Temple Trip

Hey Family!

     I will just apologize now for this email being not on a Monday like usual, and for possibly being a little shorter too.  We went to the temple as a zone this morning, so that's why P-Day has been moved to today.  It was amazing to be able to go with a group of about 18 Elders and Sisters and spend that time together in the House of the Lord.  It felt like the MTC all over again because our session was full of missionaries.  I think that's due in part to the fact that the St. Paul temple here is about 1/3 the size of the Ogden temple, so it can fill up with people really fast haha.  I love it though!  A temple is a temple and I'm so thankful to be as close as I am and to have one in my mission for that matter.  I know some of my friends in other missions aren't that lucky and I really feel blessed to have one I can go to.  Every time I have gone it makes me feel so blessed and lucky to have all of you as the family that I do!  I love and appreciate all of you and the knowledge we have of restored priesthood power and a plan that our Heavenly Father has for us to all be together for eternity!  That's the greatest peace, joy, and knowledge that I have in this life!

     As for this week here in the big "S Creezy" it hasn't been anything to insane.  We're still working with Russ and trying to help him progress.  He's doing well and taking baby steps.  He just gets so frustrated because he can't communicate with anyone at church or even at his house.  He told the interpreter in our last lesson that they are way to slow for him and he can't even understand most of what happens at church.  I'm just glad that we do have as many people in our ward that know ASL as we do because the lessons would go a lot more slowly if we had to write everything out .   We've only had to do that once when we stopped by to see just how things were going and he wanted to talk more.  It's crazy though how real the gifts of the spirit are. There's times that he doesn't even sign to us and just talks and we can understand him.  No one else can even the interpreters sometimes but Elder Haupt and I can.  We're just hoping that he doesn't get so frustrated that he just gives up completely.  Not much to report on Micheal this week.  Slowly but surely we'll get him to the font haha.  One of our other investigators that I might have talked about John Mays up and moved without any warning in typical North Minneapolis fashion.  We had a lesson Saturday and when we went to stop by a few days later his sister told us he'd moved out after our appointment Saturday back to his dad's but they don't know what that address is and he has no phone number now.  We've had a few investigators move on us like this and it's tough to try and track them down again.  We at least have a one block area that it's narrowed down to, so we're confident that with the spirit we can find him.

     That sounds like a crazy week for everyone back home!  Little Raylee's officially  here!  That's so exciting and less than one year after Brandt too.  That's crazy!  Good luck Camie and Brock haha.  No i'm jk.  I'm excited to hear that she's doing well and to see the pictures of her that I did.  She sure looks cute.  It looks like Brandt had a good birthday party Monday too.  That picture that Mom sent of him eating his panda bear cake was hilarious!  He looks just zoned out totally in love with the chocolate he's eating.  I liked the Boston hat on the bear too haha. 

     Well sorry that I have to cut this so short today.  Because we went to the temple we don't have much time to finish all the other P-Day stuff that we have to.  From what I've heard everyone seems happy and healthy and I'm happy to hear it.  I love and miss you all and look forward to talking to you again on the first normal P-Day in a while on Monday.  I'll keep you in my prayers and talk to you in 4 days haha.

Love, Elder Craft