Kelb And Sam

Sam and Kelby at the MTC! 

Thank to Sam's Mom who sent this to me! 

Letter 1/18/12

Hey family,

This week has been pretty good I have been sick lately so mom if you could get more antibiotic from Aunt Sandy that would be great. It sucks being sick because you still have to do everything that you normally do and its so hard for me to concentrate. This week was pretty much normal week.... just been learning the language. I can have a full lesson now with out any notes or anything, so I'm excited for that. There are so many people to write and it's crazy how busy you always are? Dad thanks for the letter, will you tell Hunter to send me a picture of Oregons uniforms during the Rose Bowl, also keep me updated on sports, I keep hearing Lebron is beastly this year and he has his eyes set on the ring haha.

Dad will you send me more Easy Cheese.... like allot!! We went through both cans really fast so send like 5 or 6 this time ha ha also send me some cookies and stuff... and a case of cup of noodles I get so so hungry at night. I'm so anxious to get out to Minnesota. Our teacher keeps telling us how nice the hmong people are and everything..I get so bored here doing the same things over and over and over again I know you know how that feels. I went to the mall today and got my suit so everything is great it looks great..... thanks mom they're sending it down here on Thursday so it should all be good. Dad I need another SD CARD for my camera and I will just send you guys the one I have now back to you. Tell mom to send me some stories of our ancestors I keep getting this feeling that I need to study and research them that would be nice thanks.

How is everyone in the family? What have they been up to? I know Hunter is probably mad cause there is like no snow ha ha. how is Clayci and Markel? I haven't heard much lately? How's work and everything for you and mom? how is Grandpa Hunt and Grandma Hunt? How's Grandpa Crandall and them doing? I need some athletic shorts to maybe like 2 more pairs.

Mike Mortensen came in on Wednesday, we have the same schedule and our classes are by each other and our residence halls are in the same building so we see each other quit a bit. It's nice having someone I know in here cause we can talk about allot of stuff. It's been great having him here. I love all of you guys and I hope you all have a great week and month ha ha I pray for you all and love you all so dearly.

LOVE,

Elder Crandall

1.SD card

2.Nabisco snacks/cup of noodle:)

3.gym shorts

January 10 2012

Hey everybody:)
This week has been so so fast I can't believe I am already half way done in the MTC, its nuts how fast time is going by. This week me and my companion had our first TRC it stands for Training recreation center. It's where people in the area come that know hmong and we teach them. It was so so scary my heart was racing and I couldn't remember a thing but before we went in I said a pray with my companion to help let us remember what we know and to act calm in the presence of these people. Our first investigtors where some guys that go to BYU and serverd missions in Sacramento, we taught them how they can recieve revelation through the Book of Mormon even though they are active members we still try to teach them something that they can take home and work towards, it went alright I forgot some stuff in that meeting so it wasn't the best but for our first one it wasn't to bad... our second appointment was we were teaching a native hmong lady that is now at BYU she also is from Sacremento, and there also was a guy and his wife in there as well so it was different to try and relate to both of them in the same lesson but it went by alot smoother and calmer, we weren't as scared ha ha... anyway that was a crazy experience. Umm I actually had a dream in hmong, it was crazy I have only had one so far but I couldn'y understand what they were saying, it was just all in hmong haha I woke up with a ton of hmong words in my head..
It sounds like Markel and Syd had a wonderful time in New York, I got all their pictures and lovely stuff from Syd thanks so much for everything you sent me! looks like it was a party there, umm lets see here..... today I got a hair cut so now my hair is way short and it's retarted haha but oh well I guess what can you do?
so you want to know what I have been teaching, well right now mostly about the Book of Mormon and how it is the first thing that the investigator gains a testimony of.. and also a little bit about the plan of salvation (txoj kev zoo siab) umm its going well we can have a pretty good conversation about gospel things but other stuff, hardly anything ha ha... its hard to understand what they are saying cause they speak so fast and the tones and stufff are just hard to catch but over time I will be a pro at it. :)
today left another English district in our zone they lived right by us they were gonig to Oregon, Florida, and Jackson Mississippi, we were really close to them so it was a little sad saying goodbye but I have a tone of pictures of them.. i'll send them once mom sends me another SD card for my camera so I can just send the one I have now home.:)
Oh by the way mom I am going to Mr. Macs next Tues.. okay so don't worrry to much it will be okay ha ha... it took forever for them to set an appointment up to go there so yea it's taking forever...
Nothing else really happend this week just the same stuff..... study and study the language oh and study more ha ha and classes and devotionals but nothing major.
except for on Thursday night a kid on our floor had surgury and his stiches opened up and he was like bleeding really bad and the ambulance had to come so that was a crazy and eventful night.
Im so grateful for every ones support and love you show me. I love all your letters sorry it takes so long to write back just hardly anytime.. I got a great letter today from Garrett and Allyson Dunn what cute kids they are haha love them.. keep sending your letters I love hearing about how everyone is doing.

