Through Thorny ways, leads to a Joyful end"

You know Life is good, Life is healthy. I woke up today in a mood where I didn't even need p-day I could have just kept working, I haven't had that in forevs! Some one is praying for me =p.

Dad I love how you have made "the small plates of Burt" I love it, i actually started something similar this week. I have for a first time actually am keeping a "study Journal", my other one is a note book but this one has all of my great discourses on missionary work that I think every missionary needs to know and understand. It's been good for me because I now have greater purpose in my personal study. 

We got transfer calls and we are staying. my whole district is diffrent, in 2 transfers every one who was there before me is now gone. another sister in my district went home this week this one finished her 18 months.

I went over to a members house for a dinner appointment, they were less active so I am not sure how they signed up on the dinner calendar, but hey Yolo Swag! So we got picked up by them and it was a super ripped cuban with a really thick accent. He was pretty cool I knew just by how stacked he was that he was a fighter, I started asking questions and found out he was a boxer and trained in Judo. 

We hit it off really well after that and had great conversations about fighting. But I started asking him about his life in Cuba before he came to america. He opened up and tole me about how they were a community. Every one knew every one in their neighborhood, most of them didn't have cars so they would walk and they would randomly talk to a stranger for 2 hours. 

Every one did everything together as kids and they didn't need a sports league to play anything every one just went around to all the houses and got people to come and play sports with them. They all heavily relied on one another and would constantly go to a certain persons house who tended to have baking goods or go to some ones house to borrow tools weekly and they all did that and relied on one another. (They all fought =p jk take that one off ) They all knew everyone and they all CARED about every one.

 I loved that, the more I thought of that the more it has touched my heart to hear about these people who had little, but they had so much more than worldly possessions. I want that. It reminds me of a general authority talking about his life as a kid and how he sees it like the celestial kingdom being that close by all of his family and having that true community. I want that, and the more i think about it a mission totally prepares your for that. 

Sorry I don't have much to talk about this week other than I have been real happy and have seen some great success, and I am so glad for trials and the things they teach you, and the teachings that they engrave on your soul. 

Bye I love you have a good day!

Don't get shot

go, read some books

love you

miss you

-- 

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

#areapoaching‏

This week has been pretty great. It started out on tuesday by there being a zone Conference up in Grand Rapids. The other Elders had the car but they weren't fond of the idea of driving in that traffic so they gave me the keys and It got Crazy! I felt like I was racing down a hill at 70 miles a hour with 20 other longboarders swerving in front of me and with crazy hills and turn offs and blinding sunlight. It was much more intense then the Fast and the furious over in Lansing! 

It was a great conference though! For a first time in a long time I actually felt like I learned something that I can apply into my missionary work from the mission training. Every other time I feel like I learn more from picking specific phrases and scriptures out from the training and thinking about them until truth is revealed to me about how I can improve. But this one I was able to actually learn from the speakers and then I was able to pick apart the hidden truths from every thing else that was there to build upon that even more. 

I heard a statistic that in my mission when you total up every missionaries baptism out of the 150ish of us there is about 380 baptisms that happened. and 75% of all of those were found by door knocking. I always have to battle new missionaries on how door knocking isn't effective, I loved this!

Talking about battling missionaries Yesterday we got a random call from a member who we are close to, he asked us to come out with him to give some one a blessing right away. We went to the location we were asked to meet up, it was only 4 blocks away from our apartment! We went inside to give them a blessing when the member came to find the part member family the sister missionaries brought to church the past 2 weeks...#dangareapoachers.  

They have gone over like 5 times to teach, and never once told us that they are like a quarter mile away from our apartment and way in our are and like 4 miles away from theirs.....I brought it up last night and they also remarked brought up that they just picked up a investigator in Galesburg (also my area and 15 miles out of theirs...), they just laughed at us and I snapped on the inside and hung up before I flipped a biscuit. But for realz though I am about to explode on that one because they never even tried to give them as a referral... But to be fair they are both new missionaries.

