Elder Horan and Elder Crandall on P-day!!!

Elder Crandall enjoying the view.

Good Stuff.

Last week was such a fun P-day!  Since we are in the office Monday mornings in meeting we often don't get a lot of time to go and play... but last Monday we were able to drive up the canyon that goes to Kern Valley and my oh my it was a blast!  I miss just running around in the wilderness jumping from rock to rock and just being a kid!  Life as an assistant is so busy that we don't ever get to just come out of our weird shell and goof around.  Reminded me a lot of the good ole' days with Davis, Bowen, Tanner, Seth, Jeff and Andrew Playing in Little Cottonwood Canyon!

This week we had 2 exchanges. I was able to go with Elder Eastmond and Elder Burke.  I've been on an exchange with Elder Eastmond before and I've been companions with Elder Burke.  They are both powerhouses. They really understand their purposes as missionaries.  I often wonder to myself... why am I the one "training" these missionaries when all that is really happening is they are training me!  Haha!  We found 15 New investigators and set every single one of them with a baptismal date!

Members often wonder why missionaries would invite someone to be baptized on the very first visit... well, that is the goal we are there to help them achieve...If we don't know what we are striving to reach... then we will never reach it!  I am so thankful for Preach My Gospel and how it teaches me how I can become an effective tool in Heavenly Fathers Hands!

On my Exchange with Elder Burke right as we were getting out of the car I spotted a man with a red hat and a back pack a ways down the road heading to his apartment.  I had the strongest feeling to run him down!  We booked it over there and couldn't find him so knocked on a couple of doors.  No luck. We were just about to leave when a woman came up the aparment stairs with a laundry basket.  She immediately recognized me!  Elder Matheny and I had helped her and her husband with service about 6 months ago.  We had completely lost contact with them.  She let us in... and there stood the man with a red hat and a back pack!  We were able to sit down and share a very powerful restoration lesson in which the emphasis was on the Atonement.  Often times we don't emphasis the atonement but rather the priesthood or the book of mormon.  The man's name is J**J** He expressed several things that he has done that he was beating himself up for.  He said the only thing that had helped him at all with his problems was the Atonement.  He understood that through the priesthood and a living prophet on the earth today he could have FULL access to the blessings and healing power that Christ offers.  We are so lucky to know and understand the message of the Restoration. It was amazing to be a part of.  Oddly enough too... He had randomly popped into my head one night as I was falling asleep and I thought to myself how cool it would be to run into him again. Thank goodness we have a God of Miracles:)

M** and J** M** are going to be baptized this coming Saturday.  Both of them have been so much fun to teach!  When someone is ready to hear the Gospel... it almost seems as though it takes no effort on our part as missionaries! They are like sponges... they soak it all up on their own!

We saw a miracle with S**.  S** is the one who knows the bible better than I probably ever will.  She has been continuously praying for the past 3 weeks about whether or not she needs to be baptized.  She has been baptized in a christian church and was quite set on that being "good enough for her."  Well, apparently the spirit gave her what she would call a "God Smack."  We went over for a lesson and she just had this grin on her face that she couldn't hold back... As we were sitting down she practically blurted out that she received her answer!  The truth has been revealed to her through earnest study and prayer.  Once an answer is given through the spirit... no one can take that away from you.  We taught her the Word of Wisdom that night and she gave us her pack of cigarettes.  

It was pretty funny... We forgot to schedule a time with her as we left that night in a hurry to get to another lesson.... so the first thing she said to me when I saw her the next morning at church was "HEY! you think you can get away without scheduling an appointment with me!"  We just love S**:)

D&C 42 6-8

6 And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, ^atwo by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a ^btrump, declaring my word like unto angels of God.
 7 And ye shall go forth baptizing with water, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 8 And from this place ye shall go forth into the regions westward; and inasmuch as ye shall find them that will receive you ye shall ^abuild up my church in every region—

Shout out to my mommy.  Recover quick! Remember when I was younger and you dropped me off at nana's and came back after an eye surgery! I thought for sure you were a whole other person with that eye patch on and that you were coming to kid nap me! haha

You will be in my prayers... (even though you already are... every night!)

Elder Crandall the Vandal

California Bakersfield AP's in August 2015

Craziness Continues

We had lots and lots going on this week.

We did a training in Mojave this week with ALL of the Zone Leaders and District Leaders in the mission! It was so fun to come together and discuss how we can better help our brothers and sisters come to Christ.  There was definitely a powerful spirit there.  It is not very often in life that you get to be in the presence of such a large group of consecrated missionaries ready and willing to do whatever it takes to please the Lord.

We discussed a lot about how important it is to deliver messages to your stewardship clearly.  I didn't think my testimony about the Restoration could grow while training about leadership but it has.  The Gospel was changed and lost when passed poorly from person to person.  The telephone game should in reality be called the apostasy game! haha  If President Wilson gives the Assistants his vision and then we do a poor job at explaining what it is... then the whole mission will dwindle and perish.  We always need to be pointed in a direction and we often need reminding about that direction!  Can you imagine the chaos and confusion we would be in if we didn't have a living prophet and twelve apostles to follow?!  

