Where's My Raise?

Hello Crafts,

     This week as you know is transfers and just like I did not expect to happen we got a call from President Clements this morning to inform us that we would both be staying in Eden Prairie.  It was kind of strange because you usually do not get a call unless you are transferring.  After he informed us we were staying he cleared up some confusion on the purpose behind his call.  He told me that I will now be responsible of one of the largest districts in the mission as the new District Leader here.  It was a surprise to me to find out that we had one of the largest districts and to be called as the District Leader again.  Elder Caldwell the old district leader is going down to Rochester to be a Zone Leader down there.  I'm excited about the new responsibility again.  What makes it even better is that Elder Bennett and Sister Daniel were in the last district I was District Leader over, so they get a little bit of Elder Craft round 2. haha  I'm really excited to still be here in Eden Prairie and to continue to serve with Elder Parry.  We have some good things going on and are excited for the next few weeks the following transfer will bring.

     This past week we found 2 new investigators from tracting.  The woman we talked to told us we could come back in a couple days only because her daughter met and had this best friend when she went out to college who was a member from Wyoming that is now on his mission in Russia.  When we went for the lesson though her son who's a sophomore at Chaska High wanted to sit in and listen because he knew a couple of the youth from the ward here.  The lesson went really well and the spirit was really strong as we taught and testified about Christ's church anciently and the restoration of it now.  The power of the Book of Mormon was evident as we read through the introduction and testified to them about the truthfulness of it and how it would bless their lives.  They both committed to read before we come back later this next week, and she even said hopefully her husband will be sitting in joining us this next week.  We're pretty excited to be working with them and know that these are who we are here in Eden Prairie to find.  Thanks for all you prayers because the blessings have really been pouring out upon us!  We are also going to start teaching the son of a recent convert in the ward and are really excited to be working with him.  The work as you all know has been a little slow going but because of the hard work of the spirit within people and the Lord because of the prayers in our behalf we are starting to reap the benefits of it.  The other investigator that I had mentioned a couple weeks ago working toward being baptized on the 17th might not make it on that day because there are a couple other changes and commitments that need to be made and met so that it is all according to the standards and qualifications that the Lord has commanded of His children.  We're still working hard and the ward is a great support to him.  He's encountered a couple bumps along the way already with the short road he's traveled in a couple weeks, but the spirit is helping to strengthen his testimony and help him to see the truth of what he's learning and feeling.  It's always an incredible and humbling experience to watch and be a part of.

     I'm glad that you got the pictures from Sister Neilson.  She was such a great blessing to us to not only drive 4 of us missionaries to the temple but then want to go through with us and take us back home.  It made coordinating rides much easier.  When she was taking pictures on all our cameras too she told us to wait there as she took a couple on her iPhone.  She said she was going to send them to my mom because she would love that.  I agreed and told here she also got a sweet new wallpaper for her phone from that one picture.  It was a win win for everyone even though I'm not too sure she wanted a picture of us as her back round haha. ;)  They are a great family who we have dinner with again this next Sunday.  This ward is just great though and like I said earlier I'm just glad to still be working here for the next 6 weeks.  Especially since Elder Parry told me that when he talked with President this morning he said that he was initially going to move me, but was strongly corrected by the Lord saying that I needed to be in Eden Prairie.  That in and of itself puts enough pressure on knowing that there's something the Lord knows I specifically need to to be here for and accomplish this next 6 weeks.  We'll be working hard to find out what that is in the short time that we have to do it in.

     Well I'm glad to hear that Brady seems to be surviving and recovering from his ordeal with the oral surgeon fairly well.  Thanks for sending the fairly gruesome pictures along with your email haha.  I can't wait to hear how it goes these next few weeks as you finalize everything to send in so you can find out where in South America you'll be headed.  I'm going to just go ahead and call that right now. haha

     I'm also glad to hear that everyone else seems to be doing fairly well or at least recovering towards that.  Thanks for all the support and prayers again!  I know the Lord listens to prayers and grants us those worthy desires of our hearts!  I love you and can't wait to hear from you again.

Love, Elder Craft