September 28th

Hi! Relief Society conference was so good! wasn't it? I loved hearing Pres. Monson and the general presidency, it was fabulous. I wasn't fully with it that night (it broadcasts here at 9pm) because 1.) I was so tired and 2.) my stomach was hurting and I wasn't feeling top nautch but it was still really wonderful. We got to go to the temple today! yay! Sister Reyes an awesome member (single Mom of 5!) gave us a ride and it was so great. I love going to the temple and saying, "ok all of my outside cares you are staying out here, and I am going in there to feel peace." Afterwards she even drove us to the mission home where I had mail! Which is always exciting (Ash I got your letter thank you!) and Sis. Peaden got a birthday package, her birthdays on the 14th of October.
Sooo I just love the members here. It was like the first couple of weeks all you see is the outside appearance of these people and as you go into their homes and serve them and they serve you, it's just amazing. Forinstance, on Saturday this awesome member, Sister Henwood took us out to lunch as this great Italian restaurant, seriously a treat, I felt like a normal person for an hour. :) and then she came with us to a lesson. The lesson was awesome. It was with this 24 year old girl who hadn't prayed in forever, and was scared away as a child from religion because of bible camp where they told her everything is a sin. awesome. so anyways we taught her how to pray and she prayed and it was such a heartfelt prayer and it was awesome. So fast forward to Sunday, it's fast and testimony meeting and I go up and bear my testimony, of course I balled through the whole thing, blubberd really. I bore my testimony of the Atonement, because lately I feel like no matter how hard I try, I keep making mistakes, and I keep demanding perfection out of myself, yet I can NEVER get there, and I was realizing that I need to be relying on the Atonement. So anyways, sob fest right..so I sit down and 2 testimonies latter Sis. Henwood gets up there and gets teary eyed talking about the lesson she had gone with us to yesterday and she says straight to me, "sister crane, I don't know what your dealing with in your life, but if only you could have read the letter I was writing to my son about you yesterday (her sons on a mission in Texas) and telling him what a great missionary you are. You are a great missionary." Woah, so then I'm balling more. (Man this is making me sound really unstable, I promise it's nothing out of the ordinary, you just don't usually hear someone say such a compliment so clearly to you, or well in front of the whole branch.) So anyways I was really touched, and the members have just shown us a lot of love. Every day that I see a member on the street or around town I just feel so uplifted like, "ok ya I'm not alone in this!"
We had a really cool appointment yesterday. Her name is Cheryl and she actually called US. woah. She is dating this guy who is a referral from a member ( if that makes sense) She said she was really depressed and needs someone to talk to. We get there and she is balling from the start (worse than me right? :) ) So she starts talking about how are daughters have messed up lives, she is low on money, might loose her house, she is lonely, sad, and wanted to kill herself last week. Sis. Peaden and I are sitting there hearing her whole story, like holy cow. So she's telling us all this stuff, and I said, "so what are you expecting from us coming and seeing you?" she said she needs council, immediately sis. Peaden says, "well as missionaries we do not give council but what we can do is share our message and it will help you." we then gave a lesson on the Atonement. It was really good, she prayed at the end, is coming to General Conference this weekend and hugged us before we left. And you know what? when we left she had a smile on her face! She said, "I'm starting to feel better already!" It was amazing! She had this HUGE list of problems and concerns and you know what the answer to all of them is? the Atonement. I know it can and will change her life. I am now more than ever grateful for my family, for the opportunities I have had in my life, for being blessed with the gospel, for having a good family. And I honestly believe that everything I have been given and taught my whole life has been so that I can now help others. So that I could meet Cheryl and bear witness of a Savior and the healing power that that can bless her life. The gospel is true! Count your blessings everyday. That's advice that Mom has always given me and it has helped me so much here. Jesus Christ lives! and because he lives we can live to! and our burdens can be made light! I am so grateful for the opportunity to share that message with the people here. Can't wait for general conference. It's kind of cool to think we will all be doing the same thing and watching and hearing the same message at the same time. :) I love you all! Thank you for your letters and prayers.

love,
Sister Crane