March 1, 2011

Dear Mum,

This is a picture of Elder Adler, Elder Resolme, Elder Mosolakae and ME! We were all in the MTC together and now we are all in the Zone! I love it!! Especially since for the last six months in Norwich... no one from my MTC group had been in my zone :( so sad. Now I have four in my zone. I must have done something right. Goodness gracious family! It is amazing here. I love walking around the center of London and talking to people about the gospel! Not a single person we have found so far is English... I'll show you some of the names in my planner right now. There is Francesco, Zula, Dagma, Muhammad, Lukas, Kumiko, Xu Sho, Eden, Rajesh, Hakim, Gin, and Yuki. I LOVE IT!! They are from everywhere. How cool is that? " I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die" Alma 17:23. 

I have decided that I am going to learn Chinese on my mission. It is a big goal... but I want to do it. My companion is Armenian, and he have language study. I have rented some materials from the Library and I've begun putting a study program together. I'm really excited. Funny story for the weeeeekkkk :) We were walking through Kensington Gardens talking to people on Friday. We were having some success... but I was getting tired. BUT THEN the best thing happened. I stopped a lady who was around 30... she said "Oh, I'm so sorry... I can't stop... I have a dentist appointment". I got angry... but then I looked down at my watch and saw that it was Tooth Hurty. DUHHHH!! I don't even know why we were stopping people. It was dentist appointment time... silly Elder Krebs. Cool story for the week :) LOndon is POSH!! HOly holy cow. I have never before in my life seen cars this nice. Not even on the telly. Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, Maserati's, Rolls Royce's and Bentley's are a common everyday experience! How insane is that?? I don't really get it. I honestly have seen 4 of each since I've been here. Ferrari's are like Honda's. I love it. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures soon! I know ya'll think I'm doing missionary work... but really I'm just looking for cars. JUST KIDDING!! It is a nice addition though. 

This week was wonderful! I love my new companion. Before this, he was honestly one of my favorite missionaries that I had met. We are working so hardtogether. I am in heaven. My last two companions have been great... but to be honest they both held me back. They either couldn't work as hard as I wanted or they didn't have the motivation to work as hard as I wanted! But Elder Avanesyan has BOTH! Last week we had 46 hours of accounted labour! The highest on my mission so far!! This week will be even better! He has a pure pure pure testimony that makes people cry. He made Zula cry in our first appointment :) It was a good cry though. You need a good cry every once in a while. Well if you can't tell by now... I'm really happy to be here. The missionary work is going great. This area is only three weeks old... so we are basically starting from scratch... but we have been finding tons of very solid individuals! Francesco is brilliant. The lessons we have been having are filled with the Spirit and I can feel is testifying through me. I never remember what I have said... I just say it. God is directing our paths and filling our mouths. I can feel and see my prayers being answered. I know God is there. And he loves us. Hope the family is doing well. I love you all more than I ever have before!

 

Ta ta till next week!

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

 

P.s. MY companion and I go to Boots(Kinda like Walgreens) very often and spray free cologne on :) Hehe.

The First One is the Baptism of JAckie :) Ah. She makes me so happy! She is a miracle. I honestly didn't think she would be baptised. Don't tell anyone that... because I'm supposed to have tons of Faith! I do!! I promise :)

 

The Second one is of Elder Brown and I :( We had to leave each other. So sad. I loved Elder Brown! He is from Arkansas :) So great.

 

The Third one is Elder Mosalakae and I being reunited for the second time on the Mission :) He is in my Zone for this transfer! Therefore since it was Zone P-day yesterday we spent all day together :) He told me to tell my mother about him... so I can now say I did! I love him... and his africaness. He tries to convince everyone to go to Pentacostal churches with him on Sundays :)

 

I might send some more :)

 

We shall see :)

 

I love you all :)

 

Cheers.

February 28, 2011

Dear Family,

It is Elder Krebs here. I am currently living in England. London. WOOO HOOO!! I can now tell people that I lived in the center of London. I love it here. My joy is full. Everything is going fantastically. Except for the fact that I only have six mins left to email you. I will most likely get permission from mum and dad to email tomorrow (the Assistants). There are so many things to say... that I don't know where to start. I will start with telling you that I love every single person that reads this email. I have been studying a lot about my roots. That is my pre-mortal roots. It has been increasing my love for the people that we meet daily. I know my Saviour loves us all personally, and I know that I promised many people in the pre-earth life that I would find them and teach them the way to be happy. God is our Father and he loves us. We are all brothers and sisters. I love you all and wish you could be here with me. I hope that your week has been fantastic... but just know it comes no where to comparing with mine.

