Libby

Dear Family,

     Thanks again for another week with all your love and support.  I know I basically say that every week, but I really do appreciate it!

     This week was pretty good for us here in Eden Prairie.  Nothing really too exciting to report as far as new people we're teaching or anything.  We're still working with Jordan and he's still planning on being baptized but it got pushed back a week so they could make sure to invite all the family and people they wanted to come.  So not this weekend but the next.  We're really excited and so is he!  He's a great guy we've been very blessed to work with as missionaries and a great friend for me to know for after my mission as well.  It's so awesome to me to see in every area I go to the relationships that I get to build with members of the ward and investigators.  President Neilson was telling us about people he still keeps in contact with from his mission and how they're eternal friendships.  I've definitely seen that with his family and many others throughout my mission not to mention the families and people I've been able to teach and help.  Leonard came to church yesterday and he's still doing really well.  He really enjoys church and our "Bible Studies" as he calls them".  After he came to church the first time he had told us in our next appointment that he thought he wouldn't be able to handle 3 hrs of it.  He had us get him a ride that first time "so [he] wouldn't be tempted to leave early" haha.  Ever since his first time he's felt like he's "being fed in [his] spirit the entire time" and doesn't even notice the time.  It's amazing to me how the Spirit works in so different ways with so many different people to help them overcome any number of concerns.  Unfortunately, this week we weren't able to have all our investigators to church but we'll keep working on them haha.

     Sounds like Winter decided to come over in Utah but didn't want to make the trip to the Midwest haha.  We still don't have any snow and the weather has been clear skies and sunshine with temps in the upper 30's!!  I can't even begin to tell you hoe insane that is to me right now especially reading in my old journals what it was like the first week of January last year.  Nobody here knows what's going on either.  They're not complaining yet but they will if the snow doesn't come soon.  No snow= angry Minnesotans that can't use their sleds and drive their houses out on the lakes to fish in.  And that all means angry Minnesotans that take it out on Utah and Idaho missionaries haha.  I'm just waiting for Winter to bite back at the end of this month or during the entire month of February by not going into the positive numbers the entire time.  Something's gotta happen because as much as I'd like to think that Minnesota's just the righteous that Winter's going to avoid it all together we can only tempt fate for so long haha.

     I'm pumped to hear where Brady's going to go!!  As of now I' sticking with either Argentina or Chile somewhere down on S. America around that area.  It would probably be easiest to just have Brady email me after he opens it in a week and a half whenever it comes.  I just know how painful handwriting anything is for him.  So if I want to hear any time before he ends up leaving and email would just be the easiest route for everyone haha.  I'm sure you could tell the Neilsons and they'd love to tell me.  It's not technically cheating it's just a sweet connection for you guys that you have with them to make it feel like I'm not actually gone haha.  However, I would prefer to hear from Brady himself and not a third party haha.  Sorry I'm kind of needy that way I guess.

     One cool story this week is about Libby.  She's a dog that started to follow us around tracting the other day.  We thought it was a sign from God for us to call the number on the tag and find some new investigators.  When we called however the people just called her from a distance and she ran home.  So much for our Ensign story about a miracle dog leading the missionaries in the MMM to baptisms we thought was going to happen haha.  I'll attach the picture of her for you, but it may not look like I was petting her.  She rolled over and made it look like I killed her right before we took it haha.
   Well I think that's about it from me here in Minnesota!  haha Hopefully I'll be able to update you on some new people we've found to teach next week.  I love and appreciate you guys so much!  Take care and I'll talk to you all next week.

Love,
Elder Craft