Love you all
Elder Crandall

Jan. 3 2012

Nyob zoo

this week has been great it's the same as normal nothing different really, just doing the same stuff over and over again it gets boring sometimes but its all good... I saw Uncle Shawn on Tues it was amazing seeing some family and see some outside world right haha.. New Years was good... I got a Subway from my mom which was amazing the MTC food gets a little old sometimes... we all went to bed at 10:30 so really wasn't much of a new years but it don't matter... the first fast Sunday as a missionary was great so many great testimonies shared in our sacrament meeting... our district is still way close and we all get along so well, I feel like they're just all my friends from back home doing the same stuff but instead learning about the gospel and preaching it... I saw Sam Pedro and see him quite often. It's great I love having some of my friends from back home in the MTC... there is this elder from Minnesota in our zone he is going to Cambodia... crazy but he has been telling me allot about it and about the Hmong wards and stuff there sounds great he and I are really close he plays sports at Southern Virginia University he said that I should go play basketball there ha ha, but he also said that the missionaries aren't aloud to proselyte if its -30 below so that's good but even if its - 20 that's not good never felt cold like that... there is this elder that is amazing at beat boxing tell Hunter and anyone else to look him up on YouTube his YouTube channel is called "PKeliteBeats" search that in YouTube its crazy but anyway yea nothing much has happened around here just the same ole same ole.. Dad will you tell Grandpa Crandall to send me Travis and Brooke's Address cause the elders that room right next to us one of them knows Travis really good because he went to Mt. Crest... he wants to write him and send a picture of us so if you could do that that would be greatly appreciated, everyone in gym calls me Sacajawea cause I just drain threes from way out and they call me rain man and jimmer so its funny there is not much competition in the MTC..... I thought there would be more but oh well,

Some things to send,

My lebron jersey:)

send me a Jimmer jersey ha ha from the Chinese website.

Dr pepper would be so nice to have

oh also I really want you to send me a ukulele cause this kid that rooms by us is poly and he said he will teach me how to play it if i get one so that would be nice cause i want to learn ha ha....

Camera Memory card 8gb

Oh also there are about 4 native Hmong speakers here in the MTC one rooms right by us and is in our zone so we try and talk Hmong to them it doesn't work out very good ha ha they speak so fast and we don't understand most things ha ha..I also found out a little bit about Hmong culture there beliefs are shamanism so kinda weird they worship there ancestors so that's crazy cause it talks allot about my ancestors in my patriarchal blessing, they do like rituals and stuff.. Hmong is a dialect of Chinese its spoken in the northern parts of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand so we have to take a trip to Laos when I get home that's where my teacher said we could understand most of what they were saying in Laos, cause in the other countries they mix it with Thai, and Vietnamese, so idk but they also speak it in south east China its really different though o idk if i would understand it, he said its really close to Mandarin Chinese. I told him that I knew how to read Chinese and so he helped me with some sounds in Hmong that where related to Chinese so when I get home I will learn Chinese to so that me and Hunter can start our own business with his business skills and my language what more do you need so be ready Hunter cause we will be on Forbes magazine some day haha ha. 

Mom I will send those pictures back as soon as I have a chance to write on them.. will you send me another memory card and I will just send the one I have now home when its full:) everything is going great family thank you for all your support and prayers I pray for all of my family including my extended family every night so don't think I'm not praying for you cause I am.. Trevor and Owen are amazing little boys such sweet spirits I got cards from them and I hear they are praying for me every night I cried when I heard that.. I love those boys so much.  Love all you guys have a great week talk to ya then.

                                                                          Love,

                                                                                    Elder Crandall  (Tub Txib Leej) Hmong name 

 anyway sinb tsib tua (goodbye)

Today Uncle Shawn was able to go to the Mtc (because of his job of course) and he got to see Kelbs!! Here are a couple pictures!

