May 26, 2011 A Season of Change

Family,

Transfers were this past Tuesday! And not surprisingly I am staying in Monte Bello. I did however get a new companion and two new assignments! My new companion is Elder Santillan, he actually arrived in the mission the same time I did. I don't know if you have a picture of my first day in the mission with all the other missionaries that arrived with me but he is in that picture. He is from Mishoacan Mexico. He has spent most of his life in LA but speaks Spanish fluently. I was assigned as senior companion, first time so far, and district leader. I have two other companionships in my district. One of the missionaries went to SVU so we talk about it every now and then. And the others are good friends I have made already on the mission. The great thing is that our three companionships cover just one ward. The Monte Bello Ward. It butts up to Sunrise Mountain and extends into the outskirts of the city. We have a lot of work to do and some great missionaries to get it done. Not only that but we are backed by a great group of members.

So far this assignment of leadership has been a challenge. But if it was easy I'm sure that would mean I'm doing somethign wrong. Regardless I am having a ton of fun and learning so much as well. My companion and I are working on cleaning up this area and getting it organized to work hard. We're stoked!

Being a junior companion up intil this point has taught me so much about following, showing love, and serving the Lord. Its wonderful to see how what I have learned has helped me in jsut the few days I have been in these assignments to serve with full purpose of heart.

As for interesting stories I thought you all might enjoy this one:

So my last week with Elder Aguilar it seemed like a few things just piled on him at once. He was the District Leader when he was here. He had a really rough day and after we came in for Lunch he jsut crashed and went to sleep for a few minutes. I got a phone call from a member who was going to feed us that night. Elder Aguilar had set up this dinner so she wanted to talk to him. Trying to be considerate of his state at the time I told her he was not feeling well and could not come to the phone. She expressed her sentiments and her and I talked for a bit. I truly thought nothing of it and did not tell Elder Aguilar about the conversation. That is, until we got to their house for dinner. We walked in and the wife asks Elder Aguilar how he is feeling. Still I was silent, not quite aware of what was goin on. Then he told her in a matter-of-fact manner that he was feeling fine. She said to him, "Elder you don't have to lie to me, if you're sick jsut say so." I immediatly turned to him, winked with my eye furthest away from the members and said, "Elder, you were a little sick earlier." He caught my drift and played along. But that was not the end. The wife expressed her concern for him by sending her husband that very moment to the conveneit store for some mineral water to create some Hispanic cure-all concoction. And as he left she pulled out this pitcher of soup and told him she had made it specificlly for him so he could feel better. We took the food to go along with the cure-all and laughed the whole way home. I learned that day that even half-truths are risky.

Love,

Elder Cronin

Elder Cronin and Elder Aguilar

Teaching the Plan of Salvation to a family

A missionary family

May 19, 2011 Elder Cronin Shares His Testimony and is Loving 'Little Mexico'

Family,

I am loving being immersed in the Hispanic Culture. You may be questioning just as I did as to how immersed one can become in a state-side city. But let me assure you, it is an immersion. The language, the food, the families, the billboards, the children. Everything says 'Hispanic!'

Because I came to this area in the middle of the transfer the odds of me staying here next transfer are very high. As a result of this assumption I am doing my best to get to know the area and the people in case a new missionary comes in next transfer. My companion is doing great! His desires have been changing and the Lord is blessing him for his efforts. It's wonderful to see change. No matter in who it is. The best change to see, however, is the change that occurs in ourselves. The change that usually occurs is putting off the natural man. I was listening to a talk by Neal A. Maxwell the other day and he talked about putting off the natural man and what a challenge it is. I'm at the point in my life now that I understand that the natural man is not the only person to whom I can give an audience. When he starts talking, I look for a seat in the Holy Ghost's auditorium. And when I listen to the Holy Ghost I know that no matter what the topic of conversation or council, that if I listen and follow I can never go wrong. This is a never ending struggle though as, Elder Maxwell once said, "[The natural man] has a tendency to come back to remind us of our old selves." 

The reason this church is here today, that Christ had need to propose a Plan to the Father, is because this opposition will always exist. The trial of this probationary state is for us to learn how to live with it. I love the council given to us to live in the world and not become of the world. I see both sides of this each day. Sadly the stark contrast is most evident between members and non-members, respectively. But the battle is beautiful. We win more often than not. The victories we have over the adversary come in all forms. The most tangible of which is helping others overcome their concerns. To see them put their concerns aside and move forward in the gospel is much like seeing a child take his first steps. And the great thing about those first steps is that the running comes shortly thereafter.

