Keep the faith

It's been an awesome week!

I'm So Scared to turn 20 next week! I mean 21 is ok but 20? So old. Elder Rushton's Birthday is on the 10th so we are going to celebrate together next P-Day:) This next week, starting tonight...haha we have absolutely full of appointments which is really awesome and I'm excited for more teaching opportunities! So last Monday we kind of bummed it around downtown, went to the top of city hall and tried to find some new cool places! We found CROWLEY RD. here in Buffalo so that was sweet haha. Tuesday we had a great lesson with a man named R. He says everything he reads in the Book of Mormon answers his question that he has.... I said "Well Elder Page is a new Missionary, and it would be good practice for him to teach, so since you know a lot already could we 'practice teaching with you?" haha he said he would love too! So Elder Page led the Restoration lesson and we both bore a powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon! The spirit was strong and It was just one of those moments. It's funny how people just are so afraid to seek for more knowledge and GROW! We visited referrals the rest of the day and then had a lesson with B G. We tried to keep that fire lit under her since no one at her house is a member. We watched the "Our Eternal Life video" and it always makes get a little emotional because a lot of people don't know about the PLAN! Ugh we have to share it!

Wednesday we had a bunch of awesome appointments and they all fell through! It was also extremely hot and we biked all over our area! Thursday we had District meeting, and President and Sister Francis came! I trained on developing Christlike attributes, and we had an awesome discussion! The Spirit was strong. After my training President and Sister Francis did a little training on working with the low hanging fruit. And how to deal with some of the present challenges in our ward. President was truly inspired because he talked about some experiences that he had on his mission. I think It really gave some motivation! I was just praying that the things he would say would have an impact on our District! And they DID! President taught a lot out of Preach My Gospel, some of my favorite things were.... " Sometimes we can't take them out of the ghetto, but we can take the ghetto out them." Or he talked about when working with members teach doctrine and then ask who do you know that has recently 1. Lost a loved one 2. Had a new baby come to the family 3. Recently moved into the neighborhood 4. Is having difficulty dealing with troubled teenagers? Ehem...EVERYONE! Haha But President coming was such a blessing and I know that we can get out there and do it with the Lord on our side as we continue to set our hand to the plough! Friday we had a great weekly planning session! Elder page said " weekly planning seems like it really does help" YES it does! Planning is the difference between good, better, and best results in most cases. We have to plan, and then follow through! I have a testimony of planning even though I have never liked to plan things in my life haha, I've always been more of a list kind of person. But I'm grateful for opportunities to learn and watch the miracles happen, and they have happened:) We helped a new member of our ward move in! His name is I M and he is from Brazil ( Returned missionary, young wife and baby) he is going to be getting his PHD is Musical Compostion from UB! But he was so grateful for the help, and he took us out for lunch at Wendy's:) Siiiick! I really want to be a member like some of these new couples that we have here in our ward when I get home! They know what's right, choose to live the gospel through thick and thin, and they have a sense of purpose and peace even in stressful situations like school. The rest of the day we had ward correlation meeting, and then we went around Lakawana looking for less actives and part member families! Saturday was a good day! We went out to lunch with Miss D S, and had a really spiritual lesson with her. We read Ether 12 and talked about how Faith is what enables us to do the things that Heavenly Father asks of us! It's a principle of action! We talked about the promise that she received in her blessing a couple weeks ago! (The blessing where she was promised that her family had accepted the Gospel and are waiting for her to do that work for them in temples). She said "I've been wantin' to acks you about that promise." She said that after the blessing she felt an overwhelming peace and a feeling of calm and assurance that everything was going to be alright. We asked her what her testimony of the Book of Mormon was, and she said she knew it was true and that she had received an answer that Joseph Smith did indeed restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She is going to pray about whether or not she needs to get baptized. She is so prepared! We also let her know that it's not between us and her but that it is between her and the LORD! I can't wait to see what happens next week as she acts on the promptings of the spirit.:) Happy Sunday! Brother S (awesome convert family of two years) was called as the Elders quorum President. I felt the spirit so strong when he was ordained by President Pace in Elders quorum. The Gospel TRULY blesses families! We can progress, make it through hard trials, become better, be clean, have the priesthood, perform saving ordinances for God's children, have peace, experience true joy, and SO many things! I just can't even comprehend all the aspects of the Gospel that bless my life, I was happy for the S:) after church we did studies and then went out to talk to some people! We had an awesome chat with a man named R who we have an appointment with next week. He is getting married and starting his own family, so it is perfect timing to learn about the Gospel! "And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end." -Alma 38:2 Love Elder Crowley