I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting today... It was the first time in my life that I was the last speaker.  I've seen a huge change in my confidence from the beginning of my mission with public speaking.  I actually really really enjoy doing it.  I love being able to share what I know to be true. I'll put my talk in the email so you can see what it was on.

Talk

Isaiah 55:8-9
How can our ways and thoughts become the same as the Lord’s ways and thoughts?
1 Nephi 10:19
The Holy Ghost is God’s messenger to teach us truth and change our hearts. If we didn’t have the Holy Ghost we could never learn God’s ways. It is only through recognizing the promptings of the Holy Ghost and Following them that we can become the person God wants us to become.

I was Asked to speak about how the spirit will convert us and help us to become the tool God needs us to be.
If the spirit is vital in learning truth from God, then it is vital we learn how the spirit speaks to us individually.

I’d like to share my brother’s example of how he has felt the spirit.  This is taken from a few paragraphs of a book he is writing.

Story

I love this example because I remember my brother being on the roof all the time and every time he would come down he seemed to be much more calm and happy.

As I have felt the spirit more and more, I’ve realized that the spirit is the ultimate comforter… this is explained well in…

John 14:26-27

Before my mission I felt the spirit comforting me differently. Actually, the spirit made me feel uncomfortable at times. I was always nervous to go to firesides or youth conferences because I always felt a similar feeling.  I felt the need to stop doing something I knew I shouldn’t be doing.  The spirit was telling me I needed to repent.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

The spirit will make you feel Godly Sorrow so that you recognize what you are doing is wrong.  This is not to be confused with worldly sorrow.  Worldly Sorrow is the feeling of hopelessness, the inability to change, and worthlessness. Heavenly Father would never give us those kinds of feelings.  Those feelings come from the Devil.

The reason I bring this up is that if we are a broken tool, then Heavenly Father can’t use us to do His work!  The spirit can heal us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, but only if we heed those promptings from the sprit that tell us what we need to repent of.

I’ll use a simple example….

If someone went out hunting but they took a gun that was broken or jammed… They would have no success trying to shoot a deer.  They would have to take the time to fix the broken pieces or unclog the jam.   It is the same with us…… If we are broken or jammed because of sin, Then Heavenly Father can’t use our full potential.  We must repent and forgive so that the Atonement can Heal us.  When we do this we are able to become the tool Heavenly Father needs us to be.

Alma 34:31-32

The very instant we turn to Christ is the same instant he begins to change us.

One thing that is emphasized often by our Heavenly Father and his prophets is missionary work.  The most important tool you can be in Heavenly Father Hand is to be a missionary.  Whether that be a full-time missionary or a member missionary.  Heavenly Father wants and needs his Children to hear his message.  

Doctrine and Covenants 4:3-4

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

I know through my own experience of being on a mission… that if you want to have the spirit more in your life, you must share the Gospel.  When you share the Gospel to your friends a few things are happening.

First, you are showing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that you love them. “If you love me, feed my sheep.”
Second, you are showing your friend that you love them! 
Third, you are bringing salvation to your own soul.

Lastly, you are giving the Holy Ghost the opportunity to testify of truth.  When you tell a friend that you know the book of Mormon is true, or you bear your testimony about how Jesus Christ can forgive sins… The Holy Ghost will always be present to confirm what you’ve said.  The more eternal truths you share each day… the more uplifted you will feel by the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Testimony.

Hope you enjoy it and can picture me delivering it with a smile and of course eye contact;) haha

Here is a quote I heard this week that I love...

 "Jesus had not finished his work when his body was slain, neither did he finish it after his resurrection from the dead; although he had accomplished the purpose for which he then came to the earth, he had not fulfilled all his work. And when will he? Not until he has redeemed and saved every son and daughter of our father Adam that have been or ever will be born upon this earth to the end of time, except the sons of perdition. That is his mission."-D. Todd Christofferson

Shout out to My grandparents! Yesterday was grandparents day and I love you all!!  

Love Elder Crandall the Vandal

Little Caesars Guy Who Spins the Sign Around - Very Cool Guy

He is looking pretty excited about his donuts. 
So glad he still knows how to have fun.

The 4 AP's and
the Elder in charge of the cars for the Bakersfield mission.

The 4 AP's for the California Bakersfield Mission

Looks a little bit risky, but I think he is safe. :)

A very inspirational woman!!!!

We Did It!

This was such a packed week! Transfers went smoother than I think they ever have.  We planned well enough that there weren't any last minute surprises thankfully haha!

