Sister Alyssa Crabb: Monday, July 7

Hello Family!! I can't even begin to tell you how nice it is to hear from you every week :). It makes me so happy! Sounds like life is crazy and busy as usual, but, you guys are handling it well.

But...let me tell you a little bit about my week!

P-Day last week was actually really fun! We went to the beach - East Coast Park if you want to look it up - and enjoyed playing beach ultimate frisbee, walking in the water, building pyramids of missionaries, and laughing and having fun. It's nice to have time to get to know the other missionaries better - having friends ends up being a great support system. Then, we went over to the D V family for dinner! They have three little kids, and it was so fun to be over there - it reminded me of family night at home, and how much I love it. We ate pizza and spaghetti (and the sauce had chicken in it..it was actually really good!) and I loved having a good, old-fashioned American meal! I love the D V family...they are the best.

Tuesday was a really good district meeting! We were able to talk a lot about advice because our District Leader went home this week. The highlight of it was being able to wear a teddy bear hat as we talked about what we would tell new missionaries! I wish I had it for you, but, the picture is on our phone. One day, you are going to get some really nice pictures because I will figure out how to get them off our phone and over to you all! Then, we went for lunch at a place that reminded me of Tepanyaki. We got all sorts of meat, and they grilled it in front of us. We made lettuce wraps, etc. and I got a salad! It was Korean Barbeque, so that was fun. We also got to see a little K-Pop because it was playing - apparently that is a really big deal over in Asia. Also, so is excersise! There are little workout places everywhere - you can literally stop at any park and have something to do. People are so healthy here! I see Asian Zumba classes all over - they just do them in the middle of the park where everyone can see.

I can't really keep days straight of who I saw when...so here is an update on our investigators!
Ja is doing really well...he is so funny and he and Sister Krivanec have a lot to talk about with India. He is really interested in the gospel, but is having a hard time understanding why our church is different. We're going to watch the Restoration with him this week, so hopefully that will help him understand better.

R is doing so good! We had another really good lesson with her this week where we were able to get her to understand why keeping the Sabbath Day is important. She is looking for new jobs currently, so yes! I'm so excited for her! She has a strong desire to come to church and enjoy Sundays, so it will just take time for a new job to come through. Also, she is really excited about the Holy Ghost and thinks it will be such a great blessing to have. I agree! Having the Holy Ghost, especially as a missionary, is one of God's greatest gifts to His children here on Earth.

We picked up a New Investigator this week named Z W - she was actually passed to us by the Chinese Elders. She is super nice, and we are working with her to get answers to her prayers. She is a free-thinker, so we are trying hard to give her spiritual experiences so she can recognize that God exists and loves her.

So, here are the worst and best lessons of the week!
N was the worst. We taught him the plan of salvation, and he really liked it. However, he doesn't seem to believe that our religion is something he needs. He tried to give us the Book of Mormon back because he doesn't have time to read it. My heart literally dropped when he said that, because at the beginning of the lesson, he had stated that he is really wanting to make sure that his religion is correct and that he is doing the right thing in life. I felt really sad for him, and wanted to help him so much! It's amazing how attached you get to people after only knowing them for a little bit. You really learn to feel true charity towards people as a missionary and simply desire the best for them.

The best lesson though was actually with a less active family. We showed them the video "Because of Him" which I actually prayed over during personal study. It seemed like that video was what Heavenly Father wanted them to see, so even though it didn't make sense, that's what we showed them. During the lesson, as the video was playing, I felt the spirit stronger than I ever have before! It was so powerful, and I could tell that Brother P and his wife felt something. They are trying to find a church, and want to come back so their daughter M can grow up with religion. I have really high hopes for them, and am a believer that as we ask God what to teach his children, he will tell us because he knows them better than we do.

Some other fun highlights from the week...our new Elder in Woodlands came and he is actually from Tonga! He is super funny, and relaxed, and I'm grateful to have someone so nice! Random story, so his girlfriend and Sister Krivanec's boyfriend are actually in the same mission. Who would have thought?? I celebrated the Fourth of July this week! No one really does much here, although ex-pats apparently have a huge party. Sister Krivanec and I wore red skirts, and sung American hymns super loud during companionship study!! It was so fun! Also, last night, we spontaneously had a sleepover on our deck! It was really fun, until the rain came around 5 am. There was so much thunder, louder than I'd ever heard. So, we ran inside and spent our last two hours in bed. But, a fun missionary moment!! I broke my fast last night with a really good cereal called Blueberry Morning. You should find it and try it, it changed my life.

Anyway, quick experiences that show God's love to me. As I walked onto the MRT this week, I had a prayer in my heart to know which people to speak to. As I looked around me, I felt like I needed to talk to this man in front of me. He had headphones in, and I was worried about talking to him. However, I did, and it turns out that his whole family are members of the church and he is not. I'm not in his area to teach him, but I was able to have a really good conversation with him about reading the Book of Mormon and meeting with the missionaries again. I even got to text him some scriptures so he could open the Book of Mormon for the first time in a while! It was such a testament to me that God puts people in our path, and if we listen to and are courageous enough to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, miracles will occur.

I know this church is true, every time I pray and ask, my answer is always the same. I know God loves us, and only wants the best for us. As we rely on Him, we will be able to find the answers and courage that we need to do anything in our lives.

Love you all! Have a fantastic week :)

Sister Crabb