any but they are THE most necessary things out of all. well no they arent but they are way nice!

I have never had to actually retain new members my whole mission it was either handed to me way easily or I just missed the baptism so It wasn't even something that was a worry to me. But now we have 9 recent converts that the Ekins used to work with who are now dished out on us. We have been working to get alot more member involvement because of it. 

We were out door knocking and we hit this one house that was an apartment or a duplex type of thin and the two front doors were facing each other. While we took on the first person who came I noticed behind us a person quickly moved by to see us. I started thinking "oh no she will already have prepared what she wants to say to us and we wont get any ground at all.". We turn around and knock on her door and she comes to the door and goes "Hi Elders!", 

 

I knew she knew something that i didn't so I immediately started questioning her and asking what she knew about the church. She then answered my questions and said " I saw you guys so I made you Hot chocolate, If you'd like to come in" =p. Talked to find out she was really good friends with a member of our church, continued to dig to find out that she actually had a favorite chapter in the book of Mormon, to find out she was actually a baptized member of our church who wasn't on our records at all! I got all of the necessary info that I needed to get her records shipped here and set up a time where we could come back =p. I love! it when that happens, it seriously is my favorite thing to find members of the church not on record.

We were out door knocking on Saturday and it turned out to be the worst possible time in the world to be knocking. It was around dinner time and the sun was threatening to go down. Every door was"Your interrupting the Michigan State Game!", we continued to knock "Your Interrupting the Michigan University game!" Turns out they were playing each other.... Kept knocking on the same street "your interrupting the (insert really big baseball final game name here)!" The guy got so mad at us he wanted to know our "home" address so he could come over with like 20 people to teach us about his church and he got us a pen and paper to write it down on.... SO i did. He was ticked when he read "Mesa Arizona" and stormed away to watch the game ha ha! Don't worry I wrote the old address, so if they get 20 Catholics at their door it's my fault haha.

One thing that I am not that fond of is how little control I can have in a situation, And I am not talking about the little Agency thing that every missionary hates. I am talking about how I can preach the Gospel by the spirit, melt their hearts, they can receive a answer to their prayers and things will still be at a halt because all hell breaks loose. And there is nothing I can really do about it, Satan is so dang powerful. 

 

I have been on my knees so much this week so things like this stop happening. Here is some examples of what I am talking about S the lady who I just baptized said like my first visit there "the dumbest thing is when people are sick they still go to church, I will never do that because it gets all of the old people and babies sick" she has a point. But what happened after that is for 5 weeks STRAIGHT there was some one sick in her family and she wouldn't go to church because of it. 

 

I had to sit down with her and share 1 Ne 3:7 and then tell her how when ever people are preparing for baptism the gates of hell open I swear and no matter what you have to be committed to following Gods commandments. That week when some one new was sick she changed her policy, ditched the kids on husband and made it to church.=p

 

But to give you More examples of ones that we haven't solved: We committed a lady To be baptized, she has gained a VERY strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and wants to join. We have never gotten her to church for some crazy reason every single time. Car broke down when she was heading out. Another time she tried calling us on Saturday 4 times to get a ride, none of which went to our phone. We even called her that Saturday twice and none of the calls went through and so when Sunday came she didn't have a ride. Another time we had it set up for her to watch general conference and she was watching the opening hymns being sung until the screen turned grey and all the sudden she found out that her cable company cut that one channel that day on accident. Took a week for the technician to fix it.  Another time she had a ride to church, Her friend who she invited was on her way to pick her up. She got T-boned by a drunk driver before she made it to the house and went to the hospital. By the time we knew no members were down there....

For realzies I am ticked at Satan, every single time we get progression! I can prepare and warn people for anti material but I can't stop a car crash 40 miles away...

Well I am out of time

Bye I love you have a good day!

Don't get shot!

