{Week Six}

Dear Family,

I was excited to get all of your emails this week! It is fun reading how everyone is doing :) I remember very well the feeling of not being completely ready for festival when the time had come for the recital! But then the next week I was somehow ready! While I was playing the piano at District Meeting last week, an elder asked me how I learned to play and if I could read music. I smiled and told him lots and lots of practice. And that my mother was persistent that we learn how to play. I miss the piano and violin and play the piano every chance I get!

It has been extremely windy here, just like at home. The rain has started to pick up, but not too bad...

We tracted a lot but stayed warm with gloves, coat, and scarf. It is decieving when I look outside because there is no snow! Just cold wind and rain :) Nothing I can't handle though~ We gave out lots of Mormon.org pass along cards and shared lots, but no one is really interested, YET. We have some follow up appointments that hopefully will go well!

Although our week was slow and difficult, as I am looking back, it had some good times too.

We do have 2 people set with baptism dates! So that is a big plus. One is Iris who is 9 years old, and the other is Austin who is 14 year old. Austin has autism, but he know what we are talking about in the lessons. He has such pure answers and is so sincere and loving. He a great dad and wonderful grandparents that are great examples to him.  Iris is also so sweet. Her step-dad is a member and her mom is an investigator. She has a more difficult time learning, but is also coming right along! It's fun teaching younger people the gospel! They are so honest in their answers.

We did some service for a lady in the ward. It has convinced me that cleanliness is next to godliness :) Mom, thank you for teaching me how to keep a clean house! This sister is confined to a wheelchair as is unable to take care of her home. We cleaned her kitchen and her bedroom. She had a hard time letting us throw away anything though... so we more or less just moved things around. We sorted through hudreds of magazines and her son took them out, probably without her realizing it. It is sad to see how many people can live in a dirty environment. She is a sweet lady with good intentions, but just needs help cleaning things up.

We also visited with one of our bishops (Desert Hills Ward). Bishop Volmer is 6'7", or like he would say 4' 31". He is pretty funny too... he likes to joke around and have fun. Ends up he is a big time hunter. He showed us his elk heads and convinced Sister Garrett that jack-o-lopes are real (he had one of them too). He even said if you, Dad, would let him hunt in Chesterfield, I wouldn't have to talk in church and that he would do it for me :) I laughed and told him it was unlikely and that I didn't mind talking... So I get to talk in 2 weeks.

Last night we had dinner at Bishop Damsteadt's home. (Cottonwood Ward) He asked where I was from and he has been ice fishing on Chesterfield Reservior! haha... he also knows people from Pingree, but not the Carters... We shared the Plan of Salvation with them for their FHE lesson. They have 6 children and 3 adopted children from China... they loved the lesson with all the little cut outs that we used. I am in the process of making some for me to use while teaching :)

I also meet a lady in the ward that know the Creers, that recognized they were somewhere near what I described as Chesterfield :) It is still fun to meet people that can pinpoint where I am from.

The highlight of our week was that 4 investigators were at church on Sunday! We were so excited to see them! We taught in Primary about the Priesthood too. So that was fun!

The other highlight has been my studying. Dad, I loved the Atonement Scripture Chain. I read and studied it Wednesday morning and then shared it for some of our dinner thoughts this week! I have also started reading the Book of Mormon over again and marking each time the Lord speaks. It is amazing to apply the scriptures to our lives and see how similar we really are to the people from the scriptures. The only real difference is technology... When we have faith, the same experiences can happen, and when we are wicked, the same distructions can happen. More or less so, but we are so similar.

The work in WA is progressing and we are keeping our heads up each time the door is closed because they are "not interested" in the message we have yet to share with them. This week is looking up though! And I am excited to continue in the work!

I love you all and wish you the best week! Best wishes with Festival, work, school, play, and with everything!

Love,

Sister Stephanie Crandall