September 19, 2011

Hello!!!

We just had Zone Meeting about 8 hours ago... and it was a spiritual high for me. I love feeling the spirit... I love it. It makes all my problems seem unimportant... because I realise Jesus Christ has died for me and His atonement is availiable. Jeff and Chuckles and Glen and Laura wrote me this week... and the main message I got out of their emails was Love. All in one way or another expressed how important love was and how if I get that... I'll be just fine. Love is difficult to have for people you don't know. I imagine loving these people as much as I love my father and mother... and if I loved them like that... I would try soooooo sooooo hard. Now I'm only trying soooooo hard. How do we have love for others? Studying the Atonement. Why do we have love for others? Because of the Atonement. Everything in this life has to do with the atonement. It encompasses everything.

Well... hi family. I'm currently living in Grays. It is a nasty town... and no one here ever says a good thing about it. I like it though. The Town Center is small... but that is where we spend most of our time. Elder Ireland and I have our Spirit Spot... every half an hour or so... we will go there and pray and read a scripture. Then we go back out to the wolves. The other day we had just done that... and we stopped a nice looking lady. 15 seconds into the conversation... I felt prompted to invite her to sit down for then mins and have a lesson. She accepted and we now have a return appointment with her and she seems very promising. The town centre can get very monotonous... but there are always little things to keep us going. One man always sells these toys called "wiggle wiggles"... his name is Robert and he like the missionaries. He had a little cart that he sells them out of... and he always is saying... WIggle Wiggle!! Last week he asked us if he could borrow £270, we told him that we are good at helping people spiritual... but rubbish when it comes to money. The next day... he didn't talk to us. We bought him a sandwich from Greggs... and now he is our friend again.

On Fridays... the meat cleaver is there... and has a microphone. He is brilliant. So funny.
Saturday... we watched two homeless lookin' men about to cross the street. One looked to the other and screamed... "READY!!", his Lieutenant sounded back... "REady!!" and then together in perfect unison they sounded the battle cry "GO!" and crossed the 10 foot wide street with vigour and tenacity. What bravery and courage. Elder Ireland and I... loved it. It lifted our spirits.
We live in a block our flats surrounded by other flats... there are always little African kids running around and playing. One house smokes weed on the weekends... and beer bottles abound. We are on super close to the grays wharf... and the river. It looks a little scary though... it reminds me of Tarzan. Are you sure this waters sanitary? We don't go swimming though... we aren't allowed. The Ward is great... just got a new Ward Mission Leader. He is the brother or my fathers (Elder Young) fiancee. Very english. The Bishop is fantastic... and only 29. We as missionaries have a great relationship with him... we tell him exactly what we need... and he tells us exactly what he wants and expects. Elder Ireland and I are building a really special relationship. Maybe too special... I truly love him... and we are working hard. We need to work harder... because the Lord expects it. My body is falling apart... my neck constantly hurts... and my back is usually sore. I am sleeping better though... because we got new mattresses. Our kitchen is small... but nice. Just bought a new Wok and cooking is soooo nice now. We cook some good tikka masala, and korma curries, spagetti, pasta bakes in the oven, hot dogs, sandwiches, grilled cheese, whole chickens, herbal teas, and strawberry milk. I really enjoy cooking, and want to get better at it. We don't have much time to cook... but when we do... It is Chef Krebs time.

I am really enjoying my time here in Grays. I am really enjoying being a missionary. I see all the struggles people have... and I just count my blessings because I am only worried about one thing. That one thing is our investigators. I am really seeing the benefit of thinking of others more than myself. It is just better. I feel better and happier. It helps my pride and keeps me smiling. Thank you for all your love. I just got a package from small emma... and it was filled with sour skittles... sooo nice. I love you all.

Love,
Elder Krebs

p.s. life is better when we follow the commandments.