Tuesday, December 14, 2010

December 13, 2010

Mum,

Why oh why are you so sick? :( That doesn't make me happy. Before I forget, lets do some temporal talking. I haven't gotten packages yet... but it takes some time. I can pretty much call anytime on Saturday the 25th of December. I'll most likely call with a calling card to the conference call number. I'm very excited. We have tons of families that have invited us over for Christmas plans and we are excited to sort them out. We have already gotten some presents from members and we are very excited for Christmas time. It is right around the corner. I am going to send a package today to Lauras home, because I believe that you are spending Christmas in Arizona. It has letters to the each family and a present for g-funkadelic. I really hope you all enjoy your cards. That was the best idea I could think of with the limited amount of time that I have. And money. Will you watch out for my tax refund? I should be getting some money back. ALSO... I own $22 in tithing. Could you please pay that for me? So I can be a full tithe payer :) I ran out of time before I left.

Phew. Enough of that boring stuff. Lets get onto the spiritual mission goodness. This week has been great. We worked so hard. The key was not coming back to the flat for lunch. Thats when the unfocusing comes. We either made lunches of skipped lunch. I believe that is why the week went very well. We achieved 37 hours of accounted labour and next week we are only going to do better. I love working. Work Will Win When Wishy Washy Wishing Won't. The only way that we will find people to teach, teach people and baptise them is through work. We often hear about Nephi getting instructions on how to make the tools and build the boat... but he still had to build it. Can you imagine how much work, effort and perspiration that required? The Lord requires us to work. Plain and Simple.

It seems that our Work is beginning to show some fruits. Tonight the Zone Leaders are coming to Dereham with us and we are having a baptismal interview for Cara and Tasmin who are very excited to be baptised on December 19th at 13:30. They are 14 (cara) and 18 (tasmin) year old girls and the grandchildren of a less active that we got coming back to church about a month ago. They have been taught all the discussions and are ready. Cara has even asked me to baptise her :) And they have asked me to sing. They attended a baptism last week where an 8 year old was baptised and I sang "I am a child of God"... so they asked me to sing. I am very happy and my joy is full, but I won't believe it until I dunk her under. Stella came to church this week and is still reading and praying. Therefore... we are still teaching her. Her man from Ghana is supposed to come home on the 20th. If he doesn't... she says that she will never talk to him again. We shall see what happens. Charley is finding is hard to get an answer that the Book of Mormon is true... she is reading and praying. I have faith that she will receive an answer. We should all have faith in sharing with people this promise. It is written by a Prophet of God. If they have a sincere heart, real intent, and ask in faith. They will come to know that it is the Word Of GOD! How exciting is that! All we are asking people to do is read and pray. It is an experiment. Perfect Science and True Religion fit together perfectly. Jackie is currently our only investigator in Norwich... but she is progressing well. She has come to church 3 times now and enjoys the relief society.

Elder Young and I have been getting along excellent. It is a great blessing to be with him a third transfer. I know what he is thinking and what he wants to do. We work very well together and enjoy it. If he is ever frustrated because someone said something rude or slammed the door. I just ask him to start explaining how Dungeons and Dragons works and he completely forgets about everything. He loves his Sci Fi, and Fantasy worlds. He continually reminds me of Matthew Alan Kearl. It is hilarious. The Dereham Ward continues to be the best ward ever. They are always providing for us and making sure we are happy. They come out teaching with us and give us lifts. Twice this week... we got treated to Fish and Chips. They are starting to grow on me :) I really like Haddock. I love meeting all the unique people in England. People from all over... and missionaries from all over. It is a great melting pot.

In my studies this week... I have been going over very carefully the message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love how simple it is. How it makes sense in my mind and when we pray about it... we can know it is true in our hearts. President Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk about simplifying our lives. Making sure we are focused on the most important things... they things that will enable us to live with our Heavenly Father again. Christmas can be a time of flurry and fluff. Let us focus on the most important thing in all of our lives. Jesus Christ was born, through Him we can be free from sin and live forever in a state of never ending happiness. Let us follow the example of Jesus Christ and the commandments of God. As we do that... we show our pure love and devotion. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is on the Earth to stay. This I know.
 
Love,
Elder Krebs

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

December 6, 2010

Hi mummy,

Hello family :) I only have really 20 mins to email. Its sad... our P-day only lasts about 8 hours. And we have a DA in about an hour.  And today we had Zone Meeting and Zone P-day. Usually they are really lame... but this one was great. We went to the Norwich Chapel at 9am and started making American and German pancakes... at 10 the rest of the Zone showed up and we started the meeting. In the meeting we had two great trainings from our District Leaders about Church and Baptism. The Zone Leaders talked a lot about having at least six hours of accounted labour a day. Which means by the end of the week we would have 36 hours of labour. It sounds easy but with church, travel to dereham and back, planning and meetings it is hard to hit. I know Elder Young and I can make it. I feel it. Ask me about it next week. Follow up with me. 

The important thing to remember is that every number needs a name. We account to our Saviour. He will ask us what we did with the time He has given us. We shouldn't let Him down. After Zone Meeting we went ICE SKATING!! Woot woot. It was a blast. I love our zone. So many great people. We ice skated for four hours and now I am extremely sore. I spent some good time with the ice :) Speaking of ice. There is tons here from the snow we had. After an appointment with jackie... i was walking on the ice and started falling :) I had the phone in my hand... so i decided to embrace the fall and rolled into it. While on the ground... I swallowed my pride and got up. As soon as I did... a teenage girl opened her window and started yelling "how does the ground feel??" That was probably one of the highlights from Elder Young and I's week. 