I got so sunburnt this week from us being with out a car and walking around. I gave up on trying to fix my bike because the rim of it was bent so bad that I couldn't get the breaks to work at all and it totally wasn't safe with out a helmet or breaks. While we were out and about walking I walked in front of a house and there was a old bike torn up and in pieces across in a garden bed. I looked at it and realized that Those rims were in way better condition than mine. So I ran up to the door and my companion hesitantly followed, and I knocked to see if I could have the bike. No one answered so I left a sticky note asking for it and left a note with our number to call or text us. Like 3 hours later we got a text saying we could have it!!!! It was a miracle! No one ever calls or texts us back! 

SO we got the K1 Elders to pick it up for us when they came to take us to dinner with one of their members. From that I was able to salvage two bike rims (both with the tubes intact and inflatable) all of the reflectors that a bike needs to have, a bottle holder, a screw for my companions handlebars! It was a great find and since then I now have operating breaks I bought helmet today. The only problem is my bike is a 18 speed but runs like a 2.5 speed but that can be fixed; and I need the whole state of Michigan to get good roads because all the potholes and cracks in the road has bruised me as I sat on that hard seat. I guess I could get a new comfy seat but that costs money and I am going to abandon the bike and helmet when I leave so it's more convenient for them to fix the whole state of Michigan!=p But for realzies you can get air off of the sidewalk because of how Whak the street and sidewalks get, some places look like it's a skateboard ramp in the middle of the sidewalk.

This week I was riding my bike and we bombed a steep hill. As the air was flying past my body at high speeds there was a goose on the side of the road walking to a small pond. It turned around to see me shredding this hill and puffed up it's chest and raised it wings up to make it'self huge. It then ran to the road in a attempt to attack me!!! It shot a bite near my leg and missed! I jumped like a girl!!! Both of my hands up automatically to defend my face and chest (like I was having a punch thrown at me) I then shot my left hand back to the handle bar realizing I can't let go at that speed and I almost jerked my left break (I would have flew over my handlebars) 

I almost crashed because of that stupid thing. I wish I had more battle reflexes and kicked it! But I was to scared and curled up to defend myself from that thing. Dang goose! I don't want to find that one in a crowded room! =p Later that same day a kid shot a 3 pointer and made a sweet shot and the ball flew straight at my wheel and almost knocked me over, Again I wish I had the battle reflexes to kick it before it hit me. I think I need to do some kick boxing classes after the mish or some thing martial art that uses High kicks! I would love to train in something like that I think my long legs would do great at that.

-- 

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Freedom to all Animals, Minerals and Cereals!‏

Last p-day while we were waiting for the sisters in my district to finish shopping (so we could go to the museum together) we went to Guitar Center. I went to the silent ukulele room and enjoyed bliss. As we were about to leave a chorus of heavenly angles started playing. It was to heavenly I went back to the back of the store because "Starlight" by Muse came on. =p I needed that! It was healthy for me. It stayed in my head all day long and it Rebooted me so to say. I prayed so much the past few days to be calm and focused, and when that came it gave me like a system Reboot. I woke up the next day calm and focused and when I went outside I had what seemed to be the same pair of eyes that I had the day I got off the airplane into the moist air of Michigan. I WAS STOKED FOR AN ADVENTURE! and my lungs were filled with fresh air and excitement.

And since then I can't get Muse out of my head but hey I am not even mad.=p

As My Mission President always says before he closes a conference or meeting "It's a great day to be a missionary in the Michigan Lansing Mission." (He once almost said that at a baptism but he squirmed and said "great day to be a Mish....Ember of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints" =p) I have felt so free from burdens and heartache!

