tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13095714442143374162024-02-19T03:33:41.480-08:00By the Mouth of Two Witnesses: Elder and Sister CropperElder and Sister Cropper http://www.blogger.com/profile/11699383982720259165noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-9712392779541173322013-08-05T13:50:00.001-07:002013-08-05T13:51:30.384-07:00Elder Cropper - July 29. 2013<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">Dear Family:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">So a pretty difficult week. well actually I don't know.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">I had the best day of my mission friday because we put 4 baptismal dates, which is something unheard of. Of course there is opposition (or however you spell it) in all things because saturday and sunday were the worst days of my mission. People told us to not come back. The boyfriend of the mom (where 2 of our baptismal dates live) told us we could only stop by on saturday because the kids have to study after school (load of crap nobody studies in chile) I thought it was dumb he said that because hes not even there Dad. Ya sale por alla! ugh anyways. so then the days just got worse because then peoples neighbors starting telling us to not come back. Like for example we tried to visit this person who we have given a book of mormon, and their neighbor (1 house over) came out said no one lived there and to not come back. I was like I can take rejection but can it please be from the people we are trying to find not there neighbors. ughh I am having trouble with spelling that word. From now on neighbor will be spelled in spanish vecino, because its easier for Elder Cropper to spell haha. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">Anyways, love Pdays because you just get to start the week over. I always start the week like i used to start me school years. Feelings of "were gonna take out the trash this week, place 20 books, and baptize a ward" Not really but something like that. I hope our area really progresses this week, we don't have really a solid person that can get baptized, like we have people with dates but not people that are progressing. When the area doesn't progress I look at myself and say what am I doing wrong that I need to change to help the area progress. Elder H said that attitude will get me down but I don't know. I always feel I could be more obedient (because I really am having issues with mission schedule obedience) but I don't know maybe Elder H is right and I do just need to chill out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">I struggle every week to find a topic of what we should talk about is district meeting. Tuesdays are my busiest days like for example Elder Cropper doesn't laugh on Tuesdays because he's freaking out too much. I Have decided i need to start preparing more early for district meetings so that I don't feel so stressed. The good news is Im getting better at being district leader and helping out my district, and the change is almost over. I only have 2 weeks left in this change which is pretty crazy, its gone by pretty fast. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">I have been feeling pretty lost in out area and didn't know why until yesterday. Elder H finally opened up the flood gates and told me 2 things I am doing that he doesn't like. He one says I correct him on his Spanish (like in lessons) he says that he will say something and then later I will say it back a different way like in the sense of grammar or conjugation. I have much better Spanish then Elder H and he often conjugates things wrong or has grammatical errors in his speaking. I correct him in lessons because I’m afraid the person didn't understand, but none the less he's right and I shouldn't do it. When I was being trained Elder P would let me say what ever thing and then correct me after the lesson if there had been mistakes. Elder H also said he doesn't feel like I trust him (which he's spot on I don't) He says he doesn't like to give me his ideas because he feels like I will shoot them down. So anyways I learned from this that I need to stop treating Elder H like a baby (even though he acts like one) and hopefully with time (and without me correcting his Spanish and not trusting him) he will become a boss of a missionary. I’m glad to have this experience with Elder H because Its helping me be nicer when I’m in charge. Im realizing that when I’m the senor companion I’m not very fun to work with because its all Elder Cropper’s way. Anyways ill have to work on all these things so I’m not the companion of the devil.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">Sorry if my letter lacks structure, every monday I get the chance to sit down and really think about my week, so half of these things I wrote were thoughts I just had while writing rather then news or updates or whatever.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">Anyways thats all I’ve got. Oh yeah Dad I challenge you to a chess game when I get home. I bought a chess set the other week and Elder H and I play every single day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">Love you all,</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-size: small;">Sam</span></span></div>
Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-8439193143471994532013-07-28T20:14:00.004-07:002013-07-28T20:14:55.575-07:00Elder Cropper - July 22<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Dear Family:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So I took what you said to heart mom and Dad and decided to haver a little fun. i also decided that I was in the most touristy place in the mission and i needed to take advantage of that. So right after we left computers last week we went across the street to a flea market to look around. I bought a cool little change purse thing that a lot of missonaries use. After that we called the zone leaders and went with the to Ruby Tuesdays! super crazy, I had a filet migon or whatever which i havent eaten in forever and I had that dessert thing i loved (which I took a picture of) it was amazing. They don't cook meat well in Chile and they don't have dessert like that. Dessert here is fruity things--they don't like sweet. After that we did our shopping and went back home. Today we are going to eat at a place named Waton or something like that (I dont know how to spell it), but it means like "fat" or "gut" or something like that in Spanish. They sell huge hamburgers. Then after that we are going to the famous art museum in Viña. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />This last week was pretty good, we had zone conference last Wednesday so I got a break from doing meetings. I learned a lot of stuff I needed to do better though. We had intrerviews with the president Thursday which was awesome. I LOVE MY MISSION PRESIDENT. Thank you for loving your mission president dad because now I love my mission president. THe interviews were in our apartment so we spent Wednesday cleaning it. He walked in took a look at our apartment and said it was the cleanest apartment he had seen in the mission. THen later in my personal interview with him he said he walked in and immediatly felt the spirit. I felt good about that because that's what I was going for. Elder Haws had his interview, president said it was dumb that he did that but he's good now so end of story with that. During my interview, President asked me if there was anything he could do to help me, and I told him all I need is someone to tell me I'm doing a good job. President knows how to give compliments because he just gushed them out. He said Elder Cropper I wouldn't be lying if I told you that you are one of the best in the mission. He said my drive and desire to always do better are very unique. Answerer to prayer, made me feel better--bam! I have a District meeting this week and I think we will talk about having the spirit, and following the spirit.<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The work is well. Our area needs more new investigators but were going to focus on tha this week. President asked me in my interview if we were going to baptise this change and I told him i didnt know and that ovbiously I lacked the faith in the area (he just smiled at me) anways we put two baptism dates yesterday! with twins! they are 10 years old and they are, "for sure" baptisms. After we put the dates with them I felt really good. If you are in a sector with baptismal dates no matter how bad your numbers are you still feel good because your going to have a baptism.<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I am trying to relax a lot more. I have this insane drive that everyone comments on and that frankly, I've never seen myself have before. I think a lot of it comes from the anxiety thing. Every week one of my goals I make is be more awesome because i just want to be an awesome missionary. Elder Haws told me that was a little prideful so i will have to think about that I dont know. Anyways I digress, I have this crazy drive but im realizing that It burns me up a little sometimes because I dont have control over some things in the mission. So know im focusing on driving when i need to and being more relaxed when I need to. I think that's why I have Elder Haws because he's super relaxed.<br /><br />Anyways that's All i got. I took a lot of time today to send pictures so I'll probably avoid that next week so I have more time to write. Good wee--no need to vent.<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love you all<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Cropper</span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-88468975159048272072013-07-15T18:31:00.002-07:002013-07-15T18:31:54.689-07:00Elder Cropper (who is getting thinner) - July 15th<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Come Estan!!!!!!!!!!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So things this week just got better. I realized last week that my letter probably seemed like I didn't think I was going to make it through the week and I was walking to my death or something. Probably because that's how I felt. Its all good now, I'm just sitting here writing my family with 10 other missionaries, while eating my Super8 that I buy every M<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102231" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">onday</span></span>. This week was really good. I"ll go ahead and go through it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102232" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">In the 3 hours of work that we did that day (p day) we had 5 appointments set. That is something I have never seen before. Sadly, almost all of them fell through. We ended up only having 2 lessons that day but, eh, still good. we gave out 2 books as well which is good.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102233" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Tuesday</span></span>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Busy day we have like 5 or 6 lessons which means we walked a lot. We found 2 news that day as well (new investigators).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102234" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Wednesday</span></span>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We had the district meeting in the morning. I taught about getting refrences because that is something the people in our district never do. I showed a video and talked about refrences being the best way for us to find people. I also talked how we need to get our members excited about missionary work so we can do the things the prophet told us to do from the conference thing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102235" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Thursday</span></span>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Nothing much happened this day. We had our branch mission work meeting which went well.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102236" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Friday</span></span>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We had interchanges this day which was good because I needed to figure out why the Elders numbers had been so low. The ZLs called me T<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102237" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">hursday</span></span> and told me they stopped by their sector (to surprise them) and found them playing basketball. They told me they had handled it and that they were just calling to advise me. They told me on interchanges I should just act like I didnt know (whatever). Elder H and Elder F were in our area and they took out the trash--something like 3 books and 2 new investigators. Elder L was sick while I was in his area so we didn't start working till 6 because of that. At 6 I woke him up from his sick nap thing and told him we were going out to work. I actually found that he was pretty animated about the work. The only reason he told me that they've been having low numbers is because of him being sick. I dont know.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">For the next district meeting next week (because this week we have zone meeting), I'm thinking about doing interviews with them. Elder M, one of the ZLs told me it was a good idea and something he had done once when he was DL. I just want to get to the bottom of it and figure out whats up.