November 28, 2011 Tis the Season

Family!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!!! We surely did! And we are still eating the left overs. Big, high calorie meals! I have to eat as much as I can now because my companion and I have committed to going on a 10 day power diet starting the first of December. Mostly, it is to make up for how much we indulged over Thanksgiving and make room for Christmas. We'll see how things go.

Our Thanksgiving meal was delicious! Sister Patsy Wilson invited us and one of our investigators over that day. Sister Wilson is a well known cook here in the ward and even in the stake. All who know her know her tender heart and savory dishes! She has helped us with a few of our investigators so we have developed a relationship with her and her family. One time we were over there and her son was in from out of town. We had brought an investigator over for dinner that night. Sister Wilson's son is a member and when asked to say the prayer he started out by saying, "Dear Buddha....." I'm pretty sure my heart leaped out of my chest! Luckily, our investigator had been around other members before so he knew it was a joke. It did make me laugh I must admit because when I heard it, I thought of Octavia and her comment to Dad about the Buddha figurines we have.

Every time Thanksgiving rolls around I realize how ungrateful I have been throughout the year. I am grateful for so many things. When I feel shorted or uncomfortable it is usually because I have not taken the time to count my blessings. This is something I need to be more diligent about doing. 

So, we have been riding the bus every now and again and it has resulted in some very interesting experiences. We are easily recognized of course. On one occasion, we were approached by a homeless man who bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon. Said he wanted to learn more but had no home. Another man approached us and said he wanted to tell us what it is we believed in as he started out saying, "If I understand you all correctly you believe in some cosmic, zombie, Jew who is his own father, killed himself to save us from himself...." That's when we started ignoring him. He recognized that and walked off saying he had beat us at our own religion, mingled with some cuss words. It made for an exciting night.

Saturday we are baptizing Donna. She is a wonderful single lady who lives by herself with no family or friends. Her life was spiraling down and she got in touch with us. Since we have been going, we have seen a light in her grow each and every day. She loves reading and most of the principles stick. She is very active in coming to church activities and a very friendly lady. She has invited everyone she's talked to to her baptism. We are excited for her!

One of the goals our mission has is to bring the members into missionary work so that we are equally yoked in bringing souls to Christ. This ward we are in is a fairly old, demographically, ward yet they are dedicated to the gospel. We have a wonderful relationship with the members and they trust and respect us. It is a blessing for us.

The work here is not easy. It is a struggle each day to walk away with a smile from a conversation with someone who has just defaced our religion with slandering comments and rude remarks. Sometimes I don't smile. But I try. It has taken me the better part of 23 years to understand what it is that drives me and brings me true happiness. I cannot expect them to get the picture in just a 30 second street contact. But I know that if they would open their hearts and minds and plant a seed of faith that they could know. Often, I walk away from these conversations feeling I have wasted my time. But then we sit down with someone who has accepted an invitation for us to return and with the strength of the Spirit we testify of what we know to be true and invite them to ask God for their own answer of truth and they accept and they receive an answer. At that moment I realize that Basket Weaving Billy who hates Mormons was merely a means to an end. How could I appreciate the sweetness of the sincere prayer of an investigator if I had no nay-sayers to contrast and provide the black velvet for the diamond of a developing testimony? I could not. I know that there is opposition in all things. That opposition makes me smile. It is part of God's plan.

Love,

Elder Cronin

Riding the Deuce

The Clark Family

Volleyball!!!

November 21, 2011 City of Neon

Family,

 

Life is great. I'm a missionary!!! I have no complaints. The ward members treat us so wonderfully. We are fed each night and they are great meals. Some members even accept some last minute lunch appointments with us when we're in the area. I love the members here and their desires to participate in missionary work.

 

As I sat in church on Sunday, I realized the likelihood of me leaving this area at the end of this transfer. When I first came to this area I had no love for it. But I have since dedicated my whole heart to it. To leave it will be sad and heartbreaking. To leave the Slightings will be as well. But I will go where the Lord will have me and I will work my hardest here before I leave. Just to put things into perspective, I have attended this ward longer than I have attended anywhere continuously since I graduated high school.

