I Still Haven't Seen an Eagle--Orem, Utah Mission, Eagle Mountain, April 24th, 2017

Hello from Eagle Mountain, where there are no eagles! 

This last week was amazing. Sunday was my absolute favorite day. Let me start from the beginning. 

Dylan. 17 years old. We had a baptism date set for him but we have to move it back and change it so his mom could make it. He's a super awesome kid and has a strong desire to do what's right. Sometimes he struggles with understanding and remembering the things we teach him but he really does have a strong spirit about him. It's been amazing how much he has grown and progressed over the last month and a bit. 

Ayla and Jordan. 9 and 11. They are awesome kids. Their dad hasn't been to church for years and years, and we are really trying to change that before baptizing his kids. Something really awesome this week was we asked Jordan to start reading the Book of Mormon (since him and his sister had just been reading the children's one with pictures) And he looked at us and said "I'm already reading it. I read each chapter after I read the children's one". That left us pretty speechless. He's such a smart kid and he really has a desire to learn more and to grow. His sister Ayla is struggling, since she had a baptism interview before we came to the area and she wasn't able to pass it because she didn't understand a lot of what the missionaries were teaching. We've had to think outside the box to really help them have fun while learning and to help them remember everything. But just wait, there's more. Their dad, Theron, usually sits in and listens to the lessons, and recently he's been asking us to come back sooner to teach the kids. When we invited them to read the Book of Mormon we asked their dad if he could read it with them and they could do it as a family. And he said yes! We also told them we were giving a talk in church on Sunday, and got a tentative yes on their attendance. More on that soon. 

Bagley Family. Two children who aren't baptized but possibly want to be, parents less active. We also were speaking in their ward this last Sunday, and texted them the night before letting them know and inviting them to come. Their grandmother is currently living with them and she's an active member. We share the restoration of the Gospel with them. The Restoration is such a wonderful message. The gospel of Jesus Christ truly has been restored. 

Now to the good part: Sunday morning. 

We were asked to give two different talks, and one of them asked us to give it only two days before. But nothing us missionaries can't handle. We were sitting up front in our first ward, the Ash Point ward, of which the Bagley family is supposed to attend. We see the Grandmother there with one of the kids, but she informed us that no one else was coming. Then, right when Sacrament meeting started who did we see walk in and sit in the back. The entire family! We were smiling ear to ear and probably looked a bit silly. But I didn't care! Being a missionary is incredible because you grow to love everyone so fast, and feel the love Christ has for them. 

Fast forward to 1:30 pm, the Chimney Rock ward. We waited very nervously up front, hoping and praying that Ayla, Jordan, and their dad would make it to church. Very last minute, they all walked in, sat in the very back, and we ran up to greet them. Never before have I been so happy to see someone at church! I don't think their dad has been for many years. 

Those are the highlights of my week. There are many more wonderful things that happened but I am especially grateful for these people this week and the chance I had to see them grow and learn and progress and come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ!

I am so grateful for Jesus Christ. He died for me, and you, and every single person in the world. The Book of Mormon is another testament of him and I promise that as we read it we will come closer to Jesus Christ and feel more peace and joy in our lives. 

I love you all so very much, and hope you have the most fantastic week. 

Love, 

Sister Crofts 

Don't ask...I have no idea!

Sister Crofts always looks so happy!

Apparently Sister Crofts is the mission cat whisperer!!

Saturday was a day of service in Eagle Mountain and I got a text with these pictures from a member.  The woman said Sister Crofts and Sister Hutchinson were laughing at the need to paint the fence with oil so that it doesn't dry out...we don't have that problem in the Pacific Northwest...or in Mississippi!!

I received the sweetest phone call from a member Saturday saying that she was so thankful for Sister Crofts and her companion.  Their basement had flooded and the Sisters were helping repaint the basement.  The woman said Rachel radiated joy and happiness, and was polite, well spoken and a hard worker.  Sister Crofts said they try to do at least 10 hours of service a week.