 

2 quick things...

Dad... have my tax reimbursements ever come?

And I decided on a Birthday Present... and a football club to support :) Chelsea! Blue and white and their stadium is about 10 mins from my flat :)

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

February 22, 2011

Oh blessed family,

I do not know where to begin. I honestly do not. So many wonderful things have happened in the last 48 hours. I can hardly keep from exploding. First off, I was pretty sure I was getting transferred since I had been here for six months. Therefore it was my last week in Dereham which was hard because I love Dereham very very much. It is a blessed place. After church we went and ate at our Ward Mission Leaders house :) He is one of the greatest men I know. I love that man. That night I went and visited Cara and Tasmin for the last time :( I was just planning on popping by for a little while and teaching a principle. That did not happen. Why you ask? Because I walked in and they threw me a Birthday Party. I was blown away. Their parents are not member and they threw me a party. They had tons of food and a cake. I was so happy. So very very happy. I felt so flattered. They gave me a cake with 20 candles on it and I told them it was too many. I only need 16. I don't wanna grow up. They gave me a birthday card from the family, which they had all signed. AND a birthday card from the ward which was signed by the whole Dereham Ward! They also said that they have a birthday present for me but it wasn't there yet and so we are going by today to pick it up. The best part is that their father smokes... and therefore I told him he could light his fag with my birthday candles :) He also told us that if you place ginger root up a horses rear end... they run twice as fast. His language was much more colourful though. They ought to try that at Keeneland. Needless to say... he provides us with more than enough entertainment. The next day was Monday... but not our P-day. 

We had District Meeting in the morning at Gorelston and had appointments with Jackie and Joshua afterwards. Jackie was great! She is going to be a very strong assest to the Norwich Ward. She gave me a card as well and it was very nice. I will miss her. She is the epitome of Norfolk. Very english. That night we went to Billy and Claire Baldock!! I love this couple. This is where Elder Young and I spent Christmas. We had a great time there as well... She cooked us a great curry with brownies for our pudding. Afterwards Billy brought down a pair of really nice brown shoes that he doesn't wear anymore that fit me perfectly and he gave them to me for my Birthday. Its funny because I have almost bought brown shoes like nine times... but I never do :) This is a family that I will come back and visit when I come back to England. They have been so great to me. Well... that night we had moves calls! I was very very nervous. BUT!!! Now I am more excited than all get out. I get to serve in the smack dab middle of London. My area is called Hyde Park... and my companion is Elder Avynesium. I don't think I spelled it right... but I know him. He is from Armenia and is spot on. He was in my District during my first transfer. My zone in Hyde Park includes my old Zone Leader Elder Frobel AND my best friend from the MTC... Elder Mosalakae from South Africa! I am so happy!! You have no no no idea. I get to spend all Monday with him for Zone P-Day. Plus I know Elder A is a very hard worker... therefore we are going to dominate. The only potential downside is that we live with the Assistants. Presidebt knows he needs to keep a watchful eye out on me. I am actually really really excited for it. I really like the Assistants right now. They are amazing guys. Since the flat is in the middle of London... it is the second most expensive missionary flat in the world. I am kinda scared I might ruin it or something.

 I feel so incredible blessed right now. I will miss Norwich... our district right now is perfect. I love them all. Oh goodness gracious. I don't even know what to think right now. Absolutely everything in my life is about to change. I am going to the farthest away from the mission home to the closest to the mission home. I need to start packing. We are driving in tomorrow at 5:00am because we will hit rush hour. Thank you so much for my birthday wishes. I am grateful for my family and friends and I love them. A big thanks to mum for birthing me. Sorry this email wasn't very churchy... I'll share a spiritual highlight from my week. I have realised how much we do not depend on God in the 21st Century. We have food, homes, and clothes. We have other things that fill our time. Telly, Work, and School. We think we can do many things by ourselves and we even enjoy being able to have no ones help on certain things. BUT!! We can do nothing of our own power... every breath we take is a gift. Every choice we make is a opportunity. "And now, in thefirst place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?" Mosiah 2:23-24. We can not do anything in our own power. We should be dependent upon our Heavenly Father. As we are depedent upon Him... He can bless us. Only after we act... can we receive blessing.

 

I love my Heavenly Father and am willing to serve Him with all mine heart, might, mind and strength.

