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

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.

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.

Picture time!

November 22, 2010

Hi Mum,

This email might be a tad shorter because I sent emails out to all the siblings individually.

This week has been an interesting one. I have for sure learned the most in the past week than any of the other weeks. We have had many problems and concerns pop up with our Investigators. Stella was going to be baptised on November the 27th. She was so excited for it... she was picking out Hymns and Everything. I was going to sing a song and everything was magic... but this past saturday (nov. 20th, my three month, thats weird. 1/8th done. I don't like that. Its going faster and faster) she said she had some problems and up until now we havent had any contact. Sad. Hopefully all is okay. The Portuguese family said they were not interested in hearing anymore... they felt really bad about it because we have gotten really close. Two other not so solid investigators dropped us and we dropped two. It has been like a cleansing :) Missionary work is hard. It tries everything you've got. Your emotions, mind, strength, and spirit. Come sunday night I'm absolutely drained. That is how it should be though. I love knowing I've given everything I've got to missionary work. That I am trying as hard as I can to forget myself. If I don't want to do something... it doesnt matter because this isn't my missin or my time. It's the Lords time. 

This week has been an emotional roller coaster... but I'm still just as happy as ever. I am genuinely happy. I find myself always smiling. I'm striving harder and harder to listen. listen to the spirit. listen to my companion. listen to our investigators. listen to the cool english wind. To realise that when things go wrong... it is not the end. We always will have a hope that through Jesus Christ's atonement we can be saved.

Some great things have happened this week though. Brother Kite, a less active that has become active told us that he just found that he could tie his eyebrow hair to his chest hair. HOW FLIPPIN Brilliant is that?!?! He is the coolest/weirdest man ever. That was probably the highlight of my week :)

Transfers calls are on monday night (november 29th) and transfer day is on wednesday. P day is on a tuesday.

Elder Young and I will most likely not stay together and since he has been here a transfer longer than me... he will most likely be transferred. BUT you never really know. I'll keep you in the loop.

 

Sorry this is short... but I love you and I love my family. I love all my friends and I love life. Life is Good. I am learning so much and growing. Growing closer to my Saviour. Nothing makes me happier.

 

Love,

Elder Krebs.

 

P.S. I went on the American Air Base in Thetford and the have a store with all american food :)

I got tons of frozen burritos and corndoggs. Funny what you miss over here :)

November 15, 2010

Family and friends,

Oh how lovely life is. I am so blessed to be in the England London Mission. The greatest mission on earth. I love it here... but I sure do miss america. Good thing we are having two thanksgiving feasts :) with two different american families. I am definitely going to be fat when I come home, except that I've been running every morning and Elder Young and I walk every where. I mean every where. I like walking though. Makes me healthier. We can also talk to people along the way. Daddy asked if we tract houses more or street contact. We try to do equal amounts so we don't get burnt out. This week we got 20 hours of finding in only five days because P-day on Monday and Zone Conference on Tuesday. Out of all those hours finding... we have one new investigator. Its difficult to keep going when you look at it that way... especially when the obvious better way is to receive referrals from members. We just keep going though... knocking on doors, stopping people in the street. It is fun though because you never know whats going to be behind door number 347. I have met oh so many interesting characters. 

The two pictures attached are one of me next to a KFC advert. Everyone here loves KFC and whenEVER I tell someone I'm from Kentucky they chuckle... then say "is that where the chicken comes from?" oh how it never seems to get old :) The other is me next to a Lego Buzzlightyear reppin' my Kentucky Wildcats. I don't really know whats going on this year... and I honestly don't really care. The Lego Buzz was at this huge toy store we went to in London. I can't remember the exact name... but its super old and famous. and HUGE. Six floors of just toys. All kinds of toys. Wow. It is slightly ridiculous. That is the first store we went to in London. We took the tube there and I really liked the tube. Its fun. SOOOO many people from EVERYWHERE. Its karazy. No one speaks english. All other different languages. We went into a couple of stores... but I just loved looking around and just watching. It is a completely different place. We went to a store called Harrods. It is honestly the Great and Spacious Building. The store is the definition of posh. It is the biggest store I've ever seen. They have two food courts with different sit down restaurants... all out of my price range. They have many different stores inside. You can find anything you want at this store. Designer everything. So expensive. The highest quality of everything. It blew my mind and I was so happy to be back on the streets again. It wore me out. We went into so many different rooms and the whole time I had no idea where I was. 

That night we ate at a Burger Joint called GBK (Gourmet Burger Kitchen) and it was delicious. After that we stayed the night at the AP's flat. I really like both of them. I've gotten to know them pretty well. In the morning we went to ZONE CONFERENCE. I was the happiest little boy ever. I got to see Elder Mosalakae, Elder Brozzu (my companion), and Elder Cena. All Elders from my mtc group. It was the first time I've seen any of them because I live so far away from everything. I was so happy. so happy. I can hardly explain it. I missed them oh so much. I can't wait till they are in my district or maybe even my companion. I was also able to see my roommate... Elder Hinckley. That made me so happy as well. I loved seeing them all. I liked the zone conference as well... very good trainings. I learned so much... and got to meet so many missionaries. 

Life is good. The best news this week was a letter I got from andrew. It was the best news a best friend could ever receive. This is what he said "For weeks straight I prayed morning and night and told God that i had no desire to go on a mission, but I know its right, so if you could please give me some desire it'd sure help alot. And although for weeks my desire never changed I didn't stop asking for that desire. And now I desire nothing more than to serve the Lord on a worthy full time mission. And the cool thing is I actually WANT to, my prayers were answered." The faith that andrew had for the Lord to change his desires is brilliant. I love him and am so happy. If we all could have the faith and perseverance as andrew... then our lives would continue to grow closer to the Saviours.

