Stake Conference and Food! Bluffdale, Utah, Orem, Utah Mission, Oct. 30, 2017

Hello everyone! 

I'm feeling much better (Thank goodness) and have had a great week. I had to spend a couple days recovering and resting, but by Wednesday night I was good to go! 

This week we are preparing for Jett's baptism! He's 11 and super hilarious. His baptism got pushed back a bit, but it will be happening November 4th! We are very excited for him. 

We also had a last minute baptism on Thursday, but it was actually for Payton's (A recent convert) Mom, Tiffany! She was getting re-baptized, so it was one of the least stressful baptisms I've been a part of! It was really amazing to see her be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and truly feel that difference in her life. 

On Friday, Sister La Croix was a little blue, and we were about to leave somewhere when a member called us and told us they just had had a ward party and had TONS of leftovers.. That they wanted to give to us! (Of course we had to go.) We got so much food! It was definitely a tender mercy from God. I know he knows us perfectly, and I've seen throughout my mission His hand helping me and giving me little boosts and tender mercies to help me keep going!

You may have asked yourself once or twice.. "Didn't Sister Crofts once say she was going to be the ASL missionary?"

Well yes, yes I did! And finally, 8 months later, I was able to meet with the Deaf Branch President yesterday to get things moving! I will report more soon, but I am finally going to get started teaching people! Woot Woot!

We also got to speak at Stake Conference yesterday! We taught the Word of Wisdom (Basically a law to be healthy!) in front of 8000 people! Talk about nervewracking. But it ended up going pretty well! 

I know that God loves us all. I know that this is His Gospel! It is true! If you don't know that, I invite you to find out for yourselves! 

Lots of love! :) 

Love,
Sister Crofts

PS The flyer below is for our missions annual musical fireside! Vocal Point and Sheri Dew! If you're in Utah come! It will be amazing!! 

:)

612 W 100 S
Lindon UT 84042
United States

Tracting, Exchanges, Donuts! Bluffdale, Utah, Orem, Utah Mission, October 23rd, 2017

Hello! (Fair warning: this email may be shorter due to me being under the weather today.) 

A quick overview of my week-

Yesterday we went to 4 sacrament meetings. Yes, 4. It was great, but also was probably the longest day of my life! I haven't gone to so many sacrament meetings since Eagle Mountain. We left at 8:30am, had 30 minutes for lunch around 12, and our last ward ended at 4. We made it right after that to a mission prep class. Basically we were in church from 8:30 to 5! Long but good day. 

We also had exchanges on Saturday, I got to be companions again with Sister Clanton and we helped 2 different families move. Very fun, but I'm paying for it today! (Their new apartment was 3 stories high). 

We also had President Interviews on Tuesday, my Mission President gave me a sneak peek on my upcoming transfer news and we discussed how things are going. (they're going good!) Life in a trio is great! 

On Saturday, Sister La Croix was feeling a little down, so we stopped by a gas station to get some delicious chocolate Donuts and drinks. We were about to pay for them, when a lady offered and wouldn't take no for an answer. God is always looking out for us, His tender mercies are everywhere.. We just have to open our eyes! 

Jett's baptism was supposed to be the 21st, but it got pushed to November 4th. We are very excited for him, he's a great kid! 

Overall we've been trying to find more people to teach. Tracting a lot of apartments and talking to everyone! We are working hard! There are people Heavenly Father has prepared, we just have to follow the spirit to find them! 

Good week overall, being a missionary for God's true church is truly the best. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else right now! 

Love you all! 

Love,
Sister Crofts 

Stomach flu today is no fun! Luckily Elders and Senior couple brought over Gatorade and flowers!

Donuts cheer everyone up!

Training involves A LOT of study...You have to take a break and have some fun sometimes!

Official mission transfer picture

Sister Black...Is Back! Bluffdale, Utah, Orem, Utah Mission, October 16th, 2017

Well.. This week has been nuts. 

Monday and Tuesday of last week were crazy, Sister Black and I were getting ready for our new companions and we also found out I'd be moving into a new apartment and Sister Black would be staying in our old apartment. So I had to pack stuff up pretty quick. 

Then, Tuesday night, the night before transfers at approx 9:55 pm, our Mission President called me and I found out that my companion that'd I was supposed to train, was actually waiting for her Visa to Sweden, and only a few hours before found out her Visa went through so I no longer had a companion. He then did the most awful thing ever.. Made me make a choice on what I wanted to do! 

He asked if I wanted to have another Sister who had extended her mission a few weeks to come be with me, and then I could finish the transfer with Sister Black and her companion, or stay with Sister Black, recombine our areas for just this transfer, and train someone together. Eventually I decided to stay with Sister Black, so we are officially still companions! Woohoo! 

Wednesday we went to the mission office to pic up our new missionary, and we met Sister La Croix! She is amazing! This is the first time any of us have been in a trio and it's pretty great!

Sister LA Croix is from New Mexico, and is a convert of slightly less than 2 years! She's awesome and we all get along really well.  Sister La Croix helps dial down the craziness that is Sister Black and I and is a perfect 3rd part of this trio. 

We moved out of our old house because they only wanted missionaries for  a year, so now we live in the apartment attached to a member of the Stake Presidency's house. It's really nice! Fits 3 semi comfortably. 

So basically everything got changed around on me.. We had to make tons of phone calls and change things around..  But I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me and that I needed this trio to help me learn and grow! (Not gonna say I didn't have a very stressful couple of days haha). 

We are teaching a couple people right now, one that I'm excited for is Nancy. She's almost 70 and is catholic, but is actually listening to what we have to say which is awesome. 