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Hey Success Does Happen =p‏

K so Dude what the heck man! Thats like the 5th person I found out these past 2 weeks that are married. Facebook is weird because I don't recognize peoples names and then all the sudden I find out it is some one I know but they are just married! haha

This week was pretty eventful

On Friday we were car fasting and Elder and Sister Ekins where bringing us everywhere because we STACKED our day. 6 lessons later the old man was beat and wanted to take us out to his favorite place in celebration of them going home this tuesday. He pulled up to a place I wouldn't normally try for food but hey. Walked in to see a straight up bar... But Hey it was all you can eat fish fry day! I have NEVER had fish that Good in my life!!! OH MAN! It was ah RRREEEAAAL nice! It was interesting seeing the little kids run around in there too while people sat at the bar. It was also very interesting to see a active member of our church come in as we were leaving...they showed the Ekins the all you can eat fish fry, don't worry they live the word of wisdom.

While I was down in Lansing my mission president came up to me and asked me how much money I have in my MFS account. I told him I have over $500 in it because of my budgeting. He was so confused how other missionaries are already out of their funds and I have so much. He got real worried and told me like 4 times that I don't need to go skimpy but I should get myself a tie and go to a nice place every once and a while... So maybe next transfer I will go back to the bar =p ha ha

 

My area is being POACHED! This is the second time this has happened, on my mission. The petosoky Sisters have been coming to the far west cities we have. We got 5 referrals from them this week when they found out they were poaching. It's way cool they were actually led to a potential that I found a few weeks prior and placed a book of mormon while there, thing was we way forgot about him and maybe even dropped him while I was away on tradeoffs. We came back and set up a appointments when followed up of the referral.

I went to the temple on Saturday and had a very long car ride with the Ekins both ways. I love those getting E. ekins to tell me about what crazy things he did the ride was a blast! I was really amazed at how much I learned this time while doing a session. Because of me working so hard on a mission on learning how to focus and listen to people and organize things in my head, and the teaching skills I have developed, and the understanding of the gospel..... I was able to piece apart LOADS of things I have never thought of or understood before at all. To be fair when I went into the temple the first time for a endowment I never knew Jesus created the earth, my understanding of the gospel is Loads greater than it was before. While in the Celestial room after E. Ekins told me all he knew about the temple he grabbed us and pulled us into a room. It was a sealing room and every one else in the branch was in there, I didn't even know that a couple in the branch was getting sealed that day, It was way cool to see some one get married for eternity.

So this Sunday was a big day. First of all it was a baptism, and potluck sunday, and the Ekins last sunday. I was able to baptize S.

S was found by doorknocking. It was a cold winter day and ElderHJ was on a trade off and E.Ekins was hauling them around, E. Ekins drove out into the boonies away from the city and made them jump out and knock the street driving them from house to house. He got nothing but winning out of h and he pulled out every excuse in the book (this is what E.Ekins tells me, I've heard the story 12 times this week) he kept doing it until he was way happy and got told to come back in two weeks, he was then jumping up and down and no longer giving excuses. 

 

Transfers happened and E.Ekins woke up at night and could think because he was worried, he realized that they didn't follow up with that lady. He drove all over in the boonies to find the place, got there set a return appointment and got the new Elders there. Taught restoration, first vision "WOAH I just got the chills!" she said. Went to church and found out one of her school teachers was the relief society president, and the Branch Presidents Wife had one of the Foster Children that she has now. At church she was confused because she already knew everything that the speaker was telling her, she then realized that it wasn't dejavu but that Last night she had a dream and she dreamed about that exact talk that was given. Elder Schmutz continued to teach her until he finished his mission, 

 

I then came in and she was smoking, we fixed that. Her whole family (extended, nephews, Grandchildren, Fosterkids) was pushing for her to quit smoking so she could get her deceased Father baptized in the temple. Found out her Nephews were Former investigators from a different area, started teaching them until they had to move back down state, they left sad because they were wanting to get baptized on the same day and we haven't gotten their new address yet and the missionaries have no clue where to find them. 

 

We forgot to follow up on smoking and then one day we did and she was like "Ya i am 16 days without"! But there is actually way more to this story than what I have told, and I am still learning about all of the stuff that happened before I showed up. She once "kicked the mormons off my door step, the Jehovah's witnesses told me all I needed to know about them and that they were bad news".=p. She is all about wanting to do family history and get her relatives to the temple, we got her started on it this week. The day of her Baptism she dropped her nephews off in Grand rapids and she was handed her grandma's family history that goes all the way back to the 1500's. =p Church is true.

Well I gotta go

Bye I love you have a good day

Don't get shot!

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett