Singing Hymns and Cemetaries

Hey there family!!! (:

So this week has been pretty good. Nothing super spectacular, just another week in the life of a missionary.

Tuesday, we have been trying to contact some "Lost Sheep" that no one has heard of in our ward. We made a list and have been working on finding them. So we were walking around this pretty sketchy apartment complex and I noticed the number on one of the buildings is one that we had thought didn't exist. So we went to go track this guy, Dave, down. We knocked on the door and he was really excited to see the missionaries. He and his sister live there and have been working a lot and haven't been able to come to church in a while. We had an...interesting experience there. Dave went to check their work schedules so we could come back and when he left, the neighbor to the right started screaming through the door. She wasn't speaking English and then started chanting and hissing at us. Sister Stocking and I were freaked out and could definitely feel the Spirit fighting to stay with us. As we waited for Dave to come back so we could schedule a return appointment, I started humming hymns and the neighbor got quiet and we high-tailed it out of there as soon as we could.

Wednesday, we did exchanges. Again. But this time, Sister Sanford (visa waiter for Argentina, from Tucson) and Sister Baltazar came here and Sister Stocking went to Washington again. We visited with Sister Shoup and then tried contacting some more less actives and former investigators without much luck. We did end up tracting when we ran out of things to do. These girls are so much fun! We had a blast. We went to our Book of Mormon class. We need some help getting the members to come out /: But yeah that was our day.

Just us during some downtime.

Thursday was District Meeting. The Elders said President Topham was going to be there....we didn't believe them. When we got there, President AND Sister Topham were there...and the Elders were 15 minutes late...AWK.WARD. The Elders were on their best behavior though haha! Sister Topham invited us to lunch the next day with the Washington Sisters (Sisters Cohen, Sanford, and Baltazar). We kept trying to contact people without much luck, the rest of the day.

Friday was a LOOOONG weekly planning day. Actually, it wasn't too bad, just tedious. So then we went out to lunch with Sister Topham at a place called Panera Bread (Paradise Bakery basically). She is the sweetest thing in the world. She asked how we were doing and bought us lunch and a "sweet treat" afterwards. When we got home I got the BEST package from Mom. A super cute shirt and the SD card back!! :D except my camera doesn't talk to your camera so I had to wait until Saturday to see the videos. /: We contacted some less actives and then had dinner and finished up the night trying to talk to people.

Saturday, we went to the library so that Sister Stocking could work on her talk for Sunday. (I cried through the videos fyi haha!) We were contacting more less actives (all moved) and then went to our appointment with Dave and his sister, Martha. We brought the Bishop with us because we figured it would be safer that way. Turns out Martha lived in Mesa for 5 years but hated the heat d: go figure. We went to a park to visit with them because they didn't think it was safe for us to be there with their neighbor on another tirade. We had a really nice visit with them and shared 2 Nephi 31:20.

Sunday was great! Sister Stocking did an excellent job speaking and Sister Shoup came to church!!! The members were great and came and talked to her right after the meeting (: We came home and did our studies and then went to dinner at the Caslers' house. It was very nice.

Sister Stocking wanted to check out one of the millions of cemeteries around here so we stopped for a second on our way home. The one we picked?? A memorial for Holocaust children. I didn't get out of the car....those FREAK ME OUT!! oh man.

We came home and made some cookies for 2 of the Exler kids because it is their birthday today and Sunday. It was a great Sabbath Day!! (:

I love you all and thank you so much for everything you do for me!! I'm learning a lot out here and love the people! They are so great!! I hope to hear from you!! (:

Love,

Sister Crockett

Learning Curve

Hey there family!!

This week has been a HUGE learning/growing experience for me! It's been rough, but Heavenly Father has helped me take the change one step at a time.

Tuesday, we went to visit Sister Shoup and her family for a little bit. She is so sweet. We've tried this new approach of letting them commit themselves to something THEY can handle and then we work on committing them to stretch a little bit. So she promised she would come to church this week. Then we went and looked up some people in the ward that we didn't know and made a list to try and see who we need to focus on this coming week. It's our "Lost Sheep" list. Then we had dinner with the Machan's (Ma-han). They are so sweet! They are from out west and just a joy to be around. They understand that the work is hard here and talk to us like we are human beings not gospel robots. It is probably one of the best experiences as far as dinner appointments go. Their 3 kids are super cute too! Noah is 6, William is 3 and Matilda is 1. Such cuties. (: Matilda crawled in my lap and was playing with my necklace and so I kind of scooted her over (mission rules) and let her wear my name tag for a bit haha! Her parents thought it was funny. After dinner, we tried to see someone in the ward, but her address doesn't in actuality, exist. Go figure.

Wednesday, we did exchanges with Sister Cohen (like the best missionary in the world). We had so much fun! She is so sweet and helped me out a ton! It was a huge relief to have her say I was doing everything I was supposed to, just the luck of the draw I guess. Sister Cohen and I contacted some Former Investigators and one of them is totally interested and wants us to come back!! Talk about awesome. We even went tracting and found some Potentials! That NEVER happens! (: She helped me realize a lot about attitude and keep moving even when it gets hard. We went to see the Garvins ( a FABULOUS family in the ward). We had a pretty powerful experience there. During companionship study, Sister Cohen asked what I felt like we should share with them and I flipped through PMG and stopped on lesson 2 (Plan of Salvation). So I said L2, emphasis on the Atonement? and she said it sounded good. SO we went there and they started telling us a lot of backstory and difficult things they had faced in the last year. I started to direct it to L2 and the Atonement and Sister Garvin TOTALLY takes over and says everything I had in mind. The Spirit is awesome. The Atonement is real. (: So we went to the Book of Mormon discussion group afterwards. We had 5, I repeat 5!!!! People at the class. WHAAAT?!?!?

