Transfers.

So... this week was a really good one.  It was kind of a crazy one because... we... had TRANSFERS.  And transfers is always a little bit crazy.  Not crazy just... it involves a lot of change! :)  President told us this transfer effected 98% of the mission.  Haha... honestly sometimes I get nervous for transfer meetings.  On Monday we got the call telling us that Sister Mac was leaving Don Mueang.  Everyone was so sad.  She was such an awesome companion!  Haha... in our English class I announced that she was leaving and everyone's hands shot up.  "Where is she going?"  "Is she coming back?"  "Why?"  It was really cute!  Anyway.  As much as I always get nervous for transfer meetings... I always leave them feeling strengthened and feeling the reality of the hand of God in this work, and the reality the sanctity of the call to be a mission.  We are so blessed to be able to serve.  It's cool to see who the Lord puts together.  And what new areas are being opened.  It's cool to see the new missionaries come in!  Hear them introduce themselves.  And to see the people that are leaving the mission as well.  It's amazing to hear from President and Sister Senior.  Wow.  They are incredible.  This transfer was an especially incredible one... because a special announcement was made.  2 missionaries are being sent to Myanmar to begin work in that area.  That is incredible.  We have a couple of people in Laos right now.  But this is just the beginning for Myanmar.  You can see how the Lord's hand is over the Asia area, and doors are beginning to be opened to bless the people here.  Wow it's amazing to be here.

This week we also had a special meeting with all of the sisters in our mission!  That was a way awesome meeting as well.  It's cool to see some of the sisters that have been here for longer.  They have such strong testimonies, and they are such good examples!  Wow! :)  It's great to be a missionary.

I'm not sure exactly what else to tell you.  My new companion's name is Sister Painter.  She's actually from the same group of missionaries as all of my companions have been.  Sister Stewart, Sister Sararat, Sister Mac and Sister Painter have all been missionaries for about a year.  Annnnd.  She is awesome.  She speaks Thai really really well.  She sings.  She plays the violin.  She draws.  She is energetic.  She is way awesome!  I'm way excited for what this transfer has in store! :)  We have some awesome investigators that we're working with.  Annnnnd I'm excited.  This morning I tried to study out what kind of goals I want to set for myself this transfer.  It's really exciting. :)

Anyway.  I think that might be just about it for this week.  Sorry it's not much :)  But.  I know that this really is God's work.  And there is evidence of that... that not a lot of people probably know about!  I don't think anyone probably knows that Myanmar is now open.  Maybe?  I dunno.  But I saw His hands this Thursday in the specific transfers of individual missionaries, and also the large announcements.  His plan is perfect, and nothing can stop the work from moving forward!  

I love you guys!! :)  Have a wonderful week! 

Love,

Sister Croft

Pictures... of me and Sister Mac.  She likes to match with her companions on transfer days :)  Annnnnnnd.  Me and Sister Painter!

This week.

Was a good week :)

Man it's practically impossible to remember everything that happens all week long.  There was a lot of people not coming to appointments.  And actually a lot of things that fell through... we had several people who were supposed to be baptized who had different things come up... and so they are temporarily delayed! :)  But.  We are hopeful for the future! :)  That's something that President Senior has taught us.  Yes, we will face opposition, but a lot of times that means that we are on the right track.  Satan is trying to fight against us.  But we have God on our side, and so... it doesn't really matter what is going to come our way.  The gospel will continue to roll forth, and the more we choose to live the principles of the gospel and draw near unto our Savior the more happiness we will have.  I've met some wonderful members here... who sometimes just break my heart.  They are wonderful, and I'm glad for the chance to go visit them and invite them and try to help them.  But sometimes... it just kills me to not be able to help them see that the gospel is the way.  The way to happiness in this life, and eternal life in the life to come!  No matter their concerns may be, with the commandments, with the people at church, with conflicting schedules, the Lord's way is the best way.  It is the purpose of this life!  I can promise that no matter what our concerns are, we will find happiness and we will find help as we live the principles of the gospel and draw nearer to God.  I read some interesting scriptures in Mormon today! :)  Mormon is awesome.  It's way sad.  But I learned so much.  There is a very clear difference between us when we are blown about as chaff, and when we choose to have Christ as our Shepherd.  And I know that choosing to have Christ is our Shepherd is what will bring us peace, happiness, and eternal life!