Last week we invited one of our investigators, Jett, to work on something he could do better to be more Christlike. He said, "I guess I can work on not calling my brother a chumpbag." Oh boys haha. Also, our phone has been having weird things happen to it where random missionary numbers call and hang up after being silent for 11 seconds, so on Monday a number called and I thought it was another one of those so I answered and said "Hello this is Sister Crofts and Sister Mingus!" and.. Someone answered. Our zone leaders to be exact. Haha oh well I was super embarrassed and they were super confused on who Sister Mingus was haha! 

Also.. We've started reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days again! I am so excited and love it so much. The Book of Mormon has been such a blessing to me and has given me such strength and inspiration and answers to my prayers! It truly is of God! 

I can promise each and every one of you that God loves you! Jesus Christ lives and is with us every step of the way. 

This gospel is true!!

Love Always, 

Sister Crofts 

New Trio! Sisters Black, Crofts and La Croix

Transfers! Bluffdale, Utah, Orem, Utah Mission, October 9th, 2017

Hello again!

 Transfer calls were this morning.. Sister Black thought we would stay together.. And in a way we are! She is opening a new area.. In our area we have now! So we will be in the same district and she will just cover part of our area and I'll continue with the one I'm in now! And... 

We are both training new missionaries! 

I am beyond excited an honored to train again. 

In other news.. Payton got baptized this last Saturday! She is 9 and the sweetest thing ever. Her baptism was wonderful and she truly is bringing her family back into the church and is such an inspiration to her extended family.. And us! She is absolutely adorable. 

The next day when she got Confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, she went up to bear her testimony and simply said, "I feel so happy and so warm!" and walked away. It showed me that you don't need to have eloquent speech to share the truths you know. 

I truly am so grateful for the gospel truths that I know! I am so grateful for Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer, and the chance I have to repent when I make mistakes.. But also the fact that no matter what hardship I go through, or what pains I face, Jesus Christ knows Exactly what I'm going through. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon AND the Bible, which both Testify of Him! I know that this gospel is Jesus Christ's, restored to the earth. 

I love you all!

Love,
Sister Crofts

612 W 100 S
Lindon UT 84042
United States

Peyton's Baptism

Stop for the sister missionaries!

Happy Sister Missionaries!  Rachel has loved serving with sister Black!

Team Jesus!

General Conference and Flu Shots! Bluffdale, Utah, Orem, Utah Mission, October 2nd, 2017

This week was one for the books.. As they all are :) 

We had Zone Conference, and unfortunately enough, they also had us all get flu shots there. That was pretty awful. That day I also had just started to get a cold- so that also put a slight damper on the speed I'm used to moving. Nevertheless, with God on my side all things are possible!

This week we had two awesome miracles. (Well more than two, but two main and significant ones!)

Nancy, an older lady who wasn't interested in talking to us at all about a month ago, invited us in when she saw us and started asking us questions about the Church. She had been to a temple visitors center before, and remembered how incredible it was seeing Joseph Smiths first vision, and everything else. She was shocked that Mormons do, in fact, believe in Jesus Christ. (Side note; Our church's full name is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). She's really amazing though, and we are going back Tuesday to talk with her again! She has had a complete change of heart. 

We also ran into an active member, Shayla, who's fiance, Cody, is not a member. We stopped by there late one night and they invited us in and Cody immediately wanted to know more about the church and asked if we could come back again next week! Miracles, I tell you! God prepares different people at different times to be ready to hear His gospel. 

We also have another baptism this week! 10 year old Payton is getting baptized, and she is just the sweetest thing ever. More details on that next week :) 

Tayllor, who was baptized 2 Saturdays ago, got to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple to do baptisms for the dead for the first time this last week, and we got to go with her! It was a wonderful, spiritual experience, but a few funny things also happened:

-The temple President came down to talk to Tayllor, and thought Sister Black and I were her friends and kept talking about how "When we go back home to our mom and dad" and other funny things that don't apply to missionaries. He finally asked me if I ever wanted to go on a mission and I said, "Well, I'm on one right now!" He was blown away. Apparently we look very young for our age!

-When I got into the font to do baptisms, the man baptizing said, "Ah, Sister Crofts! Good to see you again! You're here every Friday, right?" I definitely have never been there before and I had to try really hard to keep from laughing. 

Last, but certainly not least... General Conference! I definitely do not have  a favorite part, it was all so good. But.. I did get to go to the Saturday afternoon session! We got to ride the Frontrunner up to Salt Lake and it was a fun adventure! I definitely noticed that some of the main points of conference were on serving others, and the Book of Mormon.   Our Mission started another 90 day Book of Mormon reading challenge, and I love it so much! The Book of Mormon truly brings me peace and when I read it I feel of my Heavenly Father's love.  At Conference, service was also mentioned a lot! I invite all of you who still read my very long emails to find a way to serve more! After all, this life is the time for man to meet God. Let us all follow Jesus Christs perfect example as much as we can! 

I love you all! 

I would love to hear from you! rachel.crofts@myldsmail.net

Love,
Sister Crofts

612 W 100 S
Lindon UT 84042
United States 

Missionaries from Rachel's zone in front of the LDS Conference Center

Getting ready for conference to start!

Riding the Frontrunner from Lehi to Temple Square

Beautiful Salt Lake Temple on Temple Square

Ran in to Austin and Dani Sork at the station!

Wonderful time doing baptisms at the temple with Tayllor!

Lovely Fall tag picture

Zone Conference and reunited with trainer, Sister Hutchinson!

Joyful Sister Missionaries after Zone Conference

Office Sister Black and Sister Crofts Mission picture :)