Wed, 29 Jul 2009

Dear Everybody,

I wish I wasn't so boring. Well, I don't just do boring things. . . We played in the rain last week with some of the Elders in our apartment complex--I'll have to send you some fotos this week. What else did we do? We played volleyball today and I accidentally hit one of the Elders in the junk with the ball. . . THAT was pretty funny. (watch out, fellas, when Crowley's on the court, nothing is safe. . .)

We're preparing for a baptism this week! Saturday to be exact. And then another one next Saturday! I don't know where these baptisms keep coming from. Honestly, it's the Goodyear ward. The work isn't progressing in the other wards very well, but Goodyear is such a faithful ward, so devoted to missionary work, it's reflecting in the amount of people they're bringing in. They are amazing. So yeah, it's not us. We're doing all right, but Goodyear is kind of carrying us, not the other way around. I kinda like it that way.

Jonathan is this week--he was supposed to get baptized in June in the Spanish branch, but after some drama, his baptism was canceled--not by us, it's a complicated story. Anyway, so we finally just decided to take him away from the Spanish branch and into the Goodyear ward (he's a 12-yr-old without any real family, who speaks Spanish just as well as English) and everything is just falling into place. So that's one.

The other is Donna. I don't know if I've told you about her yet. She's a cool lady, and she is going through a lot. She has a friend who's a member, and who has been working on her for years. Now was just the time. She is actually moving out of her boyfriend's house so she can be baptized. Well, that and he's emotionally abusive sometimes. But she is doing SO MUCH to be able to be baptized. It has been an interesting process to help her out--I think I know a little bit what a Relief Society President must feel like. I've basically handled everything in regards to coordinating help from the ward. It's hard to explain all that we've done together--like, organizing a place for her to stay, and helping her get ready to move to Alabama. . . She's an emotional wreck too.

I feel like I should tell you all a little bit about my testimony again. Maybe I don't share it enough, but I want you to know how much the Gospel has changed me inside. Not just "the Gospel," living it and being able to apply the Atonement. Faith in the Atonement is what gets us to change. We believe He will give us the strength to do it, and then we do it. The strength is only manifest when we try to use it.

One other thing--I had an "A-hah" moment last night as I read the Book of Mormon. First of all, I've been struggling with some things that are hard for me to change--mostly because I don't feel like I have the will or motivation to do so. But I came across a scripture that really taught me something, so now I'm going to go on LDS.org and find it. . .

Alma 5:

7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting WORD; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.
8 And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not.
9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.
10 And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?
11 Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the WORDS which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?
12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.
13 And behold, he preached the WORD unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

I went through and stressed a few words. . .heheh. . . Honestly, I had been looking for an answer, I have been looking for a while now, and praying and trying to figure out what it was that I needed. When I read those verses, those words stuck out as if they were bold on the page--the Word. I need to study the scriptures more fervently, and really treasure up this doctrine. If I want to change, that's what will give me the strength and desire--studying the scriptures.

So I hope you got something out of that. And I just want you to know that I have such a strong testimony that the Book of Mormon really will teach us through the Spirit, if we will allow it. There IS power in the Book of Mormon. Try it out, you'll learn too.

I love you all, be safe.

Love,
Hna. Crowley