I have been dying to wear jeans all week long! To the point where I decided to sleep in them =p

The K2 sisters gave us a referral and I texted him to set up a appointment and I got the response.. "We can talk on the phone right now if you'd like Pretty lady"....."Am I talking to the Blond?" ........................ I then shot him a text " Well... I am a blond, But I ain't no lady Dude! This is the Male Missionaries...." I then left a hilarious statement on the end of that. He never responded to the text.=p

We went out to lunch with some members this week and Elder Q pointed to "Gyro" on the menu and asked me how pronounce that. The member who is a RM from Mexico snapped immediately to spanish and started asking which word does he didn't know how to say in english. It was so Funny! E.Q. Doesn't talk alot at all so the member thought that was because he didn't speak english well haha!

We Got 2 bikes for free this week! My companion has been drilling me about it for weeks now and I haven't sweat it at all because every single area we have just had bikes randomly given to us...Yup it was the exact same way this time too. They are great bikes they just have a million things that needs to be tweeked so it works efficiently but they have tires, tubes, bike lock, and breaks and all of their problems are fixable. I am grateful I spent so much time on the Gary Fisher, The Specialized, and the Tandem Bike because learning how to work with them has been priceless out here!

We went over To one of our investigators house this week for dinner and a lesson. We got there and she was stoked to see us. She told us all about her reading Alma 32 during her lunch break while on base. She read it and it made so much sense and it was so simple to her. She then tried praying to know if what she read is true and her BOSS came up and tried talking to her and she got on his case about interrupting a prayer and made him leave. #Military. 

 

She then felt the spirit really strongly, it brought so much peace to her that she was able to work the rest of the day with a clear mind, very focused, and had no worries at all which from what she said is a huge change of pace. She told us how excited she was for our lesson and for us to leave so she can read more. I jumped up and started going "Spirit! Spirit! Spirit!" (only not at all) got her to recognize it. 

 

This was a awesome thing to happen because her less active husband (who grew up in the church, went to seminary, and knows his scripture masteries ) changed his whole stance with participation in the lessons. We started teaching The GO.J.C. and when talking about faith He took over the lesson! We were opened up to Alma 32 and was using that and he expounded of the scriptures and made a analogy of how the seed needs water soil and sunlight to live, and then taught how thats Reading, praying, and going to church(=p). He then stopped and asked questions to check understanding!

Tiffany accepted my invitation to being baptized after I broke the bad news very carefully with 3 NE 11 that she needed to be rebaptized and grabbed her work schedule to write it in. It was funny when we invited them to church because all the Sudden Her husband was pushed into the corner because she really wanted to go because she knew  how important going to church was from what HE taught her. Ha ha ha! He got tried backing up but she hounded him.

While we ate dinner, Tiffany ran to the other room and handed me a case. starwars episode7.....................................................................................on blueray and dvd..................................................................................It felt like a sin holding that case! I couldn't read any of what was on the back! I couldn't even get my self to look at the people too closely in the face! 

It's been snowing basically every day since General Conference 

Dang I don't have time to tell you about the Drug dealer we door knocked into! Let me tell you things got real! My companion Who i would like to compare has the nervous system of a small yappy dog (he jumps and defends himself when the phone goes off....He heard a car with a squeeky belt drive buy and he ran to the door because he wasn't sure what that meant....and when a book fell off his desk he went into fight or flight mode I swear!). That guy was making me jump and i backed off of his door step and was on a hair trigger to right uppercut and run! Maybe a letter story.

Well I gotta GO Bye I love you have a good day

don't get shot

or pick a fight with drugdealers who earned their Golden Gloves!

--

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

Conference

this one is gonna be short too. my library card died and I am on a half hour guest pass

this week has been a week, I swear there has been one thing after another after another after another!

This week was so Whak! It was not normal by any means at all. 

I really took loads of effort into trying to figure out what I should look for in general conference and I made a list of several questions, Every single talk there was one of my questions was addressed and helped me greater understand what I wanted to know. We played a whole lot of basket ball this week inbetween sessions and before personal and comp study in the morning with the other missionaries.

I think the biggest lessons I learned was about communication. This week has been filled with Hysteria and misconception because people hear but don't understand. Thats a huge theme of what has happened with my district this week. 