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

February 14, 2011

Hiya familia,

Oi! How grateful I am to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! This job is wonderful. We have been having so much success lately and it makes me want to jump up and down and scream from the rooftops. We can ALLLLL live with God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the simplest thing. We teach that God has a perfect plan, Jesus Christ is central to that plan, and we are living proof of the need of that plan. WE are STUCK with of our Saviour. Straight up stuck. Physically and Spiritually. We are damned, we can not progress without Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!!  I am singing and clapping my hands right now. Stomping me feet!! I feel a tad Pentecostal right now... but that is okay because there are instances of this in the Book of Mormon. For example... "O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people! And when she had said this, she clasped her hands, being filled with joy, speaking many words which were not understood; and when she had done this, she took the king, Lamoni, by the hand, and behold he arose and stood upon his feet." Alma 19:29-30. The Queen was feeling it.

Well right now is Monday! Valentines day... woopie! For some reason... It is not as exciting being a missionary on Valentines Day. But... we went to a restaurant called Slug and Lettuce and it was very very good! When I say we I mean, 6 Elders and 2 Sisters. We usually have a group together on P-days. Now we are at the Chapel playing sports and taking turns writing emails. I enjoy writing letters here a lot more than I do at the Library. I don't feel as if everyone is breathing down my back. We had an appointment with a lady named Diane today as well. She is brilliant. She has been looking for a Church all her life. She has tried tons and knows Christianity is the way... but no Church fits her needs. The message we have shared with her seems to fit perfectly and it builds my faith that the Lord is preparing his children to hear and heed the message of Jesus Christ. It makes me smile.

We had a Zone Conference this past week and it was fantastic! I love Zone Conferences. President talked specifically about the fact that the Spirit of God is being poured out upon all creatures. He referred us to the Scripture in Jeremiah that says "Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." We are hunting in the England London Mission. Hunting. We have to go to every mountain, hill and rock. And that is exactly what I am willing to do it if the Lord promises me that  "If it so be that you should labor all your days Elder Krebs in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" I'm not going to stop at the mountain, hill and rock. What about the insides of trees? And the people that live underground on the Tube? And the really anciently old people stuck in their one story bungalows? And Harry Potter at platform 9 and 3/4! I want to share this message with them. They need to hear it! I want to be a professional hunter! With perfect aim, and I want to follow every single last stinking prompting that I get because they are what lead me to the elect! "For mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts" The Lord will lead us to them if we listen, and then courageously follow. It works the same exact way for you. The Lord will tell you what friends to drop hits to, and "it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say" to spark a gospel discussion in which you can testify to themthat the Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth.

Jackie Southon was baptised on February the 12th :) It was wonderful. It all went very smoothly and we even had another investigator named Andrew there. Jackie was very ready to be baptised. She was very very excited and so was I. I got ahead of myself in the baptismal ordinance that I forgot to say he name... I just went straight into ... Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ. Oops. I got it right the second time and all was well :) She is going to be a great member. Her husband was there and was looking smart. He is a really goofy guy. I really like him, and I think it will only be a matter of time before he is baptised. The part that was most special to me was right before the baptismal service started... Jackie, Elder Rallison and I were standing in front of the font talking about some logistics. We finished and then I asked Jackie to say a prayer for us... and she blew me away. It was the most heart felt prayer I have ever heard. She personally committed herself to constantly improve and be a witness of God at all time and in all places. The spirit was there, and no one could ever deny that. I have a pure love for Jackie Southon. I knocked on her door, taught her all the way through and had the sweet opportunity to be asked to perform the ordinance. I will cherish these memories forever.

I cannot believe that the transfer is a week from being gone. Where on earth did it go?? I am already getting worried that my mission is going to fast. I want it to slow down and last. I need it to last. I have been made very aware of the many many many faults that I have! Oh so aware. I get so frustrated with myself. I know what I want to be. My spirit indeed is willing, but my stupid flesh is weak weak weak! I want to be stronger. I need to be stronger. To master myself. To be more self disciplined.

