Friday, November 6, 2009

Week #7 - November 3, 2009

Hey everyone,

I got a boat load of dearelders today, mostly forwards from the cousins and thorntons, but a nice one from Grandma Donna to her missionaries and a great one from Aunt Ruth.   Mom, Larry sends me the forwards of the Ray's emails so you don't need to send those as well.

This week Hna. Fuka had an allergic reaction to something and her face ballooned!  It started below her right eye and went down through her upper lip. It was huge.  I wish we could have taken pictures.  She was a champ though, and even though she was embarrased, did all she had to do, even going to the temple Saturday morning to do contacts.  I am having my share of interesting problems as well...  I'm covered in bug bites that I'm pretty sure I receive while I sleep.  Sis. Christensen gave me some promethryn (sp?) to spray on my bed and on my clothes so hopefully that will take care of the problem.  For now I will try not to scratch.

It's starting to get kind of chilly here and the teachers tell me that the months of november and december are actually pretty "cold"  We'll see.  I think I'll be able to survive two more weeks before I get to some warmer weather.  It's only nippy in the mornings and also when the Elders crank the AC in our classroom...  Yesterday it was pouring rain during our gym time so we ran out and played soccer in our bare feet, slipping and sliding around in the puddles.  I only went down twice.  Haha.  Not hard enough to do any damage, but I sure got wet.  It was a blast, but probably not the smartest thing we've ever done.  Our feet were pretty beat up, not to mention all the crazy parasites we probably got.  It was sure a day I'll remember though.

Well, I only have ten minutes left, not enough time to go into any details really, but I want to let you know how grateful I am for this experience.  This week I think the thing that stood out most to me was that I have a LOT to work on and to learn.  There were some hard and frustrating days and I realize new weaknesses of mine everyday.  It's very humbling to be a missionary.  But I also recognize more and more how much the Lord is with me, answering my prayers, helping me minute by minute to improve and do better next time.  My testimony of the gospel is deeping and expanding, becoming richer through the knowledge and testimonies of so many around me.  I see the restoration with new eyes and I'm beginning to see how everything fits together so perfectly.  I love making new connections that I've never seen before.  I love studying my scriptures.  I've been reading in Moses, chapter 6 this morning, and I'm just amazed at the things I've never thought of before.  Enoch was born about 622 years after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and at that time, Adam was still alive, probably still having children.  The human family grew SO fast in those first 1000 years and the great patriarchs of the earth starting with Adam down til Enoch were all on the earth together.  Wow!  How did so many people fall away so quickly, with their one common ancestor still on the earth, able to tell them how it all started.  And Enoch preaching the gospel to people who seemed so astounded at his words, the fulness of the gospel that they had already forgotten.  How important we each are, to teach our children the gospel so that a whole branch of people, our descendants are not lost to the truths that will save them... Anyway, it is pretty cool to study the scriptures and really think about what I'm reading and where these words came from.

I have to go, but I love and miss you all.  I think you might still be working on the family email for this week but we had early email time today I'll just have to read it next week.

Also, if anyone ever sees Rachel Ilene, tell that girl to send me an email.  I want to know how she's doing and Ashton and Jocelyn.  I haven't heard anything about them since I left.

I pray for you all everynight by name, just as I know you are praying for me.  I sometimes wonder if we are kneeling down saying each others names at the same time.  :)  I love you lots.

Love, Hna. Crosland

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