There was a lady who we door knocked into, something terrible happened and me and my companion were raging mad because of some guy. I had zero patience at that point. And this lady answers the door and she starts going off on this huge gander rant! I was ready to walk away. I forced a half smile and tried to listen to try and invite her to learn. But there actually was something valuable out of what she ranted about that stood out to me. 

She told us about how she never opens the door for any one at all anymore because of how crazy the world is getting. She has been living in seclusion because of the hysteria that happens in one part of the world and is so broadly broad cast though out the world. She then said that it's a good thing that we are trying to share something good, because we are some of the few that is. That really made me think the next few doors and eventually I wasn't ticked so I was able to clearly think.

 I really realized thats how it is with everything in the world we all focus so much on the negative, we share the negative because we want help, because its popular, because thats how people can see what we truly feel so they reach out and thats a good thing. But the negative is exactly what leads to the fear, the pain, the misery, and when we share that it doesn't uplift and edify but it shows that "thats how it is" which causes people to not reach out, to not help, to not uplift, to not open up. 

Love

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

#convertedtoGreekFood‏

I met a guy this week that is Buddhist and he told me that he is a level 1 (what ever that means) because of the lives he has lived and the many times he has been reincarnated. He then went on to tell me in the same sentence that he wanted me to know that because God is only a level 2. I shook his hand and congratulated him and said I am Honored to meet you =p. He didn't take it offensively and I died laughing after I left.

I tried shwarma, a member took us out to eat it. He said it was better than Gyro meat... Yes his statement was blaspheme. It was just meat.

This week was amazing and I have no time to write about it. 

I had a trade off with a missionary in my district where I had the thought in nightly planning to teach him something as we walked a hour to a lesson instead of companionship study. I taught him how to Discern needs and to resolve concerns. He has been our for 9 months, and he commented "this is the best comp study I have had on my mission" even with us jay walking and ITLing people on the way. Yesterday during call ins They reported that they now have 3 investigators on date. I asked them about the lesson, They taught a couple who had been taught for 2 years non stop basically and once was a day away from baptism and they dropped out. They went in there and the missionary I taught used what I taught him and was able to discern their need and have them opened up unlike never before and resolved their concern and they asked to be baptized. =p I guess everything I say doesn't fall on deaf ears. 

We picked up 4 new investigators who are solid for once this week!

And God just keeps answering my prayers even the ones that would mean nothing to anyone else. I love the Gospel, It has strengthened me so much, we need to turn to the Savior MORE! He cares.

Don't get shot

love you!

--

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

"Thank you, Thank you very much!"‏

So I totally bagged on day light savings last week but this week I really enjoyed it being able to have sunlight until 7pm it helps me enjoy life more, it help me with missionary work more. More people are willing to talk with us because we arent so creepy walking up to their house when it's pitch black and 6pm. 

While we were out and about on our car fast day a train started going through the city and had to stop. Since we were watching it move and then jerk to a stop I grabbed one of the 15 pennies that I picked up that day and put it on the train tracks and after it was done moving I had a squished penny! It brought me joy for a good 10 minutes =p

While I was on trade offs with one of my zone leaders we were out in the Ghetto and we went getting any good responses from any one infact few people gave us any time of day. A Ice Cream truck started going down the street slowly and playing music. I saw the guy eyeballing us since we were the only people on the street. He kept going slower and slower until he passed us and he pulled over. Yah I wasn't gonna fall for that trick. I stuck my head straight forward and passed him. He rolled down the window and I did a quick glance and then stopped dead in my tracks. That clever devil got me! Jk It was a Less Active who I had been calling and he wasn't answering his phone! I even called him that day. So I went up to the window set up a appointment and got free Ice cream out of it! That was a Sweet Miracle =p Literally =p. So I wasn't discouraged at all because we were where we needed to be at the right time and I got Ice cream out of it. 

