September 23, 2013

hey family!

This week was a good week and we are excited because we received sisters in our zone and now we have 18 missionaries in our zone. Almost everyone is training except 3 pairs in our zone so there are a lot of new missionaries and it is fun to be a part of such a wonderful army of God. This week was a pretty hard week because this last Friday my companion woke me up because he was in a ton of pain and I didn't know why he had so much pain... I gave him a blessing and we called the President's wife for medical help. She didn't know what it was either so we rushed to the hospital at 1:00 in the morning and they hooked him up to a bunch of machines and it turned out that he had a kidney stone that was causing him so many problems! So they had to do an ultrasound like if he would have been pregnant and a few other tests. So we slept in the hospital that night and in the morning they did more tests and he started to get better. I slept 3 hours that night. And we could finally leave the doctors office at 5 pm the next day. We ate and then we slept the entire day of Saturday until Sunday morning. We slept like 2 bears for 13 hours. It was an odd situation I can assure you. But it made me realize how much I appreciate my companion and it made me think someday I will be in the hospital taking care of my family and all that. 

 

Because of all of the chaos we didn't have many investigators in the church so this week we are going to be focusing on getting them to go to church. If they don't ever go to church they can never get baptized! Also this Thursday we have a zone conference with President so we have to plan for 3 hours with our zone and then our President will take over. and then in the afternoon we have a meeting with President Flores and the Stake President and us and we are going to talk about the stake and how we can work better with the ward councils and what we can do as missionaries to help President Jasso with his stake... really I am looking forward to that because our wards are slacking a tad so I wanna help us all work together!! I know this work is true and I am so blessed to be able to be an instrument however small I might be in the Lord's hands because he makes us bigger than we could ever be without him!!

Love Elder Cramer

September 16, 2013

hey paps and family!

I didn't get transfered so I am still in San Luis with Elder Nuñez and I am a little bit glad because I want to help this ward more. I am starting your tape for the family right now. Today I am sending the tape for Jackie but it will arrive at our house. So if you can lend her the tape recorder so she can listen to it at her house that would be great. I was stoked to hear that you talked to Gil I could see that he really enjoyed that a lot! I am excited to see General Conference with him in 2 weeks. What a blessing, to be honest! We are trying to baptize before they change me in 4 weeks. We have to give a zone conference with President in like 2 weeks and today we had alot of changes in our zone so now including us we have 18 missionaries because we opened an area in Matamoros! We are also going to recieve Hermanas in our zone that is a new twist. I am really enjoying my time as zone leader! This week I am going to go to a first cash and by a small dvd player and I am going to put the small dvds that the church gives us about working with the members and we are going to ask for references in this way hoping to help them get excited about the missionary work here in San Luis. I hope to bring new things to this ward! :D That is all that is really going on right now! So look for the tape for Jackie and hand it over to her and next week I will send the tape for you guys :) I love you all and keep me in your prayers please because you all are in mine!

Love Elder Cramer

September 9, 2013

hey hey hey

I really liked those 10 steps that you sent me. Really the ward hasn't started the interviews yet and for that reason we are still struggling to find good people to teach because we don't have any references.. But we are doing the best we can. We can only pressure the Ward Counsil and hope for the best.. We cannot force them to do their calling. I would like to but I can't ;) That is crazy that Ryan passed  the sacrament! I am so proud of him exercising the priesthood like a champ! Yeah I am not sure where I will be going next but there is a good chance that they might change me to a different area because I already have 3 months here.  We will have to see for this Sunday what President will do with me. 

I would like to be here for General Conference which I am stoked for because I could go with Hermano Gil. He just got the priesthood this past week and this Sunday that is coming, he is going to bless the sacrament and so for that I am so stoked. But right now my concern is helping our investigators. We have a lot right now but many are not progressing like I would like. For that reason we are trying to get those references started so that this ward can baptize :) I really like that worldwide conference with Elder Holland and President Monson and all of those apostles because they were focusing a ton on working together as missionaries and members. I hope that the work in our ward is going smoothly. I already wanna help all of the investigators that are in our home ward :) But for now I am trying my best right here. We gave a zone conference yesterday for 3 hours about the Holy Ghost and the importance of studying not for our own account but for our investigators. I love you and all and I hope that you can help bring others to Christ!

Elder Cramer

David O. McKay’s 10 Rules For Happiness
1. Develop yourself by self discipline.
2. Joy comes through creation—sorrow through destruction. Every living thing can grow; use the world wisely to realize soul growth.
3. Do things that are hard to do.
4. Entertain up building thoughts. What you think about when you do not have to think about shows what you really are.
5. Do your best this hour, and you will do better the next.
6. Be true to those who trust you.
7. Pray for wisdom, courage, and a kind heart.
8. Give heed to God’s messages through inspiration. If self-indulgence, jealousy, avarice, or worry have deadened your response, pray to the Lord to wipe out these impediments.
9. True friends enrich life. If you would have a friend, be one.
10. Faith is the foundation of all things—including happiness.

Aug 26 and Sept 2 letters

September 2, 2013

Happy Labor day! I didnt even know it was labor day!

