More from March 14, 2011

Welll... I have a new companion :) So now I have two!! Crazy. His name is Elder Seljess. He is from Utah and is a foot taller than me! He used to be in the Hayes Area. but we received a missionary from the Siberian Mission and he moved to Hayes. So we get the leftover rubbish :( just kidding! I love it. He is so great except for one terrible terrible fault. He is a dUKe fan. Oh how close I was to calling President and telling him that there was a mistake. I will trust in the Lord's will and plan... and hopefully learn a ton. I am in the War Chapters right now... so maybe I will learn not to follow that traditions of my fathers :) We are very excited for this next week. We will be doing splits all the time with the ward and therefore we will be able to do double work in the area. That will be great for this every pressing work. We must step it up a notch and do the work quicker and more effective. The other pictures are:of me in Picadilly Circus and Elder Avanesyan and I on the lion :) The last one is the Hyde Park Elders in front of China town :) I love it.

March 14, 2011

Hi momma,

Here is the weekly email. It might be a tad short because we won't be here the full hour. I love serving a mission. I love exhausting all of my strength and having to rely on the angels to bear me up. I was watching my companion talk to someone on the street the other day, and i was just listening and taking it all in. My mind started to wander as I listened and then I thought... "Stop it Elder Krebs, what more can you do to help your companion?" That is when revelation filled my mind and a life long quest was started to figure out what more can I do. There is always more to do and we can never be content with how we are doing... but must always think... what more can we do? Can we help a friend? Can we help our Mum? Can we testify of our companion? Can we have more diligent studies to come to know our Saviour better? What more can we do? I am growing to learn to love serving my companions. By serving them, I grow to love them. We are promised that the more we lose ourselves... how we will truly find our self. No gift is a better gift than putting our will and free agency on the altar and sacrificing it to the Lord. I can testify that the more I give to the Lord... he helps me to find true joy and the true Elder Krebs. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a new companion. I was very scared about it, but he is a wonderful missionary. He has the greatest quirks and interesting hobbies. He loves Beyonce! More than anything. He has her perfume and says he sometimes sprays it on his pillow before 10:30 bed time. What a great guy :) 

Living with the Assistants and my companions is always a hoot. We have a great time together! I have grown to love them all and I am very happy. Serving in London is the best! We have found some great investigators in the past two weeks! A man named Simon Jacob came to church this past Sunday and he is the man! He just moved into London from Syria and really wants to learn about our church and we were able to talk about baptism and he seemed excited. Francesco was found the first week I was here and is on vacation now... but is the most open investigator I've had since I've been here. He is brilliant. Zula doesn't believe in God, but was able to feel the Spirit and it touched her heart. We give tours all the time of the Chapel. What we do is stand outside of the Church and invite people on a free tour! It is great. We made a woman cry the past week after praying with her! Oh Mary. And we started teaching two Asian girls named Yan and Ann. They both don't know how to pray and their first prayers are the most innocent and heart felt in the world. At first they introduce themselves. "Hello God, My name is Ann. I live in London right now, but I'm from China." It is so great. I pray they will all keep progressing and take the steps towards baptism. Sorry I can not write more. I wish I could write all day :( I love you all. The Book of Mormon is true. Test it :)

 

Love,

John. 

March 7, 2011

Herro,

It is a surprisingly sun shinny day in London!! I love it :) I have attached you a picture of my flat here in South Kensington. How wonderfully blessed I am to be in such a nice place. I feel that I am learning so much about myself right now. I have been really concentrating on making myself a better missionary. I have noticed some fantastically huge weaknesses in my life and I need to improve them. I have had so many great experiences that I don't know where to start. I find that as I teach people... new knowledge comes into my heart and mind. The other day we were talking to a recent convert who has been fading away. She has problems with depression and doesn't believe that God would let her experience so much pain and suffering. I have always known that it is for our benefit and learning... but I still found it hard to believe that some people suffer so much more than others. I felt in my life that I have hardly suffered at all. I've always had what I wanted in life. I think that most suffering came under the tyrannical reign of King Charles growing up. I have scars to prove it. That and when mum and dad wouldn't let me get the Lebron James II shoes that I had to have ;) 

Back to the serious side though... We all suffer different amounts... and through suffering we grow. That I always knew... but I had never made the connection of the Atonement to that as well. That God lets us suffer... BUT he provided a way through all that suffering. He gave us a perfect plan! We may suffer more than anyone of the earth right now... but Jesus Christ was the great and last Sacrifice. He suffered all sin and death for us. Not for His sin, for he had none. For you and me. Everything in this life... rests on the Atonement. It is real. We should all fully take advantage of it. If you aren't... then you are full of pride. We must know that our life rests on Jesus Christ's sacrifice. And we must use it to become clean. When we do that... we can live with God.

This week has been great. I burned my hand on the hob... and that was a bummer. Oops. It wasn't that bad... but its still blistering. It was Elder Frobel's fault. He tricked me... kinda. I thought he had just touched it... and then he asked me if it was on... because he had just put his hand about the stove top... and not on it. He didn't think it was on... so since I thought he had just touched it... I touched it and found out that it was most definitely on and hot. He appreciated it very much. And I realised how grateful for the nervous system I am. And especially the peripheral nervous system.

My companion is my hero. I love this guy. We are working so hard... but it doesn't seem like it. I've never been so tired in my life, but yet so energised when I go out on the streets. This past week... we did nothing but street contact :) 23 hours of street contacting. I love it. We have some investigators that are really progressing well. Francesco is by far my favourite right now. He is the nicest guy ever. He is a swoll Italian guy. SO huge. And his voice reminds me of Mafia movies. He is progressing too well. I say too well because Elder Avaynesan and I are sacred that we missed a concern that He has. He really well what we teach him and he loves the Book of Mormon. We know he has a Catholic background and therefore we wonder why instead of going back to Catholic church he wants to come to our church (which he did on Sunday). Catholics are very stubborn... but he isn't! I am going to have faith though!! I've never had a golden investigator and this could be my chance. He is very open. That is good. He needs to continue to feel the Spirit and then he will want it with him always... and he'll be baptised. I have faith family. I love my family!!

Families are forever. I know I can live with you all forever. How brilliant is that? :) It makes me smile.

 

Love,

Elder Krebs

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)-