So my new companion I found out yesterday that he was born a month early and it really effected his social skills. Which makes sense, But I didn't know that and so I was pushing him Hard this week! We were on that same street we got the ice cream and we had a appointment in 10 minutes. We walked around a house to the side door that they use and we could see the next house and there was like 6 people in their lawn with super loud Ghetto music playing, They all looked like G's too. My companion after he saw that said "So are we good to go to our lesson?"...."Elder It's a 2 minute walk... We can go After YOU talk to them all" since he hadn't been talking to any one at all and giving up super super easy.

 He started all of his whining, complaining, and dishing out everything he can as fast as he could to try and convince me not to make him. "Elder Crockett It's Not SAFE!" I shot him a evil Eye for his super racist comment there and said I was going to walk in the middle of them all and let it get super awkward until he talks. And I did. I walked up and like 4 brothas left. I said Hi and I just sat there knowing that he couldn't stay more than 2 feet away from my hip and was coming.

 He did and He talked for like 7 minutes to them before I said another word =p. even got a return appointment out of it (I mean it fell through but...). I loved that conversation that he had though because the guy who we were talking to gave a awesome testimony of Jesus Christ. Even with the loud music that was swearing up a storm, I felt the spirit from it! I am amazed at the truth that people have and learn from the spirit, You can learn so much if you just listen to those people you to try to teach.

 I feel like thats a problem in my district, there are several people who really want to teach but wont learn anything from my lesson at all and when I ask check understanding questions All they will refer back to is what they brought up and not what other people shared. 2 ears, 1 mouth, come on people! You have that proportion for a reason. But I am guilty on that subject at times too.

I door knocked into a Less active who is on the directory but had a different address. When we found her she told us that she is super excited to come to a fast and testimony meeting and has been thinking about it alot. She told us she wants to bear her testimony on the power of Prayer because her Daughter was one of the kids who was Shot that day that 6 people here was killed. She felt all day long that she needed to pray for protection for her family and so she poured her soul out in prayer and her daughter lived and she found out why she felt that need to pray.

Last week we had a visitor come to church. I went up to him and said hi to him and to all of the other people who I had never seen before who came for a baby blessing, Most of which was nonmembers. 3 Days later my companion answers the phone while I am driving and the guy wanted to speak specifically to me, So he put it on speaker and I pulled over. It was the visitor who came to church. He told me that he had brought his lessactive son to church with him that day who lives in our area. I didn't know that I did say hi to him too though. He then went on to tell me that their whole time there I was the ONLY person who ever went up to them and introduced themselves and tried to even say hi. He went through all that effort to get his son there and then no one but me said hi to them and I said hi for like 5 seconds as I had to run to ITL some people before they left. He was grateful for my recognition, and appalled by my ward and called the Elders Quorum and Bishop to complain. They felt pretty bad when they heard.

I love Elvis. I don't know what I would do with out him. I LOVE his gospel album. No matter how bad I feel, no matter how beat down I am, how tired I am, lonely, heartbroken; When Elvis comes on my ipod and he starts to tell me to "Walk ON!!!!! through the wind and the snow, YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALOOOOOOONNNEEEE!" I brings me to tears, punches me in the gut and tells me to man up, Do Work and DO work hard! I really needed his influence this week. Especially these last few weeks where I have felt like a claustrophobic fat cat trapped in a peanut shell twitching and not being able to release or break anything free.

Well I gotta go 

Bye I love you!

Have a good day!

-- 

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett

With in Sight and Sound,.... and never more than 6 inches away....

This week has been pretty sweet. #vacation.  

I have found over 20 pennies on the side walk this week, who knew so many people would drop pennies in the snow and not be able to find it. 

My new companion is from 3cities washington or something like that. He asks me questions ALL DAY long. The sisters in my ward like to make fun of me because he is always 1 or 2 feet away from me, even at the China buffet where we sat next to the place for food he would follow me around  1 foot away haha. It's alright though he is adjusting and I know that he is trying to fit in and be the best that he can. The problem is with training down here It's hard to keep him unspotted from other missionaries so and he asks me about things that I refuse to talk to missionaries about because stupid missionaries don't need their stories of disobedience passed on.