No here I don't think there is such a thing as labor day, at least I have not heard anything at all. First off happy birthday to Curt and to Ryan because I didnt wish them a happy birthday yet! :( LO Siento mucho. You all know I love you. This last week was like super wierd because President called us like a week ago that we have one week to have a house prepared with all of the things in it so that another pair of missionaries can come in our zone in Matamoros. So for 3 days we were contacting in the streets of Matamoros and finding houses for rent and trying to get things ready. I know all of Matamoros right now as well as San Luis where I currently am stationed. But like a day before the missionaries were going to come, the secretary to the President called us telling us to cancel everything because a few missionaries got sent home or something and the location that got canceled was us so that was a bummer but sometimes things happen so oh well. We some amazing baptisms this week. Antonia in our area and Alfredo in the area of San Luis 2. So it was so great to see both sides of a young baptism and and elderly baptism. We had to have 2 people lower sister antonia in the water. Her son-in-law baptized her this Saturday and it was marvelous. The only thing that worries me is that we basically didn't have any time to work in our area this week so we don't have many more investigators that are progressing so we have to start the quest to find those who want to follow Christ. But also this Saturday we had a special conference with 3 zones and a district and I had to direct the meeting because it was in our Stake Center so I felt like a Bishop and it was nerve racking at first but it all was okay afterwards. :) So many new experiences being a leader but I think it is all for the best. And then this Sunday my companion and I gave the Holy Ghost to Hna Antonia and then it was the day to give our testimonies! And Alfredo gave an astounding testimony and I think in a few years he will be a Bishop or something. It is great to see his faith and he goes to institute every day and makes friends in the church. And the best part was when 89 year old Antonia made her way slowly to the pulpit and bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon and the blessings she has had in her life. She didn't know how to read but she gradually started to read the HUGE Book of Mormon that her daughter bought her in the temple and she loved it and she wanted to know more. That is when we came and taught her about the rest and she is just such a cute woman and I love her like my own grandma as well :) I will attach some photos! and I got my backpack and I am also doing a recording for Jackie right now and for some of the friends she put on my recording. I am stoked for Jackie and Scott because I know God has something really special in store for them! And I am still here in San Luis with Elder Nuñez and I think I might get transferred in 2 weeks but who knows. I will have our zone leader council tomorrow in the morning super early. I am eager to see what President has in store for us! And Cooper looks like a boss! He is mine :) He can live with me in the garage. Tell Ryan the art of music comes line upon line as well. Like me and my trumpet. I was the best ;P  Here is a picture of Antonia and Alfredo. And also a family that we are teaching with Hno Gil and Hna Delia. I hope they can go to the church soon because htey have not gone yet.. :(

But soon enough!

Elder Cramer :)

August 26, 2013

Wow that email made me so happy haha. Mas que nada porque Dios esta poniendo los medios por scott.. :)  It is neat to see how all of the places that we have lived are progressing and making their decisions. Each one of us has choices to make and paths to take but it is hard when we do not know where we want to go. Like Chesirre the cat in Alice in wonderland.. she asked which path she should take and he responded that depends where you want to go. I know it is the same with us. I want to return with honor with our Heavenly Father as a family and that is what I desire for all of my friends as well. I know that if we really love our friends or family we will invite them to come to Christ and not be scared. I invite you and mom and the kids to invite your friends to listen to the missionaries without being scared of the response :) And thanks for helping Scott. he is an awesome guy for sure and I want to take a mini trip to visit him and a few other friends that I have planned. But this week was awesome because we baptized Gil Lopez Salas. He is an incredible person and always wants to go with us to visit new families and he wore is white shirt for the first time in the church to be confirmed a member of the church. It was so neat to see his conversion as he left his Ex girlfriend to follow of the law of chastity and to see him go to family home evening with our families. I hope he can always stay in the church and progress. I can see him being a good leader someday. Dad if you want to or when you have time give him a call and talk to him. Here is his number! 8712424301.

Here are a few photos of the baptism! This Saturday we have another baptism that I am excited for because it is such a wonderful and precious women named Antonia. She is 90 years old and reminds me a ton of Aunt Inez when she was 90. She still walks all over and is super smart! She is reading her Book of Mormon the huge version so she can read it and her biggest challenge was that before her mother died she told her to never change religions from Catholic. But we explained that her mother has already accepted these teachings and that the daughter of Antonia already did the work for her in the temple. She knows Joseph Smith is a prophet and loves to read the Book of Mormon. The first lesson we had with her we asked her what is a prophet. She exclaimed! Joseph Smith!

She is such a cutie and I will send photos of her baptism the next week. I received the package from Curt and Ness and my companion and I thank you because I shared with him. Also I received the tapes and I will work on sending those back as well. I want to send one to the family and also one for Jackie because she worked so hard on the other tape I sent her. Make sure to look after her as well.

Hno Gil es el Chaparito el la pila. El otro es Hno Bracamonte. Son amigos alli en la iglesia! :) Voy a regalar Hno Gil un triple con una foto con su bautismo y mi testimonio

Como dije a Nessa que tambien este Domingo un hno me va a hacer un forro por mis nuevas escrituras que a penas vinieron para mi entonces estoy super animado! Tenemos que enfoquar mucho en encontrando nuevos y poniendo fechas porque ya nuestros investigadores empezando ya tienen que ir a la capilla 5 veces para poder bautizar para que sean conversos reales! :D

Elder Cramer