Sister Crofts-Called to Serve

Konnichiwa Kazoku!!!!

Words cannot express how much I love the packages/cookies/lettters! Thank you so much for everything! I am trying to keep on top of responding to everyone I just don't have very much time. Krist I LOVED your graduation pics. You look beautiful. As always, all of my roommates think that Bobbby is the hottest thing they have ever seen. Hahahahaha. Bobby why are you so good looking? You make the rest of us look bad. It is absolutely unreal how fast my district eats everything! The cookies were gone in 15 minutes and same with the hi-chews. YOu'd think we were starving college students.. We eat SO MUCH at the cafeteria. The food... Oh wow.. I never thought I'd say it, but I am longing for the cannon center! ahahaha. Thanks again for the packages, they are always the best surprise:

Okay... Generic missionary post time. It is crazy how much love is in my heart. I am just so happy all of the time. I thought I was a pretty happy person before, but it's to a whole new level. Every day, I am strengthened through Christ. It just blows my mind how much God is answering my prayers and blessing me. Being a missionary is one of the most wonderful things in the world. I cannot believe how much the time has flown. How am I coming up on my 4th week?!?!?! As I have tried to become mroe Christlike, I have been blessed with a positive attitude and just flat out love in my heart. Learning Japanese is SO hard/stressful, but it doesn't seem to matter because I am on the Lord's errand and He wants me to succeeed.

I can now pray, bear my testimony, understand somewhat what people say, and somewhat communicate. Sometimes it takes me a few times to understand, but I can understand and that's progress. With one of our investigators we were teaching about Jesus Christ and the spirit was honestly so strong. We were able to understand what she was asking and we would share a scripture and testify back. It was crazy how the Lord facillitated our minds and our tongues to speak and understand. After that lesson, I thought: "This is why I'm serving, to be a messenger for the Lord. I am not doing this alone." Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean all of our progressing investigators go so smoothly. Some are TERRIBLE and we just have to laugh it off. In the letter I sent you I included one of those terrible stories that I think you would enjoy. Hahahaha I want you to think about how you would explain mercy, baptism, and the holy ghost in Japanese... Just let that sink in for a few days until you get the letter.

One of my friends talked about the law of chastity in his lesson. Hahahahaha okay this kills me. So he was trying to say "you can't have premarital relations before marriage" & instead he said "you must have premarital relations before marriage before you can join our church. He tried to say "You can't have premarital relations outside fo marriage" & instead he said "you must have sexual relations outside." Then he tried to say "I have not had premarital relations and ahve stayed clean" & he said "I have sexual relations." Hahahaha isn't that hilarious? He was like. I am never teaching the law of chastity again. Fortunately for me, I am at the point where I am only talking about Christ and Joseph Smith and such. I dread the day where I have to teach that. Hahaha

The pictures I take are from our temple walks on Sunday! We go to the temple on pday, but we aren't allowed to bring our cameras. I am on the MTC campus, thankfully for me!!! Learning Japanese is rough... And it is sooooo slow. I have gotten tot eh point where I realize Japanese isn't something I should worry about. IT's something I can work on. I just need to be patient in myself and patient in the Lord. I know absolutely NO conversational terms. This is a challenge because I need to be able to build relationships with the investigator/members... So basically I don't know how to go about that. Hahaha. I was so stoked! One of the Nihongin who is going to Nagoya told me that she lvoes me and that she hopes we are companions in Nagoya! I was like YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So stoked, winning the hearts of the Japanese already;) NO just kidding, I am just really stoked because I want to be her comp in Japan. But of course, you never know.

Dad!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahhahaha I am not trying to impersonate Richard Nixon! If you look of japanese peace signs they always do that. I am becoming Japanese!!!! Just fulfilling my missionary duty. I don't know how I can stop closing my eyes and smile without squinting. Maybe I should spend my pday practicing smiling. Hahaha SERIOUSLY! Peace signs are a Japanese characteristic thing to do.

I love being a missionary! THis Nihongo is absolutely ridiculous, but I know it will be worth it and I know that God will help me learn it. I love you all!!!

Crofts Shimai

Sister Crofts and Sister Grant