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102238" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Normal day of work. Had a cool spiritual experience though. It was <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102239" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">9 oclock</span></span> and we still hadn't given out any books, which is a goal and as DL I need to give out books everyday. Elder H didn't know where to go and I didn't either, so I decided that we should pray and ask where we needed to go to place books. After the prayer I looked up and felt like we needed to go to a certain house on the corner but I just put it out of my head saying it probably wasn't where we needed to go. Elder H went to a house where he felt impressed but the people were very short with us. I then followed him across the street to a house right next to a members house where we ended up placing a book with a kid. I don't know if Elder H felt inspired to go to that house but none the less he went there and we placed a book. We still had time before we needed to go back so I decided that we should go visit some non-progressing investigators. After thinking about this I really felt (spirit) that it would just be a waste of time and that I really just needed to go contact that house on the corner where I felt like I should go right after the prayer. We went and did it and ended up talking to a man who lived there who has two daughters that are members in Santiago. He said he only believed in the Bible but I asked him if he would read a part of the BoM and he said he would. I ended up leaving him with a chapter to read in the bible and the BoM. · Nephi chapter 13 and Matthew chapter 5 (they are the same). None the less, good spiritual experience. It's interesting how soft the Spirit speaks, a feeling and thats it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102240" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Church which went well. We had on investigator attend Church with us but he's not married so he can't get baptized until that happens.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Anyways so that was my week. This week like I said we have zone meeting and we have interviews with President on F<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102241" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">riday</span></span>. Elder H never had that interview with President because President canceled, but he will have it <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_190102242" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Friday</span></span> so all is good.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">gotta go im 4 min over ahhhhh</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love you all</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Adios,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Cropper</span></div>
Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-26438025157328694272013-07-08T13:02:00.003-07:002013-07-08T13:10:43.191-07:00Elder Cropper - July 8th<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Yeah so this week was pretty crazy. Ugh it all started out on a happy T<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_396394919" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">uesday</span></span> morning last week while I was studying Spanish. The assistants called my companion Elder B and asked him to serve as a District Leader next change, and as a trainor. I was super excited for him and was turning back to my Spanish when I heard the assistant say, "Puede pasarme a Elder Cropper," which just means "can you pass me to Elder Cropper," anyways, he then preceded to call me to the position of district leader in the mission. It was actually kind of funny because the first thing I said to him was "oh no," he started laughing and then asked me if I accepted. I told him that if God had called me to be a district leader then I accept. He told me that God had called me to be a district leader and that as a DL I needed to be an example to everyone. Anyways, the conversation ended and I went and said a prayer--that's about it. Now obviously I was very nervous but we knew that Elder B would be DL, and I would be too, we just didn't know who would stay or go. If I had stayed I would have known my whole area, all my investigators, and my district. If I went I wouldn't know anything, plus it would be my first transfer in the mission. Well they called us again W<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_396394920" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">ednesday</span></span> morning and said I was leaving and Elder B was staying...ugh...just talking about makes me remember how nervous I was.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We went to the transfer meeting early because Elder B had a speacial training meeting for trainors. I went tracting during this time in Viña with another elder there. He has one more change than me (extra 6 weeks). Changes are transfers. Anyways, we were doing contacts and he was correcting me on a lot of technique things like "try to do your contact this way," or "try not to go into the gospel so fast." Yah know--because he has one more change than me so he has a little more experience. I welcomed the criticism but I thought it would be funny if he ended up in my district and I would have to start giving him advice on contacts and so forth. Anyways, we had transfer meeting and President called my name and said "Elder Cropper usted va a servir en Forestal B con Elder H, Elder Cropper como Lider De Distrito," and that was it thats the way transfers work. Elder H, and I hugged and walked out. I asked him how much time he had in the mission and he told me 4.5 months and then he asked me how much time I had and I told him 3 months, he probably thought I was joking at first but none the less I said "take me to our area." I serve in the city of Viña Del Mar now--the heart of the mission where President lives, where the mission home and office are. My zone in the mission is also Viña Del Mar. I serve in the branch Forestal with Elder H. Our area is divided with the Zone Leaders they are in our branch as well. Elder H is 19 and he is a good missionary. I have lots to say about my experience with him so we will start now. Elder H is struggling. He has never taught a lesson by himself, is Spanish is very rusty. His last companion and trainor wouldn't really let him take the lead so he is struggling. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">My area--let's talk about that for awhile. My area hasn't had a baptism in 2 changes or 3 months. And before that like half a year or maybe more. They have been working with the same investigators for the last 6 weeks but they have not been progressing. When I came to the area I asked my companion if they had any set appointments for the next couple of days. He told me "no," which is crazy because I left Las Americas with at least 4 appoiuntments everyday for the next 4 days, and then he told me that his past companion didn't really like to make set appointments. He told me his companion just liked to get numbers so they would past by the same people everyday. I then told him we would then fill our agendas with people to visit from the ward (members) menos activos and people that are our investigtors. he said that he didn't know who to visit and that his companion had always done everything. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I apologize for all the venting but it will end shortly.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So basically, my companion is struggling, my area has not been worked for 4.5 months so we're basically starting from scratch. and... my district is the lowest baptising mission in the mission, or at least it was. And on top of everything I don't speak Spanish 100 percent, I don't have much time in the mission, and I am the youngest district leader thats ever been called in probably mission history.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So what do you do when everything sucks and you dont think you can do it? Well first of all you say a prayer, then you recognize that you've been called of God to fix all this mess, and then you go fix it. Ugh it's very hard. It was very difficult last week with my first district meeting and all. I felt like an ox on the pioneer trail just puting one foot in front of the other even though you want to give up every second. Ugh--it was horrible, it's just horrible thinking about it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Ok enough of tha--now things are getting fixed. We've worked hard the last few days which has made Elder H happy because he actually feels like we are doing something. Some Elders in my district are going to have a baptism this next week so that fixs that. I think things will turn out all right in the end.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Even with all the changes and Elder H telling me he's glad I'm here and I'm called of God to fix this area, he still hasn't been all there. Well I figured it out the other day thanks to the Spirit. We were having a companion study and I read a scripture about being worthy to live with God. Right after I read it, the Spirit told me to wait 30 seconds and then ask Elder H if he was worthy to be on a mission. So I did just that. It was a long 30 seconds and Elder H just sat there reading the scripture and thinking. I asked him if he was worthy to be on a mission and he took a big sigh and said no. Supposedly, something had happened the week before his mission. He wasn't sure if he needed to go to president so I invited him to tell me what had happened. It was a large chastity issue so I handed the phone and told him to call president. Hopefully he can get an appointment with president today. I don't know if he will stay or go. It was a big enough issue that I can't put a guess on it, but it's president's decision anyways. So anyways add this to the list of crap that Elder Cropper had to deal with.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The moral of this week is that Heavenly Father calls you to do hard things like be a district leader in your 3rd change, and you think "Well-wow-I don't feel ready but ok." Then Heavenly Father adds more difficulties like a companion who is having problems or a new area, or a branch that is not very strong, or an area that doesn't have a stable missionary work foundation, and you say, "Woh-wait-I wasn't sure I could even do the first thing and now you want me to do all of this other stuff?" That's basically how I feel right now, but it's ok, because just like the ox--I move one foot at a time and eventually I'll find myself in the Salt Lake Valley or something like that where I can take a break.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I'm doing good but I've been better, I will feel less nervous as time goes on. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Hope you guys have a good week, Thanks for all the letters. Please say prayers for me that I will be able to figure it all out.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love you all,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Cropper</span></div>
Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-73435916908237171912013-07-04T18:27:00.004-07:002013-07-04T18:27:56.074-07:00We Received This Today From Elder Cropper's Mission President<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Dear Cropper Family,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">It is a pleasure for me to greet you and to inform you that your son, Elder Samuel P. Cropper has been assigned to serve as a District Leader in the Chile Vina del Mar Mission. He has demonstrated a sincere desire to serve the Lord while sharing the gospel, and he has diligently set forth a good example to his companions. His responsibilities have increased along with his opportunity to help others.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I thank you for raising your son in such a dedicated way and pray that our Heavenly Father may bless your family while your son serves in this great work.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Sincerely,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Federico M. Kähnlein</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Mission President</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Chile Vina del Mar Mission</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We figure Elder Cropper is either very excited or completely overwhelmed by this new assignment. Haha! Or both.</span></i></span>Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-83848532538053130272013-07-01T12:36:00.004-07:002013-07-01T12:36:49.190-07:00Elder Cropper - July 1st<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Hey family! </span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Thanks for the letters! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Good week we had a baptism!!!! Paula the wife of Antonio the man who was baptised a month ago go baptised, and I performed the ordinance! in Spanish! and I didnt mess up! Answer to prayer, people, phew. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Awesome stuff so the number is now at 5. 