Family, I know this church is true. I know for myself. Yes, Mom and Dad, you got me going and my testimony was in majority part your testimony. But I now know for myself that this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the same Gospel he and his apostles taught in Biblical times. I know this not because it has been repeated to me since an early age but because I have fervently prayed to my Heavenly Father and asked whether it was true or not. And he has answered my prayer. Unfortunately the answer did not come as Joseph Smith's answer did but it came in my own way and it came. If you have not found for yourself that this gospel is true I invite you to ask the only person who can tell you, your Heavenly Father. And if you already know it is true we should continue to pray, letting our Father in Heaven know that we want to progress and learn more.

This is my testimony. I pray that it uplifts. I pray that it inspires you to share your testimony with others.

Love,

Elder Cronin

SERVICE!!!!!!

Central Zone

Julian's Baptism

Night Church

May 12, 2011 - Lost in Translation!!

(A note from Kristel: I decided to type Todd a letter and use Google Translate to translate it into Spanish! So, when it translated 'Elder Cronin', of course, it read (in Spanish) 'Old Man Cronin'. This phrase, among others, must have translated a bit strange! Take note that both my father and my father in law are doing just fine, and I really did wreck my bike and have a dinner-plate sized bruise on my leg - nothing broken, though!! :))

Family,

 

Thanks for the letter in Spanish! I think I understood most of it. Especially Google's translation of 'Elder.' It translated to 'old man.' From what I understood,  Mom wrecked her bike, Dad was in Vegas, and one of our grandpas is not doing so well. Is it Doc or Grandpa Hey? Either way let them know they are in my prayers.

 

This past week has been amazing. I've caught you up on most everything from the phone call so this letter might be short.

 

Today we had the Mission Office dedication ceremony. And just like temple dedication ceremonies we had a cultural celebration! Each Zone did some performance that pertains to the culture of this mission. The theme was, "In the Nevada Las Vegas Mission We..." We completed the theme for our Zone by saying "...Keep a Song in Our Heart." We sang an arrangement of Hark All Ye Nations. One of the songs I sang in General Conference. I sang the bass this time. We wrote our own lyrics for the first three verses and the chorus, then sang the first verse of the actual hymn. The other Zones did skits pertaining to how they completed the theme. For example: ...Endure the Heat, ...Talk to Everyone, ...Work Hard in the Mornings, ...Make Personal Studies come Alive. All the zones did an amazing job and all were very entertaining. President Davies of the Warm Springs Stake offered the dedicatory prayer. Today helped me realize the importance of the Mission Office. As President Christensen put it, "This is a source of Truth and Light." I could not agree with him more. The office is where encouraging and supportive mail for each missionary is delivered, all Books of Mormon and other proselyting materials are stored and distributed, Senior Missionaries serve the mission and help it run smoothly, and where departing interviews are held. The mission office has a lot of responisbility. And now with our office in a Chapel we have brought full-time missionaries in cahoots with members. And ultimatley this is what yields the most fruit.

 

I had the chance to go to the temple on Tuesday to watch one of Elder Aguilar's converts go through for the first time. When we sat down to do our session I noticed about a half-dozen members from Silver Springs Ward were in there with me. I could not help but think that as I had left my last area in the middle of the night, to the members of the wards I was in it was like I died. And seeing them in the temple Tuesday night gave me a glimpse of what it would be like when we get to Heaven and see people we once knew and be reunited again. It was an amazing feeling to see them there having not had the chance to say good-bye.

 

I will actually be going back to Green Valley on Saturday to Julian Narey's baptism. After I left he told Elder Holt and Elder Christensen he wanted me to baptize him. I have to admit I was quite surprised at his request but I am so very excited to help him make this covenant with his Heavenly Father.

 

I have learned a great deal on my mission about the power of love. True love, charity that is, is crucial in the mission field and in life in general. It helps to create. It creates faith, relationships, trust, compasion, testimonies, and covenants. I cannot say that I am a master of love or fully understand how to show and use it. But I can say that the love I have both felt and shown to others here in the field has allowed the Spirit to testify of the truthfulness of our message, others to develop faith in our Heavenly Father, and souls to come unto Christ and make sacred covenants with Him. I know that without love this work would not progress. Without love we would be going through the motions perhaps only looking for a mark of completion or some sort of praise. "Charity seeketh not her own," says Corinthians. I know that love creates also an invitation to all to search for more.

