Thailand 4/14

Dear Family,

This week I'm emailing early because... todaaaaay.  Is that country wide water fight you may have heard about.  Songkhran.  Hoooray.  From what I've heard... it's a crazy time.  I'm excited... it should be super fun!

As for things that happened this week... my mind is kind of drawing a blank.  First.  We had the incredible blessing of general conference.  Man I loved General Conference. When we think about what it really is... how could we miss it? We are listening to people who are representatives of Jesus Christ.  Do we REALLY want to give up 10 or so hours to watch it?  Or... I suppose if we think about it in its true light.  We get 10 hours to listen to the words of God? Wow!  Amazing.  I really enjoyed it.  And the spirit confirmed to me that the things that they spoke about are true.  We really do live in the last times...  I dunno about you!  But listening... I had specific notes that I took... but more than that I felt the gentle promptings of the spirit.  "You can do this Sister Croft."  You might consider doing this.  I left having heard wonderful talks, but I also left with a list of things that I felt like maybe the Lord wants me to work on right now. I suppose the next step is making goals... and then actually working on them :)  Hehe... the hard part.  :)  It's like King Benjamin says though... it's not just conference for fun or enjoyment... but we get to hear it and then change and apply, be strengthened and polished just a little bit more! :) 

As for other things that happened this week... the Lord has continued to bless us with investigators.  There were some very joyous little moments this week.  We have to contact all of our investigators every day... and I've loved talking to this amazing Sister.  "Oh man... is it seriously only Thursday?  Why is time moving so slowly... I want to go to CHURCH on Sunday!!"  Or... with this awesome Brother who is an interpreter.  He started reading the scriptures and was completely confused... so we read together, explained, drew pictures, etc.  By the end of it I feel like were all beaming!  He felt like he could understand and apply better.  And itj ust made me so happy!!

Those people mentioned above I feel like are really good examples of people who are prepared.  Several people that we are teaching right now are just miraculous.  They walked in by themselves.  They were looking for a way to become Christian.  It's amazing.  We will find them.  Or they will find us! 

Sorry... I dunno that I have much else to say to you... this week I ate my first burger since I've been in Thailand :) haha... that was kinda fun.  I have a funny picture.  But...this computer has no USB.  Um... I dunno. It's been a good week!  I hope all of you have an incredible week this week!  Ahhh.  I'm so proud of you guys :)  I have the coolest family ever :)  Yay!!! I hope this Wednesday you guys get some good mail :)  or this Thursday or whatever day that was on... AHHH! :)

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Croft

Post titlA really good week 4/7

Mannnn... I don't even know where to begin today... with... something :)

This has been a really good week for Sister Painter and I... it was kind of a weird one... a couple of switch-offs and some zone training.  I dunno... it was a really really good week.  I always do a lot of introspection... but I spent a good amount of time talking to my companion this week about missionary work, about what kind of missionary I want to be... it's interesting that being a missionary is such a process.  I'm still working on being a better missionary.  Being more like Christ, being more effective, yada yada yada.  All the time.  And I still have so many things to improve on.  ALL of the time :)  But I wouldn't trade it for the world.  There were a lot of times this week when I just looked around and thought... oh my goodness... what would my life be like if I had never ever been a missionary.  If I hadn't chosen to come out... I look around at all of the faces of the members and investigators and I honestly cannot imagine what my life would be like.  God is good.  My decision to come on a mission was kind of a weird one for how OCD you all know I can be about making decisions... like.. I get so nervous about make decisions.  But... while I certainly prayed and prepared and sought revelation.  This was just kind of a natural decision.  I decided it would grow and progress and be right as I prepared... or it wouldn't.  But my mission has been so much better than I ever imagined it could be.  Oh my goodness.  I can't thank Heavenly Father enough for all that I have received.  And I'm so glad that I still have a good while to be a missionary! :)  It is so fulfilling, and the best calling I could ever have.  I love it more than I can describe.  And I will be eternally grateful that I got to be a part of His work, at least for a bit as a fulltime missionary.  Annnnnd for the rest of my life as a member... that is also a missionary! :)

This is the BEST! :D

You guys.  This week we were so blessed. We've kind of been struggling to find... struggling to do things... but this week the floodgates were opened.  And it was amazing how many people were at church last week.  Each instance was kind of like a little (or big) miracle!  We had one woman who just walked into the church.  Someone had just dropped an appointment and so we were there... and she walked in and said "is the church open?"  Yes.  Yes it is.  She has a friend who is Christian and she decided after a lot of years... that she wants to open her heart.  If I remember right she prayed to be able to find a church.  And came to ours. 

