November 10th

I'm finally feeling better! Being sick was so not any fun and so I'm so glad that finally I'm feeling back to normal and able to work hard. This week it rained A TON. The river that goes through town and feeds into the bay of Fundy was totally flooded. I'm just glad it's not snow :)
Steven is officially SMOKE FREE! yay! He passed the first week! We gave him his certificate and celebrated with apple pie and ice cream yesterday. Speaking of which we had an amazing lesson with him on Monday. It was crazy because on Monday morning durning companionship study I became really overwhelmed, I felt like Verna and Stevens baptismal date is coming up really fast and we haven't prepared them enough and are they even ready? I got really worried that they would be one of those converts who gets baptized and then falls away, and I got really scared. So we decided that with each of them that day we would go over the baptismal interview questions and follow the Spirit in discerning whether they felt ready and were doing this for the right reasons. So that night as we talked with Steven the Spirit was so strong. It was amazing. He has a testimony and shared it with us. As we talked to him about how he'll receive the priesthood and how they get to go to the temple as a family next year, it was just amazing. Sister Peaden gave the closing prayer, and as we knelt and prayed together I just felt so much love for them and their family. This is why I'm here! For them! As we left and shook Steven's hand he tried to hug us both, oops forgot to explain that rule. But I thought it was so sweet that Sister Peaden and I have developed this relationship with the Caldwells. And when they are sealed as a family next November I will still be here so I can go to the temple and be there with them!
Verna is doing really well, she is so ready and excited for baptism. One problem. We need her spouses verbal permission. We finally met her husband Dale on Monday and he is super against it. It was a huge step for him to meet us though because he's been saying he didn't even want to talk to us. We're meeting with him on Friday and we are really praying that he will consent so that Verna can be baptized. She deserves this and she wants it! She has a testimony and knows it's true!
Casey is doing awesome, still sticking with her date for January 12th. She has made awesome progress and we just love her. Alain, the student from Africa called us yesterday and said that his host family that he's staying with says that we can't come over anymore because they are "100% against Mormons." It was so hard to hear that. It's hard not to take it personal and think that it was something that I've done. I just feel really bad. Luckily Alain said he still wants to learn! So we're going to meet him at the church building instead. whew. I almost thought we had lost him there. And he's stellar. Seriously the elect right there, so sincere and I can't wait to see him progress.
We've also been teaching Alexandre from Brazil, he's staying with a member in the branch ( speak of which this member that he's staying with his name is Brother Bruce and my stake President at BYU, President Child, who served in my mission, he baptized Brother Bruce and his family when they were kids! nuts!) Anyways we're teaching Alexandre, he's 17 and so awesome. In fact after our lesson yesterday he told us in his teenage way that it was awesome. He's so sincere and really strives to understand everything that we teach him.
On Sunday we had district conference. It was really cool to see all of the missionaries serving in the surrounding areas. President and Sister Simpson were each there and spoke. It was so good! AND Casey, Steven and Verna all came and they loved it! They all said that they were so happy they came, and they each applied the things they learned to themselves. That was pretty cool, because the conference was 45 minutes away, so to get them all there was so cool! I led the music so we had to sit on the front row and we sat with Casey and Steven (Verna sat with her sister) and President and Sister Simpson just looked at us and smiled. I was so happy. I can't believe they all came! It was awesome.
So there you go another great week! This week is leadership training and we're really excited for it and tomorrow our District leader and his companion are coming to our area to do a "blitz" it's where they come to our area and work in our area for the day. They are going to come to appointments with us and knock and try to find potentials. We're really excited, it'll be something different for sure, and it'll help our area out.
Thank you for the continued support and the prayers on mybehalf, I do feel them, and I know that my investigators have as well. I know it's only through prayer that I'm seeing such amazing miracles.

love,
Sister Crane