Talking With Elder Ballard‏

So it was incredible getting to have the conference with Elder Ballard. I have known that he was going to come to talk to us for about a month now, but the original announcement was that it was just going to be by satellite. But a couple of days before the conference i was on the phone with my leaders asking for more information so i could pass it on to my district. And they said ```Well Elder Crockett, Elder Ballard is going to speak to you at 10am, but you and your district should be there in the chapel with everything ready at least a half hour early. And by the way he has decided to change it from a satellite broadcast to a skype broadcast, and so if you arrive late that means that Elder Ballard is going to see you arrive late´´ And so when i called my missionaries i told them that and they all freaked out with excitement.

But we got there and we had skype ready, and we were doing a three way skpye conversation, there was Coyhuique (me), Punta Arenas (the only zone farther south than the one i am in), and Elder Ballard, and the other general authorities that we accompanying him. And so before the conference started we were doing a whole bunch of sound tests and stuff and everything was working out great. But then Elder Ballard entered, and suddenly we lose all audio with Puerto Varas (the city he was in), and of course every single one of us starts freaking out, and we start making a bunch of phone calls and everything, but we had no idea what to do, when i look back up at the screen, and i see the Missionaries in Punta Arenas all start kneeling down to pray. And instantly wondered why i didnt come up with that idea, so i told all the missionaries in Coyhaique to calm down and stop talking, and we all decide that we are going to pray as well. 

 

And so we all kneel down to pray. And after we pray we all sit down again. We see (we always had visual but both zones lost communication) that the missionaries in Punta Arenas finished praying too, and all sat down. So we are sitting there in silence for about a min, when a missionary sitting close to e says ``Well now what do we do?´´ And I just say ``Just wait. Everything will work out´´ 

 

So we started the conference and i dont think that the general authorities knew that we could here anything, so they started talking and we missed the entire first talk, but it was from the wife the Area President in the area SAS (its the south part of South America. And after she talked her husband, started talking, and as soon as he started talking the audio came back in. After him the wife of, and the President of the Quorum of the 70 talked to us. 

 

And then after them the Apostle Elder Ballard. And honestly i have no idea how i can write about all the things that he talked about. I have like a million pages of notes from him (not really, but i have a lot) But it was honestly a life changing experience. As we were talking with him i really think i saw who i want to be when i grow up, and more than that, he told me what to do to become that man. I cant explain what i learned, but i wont ever forget it. 

 

And leaving from that conference i have about a million stories already of the miracles that happened as i did everything i could to follow the councils he gave me. But i remember the night before we were going to talk with him. I was having a really hard time, inbetween the normal mission problems, being a leader, and other problems that i dont feel the need to talk about. And while i was in a sleepless night meditation state i narrowed my problems down to three question. And knew that if i could get the answers to these 3 questions that i would be fine, i´d be able to happily continue my adventures here in chile. So i prayed begging God to give me the answers to these three things. And as i was talking to Elder Ballard, he specifically talked about every single one of them, using the same words that i used in my prayer (well the English translation of the words haha) 

 

So leaving the conference i felt like a changed person. Still do even though it was a week ago. This week i have to teach all the missionaries in my District in our District Meeting, and the mission leaders want me to talk about the conference with Ballard, and how we can apply the things he taught us into missionary work. 

 

And so these last couple of days in my personal study time i have been studying the notes i took, and prepared my meeting from them. And i am super excited to give it, i already know that my missionaries are doing everything they can to follow the things he taught us judging from how incredibly all the numbers in my district jumped this last week. One thing i have been doing is randomly through out the day when i am not teaching someone, i`ll call my missionaries and if they arent busy i`ll talk with them for a min and do a little practice teaching with them there in the street so they can keep their focus where it should be. And its been working pretty great.

Welp i love yall Keep me posted!

Sorry I was late....nope, not really.

So forgive me for not writing yall yesterday. I was in a Skype Conference with Elder M. Russell Ballard, and so i had to change my p-day in order to talk with hm. But talking with an apostle made the little sacrifice worth making haha

Ok before i forget i´ll finish the blessing story.

A few days later i was walking in the street when my companion turns to me and says ``that woman looks really familiar, who is she?´´(we were on divisions when i taught Maria so he didnt know her very well) And i notice that it was Maria. And before i can say much to him she sees us, and a huge smile on her face comes up to us and shakes our hands. And i think my companion forgot about the story i told him, but he asked her ``Hey, what are you doing in this part of town´´ (it was relatively far away from where she lives) and she said with a big smile on her face ``Its a nice day today so i decided to go on a long walk´´ And then after talking for a little more we set up another appointment to come by another day, and she happily accepted the invitation. And then we let her go. And as my companion and i were walking away he said to me ``Didnt she say to us the other day that she hasnt left her home for months unless it was absolutely necessary?´´ And i said ``yes she did´´ and he then asked ``What happened, i thought she couldnt walk?´´ I then sad ``You´re right, she couldnt.´´ I then reminded him of the story i told him a couple of days earlier. And we walked away happily knowing that miracles are real.