Some wonderful things that happened this week!  That sweet sister got the gift of the Holy Ghost and is now a member of the restored church!  Hooray! :)  There is this family we go and see fairly often... they haven't been to church in a very long time.  But.  This week... one of their daughters came all on her own.  I was SO happy.  Wow.  Sometimes it takes a little bit of courage to come back... but I was so proud of her.

A good example for us all:some of these amazing recent converts. Sometimes teaching these recent converts and investigators is just... incredible.  We had this awesome lesson where we taught two recent converts about the blessings of the temple.  We talked about the Plan of Salvation.  Their understanding of it was so awesome.  It was so great.  Haha.  It literally makes me want to giggle a little bit because... I just can't even handle it!  During the lesson Brother Rat whipped out his Joseph Fielding Smith manual... which he has been reading.  And shared something about Adam and Eve, or about eternal families.  Or both.  We watched a Mormon message that shows a ton of pictures of the temple.  And it was just.  AWESOME.  They both were so excited to go to the temple.  Planning to go to the temple.  There is nothing better.

So... even though there is a lot of opposition.  And there are definitely difficult times... being a missionary is incredible.  It really is.  I don't even know how many blessings the Lord has given me.  One of my greatest desires is to trust Him with all of my heart, and to serve Him with all of my might.  And with His help, I can do that more perfectly!  

I love you guys so much.  You are the best family ever.  Have a wonderful week.

Love,

Sister Croft

P.S.  Some pictures.  Last week on P-Day we went bowling.  That was random.  Then we went to a Japenese Buffet where you cook your own food.  It was an Asian Thanksgiving.  Also.  MAN.  This Sunday this wonderful recent convert's mom got baptized.  What an incredible day!  I am so happy for their family!

Miracles

Dear family,

This week, I hope all of you can feel of the reality of the gospel.  The reality of the Savior, and the beauty of the Plan of Salvation.  This week was a really great one here in ดอนเมือง.  Sister Mac and I feel so incredibly blessed.  And we have absolutely no doubt that God's hand is in everything.  It is in every aspect of everything.  We continue to find people that are prepared to accept the gospel... and honestly sometimes all I can do is pause for a minute and be stunned and so grateful for everything.  I feel so blessed to have even the tiniest part in this work.  And I feel like my joy is growing with each investigator that we meet!  I'm so grateful for the strength of these fresh new members.  Their faith is incredible!  I'm also grateful for moments when I feel weak, and moments when I struggle.  And then in those moments I am so grateful for prayer.  A direct line of communication between us and Deity.  I'm grateful to know that the God of everything, who has all power and all knowledge, tenderly listens to the prayers of each of His children.  He knows our desires, our sorrows, and He knows how to succor us, and He does it in the most perfect way.  I've felt that love many times since I was set apart as a missionary, and I'm grateful for both little and significant moments that remind me how much I need my Savior.

The highlight of this week was this Sunday!  When one of our incredible investigators was baptized.  Wow.  She is incredible.  She has been coming to English class for several years (she actually speaks INCREDIBLE English).  But a little bit ago she decided that she wanted to learn the gospel.  She started learning with us... and she is someone that I feel like... was just... so prepared to learn the gospel and to accept it.  Each time we taught her she readily committed to do the things that we asked her.  She had some concerns this past week as she was preparing for baptism.  She didn't feel like her testimony was strong enough to get baptized.  We reassured her that you don't have to have a PERFECT knowledge to get baptized, but I also felt a distinct but subtle prompting to tell her to pray.  :)  I probably repeated it several times in that lesson.  Pray and ask God.  Pray and ask Him!  He is the one that will give you the knowledge.  As we met with her before her interview I was so incredibly happy when she told us that she had received an answer.  She'd done what we told her to do.  She had asked God for an answer, and she knew that it was the Holy Ghost that witnessed to her that this church was true!  :)  She is AMAZING.  I hope that each of you feel the truthfulness of the gospel every day!  It is true.  The gospel is true.  God is aware of us.  And we have a Savior.  It's the good news that I get to share each day.  And it's the reality of our existence.  Our life has a purpose and God has a plan for each of us!  

