THIE WEEK I GOT IN A SPOON FIGHT WITH AN OLD MAN 5-26-14

It has been quite the week.  The highlight was probably when we were with the Fishers (this older couple in the ward) and the funny little old man got in a spoon fight with me! "Girl, have you ever got in a spoon fight with an old man?" "Nope, but it's on my list of things to do!" And then we fake fought with our spoons. Hahaha

MONDAY

We enjoyed taking it slow in Goddard once again.  It's nicer to just relax in that sleepy town than drive into Wichita.  Monday night we had diner with one of the younger couples in the ward.  Well the wife at least. Her husband travels a lot.  We wanted to get on her good side so we offered to water her garden for the week when she was out of town.  We then went and tried a less active family that is hard to get a hold of, and we did!   They are super awesome!  We then brought a (belated) mother's day candy bar to a woman in our ward who hates it when you drop by unexpectedly but will never let us schedule time with her!  She opens the door "I told you to call first!" And then we were all "oh we just came to bring you chocolate!" and her WHOLE body language and demeanor changed! It was awesome!

TUSEDAY

We had specialized training about how some people are more prepared than others for the gospel and then we went and did service for a member of our ward who needed help packing for her move!  We might have packed up her son's WHOLE bedroom.

WEDNESDAY

We were invited to sing for a senior’s lunch in Goddard, so we got together with the Elders and practiced the piano and some patriotic and well known Christian hymns in an elderly couple's home.  I was worried because a few times sister Hopper fell asleep while she was sitting with us and I was all "oh no our chaperone went night night!" but then she would wake up again...

We sang for the senior group and it didn't go as well as we hoped, but it was a start.

THURSDAY

We stopped by an old investigator of the Elders who likes Sisters a little better because he has issues with women not holding the Priesthood.  He was going through a tough time that day and asked us to pray for him- In the middle of the street! So we did and we could tell it totally touched him.  He gets a long well with Sister Nash, which is fine by me because his personality intimidates me! I realize he is all bark and no bite, but it's intimidating (he used to be a sheriff, so he is kinda edgy)

We then had interviews with president Bell, who said I am quirky and he enjoys that, so that was nice.

FRIDAY

We helped Sister Koppa move/pack again.  Sister Nash actually took a picture with her giant parrot. Which I think was brave of her since she is terrified of birds.  We then had late lunch with the elderly couple who are super funny and the little old man and I got sassy with each other. He reminds me of my grandpa.  We then taught Matt and Charee.  We were lovingly bold with them and told them that if Jesus Christ were in their living room he would invite Charee to be baptized and Matt to come back to church. And as representatives of Jesus Christ that was what we were doing.  However, they said we are not Jesus and if he were in their living room things would be different and they want to take their time doing their own thing. *sigh*

teaching Karen in her car

SATURDAY

We helped a less active plant her garden on her farm estate. She has a pond with fish, chickens, a hedgehog, dogs and she just got rid of their goats.  It was super fun helping plant her garden! Then, right as we were pulling into our parking lot, we saw Karen in her car so I hopped out as fast as possible to go talk to her!  Turns out her car wouldn't start! So, we prayed for help and guidance in the parking lot with her and then called a member near by and asked for help. He said he would come and help us out!  As we were waiting with her, we hopped in the car and taught her a lesson right then and there!  Then our members came up and helped her out!  We invited her to church but she said no...

holding a hedgehog

SUNDAY

Sunday we had crazy Kansas weather with insane rain and then sunshine!  Oh Kansas.  After church we took a member  with us to our Sunday appointment with Beatrice. We saw the kids look out the window, but they didn't answer the door.  Crazy sister Robertson wouldn't take no for an answer and rang the doorbell three times in a row and then was peering through their windows! Hahaha.  That night after dinner we took a teenager with us to go try some possible people to teach and we gave away one Book of Mormon and another person seemed genuinely interested! That was refreshing!  At one point Sister Nash was teaching in Spanish and I was looking at the teen we brought with us all confused and she looked at me confused and we just nodded and smiled at the investigator! Hahaha

Us helping on the farm.

MONDAY

We were invited to a Memorial Day BBQ for dinner, not realizing that's what it was. So we showed up to the members home and saw other families there too and were all confused. It wasn't till halfway through dinner when someone mentioned it was a Memorial Day BBQ that we caught on! Hahaha

Lunch after Monday meetings.

So, that's my week.  It's been tough but I know that through the atonement and through the Savior (so basically same thing) things that are hard can be made possible. Love you all!

Sister Cramer

week 24 The week I gave up pillows 5-19-14

( This is 5 weeks old.  Please bear with me my mom has a life) 

This week we worked our bums off!

 And my back got a really bad kink so sometimes I walk around like a T- Rex "I have a really big head and teeny tiny arms" I don't have a big head, BUT it hurt to just extend my arm a lot sometimes, so I just would walk around with my arm like a T-Rex arm! It was exciting!  I also gave up on pillows because my shoulder (which is what hurts) heals better if I sleep with my back completely flat.  However it's always funny to wake up every morning and find that I grabbed it in the night! hahahaha. 

Also a guy from city hall who isn't a member but thinks we are so cool got us gift certificates to get pedicures!  And apparently he has been curious and done research online about Joseph Smith- this is what others tell us because he hasn't asked us anything nor have we gotten the chance to give him a Book of Mormon!

Weather! it's been FREEZING here and in the 40's-60's (and the 60's are if we are lucky) but today it's pretty nice. I wore my light weight skirt. Come on MAY!