I have received tons of post :) A package from mum, and things from Tambam and Lala. My companion absolutely loved your card Laura. He is a very very big hick from Idaho. One of our inside jokes now is... "Hey, can I bard that Book of Mormon from you?". It was perfect, I shant forget my roots. Back in the Bluegrass state. I miss my family and my friends. I am grateful for all the post I get from the family, friends and from Big Emma. She is kicking every ones butt. Woot woot, ten points for her. Thank you for your support. Remember... its not the years in your life that counts, but the life in your years :)

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

 

P.s. hey sister Krebs its elder Peterson i just want you to know that your son is amazing i look up to him so much he is the best i love him. well ill stop writing now but he is an amazing elder you should be proud of him.  -From Elder Peterson, one of my Zone Leaders. (He doesn't like using commas)-

February 7, 2011

Dear Family and Friends (and mummy),

Oh how happy and glad I am to be in the wonderful country of England. This mission thing is the greatest in the WORLD!! I am learning so many great things and I am thrilled that I have 18 months left to learn thousands of more things. This has been a great week where I have been able to stop and smell the roses. I was writing in my journal on Wednesday and realised that I was going to fast and not slowing down and thinking. I felt like I had my head down and was just walking straight ahead. I was missing the most important things. I kept thinking that we weren't having much success because everyone this week said no. 

BUT!!! Jackie passed her baptismal interview and everything is rolling. How grrrreat is that??? She gets to make a covenant to always have the spirit to be with her. She only has to remember Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. We get the better side of the deal. Having the spirit always with us is the best strength we could ever have. It is the Comforter that God gave to us when Jesus Christ was going to leave. "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever." (John 14:15-16) It is the thing that the Nephites prayed for most fervently in 3 Nephi 18 and 19. It is a key help that I believe is very underutilized. We should all be dependent on the Holy Ghost to show us where to go, what to do and what to say. We should always remember Him, and one of the best ways to do that is to read the Scriptures and to Pray. It seems so simple. As we read the Book of Mormon, we read about the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We remember Him, and we desire to keep the commandments He has given us. AND if we do that... we will always have the spirit to be with us. It will guide our life. 

How grateful I am to be a member of this church and to be able to offer people this wonderful gift. I have been thinking so much about being grateful. How important it truly is and how we must live with gratitude. I was thinking about prayer and how we do not pray to Jesus Christ, and why we don't pray to Jesus Christ. Everything that we do on this Earth seems to be through Christ... so why not prayer? We are forgiven through Christ, and redeemed through Christ. As I was praying and asking God about it... two thoughts came to my mind that answered what I had been studying and searching about. One, Prayer is through Jesus Christ. We do it in His name. How important that phrase truly is... I believe it is sometimes not truly understood. To do things in His name means to do it as He would do it. As we pray through Jesus Christ, he hears our prayer and through his atoning sacrifice we are forgiven, and understood. We are comforted and strengthened. 

The second was clear "quit worrying about it Elder Krebs and be thankful". That hit me like a load of bricks. I realised how ungrateful for prayer I was being. As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer should become natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11 and B.D.) As we understand that God truly is our Father and created us... then we would die to talk to Him. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. How much more grateful can we be? President Monson said "My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven." Let us all strive to touch heaven :)

There I go again... soap boxing it up again. No one here listens to us, and you kind of have to listen to me. You're stuck. Mwahahaha. Yesterday we went out tracking with Tasmin and her 7 year old little sister Danielle. It was the best hour of tracting ever. Danielle is the cheekiest little girl ever. She was starting to get angry at people for shutting the door and started quoting Homer Simpson. People would start shutting the door and she would stick her arm in the way and give them a card. She was so excited and kept telling us to hurry up :) During the Sacrament yesterday, she didn't take the bread but took the water. I asked her why she did that and she whispered in my ear... "I don't like brown bread". I love this family. We absolutely love going over there and talking and having a good time with them. It brings me complete joy. 

Please keep Jackie Southon in your prayers. She is being strong in not drinking tea, and we are very excited for Saturday at 11:00. She has asked me to baptise her and that is a great honour. I knocked on her door, taught her and will not help her enter into the gates of Heaven. I just pray and plead she stays on the straight and narrow. I love you all. More than going to the American Base and getting to do shopping and eat Taco Bell :)

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

January 31, 2011

Hello all,

I have received sad news today about the loss of my friend Nicholas Polus. It has hit me quite hard and shook me. It once again reminds me that life doesn't last forever and is not fair. It rarely goes according to our plans and takes us along for the ride. Nick was a valued friend that had many difficult challenges in his life. He bore them with a smile all the while. I have many vivid memories of him coming back with his mud covered jeep, happy as could be. Many times we were able to stop and talk in the front lawn about what most boys talk about. Cars and females. He was a dear friend that was always near. I always looked up to him, not only because he was taller than me, but because he was someone I could trust. It is hard when we are separated from the ones we love most dearly. It would be much more difficult if this separation lasted forever. I know that it does not. It is temporary, not permanent. 