King of Kings, Lord of Lords!--Orem, Utah Mission, Eagle Mountain, April 17th 2017

Prince of Peace!

 Happy Easter everyone! We spent this last week showing everyone the new Prince of Peace Easter video on Mormon.org. It's wonderful, and even though it's past Easter still go watch it and share it with your friends! Jesus Christ truly is our savior, and through him our sins can be washed away. How amazing is that? Its the best news I've heard in a long time! 

I've almost been out for 2 months! How crazy is that? Its been going by so quickly. But each day I notice some sort of miracle, and each day we meet or talk to someone amazing. It's incredible being a missionary and feeling Christs love for everyone  I meet! 

Yesterday we were very busy, we went to four Sacrament meetings and talked in one of them! Then, later that day, we found a guy named Ameen sitting on a bench outside some apartments and started talking to him. He's so awesome! He has such a strong belief in God and wants to know what his purpose in life is. We are hoping to talk to him another time soon. 

We are working with so many people right now, we are so busy! Everyone expects missionaries in Utah to not be busy since everyone's Mormon, but I promise that's not the case haha! 

We have been doing our best recently to try and talk to everyone we see. It's a little hard since we have a car and can't walk up to them, but lately at night we pull over to people walking outside and ask for directions! it's a little creepy but oh well it works! 

Update with my sign language learning; I talked to my mission President this last week and he said to keep doing my best to learn it! Because there's a good chance I become the ASL missionary in our mission soon! We've been going to people around here who know sign language and I've been learning from them a few times a week. Hopefully I can learn fast!

We also had a cool performance put on for our mission this week called the Lamb of God. We were able to invite some of our investigators and less active families and they all loved it! It was very easy to feel the spirit there and it touched my heart on how Jesus Christ really did suffer for all our sins, trials, and pains. 

Id like to invite all of you this week to think of a way you can become more Christlike, and write it down! Writing it down makes us to commit to it more :) I promise that as you do this, and you strive to be more like Christ, you will live a happier, fuller life. 

I love this gospel, and I know it is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

With love,

Sister Crofts 

Rachel with Bishop Bryan Bassett and his family.  The bishop texted me and said, "We just had a visit with the most beautiful sister missionaries!  They taught us a lesson and inspired our family of 5 girls and one boy who is about to serve this summer.  We are so happy they are serving in our ward!  They are working hard and seem really happy.  You'd be so honored in how they bless your name and family.  With love, Bishop Bryan Bassett and family

Easter basket from a sweet member

Radiant Sister Hutchinson and Sister Crofts on Easter Sunday

Sun, Snow, Wind, Rain--Orem, Utah Mission, Eagle Mountain April 10th, 2017

Hello again!

I have witnessed practically every type of weather within the last couple days here in Eagle Mountain Utah! On Saturday my companion and I thought there was a potential tornado because we had to push through the wind to walk anywhere and could barely close our car door! It was probably in the high 60*s then. Then a couple hours later it started sprinkling, and then by 8:00pm it was full on snowing, and sticking! The day before it had gotten into the mid 70*s! Crazy weather!

Sundays are always the best days, but also the worst. The worst part is we have invited many many investigators (People we are teaching) to come to church, so we try and go to the wards they'll be in to either sit with them or make them feel welcome . But a lot of the time they don't come, and it's a little difficult to make it to all of them, because like Ive said before, we are over two stakes, (19 wards) and we can usually only make it to 4 each sunday!

Saturday night we also decided to do a 24 hour fast, which meant we wouldn't eat or drink anything and do it for our investigators, to help them progress and come to church. We prayed and prayed for them to be able to come to church and to be able to feel the spirit.

