Monday, August 8, 2011

Learning to Interpret the Signs

Dear Crafts,

     I hope that everything is going well for all you there.  Elder Haupt and I had a good week.  We were able to meet with Russ, our deaf investigator, again last week and he came to church.  He wants to learn so bad but feels overwhelmed that he can't take it all in at once.  We had a lesson in Gospel Principles yesterday all about Family Responsibilities and how the family unit is suppose to work and function together.  He got a little upset.  Not so much at the teacher or any of us just more so with trying to understand how that could work.  It just made him think about his own childhood and the situation he was in with all the trials and things he went through.  He got up and left in the middle of class and went outside to calm down.  We found him after class a few minutes later coming back in from outside for priesthood.  He told us in the easiest sign language possible that he just need a cigarette to calm down haha.  I just kind of thought to myself, "well I know what lesson we need to teach next" and that "I guess it's not the worst thing he could do at church" haha.  It's just interesting working with these sort of situations.  Like I said he's a great guy he just has some things to learn, but I have faith he will overcome these struggles.  Sorry that was kind of a random story but I get a lot of those in a week haha.  This lesson this week and the one last week on the blessings of Eternal Families made me really think about you guys back home.  I really am just so thankful for the blessing that you all are in my life.  Mom and Dad have done an amazing job of making our family the way that it is.  I really appreciate and am grateful for the opportunity I've had to grow up with loving parents and siblings I can trust with a foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for me to build my own life upon.  It makes me realize how great this work we are doing is in helping others realize the same blessings they can have in their own lives.  That firm foundation they can have.  One that if they build upon " they cannot fall".  So I just thought I would tell you all how thankful I am for each one of you and the blessings of peace, comfort, joy, and love that you've brought into my life.

     As far as anything new there's not too much to report on.  Micheal is still doing well.  Unfortunately he didn't come to church yesterday, but because he has been to church about 13 times now he is still scheduled to be baptized on the 20th if he comes to church next week.  We'll keep praying and definitely keep our fingers crossed for him.

     There were some pretty exciting stories from yesterday that I could tell.  They both were last night and the one happened when Elder Haupt and I were going down an overpass sidewalk.  We were picking up speed going down and about half way down his feet slipped off his pedals or something to that effect happened and caused his bike to turn right in front of mine.  He went over the bike on the sidewalk and slid about 20 feet.  Luckily I had swerved just out of the way of his bike and past him, but by the time I'd hit my brakes and come to a stop, after my 20 foot skid, he was getting up out of the gutter on the side walk to pick up his bike.  He got some nasty road rash on the back of his left hand and shoulder.  His shirt and slacks got shredded up pretty good, and his helmets cracked on the side where he hit.  For how bad it could have been though he's pretty lucky.  I felt bad that he was hurt but I just told him I'm so glad he didn't some how take me out on his way down and make it a 2 man bike pile up, or that I didn't hit him and make things worse for both of us.  He's a little sore today but doing fine.  We have to go to the doctor as a rule of the mission to get him checked out today, but all in all we know the Lord knows, loves, and protects His missionaries.  The next story is better haha.  After his wreck we got his bike up and just walked the short half mile to the Elm Creek Elder's apartment.  Luckily we were just on the edge of our area down the street from their apartment, and even better they were home so we could clean up his cuts.  After we were finished and going to head home we went down to our bikes that were locked on the fence right next to theirs and Elder Turner's seat was gone haha.  All 4 of our bikes were there locked up, but only his seat was gone.  We could not believe that someone honestly stole a bike seat haha.  We laughed pretty hard at that, so it helped add a little humor to the night at Elder Turner's expense.  It made me realize too why we do lock up our helmets down in North Minne.  Sometimes I wonder about people and the reasons they do things that they do.

     Well I think that that's all as for the update from here in "The Hood" haha.  I love and miss all of you and can't wait to hear from you again.  Hopefully there's more stories and things to report on next week.

Love, Elder Craft

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