Family,
I hope this note finds you all well. Yet another week has come and gone. I cannot believe how fast time is flying. Tomorrow I will have been in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission for exactly one year. It is hard to believe. But as I look back my heart is filled with joy. This place has become holy to me. And it always will be.
The area I work in is fairly poor for the most part. I have become accustom to the style of life that is here. It has given me a new perspective on life. I have realized that money does not determine quality of life. However, righteousness does. Some of the wealthiest people I have met are unhappy because they are making the wrong decisions in life and some of the poorest people I have met are the happiest because they are living the gospel. My eyes have been opened to the important things in life as I have served here.
However, my interest in the best of things has not quite been quelled. Amidst the ghetto of Las Vegas that is peppered with homeless people and defined by weekly and monthly motels which do not advertise their hourly rates, there are a few loft style high-rises that exemplify diamonds on black velvet. The tallest one in our area has always caught my eye. The occupants are rarely seen. But their vehicles are often out in the open unveiling the type of people who live there. For example we have seen a Maserati, Aston Martin Vanish, Porshe, Cl550s +, and many more exotic and expensive cars belonging to occupants of said loft. And all the while I have had a goal to get a return appointment in those lofts. Finally one day my opportunity came. We street contacted two women just outside of this loft. Usually when we ask people if they have read the Book of Mormon they respond by saying, "Yes, but I don't remember much," or the occasional, "Yes, I've read your book and no I'm not interested." Fair enough. But this time was different. As we asked these ladies this question one responded with a no and the other with a yes. We asked the latter what she like about what she had read. We were shocked when she began describing her interest in the story of the 2000 Stripling Warriors!!!! It is one thing to read the book and it is an entirely different entity to have remembered the stories much less the principles taught with the stories. We asked if she would like to learn more and she accepted pointing to the loft and said we could find her there. I masked my utter excitement to finally go into this diamond on the black velvet of the ghetto of Las Vegas and did my best to appropriately express our amazement in her knowledge of the Book of Mormon. When went back for the appointment we entered through the lobby and befriended the man running the front desk who informed us that she was not picking up her phone and thus we could not go up to see her. Grateful for the opportunity to have only entered the lobby with purpose but disappointed that this elect individual had flaked we left for dinner. After dinner we made plans to go back and see if she was home. And this time she answered and invited us up. The front desk man let us up. We rode the elevator with an Aussie who had been here for only a few months. He was incredibly ripped so our first thought was that he worked for the "Thunder Down Under." Don't Google that. But he told us he was a consultant. Fair enough. Our investigator answered the door. She introduced herself as Valoma and invited us in. We could see the spectacle of Las Vegas neon through the opposite window and it was breath taking. However, seeing as how she was single and I had only brought my companion along we could not go in unless we had another male. We explained this to her and in turn she invited us to the roof instead. We accepted and I held back my sheer excitement to not only get a chance to teach but but to have the visit on the roof of this high-rise. The view was amazing!!!!!!!!! It was a view of Las Vegas I have never seen before. I did not bring my camera so I was bummed but honestly I dont' think my camera could do the view any justice. We proceeded to get to know Valoma. It turns out she knows so much about the church because she has been dating a member of the church for the past year. She has read through the Book of Mormon, Our search for Happiness, and Mine Errand is the Lord's by Boyd K. Paker! Unbelievable! But it is true. She had some amazing questions and intelligent and spirit directed comments. We invited her to follow the commandment in 2 Nephi 31:11 and be baptized. She accepted!!!!! That was it. That was the most amazing lesson I have ever had in my entire life! We meet with her again soon and continue. We have tremendous faith in this sister. I'll keep you posted.
The conference with Elder Jensen was also amazing. I was taught much. And I have been applying many of the principles he taught us and I already feel a difference in who I am. It is hard to believe how much I have changed, how much my desires have changed. I feel much happier than I ever have before.
Until next week!
Love,
Elder Cronin
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