Thursday was district meeting. Same old same old d: haha! Elders are goobers. But probably not as much as GRACIE who sent me a TOOTH in the mail. What the heck Baby?!?! uhhh yeah that was pretty sick d:The little weirdo.

Friday, we went to the mission office to figure out some stuff and Elder Davidson (our District Leader) talked to Sister Stocking and I about how to plan and use our time wisely....it was good. Then because we played "Office Secretary" to Sister Bentley while the Elders rearranged the furniture. That's what they do. haha! Sister Buehner gave us some money for helping out and we went and got pizza for lunch with the Elders. It was weird haha! But food is food d: Then we went to see Dana, a Less Active. She was sweet and wanted to come to church but her husband plays softball on Sundays so when that is done, they will come. We tried to see a whole bunch of people, and in the process, I lost my name tag /: luckily, I have an extra one, but I had to order a new one /:

Saturday was weekly planning and it only took 3 hours this time!! Whaaat?! Then we helped rip down a shed and yeah. That was our day haha!

Sunday is pretty much the bomb. I LOVE SUNDAYS. I talked a little bit to Sister Garvin at church after sacrament meeting. She is so nice and was checking up on how I was doing. (': Then I gave a thank-you note to Sister Machan for dinner on Tuesday and she said we were "sweetly old fashioned" haha! I love them. Next time we have dinner with them, we are making them cookies because they are feeding us EVERY. OTHER. WEEK. And the Elders too! They are saints. So our dinner appointment cancelled but brought us lunch instead. So after studies(I'll talk about that in a little bit), we got a text from Sister Garvin making sure we had dinner that night. Of course we didn't so we went over and it was so much fun! When Sister Garvin told her daughter, Bella(3), that I was coming over for dinner, she said "OH! I love Sister Crockett! She is such a good friend to have!" I about died laughing as they told me this! Such a cutie! (:

So that was our week. My studies this week have been pretty intense. Heavenly Father has a lot to teach me apparently. I have resolved to give everything to Him while I serve. This means if it takes me longer to get back to you while writing, please understand. I want to hear from you!! I will just take longer to write back from now on. You are always in my prayers. Carry on!!

Love,

Sister Crockett



Evans St!! (: couldn't help it! d: haha! Shout out to Kelcie (;

A Good Week

Hey there family! Sorry about last weeks letter! Had to keep it short, but this is how THIS week went! (:

This is us today, don't I look tired?!

Tuesday, we visited with our investigator, Heather. Her and her husband both committed themselves to read the Book of Mormon AND come to church! We were so thrilled! People know what they need to do...now just getting them to do it haha!
 
Wednesday we had Zone Training and that literally took ALLLLL day. The Assistants picked us up for some reason, we had training IN Pittsburgh and it took over an hour to get home. So we got home around 5 and had to go to our Book of Mormon class (that's STILL struggling to gain members).

Thursday, we headed down to the mission office to realign our area boundaries (we snagged some of the Elders area) and then we came home and studied some. The Ensign is amazing. I wish I had read it more. There is some pretty important stuff in there haha! After dinner, we went to contact a Less Active with the Elders, but when he wasn't home, we went to visit a recent convert with them. They are starting to play a little nicer haha!

Friday was weekly planning. And it took all day. haha! Not much to say about that...d:

Sister Stocking eating some s'mores we made.

 Saturday we spent all day painting a ward member's house. Like ALLL day. There was a member there helping out, named Amanda and her daughter Lexie. Elder Davidson was helping us paint and started making conversation. He was asking about our favorite scriptures and stuff and Amanda starts making faces at me. Like raising her eye brows and jerking her head towards him...saying "hey you think he's cute??" Ummmmm I'm on a mission so no. haha! But the best part was on Thursday he told us about his plans to propose to his girlfriend 2 WEEKS after he gets home....so no. Nothing happening there hahahah! Silly members. So we finished painting the ceilings and headed back to our apartment. As we walked in the door I got 2 letters AND a package!! :D I was SOOOO happy. Basically the highlight of our day right there. (: We spent the rest of the night making cookies for some less actives and ran to the store to get bags for them and they had a 2014 calendar. I couldn't help it. I got it. It is hiding now but it was just cool to see how funky time is. It seems so long but at the same time, I don't have that much left. It just shows me that I need to take advantage of every moment I have, no matter how hard because it will never be the same.

Sunday, church is pretty much like the best thing in the world. Just saying. Even though I was super tired, it was so good to be among members. We taught Faith again then came home for lunch, did our studies and delivered cookies to our less actives! Life is pretty good.

Thank you so much for everything you do! I love you a lot! (:

Sister Crockett

The sisters who stayed with us for transfers a few weeks ago! (: Sister Hallstead is from Mesa too!! (: Even if she did go to Mt. View....**

**editor's note: the picture attached to this caption was having difficulty loading. Will try again to get it up soon.**

Short & Sweet

Dear family!

Just giving you a quick update! Sorry it won't be too long! Still in Pittsburgh 2nd ward and yes I am training! (:

Everything is going well and Sister Stocking is my companion. She is from Idaho Falls, Idaho and 19, so age wise we mesh haha!

It'll be an interesting change and we are excited to see how things go!

Sister Crockett