 

We are very busy these days with the area and with the zone. Last Thursday we took all the missionaries down to Fremont Street and sang and talked to everyone we could. The new missionaries took a moment to get adjusted and work up the courage to talk to people. Eventually they did and they did it well!!! There were a few people who were rude to us but what can we expect? However, there were quite a few people who actually stopped and talked to us. Some even sang with us. This Thursday we are having a mission-wide Turkey Bowl! And on Dec 7 we are having a Mission Christmas Party! President and Sister Neider are keeping themselves busy.

 

Not too much else is happening here in the City of Neon. God still directs this work and we see his hand every day. Alma 26:12 comes to mind.

 

I know this is Christ's restored church here on this earth. And that he is the Christ. And that in and only through him may we return to live with our Heavenly Father. I know the purpose of life! The gospel of Jesus Christ has taught it to me. I am beginning to understand more about who I am. I am a son of God. I am a son of two loving, dedicated, and charitable parents. I am a missionary. I am a disciple of Christ. Oh, and I'm a Mormon!

 

Love,

Elder Cronin

November 14, 2011 A Testimony

Family,

I cannot believe we are halfway through November already. 2012 is almost here! But before we get there we must celebrate Thanksgiving and think of and share all the things for which we are grateful. I have noticed much more on my mission than at any other time in my life the lack of emphasis on Thanksgiving. Lights are already up for Christmas. Music is already tuned to the Christmas genre. And our minds seems to be more impressed with what we want than what we already have. I am grateful for so many things in my life it would take all my time to share them with you. However there is one that I share with others on a daily basis. That is my family. If only the world could understand the importance of a happy family or any family for that matter. I realized something the other day that blew my mind. I am not sure the exact statistics but from the many situations I have seen on my mission, the relationships, the homes, I have come to this conclusion: The concept of marriage is lost outside of those who know and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Too often today are couples living together with no commitment. The only thing that suggests a commitment should be made is the birth of a child out of wedlock but even then, society does not seem to require that. Does the world believe in falling in love anymore and expressing that love by expressing a desire to spend the rest of their life with that individual? I have not seen this very much. That may seem like a generalization and perhaps it is, regardless, it is my perspective and what I have seen and it saddens me. It is sad to see a family who is happy, but the parents have no legal or heavenly bond between them. It saddens me because I have experienced the blessings of this type of household where the mother and father are legally married in this life and are sealed together for eternity. It makes the disagreements seem so small and the future so bright! Each day I share with people how my family has been a blessing to me and I come up with something new each day. I do not want a temporary family, I want a forever family. And I am tremendously grateful to be a part of a forever family.

I might have told you last week but I am starting the Book of Mormon over again in Spanish and English. With each chapter there is not doubt that this book is true. Countless times I have heard the sad attempts of the defacing efforts of others to undermine the Book of Mormon. They just have not read it! Any man who reads that book with the intent to know if it is of God and not merely an invention of man with realize with certainty that it is true. Anyone who does not know it is true has either not read it or has read it with the wrong intentions. We are humans and we are intelligent we can take any truth and rationalize its invalidity. However, that rationalization can only last so long until the truth comes back more boldly and apparent than before. I can understand that there are those out there who fear reading the book because of what it will entail for them and their lives if they find out it is true. The truth shall set you free, I think it was once said. And there is no bondage that I feel in knowing the Book of Mormon is true and that it came through the graces of God to our hands today. There is only freedom.

Speaking of freedom, we recently celebrated Veterans Day. Thanks to all who have served and are serving. The religious freedom we enjoy cleared the way for the Restoration of the gospel to take place here in the USA.