There was a son and his mom.  It's kinda funny.  We met him on the street set up an appointment and then... when we met at the church he told us his momma had come to the church on Tuesday and met with the Elders.  Huh?  Both of them have received answers to their prayers... he told us he'd bring his mom to church.  She told the elders that she'd bring her son.  So awesome.  I think God has his eye on that family!

One investigator that we've been teaching for awhile made it to church!  He overcame some difficulties that had been stopping him from coming.  I was SO happy to see him there.

Someone we were teaching at the end of February that disappeared just walked into the church this Sunday.  Wow. 

And on and on... I could tell you about each of them.  I am honestly so stunned.  Wow.  We are blessed.

I can't wait to watch conference next week!!!! Hooray!!!! :D  Did you know that the first Thai general authority was called?  That man is incredible.  For some reason ever since the first time I met him... I feel like I've known him for a long time.  Maybe he's just one of those incredible people... that you want to be around!  He's really amazing... he popped over and volunteered to help us teach last week... and then he was called as a general authority this past conference. I'm not surprised at all.

Wowza.  I hope that you guys all had the best week ever this past week!  I love you so much!  It sounds like you all got really good insights from conference! :)  I love you all.  The church is true.  It's so true.  And it's so wonderful! :)  I love you all!

Love,
Sister Croft

Miracles.

Dear family... this week was a good one :)  It had its difficult moments... but it also had its wonderful, miraculous, and inspiring moments.

Just some updates from here in Bangkok.

First.  We are teaching a group of Burmese people.  It has been an interesting experience trying to teach them... they don't speak very good Thai... but they're learning English.  And so we teach them in English.  A lesson goes something like this.  God loves us.  We are God's children.  God has a plan for us.  Which in all actuality... are the simple truths of the gospel.  Commandments go something like this... Sister Painter wrote "God's Law #1" on the board.  No alcohol.  No coffee... and on and on.  :)  They are so awesome.  Their responses... "I like these.  These are good"  "This is true"  What wonderful faith.  The gospel is simple.  It is beautiful... and while sometimes teaching them can be a little bit difficult. (For example sometimes... I accidentally talk in Thai... haha... like a couple times... and then everyone laughs at me... and I try again in English.  Sometimes we're like... oh man... how do we explain this commandment... this principle?  But we always find a way to explain it!!) it makes me so happy.  And it is just amazing to see their new found faith and willingness to learn and change.  Truly simple truths of the gospel.  And simple but powerful faith.

My companion is a really good example to me of seeing the miracles that happen here in the work.  She's good at seeing the potential in people and giving them the time of day and the love and attention that they need.  The other day we were inviting and she stopped to talk to this man who is a one armed motorcycle driver.  (You can just hop on a motorcycle like a taxi here...) She asked him if he wanted to stop smoking (he was smoking when we walked up), I think he was a little bit stunned by the question, but they proceeded to talk and as they did he looked at her and flicked his cigarette out of his hands.  The other day as we were walking by the same spot.  She saw him again!  He looked cleaner.  His hair was cut.  He told her that he hadn't smoked for 10+ days.  Which was something he didn't believe was possible at first.

I won't detail some of the other experiences that we had this week.  But... I will tell you that I know that this is really the work of God.  Whether it is helping people receive baptism, or helping them come back to church.  God loves each of us.  He loves us individually, and I can promise you that He didn't create one of us thinking "Well... I don't want this one to make it."  He is our Creator, our Father.  He loves us, and no matter our circumstances, our challenges, the temptations that lie in our path... no matter  what burdens are on our backs.  We are never alone or unnoticed.  Our prayers are always always heard.  We had some incredible experiences that bore testimony to me of these truths.  God knows us... He has planned for us from the beginning.  We can lift those around us... and sometimes He will specifically call us, prompt us, and prod us to help His precious children.  How important that we are ready, willing, and lovingly ready to do what He would ask us to do!  What an opportunity to be His loving hands.  I love being a missionary so much.  I can't even tell you.  I cannot imagine my life without this... and I'm glad that that's the case!