Our Heavenly Father has a plan for all of His children. It is a plan that always allows His children to come back and be happy. Our beloved Prophet shares his feelings on the topic quite well in this video. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?autoplay=true&index=1&locale=0&sourceId=b63b822d7ecc8210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

I know that we can live together as families. It is a knowledge that we can find for ourselves through prayer. God answers our questions and blesses us through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost... "quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being." Parley P. Pratt. I love that quote and its importance.

Jackie told us on Wednesday that she WILL be baptised on February 12th!!!!!!!! We are so happy! She has been making all the necessary steps to make that day. We are very happy for her and it is nice to once again see the efforts of our work. Sorry this letter is short. We need to go and work... too many things to do. Not enough time. Next week will be the longest email yet!! I promise. The church is true. I know it. It is perfect, beautiful and simple. Everyone can be blessed from it. It is our job to show them how :) I love you all. Thank you for your prayers.

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

January 24, 2011

Hiya mum,

This week has been GREAT!! I enjoyed it very very much. Elder Rallison is great and we are getting along quite well. He is constantly singing and making me laugh. He is way more of a hick than I am and he's not even from kentucky. He is not really a hick though... but kinda. He likes high school musical and fantasy... so basically he is a very well rounded individual. He is very very different than Elder Young and it keeps it quite interesting. Elder Young was very english reserve and Elder Rallison is not. He is from America and proud of it. We had 40 hours of accounted labour this week and that is by far the best of my mission. It made me very happy. I love working and being able to see the success that comes from it. 

We have had some great first appointment with potential investigators. Just before we emailed... we sat down with Andrew in the library. We talked to him in town center about a week ago and now he is a new investigator and we have a return appointment with him. He seemed very genuienly interested and we haven't even shared the Book of Mormon with him yet. He seems very solid to me and I can't wait to meet with him again on Wednesday and invite him to be baptised. We have been able to find more people to teach this week and hopefully our teaching pool will continue to grow. We dropped Stella for good this week and that makes me really sad. We spent so much time with her and she knows the Book of Mormon is true, but she doesn't think she needs it. She wants to sort out her life first, but its easier to have the gospel of Jesus Christ help you. Everyone we meet and you meet have concerns or problems, and the gospel of Jesus Christ can replace the fear and doubt with faith and hope. 

I have been gaining a stronger and stronger testimony of how we need Jesus Christ. His example, gospel and life is a cure all. The Church of Jesus Christ has the answer to all your questions and concerns. Each person we teach has personal challenges and concerns. No matter what their needs or concerns might be, the Savior and His teachings—the gospel—can help them. Our message will enable them to improve the quality of their lives. It will help them deal with the problems and challenges that we all face in life. I know that as we rely on it, that it can bless our lives for good. I have been thinking as well about the commandments and why God gives us commandments. Why do you think he does? Is it because as we follow them he recieves bonus points? More creative power? An A+? We all know that is not why. He gives us commandments for our benefit. We are the sole benefactors of the commandments. It is the best way in which we can live the happiest life. A blue print for success and joy. How lucky are we??? When we think of commandments as restrictions and rules... then we do not understand them. All commandments bless us directly. We are so blessed to have them restored in our day... to stay away from the sin that pollutes this world. 

The world is rarely this evil, all of God's commandments are being disregarded and all the things that we are commanded not to do are becoming normal in the world. Commandments protect and secure us. Most importantly out of all these reasons to keep the commandments is that when we keep them we are giving God the one thing we have to give him, our free agency. We show our humility to his plan. When we humbly trust Him and acknowledge His power and mercy, we can have the assurance that His commandments are for our good. We are confident that we can do whatever the Lord requires of us if we rely on Him. As we keep the commandments, we prove ourselves and our love. "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." 

On Thursday night we went sheep teaching. On our Zone Calendar is said to Teach, Testify and Invite a sheep to come unto Christ. The attached picture proves our efforts. Life is wonderful. I enjoy every second of my mission. I do miss America though. I love you all very much. Have a wonderful week. Ta ta for now.

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

P.s. “The discipline contained in daily obedience and clean living and wholesome lives builds an armor around you of protection and safety from the temptations that beset you as you proceed through mortality.”

– ELDER L. TOM PERRY

“CALLED TO SERVE,” ENSIGN,