What’s up folks?
Sorry for another delay in a weekly email! Yesterday was the outgoing missionary’s last day, and today was airport day so things have been a little hectic but lots of fun!
I hope you are all doing well, that the snow is great and the football is fun and especially that you are finding joy, no matter your circumstances!! Tell me a little bit about how life has been treating you and what the upcoming plans are! I want to hear all about it!
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– On Tuesday we went to the temple with Presidente and Hermana Brady which was a super spiritual experience and a ton of fun. I absolutely love the temple and wish I could spend more time there! I think there is something new that I learn every time, or at least something that I remember. It’s a great place. My stummy was feeling great and so we took the Bradys to their first guajolota (tamale sandwich) outside the temple and it was great! My stomach has been feeling better and better since last week, so that’s a huge answer to prayer!
– Went on exchanges with Elder Curb from Alameda Norte, who is now the new Secretary, and we had a ton of fun!! Met an amazing lady named Rosario and her son Milan who may be the most committed people to coming to church that I have met in months. Please pray for them, they had some crazy family problems and couldn’t join us on Sunday! Later that same week, I went back to Valle Ceylan with Elder Piña and saw a few people we found back in the day, had lots of fun and got gifted donuts and later churros! It was a great week of exchanges and I learned a lot.
– We had English class, and Arturo showed up. He is one of the sister’s friends in teaching and is a die hard Broncos fan (sorry buddy) and we had a great time getting to know him. He decided he wanted to come to church with us, which he did, and absolutely loved it! The Sisters passed us his reference and we are so excited to work with him and finally have someone dedicated to getting to know Jesus Christ!
– Saw a great sunset at the church the other night and it lasted like 25 minutes. I took a couple pictures because it was too dang pretty.
– We had our final office meeting before this crazy transfer week we are now in and the Bradys made us some great pancakes and bacon. After that we stayed at the mission home for final interviews, which took hours, but I found a guitar in a closet and taught myself a few hymns and talked all about Sedona with Hermana Brady.
– Today, three of my previous companions went home. I learned so much from Elder Crane, Elder Warren, and Elder Nielson and I am so grateful for each of them!! It was so fun to be there with them on their last night and so sad to see them go today, it didn’t quite feel real. I’ll see them all soon enough though, and I am so grateful for their love and friendship! I learned unique things from each one of those great men.
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Well I finished 2nd Nephi this week!! I read one of my favorite scriptures that happens to tie right in with the kind of missions each of those missionaries served. I want to be the same kind of missionary, but also the same kind of person throughout my life. I love these scriptures from Jacob 1:
“Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest,
And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence;”
I actually appreciate the clarity of the Lord’s expectations of us as His children. Jacob didn’t just fulfill or complete the tasks the Lord gave him, he didn’t check the boxes. He was diligent, better yet, He did all the Lord asked him and did even more. He didn’t just fill the expectations, he did everything to do the best he could and everything else he could think of.
Isn’t that who we should be? The Lord doesn’t expect us to be perfect but He does ask that our heart is 100% aligned with His will. He doesn’t want machine obedience, He wants diligent obedience. He isn’t making robots, He’s making disciples. He wants dedication, sacrifice, love, and adoration. That is the kind of missionary we should be but especially the type of disciple we should be. Whoever it is that you teach in life (kids, friends, as a missionary or as an example), and that better be someone, make sure you do so with diligence. Magnify who you are and what you do. Magnify your gifts and talents and do everything you can to show your loving obedience, not mechanical obedience, to your Savior and Redeemer.
Man, I still love you guys! I still pray for you! I still hope you have a great week and still hope you eat tacos. I anxiously await the day that someone sends me a picture of tacos and a glass bottle of cold Mexican Coke.
Go make it a great week and magnify the incredible person you are! You have so much more potential than you give yourself credit for. Go share some of that gift with someone else you love this week! They need you!
Hablamos pronto! Les amo!
Elder Crockett 🙌