I love you so much!!! :)  Have an incredible week!  Stay safe, happy and healthy :)

Love,

Sister Croft

P.S. I always forget to take pictures.  But luckily... my companion is letting me borrow her card :)  Haha... and she gets lots and lots of scary "Sister Croft type" faces... captured forever on film.  I'll send you a good couple to make up for what I forget to send you and forget to take :)

Dear Family,

I love you so much!  You are the best.  Annnnnd.  I'm glad that things seem to be going well in Utah.  It's weird that it's kinda cold there... 

I'm sitting here at the computer... I've whipped out my planner trying to figure out things I could tell you about this week... we're still working with a lot of the investigators that we were working with before.  They're taking a little bit of time to learn...but I can see some good progression in them.  And those are some of the best moments.  We have one investigator who was telling us how he doesn't even know how to explain it sometimes... but he wants to be at church.  Wants to learn with us.  He used to be like... "what can I tell them I'm doing right now so I don't have to meet them?"  and now he feels like "oh man... when can I fit them into my schedule?  I need to go!"  I love it.  It makes me smile to think about those moments when they are like... "you know what?... I do feel different.  And I want this!"  It's the Holy Ghost changing their hearts and helping them to repent!  I still think I don't see the bulk of the "missionary work" that happens... when they are praying.  When they are trying to change their lives... reading in the scriptures.  Facing challenges.  Annnnd yet they are changing little by little!  I really hope to see some of these people baptized in this next month!!  Their temporary road blocks... hopefully should be removed soon :)

As for other things... I got to go on a switch-off this past week.  That was kind of fun...

I feel like I also had several opportunities to testify to people about the love that the Savior has for each of us... and how we should try to have that love for others.  Charity.  It will most certainly be my life long quest.  I wish I had more perfect love each and every day!  But... for some reason I had several experiences this week to talk to people who were struggling with other people.  No matter what other people do to us... (these are things... I'm learning and trying to remember!) we have to remember that they are children of God.  The Savior suffered for the person who lied to us... who was rude to us... and on and on... The Savior loves them and they are one of God's children!  How often did they Savior tell us to forgive our neighbors and friends?  And also (maybe sometimes especially) family members?  7 times?  Nope.  70 times 7. :)

In other frivolous and non important news.  This week.  As an explanation of my pictures.  We bought pizza.  Haha... this is my companion eating her pizza.  You guys... pizza tastes good sometimes.  

This is a picture I took on a switch-off.  Haha... my companion for a day and I were kind of laughing about the two elders walking in front of us... I dunno if this camera even captured it in its entirety.  Just look at their shirts and tell me... who do you think has been a missionary for longer? ;)  Haha... if you look at the sleeves the contrast is really nice.  It just makes me laugh.  

I love you so much!! I hope that you have a wonderful week this week! :)  I know that the gospel is true.  It is!  This is His work.  And each of us that knows that this is His true church has a chance to share it with others and a chance to serve others as the Savior would.  What an incredible privilege.  

Love, 

Sister Croft

Investigatorrrrrrrs. Members. And just great people

So.  This week was a really good week.  We taught a bunch of lessons.  We have kind of a bunch of different people that we're getting to teach right now... for some reason almost all of them fall into the same category.  Adult males.  It is so strange.  But... Sister Painter and I figure that God must have prepared a lot of priesthood holders to help this area become a stake (not too much longer!).

We've have had some kind of crazy lessons that didn't go at all the way we wanted them to.  But... we've also had some lessons where we've felt grateful for the spirit's promptings.  And just like... small things that have helped us meet the investigators needs.  For example.  One investigator, who had an extremely... interesting first lesson (without explaining details... we just had kind of an... unsupportive member) :)  but.  For his second lesson... I had the thought that I should ask a certain member to help us teach.  I thought she probably wouldn't be free.  But.  I just asked her anyways!  She was free!!  Hooray!  And honestly... it was just great having her and her husband there.  They shared their experiences and clearly answered his questions.  It honestly was so perfect to have them there.  It sounds really small... but... I think it made a big difference.  At the beginning of the lesson he told us he hadn't read or prayed since the first time we saw him.  But as he said the second prayer of his life, to close our lesson, he prayed so sincerely and promised God that he would pray!