This last Sunday we went to a ward where one of our investigators, Dylan, usually is. The last Sunday he was at church the Ward Mission Leader had to go by and drag him out of bed to get there, but he went. So we greeted people and waited for him to show up. The WML showed up and said no one would answer the door so we were a bit bummed. But then, as we were watching the doors for him to show up, he came, just in time for sacrament! He was a little late but he had taken the initiative to get up on his own and come to church. Made me a little teary eyed haha!
I know that prayer, and fasting works. My companion and I both got up to share our Testimonys in that ward, and Dylan texted us after telling us how it meant a lot we came to that ward and were waiting for him to show up.

I promise that Heavenly Father loves all of us, and knows each and every one of us. He anxiously awaits our prayers, whether we want someone to show up to church or whether you need help on a test. It's so amazing because it doesn't matter what you want, Heavenly Father is Always there listening to you, and caring for you, and wanting to help you do all you can to get back to him.

I'd like to invite everyone to read in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 26:21-30.  I found this to read with an investigator who is struggling to repent and to forgive herself for the things she's done. I love this scripture, especially verse 30 which says "Yeah, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." He knows that we are going to mess up a lot. But as many times as we repent, and try to be better, he will forgive us. I know this is true.

I'm also going to attach a link to the new Easter video, called "The Prince of Peace." We are showing it to everyone, doesn't matter who they are! It is so wonderful and reminds us of how Jesus Christ really does give us peace in this life, and His gospel is how we get it.

https://www.mormon.org/?cid=HP_SU_9-4-2017_dMIS_fMORG_xLIDyL1

I love you all so much! Thanks for the emails and support, have a wonderful week!

Love,
Sister Crofts

Sister Crofts' first baptism: her friend Mason.  Rachel started sharing the gospel and participating in the discussions with him before she left on her mission.  

A Day in the Life of Sister Crofts--Orem, Utah Mission, Eagle Mountain April 3, 2017

Hello everyone! 

How is last week already over?

Conference was this weekend! We got so spoiled and fed like crazy from all the members around here. Not to mention being spiritually fed, that was a plus! I loved listening to the guidance of our apostles and prophets. What a mood booster!

This week the weather was a little crazy. I guess that's Utah though. Raining one day, sunny the next, freezing the next! It's fun though keeps me on my toes!

We've been working hard, visiting and trying to meet as many people as possible! 

Two kids we've been teaching for a while, Ayla and Jordan, are getting baptized! We don't have a date for them yet but we want to make sure they're ready because it's hard to know if kids are understanding what you're teaching them most of the time. 

As a mission we've started a challenge to read the book of Mormon in 90 days, starting April 1st until July 1st! You should all join me! I love the book of Mormon!

To help everyone know what a day in the life of Sister Crofts looks like, I'll tell you a bit about how a day for me looks like. 

Wake up around 6:30, try and exercise a bit, then eat and get ready.

8:30 start planning for the day, then we study by ourselves. 

We have to be out of the house by 10, doing stuff! Usually we try to do some sort of service, or we go somewhere else to study. Then we have lunch at 12, and then studying/service/some lessons until 5 when we have dinner. Then at 6 we have 3 hours of finding people to teach and teaching people! It's great and each day goes by so fast!

I also found some woman in our Stake to teach me sign language! I'm really excited to learn, and it's hard to do it on my own so this is going to help me so much!

The gospel is true! I know it with all my heart. I love you all so much!

have a wonderful week!

Love Sister Crofts

This pic was sent from the family with whom Sister Crofts watched conference

Official Mission Picture!

Polygamists?--Orem, Utah Mission, Eagle Mountain March 27th, 2017

Hello everyone! 

Happy preparation day! My companion and I were just talking about how we can't believe it's already our p-day! This week went by so fast! 

I'll start out with my subject haha.. Polygamists. In our area we have a whole section that is just polygamist families! It's definitely a new experience for us haha! We stopped by a couple of people and taught a few lessons but so far nothing can go anywhere. But they're super nice people, just have giant houses and multiple wives haha!