So some members gave us a gift card this last week with quite a bit of money on it to LOGAN'S Roadhouse.  All 4 of us Assistants decided we should treat ourselves after such a busy week.  Let's just say we splurged. I definitely got shrimp and it was amazing! haha We were all stuffed as could be when I pulled out my wallet and pulled out the gift card.  Well, little did Elder Crandall know we were at ORIGINAL Roadhouse! haha! So I asked the waiter if she'd let it slide but to no avail.  We ended up having to cover the check with our funds... so it is safe to say I will be eating top ramen the rest of the month! haha Except... we still have a gift card to Logan's;) haha

R** M** was baptized on Saturday!!  It was such an amazing experience for everyone who came to support her.  She was just smiling from ear to ear the whole time with tears in her eyes.  After she was baptized she had prepared a 7 page testimony that she shared.  It was so cool to hear her talk about how God helped her find the path.  The littlest things like being broken into will lead you to end up finding the straight and narrow.  She was a referral from a vivint salesman.  Her road is so hidden and disguised that we would never have even found her street if we weren't told to try by.  She is one of the most converted people I've seen.  There is a quote in Preach My Gospel that says "you can't convert someone beyond your own conversion," but I think we may have! haha  She made enchiladas Saturday night for a baptism get-together she threw Sunday after church.  However,  she was up past midnight and couldn't taste test it... because she knew it was Fast Sunday!  

Mission Leadership Council was one of my favorites yet!  We had to drop off departing missionaries at the airport that morning at 5.  After we dropped them off, we figured we wouldn't have time to go back to bed before we traveled to Tehachapi for the meeting... so we went to Fabulous Burger.  It is a 24 hour burger joint that feeds missionaries for free!  We all got french toast and watched the sunrise in the back of a pick up truck just outside Fabulous Burger... It was definitely a morning I will always remember. (Might surprise you that I'll remember it considering how tired we were! haha).  Anyways, we planned for the MLC the night before while all the departing missionaries anxiously packed their bags.  I was surprised that morning when our notes actually made sense and for the parts we didn't plan as well for, we just followed the spirit and it turned out great!  

We are really trying to improve our fundamentals as missionaries.  If you don't know the basics... then you won't have confidence to do the complex.  One of the commitments our whole mission was given is to Role play every single day.  I use to HATE roleplays... but now... my day isn't complete without doing a roleplay! They can be so much fun and revelatory if you want them to be!  You only get out of something what you are willing to put in!

I went to Elder Burke's Zone Training Meeting (I trained him as a zone leader back when).  He is such a stud. I know I will keep in contact with him after the mission!  He talked about how we need to be BOVING (Bold & Loving) when we work with investigators.  That is something we laughed about and would say to each other when we were companions... so to see him bring it to full light just cracked me up.

It was such a fun week... and yes... oh yes... this next week will be another crazy one! Woot!!

Shout out to R** M**, Thank you for being such an inspiration to me! I wish I could have learned to accept the gospel as fast as you did!

Love, Elder Crandall the Vandal

Assistants and Elder Carper (who went home last transfer)

Assistants and Elder Morris, who is responsible for the cars.



Missionaries just want to have fun.
Sleep over outside.  Woot.




Looks like they slept very well.  Way to go Elders

In a Rush!!!

This email is a little late and won't be as long as I wish it could be due to Transfers and MLC all in the same week.  However, last week was amazing and I wish I could tell you about everyday in detail but we'll see how much I'm able to write about before I have to get back to business.

Rita Mejia is getting baptized this coming Saturday.  She is such an amazing person.  We had a lesson with her in Brother Kummer's house this past week.  We were teaching her the final lesson's she needed to be ready for baptism.  Brother Kummer made a comment about the Priesthood and explained why a person would need to be baptized again if they were baptized in the Catholic church or any church for that matter.  As he finished speaking.... she told us later... that she heard a voice speak to her and tell her to "Say Yes"  The next question we asked her was.  "Rita, do you feel ready to be baptized this Saturday?"  She was very tender and said yes.  She felt an overload of the spirit multiple times this weekend and it was so great to be a part of.  She was worried last week that she hadn't received a direct answer to her prayers.  She told us that she not only believes these things are true now... but that she KNOWS for herself that they are because the spirit confirmed it to her.  It is so great to hear someone else's most sincere spiritual experience.  I hold mine very dear to my heart and will never forget the times I've had the gospel confirmed to me.

I finished the Book of Mormon this week.  I decided that if the Book of Mormon really is true... then Heavenly Father would continue to tell me that it is.  I wen't into a quiet room and prayed to know if it was true.  I waited for about 5 minutes listening and feeling for His answer.  Nothing came.  However, the thought came to me "Just go throughout the rest of the week and see."  Well, I had more times than normal to be able to bear heartfelt testimony about the truth of that book.  Sunday night we were in a really great lesson in which our investigators really understood that everything we talked about lay in the balance of whether or not that book is true.  The lesson ended with an amazing tender mercy.  As I bore testimony about the Book of Mormon, I felt the most incredible surge of the spirit flow through my body. I once again and always will know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. If you knock, He will answer.

I'll need your prayers to make it through this hectic week.  Hopefully I make it and you get an email from me next week;) haha

Love Elder Crandall the Vandal