LETTER! 12/27

Hey everyone...

    This week has been good from Christmas as you all read my last email it really was a spiritual experience.. I'm looking forward to seeing uncle Shawn on Wednesday it shall be fun. I have lunch at 11:50 till about 12:35 so I hope I will get to see him.. there's not much to say other than I'm grateful for all your support all the packages I received from all of you all your letters were amazing I love getting letters from you to see how everything is going and how outside life is haha... I'm so grateful I have received many from uncle Shawn, his are really inspiring to me and I always love at the end "NO Regrets" great modo to live by while on your mission cause it only happens once in my life... until I get old and serve with my wife ha ha.. Grandma and Grandpa your letters are so good except I can barely read your cursive Grandma. I'm a new generation and cursive is not my expertise haha... but you have given me some great advice and I'll take all the advice I can get. My mom is the best at this. She can help anyone and is willing to help anyone even if she is swamped. I love that christlike attribute she has!! My dad will do the same he has an amazing work ethic which I hope to gain so I can support my family... I'm so grateful to have all you in my life... oh I almost forgot one inportant person... uncle Eric, he has wrote me a couple times and truely has helped me and comforted me. I guess its because he is a bishop and all... right? ha ha love you..

Mom write me sometime and tell me when my new suit is done my suit now is fitting just fine and it should be great getting a gray one thanks.

Also, if you can will you send me some stickers things that have my MTC address on them like how Grandma has a billion of them.. it will just make it easier to write letters so I don't have to write my huge address...

 

Thanks love you all... 

     Love ELDER CRANDALL

Kelby's Christmas Letter!

Hey guys its Christmas... and they are letting us email our familys today..

   So last night was Christmas Eve we had a devotional and it was really good no one talked but it was the nativity play that a bunch of missionarys put on and we all sung to it, it was really good.. very spiritual for just a play.. after the play they passed out popcorn to everyone and we got to watch the movie a Christmas Carol. We left early and just went to our residence home.. we had a huge sleep over on Christmas Eve, there where 7 of  us in my room ha ha.. we played some fun games till like 1130.. then went to bed cause we were all tired,oh and by the way i did receive your packages... it was great I got so many gifts thanks mom you really went overboard:) and Sydney went over board too ha ha  thank you guys so so much you got what i needed and more. Thank you so so much sydney, thank you so much for the Oregon hoddie its so fluffy I'm gonna die:) (dispicable me) my pillow is amazing I sleep like a little baby now hah ah and I haven't tried my toothbrush out cause its charging thanks mom:) on Christmas Eve we had to teach our teacher a basic lesson and in my lesson I was trying to say today our lession is about Christ and his atonement but instead of saying today I said bathroom and we started laughing.... so I have had some struggles in the language and its really hard to memorize everything but our teacher said me and my companion are really picking the language up fast so i am excited... oh and by the way Sydney your letters with your prefume on them are so so amazing ha ha only thing that reminds me of the real world ha ha. I told my companion I feel like Repunzel cause I can see outside life but I will never experience it in the MTC ha ha. I miss you all so much during the holidays I hope it has been a wonderful day for you all..Scooter sent me a package and a picture of goose in it, I laughed so so hard..... so I'm sure you all want to hear about Christmas and the devotional... well every single missionary in here met in the gym for sacrement and there were 2,120 of us that had sacrement together it was crazy and we were all waiting before hand to see who was coming to talk. I think that was the best gift ever when we all found out who it was speaking to us.. when ELDER BEDNAR walked in everyone had a sound of relief. His talk was so inspirational.. the main topic I picked up from it was that the natural man is the enemy of God and we all have the natural man or women inside of us, and what we need to do is to turn ourselves out like Christ does instead of turning ourselvs In like we usually do.. an example was when Christ was suffering for our sins in the Gethsemane he told three of his apostles to stay awake and they didn't.. he must have felt disappointed but not mad and then when they cut the guards ear off Christ heals him. Christs characteristics where not that he just bled out of every pore and suffered for each on of us but he was most worried about that mans ear.. not being selfish.. another is that our testimonies aren't enough to stay active but we have to be converted to Christ and our Heavenly Father his talk was so amazing... thats just a few things about it.. I will write all about it on Tuesday. Love you all and have a Merry Christmas.

                                             Love,

                                                           Elder Crandall