Ok now i dont remember where i left off on the jail story so i`ll just tell you why i was there haha

One of my investigators was caught stealing, and he already had a couple of other outstanding warrants and so they put him in jail. And they put him and all of his family in jail because they were with him wen he was stealing, actually they were participating too, it was like a family reunion in jail, al the uncles the parents, the kids, Big Party. So naturally their first thought is Lets cal Elder Crockett, he`s probably the only person in the world who can help us right now. And i beforehand i had already been in and out of the jail on multiple occasions so i didnt have any problems with being surrounded by Robbers and Murderers (visits there arent like they are in the movies,with the big glass panel and everything. We have to go to the center of the prison, where all of the criminals are and in a big room filled with people), and so i went in to visit them. And i went there with the intent of just giving them all books of mormon, and getting them to start reading it so that when they all left they would have a stronger testimony. and so i went there and started teaching them. 

And then i left. And thats when i saw that the mission president called me (you cant have phones inside of jail, so i left it in my house) The next week i go back to make sure that they were reading, and all of them were r except for one of them, and he was going to be in there waiting for his trail for 70 more days, and then it is prospected that with all of the warrants he had out he was going to be in there a lot longer. but i get there and all of his family is in there visiting him. And i have actually been teaching this family for a while, and they all love me, and so they were all happy to see me, and so they let me in on their conversation. And they had a lot of plans to ``get him out early´´, to say it one way, and they told me what they wanted to do to ``help´´ So they told me their little plans and then i left. Immediately when i left i said to my companion, that we needed to tell the authorities the things we knew now. So after talking a little to the jail guard, we went to visit a member who is a member of the PDI (the chilean version of the FBI) and told him everything. he then informed the proper authorities and then told us everything we had to do to not be involved anymore. And sense then we have been doing it. I am not going to enter the jail to see them. which is ok, because you cant be a progressing investigator while you are in prison cheating the system to get out of jail early (they have been in and out of a ton of different jail. they are actually pretty ´`intelligent`´´)

Well shoot i am pretty much out of time now. i wanted to tell you guys about meting with Elder Ballard. but next week i will have more tome to. just remind me hahaha

well Love you all. Keep me posted

District Leader Elder Crockett‏

so if you want more part of the story here is another part

I get home from jail and i see my cell phone has a missed call from the mission President from about an hour  earlier and so i call him back, and here is the conversation that followed

``Elder Crockett, what happened, why didnt you answer the phone when i called´´

``i was in the jail, they didnt let me have my phone with me, so i just saw that you called a few seconds ago´´

``Let me get this straight. You didnt answer your phone...because you were prison?´´´

``Yup, that just about sums it up President´´

``Why on Earth were you in jail?´´

``Well a couple of days ago...´(to be continued, maybe hahaha)

Actually the mission President was only calling me to tell me that i was going to be the new district Leader. I am in charge now of 8 missionaries, 2 of which are sisters. And i actually have very little idea what im supposed to do. Other than make sure all the missionaries are ok, take all their numbers, and run and teach the meeting we have every week. But i´ll learn.. Actually when the mission President called me, after telling me about how many were going to be in my district he just said ``Well Elder Crockett, these missionaries are really going to need your good example, and your help, but you know what to do.´´ 

And then i responded ``Dont worry about anything President, you can trust me´´

He then replied ``I know i can, thats why you have this assignment´´

And then said bye. And then my companion was right there looking at me, and starts jumping up and down, saying ``I knew it! I knew it! i knew you were going to be a district leader!´´

It wasnt actually until about a half hour later i was walking over to an appointment i had and suddenly i realized that i have no idea how to be a DL, i´ve only been companions with one like a year ago haha But im excited.

So this last week i was teaching a family that was super awesome. I actually met them knocking doors. And the Husband is a inactive member who hast come to church in like 15 years, and the wife isnt a member. And i`ve actually been teaching them for a while, but the wife is almost never home, and so i have only taught her once before. But i set up an appointment specifically to meet with the whole family. And i went there and we taught the restoration. And I brought with me Hno Jacob (that man that you talked to the other day mom) (P.S. Love that guy to death he s my ward mission leader, and hes awesome) But while i was teaching i say to the wife ``When you know that this is true, will you be baptized by.....´´ And before i even finished my sentence she cuts me off with a very enthusiastic ``YES´´ And so i do the second part of the invitation for a specific date. And says ``Of coarse i wll.´´ and then starts telling me ``I have been going to different churches ever since i was a little girl, but i never was baptized. Because i wanted to be sure that i was getting baptized in the right church. 