Sunday was the craziest one yet. (Out of two I've had haha). We went to four Sacrament meetings and a stake meeting after that and then had dinner and a couple appointments! It was pretty awesome how fast it went. We also were assigned to give a talk in the first ward we went to. Little did we know that we'd be asked last minute to talk in two other Sacrament meetings we visited! Both of them were short on time so they said into the microphone "Could we have the Sister Missionaries come speak to us for the remainder of time?" Good thing I had a talk from that morning and a lot of things on my mind haha! The very best thing about Sunday was that we had 5 investigators at church! Especially Jordan and Dylan. Jordan is 10 and Dylan is 17 and we were having a hard time getting them to come to church, but they both came to their separate wards and it warmed my heart. I love church!

The rest of the week went by super fast, it was crazy! We taught Jordan and Ayla, who are 9 and 10, and we taught some recent converts who are awesome, and we finally managed to get appointments with people who weren't calling us back! Hehe got em!

I love Eagle Mountain, even though the only store in our area is a gas station! It's been pretty crazy this week now that we're in the swing of things, juggling 19 wards is not easy! everyone wants something different from us and we do everything we can to help. But I love this work, I know that I'm doing what my Heavenly Father wants me to do. This is the true gospel of Jesus Christ! I know it! I love it! It is the best thing that has ever happened to me. 

I love you all so much! Thanks for the emails and love and support! ASL is going good, I'm learning slowly but surely haha!

Love, Sister Crofts

PS I saw a tumble weed the other day. This really is a desert out here. 

Talk to ya next week!

Orem, Utah Mission--Eagle Mountain March 20th, 2017

Hello everyone!

 It's been so long since my last email it feels like months! This first week of the real deal has been crazy, definitely nothing like the MTC!

My companion is Sister Hutchinson. She's about a foot shorter than me but super sweet! She just switched from being a Spanish missionary so we both have things to adjust to. She's from Mississippi. The place everyone knows how to spell but no one knows where it is! Haha! When we first became companions I found out that we were white washing an area- Basically we are both new to the Eagle Mountain area and have to start from scratch finding people and visiting people! They also call it Pink Washing since we replaced Elders who had been here for a while! 

We live in a members basement/apartment that's pretty nice. The Elders didn't leave it super clean so we had to clean it up today! There's a cat that lives in the backyard named Cheeto and he's my new best friend here. He meows to get into our apartment and climbs up our window to see us! Silly Cheeto. 

Also, the first day I got here an Elder that was leaving handed me a phone and told me I was the new ASL missionary.. The only one in the mission! I told him I hadn't taken ASL in the MTC but he left! Haha I thought I was going to have a panic attack! But my companion and I called President Killpack later that day and found out I wasn't called... yet. Haha phew. But since my companion still has to study Spanish during the day I'm going to study sign language while she does that! I'm actually pretty excited!

We've taught three lessons since Wednesday, mostly because we are still getting used to the area and don't really know anyone or where anything is! But we're starting to get the hang of it. 

Sometime we've found since we've been here is that most of our investigators are under 18! It's crazy! Because there are so many less active families who never baptize their kids and once they turn 9 they have to take discussions to get baptized. So on Thursday we taught Ayla and Jorda, who are 9 and 10. They're super cute but we want to also reactivate their whole family so they have some support! 

We also taught Dylan, who's 17 and he's super awesome. He wants to learn so much and he's very mature for his age. His mom is less active as well. 

The last lesson we taught was last night, around 8pm. The Bell family. They are so awesome. We talked to the parents and they invited us in and told us they were inactive but were working on hopefully getting sealed in the temple soon. They have a 9 year old son, Camryn, who's super adorable and wants to be baptized. So we are going to be teaching him the discussions as well. They have such a great family. 

Another thing that came as a shock to me was how many wards we are over. We're over two stakes, and 19 wards! We had to contact every single bishop and mission leader to introduce ourselves and ask if they had any referals! our phone was ringing off the hook for a while. 