The Sun comes out and I turn Pink

Have I mentioned it is still cold here?

MONDAY

We did nothing exciting.  Sister Nash's back hurt super bad so we just stayed in Goddard so she could rest. Nothing super exciting. But I enjoyed napping   J  And then we taught a lesson actually in someone's home! So great! We knocked on their door, and Sister Nash could tell they had heard bits and pieces of the restoration lesson, but never the whole thing, so she asked them to let us in and they DID!  We taught them the whole first lesson, and RIGHT after we taught the first vision, you could TELL in the countenance of their faces that they FELT the spirit and that what we taught them was true.  He actually stood RIGHT up right after we taught it and started moving around. We think it's because the spirit scared him.  We also explained the importance of the Book of Mormon and how much we love the Bible and we can tell they love it too.  And the Book of Mormon is MORE.  If you love the Bible, why wouldn't you want MORE scripture and teachings about Christ?  However, in the end they said the main thing is they don't want to change and they are happy where they are and they flat out refused to pray to know if what we taught is true, I think because they know it is true and don't want to have to act on it.  Which makes me super sad, but it was SO great to REALLY teach and testify again. It had been SO LONG since I had the chance to do that.

TUESDAY

We taught a potential who was raised in the church of Christ, so she is mainly curious about the differences and said she would be open to learning more, but she doesn’t know if her husband would be and she wants it to be a family thing. Which I get. we hope to try back again and see if he is interested. We just have to wait a bit.  Sister Nash then felt nauseous and almost threw up on someone's lawn, so we drove to the church so she could take a nap and sleep it off.  Afterwards we went to Chick-Fill-A with some members (we got permission to leave the area with members) and man I love their lemonade! mmm mmm tasty.  

WEDNESDAY

We decided to remap our area, because we were driving everywhere in Wichita without knowing where thing were, so we went to the Goddard library (it's right by our house) and printed off pages and pages on lds.org and then put it together like a jigsaw puzzle! Fun, but hard to match it up exactly.  we then drove out to Cheney (with a member, ain’t nobody got miles to drive out there ourselves) and taught this less active woman who knows the church is true, nut just lacks the oomph to COME to church. I think it was good for her though. Unfortunately a lot of people are comfortable with where they are, but we still go and invite them to learn because there is always that one person waiting for the gospel and they just don't know it.  

We then went to Wichita and tried to talk to EVERYONE. We are working on it.  Sister Nash is super brave and talks to everyone who is grabbing their mail while Robyn panics and stands there freaking out/awkward/shy" -I gotta work on that.  But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures.  WE DID meet this girl who took a class at her high school (it's private catholic) about different religions in the world and she thought that our church is fascinating and wants to learn more and was excited to have a Book of Mormon!  Right now it's just curiosity, but it was still cool to have someone get excited when we gave them a Book of Mormon.

THURSDAY

The day we walked for five hours and almost died. Nuff’ said.  We met super nice people on the street, a guy smoking who I think was stoned, a guy who just wanted to get his mail, the usual.  We then were able to FINALLY get a hold of this woman we found on my first day in Goddard who is interested but ALWAYS about to hop in the shower.  This time she was mowing her lawn and we got to make an appointment to see her again. And we found out she might have been baptized when she was younger. She’s not sure.  Either way, lost sheep!

FRIDAY

So earlier that week Karen had left us a note saying she missed us and that she loved the mother's day card and she missed talking about the gospel.  So we knocked on her door on Friday and she let us in! However, we were hesitant to know what to talk about, considering how flippy floppy that woman can be! My goodness! BUT we found out she never stopped reading the Book of Mormon and that she has read all the way to alma 7! With a magnifying glass by the way, because we keep asking for a large print for that woman and they won't give it to us! That’s dedication. She is still flippy floppy on if she wants to progress, but I still can't give up on her! 

Then, we did service for a ward member who is moving soon, went to dinner with this super funny lady and taught Matt and Charee and their kids. Frustration. they focus only on us teaching their kids and just won't open up, at all. They won't let us ask them questions and they only focus on their kids. I know the spirit was strong in there though and I could tell they felt it.  It was so sweet when we mentioned baptism and matt's daughter who turns 8 this week (and knows nothing about it) said "I haven't been baptized yet" we really hope she and the other kids are they key to that couple.  The key to them coming to church,  because those kids are hungry for the gospel, so hungry.

SATURDAY

We did service at a walk for Angelman's syndrome. It was so cute/sweet to see everyone there who has it but is still going as strong as they can!  It was awesome. Unfortunately we had to leave early for an appointment. That fell through because the whole family was sick :( We talked to everyone we saw again and it was awesome!) I really feel like we are laying the foundation for the work to pick up here, and hopefully soon.

SUNDAY

We fasted for miracles all day. I was starving! Which is the point ;-)   We taught a woman at her door and it was super awesome and she said we can come back next week but she wouldn't accept a Book of Mormon :(  We then had dinner which was SO GOOD because I think she cooks her chicken and makes her rolls the same way my mom does. Divine! We both had to stop ourselves from stuffing our faces. sooo gooood.  We then taught a less active who I think really felt the spirit. 

THINGS ARE PICKING UP!

Well this week really showed me how amazing it is to have more truth in the world. Because what other people know, is true.  And they are so lucky to have it.  We have more truth at our fingertips and I am just eager to SHARE it! So much! I am so grateful for that in my life and the opportunity I have to share it with others!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Sister Robyn Cramer