September 26, 2011 Transfers!!!

Family,

I have survived another transfer here in East at the Gateway Ward! Now with transfers on Tuesdays and P-Days on Mondays I will be able to tell you if I am leaving or not before I find out where I am going. But this time the verdict is less than suspenseful. Elder Reese and I will be roughing it yet another transfer here in East.

Thanks for the picture of the bulletin board! I thought it was funny that the picture you put of me up there is the one picture I have of me in my white shirt and tie and tag wearing blue jeans sitting next to a Sister and playing the guitar. I promise you all that we work out here!!!!  In fact we had two wonderful baptisms this weekend!! Viola, 9, and Shannon, 30, were baptized to complete their families so that now their families are all in the bosom of the Gospel. It is an amazing experience to see families complete in the gospel.

We had an amazing week. It started out on Tuesday when we took the whole zone to Freemont and 6th just a block away from the famous Freemont Street Experience. We set up a street meeting with 17 missionaries and 3 members. Our street meeting was more of a choir performance, average at best, but still a commanding presence. And while 10 of us or so sang the other contacted people in the streets. We had some interesting responses and just an overall great experience. The great thing about talking to people on Freemont Street is the fast paced atmostphere. Once you finish one 20 second conversation you start another one seconds later and so and and so forth. It gives us an opportunity to bear short powerful testimony and work on our delivery. You really have to cut the fluff in that enshrinement. 

That is so wonderful to hear that you ran into Elder James!!!! I know it must have been a huge blessing to see him. I trust he is doing well. And what an amazing experience in the Temple that day. Experiences like those are confirmation from the Lord of the importance of the work you are doing! I have a very strong testimony of service and sacrifice. When we do the will of the Father His will becomes ours. If our will is aligned with His we will always get what we want.

Once a quarter we have a fireside that is mission wide called the Why I Believe Fireside. We ask recent converts to share their conversion stories and we bring investigators to listen. This last one was very special because one of my recent converts, Tony, was invited to speak. Whats more is that we brought two investigators to listen to him. To me it was a miracle to see someone so new in the Gospel bear such powerful testimony to someone else needing answers. Our investigators loved the experience.

General Conference is this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so stoked!!!!!!!!!!! This is GC # 3 out of 4. My last conference is in April and then I will be home for Oct 2012! Can you believe it! Time is flying by so fast! Sometimes I wish it would slow down! But truly I cannot wait to come back and visit all my old areas and members and investigators. I miss them already, the ones I am no longer around. A few of them should be going to the temple soon to be sealed. That will be an an unforgettable experience.

In closing I thought I would share a few experts from my journal from this time last year:

20 Sept 2010- "For [King Benjamin's people] there was no written record of Christ having lived, they only had prophecies to base their faith. I don't think my faith is where it needs to be. This will be a goal of mine; to increase my faith."

20 Sept 2010- "found out I'll be singing in the Priesthood Choir with the MTC at Conference. I'm so excited! I cannot wait to tell my family...."

21 Sept 2010- "I realized today that my mother is my hero. She has sacrificed so much for me and she is such a strong woman."

25 Sept 2010-"I'm still enjoying the Book of Mormon. It is crazy how epic it is. There are times where I actually rejoice aloud because of what I am reading."

I love you all! The Church is true!!!

Love,

Elder Cronin

Freemont Street Fun!!

September 19, 2011

Family,

This world is so small and the church makes it even smaller. One of the high councilors of the East stake spoke on Sunday. His name is Brother Anderson and he is from Biloxi. He says he knows many Cronin's. Then when I called Sallie Mae my loan officer turned out to be the brother of one of my favorite missionaries here in the mission! Crazy! I am sad to hear about Roosevelt. I would have loved the opportunity to see him again but I know that he is being ministered to as we speak. And to hear that Grannie is doing well is a blessing to me. I was reminded of her the other day as we were driving through our area on exchanges. As missionaries we talk to everyone. And as we drove we saw two men standing outside at their van. One older and one younger. We stopped and talked to them and as it turns out they are father and son and both members of the church. They invited us in to say hello to the older man's mother. As we walked in we could feel a strong spirit. We made it back to the bedroom and on the bed laid an old, frail, snow-white hair lady. She is a covert of less than a year. She comes from a prominent family within the church, the Levitt's. But apparently her branch was the branch that did not join back in the days of Joseph Smith. She remained on the bed and beckoned us over. It reminded me of visits to Grannie and how her mood would brighten up when she had company. It seems the Lord guided us there that day to bring a little extra light into her home. As we stood in the room it was amazing to notice that 4 generations of Levitt's stood there with us. Sister Levitt, her son, grandson, and great grandson. It was like viewing a living family tree. I could feel the Spirit of Elijah as I took note of our circumstances.

