October 6th

Hi there! Hope you enjoyed general conference! wasn't it amazing?! Ok 2 things I learned this week : The adversary is real. AND God is more powerful than the adversary.

So let me tell you the craziest story ever. So Saturday night we have this awesome lesson with this investigator Sonja. She's 23, and we taught her the plan of salvation it was amazing, and she said she would come to general conference the next morning. We had a ride set up for her, it was all working out, and we were thrilled. As we left her lesson I said to sister peaden, "I hope nothing goes wrong and she gets to come" sister peaden replied with, "nothing is going to go wrong, unless she gets sick or something." " Don't say such things Sister Peaden! She's going to come!" Little did we know being sick was the least of our worries (your wondering what's going to happen next aren't you?) So then we driving Sunday morning before conference to go knocking and on our way we drive by Sonjas apartment. All of a sudden sister peaden is gasping saying "Oh my gosh" repeatedly, she can't even speak she just points to Sonjas apartment I look over and Sonjas apartment is surrounded by fire trucks and ambulances, and her apartment, the one we had been in less than 24 hours ago was completely burned! Charcole black! So at this point we are freaking out! like seriously. so we pull over and offer a prayer and then hop out of the car to go talk to a fireman. The fireman said that fire started @ 4 that morning every one got out safe and they are going to tear the building down because the fire damage was so bad there is no way to recover it. Sister Peaden's sigh of relief could have been heard clear across town. Sonja's alive. Where she is, we don't know. But all of her stuff is destroyed. We've been trying to get a hold of her, but it's hard because we don't know if her phone is ruined or not. crazy huh.

Ok so basically what I learned from that is Satan will do anything to make it so that someone won't come to general conference. There could have been lots of reasons for the fire, but just saying, the adversary could have had a hand in it....maybe... Sooo rewind a bit. On saturday we had a lesson with a man named Steven. We had just watched the 1st session of conference and we were so excited to teach him, so pumped up from conference, and plus we had taught Steven a week ago and he wanted to be baptized and was on fire. (maybe a bad expression to use after my last story but you get the idea) So we get there and immediately you can feel the contention. He wants to debate, has 1 million and 1 questions, and won't listen to a word we say. I kept saying, "Steven it all starts with faith, if you dont' have faith that God is real and loves you, then you won't believe in anything else we say." We told him to come to general conference and I promised him that he would recieve an answer there. He said, "you promise? you can't promise that. you can't know, you only believe because your parents took you to church your whole life and you want to believe in it because you've been programmed to." He didn't show up to general conference. And we're still trying to contact him. It's aful. Luckily we had another session of general conference after his lesson to help motivate me again.

So Satan is real, and he knows the potential our investigators have, but the cool thing is that the Lord will always win.

so yesterday we had this amazing lesson! It was with a part member family. Loni Caldwell is a member, convert of a few years and her husband Stephen is not a member. Last week we were supposed to teach him when we went to their house for supper and he wasn't there. So this week we didn't have high hopes, but guess what? he was there! and Loni's brother too who is not a member. So we have this lesson with him and the whole time I'm thinking, "is he even interested in the church?" We taught him about the priesthood and eternal families and I asked him, "is having an eternal family something you see and want in your future? do you want to be baptized?" I said something to that effect and he got choked up telling us about how he does want to be baptized because he's seen God answer his prayers, but he knows he would have to make changes in his life style and it would be hard. But you know what? He gave the closing prayer and in it he said, "I pray that one day I'll be sealed and united with my family for all eternity in the temple." My heart lept out of my chest. Literally I think I actually julted forward I was so elated. It was the most amazing feeling. Sister Peaden and I got back into the car and screamed with joy. You know how they say the lows are the lowest on the mission exhibit A with Steven but they also say the highs are the highest exhibit B with the other Stephen. The happiness I've felt in life up to this point has for the most part been temporary, but this kind of joy is eternal. It's amazing. I can just see him being baptized, recieving the priesthood and baptizing his son how is 8. ah! It's amazing!

This week has been crazy. We helped move someone and carried couches down the steepest stairs ever in our skirts. Ya I totally felt like a real missionary, and we had some other really awesome lessons. Oh and Casey is on date to be baptized! The one with 2 kids, single mom! Too bad her date isn't till January 12th, (don't ask why) but a date is a date and maybe she'll move it up eventually :)

The church is true! President Monson is the prophet today. God truly prepares people to hear the gospel. This I know! I love you and thank you for your prayers and letters!

love,
Sister Crane