Another thing is that during the day, we literally do not stop moving. I like it though. Sometimes we've been studying for over an hour and I start to go stir crazy but since the last few days have been so nice outside we've gone to the church to study outside there! 

On Friday there was a mission wide musical fireside which was super cool. I got to see all of the missionaries in our entire mission and had to introduce myself in front of all of them. 

Another funny thing, my companion forgot to buy another towel after she transferred here so she's been using a hand towel to dry off from the shower!Hahaha cracks me up. 

I've definitely had some stressful and exhausted moments, but whenever I'm teaching or taking to people I'm so happy! I know this is God's work. 

For everyone who hasn't been to Eagle mountain, it's basically mountains, desert, houses and a gas station. literally haha. We have to drive into the nearest town to get groceries from Walmart! it's crazy

Sunday was pretty awesome, we went to a meeting at 7 am, then a Stake conference, then 2 Sacrament meetings, then dinner, then went around visiting anyone we could! I love staying busy it makes the day go by fast and better!

Sometimes I feel like a celebrity around here lol. Everyone wants to have us over for dinner but each ward only gets two nights every transfer! So we've definitely broken some hearts lol. We make our own lunch and breakfast and there's even a couple of places around here where missionaries eat for free! But don't worry we won't be taking advantage of them :)

Sorry for such a long email! But thanks everyone who's emailed and sent letters! I love hearing from all of you! 

Love, 

Sister Crofts

Sister Crofts in the mission home 

Treat from Sister Kilpack

Sister Crofts with Sister Hutchinson

Sporting St. Patty's Day glasses from her package

Sister Crofts' furry friend!

Pic sent home from a member!

MTC is the Place to Be!--MTC Week 2-3 March 9th, 2017

Hello everyone!

This week went by crazy fast! For me anyway. Everyone always says once you make it past the first Sunday it goes by quick and they're right! I cant believe I leave here and go out to my mission on Tuesday. I really have loved the MTC though, I've made some awesome friends here!

So this is my last preparation day for a week and a half. I get to my mission on Tuesday and dont have another p-day until the following Monday. So i'll make sure to send an email then!

Thank you to everyone who's been emailing me! I love getting emails and letters! 

Its really hard to remember everything I did this past week, because it went by so fast! Ill just write down some of the highlights. 

Sunday was fast Sunday which means we didn't eat all morning or afternoon. Then for Church instead of having to give talks (Our branch president makes us all write a short talk and then decides during the meeting who's going to speak!) So everyone in my zone (About 17 people) got up and bore their testimony's. It was awesome. The spirit was so strong! I've been the Sister Training Leader for 2 weeks now and its been awesome to welcome in all the new missionaries! So much fun. 

Sunday night we had a devotional and then after that my district went to "Open your mouth" a talk by Elder Holland. It was incredible! He talked about how we don't teach people, the Holy Ghost teaches people. But he cant do it unless we open our mouth! So true. I love Elder Holland.

Tuesday we had a devotional and a member of the quorum of the seventy, Elder Costa, and his wife Sister Costa came to speak to us. They are so amazing! They both grew up in Argentina and she went on a mission and then when she got back they continued dating and he got baptized and they got married soon after. So awesome. What really stood out to me was what Sister Costa said. "You're going to laugh about it later, why not just laugh about it now?" SO TRUE! Missions are hard, but also fun. When something doesn't go the way you want it to, laugh!

Those are the main points from this week, like i said, this week was a blur so i barely remember anything! But I'm so grateful for this gospel and the blessings it brings! I am so happy to know it and live it. 

I love you all!

Sister Rachel Crofts

Celebrating Sister Smellie's Birthday

Rachel loves Sister Smellie!

MTC Week1.5 March 2, 2017

Hello Everyone!

 No, I'm not dead, I just got jipped because my zones Pday is Thursday so we had to wait over a week! But never fear, I am back. 