We finally had interviews this past Wednesday. They were cancelled from two weeks ago because Sister Neider, our mission president's wife, fell ill with kidney stones. That's what the tap water will do to you out here. I had awaited that opportunity sit down face to face with President and get to know him a little more and him me. The interview went wonderfully. He is such a loving man and has a strong Love for the work. He is still adjusting but is doing wonderful. I also took the opportunity to sit and talk with Sister Neider. She magnifies her calling. I feel a motherly love from her and a deep concern for the success of my mission. Then she said something that I have heard only two other times in my mission but wish to hear it more often. She said, "If your mother were sitting where I am now she would tell you this.." And then she proceeded to speak from the Spirit doubtless. I know that because she said some things that I know Mom would love to say and share with me if she were here. She also mentioned to me that my companion is vessel to answer the prayers of family back home. And Elder Reese is answering those prayers. He is a great companion. We have had a lot of great times here in Gateway Ward.

I have developed some amazing friendships here on the mission that I am sure will last for eternity. One of those relationships is with Lisa and Thomas Russell. They are a vibrant and spunky couple in there late 40s and fifties. About the same age as Mom and Dad. However, they are newlyweds and Lisa is a newly baptized member. She was one of the first to get baptized when I came here to Gateway Ward. They have treated me like a son and I will forever remember their charity. Each person I have taught has a special place in my heart as well. I was thinking the other day of how lucky I am and will be to stay in touch with these people and perhaps cross paths with them again in the future. This is a blessing I would not otherwise realize if I had not served a mission. I am blessed. Right now we are teaching three people who will be baptized on Saturday. Viola, Shannon, and Kimberly. Viola is the daughter of Tony who we baptized a few weeks ago. We had a difficult time teaching her but she is coming around and our teaching skills are as well. Shannon had a bout with smoking but has since quit and is ready. And Kimberly is an interesting story. We met her one night as we walked home form our area with our bikes that had flats. Companionship unity! She walked and talked with us for about 3 blocks and then came to church the next day and hasn't missed a Sunday since. She is a quick learner and is eager to repent and be baptized. In fact she texted us one night and told us how excited she was to be baptized. The funny thing is that we had never talked about baptism with her to that point. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

We are so very busy here in Gateway Ward. Our ward mission leader is the best! His name is Brother Hall and is a letter-carrier by trade. He is dedicated to nurturing these people we meet and teach. Often that nurturing leads to physical nurturing through offering rides or the occasional financial help. It is amazing to see him magnify his calling. Our bishop is amazing as well. Bishop England. His job is tough in our ward because there are many who need welfare support. And they ask often. But he follows the ways of the Lord and does what he can to help them out. All in all our ward is amazing! It is very dynamic and my opinion of it has grown more Christ-like I feel since I first got here.

I have a strong testimony that as we strive to become more like Christ we can overcome many of the challenges we face. To become more like him it takes an effort of prayer, reading, and going to church. This is the foundation for any testimony of Christ. I had the thought this week about my relationship with Christ. Often times we fill our lives with pictures, songs, and other forms of media that depict or glorify another human being. There is nothing mortally wrong with this. Especially when that person is a relative or a close friend. For example, sometimes we cover a pin board with pictures of friends, or place a picture of our favorite musician as the background for one of our oh so common electronic devices. Or perhaps we dedicate our ears to a particular artist for a few days, even weeks. Actions like this. I was impressed to think of the reasoning behind such actions and I came to this conclusion. We do things like that because we have or desire a relationship to the people, music, or media involved. And again there is not a mortal flaw in this but perhaps we can change our focus. I know I need to. And that focus would be on Christ. When I compare the relationship I have with friends, family, media to what I have with Christ often times he is overshadowed by my worldly relationships. But I know that if I build my relationship with him first then the relationships that come thereafter with be that much more sincere and healthy. I know that he is my Savior and that I can draw closer to Him as I read the Book of Mormon, the highly understudied keystone of our religion.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God!!! In the words of Elder Holland,"No righteous man can or would write such a book." It has come forth through the power of God. I know because its principles lead me to do good. And have lead me to leave behind an old less satisfying life and start a new one. 

