December 19, 2011 Merry Christmas Gang!!!

Family!

I am getting transferred tomorrow!!!!!!! Ahhghghhgghghghghgyeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I have mixed emotions about this. I have been here in this area for 6 months now so my time is up. However, who wants to get transferred right before Christmas!!! Not me! But the Lord needs me some place else. I have truly loved my time here in the Gateway Ward. This ward is full of charitable and humble people who know the gospel is true. So I have no complaints.

I do not yet know to where I will go. But I will find out today around 3:30. SO if my new companion would like to e-mail afterwards I will shoot off an e-mail detailing my new area.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I enjoyed taking them. I love my new camera. Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!! I have received a package from Grandma, one from you all, and one from Carol so far. Everyone is so thoughtful! I wish there was more I could do and give this season. I have racked my brain over and over again for ideas for gifts but I cannot seem to think of anything extraordinary. However, I do have a few ideas and will be sending some things off here soon.

This has been a wonderful week! I am sad to leave Freemont Street. But it is filled with many wonderful memories. Here are a few that come to mind: Meeting a man named Wonderful, another named Underdawg, having a pit bull fight another dog at my feet as I sat on a couch, battling a roach infested kitchen, teaching and baptizing Donna, Oscar, Tony, Viola, Camillia, Shannon, Kimberly, and GG, eating at member's homes each night, talking to everyone we see, coming home smelling like smoke, hiking down Charleston and smelling weed every 15 feet, being threatened by owners and their dogs, eating at many unique places such as Pepe's Tacos, Tacos El Gordo, Tacos Mexico, Sushi Japanese Restaurant, Korean, Marie Calendars, Macayos, Mamitas, 7-11, and Sister Wilson's, playing Ping-Pong, beginning Jesus the Christ, finishing the Book of Mormon, and many more memories that will come again over time and are recorded in my journal.

I have learned so much here in Gateway. I have learned much of leadership, missionary work, and life. I hope to never forget the people and lessons I have met here. I am off to a new area where the Lord needs me. I look forward to new experiences and Christmas in a new place. This gospel is a message of change. Change is good. Change awaits me.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and to my little sister Olivia, who is not so little anymore, I wish you a Happy 14th Birthday!! You can expect a Book of Mormon from me to place between you and all those boys who are going to swarm you at the church dances. I love you all and I love my Heavenly Father for his faith and patience with me and the blessings he has rewarded me and my family. Merry Christmas to all and to all a great and wonderful Family Home Evening!

Love,

Elder Cronin

Dessert!!!

Little Drummer Boy

Santa and Mrs, Clause, of course!!

Gotta love Vegas!!

"Food makes me happy"

December 12, 2011 SKYPE!!!!!!!

Family,

 

Guess what!?!?!?!? We get to Skype this Christmas!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to see you all!!!

 

And no I am not 'trunky' by any means. The only trunkiness I have is thinking about arranging everything for school and such. But even then I don't worry about that. I am focused on my mission right now, bringing souls unto Christ and working on becoming a better companion.

 

This has been an exciting week. Donna was baptized on Friday and we had our Mission Christmas party and Ward Christmas party this week. Another missionary, Elder Quezada, and I put together a rendition of Little Drummer Boy and we performed at both parties. We filmed it so I'll send pictures and videos soon. Elder Quezada took my place in Elko when I left so we have been friends ever since. Because of the many Christmas parties from various wards we have aquired a ton of food!!! We should be set for a few months with all we have.

 

