January 20, 2011

Family,

Well, I'm not in Elko anymore. I didn't survive the transfer. It was a sad day to leave that place. Especially some of the families we had recently come in contact with. Bishop gave be the opportunity to speak on Sudnay before I left for Vegas. It was heart wrenching to say goodbye to them. They told us in the MTC that we need to learn to love our investigators and the members. The truth is that as they told us that I thought to myself, "How could I love these people if I didn't even know them?"

But I just learned the meaning of the common venacular that I find a propo , "You don't know what you have it's gone." I fell in love with that town. I cared for its people and their progression in building their foundations for life. Some we reached, others we didn't. But at the end of it all I can say that for 3 months in Elko we planted seeds and built relationships that God willing will last forever. I can say that I left that place having no regrets.

So Mom and Dad you should be proud of me because for the first time in my life I have fallen, but not for a girl! Ha ha.

So we drove down to Vegas Monday morning and I spent the night in Anthem, the richest part of Vegas, before transfer conference the next day. We drove by Mike Tyson's house and the owner of EBAY's house as well. I was sick. Literally from going from hillbilly good-ole-boy town to walking into 20 million dollar homes on the Rio Secco Golf Course. We ate dinner that night with the owner of Sunburst Shutters, the inventor of the composite shutter blinds. He's got a sweet house. 

But that's enough about wordly things. Ha ha. I'm sure you're dying to know where I was transferred to. Well my new address is 3127 E. Warm Springs Rd. , Las Vegas, NV 89120. Sound familiar? It should because that is the mission office address. I was called to serve as an Office Elder! This is what that means:

We cover 3 wards: Valle Verde, Fountains, Silver Springs. Wake up at 6:10, proselyte until 9:00pm, work in the office until the tasks for the day are completed, so far we've gotten home at 12am each night! Lots of programming, networking, and computer trouble shooting.

It's a crazy schedule but to be a part of the organization and logistics of running this mission is a HUGE blessing. The truth is it is an answer to a prayer and one that I feel like the Lord has been preparing me for since I came out here. 

I'm understanding much more now why my mission has panned out the way it has so far. I know the Lord sent me to Elko to be trained for a reason. Dad was right, "[I wasn't] ready for the glitz and glam of Vegas," I needed an unbiased point to begin. And I believe with all my heart that the Lord put me with the best Trainer in the entire mission. Elder Macferran helped me build not only my testimony but make changes in my life to help me become a better person and set me up to have the potential to be a great missionary. I don't know what I did to deserve these experiences but I'm thankful for the blessings. 

That's what I'm up to now, it was good hearing from you all. I love you very much and continually pray for you. 

Love,

Elder Cronin