Love,

Elder Cronin 

Marshmallow contest!!!

Thanks for the puzzle, mom!!

September 12, 2011

Family,

 

Another week gone by. This one went by entirely too fast. I was sitting in church yesterday and could not believe that P-day was almost here. I'm glad you all remembered the change. It had been nice to have P-day on Mondays. It helps spread the week out.

 

You asked about being a Zone Leader and the responsibilities involved. One of my leaders asked me this the other day while we were on exchanges and this is how I answered him. As a Zone Leader our job is to set our area as our first priority, train the missionaries in the zone on specific teaching skills, go on exchanges with them, teach them to be leaders, help them to set and achieve goals, focus on our mission president's vision, and return and report to our leadership and to the Lord. I feel like I am in school again with the wieght of these responsibilities and feel blessed to be able to learn how to juggle these before I have to get back into the swing of school.

 

But when it all comes down to it I am still just a missionary. My area is my priority and it is were my heart is. Saturday we got a chance to see one of our investigators get married so she can be baptized. She is the sweetest lady. She has two adorable daughters, Sky 5, and Amber 7. One thing I have grown to love on my mission is the kids. Their innocence I think is refreshing for missionaries to see after talking and being around so much ludeness and vile. Afterall, in order to repent we must become like little children again. Its only then can we listen to the spirit.

 

I am finding more and more experiences with the Spirit on my mission. I am truly thankful for them becuase they help me to udnerstand how my Heavenly Father teaches me and others. These experiences are sacred to me and have done wonders to lift me when I'm down and communicate with others to invite them to come to Christ. because of these experiences I know that God exists. He gives us proof all around of His existence and His love. I know that God has a plan for us to return to live with Him and it gives us purpose here in this world.

 

I love missionary work. I will never stop being a missionary. There is too much joy in this work for me to miss out on if I keep my testimony to myself. "More happiness awaits [me] than [I] have ever experienced as I labor among [God's] children" (First Presidency, PMG).

 

May the Lord Bless You all.

Love,

Elder Cronin

September 5, 2011 A New Prep Day

Family,

 

I hope you have reception and can get this in time to add it to family home evening. If not I hope and pray this message finds you in good spirits.

 

Not too much has happened in the past three days. However, I did get an update about the Country Boys. I heard the season is over and they did not win. Bummer, if that is correct. But how sweet of an experience it must have been for all of them. I got the update from my bishop here.

 

Elder Reese and I are working on getting organized in the area and the zone so that things can run smoothly. We have some solid investigators we are working with right now. Here in the near future there should be a few more souls brought unto Christ. The interviews we were supposed to have with President Neider last week were cancelled because his wife got a kidney stone. She is doing well though.

 

Sometimes I am surprised at the growth my testimony has made. I remember sitting in a class with Sister Ryser before my mission as she taught the temple-prep class. She asked us to draw out the Plan of Salvation on a sheet of paper. I was lost. I had no idea where to begin!! Everyone else around me was drawing these circles and arrows and moons and stars...Today I know the Plan of Salvation. It is my favorite lesson to teach. It shows us the love and mercy God has for us. In summary the plan was for us to come to earth to recieve a body so we could eventually become like our Heavenyl Father who has a body of flesh and bones perfected and glorified. Adam and Eve were the first to recieve such. They received their bodies and lived in the Garden of Eden, a perfect land, in the presence of God. They sinned and being sinners could no longer live in God's presence and were therefore cast out of this paradise. They were now subject to death and sin. Two things that prevented them and us who would come later from returning to live with our Heavenly Father after this life. In His mercy, however, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to overcome death and sin for us. For this reason, when we make mistakes, we can repent, and thus become cleansed form sin. And we can be resurrected. Our bodies can be reunited with our spirits in a perfect form, thus becoming like our Heavenly Father. Then, according to our works and desires in this life, we will be judged and recieve our reward accordingly. How great is that perfect plan!!! Flawless and full of love! I know this is God's plan. I know now that any decision that takes me away from that plan is not the right decision. I know that Christ is my Savior and yours as well. He can aleveate our burdens and sicknesses. I know that God lives and He has a prophet here on this earth, Thomas S. Monson. I know with such assurity that I have left behind family, friends, work, school, life for 2 years to share this message with others. And I love doing it!!!!!!!!