We had a baptism on Saturday! His name is Oscar. He found us. We first ran into him on the street but then by his own accord he showed up to church one day. We began teaching him and he wanted to be baptized but then he disappeared for a minute. He came back to church and asked us that day how he could prepare himself to be baptized! We caught our breath and shared with him a few things that would have to happen. His baptism was very powerful. See, Oscar was one of those souls who had already been baptized. And he shied away from baptism because of this. Most of our efforts with him were directed towards helping him understand the importance of authority. An ice-cream truck driver cannot pull you over and give you a ticket (unless Pat is driving) but a Highway patrol-man surely can. Why? Well, who has the authority? Exactly. God is no different. If we are to be baptized as was Christ, why would we not do as he did and be baptized by a person who hold the authority to perform the baptism? Christ walked nearly 70 miles to reach John the Baptist. Why did he not ask his neighbor or someone who was closer in distance to save the trip? Yes, he is Christ, and yes he is the Son of God, but even still he needed someone who has the authority to perform his baptism. Somehow this has been lost in translation for the world. But through prayer ans study Oscar came to know that he needed to be baptized by proper authority. At his baptism he stood and bore his testimony. The spirit was so very strong and told each of us that he had done the right thing. Our next step is to get him out to share his testimony with others that we teach.

You asked about my host family. Their name is the Slightings. And here is them in a nutshell:

Brother and Sister Slighting are both returned missionaries and BYU grads. They are the parents to four young kids, 2 turtles, a few fish, several chickens, a rabbit, a dog named Rufus who whimpers when you pet him, and 4 missionaries who life above their garage :)  Sister Slighting is a stay-at-home mother who holds a Spanish class for her kids once a week. She is very practical and charitable. She has an open door policy with the missionaries so we chat often. She feeds us every now and again and sees our presence as a blessing. She is a great mother. And a great example to us missionaries of the kind of woman we need to find after our missions. Brother Slighting is an avid BYU fan and opposed to all Utes. Including me. He does it with love though. A few years ago he walked in on his son stabbing a picture of a U of U football player. He trains them young :) Brother Slighting is, despite his disdain for the stomping grounds of the Lord's prophets, an exemplary husband. He yields to his wife and leads his family very well. He is the counselor in the Bishopric in his ward and the Spirit is very strong when you are around him. He loves his wife and it is obvious. They have 2 boys and two girls. They are great kids. They love learning and participating in church activities. And they love the missionaries.

We could not ask for a better host family. They are a blessing to us. They go to Utah often so I hope to cross paths with them again after my mission.

So I have typed so much my hands are sore. The church is true and I bid you all adieu.

Love,

Elder Cronin

November 7, 2011 Transfers

Family!

Transfers are tomorrow!!!!! We found out today that Elder Reese and I are staying together for another 6 weeks! We are looking forward to a new transfer. We will be staying these six weeks still in the house with the Slightings. Sister Slightings just made a big breakfast for out Zone this morning so we could announce Stay-Gos. Only 3 people in our Zone are being transferred. And of those remaining 4 will be here in the zone 6 months, including myself, by the end of the transfer.

I have finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish, and yes it is still true. And I just finished the Doctrine and Covenants as well. I have learned so very much about my Savior and about the Spanish language in reading these two books. I am beginning again the Book of Mormon, reading it this time in both English and Spanish. In my English copy I am marking by topic and looking for patterns in the nature of God and prophets and anything else that I come across. In my Spanish copy I am highlighting words that I do not know and looking up their definition as I read aloud each word. I am hoping that this will expand my vocabulary. It is amazing the strength I feel as I read intently and with focus in the mornings as apposed to those mornings when I am merely looking a the words. I am hoping that my focus on the scriptures will bring more understanding to me as pertaining to the principles of the gospel.

We just had stake conference yesterday. I have only attended 2 stake conferences since beginning my mission. they are a wonderful opportunity to hear from our leaders who are receiving instruction from their stewards. The spirit of Revelation is powerful and present in those meetings.

I believe with all of my heart that my mission has saved my life. It has provided me with the proper tools and knowledge to enjoy a successful probation here on this Earth. I know that it is from the gospel and example of Jesus Christ that I have this opportunity and ultimately through the great wisdom of my Heavenly Father. I do not blink at the trials in my life with that formerly common thought of ,"Why?" I understand now that from any trial springs forth new found wisdom and blessings and faith. And for this reason I ask ,"How?" How can I take my circumstance and overcome the trial, avoid the heartache, and ultimatley do what my Heavenly Father would have me do. I have realized that my desires have not always been the Lord's and that to find true happiness I must make my desires his. WIth that in mind let me tell you of an experience I had this past week:

At the beginning of the week we had an appointment scheduled with an investigator who we had recently talked to on the street. This would be our first visit to her house. We took down her adress and other inportant information and bid farwell until the appointment. The night of the appointment my companion and I entered the apartment complex and I verbally confirmed the apartment for which we would search, "215," I said. My companion agreed, and we began looking at the numbers on the doors. Eventually, we found 211, then 212, and subsequently 213. When we reached this door knowing we were heading in the right direction, I realized I had proclaimed the wrong apartment number. At this point, 215 did not seem right. Normally, I would at this point, as I have done many times in these situations, pulled out my planner and looked for the right number. However, as I reached for my planner, I received the strongest impression not to check the apartment number and to knock on 215 anyways. There was a moment's hesitation, and then I proceeded to knock the door. The lady who opened the door said that her husband was a memebr of the church and that she would love to have us over. We swapped information and she closed the door. I was beyond words for what had just happened. But, I did not question the way of the Lord. We knocked on her door for a reason. Normally, I would have verified the number and went for the target door skipping over the mistaken one; however, this night the Spirit directed we do otherwise.

God has a hand in this work and we see it everyday. We see it in the roads we feel we ought not go down, the smiles from compelte strangers, the dogs who seem to quite when we come by, the people with whom we share the message of the Restored Gospel. Christ lives! The atonement is real and is available for our use if only we will follow our Heavenly Father with full purpose of heart.

I love this work, this calling, this title, this responsibility.

Love,

Elder Cronin

October 31, 2011 Happy Halloween

Family,

It is so wonderful to hear of all your adventures. Everyone is growing up. I truly wish I could be there. I remember what a thrill it was to have family and friend supporting me in the stands and in the audiences as I grew up and nutured my talents. However, there is nowhere else I'd rather be than here in the ghetto of Las Vegas bearing testimony to those who despise me for my youth, criticize me for my faith, and ignore me because fo their pride. Because admist all of them are those who we call the elect, the ones who are humble and open minded and ready to change.

One of those people is me. My mission has exposed every one of my weaknesses to me. I think they give us two years to serve so that we can see these weaknesses and overcome them. Any shorter time would not be sufficient.

We start week 6 today of the transfer. And for those of you who are not mission savy that means we only have one wek until I could be transferred to another area or be told to say another 6 weeks. I would be happy with either outcome. I want to go where the Lord will send me. There is nothing that brings me more joy than knowing that I am working for the Lord in his way.

I am at a point in my mission right now where everything seems normal that I do as a missionary. At the beginning of my mission the routines seemed non-routine. Talking to random people about the Gospel is natural now. Leaving commitments with others and following up is second nature. And studying and applying is instinct. My vision now is to enhance my performance in these areas and others.

Yesterday I had a very interesting experience. I am not very confrontational here on my mission. Especially when it comes to things that happen in the streets. However, yesterday I had a confrontation with a gentleman. Contention is of the Devil so I know that I acted out of line when a man told me he would pray that I gain understanding and then asked how old I was. I told him my age and he responded with his age which was roughly twice as much. Before he could say anything else these words came out of my mouth, "That may be true sir but we have twice as much intelligence at this moment than you." He was taken aback and then quited some Bible verse and said that the man who calls himself wise is unwise. I washed that around in my mind all day and realized my words were out of line. However, later that same night we were speaking to one of our investigators. He explained his excitement to begin meeting with us citing his reasoning he said, "I may be twice your age but you all have much more knowledge about this stuff than I do." His humility humbled me. Ironic, no. There are many lessons like this that I have learned in the field.

The 26th marked my first year in the actual mission here. It was an interesting day. It made me think about my progress. I looked at notes and journal entries form the past year and realized how much my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown. And how many wonderful habits I have formed and how many bad habits I have kicked. My mission has been very therapeutic in this aspect for me as well.

Family I love each and everyone of you. Go share your testimony with someone it will brighten their day!