5 people that Elder Cropper has helped into the kingdom of God. Or better yet, begin the journy towards the kingdom of God because we learn in 2 nephi 31:17 that baptism is the gate by which we should enter, good stuff--love it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So we have changes this week, so I might be writing to you guys from a different spot in the mission next week. If I had a choice I would serve in Valparaiso. Elder B served there for awhile and he loved it. Its the most touristy place in the mission which was cool. Anyways I would love to serve there but we will see. The zone leaders played a joke on me a pretended like they had the change information today instead of <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1376775540" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">wednesday</span></span>. They said to me on the phone. "Elder Cropper You are...staying......close to my heart.....because your going!!!!" and then they said they were just kidding. Usually they will just say your going or your staying like that phrase in Spanish but sometimes its fun to mess with people. Another good one that they say is. "Elder you are going.....to pack the things of your companion because he is leaving!" Anyways all jokes I dont know if Im leaving or staying but I will <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1376775541" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">wednesday</span></span>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mary- You rock, love you, your the best sister missionary in the world. When in doubt testify. If someone anwsers back to your "families are forever" thing just testify, and don't be afraid to cut them which basically means ask the things mom and dad gave you, but when I don't know what to do I testify. No one can argue with it and the spirt comes</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">--so yeah. you rock!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Ok well i got to go Love you guys and I will talk to you next week. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Rockin it in Chile!</span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-39783875375555447522013-06-30T19:19:00.000-07:002013-06-30T19:36:38.380-07:00Elder Cropper - June 24th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">holy cow. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Ok so lots of stuff happened this week. where to begin.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Tuesday:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Craziest day of my mission wanna know why?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder P got transfered and is no longer my companion. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">After we switched Elder B had me tell him about the area and we worked for a bit.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Wednesday:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Thursday:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Friday:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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 <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1033533108" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">9:30</span></span> 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 <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1033533109" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">10:30</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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 S<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1033533111" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">unday</span></span> 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.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> 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. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The rest of my letter will be devoted to the amazing confrence we all hopfully saw last night. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Ok well thats all I got people. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Cropper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">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? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Pss love you guys</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Psss felt my first earthquake this last week. it was nice a small but awesome. lasted for like 6 seconds. </span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-30891904482717682592013-06-23T19:59:00.003-07:002013-06-23T19:59:48.085-07:00Elder Cropper - June 17<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">this week was blahhhhh. Let me tell you why<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Well actually it was really good to start but then it became horrible.<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1945375731" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span>:<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Rocked it Pday and everything. Such a good day of work. We only work for 3 hours on pday and we walk everywhere but we had like 3 lessons two others and 1 with member plus we gave out two books. Bam! fullfilling weekly goals<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Tuesday:<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Tuesday another good day. normal day of work. We had 2 lessons with member and 3 lessons with Menos Activos. another good day of work.<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Wednesday:<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Another good day of work 3 other lessons and 2 lessons with Menos Activos difficult day elder powner and I had a good companionship inventory ill talk about it later<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Thursday:<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Not as good of a day. All of our scheduled lessons werent there except one. We taught 2 menos activos that day. We stopped by a sister in our ward who had fallen and broken here arm this last week. We stopped by to give her a blessing of health. Usually I anoint in Spanish and then Elder Powner blesses. However this time Elder Powner felt like I should give the blessing so he tricked me and minced the words in Spanish and said I would do the blessing and he would anoint. ( I don't really like that he tricked me but whatever) Anyways I didnt really have time to say no and I really felt like I should so while He was giving the annointing I was figuring out from my white missionary handbook (in spanish) how to actually give a blessing. In english its easy to do a blessing but in spanish when you give a blessing you have to use a whole different form to conjugate your words. The "tu" form as opposed to the "Usted" form. An example is "Te Bs\endigo" is "thou I bless" and "le bendigo" is "you I bless." We are supposed to use "thou" but its a form in Spanish I never ever use. So I just had faith that I needed to give the blessing, I said a prayer before I actually put my hands on her head and then I just did it. I have no idea what I said. I finished the blessing and it turns out she was crying. Elder Powner asked her why she was crying and she said she didnt know why she just felt the spirit really strong. I told her it was my first time giving a blessing in Spanish and she ahh that is why i am crying. It was an awesome experience and really was the highlight of my week. My week was going super good until Saturday but I'll talk about Saturday in a sec.<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Friday:<br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Friday was super busy I got 3 letters from grandma! and a letter from Mom and Aunt Nancy. I read Aunt Nancy's last night and it really made me feel better because last night I was feeling pretty down I will tell you why (again) in a little bit. We had district meeting Friday which went really well. Elder Powner's best yet (don't worry I told him that) after that we had a meeting with our ward mission leader and then went out and did some work. We had to end the work early because we had a ward activity and then a song practice because we were going to sing in ward conference last Sunday. We basically worked for maybe 3 hours but we felt the effects. We had 1 lessons with a menos activo that day and nothing else besides contacts in the streets. Horrible day. We still hadn't had interchanges this friday night so Elder Powner called the other elders and asked them if we could change until Saturday night. I went to paies de gales (country of wales) ward for that Saturday but sadly without any stuff because we didnt have time to go get clothes or tolietries. Elder Powner asked me to sacrifice so I did but it sucked. I didn't shave for a whole 2 days so i looked grungy. That was the start of when things started getting bad.<br /><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Saturday:<br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I changed with Elder Coronado from Peru. He speaks very fast and isn't very helpful with people who are learning but whatever, I understood him. I do not work well with Elder Cornado because he's not loyal to president. The first thing he asked me Friday night after we changed was if I like president. I gave him a funny look and said of course. He told me he didn't like president because they have had some issues in the past. He told me that he had some pretty bad companions in the past which if that is the case you re supposed to report them to the president but Elder Coronado didn't do this he just tried to work it out with them. Then when he later had an interview with the president (during a regular interview) he told president why their area was struggling (because of his companion and how lazy he was) and president basically said that he was bad and was guilty for not reporting his companion. He also told him he wasn't obedient. Elder Coronado told me he just didn't care what he said. (stupid) He later asked me what I thought of the whole not going into a woman's house without a man rule. I asked him why and he said he didnt care about that rule and he gave me some example of when he was at a house and a woman stopped them because she needed help with something in her house but there wasn't a man there. He said he and his companion weighed the options of obeying the rule or giving service to this women and they decided it was better to give the women service. He then again asked me my opinion so I looked him in the eyes and said in my opnion it is always better to obey the rules. Then I told him that he could have just made a return appoitnment and then brought a man. Stupid elders. I hate it when elders are disobedient.<br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">After we changed back Saturday night I asked Elder Powner how the day went and if we had success. He told me we were going to have 3 baptisms tomorrow (S<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1945375733" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">unday</span></span>) but now we were only going to have 1. Diego (14 year old) didn't pass his interview Saturday and Jose ( the man I was going to baptize) had some dream that he told the elders about Saturday and this dream basically showed him getting baptized with his kids. Sooo he didnt get baptized either. Then S<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1945375734" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">unday</span></span> our other lady who was going to get baptised didnt because she got sick.....ugh.....3 baptisms to 0. Frustrating.<br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">All is good now though. today is pday and we had a zone activity which was fun. I have a picture from it. We just had a picnic. We have a big zone conference this week with president which will be fun. But I am excited for this week and ready to take out the trash.<br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I really don't have time, but basically my talk with Elder Powner was this: he told me the only reason he wanted to train was to better himself and not however he trained. So he doesnt care about my progresson. And then we learned from a question he asked me that I have no respect for him as a leader and I don't trust him. So I struggle with authority and he struggles with love. At least we know what we have to work on.<br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">GOtta go love ya!<br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Cropper</span><br /></div>
Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-69743884041336647512013-06-10T11:45:00.000-07:002013-06-10T11:45:28.968-07:00Elder Cropper: June 10<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Dear Family:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">hanks for the letters! This week was good I guess. I wrote last week that we had crazy goals, well the crazy goals did the trick because we worked super hard but sadly we did not hit all of our goals. We have 6 lessons with members but only 3 other lessons which is stupid! Other lessons are lessons without a member by the way. I think we had more lessons with member this week because bringing a member with us is something we can control. Other lessons is something we can't control because that is dependent on other people 1. being there 2. people letting us in their house to teach them. We took out the trash with lessons with menos activos though. Again because that is something we can control because we have a list of like 300 so if one isn't there we try the next one. Our goal was 15 and we got 15. The Standard of Excellence in the mission for one week is 10. We hit our goal in contacts which was awesome. Everything else we were close to the goal but we didn't hit it. This week however was one of our best weeks. For this week we made goals that are a little more getable...i don't know if that is a word. Anyways for example in our best weeks we have gotten 6 lessons with a member present, but this week our goal is 7. Tricky but we can do it at the same time. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We had 3 interviews for baptism yesterday. Paula, her son Diego who is 14, and a man named José. Paula passed and so did José but Diego did not. Elder Alverez our zone leader says he doesn't have a testimony and that he feels like his mom just wants him to get baptized so he will be with the rest of his family. He also told Elder Alverez that Paula, his mom, only wants to get baptised because her husband was. Needless to say we are going to work and focus on Diego a little more this week. After the zone leaders were done interviewing Jose they told him that he needed to pick someone to baptise him and he picked me! ahhhhh so this <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_341953606" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">next sunday</span></span> i am going to baptise someone in Spanish. cool stuff.