I love you so much.  I hope you can feel that all the way from Thailand!  Have a good week.

Love,

Sister Croft

Happy Chinese New Year. Happy Groundhog Day. And. Just a HAPPY every day!

Hellooooo my awesome family.  And my wonderful friends :)  This week was a really good one.  I didn't ride elephants.  But... it was still a really wonderful week!

This week.  We had a little bit of zone training.  Which was really good as always!  Sister Mac is a Sister Training Leader. So I got a chance to go on a switch-off with another Sister in the mission who has been out for 6 weeks! (Wow!  She was so awesome already!)  And I also got a chance to travel to a couple of different places and see the training given.  It was amazing.  Some of the thoughts that kind of resonated with me... First, that all of the things that are happening are not coincidences.  This morning I was reading in 3 Nephi, when the Savior quotes Isaiah for a little bit, and talks about the gathering of Israel.  I felt like I was taught a little bit by the spirit, and I was able to see the reality of these prophecies coming true.  It is no coincidence that the work in Thailand is speeding up at the rate that it is.  It's God's way of revealing His arm, and gathering scattered Israel.  It's no coincidence that the work is hastening with our sights set on a temple.  Thailand just happens to be in the middle of a large area without one.  The Lord has planned specifically, and is both helping us in the details, preparing investigators to receive the gospel LONG before we meet them.  And He is moving the work forward in the large scheme of things.  Wow, this really is His work.  

Other thoughts from this week... ummmm... wow.  A couple of the investigators that we've had recently.  Have had the most amazing attitudes.  They meet us.  And there desire to follow God is so incredible.  After asking us what exactly "sin" is.  One of them said... can you teach me all of the commandments so that I can make sure I'm not doing anything wrong?  She was actually not even the first investigator I've had say that.  I am stunned by these "elect" people.  By how quickly they recognize the word of God, and by their QUEST for obedience.  It's incredible.

One more thing that I've been thinking about recently.  I know I know, you'll have heard this a million times before.  But... I am obsessed with the symbolism behind the Savior as the light of the world.  I just see so stunningly clearly the difference between the light and the dark.  This week I met an awesome lady while on that switch-off.  It was actually a number of possibly "inspired mistakes" that led us to her door.  I... forgot the building number of a less active member of a church.  Then... Sister Mac and her temporary companion didn't answer their phone.  Even though more logically I probably should've just headed on back to the church... I felt the spirit prompt me to just go try out building number 98 and see if that was the right one.  We ran into this awesome lady, who I can tell has been a little nervous about all of the "dark things" there are in the world!  She new some people that had passed away unexpectedly, she had troubles with a number of different things, and just some of the darkness that can be found in the world weighed on her mind.  I felt so blessed to get to tell her that I know she can find peace.  I know there is light that is greater than any darkness.  The same feeling came to me again as I was sitting in sacrament meeting.  As I listened to some of the members concerns as we greeted them before sacrament meeting, I again just felt this trust in the Savior.  Yes, there are dark things.  Scary things.  Dangerous things.  Bad things.  But, there are good things.  Beautiful things.  And there is the brilliant light of the Savior.  He is the life and the LIGHT of the world.  I just felt so happy in sacrament meeting.  As I watched these amazing investigators receive the Holy Ghost.  When one of our investigators walked in.  I just felt so full.  And so sure that no matter what adversity we will face, we have a Savior.  This is His church, and we can choose to dwell in His light.

I love you guys so much! :)  I hope you have the best week ever this week! :)

Love,

Sister Croft

Pictures.  Some sweet sisters that got baptized yesterday.  Wow! :)  These were the Elders' investigators!  They were so sweet though!  They wanted a picture with the sisters too! :)  Haha.  They're awesome!  ALSO.  You gotta love this sign.  At a lot of the buddhist temples we went to.  You might see a sign like this one.  I know you can't read it... but... the THAI part of that sign says that admission is 10 baht if you're Thai.  Cracks me up.