Love,

Elder Cronin

October 24, 2011 A New View

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

October 17, 2011

Family,

 

Thank you so much for all the goodies. The cupcakes were delicious and decadent! Mom, did you make those from that chocolate recipe book? The cinnamon rolls and brownies just arrived today. I think they had been sitting in the mission office for the last week but I am sure that with a good nuke they will be just fine. I have refined my taste and creation of food while on my mission. I have actually learned a little about baking. I don't know if I told you but a few P-days ago a tried my hand at baking bread. It turned out wonderful and occasionally I'll make a desert of some sort from scratch. I have found that preparing food for my companions is the best way to serve them. It brings me happiness to cook and create and to watch them enjoy the meal.

 

I have been blessed with great companions so far. Some have posed more problems than others and with each we have had our differences. As you know I like to do things my way. But sometimes I am not right. So my pride gets to me in those situations. But I have learned a valuable lesson. I have learned that with any conflict a resolution can be found in rendering service. King Benjamin is the greatest example of this. He was such a great leader who served his people that to this day the indigenous inhabitants of South America still tell of a story of a great King who ruled in righteousness. And today we all have the record found in the first chapters of Mosiah of his address to his people where he taught them that to serve your fellow man is to serve God. That is what I see my mission as. I see it as pure service to others. Sometimes I seek to serve myself to much and I feel out of place. But there is a joy that comes unlike any other joy I have felt when I render service to someone and have no expectations of receiving anything in return. I think in the past I had always expected something for, at times, nothing.

 

I am so grateful for the example of  charitable family members and their willingness to serve others. Many memories have flooded back to me of Christlike service that I either witnesses or experienced in the past. We must stand as a witness in all places and in all times and I am grateful for those who did that in my life.

 

Saturday we had one of the most memorable baptisms of my entire mission. I went a little like this:

 

One month and a half ago while Elder Aaron was still here we were coming back from working one night when Elder Aaron's tire went flat on his bike. There were three of us. We all hoped off our bikes and walked the rest of the 2 miles to our car. As we were walking we came to an intersection. Across the way was a younger woman who glanced at us. At the moment she was walking away from us but once she saw us she hesitated and turn towards us. We crossed the street to her side and we approached each other and began talking. It was traditional missionary talk about a belief in God and a desire to change. We noticed immediately that there was something peculiar about this woman. She wore a shawl over her head but she was Caucasian. We told her our plight of Elder Aaron's bike and she asked if she could walk home with us. We agreed. I cannot recall the complete conversation but I do remember her name, Kimberly, and setting up a return appointment with her with less than hopeful expectations of actually finding her there. However, to our surprise she was at home. She explained to us that she had moved from Wisconsin to get away from a rough life and she wanted to change. We ensured her we knew a way she could. She was all ears. We began by teaching her the restoration and everything clicked with her. We introduced her to a sister in the Ward who hosted most of our lessons. Kimberly followed along with almost everything. She was always eager to learn. She told us she wanted the fast track to baptism and we gave it too her. She had some things she had to work out before she could be baptized but she endured to the end and endured well. If there was ever anyone I knew who had a desire to be baptized no one understood and embraced its concept more than Kimberly. She knew she needed to be pure and she knew that she could. She knows that God loves her and that the commandments are here for our protection. In the short time we knew her we saw a miraculous change. She went from timid and ashamed to bright and confident in that short amount of time. Unfortunately she made plans to only stay in Vegas for a couple of months and will be heading back to Wisconsin next Wednesday. However, of all the places she chose to escape sex, drugs, and rock and roll she chose Las Vegas. And of all the people she could have run into she ran into the Lord's missionaries. God lives. And his hand is in each of our lives. We only need to look for it.  Kimberly was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. It was a sweet experience. One I will never forget.

 

Elder Marlin Jensen will be touring our mission this week on Thursday and Friday. We are super excited to have him come. He is a church historian and is steward over our mission and the others in our region.

 

That is about all. I love all of you so very much! Thank you for your support and encouragement. The Ward in GA has been inspiring with their letters. Send them my love.

 

May the Lord bless you according to your obedience,

Love

Elder Cronin

-- 

"But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you from bondage" Mosiah 7:33

Kimberly's baptism!!!

Sad Dog!!