I started my 4th Journal this week. It's interesting because the Journal doesn't have any lines on it so my lines go up and down a little but it is still legible and not hard to read so.

I had to go to Lansing twice this week one to get my new companion and the other to go to MLC. Yes I do not have a GPS. Yes my temporary companion Elder Freemen didn't have a GPS. SO without it anything but the big map I received when I got my call letter We went from Kalamazoo to battle creek church building (which He had been to once before) , up to Lansing and to the Lansing stake center. Yes we were 10 minutes early! I have leaned so much about city organization and road signs and what not since I have been out, forrealzies you don't really ever need a GPS unless you are going out to the boonies for a referral.

I loved being with Elder Freeman for the 3 days we were together, He ate up everything I had to say! It was a huge healthy change for me especially because He had been out for a longer time and so I could go off on all of my great discourses on different principals of missionary work that I can't teach to people who are new and I haven't been able to teach anyone recently who would actually understand and apply it.

I loved this week though I had so many tender mercies!

I checked facebook and I got a message form a "Child" of record whos father was excommunicated who I used to stop by and try and encourage to get on the repentance process and meeting with us. He wrote me to tell me that he was baptized and received the priesthood a few weeks ago and that he was talking to his bishop about his mission papers. =p

I also went to Lamb of God this week, it technically wasn't a musical because there was no real acting just standing in a suit in front of a mic. I almost cried when the full orchestra went up on stage and I heard only a cello start to tune using harmonics. I was hit by the spirit so hard! I was experiencing a tear jerker performance even before they were tuned or started yet! I did cry during though. But After the performance I looked around and found a member from the Holt ward and when I found them I found Sister Dean and Gabe Dean. I broke course and ran to them to give Gabe a huge hug. Sister Dean first off Told me that she is so glad that she added Mom on facebook and that she thinks Moms posts are a Hoot! But then she told me that because Things changed when I came, Gabe is now active and went to the temple and did the work for her deceased husband. And her other son Gary who would never leave his room EVER, now comes out and spends time with them together, She made the statement "I now have my son back". I cried. That like made the 6 months of time spent in Holt worth it.

Our investigators son who has been coming to church for 3 weeks now started asking people if he could join the scout program and it caused a uproar of people running around trying to arrange it, and provide a way that he could participate in the upcoming Pinewood derby. We didn't do anything at all but members were going around and asking who would be able to help him make a car and what not! They love church! They believe they found their church home.

Daylight savings wrecked me! I had PEC at 7:30am and fell asleep and there is only like 4 other people there. I passed out during Sacrament meeting. The only reason why I didn't fall sleep the other 2 lessons was because I was teaching. I did tell them though that if I fall asleep to keep the conversation going and let me be until class is over =p.

I can't figure out why I cant see the files of the pictures on my camera I thought it was just in Gaylords computers but I still can't view them. SIster Dean wants to see the pictures I have of her and I would post one today on facebook but I can't see it...

In my mission we will be having a new Key indicator: It is Hours of service. We are now asked to get 10 hours of service and 15 hours of door knocking a week. I am not sure how to balance that and the extra hour of compstudy since I am training and everything else.... But it sounds like fun

I am so grateful for all of God's Tender Mercies, I know he loves me, I know that he understands me in ways I can't express to any one else. I know he hears my tears at night while I pray. I know he is merciful and has great power to lift us when we are beaten and torn and miserable. I know I can spend all day typing and trying to describe all of my experiences and pains and worries and joys, I could use all of that time with countless things to help give you the imagery of what happens in my life; but no one will EVER understand the depth of any of it the way that God can. These past weeks has been great evidence of that! I believe every single word in the scriptures has that same depth that can not be portrayed and thats why it's so important to ponder on scriptures.

Love you all

Miss you all

Don't get shot

-- 

- Elder Truman Rex Crockett