 

Love,

Elder Cronin

September 1, 2011

Family,

 

I have lived with my companion Elder Aaron for the past 18 weeks and served with him for the past 8. And it has now come to the last days of his mission. At the onset of our companionship I set out to learn from him in his seasoned state. I have learned from him that it is important to make decisions, to show love, remain obedient, remain humble, and have fun. It is sad seeing him go. Especially when I think that in less than a year I will be doing the same. But it is amazing to see a child of God return home to begin the rest of his life applying what he has learned thus far.

 

I think that is the most exciting part about the future. Applying what we learned in the past. At the same time those are the saddest moments. When we do not apply what we have learned. Life is full of opportunities to progress and it is up to us to take them. I am grateful to look back at the last year of my mission and say that I have taken those opportunities without regret. Looking forward into my mission I pray for many more of those opportunities.

 

So this past week has been filled with experiences that epitomize our area. One night we went to a families home and when we arrived there were 4 cop cars outside in their complex. The flashing lights added a nice ambiance to the dimming sky. We got a call from this family earlier that day as well. The mother who is diabetic took her medicine without any food and her sugar dropped really low. She called to tell us she was fading but had not sustenance in her home, her humble home. We rushed over with a couple of bottles of soda and assisted her as she slowly sipped from the 24oz Shasta bottle. She started to come out of a hazy appearance and we offered her a blessing. She sat on the floor and said she was ready. We put our hands on her head and administered the blessing. However, when we took our hands off she fell back into the dresser and then to the ground. We laid her on her side and a few minutes later she came around. Of course we were all shocked. usually a blessing of health works the opposite way. But then she began to explain to us that often when she receives blessings she passes out. If we had known that before we could have prevented a knot on the back of her head from when she hit the dresser.

 

We are teaching this other lady who is not a member but her husband is. She struggles with smoking and wants to quit and be baptized. We taught her the word of wisdom and explained to her that she has to quit 7 days before her baptism. However, we stopped by on Sunday and she had smoked half a cigarette before we got there. She did not come right out with it. We had to pry a little. And when we shared with her that we needed to push her baptism back a week she was devastated. I felt like saying, "Actually for you we can make an exception, it was just half a cigarette." But I knew that if she could depart form her desire to smoke 7 days before she was baptized that day of her baptism would be that much better, that much more spiritual. So I shared that with her. Despite her devastation to having failed, in her words, she understood the goal. She is working hard still and should be baptized here soon.

 

Tony and Camillia were baptized on Saturday. I'll send pictures on Monday. Tony had his interview on Wednesday to receive the priesthood so he can baptize his daughter hopefully this next weekend. He loves the community the gospel provides for him as a single parent and his daughter Viola. Camillia is doing wonderful as well she loves the hymns. Her favorites are God Be With You TIll We Meet Again  and I Believe in Christ.

 

Oh and before I forget to tell you all. I met some distant cousins of ours!! Their last name is Clark. The family begins with the older Sister Clark or "Nana" whose maiden name is Cronin. She is Casper Carl  and Mattie Cronin's daughter I believe. I met her daughters who live in the ward I am serving in, Gateway. They were at transfer conference last transfer and asked me where I was from. After about a minute or two we realized we were both related to Doc and thus related to one another. They said Doc took care of Mattie in her last days. The name sounds so familiar to me. And I remember going with Doc to a few Elderly women when I was younger. So maybe one of them was her. You'll have to share that with them. What a small world!

 

Well the work continues. And my testimony continues to grow. I know many things. A younger man asked me yesterday if I knew for sure that Thomas S. Monson was a prophet. Little did he know that earlier that day my testimony of him had been reaffirmed and I bore strong testimony to him that nothing could take away my faith and belief that he is the Lord's servant called as a prophet to lead and guide the people here on Earth. I know that our testimonies will pierce the souls of those that will listen and entice them to change and to follow Christ. I have seen it happen with my own eyes. The most powerful tool I carry with me each day is my testimony and not a day goes by that I am not sharpening it.

I love you all. And cannot wait for my letters to arrive on Mondays so they can be a part of Family Home Evening. Follow the Prophet.

 

Love,

Elder Cronin