 

I love you all,

Elder Cronin

Cinco de Mayo!!!!!! 2011 An Emergency Transfer

Family!

 

I got transferred yesterday!!!! Tuesday, President called us and asked us to meet him at our stake center to meet with him about a Zone Leader's Council that was coming up. This was a fairly routine phone call and meeting so we were just hunky-dory to meet with him. We talked outside and as he walked up to us, with his brilliant countenance and loving smile, he put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Elder Cronin, I learned early-on in my mission here that you must always do what is best for the missionary, not necessarily for the mission. You are being transferred, tomorrow, there is a missionary that needs you." It took me a moment to process all of that as I am sure it is taking you all a moment as well. It turns out there is a missionary nearing the end of his mission who President felt inspired could benefit from my companionship. The inspired decision was enough for me to be excited about this emergency transfer, however, the blessings did not stop there. He next told me that I would be going back to Spanish, and not Elko Spanish, with just one branch, but Central Las Vegas with a WARD and billboards that are in Spanish! So here I sit with my new companion in the Monte Bello Ward, Central Stake. I could not be happier. I have spoken only a handful of sentences in English since I got here yesterday at 4pm. And I enjoyed a full 8 hours of sleep last night for the first time in 4 months after a traditional Hispanic meal.

 

It was really hard to leave Green Valley. I felt the same emotions leaving Elko. Only this time much stronger. I think it comes from my hopeless romantic personality. I literally fall in love with the area, the relationships, and the people. With such short notice for this transfer I only had time to physically visit two families and call 2 other people. One of the people I called was Ashley Newmann. That was a heart wrenching phone call. She was shocked, much like I, to hear I was leaving. In her serious yet humorous tone she exclaimed she would call the Mission President to stop me from leaving. We laughed and cried a little as I explained to her how proud we were to see the changes they had made in their own lives. And the beauty of it is that they made the changes on their own. We mearly pointed them in the right direction. Their goal is now the temple. They can go as soon as March of next year. I cannot wait for that day. I will be there to witness them become an eternal family. And this is the goal. I will miss all those I taught and interacted with. But so goes the life of a missionary. We come, we go. And in brief moments we are able to change lives forever. As I start this new moment I am filled with joy, excitement, and love for the work.

 

My companion is an awesome missionary. He knows how to joke around and have fun in little ways while still doing work. President did not mention to me why this Elder needs me. Which is for the best. I would rather go into this without any preconceived notions in fear of judging him. Who I am is why I am here, not who my companion needs me to be. If that makes sense. That will come through example I am sure. He spent the last 4 months with Elder Christensen, a member of my MTC district who has since replaced me in the mission office. This transfer also happened just in time for Cinco de Mayo! For all you English speakers that means May 5th. So today we will be celebrating by grilling up some carne asada and other savory and delicious, borderline unhealthy food. Another reason I am excited to be in this Zone is because Elder Bodhaine is here as well. He is a basketball player from USU, about 6'6". We have plans to play today actually. Our hope is that one day we are companions. No one could say no to us when asked if they want to be baptized.

 

My birthday was amazing! Truthfully the night before I got a little down, realizing this was the first time I had not spent my birthday with family in some form or fashion. But as I woke up in the morning and saw the card and gift from Elder Holt my day brightened up and turned into one of the most exciting days of my mission so far. I got 4 birthday cakes! I ate entirely too much sugar that day and crashed the next. I was a walking zombie in church on Sunday. Thank you for all the goodies by the way!

 

Let everyone know how thankful I am for their cards and such for my birthday. It really meant alot to me. Because of the Emergency Transfer I was not able to get together my pictures and such that I want to send so it will have to wait until next week. And included in that is a Mother's Day gift for Mom. I am however, sending a package home today with alot of stuff that I don't need. The box also has presents for Dad and Olivia. Most of the rest of the stuff can either be divied out if you all need it or just stored until I get home.

 

I love you all!

Cuidense- Take care

 

Love,

 

Elder Cronin

 

P.S. I have the two most beautiful sisters in the world! You all are growing up so fast. And Samuel is too. Buddy you are a beast these days! Keep up the good work!