A Week of Miracles!
Dear Family and Friends :) What a great week it's been!!!
Also, mom, just know, I've got a few "interim moms" here in the expat ward...they really are looking out for us!! Also, we were asked this week to speak at a Young Women conference in JB (a city in Malaysia that is just across the Singapore border) in a couple weeks - so our purpose is to be the keynote speakers and to inspire the YW to have hope in their future and in the gospel. It will be very exciting - it'll just be me and Sister Fuglistaler!
Let me give you some highlights!
Some fun things that happened - learned how to play legitimate Rugby last P-day from some Australian misisonaries! I had no idea what I was doing, but apparently I was pretty good at it! I was much faster than they anticipated, and I kicked off very well. It was a great experience.
Also, I don't think I've mentioned this before, but for service, we are teaching some Japanese people English! So, we are teaching Japanese expats here in Singapore about how they can improve their language skills. We just go to their house, and talk with them, and teach them some grammar and things. It's actuallly really, really fun! I'm really excited about it! And, our teaching pool is slowly growing :).
We went contacting in a park this week, and I came home with more bug bites than I've had on my ankles in my entire life! I think I had about 20 on each leg - or at least it felt like it! Needless to say, I was really grateful I had my anti-itch cream here with me.
A sweet moment for me this week was that we were able to go to Stake Conference! It was nice to feel the spirit there, and to be able to enjoy being with so many members whom I love. The power and organ actually went out for a moment, and it was so fun, because everyone just kept singing, and it was just super powerful. I looked around, and thought about how awesome these members are, and how much I truly love them. I almost cried when I thought about how hard it will be to leave!
There are a couple really sweet families - the W's and the P's - whom I really love! We got to go out to eat with both of them this week, and they just really care about us! Sister W, who just finished at UVU and is working for Doterra here, asks us all the time how we are doing, and how we are really feeling. I love that about her! She just cares about us so much! Plus, we had Num Num noodles - Vietnamese food - and it was so yummy! And, we are really enjoying these Yakult Japanese Yogurt drinks at home right now. Bascially, I love Asian food! I was craving Pad Thai the other day - never thought I would crave the local food - but I do :) I love Asia!!!
I'm pretty sure we told you about this the other week, but every time we ask for a referral, we get to do less pushups in the morning for exercise. We haven't seen a lot of success from it, but this week we were truly rewarded for our faith. We ended up getting 8 referrals, most of them being from HQ. And, they are really awesome expat families! I'm so grateful that even though we are not seeing success from our own personal contacting efforts, as we open our mouths everywhere we go in faith, Heavenly Father chooses to send us some of His precious children to teach the gospel to. One of the families we were able to actually teach this week - and their name is the M's. So, they have a member brother who lives in Colorado, and he said that they haven't been willing to take the discussions until now. I would venture to say it's because they have tried to have kids for 6 years, and haven't been successful until recently. They currently have a really beautiful baby girl, and they feel like they need some values to raise her with. They are so prepared for the gospel, and they have signed up to take every discussion. The lesson we had with them on the Restoration was very sweet and powerful, and I could tell that they were really intrigued by the Book of Mormon, and how it can bless their lives.
Another miracle we saw this week was the W family! We had prayed really hard for a potential to come to church, and I have consistently prayed for a family to walk into church - because I know it can happen! As we were walking down the stairs from Stake Conference, we saw a Caucasian family standing by the door - and the husband was wearing bright red shorts. I looked at my companion and said, "we need to talk to them, because I don't think a member would wear red shorts to church!" We ended up talking to them a little bit, and they are so warm and open. They are all from San Francisco, and the wife is a less active member, and the husband is a nonmember. They just moved here to Singapore, and they really want to come to church because they feel it will give them a "sense of home". She happily gave us her number and wants us to come and visit her family! They are the W family, and I'm so excited to hopefully be able to teach them - and - as a side note, both of these awesome families are in 4th ward area! I have no doubt that because we have a fabulous mission plan in that ward, and the ward members are supporting it, we are seeing success. We need investigators so we can have 2 member present lessons a week, and now we hopefully have 2 families! I really want to baptize a family before I leave my mission, and now we have a few great potential families to work with.
Besides that, we had a great Restoration lesson with our investigator Sister C! We had it translated the entire time in French, which was definitely a new experience for me, but it was very exciting to be able to feel the spirit, no matter what the language was. Now, Sister C understands the need for the Book of Mormon, and is willing to find out if it's true. We also met a new investigator, well, a former, who believes the church is true, but isn't willing to make the commitment necessary. We hope to help her understand how commitment can bless her life.
Our less active and recent convert pool is slowly improving! We cold called a less active, and she and her family were SO nice. They choose to not come to church here because they don't want to be alone? Not sure, but that was her reason... but they are SO nice, and I hope that we can start meeting them consistently. Also, Sister L got her temple recommend yesterday, and her patriarchal blessing recommend, and she is so ready to go to the temple! She is already getting names prepared - and is the most solid recent convert. She took work off on Saturday night so she could attend Saturday night stake conference. I love her, and am so honored that I get to be a part of her journey in the gospel.
Even though grandpa has passed away, I'm so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who let me know before hand that it had happened. I woke up this morning with such a sense of peace and calm, and knew that everything was going to be okay. I know that God answers prayers - as all miracles this week came after a pleading petition to my Heavenly Father. I know He's there, and He listens to us, and our concerns and our problems. How great it is to know about the Plan of Salvation, an infinite Atonement, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that I will see my grandpa again, and that families really are forever. No pictures this week...sorry! Sometimes I forget to take them :). Next week, promise!
Love,
Sister Crabb
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