Needless to say, I will have a very interesting time on my mission. I
have had so many laughs and "....wait, what?" moments that I don't
know how anyone couldn't love their mission.
Let's just start this email with this. I MET DAN REYNOLDS. And if you
don't know who that is, he is the lead singer for Imagine Dragons.
See, what had happened was, we were helping a hearing leader with the
wedding for her daughter. I made the flower girls' flower crowns
(which turned out great, by the way) and since she loves us, she and
her daughter asked us to be at the reception (guarding the presents,
so that there was actually a purpose for us here). Dan Reynolds and
his wife sang a brand new song for the first dance. Why was he there?
He's best friends with the groom. No big deal. And let's be honest,
this was basically the only reason we went to the reception in the
first place. I didn't want to take a picture with him or get his
autograph, because we were at a wedding, and that's tacky. However, my
companions and the mother of the bride were talking with him and had
gotten a picture with him before I could blink, and then they pulled
me over for a picture too. Good thing he is super nice...
 |
| Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons and Sister Crawford |
Now, I want all of you to know that testimony meeting in the Fullerton
7th Deaf Branch is the greatest thing that has ever existed. I don't
think I have stifled so many laughs in my life. Did you know that
actual pieces of the Book of Mormon are missing and that Sister
C has them? She is more than willing to share! And she
encourages you all to have a Signs of the Times chart (on a scroll, no
less) to track the Second Coming. Don't worry, she brought it with her
up to the stand so we can know exactly what it looks like (good thing
it is about ten feet long when fully unfurled). Apparently that was
one of the calmest, sanest testimony meetings that has happened
before, so I am in for a treat. From self proclamations of claiming to
be God, to saying Russia is going to hell, you can learn a lot of
interesting things in this branch.
But I want you to know that I absolutely love my mission. Everyday I
can feel Heavenly Father's love for every person. I work with so many
different people, from all walks of life. For instance, Juana cannot
communicate with a language, and has no job, and makes money from
turning in the cans and water bottles others help collect for her. Yet
she is so humble and loving. She pays tithing on that money she gets
from water bottles. Every time I have the privilege of meeting with
her, I feel an overwhelming sense of the love her Father in Heaven has
for her. She is truly a child of God. A person from a different
circumstance, Cecilia, has a husband and three teenage girls. Her
girls pay her no mind, and go off and do very bad things. She takes
care of two other men who have to live in the apt with them. In the
past year and a half, they have had to live in about three to four
places, including hotel rooms, because they do not have money. Yet I
see her love for the gospel and how she clings to it when she has
nothing else to cling to. I can feel Heavenly Father's love for her
every time I see her.
I know every single one of us are children of God, and He loves us.
I know that even in the darkest of times, we can turn to Heavenly
Father in prayer and He will answer us with peace and comfort. Jesus
Christ has already atoned for us. He has already taken our burdens
upon Himself. Our suffering is His suffering, our sorrows are His
sorrows, our pain is his pain. He loves us and will always be there to
lift us up when we are down. I know these things are true.
I love all of you and I pray for all of you every night in my prayers.
Love,
Sister Smyly Crawford \|,,|
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