BEST WEEK EVER! K so a few weeks ago Sister Glenn and I were frustrated. We weren't teaching steady people who really wanted to progress toward baptism. We had 2 people on date, but we were struggling to get member present lessons. One week we barely made it by getting just 1 member present lesson. Then BAM this week happened! WE HAVE 4 NEW PEOPLE ON DATE! yahoo! We have 3 new investigators and 2 of those 3 are on date. So let me explain how all of it happened!
First it started with Amber. Remember her? She's a new investigator from last week and her mom is less-active, we knocked into her. We extended the baptismal commitment and before I could finish my sentence she was nodding yes! Ah! So exciting. She really wants this and she was going to come to church on Sunday but got sick, she even got a new dress for it. Next week for sure though. So excited for her!
Next is Garnet. So we knocked into Garnet like 2 weeks ago and before we even got to his door he came out and said, "hey ladies!" we said 2 sentences practically before he was like, "ya for sure come back any time you want!"...uhhh I was creeped out intially for sure. I'm thinking, "yikes this guy isn't interested in our message, he's interested in 2 girls." oh how wrong was I! We go this week and apparently a few years back when he was living in Cape Breton, he was taught by Elders. He knew our message, that's why he was so excited to talk to us. He said that he was really unhappy, that he needed something in his life, he was searching. His girlfriend of 13 years died just 2 years ago and I think that was really hard on him. We taught him 3 times this week and in the first 2 lessons he was really apprehensive about coming to church and baptism just freaked him out. We asked him to pray about August 6th for a date. When we came back I asked him if he had prayed, he said he had and there was something in his eyes that told me he really poured his heart out to God. I asked him, hesitantly if he would get baptized on August 6th and he said so confidently, "yes, yes I will." AH! I was in shock! I think I told him I was so excited for him like 5 times. It was awesome.
Sabrina, Casey's sister is on date for November 7th. Now anyone who remembers my e-mail about Casey when she was first on date will understand why Sabrina's is so far away. Casey got baptized in March but that wasn't her original date. The missionaries taught her for over a year. When I met her it had been a few months. She wouldn't set a date and in September or October she set a date for January. I was crushed. "oh no she'll never get baptized that's so far away!" but she just didn't feel ready at the time. Anyways she did get baptized in March and I was here to see it, so that was a miracle. So it wasn't too big of a shock when Sabrina refused our date of July 30th and picked November 7th. Yes it does feel like forever away, but I think she does need time to prepare. I'm excited that she wants to follow in her sister's foot steps, and more importantly the Savior's.
Ok So Then there was Gary. Oh Gary. Best story ever! Ok so a week ago the Elders in New Glasgow (who are our zone leaders) called to tell us that their investigator Gary is moving to Truro. His sister Veronica MacInnes is a member of our branch in Truro as well. When the Elders knocked into him he was having an awful day and was just thinking, "I haven't seen missionaries around lately, I wonder what they're up to." and then he gets a knock at the door and there's Elder Turner and Elder Gammell. So cool? it gets better! Fast forward a few weeks to last Tuesday. Sister Glenn felt impressed to knock Center street. No way Jose! Center street is drug street. I was told not to go there by the previous Elders and it's super scetchy. But alas we agreed that's where we should go and planned to go during the middle of the day.(daylight is safer :) ) We go and knock on the first door on Center and meet this guy named Steve (I'll talk about him in a second) he's nice and we get a return appointment and i notice out of the corner of my eye this guy walking back and forth in front of the apartment building but don't really think anything of it. We would have stayed to keep knocking at the apartment building but I realized I needed more pamphlets from the car. We walk down and the guy who had been walking in front of the driveway says to us, "well from Mr. Gammell's description it's not hard to spot you 2" It was Gary! We stand and talk in the rain for some time and he's super nice. He tells us that he's living with his sister Veronica until he can get some work and an apartment. It was insane. Not only were we supposed to knock Center street for Steve but for Gary too! So we meet with Gary twice this past week and he even came to church! He loved it. He said he got emotional a few times at church and had to bite his lip because he didn't want to cry and look stupid. He'll fit right in! haha Then last night we go to teach him and extend the baptismal commitment and he says that Elder Turner and Elder Gammell and Elder Farnsworth (who he all refers to as Mr. which cracks me up) tried getting him on date but he just wouldn't make the commitment. The Spirit was so strong as Veronica and Sister Glenn and I explained that he would be prepared by July 23rd and that he didn't have to be perfect to be baptized. He then looked at us and said, "ok I'll give you more than I gave Mr. Turner, and I'll try for July 23rd." Yahoo! I was extatic! As we expressed how excited we were he goes, "now you can call Turner and Farnsworth and tell them that you got me on date and they didn't." haha He's hysterical. Oh man I was so happy, I've never been that happier than last night, let me explain the other reason why:
STEVE. So remember when I said on center we talked to a guy named steve? you should it was only like a paragraph ago...it was a long paragraph though so it's ok if you don't remember :) K so we had an appointment with Steve last night. He'd been taught by missionaries 4 years ago and tried praying and reading but never felt like he received an answer so he just gave up. He's up for trying it out again and coming to church. At the end we asked him to pray. As we knelt he looked at us and said, "I don't think I can do it." we encouraged him and I showed him in the pamphlet how it explains how to pray. We knelt there in silence for some time. He would look at the pamphlet for a while and then look at us and then stare at the pamphlet again. He then said, "I'm not holding you up am I? I'm just a little slow." We assured him that it was fine and he could take his time. He then put the pamphlet down and after a few minutes of silence I heard the most tender heart felt prayer I've ever heard. He expressed gratitude for us and our message and paused and then asked for forgiveness for not praying in a long time. It was so simple and beautiful. I felt like I was in an oven, the Spirit was so strong, like I was wrapped in a warm blanket that was so hot I thought it would catch fire.
WOW that was the gist of it all I guess. I hope I didn't leave too much out, although I'm sure I did. After all of that I just have to bear my testimony! haha I feel like such a missionary. THE CHURCH IS TRUE! God hears and answers prayers. He knows us so incredibly well. It's amazing. I am so grateful for these wonderful experiences and blessings that I get to enjoy here! It's amazing. I feel so blessed and so unworthy of the blessings. The Lord has abundantly blessed us here and I feel so grateful! As Gary accepted a date for baptism last night I just grinned from ear to ear and thought, "I have not been happier than I am right now in this moment." It was the culmination of all of the blessings I had seen over the week. Is it possible to feel so grateful and to be so happy for all of these blessings? I never knew till now. I'm grateful to be apart of this great work!

Love,
Sister Crane