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I am excited for this week. <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_341953607" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">This Wednesday</span></span> we have zone meeting and those are always fun. The week after that we have a zone conference in Villa Alemana centro (center of villa alemana) in their stake center with our zone Villa Alemana West and Villa Alemana zone. The awesome thing is president is gonna be there!!!! President was in our chapel in las Americas last night which is insane because that never happens ever. Turns out our stake president invited him to a meeting. Sadly Elder Powner and I did not get to see him because we were showing Jose around the church and president left while we were doing that. bummer.... </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I am losing insane amounts of weight. So much that I am starting to notice it. The main place that I have lost it is in my face, I think. My pants really don't fit me-- like they curl up when I tighten my belt but it's all good. I lose so much weight now that I just don't care about eating. Like I eat healthy so I have strength but if a member wants to give us some cake we eat it and then go to another house where a member gives us cake I wouldn't turn it down.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mom and Dad you guys are busy! And you are doing such nice things for the ward. How are you guys just not dead, like all the time. Good job nice people keep on keepin on!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Thanks for the quote. I like it and its actually something I have thought about before (like that concept) Its really the best thing you can do because then you wake up in the morning and say ok yesterday i was nervous to do this, scared to do that or i did this wrong but its a new day and Im gonna start over. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Powner and I do fight a good amount. The lastest one was about the phone. I had the phone because I was looking at the calender on it to write down dates in my planner and Elder Powner asked me for the phone back. I asked him if I could have the phone today to practice talking on it and anwsering calls. He said no that he needed to have it because he was the district leader, and I asked him where in the crap in the missionary handbook does it say the district leader needs to have the phone. I feel like he pulls these district leader rules out of nowhere. I liked what Elder Sachez told me about mission rules last week he said that 1. we're not living the Law of Moses here. and 2. making up rules that aren't in the mission handbook is wrong. I feel like Elder Powner makes up a lot of rules. If I could have it my way Elder Powner and I would just sit down and talk each rule out and decide what do to do as a companionship, not just him saying how it is and me blindly obeying. Elder Powner likes to blindly obey and I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing. Nonetheless Elder Powner is the senior companion and I always need to be more obedient to what he says, and believe it or not, I am making progress. For example during exercises this morning I had just finished an exercise and was resting for a minute when Elder Powner said "Vamos Elder!" which means, "lets go Elder." I hate it when he does this! Can I please just run my exercises on my own and not be corrected in every single thing I do. ugh. Anyways thats what I thought in my head but I just told him ok and started doing a different exercise. Sorr--I was just doing a little bit of a vent session there. Like I said earlier i always need to obey Elder Powner more and i try every week to do that I make progressionn--I'm just not perfect yet.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">HAVE FUN ON TREK!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">By the way I havent gotton mail in like a month and a half so maybe my camera thing did come afterall. We will see W<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_341953608" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">ednesday</span></span>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love ya!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mom I studied your topic in proverbs. Under your sentance you have one word that is linked to the word humility. I looked up a ton of scriptures onhumility so if you want them just ask. I will share one because its one of my favorite scriptures. D&C 67:10 ugh love it! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Ciao! Adios! Les amo!</span></div>
Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-90151204937204987102013-06-10T11:29:00.000-07:002013-06-10T11:29:20.190-07:00Elder Cropper: June 3<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;">Dear Family:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Oh crazy week. The worked stunk, like we basically did in a week what we should have done in 3 days with some things, pero todo esta bien porque fijamos metas locas para esta semana no como metas un poquito loco, mas como muy loco por ejemplo usualmente teníamos seis lecciones con miembros, pero esta semana nuestro meta es ocho. Este es solamente un ejemplo. oh lo siento estaba hablando en español porque estoy un poquito cansado yo voy a hablar en ingles ahora. Anyways what I basiically said was that we set a bunch of new crazy goals for this week. Well really I set a bunch of crazy goals for this week and my conpanion agreed to do them. G</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ood example, of one of the new goals is, 15 lessons with Menos activos or less actives. The standard of excilence is 10 in our mission but I don't care. I prayed about it and felt like 15 was the number so were gonna do 15....BAM! Or another example is 8 Books of Mormon given out this week. The standard of excelance (I dont know how to spell that word..) anyways its 7 in our mission, one a day, but were going to give out 8 which is funny because we dont even have 8 to give out. we have like 4, but who cares because we are gonna do it. anyways...</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So this week was crazy. Last Monday it rained like a mother. We finished shopping at around 3 and were on the bus home and it was raining so bad that water was coming over the steps to get on ther bus. I guess this wouldnt be called raining, more like medium amounts of flooding. Anyways it wasent bad at our apartment because we are at the top of a hill. We ate avocado and tuna for lunch my new favorite food (Mom your probably gonna tell me its constipating so i await your reply) After that we made a chess board! and played chess, ate food all while it was raining out side, good day. Tuesday we had interchanges and I was with Elder Lopez. We didnt work very much because I had my docters appointment for athsma in Viña. We left at around 1. go to the mission office at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_341953603" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">1:45</span></span>. It was cool to see president and my picture hanging up on the wall with all of the other missionaries. After we got a sheet I needed we went to the mall and got burger king (chill) and then went to the docters appointment. It was a women docter who didnt speak any english but it was really fun. She like gave me every single athsma medicne known to man. I now have both a inhaler for emergencies and a long term one. my athsma is now a 100 percent better no issues here now. After that we booked it to the train station, and got an Icecream because Elder Lopez Insisted )it was awesome) and then went back to his area to work. We had a few lessons that night but it was kind of slow because of the rain. It was nice to go to Viña and see it again. I loved seeing the ocean and eating the good food. The only casualty was my awesome umbrela. I was actually in the process of showing Elder Lopez how awesome it was when one part just ripped. I am going to see if I can sew it back togeather today because it was a really good one. Every other day was normal except Friday. We had interchanges again but this was because all of the district leaders in the mission had a training meeting in Viña so I was with Elder Sanchez the companion of the other district leader in our zone. Elder Sanchez is a beast. He is from Utah and speaks both english and spanish which is awesome. I really liked being with him. Something coolo that happened at the meeting that Elder Powner was at was that it turns out Elder Powner and I Had the most Baptisms in the mission for the month of May kinda cool. No we just need to raise the bar and get even more! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Powner and I are doing well but we fight a lot. I always think hes got a lot of pride about being district leader and he knows better then everyone, oh and that he is the only person who has the anwser. He gets frustrated with me because he thinks I have pride and dont want to obey his every whim. In reallity were both right so lots of work to be done.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Investigators are doing good. We have 3 baptism dates which is good but we need more. We need like one more really progressing investigator for me to be happy, but thats funny because thats what I say every week and then we get one and Im still not satisfied.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Your trip sounds amazing! I wish I could have been there with you guys. I cant wait tell you all come to see chile. Just this week I added something to the list of places we need to visit when Im done in 21 months. Oh by the way I have 3 months in the mission. Actually its a little more then 3 months. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mom dont worry about the charger thing I can wait. Well I need to go thats really all that happened this week. Thanks for your emails everyone. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mom good luck with all of the stuff you have to do</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Dad go to sleep and good luck with your stuff too</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Anne and Michael good luck with moving love you guys</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mary keep on keepin on sista! dont be afraid to slap your investigators, and by slap I mean slap them with the gospel!</span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-72527853933150862582013-06-02T21:21:00.001-07:002013-06-02T21:26:42.983-07:00Elder Cropper - May 27th<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dear Family:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">This week was really good. I am still in Las Americas with Elder Powner which is what I wanted. My Spanish really jumped up this week which is crazy because I don't feel like I have done anything different. I can speak and participate in lessons more fully. Best of all, I don't know how, but I can understand people better. I am at the point that with certain situations people can ask a gospel question and I can anwser it. I LOVE knowing what people are talking about. It is the hardest thing to be in a country and not know what people are saying to you. I would much rather be able to understand than speak and this week, I felt like my Spanish took that switch. The switch I'm talking about is I used to feel like I could talk better than I could understand, but now I feel the opposite which is more normal. Elder Powner told me that you understand everything at 4 months in Chile and can speak everything at 5 or 6 months.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">We are teaching a good amount of people. We have 3 progressing investigators. They are Paula and her son Deigo. They are wife and son of Antonio who we baptised last month. If Paula and Diego get baptised we will have baptised a family of 4! Paula used to be Catholic--like really Catholic--but I think after seeing her husband get baptised she became more interested. Paula came with her son Martin (who is a new member) and her husband Antonio (also new member) last S<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1206077001" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">unday</span></span>, and they came to stake confrence yesterday but this time Diego came too! Oh by the way we had stake conference yesterday and it was cool. Our other progressing investigator is Jose. He is super interested and will get baptised. Jose has a very sad life right now. He has a job but his familly is poor because they live out on the outskirts of the city. The thing that is so sad in his life is his children were taking from him a month ago by the government and put in foster homes for some reason. He said it was something his wife had done and she needed to show up to court and did not. Because she didn't show up they came and took her kids. The wife is all mad and moved out to go live with some other man. Whenever he talks about his kids he starts to cry and gets very sad. I can see how Heavenly Father really helped us find him at the right time. Yesterday he came to stake conference which he really liked. He talked with our stake president for a bit for some reason I don't know why (he just talked with him over in a corner not his office) we introduced him to the other missionaries and when they asked him how he enjoyed conference he started crying and telling the story about his family. Elder Powner needed to go do a baptismal interview and as his companion I needed to go with him so we asked the ZLs to give him a blessing of comfort and Familia Campilli to give him a ride home. The ZLs later asked us if we had heard his whole story and we told them yes. They told us that they think he broke the law and that's why his kids were taken away (it would make more sense) if that is the case then we need to just be more careful and possibly work through the mission president. I asked Elder Powner if when we were listening to his story if he heard anything about HIM breaking the law and not his wife. Elder Powner told me that he really only understood about 80% of what he was saying. This frustrated me a little because that would have been helpful stuff to know. We will continue to teach Jose and help him out best we can. They only thing is if he has commited a felony he has to be interviewed by the president. I really hope everything works out and his wife comes back and his kids as well because then we can bring the gospel to all of them. Wow, the sisters in our district just called us and said they got locked out of their apartment? I dont know. Anyways, I would really like to find one more solid investigator. We have other investigators so maybe we can get one of them to progressing status this week. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">So last week during our companionship inventory Elder Powner told me I was only living the minimum of the missionary rules and I needed to start magnifying my call. I didn't like this because I have a personality of only doing the bare minimum sometimes. Anyways, long story short I have decided to magnify my calling and not only be 100 percent obedient but also live the higher law. For example were not supposed to watch movies but they higher law is to not even talk about movies. Or another example were not supposed to listen to music not of the church so were probably shouldn't sing music not of the church. Elder Powner said this is the way Elder Toncinson his trainer was and he just got asked to be the new AP. Nonetheless I am realizing that in order to be a great missionary I need to have 3 things down. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">1. Love the people (now I hate that saying not because it's not true because it is, but because it's a shallow way to say it. The better way to say it is. Really care for the salvation of the people in your area). </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">2. Obedience </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">3. good studies.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">I have number one in the bag which is nice because Elder Powner struggles with it. For example he gives up on people a lot sooner then I would. He says he is a lot better then he used to be though. Number 3 with me is in progress. A mission teaches how to focus and study. Number 2 is the one I need to work on. My goal for my mission is just to be an awesome missionary, and the way you become an awesome missionary is by living and being a missionary from Preach My Gospel. In order to do that you have to know Preach My Gospel so that is where I focus my studies now. For example today I studied chapter 10 "Using time wisely." This chapter has all the stuff on how to do the business of the mission. Run daily and weekly planning sessions and do things like update your area book. We never update our area book so I am now making it my responsibility to do it. I am excited with the goals I made this last week and to see where I end up. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">Like I said Stake conference was really fun. I had already met the new people in my district but not my zone so it was cool to meet new people. Last change a sister named Hermana Call was in my zone. She was being trained like me and she came with my group from the MTC in Provo. This change because they received a ton of sisters and don't have enough to train, Hermana Call and a sister I also know named Hermana Macy are training each other for their last 6 weeks of training. Hermana Call knew a good amount of Spanish before her mission but Sister Macy was like me (not knowing anything). It was interesting to see where she is at and where I think I am at. I am happy with my progress. Sister Macy and Call went to transfers so they were able to see all of the people from my orginal MTC district. Hermana Walker who was in my orginal MTC district and has horrible Spanish is now training a new native sister! It's all because they don't have enough sisters to train. Hermana Nichols, her first change would go to the bathroom every lunch in a members home, say a prayer, and cry. Elder Huntsman has to buy all new ties because of our missions rules on skinny ties. It was fun to hear about all the crazy stuff with everyone, and to know where they had served in their first areas. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">I had a good mission story experience last night. We went to go teach a less active and recent convert family called Familia Cortez. We are really good friends with them and it turns out they wanted to serve us some food. We were super full but weren't gonna turn them down so we sat down at the table. They fed us rice, some chicken, and.... cow stomach. It was horrible. It looked like pasta but it wasn't. It also had little things on it that I can't really describe. Elder Powner and I couldn't eat more then a few bites so we asked them if we could take it home in like a bowl. They were fine with it and just told us to heat it up in the microwave. Ugh we threw it away once we got home. I really didn't like that they spent their money on us to buy that just so they could feed it to us when we came. That family is super poor and I'm thinking "spend your money on yourselves we have plenty of food." We would have eaten the food just to be nice but it was just too gross so we took it home. Well anyways not I have something I can tell people when I get home. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">I am doing really good. Elder Powner is kinda bummed out. He says he feels guilty about something but doesn't know what. I feel a little bad too but I think it's just because of the being more obedient thing. For me it was a bad feeling not a guilty feeling. I think its interesting he used the "feeling guilty." Well anyways I don't know maybe he will figure it out this week. Have fun in France. I cant wait to hear about it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">Dad I will be sure to take a look at 3 nephi and all the things you said. Mom I will study your topic too. </span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-44325163951776134202013-05-13T11:28:00.002-07:002013-05-13T11:28:30.051-07:00Elder Cropper #4<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">It was great talking to you guys yesterday! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">MOM I forgot to wish you Happy Mothers Day and Give you your mothers day present! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY yesteray! We were going to sing for you. I thought about sending you a card but I guess they dont do cards in chile because I couldnt find any. I will record Elder Powner and me singing and I'll send it next week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So don't worry about the athsma thing if it gets bad I'll just go to the docter. Last night I did what you said and took a shower. Doing that and also having the clean blankets helped me. I didn't have any issues last night. I have also changed the time I take my allergy meds to right after studies instead of right before I go to bed. I feel like those allergy meds take a long time to start working but once they work they go for the 24 hours so that's why I switched it. Try fidiling around with different ways to send them. I know that dad sent me a picture from is iphone with him and miss america so maybe you could do that. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">It was really great to talk to you guys last night but also kinda hard. I can see why they only have us do it 2 times a year. If we did it more we would become so unfocused. So Elder Powner and I reviewed our week yesterday during the night and decided we weren't pushing hard enough. We had 4 baptisms last week and I think we became a little comfortable with that. We erased those names of those investigators from our white board because they arent investigators anymore and now we really only have 3 investigators. 1 is Enrique but he didnt come to church yesterday so even though he had a baptisimal date we have to makie a new one for 3 weeks out. Maria Jose is progressing but she couldnt go to church yesterday because she was in Santiago. Plus she is breaking the law of chastity by living with someone (a common thing in Chile) so we can not make a date with her until she gets married, so were focusing on that. The other investigator we have is a mother in a family. Her kids are members and she is not because her husband didn't want to get baptized. They are living togeather as well so we first have to get them married before we can set a baptismal date. It's going to be hard to work that out though because the husband works in the north and his schedule is something like 2 weeks there 1 week here so he isn't here very often. He is here this week though so we are gonna figure that one out this week. We have other investigators but I wouldn't say they are progressing. Basically Elder Powner and I need to find some goldens this week to really give the work here a boost. So this week is gonna be the do or die week!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">That's really cool to hear about that lesson [you taught to the ladies across the street.] Have those Elders asked them to be baptised yet? If not they need to do it the next lesson. They also need to get them to church. And guess what there is a built in ride that lives across the street.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">That's awesome to hear about the house for Anne and Michael. I think that Atlanta will be a good place for them. We've never had someone live in Atlanta so this will be cool. Good luck finishing school Michael and giving your speech!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">My interview with president was good. He said I had made a lot of improvments from when we had last talked. He specifically said my Spanish was a ton better. I met with the APs as well while Elder Powner was in the interview and they said they were excited about the progress I was making and that they felt I was creating a good foundation with the help of Elder Powner to do great things after my 12 week training was up. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I thought the insight from your meeting with the GAs was interesting. I really liked those questions.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Allright everyone, I am gonna go have a great week! Mom good luck on your final paper! Michael finish school like a boss. Anne, Dad, and Jane keep on keepin on!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">PS I will know <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_445877785" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">this saturday</span></span> if I stay or go so next letter I will tell you.</span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-11817119511154312932013-05-05T19:01:00.001-07:002013-05-05T20:27:39.145-07:00Elder Cropper - Week #3 in Chile<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I LOVE YOU GUYS!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">ugh man great day.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mother: Thanks you for sending the charger. I still haven't received any mail yet so I don't know when it will come. My companion says be should get mail every week but they also said it could take up to a month.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Ok so I eat a lot of hot dogs. They are cheap and taste pretty good. I usually eat them later like in the night for a snack before bed. For breakfast I usually eat cereal. We are fed every single lunch by members. Lunch is the main meal here they do not have dinner. Because lunch is the main meal we have one hour and a half for it. They feed us a ton!!!! In Chile you have to eat everything! and many times I have felt like throwing up but ate what was on my plate because it can be offensive sometimes if you leave a ton of food on it. I do not starve! They only thing that's stopping me from gaining huge amounts of weight is the walking we do. Let me repeat food is not and never will be an issue. I got a little sick my first few days but who cares about that. My big problem is I have a ingrown toenail. I called the mission nurse last Friday and she told me I needed to get a piece of cotton underneath the nail part so the wounded part can heal and the nail can grow out. She said it would kill and it did. It hurt really bad that day but now it's doing good and I dont really feel it. If it starts to hurt I take some ibupfrofen or whatever for it. Hopefully I don't need to get surgery because that would require me leaving my area to go to Viña for the day. It's only an hour away but it would cost money and suck! We wash our clothes in a washer that we have in our house and then we dry them on the line. We never do door approaches like they do in the US. It's all about street contacts here. We basically say hi to them ask what their name is and then testify about our message. if they stand and listen we testify more and maybe give them a Libro de Mormon. If they say they aren't interested then we ask them for the address so we can pass another time. My companion is good. Heavenly Father knew I would need a companion who could help me not freak out and get used to being here. He is from northern Colorado in some small town. He has 17 siblings. But his parents are divorced and both remarried so that is why. Most of them live togeather though so his house is really crowded. He has been in the mission for 10 months. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">That's really cool that the Iowa mission president prays for all of his missionaries by name. I wonder if my president does that? Why are you going to New York, what are you going to do there? That's awesome that you get to meet with an apostle. I will be looking forward to your email next week (or whenever he comes) to see what he said to you guys. I know 3 nephi 11 very well. It is the primary chapter we give out on street contacts when we give a book. Another good chapter on baptism that we like is 2nd Nephi 31. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Well I have some time and I have finished mentioning all the things on my list so I'll just tell you more about my life. Sunday was day light savings so we got an extra hour of sleep which was sick! We went to church and obviously Elder Powner and I are "taking out the trash" because we had so many people come to Church (from Menos activos (less actives) and investigators that we are meeting with) that they actually ran out of sacrament and had to bless more!!!! heck yeah! Anyways we have a baptism this Sunday no biggie or anything. It is our investigator Antonio and His son Martin. They have been investigating the Church for a long time but have felt like in the past the missionaries kept pressing them to be baptized. He liked how we didn't try to pressure him so after meeting with him for a couple times and when we thought it was appropriate to ask him if he would get baptised we did and he said yes! rock it! We have a good amount of other progressing investigators so we will see what happens with them this week. We found a golden family this week mostly golden though because of the 8 year old son whos like God crazy. He basically begged his parents in the lesson to take him to church this Sunday and they smiled and said yes. But they weren't at church! Elder Powner and I think they went to another chapel in the area which is actually closer than our chapel but in a different stake. We tried to visit them yesterday but they weren't there so we will see how today goes (we have an appoinment with them). Oh funny thing about Church yesterday. 30 min before sacrament started our ward mission leader came up to us and told us we were giving talks about missionary work and that he was sorry and had forgotton to tell us. I just laughed and said ok. I think I was so calm because of faith and because of disbelief. So yesterday I gave a 8 min talk in Spanish that I prepared in about 30-45 min. I think people really liked it but I don't think they understood much. We have interviews with the president this week so that will be fun. oh yeah HOLY COW Mary is going to Ohio! that will be so cool. I wonder how long she will be there for. Kinda crazy to be planning to preach in a foreign language and then be english speaking for awhile. I cant wait to get her letter next week. So they don't have snakes in Chile but they do have turantulas-big spiders. My companion and I were walking out in the boonies to go find a menos activo member and right in the middle of the road was one the size of my hand! crazy stuff. well maybe not the size of my hand more like my palm. Well it's time for me to go hopefully I haven't forgotten anything I wanted to say to you guys.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Love you all! this week I am about an 8 Dad! When an investigator does what you asked them to do your a 10! </span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-29802611685632013822013-04-22T10:46:00.002-07:002013-04-22T11:54:17.386-07:00Sam's Second Week in Chile<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ugh what a great day. I have been feeling pretty down and it was so nice to read all your letters. Dad: moral of the flooding story is listen to your wife. lol. Michael I am so happy you got the job. I just seemed like the better one from the get go. Nonprofit system, better chance for a job after. Haha--this is hard to write, the computer is saying all of my words are wrong because they are in English not Spanish. Speaking of Spanish! Holy Cow I don't speak it and it sucks! I have been so frustrated this last week to the point of thinking multiple times if I even want to be here, if the <br />
Church is even true, or if I even care enough about any of it to want to be here. Ugh-Satan is bad bad bad. Anyways we had interchanges with the ZL´s on Wednesday because Elder Powner is the DL, so I went a worked with Elder Kimball for the afternoon and evening, and boy, was he what I needed. Elder Kimball is like 20 almost 21 and he goes home in 3 months. He basically just helped me realize that my Spanish isn't that bad-it’s actually really good; better than most at my level. He helped me gain the confidence I needed to speak Spanish and use it with people. While being with him I learned for myself that God knows I don't speak Spanish. He didn't just dump me here to mosey around and hopefully learn it in 4 months and then be of use to Him. He wants me to use what I can now. Elder Kimball said the strongest thing I have is my testimony and the new missionaries have the strongest testimonies of all. So he told me to use it!. Although this helped me, yesterday after church I was once again feeling down because people say things and I don't know what they are saying. When we came back home to study I was once again feeling those feelings of wanting to go home and do something more fun or something like that, but my companion helped me realize something I already knew but that this was the situation I needed to do it. That thing was stop focusing on myself. I kept worrying about how I was ever going to learn Spanish or how I was going to be able to do this for 2 years. He said I just need to have faith and focus on other people. He said that only by focusing on other people and not focusing on myself would I learn the language and really start to enjoy my mission. I applied this principle by immediately going and praying and giving thanks for 20 things in my life. After the prayer I felt a lot better and my focus and outlook on the mission has been better ever since. I am still worried about Spanish, how could I not be, but I know that as I continue to have a desire to learn and trust that, with the help of Heavenly Father I can do all things, I will be speaking Spanish like a pro. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I loved your letters. Crazy to read about the Boston thing. I had not heard anything about it so it was nice. Dad it would be so cool if you owned an original copy of the BOM. Sell your shelby and get it. Just kidding but maybe something to think about. Dad I dont even know how you do your life its so busy maybe ill know some day. Mom, you too. Your lives are just crazy but hey your doing it right because your lives are filled with busy good things that build up each other, the Kingdom of God or those in it. Dad good luck on your talk! I know how you feel as a missionary your personal study is just for lessons you will teach later. Dad, zone conference was cool but it was in Spanish. The topic was testimony and I like what was said. I hate it because I always want to make comments or ask questions but I don't have the words. Mom, so cool to hear school is going well. How exciting with the institute teaching. I don't think you will have trouble finding a job with all this religion teaching experience.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Anne and Michael! you got the Job! I am so happy and excited for you guys. I just loved how it all kind of worked out. Lots of nerve racking changes going on for you guys but they are all exciting things. Good things happen when we choose the right. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mary! I can't wait to hear where you are going. I am excited if it is state side English-speaking and to hear how your first week is. I am jealous that you will have the possibility to serve in 2 missions! I don't know if you know this but when you get recalled they actually send your thing back to the missionary department and they pray about it again. That’s what I’ve heard crazy right. Don't quote me on it though because I don't know. I am so jealous they changed the rules for the MTC. They told us they weren't going too ugh, but I am also happy because now you have more time to write people!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ok more facts about Chile. Villa Alemana is pretty but also ugly. Viña is amazing and lush and green but Villa Alemana is like a desert. It doesn’t rain here is just mists or something like that. Because it is a desert (basically) here it gets hot during the day and cold at night. Actually the days are fine mostly but the nights are freezing. We usually walk everywhere which is totally fine because our area just isn't that big. We do have to take the bus to zone things though which is always fun. They drive very fast in Chile and the buses drive even faster. If you are riding a bus here and there isn't and open seat it can get pretty interesting. Chile has large supermarkets but every street also has a corner store. One they go to every day the other once a week. The only stores I see are food stores so I don't know where people buy the stuff they need besides that. Oh they also have Walmart-type stores so probably there. We have everything in our ward. Poor, middle class, and maybe rich I don't know. Like I said we have a part in our area that is por Alla! or in other words way out there. It has dirt roads, little shacks, dogs, the works. The people that live out there are obviously very poor. We also have very nice suburb type places in our area. The members there have jobs in the city doing things that a middle calls or upper middle class family would do. The houses are very small here and every family usually only has one car. They mostly use buses and the metro here to get to the city. We are teaching a man named Antonio and his son who is 8. Antonio is married but his wife is Catholic, maybe the only person in Villa Alemana who says they are Catholic and actually goes to church. They have another son and he joined for our lesson but he wasn't there this last time. They came to Church this sunday which was awesome! basically with Antonio and his son they know its all true and they have been taught everything so we just have to point to the font. We are also teaching Roxanna and Hugo. Roxanna was sick yesterday so they weren't able to come to church but we visited Hugo last night (Roxanna was sleeping) and taught him. I felt like our lessons with Hugo were too simple and easy. Our homework assignment for them to read for next time, I felt, was also too mushy and easy. Because I felt like we weren't making progress with him I just flat out invited him to be baptized. My companion freaked out and gave me a high five under the table. He accepted and then i invited him to maker the goal of the 5 of May or something like that to be his date of baptism. He said he was nervous about baptism because what would he do if he sinned after he had been baptized, so next lesson we will teach him about repentance (BAM!). He knows its all true but Satan has a strong hold on him and Roxanna. We will see if they are willing to give some things up. We work a lot with the menos activos here (less actives) during one of our meetings with a menos activo named Ingrid, I just flat out asked her where her fire was. I told her in my broken Spanish that obviously she had known the Church was true when she was baptized, so why doesn't she feel the same way now. At the end of the lesson she told us that she wanted to get her fire back so we were like YEAH! She couldn't come to Church yesterday because she was out of town but we will see for next week. So I have about an hour and a half to write you guys every week. 15 min of that are taken up by writing my president. I can also write friends, basically anyone outside of the mission, but have to ask for permission for people inside the mission (like investigators) </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Alright well my time is up. Love you guys. Talk to you next week. </span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-7640606625242837372013-04-15T11:05:00.002-07:002013-04-15T11:15:43.618-07:00First Letter From Viña<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">......wow......ok WHATS UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy Cow this is like the craziest thing I have ever done! Ok so I don't even know where to begin. By the way I am in the middle of nowhere with a keyboard that doesn't work too well so if i am missing a letter chill out. So let’s begin at the airport. We were late getting to our flight because of the infamous Elder Roberts or something like that. He just didn't show up so we left like 45 min. late to the airport. We got to SLC and it was confusing because we had showed up so late that half of us were locked out of the system (I was not which was nice) we got to the get where we were chewed out by all the flight attendants for being late I don't even know. The flights were good. We arrived in Atlanta and I had a chance to talk to Mom and Dad. If you want more info about my time in the Atlanta airport ask Mom and Dad. After I hung up the phone with Mom and Dad I walked over and got on the plane. We switched around some seats so I ended up sitting next to people in my district which was fun. I was nervous on the flight over but I did sleep a little. I was very nervous because the Church had given us things to memorize when we went though customs We were supposed memorize the phrase saying who we are, and a phrase saying how long we would be in Chile. We were not supposed to say 2 years! We were supposed to say that we would be in Chile for 90 days until we could get a religious visa. We got off the plan and I was like aghhhh! We went and paid our tax thing for being Americans and entering Chile, then after we went to customs. The guys basically spoke English to me and was very nice so it didn't matter. We got out of customs found our bags (Mine were BOTH there which was lucky because one girl had neither of her bags) We then went through more security and then out into the airport area where our president would be waiting. Sadly he was not there. It turns out our flight had arrived like crazy early so we waited. I of course, being the way I am, decided to grab Elder Huntsman and catch the other 30 missionaries that would be coming out in spurts and tell them where to go (we were the fist to come out of security). After a while of doing that President Kahnlien showed up with his wife and two assistants. He is very tall like at least 6 foot 7 or something like that. The assistants gave us some passalong cards and told us while we were waiting to go hand them out. We were all nervous and everyone didn't want to do it so they just got in a circle and stated talking. Elder Seamons and I however decided to do as they asked and go find someone. I was super nervous because I don't speak Spanish. Well, I didn't speak Spanish. Elder Seamons was from the Intermediate class so he had better Spanish than me so he initiated the conversation with someone. He said a lot in the one contact we did but I did explain a little bit about the Book of Mormon. We gave him a passalong card and we got his number. We were proud of ourselves that we did that. Once everyone was ready we took a quick picture in the airport and then went to the bus. It was hot outside and I was in my jacket. The Elders helped load the bus which wasn't easy because we ran out of room so some of the suitcases had to go on seats. I was sweating a lot when I got on the bus. