{Week Nine}

Dear Family,

This week has gone by so quickly! And when I look back on all that has happened, there was a whole lot.

So I will start by telling you how much I enjoyed Conference! SURPRISE! I stayed awake for all 4 sessions! So if I was at home, the candy bars would have accumulated ;) haha... I don't think I could have fallen asleep if I had wanted to though. Each talk was specifically talking to me in some way or another. I loved Elder Oaks talk about desires.

This week, lots of people have been making excuses, and it all comes down to what are our priorities and our desires, and where are they in line with each other?. Each speaker was absolutely wonderful and I can't wait to get the May Ensign to re-read them and mark them all up again and compare my notes to them. I wont tell you all the details of my notes because we each receive different messages from each talk, but I do know how true each message is!

I feel like I have been missing out my entire life because my sleeping desires overcame other priorities that should have been first on my list. I just love the Ensign each month, and now have a greater love for Conference!

So last week I told you about Amy Martin! We are still excited about her! But... she had to cancel on us on Tuesday because her car quit that day and she was stranded at her sons home. But we will try to meet up with her this week for sure :) She is amazing! Now if we can just catch her at home. Her car is working now... It's funny how we find people who realize they need what we have to offer, and then they get blessed with a job or a working car and their time disappears. But Amy is actually working with us on us seeing her :) So that is wonderful!

Something amazing happened yesterday! Each Monday afternoon, we visit Cindy Killen. I think I've told you about her before. To refresh your memory, she is in her late 50's and wants to be baptized, but doesn't want to scare her husband away from the church before he is ready. She has been praying for a long time about baptism and also about the heart of her husband softening. Well, each Monday we read some of the Book of Mormon with her. Yesterday, we were just talking while she was finishing up her lunch, and then out of the blue she asks how we help prepare people for baptism. We also talked about prayer and how sometimes we pray and don't receive direct answers because we need to make decisions too. A bit after telling her, and us being aware that something is up, but not knowing what, she asks, "So when can I start taking lessons?" !!! We were so excited!! We told her we could start immediately if she would like! So next week we will! Well, we continued to read like we normally do, and last week we read 2 Ne 31.

So we started at 2 Ne 32. It was phenomenal! It says: "I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts? Do ye not remember...?"  It talked about prayer and how we know our answers in our hearts! She was in tears and said that the scripture answered her question and she wants to be baptized! That chapter was perfect for Cindy and she is so excited now. It was an amazing moment where the scriptures really do answer our questions.

Well family, I love you all so much and appreciate your prayers and confidence that you have in me. I also have confidence in you and pray for you each day. I know that we will surely be blessed when we keep the commandments given to us in the scriptures. It is truly a blessing that we are part of such a great Plan. I know that as sure as I know that the Prophet is called of God and that the scriptures are written for our days.

I love you all!

♥,  Sister Stephanie Crandall

{Week Five}

Dear Family,

It has been such a busy week! At some times it was very slow as it seemed like everyone was canceling appointments or no one was home. We kept going though. We did tract into some very potential investigators and hopefully something will come of our tracting efforts. Sister Garrett and I have a fun time tracting. That way, we keep from getting discouraged :)

We have a new investigator! Wayne. Wayne is very knowledgable about many many religions. We asked if he had ever read the Book of Mormon or if he knew what it was. Although he said he hadn't ever read the whole book, he discribed it well, knowing all the people's names and the stories, all through 3 Nephi. I am thinking he has read it before. But we are excited to teach him. We are also excited that he knows some members in our ward and they are going to invite him to be taught in their home! That makes missionary work so much better! Every member really is a missionary!

We also taugh a lady, Patty Squire. Please imagine Grandma Crandall driving a red Mustang. Well, that is Patty. She is so sweet and we are going to ask her to be baptized when we meet with her this week! When I asked if she had read the Book of Mormon, She said that she loved the cross-refrences and that the Book of Mormon was another translation of the bible... well, Sister Garrett and I explained that it was not another translation, but another testament of Jesus Christ. Her member friend, we meet in the member's home, helped explain more about the Book of Mormon, and Patty is excited to read it now from the beginning instead of just picking interesting verses and comparing them with the Bible. I am so excited for her!

Some more about Sister Garrett! She is absolutely amazing! As I already told, she is from the Ukraine and was addopted into a faimly in Murray Utah! I knew her Utah faimly was musical, but I didn't know that they had made CDs. Which we have one of them at home! Look up the "Songs of the Savior" by James and Morgan Garrett. It is absolutely one of my favorites! They have 3 cds out she gave me the first 2. I don't think the 3rd  is out yet... Some more about her: she become converted when she was 15 and has an amazing testimony! She is so pleasant to work with and loves to sew too :) Her little sister was adopted when she was 8, and when the family found out she had a 15 year old sister, they adopted her too. So all together, I think it is 8 brothers and 5 sisters. That's biological and adopted. She is great and I love her! She goes home July 26th...

On Thursday we had interviews with President and Sister Greer. Wonderful! President and I talked about baptism and helping little children learn the gospel. It really helped because we are teaching a few 9 year olds and their attention span is about 2 seconds long... So I know what you mean Dad :) It is getting better though! And Sister Greer shared a scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 50:24 (I think). It is about spiritual evolution. Our light and knowledge gets greater and greater when we keep the commandments and follow Jesus Christ's example. This is so true! I loved it!

Later that night, we had dinner with a young couple that are expecting their second. He is from IF and she is from Hansen ID. So she knew right were Bancroft was :) They both just graduated from BYU and we had a fun conversation with them :)

I also met my friend's (Michelle Ostler) uncle! He spoke at church on Sunday and the missionaries often go to their home for p-day. I have yet to go...

Yesterday morning I finished reading the General Conference Ensign! I was so excited! I especially loved Elder Mervyn B Arnold's "What have I Done with My Name?" Talk. I always love the talks about names. Partially because I am so greatful for my own name and the legacy that I get to live up to because of previous people that have gone before me to make my names so wonderful to have! Both Mom and Dad's faimlies included!

However, the most important name I have taken upon myself is the name of Jesus Christ when I was baptized. I know that as I take upon myself the name of Christ, always remember him, and keep his commandments, I will recieve the blessing of having His spirit with me always. In D&C 84:88 it states "For I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left hand, and my spirit shall be in your heart." The Lord really is there for us when we choose the right. I can testify that is true!

I love you all so much and think of you often!

I hope your week goes well and that you will continue to love the people that are around you. Love you all!

Love,

Sister Stephanie Crandall

P.S. Reed, I forgot to let you know that we recieved the "Lock your heart" talk the first night in the mission home. Loved re-reading it!