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

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.