 

I love you all.

Cheers.

 

Love,

Elder Krebs.

 

November 8, 2010

Herro family,
 

I am currently in London, England right now. In the smack dab middle of it. We have zone conference tomorrow and therefore we came up a day early to spend P-day in the city of London. I love it here. I love looking at all the people and their faces. Everyone is so different. A different childhood, parents, and life. It makes me really want to share the Gospel with them because it is universal. I love this work. When anyone asks me how I am, my immediate response is that i'm fantastic. I feel so content and happy. I love waking up each morning, running and then tracting. Could life get better? I submit that it cannot. 

They just raised the Standard of Excellence from 17 hours of finding to 19 hours of finding a week. That is huge and will just make us work that much harder. Every decision we make is a time to learn. I love deciding to do something, then falling to my knees to ask God if that's what he would have me do. I love pausing in prayers and my mind being made clear on how to help our investigators. Most often I will be directed to a chapter of scripture for them to read. It is wonderful how the Book of Mormon brings the spirit. I love teaching from the Book of Mormon. I love using Alma 7 to teach the Atonement and then inviting people to be baptised. We are having some wonderful experiences. 

Fatima's husband Rui came to stake conference yesterday and all the talks were perfectly directed at him. I love it. One of the talks mentioned that you dont have to go to the Sacred Grove to gain a testimony and I was thinking "it sure blasted helps... and if just walking through it and praying doesn't do it... try singing hymns with 26 other pre missionary boys". I cherish the rare and unique opportunity to live at the foot of the Hill Cumorah. This week we found a new investigator in Dereham named Charlie. She is around 30, single and so golden. We went to her home and taught her with our Bishop. The lesson was by far the best lesson we have had. She understood so well and was very excited to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. She told us... I'll repeat... she told us that praying was the only way she would know if it was true. She wants to know and I am 100% confident that the spirit will whisper to her that the Book of Mormon is true. She also mentioned that she's always had a close close relationship with God. That he speaks to her mind and heart. She spoke of a dream she had before she met us about a man sitting on a chair reading a book. She knew the man to be Jesus Christ and he was reading this book that she didn't recognise. To her it seemed as though he was reading it to find out if it was true. She said she put herself in that situation but didn't know what the Book was. After that dream we knocked on her door and offered her a Book that was Another Testament about Jesus Christ. It gives me chills and fills me so full of thanks. She has been prepared by the Lord to meet with us and hopefully she will be willing to follow Him in faith. The bishop invited her over to his home on Saturday for dinner and a lesson. I am praying so hard she will receive an answer. Almost begging. 

Our other really solid investigator is Stella. She has a baptism date for November 20th and I'm pretty positive she will make it. She was prepared as well. She doesn't have any support in her life besides her son and the relief society is perfect for her. We went to a Hog Roast with her on friday and I mentioned to her that I had just started the Book of Mormon and that we were now in about the same place... 2 Nephi 3. Once I said that we started getting a little competitive... and saying that we were gonna read farther than each other. Since we were going to teach her the next day I issued the challenge that by our lesson tomorrow I would have read farther than her. She accepted and I read that night to about 2 Nephi 10. I was pretty confident that she was around the same area and that I wouldn't be too disgraced. BUT ohhh how I was wrong. When I asked her how far she had read... she chuckled and said... I read all of 2 Nephi and now I'm in Jacob 3!!! She SMOKED me. That was all in about 24 hours. She loves the Book of Mormon and knows it is true. She wants to be baptised and we are so excited to she her sins washed away on Nov. 20th. Then the next week to see the Holy Ghost given to her so she can have it abide in her forever. 

Baptism is a wonderful wonderful covenant that is so simple. We remember Christ and strive to Keep His Commandment and we can be forgiven and have the Holy Ghost with us always. The more I study it and ponder on baptism and the Holy Ghost, the more I want to talk to people and tell them all that can be theirs forever. AND... from the Hog Roast... Elder Young asked for the pigs head and they chopped it off and gave it to us. Elder Young carried it home and cut off all the meat and now we have so much hog and a pig skeleton in our flat. Wow. It is a great memory and I really enjoyed it. Living next to the Zone Leader is a hoot. It is now Elder Frobel and Elder Cardon and they are great. Every night we spend the hour we have after planning just talking and laughing. Elder Frobel reminds me so much of my older brother... Charles Hancock. And Elder Young continually reminds me of Elder Kearl. I love it. I feel like I'm living with my best friend. I'm so proud of andrew and his decision to serve a mission. No regrets will ever come from that decision, only blessings and a more Christlike life. 

The broadway live thingy seems amazing and so much fun. Way to go mum. You always get roped into these things and end up doing way too much. It is fun to see the fruits of   your labour though. The harder something is to accomplish, the more meaningful it is to us. As far as food is going... I love it. I'm getting into the swing of things and spending my money very wise. Eating tons of fruit... but not so much veggies. We have some great meals from Elder Young. He was a chef in a five star restaurant in London. Needless to say I don't go hungry. He decided to stew the pigs tongue and I'm scared. He made Onion Rings the other day and they were brilliant. I love that man. Too bad I always have to do the dishes :( 

I love you all so very much. The Lord is blessing us with people to teach and people that will listen. Pride is the great stumbling block in Zion. As soon as we believe we can do it. We are furthering our self from God. That is not good. I wish to remain humble... but for us krebs... that is a challenge. Much love. Cheers till next week. 

Love, Elder Krebs