We have another AWESOME investigator.  Haha... oh man.  He's so cool it just makes me laugh a little bit.  He's a policeman.  He rides a really cool motorcycle.  And he drove away from our last lesson wearing sunglasses.  At night.  :)  Haha... but really.  He is incredible.  We started our second lesson.  Asked him if he'd read or not... he said he'd been really busy with work so he'd only read a little bit... which I thought must mean that he'd read the first two verses or something!  But.  At the end of our lesson we asked again or something... if he had any question about anything.  He opens his Book of Mormon and says "yeah.  I don't get this book sometimes!  What IS this?  I'm Thai.  And sometimes I don't even know what it's saying.  'Wo unto him that says all is well in zion!'  What is zion?  And the devil cheateth their souls?"  What is that??  Sometimes I ask God... why does this have to be so confusing?"  Haha.  Wow.  He'd read till 2 Nephi 28.  In only a few days! :)  Really awesome.  Something that I was very impressed with though... was his sincerity.  Even though he was kind of funny in explaining his question, he explained that he sincerely wanted to understand the Book of Mormon.  He knew it wasn't a cartoon book, it wasn't just for entertainment.  And his prayers and scripture reading are a reflection of that honest desire to know.  He talks to God like he talks to people he can see right in front of him.  And... he wants to know if He's really listening and really knows him.  I loved having the chance to testify that God DOES know him, DOES hear his prayers.  And it didn't just start now... God has always been aware of him!  

I love our investigators!  They are so great.  And I love the members here.  Haha... Wow.  I just want to share about a couple more people.  Sorry this is so long... maybe you've made it this far :) maybe you haven't.

First inspiring person.  Brother Rat.  You guys.  He is so awesome.  You saw a picture of him at his baptism.  Wow.  He is amazing!  The other day he had time off of school.  And so... he literally.  Stayed at the church all day.  In case someone needed him to help teach.  He said "I'm going to be a STAND BY!" to me in English.  I want to be as willing to sacrifice and ready to help as he is.  He's been that way from the time he started investigating!  Wow.

Second inspiring person.  Brother Jack.  Brother Jack also just got baptized.  He was the Elder's investigator.  And man.  He is incredible!  Brother Jack is actually... one of the most friendly and honestly loving people ever.  He is very energetic.  He comes up to everyone at church.  Shakes their hand vigorously and will say (for example!) "Sister Croft.  Wow!  I missed you so much!"  Haha... but... he literally will do that to everyone.  He is EVERYONE'S friend.  You can count on him to grab an investigator and make them feel welcome at church.  They instantly have a friend.  Haha... he's just a funny guy.  Yesterday I had the chance to sing at a baptism.  He was telling me how much he liked it... and in doing so... I guess he couldn't find any words... so he did this little like... spin.  I love it!  He's awesome.  He has enthusiasm and takes great care to know what's happening in other people's lives!  Wow!

One more quicky.  A sweet lady (who was a friend of a member) just got baptized yesterday.  With her granddaughter.  What a sweet day for them.  I was touched by how strongly she felt the spirit!  So wonderful.

There are so many more people I could tell you about.  Buuuut.  :)  This letter is already too long.  I love the people here.  They are so great.

I hope you have an incredible week this week.  It sounds like crazy things are happening at home! :)

I love you!!

Love,

Sister Croft

With God All Things Are Possible 3/11

This week was a really good week.  It sounds like it was a craaaazy week for some of our family in Utah ;)  Ohhhhhhhhh man.  :)  Craaaaaazy.

Anyway.  Things that happened this week... A lot of new investigators were found his week... we've been teaching new investigators.  Trying to figure out how to best teach together.  And it's been really good.  

The best part of this week for me...was probably yesterday!  We had Zone Conference.  I used to get really kind of scared of Zone Conference... haha... but... I've gotten less scared as I've been a missionary longer.  And like I said before, I always feel uplifted by the chance to listen to our mission president and his wife.  And it's just... wonderful.  Our theme was "With God all things are possible:Raising Expectations, and Becoming"  I really enjoyed it.  We talked about faith.  And what it means that really all things are possible.  We talked about raising our expectations.  Yalms and Jared... I forgot to write it to you personally... but they talked about how they thought it was impossible to run a mile under 4 minutes... :) Buuuuuut.  Anyway.  Another cool thing that they talked about was something Elder Holland said as he instructed these mission presidents was that "the message is the medium" or... that the missionary is the message.  We talked about becoming a little bit.  And that's something that I really want to focus on... yes... we can be good at... planning.  Or contacting.  Or... good at presenting a lesson.  Buuuuut.  More importantly I want to be more like my Savior!  More important than what you teach is who you are!