That and this week we were in London and I was in the Car with the AP's and Office Elders and we went the wrong way down a one way and ended up going up on the sidewalk and almost hitting two people and a car. We by some miracle missed them and only popped the two front tyres (that's really how they spell it). It was an exciting adventure. Sorry this is so short... my computer ended up dying in the middle. Thank goodness for gmail and it saving drafts :) Hope everyone is getting in the Christmas mood. It sure is getting exciting here in Norwich. I sent a letter home about Christmas. If you have any questions ask. I love my family. I really do. I love this gospel and I'm so happy... to be serving in the England London Mission. Even though I'm four hours from London. Who cares. I love it here :) Things are great with Elder Young... I'm learning what to do and not do. Tell your friends about the Church.
 
Love love,
 
Elder Krebs.
 
P.s. carpe diem.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

November 30, 2010

Hi Mum.

Welll well welll... oh how nerve racking transfers can be. First off... I'm staying in norwich. Secondly.... Elder Young is staying too! Apparently President Patch knew I needed the most training I could get. Therefore, nothing changes for me. Err... I was excited for change. Something to spice it up... but the Lord has other plans. I am very excited to see what the next six weeks holds for me. The problem is... almost all of our investigators have dropped us or we have dropped them. This friday we met with stella and she was excited to see us and happy to reset her baptismal date to the 11th of December. That night, at 3:30 she sent us a text that said she didnt want to meet with us anymore and that she is going to decline in becoming a full time member of our church :( Life is hard. BUT i'm learning. With each experience like that I'm learning how to be a better missionary and a better individual.
 
One of the Zone Leaders that lives next door is going home on Thursday and its been really weird to live next door to a missionary that is finishing his mission when i've just begun mine :/ He has actually been really good at not being trunky. Therefore today... they are going to London to have P-day and then switching on Wednesday. Elder Cardon is going to the land of eternal P-days. BUTTTT.... since there is a leadership training on Wednesday as well... Elder Young has to go down to London. WHICH MEANS!! I get to go too :) I so happy. That means I get to go be with and see my brothers (the other Elders from my MTC group). We are leaving in one hour to drive to the crazy city of London.
 
Food. I'm sick of it. So sick of food. I never want to eat again. On Thursday we had a proper Thanksgiving Feast. With a fantastic American family, the Davis'. So much food, so many people. They have 3 boys under 12, so I just hung out with them the whole time :) It snowed on Thursday as well. The earliest its snowed in 17 years. Poor little Norwich doesn't know what to do in the snow. Everything just stops. Its really just pitiful. You know what that means though... everyone is at home when we go tracking :) Tracking is fun with Elder Young (as long as he is in a good mood). We make it interesting and enjoyable. You have to learn to take people with a grain of salt. You would be amazed with how many people don't believe in God. Who don't want ANYTHING to do with religion, and if they do... they already have their church. You have to learn to shrug of the rudeness of people. To smile and get ready for the next door. The next adventure. 

We go tracking with golfballs :) If you knock with them... it doesn't break your knuckles. The cold here goes straight to your bones... its a damp cold. Brr... I have been bundlin' up. Thermals, Cardigans, Scarfs, Gloves... anything to keep me warm. But back to thanksgiving. We stuffed ourselves on Thursday... then on Friday. A member invited us to a cavery... where they give you the meat... and then its a buffet for the vegetables. Then on saturday... we had another proper Thanksgiving meal with an american family in Dereham. I'm so fat now. So fat. Not really... but thats because i've actually been running in the morning. If anyone wants to give me a Christmas present... a pair of running shoes would be great. Size 8. I think i've gained about a stone (14lbs) on my mission. Its rubbish. Oops. We get fed way to well. You would be proud of me mother... everyone expects me to hate brussel sprouts... but because you always ate them and offered them to me, i really like them. It gets me on the members good side.
 
Lets get spiritual. This week I did a really good study about becoming one. It was brilliant. I was thinking a lot about my ideal self compared to my actual self. I know what I want to be, like Jesus Christ. But i'm not. I continue to make mistakes. Why is that? I know what I want to be. Its because we are human and we forget that simple simple truth that we are children of God. Good thing God and Jesus Christ understood this and knew we would make mistakes. That is why the At-One-ment was performed. It enables our actual self to become in one with our ideal self. How magic is that? I love the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He literally SAVED us, without His love and sacrifice we would be lost. Permanently separated from God. That would be hell. We are never lost, no matter how far we stray... he will leave His 99 and come find and guide us. To protect us from straying... we must do two things EVERYDAY. I am gaining such a steadfast testimony of the power of these two things... they are the key in protecting us from personal apostasy. Prayer and Scripture Study from the Book of Mormon. They will keep our testimony of Jesus Christ unshakable. Please never let a day pass when you do not participate in both of these activities. We are never safe in this gospel... Satan is just waiting for the smallest slip up so he can influence us. If we are not progressing... we are declining. The gospel requires work. Hard work. Sacrifice and diligence. Never give up... it is worth it. Keep the end in mind, take a step back and analyze the big picture... the gift of eternal life that is at risk.

I love my family. Your examples are one of the strongest strengths in my life.