What’s up!
Happy July everyone, how’s it going!! Hope everyone is doing amazing and loving summer and spening lots of time on bikes. We had a good week here this week so I’ll get started and try to keep it quick!
✨️ Highlights:
– Transfers is this Thursday and once again I don’t know what is happening. It’s been a mentally tiring transfer but I’m excited to see what happens! Who knows!
– We ate a members home, and the family is very sweet but infamous for giving food that makes the missionaries sick, especially their infamous Motor Oil and Lentil Stew, which has gotten me quite sick before. Well, this time it was the pale green oily mystery soup that I found bugs in that got me sick. Spent most of Saturday night and Sunday morning in the bathroom. I can only imagine how much worse it would be to eat beans on toast prepared by Jared West.
– We got to meet President and Sister Brady on Wednesday and it was so fun! They are very high energy and very excited people and it’s going to be really fun to get to know them better and to work with them.
– Ezequiel got baptized on Sunday and was so happy and so grateful the whole time which was so cool to see. He has such a strong testimony and invited so many people to come to his baptism! I’m so excited for him and so proud! Braulio came to his baptism too and hopefully will make the same awesome decision on Saturday! He loved seeing it!
– A member of the Stake Presidency was in our ward on Sunday for some announcements and sat on the stand with his DOG. I didn’t notice until he literally carried the thing under his arm to the pulpit and it took everything I have in me to not burst out laughing. The classic little white dog just sat on the stand quietly the whole time and stared at everyone, definitely was weird to see. I loved watching him walk around after the meeting and greet people with the dog looking over his shoulder in his little backpack.
– It was my Mom’s birthday yesterday. Happy birthday Mom, I love you more than anything!
Well, that’s about it as far as the things that happened this week, it was a good week and mannnn am I tired but that’s alright because that’s how it goes! I’m excited to see what transfers brings and I’ll tell you all about it next week!
📖 Something I Liked
All the young men spoke in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, and I really like what a kid who’s leaving on a mission soon talked about integrity, which got me thinking about Christlike attributes and how important they are to develop!
To start, I really like a quote from CS Lewis in Mere Christianity that I think talks a lot about what I’ll mention:
“If you’re thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you, you’re embarking on something, which will take the whole of you.”
I think that mentions well to what I said last week, that discipleship of Jesus Christ is not a passive ride-a-long, it’s active work.
Now, the soon-to-be-missionary talked about the importance of integrity in a way I thought was very true. It’s one thing to go to church on Sunday and it’s another thing to study your scriptures on your own time. It’s one thing to talk in church about sacrificing worldly things, and something else entirely to skip the party you know you shouldn’t go to.
He also talked about how becoming Christlike includes developing one attribute that Christ constantly showed during His mortal ministry, which is service and selflessness. It reminded me of a scripture in Alma 1: 30 this week, which talks about the way members of the Church acted in the time of Alma
“And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.”
Man, that sounds like something Christ would do! I think thats a great example of the people we should become. We can be a light and help to people who are in need and be examples of Christ by doing that!
So this week, do two things. First of all, find simple but meaningful things to serve the people around you, starting with your family! Wash the dishes for your brother (you know who you are) or write a thank you letter to someone. Open the door for somebody, smile, take someone some cookies, mow someone’s lawn, find little ways to make other’s lives easier, and you’ll find that yours becomes easier too!!
Second, take your conversion seriously. This isn’t a scenic tour, it’s going out and climbing the dang mountains. It’s going to take all of you, but the good news is that, that’s what Christ asks of us. As CS Lewis again says, “The instrument through which you see God is your whole self” so if you don’t put your all in it, it doesn’t count. Make your conversion daily, and a priority. The world is only getting meaner out there so make what’s inside good and joyful and peaceful!
Well, go out there and make it a great week. You are all in my prayers, and I love and miss you all! Go find some delicious tacos (I’ve heard Tacos Lopez Estilo Tijuana in the valley is pretty dang good) and enjoy a cold Coke, and have some fun! I miss you all and love you!
Talk soon, take care!
– Elder Crockett 🫶
