Sunday, June 30, 2013

Elder Cropper - June 24th



Dear Family:

holy cow. 

Ok so lots of stuff happened this week. where to begin.

Monday:

Rocked the Pday, bought food, zone activity, came back and worked for a bit. We had a good day of work that day for a pday. 

Tuesday:

Craziest day of my mission wanna know why?


Elder P got transfered and is no longer my companion. 
We were working in the street tuesday morning when Elder P got a call from president saying he had been called to be a zone leader. He was super excited and I was excited for him too. After that big discussion last week Elder P and I became more close. We left on a good note. My new companion is Elder B. He has the same amount of time in the mission as Elder P  (they came togeather) Elder B used to be the secretary of the mission (an office elder) he knows everything! maybe not about the work but everything about how the mission works. I love knowing stuff and he loves sharing stuff so we work well togeather. Elder B is good a telling people good job. I will get on little Spanish thing right (but something significant) and he will say wow good job. It makes me feel really good and like I am improving. Elder B is a little harsh sometimes but he knows how to show love in a good amount of ways so it works out. Elder P didnt know how to show love at all. Probably cause he didnt have love (he had a difficult childhood)

After we switched Elder B had me tell him about the area and we worked for a bit.

Wednesday:

We had zone conference!!!!!!!!! I saw President!!!!!!!! and he said 4 times that my Spanish was awesome! Once personally when he was greeting me and the rest during the meeting. He would be talking about having faith or improving or something and then turn to me and say take Elder Cropper for example. Elder Cropper your Spanish is awesome! and then he would make this sign that people from Argentina make i dont know how to explain it. I learned a lot in the zone conference and was animated to start working hard again. I love President. 

Thursday:

Weekly planning was good. It took us awhile because I had to fill Elder B in on stuff. It's been hard being the companion that stayed because I know the area and the members know me. It means that I always have to take the lead or talk on the phone or whatever. But now its ok because i just do it. Heavenly Father had this change happen so that I would have to take the lead. In the beggining I would forget things I needed to do or the way I would do things was wrong (thanks to Elder P) but after a good comment from Elder B or just realizing it on my own part I am super organized and proud of it. 

Friday:

Elder B had to go to Santiago to help out the new secretary with something. I chilled in Viña at the office all day. I was with Elder M, the trainer of Elder B or his dad. He is the registrador or basically the person in charge of records. We were the only two people in the office because there was a zone conference so everyone was gone. I just studied Spanish and the gospel--it was a good day. The people that went to Santiago were supposed to get back at 5 but didnt get back tell 9:30 so we missed all 3 appointments in our area. I had the opportunity to work in Elder M's area though. He works in Viña up on the hill and it was awesome! I loved the hills, the ocean, the houses. I want to work in Viña so bad now! or in Valaparaiso which I here is even oldder and better. We got back to the pension at 10:30

Saturday: We had interchanges I forgot what they are called in English. I was with my good buddy and zone leader, Elder V from Mexico. He speaks no English but we're best buds. He calls me his "gringito" which means 'little white boy.' We taught some good lessons. We taught a lesson to Jose. He was the one who had a dream that he needed to wait for his kids to come home so they could see him get baptised. He said in his dream he was in front of the chapel with his kids when this happened. Crazy experience but the Spirit actually told me during his telling of the dream that it wasn't the chapel, it was the temple. So I got out my picture of the Santiago Temple and said was this the building you saw in your dream. He immediatly started to cry and grabbed the picture from my hands saying that's the building I saw. We told him a little about temples and that in order to enter this building he needed to get baptised. He still said he was going to wait 4 more weeks for his kids to come home so we gave up. He will get baptised just not this month. 

Sunday:

We had church and Elder V came with me. The theme was missionary work and they told me once again 30 minutes before sacrament meeting that i was talking. I spoke on basically the theme of the leadership mission confrence thing that happened Sunday night. I even used some of the same scriptures. I hope my ward understands now (after my talk and that confrence) how important member missionary work is. Night and day difference from giving this talk to my first one my second week. The first one I actually wrote out. This once I just wrote down scriptures and key points I wanted to make. That's the best way to write a talk.

 Mary: Your a beast!!!!!!!!!! take the lead!!!! who cares if they have more time then you in the mission. I have learned that if you want to be awesome and make things work just do it. 

The rest of my letter will be devoted to the amazing confrence we all hopfully saw last night. 

Mary I think this confrence made a bigger impact on us because we see the difficulties of missionary work and how much better it is with the members. Plus what missionary wouldn't want to hear from the apostles! 

But none the less Sister Cropper is right. Where are the plans? It is the job of the members to find not the missionaries. The job of the missionary is to invite someone to be baptised and teach the lessons. Everything else could be done by a member. 

I received a lot of revelation during that conference about how I can be a better missionary. One is love. The most effective missionaries work from love not to get numbers. I decided that I got too caught up in having 3 baptisms that I didnt focus on each person individually. Paula is getting baptised this weekend so I am going to focus on her. I also realized I need to go by the Spirit more often, oh and work harder. If I am trying my best Heavenly Father will not let me fail.

Ok well thats all I got people. 

Mom Send packages to the mission home. The address is on my facebook. its something like 4 norte 1114 viña del mar chile. I love you all and I am doing great. Don't think I'm a little down when you read this email. I'm just a focused guy now thats all. Focused about the work. 

Love,
Elder Cropper


Ps those BYU application papers never came. Plus I dont know when is the best time to apply or really what to do. any ideas? 

Pss love you guys

Psss felt my first earthquake this last week. it was nice a small but awesome. lasted for like 6 seconds. 

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