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There were actually already people on the bus about 15 or so. All of them were natives so I thought they were our trainer but then I realized that they were actually missionaries reporting to the mission that day from the Santiago MTC. I sat in the back and talked with them which was fun. They taught us some Spanish and we taught them some English. The trip from santiago to Viña is about 2 hours. One we got to Viña it was crazy. They stopped the bus on this mountain and we were able to take pictures of the whole city and coast. Super cool. They then took us to the famous Viña flower clock where we took a picture which is on the blog. the blog is <a href="http://misionvinadelmar.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #1d00aa; text-decoration: underline;">http://misionvinadelmar.blogspot.com/</span></a>. This is the cool part. They then took all 30 of us and asked us who wanted to go do some missionary work. I raised my hand along with a few others and they called us to the front. They then divided us into companionships (I got paired with one of the natives from the Santiago MTC) gave us book of Mormons with the mission home address and said go find it and don't come home until you've given that book away!!!! Crazy right. So anyways, they dropped people off in other parts of the city (now we know actually parts of the city closer to the mission home). But my temporary companion and I just left right from the flower clock. It was hard to communicate but we were able to do it. We found an old woman taking her groceries home and we decided to help her and teach her about the Book of Mormon. My companion talked a lot but I said some things too. We ended up getting her address and giving her the Book of Mormon. We asked from directions a lot after that but we were eventually able to find the mission home. We then had pizza for lunch which was good. After lunch we had a ton of business things to do. Some of us stayed to be interviewed by the president, others were interviewed by the nurse, and others went to the consulate to sign some stuff. We all had to do all three, it just depended which order we did it in. I interviewed with president first which was fun. He said I had a powerful testimony which I liked. I just told him about my life so he could get to know me. After that I met with the nurse Sister Hugie. She is older and is from Utah. After I had finished filling out a bunch of papers and doing all the interviews I went with a group to the consulate to sign some things. Once we had all finished in my group of six they told us to gather our stuff put it in the van and they would take us to an apartment for the night. We slept in the nicest apartment (pension) in the mission that night . It’s the apartment some of the office Elders stay in. It was actually a pretty nice apartment. In my group there was a mix of native elders and English elders so we had fun hanging out and getting to know each other. They don't have dinner here but at around 9 the Office Elders came back with snacks for everyone which was awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next day we had orientation at the institute building in Viña which was cool but not to crazy so I don't need to say much about it. Now for the fun stuff! Right after orientation (which went like all day) around 5 we had transfers. They had all the new missionaries sit on the stand and they called transfers one by one. My Companion is Elder Powner! He is 20 years old (one month younger then me his birthday is in March). I serve in the Las Americas Ward in the (I think) Villa Alemena Oeaste stake. I think it’s that stake because that’s the name of my zone. We are about an hour or so, maybe 45 min., east of Viña Del Mar. We took the Metro to get here which was cool. Our ward has about 100 active members and they are really glad we are here. They completely white-washed this area which means they took out the old elders and put in new ones. The plus side is the ward is happy because they feel better but us then the old Elders. but the downside is that we don't know the area so these last few days have been focused on that. If you want to know where I live go to Google maps a type in Las Americas, Villa Alemana, Chile. My ward basically covers all those nice little houses and then way out there in the boonies. Scroll in on the (A) a little more and look for that green streak going through my area. That’s a creek and a couple blocks below that is a road with train tracks next to it. If you can zoom up on the M of the train station for Las Americas but not to far to the bottom left you might be able to see a big supermarket it’s called Unimarc. RIght next to it and I mean right next to it is the chapel we meet in. I would tell you where I live but it would take to long and I don't have much time. We live in what would be considered a house here. It actually is pretty nice but just a little dirty so were excited to clean it today. Mondays ae our P-days. Tuesdays are zone coordination that Elder Powner has to go to because he is DL. Wednesday is usually District meeting but this Wednesday is Zone conference. Thursdays are normal and so are Fridays. Saturdays we usually have service in the mornings and Sundays we have Church. Lots of people say my Spanish is very good. They say they can understand what I am saying which I guess is a really big deal. They also say I understand a lot of what they are saying which makes me feel good. This is my companion’s first time training but from what he has said about his experience being trained I am doing a thousand times better which makes me feel good. I am doing well so don't worry about me. I left my camera charger in the MTC so unless they send it to me which I don’t think they will I might need a new camera. I can’t really do anything about the issue here so that’s on you guys. If you want to know where to mail letters or packages scroll back to my Facebook history with all the address. If you can’t find it then maybe you can call the mission or the church and they can give it to you guys. Love YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-12426036850571172472013-04-10T18:04:00.001-07:002013-04-10T18:54:32.926-07:00Message From Chile<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We are glad to have Elder Cropper here in the mission safe and sound!<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Elder Boss<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Secretario Ejecutivo<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Misión Chile Viña del Mar<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">4 Norte 1112 | 68 31 53 32</span></span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-36511835972805376742013-04-09T15:23:00.000-07:002013-04-09T15:23:18.696-07:00Elder Cropper On His Way to Chile!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Tuesday (4/8/2013) Elder Cropper was greeted at the Atlanta airport by his brother-in-law, Michael Johnson who just happened to be in Atlanta for a job interview. There were 30 missionaries who left Salt Lake City for Chile on this day. Elder Cropper arrived in Chile the next morning.Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-91129359058759074552013-04-09T15:07:00.001-07:002013-04-09T15:43:03.788-07:00Sam's Last Letter From the MTC<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">I am good. This week was like an 8 or a 9. Actually I don't really know what number to put to it because it was just a good week. Thank you all for your letters. I should have brought your letters with me so I could comment about things you guys wrote about or asked me but I didn't bring them, so I will try my best. Easter in the MTC was fun. We had a special Easter Morning Devotional. We all were banking on an apostle coming but guess what! no apostle came....... it was the presiding bishop and seriously people I thought there was going to be a riot. When the doors opened up and the non apostle walked in everyone was just silent....and disapointed (can't spell that word). We then came back and had district meeting. Sister Nichols gave the lesson and it was on the atonement. She did amazing! I told her afterwards that she did every good teaching practice known to man in her lesson. In the lesson people in my district gave really powerful testimonies of Christ and how He's our elder brother. I felt a little left out because I was feeling and I still kind of feel that my testimony of Christ isn't as strong as theirs. I recognize the need for a savior and that I couldn't be clean without his sacrifice, but I don't start crying when I think about him. I don't know I probably shouldn't compare myself to the others. I said a prayer before the testimony meeting that day that I would be able to know how to have a stronger testimony of this topic. During the testimony meeting I had the prompting come to me to share my testimony just like everyone else and Heavenly Father would show to me as I shared my testimony how strong my belief in Christ really is. I was stupid and felt like I had nothing to contribute to the meeting and so I actually didn't end up bearing my testimony (stupid I know spare me the chastisement) Later that night and the normal Sunday devotional Sheri Dew came and spoke to use. I don't know if you guys like Sister Sheri Dew or not but her talk was insane. The lady is like an animal. The talk she gave was completely different from the talk the presiding bishop gave. I mean I took like 3 pages of notes. One thing I really like was that she said she learned in her 20's to ask God to teach her how the spirit speaks to her. I really liked this thought so I have started doing this myself. Promptings from the spirit have been on mu mind lately because I'm gonna receive promptings to go teach this person or go knock on this door and I want to be able to know when it is a prompting. I think I am getting better about recognizing these promptings like the one i had in testimony meeting. I guess i need to better work on acting on those promptings and not out right ignoring them like i sis on Sunday in the meeting. After the devotional on Sunday we have the chance to go to different rooms and watch a church movie for an hour or so. I stayed in the big gym hall where we have devo and watched the character of Christ which was a talk given by Elder Bednar on Christmas day at the MTC 2 years ago or so. IT WAS INSANE! His talk was crazy! I have never seen a general authority call it like it is so much in my whole entire 20 years of existence. He talked about putting off the natural man and becoming more like Christ. He says that we do this by focusing on other people. This last week I have tried doing this and prayed for opportunities in which I would be able to do this. I don't really know how I'm doing but if I had to guess probably not very well. I had the chance to host again this week which was cool. It was really hot and just a normal hosting day so I'm not going to write much about it. Yesterday was in field orientation. IFO is when they take up the whole day teaching all the departing missionaries how to work with the ward and members in the field. I really enjoyed these meetings because of the teachers. At the end of the meeting the teacher who was giving us the summary of what we had learned and stuff like that told us that were going to be nervous talking to the first 100 people no matter what (he went to Mexico by the way) so we could either drag it out and talk to 1 person for 100 days or talk to those 100 people our first day. I really liked this thought because I'm gonna be in Chile next week not knowing anything that people are saying. Basically its gonna be uncomfortable and nerve racking for the first few weeks and then its just the same thing every day. In IFO we watched another video by Bednar (it was shorter) in which we told a story of two missionaries in his ward when he was at Harvard or Duke or where ever they were. He said the missionaries came over one Saturday morning, talked with them for a bit, played with there 2 kids, ate breakfast with them, and then after it was all over having been there for an hour and 15 min asked if they had any people they knew they could teach. Elder Bednar said he told them that for them they had no one to teach because they were not obedient missionaries. He told them that there visit should have gone more like this. You come to our house ask if you can share a short message, we would go get our children and make this an important moment for them. after finishing the short message you would then ask me who I would like to pray, He said I would call on one of you and you should give a short powerful prayers. After the message and the prayer you would then ask us if we had any people you could teach. He then told the Elders to get out of his home. The story of course has a happy ending. 