{Week Seven}

Dear Family,

It has been quite the week. It seems like lots of people have just opened up with us; whether for good or for bad... but we still love them and work with them.

Before I forget! Cause I have for the last 4 weeks, Katelyn, My companion knows David Archuletta... he sang at her birthday party once because he was there and her mom asked him too ;) haha... kinda funny...

This week we tracted a ton! We had some successful people too that we are going to try back with! We knocked on this one guys house and he said, "My grandma was a Mormon from Idaho and her last name was Garrett and I use to move pipe for her in the summer times!" I told him I was from Idaho and that I was sorry he had to move pipe and then he asked us if we wanted to come in. We took him up on the offer! Turns out she was from Idaho and this guy, Martin Hausser has family in Rexburg, the Killpatricks, the ones that do Cedar Badge! haha... so Clay, next time you go to a CB meeting... I can't remember their names, but remembered the last name and that he did CB. :) We had a great time visiting with him and he said he would like to have us come back. He and his wife aren't very religious any more and they send their son to a baptist church on Wednesday nights only because a bus comes and picks him up. He was playing legos and reminded me a bit of Clay ;) So that was one good door that was opened up to us.

Down the next few doors no one was interested. Then we got invited in to another house by a man and his wife. They started by wanting to bible bash, but we left our scriptures in the car since they are heavy. He offered us his "New Age Bible" and said it was the same, but since it is completely different, we didn't use it. So he started to church bash us with really random questions. I guess they weren't that random, but they weren't ones that people usually ask. He grew up with a Best friend that was Mormon, and he knew a lot. He kept asking us questions and trying to prove us wrong on stuff, but when we testify and say that we know something is... it hard to have something to say back to that. We probably wont go back for a while since he isn't interested in the church, but more about bashing religions. It was just intresting.

We also tracted into an interesting fellow. He was completely racist and wierd. Even though he claimed he has a phd, he was not all that smart... but then this morning I read from the March Ensign (i finished an dloved it!) about "The Healer's Art" By Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi... It was fantastic! It made complete sense!

So I want to tell you of an experience of visiting with a family. The Mom and kids just got baptized so we still visit them everynow and then to check up and see how they are doing. It was my turn to give the dinner thought and so I was trying to find a scripture to share with them. I couldn't find one that I wnted, nor did one ever pop into mind during dinner, but Katelyn's last week letter came to mind. In Katelyn's letter to me, she told me about the missionaries challenging everyone to make personal study better. And she asked how I make my study good. I thought about how to answer and told her it was finding a purpose. So I decided to share with this family the importance of making our personal study better and decided to ask them to make theirs better. As I started telling them about Katelyn, I was all of a sudden asking them how they could make their family scripture study more spiritual. Giving hem time to answer, Rocky and Jewlz said that it didn't exist and that starting woul be a good place to start. Their Children, Judy and Dacota agreed and they are now doing this each night as a fmaily! I am so excited for them! They are excited about it as well!

Well, more happened this week, but I guess most of all, my testimony was strengthed that the gospel is true no matter what questions come my way. Sometimes we don't know all the answers because God has not reviled everything to us. But he knows all and I know that he loves me and has given me an opportunity to share his message with his children!

I love you all so much!

Love,

 Sister Stephanie Crandall

P.S. Des, we don't get much snow here ;)

{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

{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!