We had a cool experience this week when we went to go visit a less active man.  He is someone that I really enjoy visiting... except it's really difficult to see him choosing what he is!  As we talked about what to say to him... I suggested that maybe we sing a hymn.  We prepared some hymns, and when we got to his house he was kind of busy.  But... we just went in, sat down and asked to sing him some hymns.  You could tell the spirit touched his heart.  We didn't say much.  But as we sang to him the words and feelings came back to him.

Anyway.  I hope that you have a wonderful week this week.  I'm sorry that I never have very much to say. (or maybe I have too much to say... but it's always the same!)  I'm really not doing my weeks justice.  Miracles are happening all of the time.  The first baptism happened in Myanmar.  The church is growing in Thailand.  It is mostly buddhist here!  Did I tell you sometimes people say "I am Buddha" in English?  Haha... they don't do it as much to me... but they do it to my companions fairly frequently.  Anyway.  Despite what seems impossible... with God.  All things are possible.  And we really really are seeing that.  There were about 40 baptisms a month when I came into the country.  And just because our mission president helped us raise our vision, and because Lord really is preparing the way... I think there were about 160+ Thai people baptized last month.  With God all things are possible.  It's really true.

I love you!!  Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Croft 

Bangkok is hot.

It's hot today.  And sorry that I'm emailing so late my family!! :)  We went over to this sweet Sister's house so she could teach us how to make Thai food.  We made some super good Thai food.  I had to learn it somewhere :)  Haha... I'll attach a picture of me and Sister Painter, and Sister Wolf!  She is great!

This week... oh man... what even happened this week...  it's so hard to remember.  :) Honestly... it was kind of a normal week of missionary work.  We've been struggling to help some of our investigators progress.  We have several people who have learned everything, and really do have a desire to get baptized, but they have met some temporary road blocks along the way.  A couple of them we scarily haven't been able to get in contact with this week.  Some of them are having challenges with commandments.  But... luckily all challenges can be met!  :)  And God really has been preparing people to meet us since before they were born!  This work is something of eternal importance and so it will keep on rolling on!  

Yesterday we had the incredible opportunity to gather as a group of missionaries serving in Bangkok, and have a fireside of sorts with Bishop Gary E. Stevenson.  I was so impressed by him, (obviously... but for this specific reason as well!)  we ran into him in our church building early in the day, and then in the evening when he gave each missionary an opportunity to shake his hand, he remembered both my name and where I came from.  He took the time to remember, which was just a small thing, but I was impressed!  His message to us was inspired and inspiring!  Man.  It is so awesome every time we have the opportunity to gather as missionaries.  Our leaders are incredible, and it is always evident to me that this really is God's work.  Bishop Stevenson told us that there are very specific reasons that missionaries are called to their specific missions.  Sometimes those reasons are specific people, a specific mission president, specific investigators.  I feel confident that God has prepared people for us to teach.  Right now, and really always in mission work we are meeting little challenges and set backs.  But... there are always ways prepared for the work to move forward.  And we will learn the way... as we kneel and pray.  And listen for the spirit.  The spirit is the one that teaches.  Sometimes I get stressed out when I'm having a "bad Thai day" :) or when I'm not quite sure what to say and everything is coming out crazy... but honestly... it isn't the missionary that's necessarily important.  It is the investigators personal relationship with God, the promptings that they receive from the Holy Ghost.  We can't (and don't or need to) trick them into baptism!  We just get to testify of truth... invite them, promise them the blessings that God will send.  :)  

Oh!  Here's kind of a cool short story.  Yesterday we got to teach an investigator who was found in another area.  He has had very specific and kind of brief experiences with Christianity... and has kind of wondered what it was all about.  He was invited to be baptized.  And he was sent on over to our building.  As we talked to him he practically literally told us... that he was "kept from the truth, because he knew not where to find it."  Wow.

I'm sorry that this email is so lame.  I promise I'll try to make next weeks email better!  Missionary work is so good.  I am so tired right now :)  Haha... My brain is all over the place.  But I hope that you have a wonderful week this week... and that everything is going well at home.  You guys are the best family ever! 

Love,

Sister Croft