 I LOVE the MTC. The spirit is oh so strong here and I just feel so at peace. One thing I really love is how much we pray here. The best thing I've seen is our prayer before we workout in the Gym! Kinda funny but also smart because some of the Elders go a little crazy after sitting for so long!
My first day here was so fast pace I don't think I had a second to breath, but it was awesome. I got to meet my companion, Sister Henrie, who is super sweet and very quiet. Definitely the opposite of me. But we get a long pretty well and she and I joke around a lot too which is good :) One thing we've really been trying to work on is her speaking up when she has something to say, and me letting her say more! We're doing so much better already. The other two girls in my district are Sister Warren and Sister Smellie. (Pronounced  Smay-lee but she gets called Smelly all the time :( ) Sister Smellie is so awesome. Her and I are so similar and have the same humor which is great. We're always having fun or laughing about something. The Elders in our district are super nice, a little awkward sometimes but that's okay ;) One problem everyone at the MTC has is calling people "Guys" instead of Elders and Sisters, which we've been told many times not to do! So everywhere you go you hear people saying "how are you guys I mean Sisters and Elders doing?" or something like that. It's pretty funny.

I've had many questions about how the food is... My first night here I loved it, and honestly it just depends. I've had some pretty good meals, but I've also had some pretty sketchy ones. Someone's hamburger was blood red on the inside so that was fun. But for the most part if the Food seems sketchy we just get one of their fancy salads which are usually pretty nice. Sister Smellie and I have both had some stomach problems because of the food, so thank goodness we have each other haha ;) My favorite thing about the meals is the drinks. I get orange guava almost every time it's so good. 

My teachers here are fantastic. I didn't know until l got here that all of the teachers are fairly young return missionaries. They all have such strong testimonys and its so cool to hear them teach because they just went through everything we did!
The first couple of days before Sunday were super long but full of the spirit. They always say you're good if you make it to Sunday.. and I did! Sunday was still super busy but slower than the other days so it felt very relaxing. We got to leave the jail walls of the MTC ;) and walk to the temple. It's been snowing a ton here so it was pretty cold but the sun came out for our walk and it was absolutely gorgeous. We also had a devotional that night that was super good and then watched an MTC only video called the Character of Christ. It was a talk given by Elder Bednar and it was SO GOOD. Since you can only see it at the MTC I'll give you a mini summary. Christ was absolutely perfect. And there are so many examples of that. And he constantly put the needs of others before himself, even when he was about to be crucified and even as he suffered the pain of the world. And that's how we should all strive to be. When we want to be selfish and worry about ourselves, we need to turn out to others, not turn in. When we are looking we lose our selves. When we lose ourselves to others we find who we are. I know this is true. And I encourage you to all work on it along with me :)

Some last little things:
Things I do each day: 
wake up and breakfast by 7am
Plan and study for the investigators we'll be teaching
Class
Teach
lunch
exercise
study
dinner
study
teach
class
back to our room by 9, lights off by 10:30.
Repeat :)

It's tiring but so work it. I know this church is true. 
One last thing,  my companion sister Henrie and I got called to be our zones Sister training leaders! a district is made up of some sisters and elder companions, and a zone is made up of several districts. Our zone Sister training leaders left and we'll be getting new missionaries in the next two weeks so Sister Henrie and I will be in charge of all of them and making sure all of the sisters are doing okay and doing orientations! It's super cool. 

Today is Pday finally and we just got back from all going to the provo temple! It was so beautiful and we got to eat the cafeteria food which was so yummy! I continue to pray for you all!

Anyway, that was a lot! Love you all and don't stop emailing and sending letters!

Love, Sister Crofts

Rachel's friends picked her up from airport and dropped her off at the MTC

Sister Crofts entering the MTC!

Missionaries going to Orem!

Sister Crofts with her companion, Sister Henrie

Sister Crofts, Sister Smellie, Sister Warner, and Sister Henrie in front of the Provo Temple

Sister Crofts' District

Donuts to celebrate week 1 DONE