Hey, Hey, Hey!

Hello everyone,

Wow this was a great week and one to remember, it has been very eventful that's for sure! So on Monday night I got a call from President telling me that I will be training Elder Her, he told us we would be picking him up at 8:30 at night on Wednesday at the Mission Home, so that was exciting news. 

So on Wednesday we all went to the Twins game it was really fun. It went into extra innings...I think 12 but they ended up loosing by one! its always good have some fun once in a while but it was good to get back to work that's for sure. So we got back at about 6:30 and we had to be in Bloomington at 8:30 that same day to pick Elder Her up. So we had a crazy day on Wednesday. He is a great Elder! He is from Sacramento, California, he is 18 and he really is a very special kid although he reminds me allot of Bubba ha ha!! But anyway he is the youngest of 19!! ha ha yeah crazy right! But when he was 1 years old he was put into foster care and so he grew up in a Caucasian family, so he doesn't know a lick of Hmong but he is a super hard worker and has a strong desire to serve! I will be spending my last two transfers training which I'm really excited for! 

Elder Hardy and me

Hmong Elders at the game

Picking Up Elder Her 

   

So now we will fast forward to Saturday.... there was two people getting baptized on Saturday. It was a really good baptism and glad to see them progress and enter into baptism, on Saturday we saw so many cops!! it was crazy ha ha but we got fed like all day! I swear every house we entered into they fed us... it was sweet, that's one thing I love about the hmong culture. Its impossible to leave a hmong house without them giving you something, they're the nicest people ever!! I really love there culture and they way they have love for there families.

So on Sunday we had a busy day! This whole week has been packed with things and appointments so it's really good for Elder Her to see how missionary work is. Sunday morning was two more baptisms they were so awesome! One of them was very special to me because I had been working really hard for it to happen and now it finally did so it was probably one of the most happiest moments on my mission! Right after the baptism I got to confirm and give the Holy Ghost to her! It was a day I won't forget. I love being a missionary!!! The people I teach the gospel to, I see them as more than just a random person or more than just an investigator but as a brother and sister. For any missionary that is struggling I encourage you to see the people you teach as your brother or sister as you change your mind set and see them through our Heavenly Fathers eyes the course of your mission will change drastically I promise you that, I'm glad I learned that principal pretty early on in my mission. I have such love to share the message of hope and peace to them and most important a message that will save them! I have great love for the people I serve and I am so privileged to come and teach them.

Elder Her, Charlie, and I after her baptism.

 I love all of you so much and I'm so grateful for the support and love, I'm most grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord. 

I have pondered that phrase allot this past week and I still don't really know what to think about it, I'm still pondering it and finding my meaning to that phrase that is so often said in the Book of Mormon. I invite you all to ponder the tender mercies the Lord has shown you in your life or even the past few months because no matter what trail or challenge comes our way we know God is a tender and loving one, he is there to lift our burdens and even to carry them for us. I love the phrase "pick up your cross" that the apostle Paul says, it tells me to never give up life is not meant to be easy but it is meant to be fulfilling with God. Everytime I have a trial I think of Jesus Christ and how great of a trial the atonement was for him, and after I think of him my testimony is reconfirmed with the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the Christ and he over came the world, he can help us as we use his atonement. I invite you to use that atonement, pray fervently, and grow closer to him. 

Love you all,

Elder Crandall

Our Hmong Pose haha!

Gardening Hmong Style

Hmong Family :)