April 21, 2011

Family,

I am still here. Alive and well. And if I understand correctly you all will be at Grandma Mac's place when I call for Easter? If so that will be awesome! I would love to talk to everyone! As far as Skype goes we have not yet received permission in our mission to use Skype. So it might just be another 40 minute phone call. You might as well start assigning time slots for everyone :)

This past week has been great. We have been working very hard to fill our teaching pool in each of our wards. This hard work has yielded a few new investigators. It is amazing to see the blessings that come with hard work. It truly is a result of obedience I am convinced. It is amazing to see the Lord's hand in each aspect of our work. 

Elder Holt and I are going on 4.5 months as a companionship here in the office. We have done a lot to help out the mission, especially with this office transition. This assignment is very unique and I feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity. As an office missionary we do the following: baptize, teach, proselyte, learn, deliver, pick-up, engineer, trouble-shoot, train, discuss, make decisions, make mistakes, and become more like Christ. We have the privilege of knowing, front to back, in and out, how the mission runs. It will be different not being in this assignment, being out of the loop, and getting more sleep :) But while I am here I focus on doing my best and being the best person and son of God that I can. It is more difficult than it might seem but the challenges only make me stronger.

Elder Holt and I have been having a lot of fun lately as well. Periodically throughout the day we set up the camera on the dashboard and film our conversations. We are going to edit the film we have to produce The Chronicles of an Office Elder :) We'll be sure to give you a copy once it's done. 

I have to be honest with you all and I'm not sure I've shared this with you all yet. But I miss Spanish work! I speak the language as much as possible but I am not really progressing. I haven't really had much immersion into the language or culture yet on my mission but of what I did experience in Elko I love it. I kind of attribute this feeling towards the food. Surprised? The truth is that Hispanic food is just more exciting. It's always something new. Not always is it pleasant but its always different. I like the unpredictablity I guess. When I come home you'll have to remind me to share with you all my experience with cow tongue. 

My prayer is that I stay in this assignment as long as the Lord needs me here but that after my time is spent here that I go to a Spanish area. Brother Jimenez, my MTC teacher, taught us to be the culture we are in. So if we are serving in Canada, be a Canadian. If we are in Texas, be a Texan. And if we are in a town in Las Vegas that aside from the English street signs looks like Mexico, be a Mexican. I have applied this principle when I am around Hispanics and I received in return one of the greatest compliments I have gotten on my mission so far. Brother Hernandez, a Hispanic brother in one of our English wards has us over for dinner the other night and his wife cooked some authentic Hispanic food and in the conversation Brother Hernandez told me that I may look white but I seem Mexican! Success! Brother Jimenez told us that if we apply this principle we will gain the trust of those we teach. Without that trust the Spirit is hard to detect. 

Another reason, although not compeltely valid, for why I miss Hispanic culture and work, is that white people are boring. Their testimonies are wonderful (I say that like I'm not one of them) and their enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel is the best. But the majority of them are just plain bring, bless their souls. But I love each and every person I have met so far on my mission. That love that develops between a ward and their missionaries or an investigator and the missionaries is a sanctified love from our Heavenly Father. It is always amazing to me that I can feel compassionate about someone or some family that I have jsut barely met. But then I realize that we are messengers of our Heavenly Father and through us He expresses His love for these people He already knows, regardless of how long we have known them.

Austin is getting married next week! That is NUTs! But at least he's doing it on my birthday. He wrote me the other day and he is very happy. It's wonderful to see that. He is a great example to me and to all those around him. 
Callie is going or has gone on her first date? Do tell! And be sure he knows who I am, that I am not dead (although I have a memorial wall in the house), and that Callie is a Daughter of God. And I'm sure Callie will tell him that she is a princess and deserves to be treated like one. If he doesn't he'll have Samuel to deal with until I get home ;) That's right buddy I'm proud of you for sticking up for Callie at the beach. Keep up the good work. 

I love you all and cannot wait to talk to you.

Love,

Elder Cronin



P.S. Attached is a tour of all the places I have been so far in the mission. And so far I have visited each of the 11 Zones in our Mission. You will need Google Earth to view it. [I WILL TRY TO POST THIS ON THE SIDE BAR OF THE BLOG]