3 weeks later the Elders knock on there door and do exactly those things Elder Bednar told them they should have done at the first visit. The point he was making was that we have to act in such a way that the members will trust us, Elder Bednar's tells it like it is! BAM! anyways time to go. Next week ill be writing you guys from CHILE! wish me luck!</span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-21357672716833627002013-03-26T15:38:00.000-07:002013-04-09T15:41:45.157-07:00Elder Cropper at the MTC<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">so Mary is doing good. We actually meet in the same building just down the hall from each other, so we see each other multiple times a day. I am actually in a computer lab just across from here room right now and shes laughing it up haha. She said she doesnt have P-day till Tuesday which I dont beileve because all new missionaries have P-day on Saturday their first week but whatever. She just told me she just got done teaching her first lesson in portuguese today. She said it went well so hurray for Mary! I spoke some spanish to her and her mouth was wide open. I mean all I did was share my testimony. She will be in my building for another week and then she will move back to the portuguese building. Its being remodeled right now and will be finished next week. Because that building is being remodeled there are a bunch of random language districts everywhere. We have portuguese (Mary's zone) down the hall. 2 italian districts across the hall from us, and some districts speaking philipino somewhere else on our floor. This is the spanish building people. Its all good though I like having Mary in my same building. I am doing well. My spanish is supposedly progressing very well. I dont think I am the best speaker in the class that award goes to elder mitchell our DL, but I do think I am the best teacher in the class (in both english and spanish) One of my teachers interviewed us all yesterday. In my interview with him he told me that he has really seen my grasp with the language take off these last couple of weeks. He told me that Elder Sheerwood and I are the farthest progressing comnpanionship in regards to teaching our two investigators out of the whole district. This boosted my confidence because I had been feeling down about my teaching and speaking ability this last week. This last Sunday one of the hermanas wasent feeling well so she asked for a blessing after Sunday devotional. While we were walking back the spirit told me that she was going to ask me to pray so i told my companion i needed to go to the bathroom. I went into the single bathroom on our floor and said a quick floor that whoever was asked to give the blessing would have the spirit with them and say the things to best help the hermana. She did in fact ask me to seal the anointing and offer a blessing. I really felt the spirit during the blessing and obviously it helped her feel more comfort about her mission and help her know she shouldn't worry about the things that were bothering her (her knee) because she was in tears afterwards. I was asked to speak in church this last sunday and bless the sacrament in spanish so that was cool. Oh all talks are given in spanish during church, I spoke on the book of mormon and shared a quote about it from PMG (Preach My Gospel Manual). I thought I did well. What else, hmmmmm. Thanks for the book Anne and Michael I got it yesterday. One of the sisters in my district has the same book and she says she uses it every day. I love my district well all get along pretty well. This Tuesday's devotional speaker was Elder Whiting from the Seventy. He spoke about having the spirit with us at all times which was helpful to me not because I have trouble feeling the spirit but because I have trouble sometimes feeling the promptings from the spirit. Ok Mary just came in and told me to tell you guys to send her her blanket, her brown boots or shoes or something, and mints. Anyways, Sunday's devotional speaker was the director of the missionary department from the church. I don't have my notes with me so I don't remember his name, and actually I don't remmber what he spoke on. Oh wait yes i do he spoke on goals and what we want to be after our missions. He also spoke on turning our will to the will of god. It was a good talk I also remmber him being really funny. Thank you mother for the correction on Fidel Castro dying, as you can see rumors go around like crazy here. Most of the rumors here are who's coming for devotional. Last week on Sunday people thought it was President Uchtdorff and this last Tuesday the rumor was that Elder Holland was coming because his granddaughter is here at the MTC. The funny thing is we always beileve the rumors and with all the rumors there is supporting evidence of why they person really is gonna be here. The rumor for this Sunday is that a GA is coming because of Easter, and I think its really gonna happen. This week I have focused on being more diligent in class and during study time. I think it has really paid off. Heavenly Father sends down blessings and miracles to missionaries who are 100% obedient. OHH i gotta tell you guys about my work out stuff. So ive lost like 8 pounds (no joke i weighed myself) my pants are starting to now fit me some I may go have the people here take them in for me. Everyday I got to the gym, bike like 7 miles, and then lift weights for the rest of the time. I have also focused on eating better and not so much. Holy cow Mary is such a loud laugher. Well thats my week! hope you are all doing well. Anne and Michael you are out of my will because you didnt write me letters this week, but you did send me that book so your back in. Thanks for the letters Mom and Dad. I look forward to hearing from you next week.</span></div>
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Lgcropperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823377731433282527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-50335073596521002502013-03-17T17:47:00.002-07:002013-03-17T17:47:14.123-07:00Third Letter in the MTC
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<span class="s1">Hello everyone,</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Holy cow, week 2 at the MTC! It went by super fast. Thank you all for the letters I loved reading them all. It so much fun to read what is going on in all of your lives, so please keep telling me. Michael I LOVE that you tell me whats going on in the news in the letters you send me. I heard they elected a new pope. The reason I know this is because the church had a statement on their website so I read it. Have North and South Korea blown each other up yet? I gotta know these things people, I mean I could get like drafted or something. MARY!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are coming to the MTC this next wednesday. Ok advice time. The first few days go by super slow, they give you a lot to digest but don’t worry you will get the time you need eventually and once you get into your normal schedule you will feel you have too much time sometimes. They will speak to you in Portuguese right from the start. By the way I have your portuguese grammar book you bought at the store before I came to the MTC..its green..anyways I will have it for you when you get here, but I actually think they give you one just like it. Learning a new language is hard mary so be prepared for that! You will teach in Portuguese the Saturday or Friday of the week you report, and from then on you will teach almost every day to an investigator (basically your teacher who is role playing with you and your companion one on one). I will not be hosting when you report (sorry) you cant host unless you’ve been here at least 4 weeks. Sometimes they pick 3 weekers but you have to get selected anyways and I wasn’t. Mary do not worry about seeing me. We will be here for 3 weeks together and I’m sure will see each other at least once a day. So this is how my normal MTC schedule works. I wake up at 6:30 and get ready until 7:10 when I have breakfast. After that there is a 4 hour block of time until lunch which is filled up with many different things. Sometimes it’s a class where one of your teachers works with you (these are 3 hours long) sometimes you have gym and then personal study time. Sometimes you have TALL which is basically rosetta stone but for the gospel so you are on the computers. Anyways, then there is lunch which for me is at 11:45. After lunch its the same thing, 4 hour chunk which is filled with all those things. Some more things that could happen during these 4 hour chunks are more class time, and language study. After that 4 hour chunk you have dinner which for me is at 4:45. After that is another chunk of time which is almost always filled with class time. After class time we have study time from 8:30-9:00 and then planning from 9-9:30. After planning we leave to go back to our resident dorms and we have free time from 9:30 to 10:30 which is when we go to bed. The exceptions to this schedule are Tuesday mornings and nights which we have service and devotional respectively. and then Fridays which is P-day. Oh and of course sundays which are filled with study time and church meetings. Oh and a devo (devotionals) in the afternoon. Ok well i got to go love you all. Oh did you get my letter with the first day MTC schedule? I will see if your package comes today. BYE!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Elder Cropper </span></div>
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Elder and Sister Cropper http://www.blogger.com/profile/11699383982720259165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1309571444214337416.post-59394739793262008412013-03-17T17:46:00.001-07:002013-03-17T17:46:37.187-07:00Second Letter in the MTC
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Sorry I’m writing to you late today. My companion didn’t want to write until later which made me nervous because I was afraid there would be no open computers but thankfully there was. I am doing well just to let you all know. This week has been filled with a lot of highs and lows. Anne! Thank you for the cookies! They were great! Send me some baby pictures please. Not over email though because I couldn’t print out the one Mary sent me (said it was too big). Dad, devos (devotionals) are awesome. They occur Sunday and Tuesday nights. Sunday we had the Provo Temple President speak and Tuesday we had a member of the seventy. Both were very good talks. It actually kinda amazed me how good the talks were, but then I realized this is the MTC so they should be good talks. My district is great! I love spending time with the guys and we are all really close. It’s a total bro fest. My teachers are great. I have Brother Toledo from Mexico and Brother Johnston who served in Guatemala. Brother J acted as our first investigator this last week so we actually just had our first class time with him as a teacher yesterday. Every other time we were with him he was Mario our progressing investigator. Last letter I wrote we were just starting this teaching Mario thing. Now it’s over and the teachers are both going to be pretend investigators. Oh by the way, all lessons are in spanish. Gym time is fun. Sometimes I play basketball but now I usually run and do pushups and sit ups. I run about a mile everyday. I am studying charity and service right now. I have also been reading in Mormon (Book of Mormon). My Branch President is great. Thank you for the cupcakes! Mary, my backpack is working fine and I love it. I am making lots of friends, mostly in my district and zone. I did see Thales (a friend Sam met at a Boy Scout camp) my second day here. He was happy to see me and we talked for a bit. I also gave him the 50 sols from Peru we had left over. Did you guys get the letter I sent? Please send me pictures of Jane and you guys! Thank you for using dear elder by the way. I understand you all told me things about your lives in your letters. I love hearing about your lives so please don’t stop. It’s just impossible to comment on it all in one 30 min email. Dad, I will send you a letter with a more detailed listing of my schedule. Heck maybe i’ll even send you my schedule of last week. I love being here at the MTC. I love being a missionary. I wrote in my journal the first day that I felt like I was actually doing something again with my life which is a feeling I haven’t felt for 5 months. I love you all and I hope you are all doing well.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Love, </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Elder Cropper</span></div>
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Elder and Sister Cropper http://www.blogger.com/profile/11699383982720259165noreply@blogger.com0