Probably one of the most amazing expereinces of the week happened last night with an investigator named James. James is the boyfriend of Chariy who I met on Fremont St. one night. We began going by regularly for several weeks and we made some progress with them. Charity is of christian background and is fairly set in her ways. Plus her family is not supportive of our faith. James however, has never been baptized and is failing in his health. He wants to give his kids the right structure to be raised in should he pass. James has cancer. As a result he spent the last few months in the hospital for surgery. Once he got out we went back to see him. He is recovering well and said he read 3/4 of the Book of Mormon while he was in the hospital and believes it is the true word of God. Then he explained how he had researched the church on the internet...which contrary to popular belief is not a reliable source of information. Because of his research he encountered some concerns. These concerns were petty and the result of beligerant babbling and slander produced by those whose faith and testimony did not stand the test of trial. We addressed the best we could his concerns and left him with the admonition to ask God to help him find if this truly is His church. Instead he went back to the internet. But then he said he remembered what we asked him to do. So he prayed. He had the strong urge to study about the life of Joseph Smith. We visited him last night not knowing he had prayed or had studied this topic. His first question to us as we sat down was," When can someone get baptized?" You should have seen the look on our faces!!!! As it turns out, James, had studied Joseph Smith's life. We are not sure his sources but the Spirit showed him the truth. James is a 61 year old black man who has seen things I've only heard about regarding black, white relations. Not surprisingly this was one of the first concerns he voiced. However, after reading up on Joseph Smith, the Spirit taught him that Joseph Smith endured through many trials for something he was accused of fantasizing and fabricating. The Spirit taught James that Joseph Smith did not die in vain, that this is the true church, and that he was a prophet. He chose a day to be baptized and we will be working with him to achieve that goal. Moroni's promise is true (Moroni 10:4-5). I have seen it work over and over again not only for others but also myself.

 

I know this is the true Church. The gospel is the pathway to follow. It has only brought me happiness. True, sad things have happened in my life but as I live the gospel the saddness leaves and the happiness endures. It comes as a result of living the commandments and aligning my life with that of Christ. I am not perfect. And for that I am grateful because the only perfect man to walk this earth had to endure much more than I ever could. I am grateful for Christ and his atoning sacrifice and for all the faithful and loyal servants of our Heavenly Father who prophesied and preached of Him despite what persecution ensued. For their sacrifices I am grateful because through them the gospel has affected my own family and myself. I see what life is like without the gospel each and everyday as I watch from a distance those who reject our message. I see what changes the gospel can help make in the lives of those who humble themselves and learn of Christ and follow Him. He is our Saviour. He came to this world through humble means with a bold message to share. I know He lives!

 

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Cronin

December 5, 2011 Diets are Made to be Broken

Family,

This week was full of wonderful events. We had the opportunity to eat lunch with one of our members who has a brick pizza oven in her backyard. She cooked for our whole zone. It was an awesome expereince seeing as how her son and the sons of other sisters there are serving missions right now. Sister Jensen was the hostess and she said she told her son she was feeding us and I echo his response, " Feed the missionaries! The only thing you could do better would be to have them teach someone in your home." That is a truthism.

Donna was supposed to be baptized this saturday but fell ill and had to go to the hospital. We have visited her a few times and she seems to be in good spirits. She has been the topic of many of our prayers as of late. Her plan is to be baptized once she is released from the hospital.

The food here is so wonderful! At the beginning of my mission I thought white people food was very boring but now my opinion has changed. We rarely get the same thing twice. And with the holidays we get a lot of great food. Speaking of the Holidays,  Elder Reese and I decided to go on a 10 day diet from Dec1 - Dec 10 to make up for the glutony of Thanksgiving and prepare ourselves for Christmas. However, on day 2 I caught Elder Reese chugging from an A&W bottle! I continued on for the next couple of days. But then.........Mom's package arrived with the most delicious brownies I have ever tasted! So my diet has been ruined as well but with great food!!!

I love my new camera!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much! I cannot wait to put it to use. I think I am going to start using it for video journal entries and perhaps I can send those home.

Transfers are coming up on the 19th. Pray that I don't get transferred right before Christmas!!!!!!! I love the people here and would love to spend this holiday with them. But the Lord's will be done. To prepare for the CHristmas season I have been trying to develop my relationship with Christ even more. I have started by reading Jesus the Christ by James E Talmage. If you ever want to know Christ, this is an invaluable rescource of who He is!

The CHristmas Devotional last night was magnificent. I hope you all had the chance to see it.

Samuel plays the cello!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!? That is so cool!!!!!! That is one of my favorite instruments to listen to!

Myself and some other missionaries are putting together a rendition of Little Drummer Boy for our Mission Christmas Party. I hope to film it.

I love you all and wish you the merriest Christmas ever! I will miss you all this season but you are the greastest present I have. My family. In the words of the contemporary carol, "I'll be home [next] Christmas."

Love,

Elder Cronin