 

And i have been waiting SO Long to be able to find that church. And i believe that its your church´´ We then invited her to a baptism service that we had this saturday. (i dont have my camera with me. next week i´ll send you the pics) And she came with all of her family and they loved it. And after words they came up to me and said ``Elder Crockett, at what time does the church start tomorrow?´´ And so i say ``10:00´´ And she says ``Awesome! See you tomorrow at 10!´´ And then asked me a ton of question about the church and how the meeting were and everything. And her inactive Sunday (who was now super excited to come back) said i still remember just about everything i will tell you more about it on the way home.´´ I actually have an appointment with them in a couple of hours, and honestly i am super excited. Most people would think that being P Day and all i would be thinking about what to write the family, and other such trunkynesses. but actually right now i am thinking ``I am really excited to talk to them about the Book of Mormon!´´ 

Well I love you all! look Forward to hearing from yall!

Uuuggghh....a cliffhanger.

So Im sitting in my house on Sunday after church, getting my stuff ready to leave to work, when there is a knock at my door. And it is two young men who are preparing to leave on missions. And they asked me if they could go on splits with us. So i told them sure, and real quick i divide the plans so my comp can visit half the people, and i could with the other half. And so we split up, and about five mins after leaving the work i get a phone call from another one of my friends who is leaving on him mission in a couple of months. And he told me that he was on his bike on the way to my house, and that he wanted to leave to work with us. So i told him where i was and a min later we meet up.

And the first person we taught was a woman that i started teaching just a few days ago actually. She was a reference that her sister in law gave me. And i had only taught her once before, so i didnt know too much about her. But as we were walking over to her home i told the young men what we were going to teach her. And the plan was to teach about the book of mormon. So we get to her house, and she invites us in. And after a min of talking we pray and i start teaching. And i start out by verifying if she read the pamphlet i gave to her the other day, and she said ``Si´´ But was really quiet. So i asked ``And did you pray to know if Jose Smith was a prophet?´´ And once again quietly she said ``Si´´ And so i ask. ``How id you feel when you pray´´ And she explained to me exactly how any mormon would explain the holy ghost. And so i told her. ``I really like it when i feel like that when i pray, because i know that God is listening to my prayers. And so i know that he listened to your pray´´

 I then asked if she believed that Joseph Smith was a prophet. And once again she said ``Si´´ So i bear my testimony about how i know that he is a prophet as well. And then i start teaching about the book of mormon, and how it is a gift from God providing us with even more evidence that He restored his church to the world. And then after teaching i ask Abraham (one of the young men) to bear his testimony, And he bore an incredibly sincere and powerful testimony ( he just got baptized a little while ago) And then after i testified that what he said was true and then taught a little more.

And then i asked Alexis (the other young man) to bear his testimony, and he bore an incredibly testimony as well. And after i again testified of what he said. And then i asked Maria (the woman we were teaching) how she felt right now. And she told me ``Really calm, and at peace, and i feel something really good in my heart, almost exactly how you said happened to you Alexis (referring to his testimony)´´ And the spirit was incredibly strong there in the room so i said `Hermana what you are feeling right now is the Holy Ghost. And its God telling you that the things we are teaching you are true. And that this truly is Gods only true church on the earth.´´ And i paused a second then said ``And Maria when you are a member of this church, God promises that you can always have this same feeling that you have right now.

And so we have an invitation for you. Maria, when you know when the things we are teaching you are true, will you be baptised for someone who has this authority that was restored.´´ And she sat there and thought about it a second, then said ``Si´´ So i said ``And i want to help you prepare yourself to feel ready to make this covenant with God. And so my companion and I are preparing a baptismal service the 28th of February. Will you prepare to be baptised on this day´´ And she thought about it a second, and once again responded ``Si´´ And then i promised a bunch of blessings. And then asked if we could end the lesson with a prayer. And i asked her to do it, but she said  that she would prefer if i did it.

Now whenever an investigator does that it means the either dont know how to pray, or they feel embarrassed praying, so i taught her how to pray, and then said that if she wanted i could pray so that she could listen and have a example of how to pray, and then she could pray after me. And so i prayed. And then once again taught the steps of how to pray, and then she prayed. And after i thanked her for her time and asked if she needed something. And she said ``Actually yes there is´´ And she started telling me about a problem she has with her legs that caused her alot of pain every day. And then just stopped talking as if she was expecting me to do something. So i said ``Maria do you remember how in the bible Christ and his apostles healed the sick and preformed miracles´´ And she said Si. So then i said ``Do you believe that really happened´´ ANd she said ``Of coarse i do´´ And then i said ``All of those miracles happened because of faith´´ And then explained that faith was a prerequisite to miracles.

And then i asked ``Maria do you have the faith to be healed?´´ And then she started to tell me about how every night she has been praying to God for a miracle so that she wouldnt be in so much pain, and had been praying for a long time, but nothing ever happened´´ Then Alexis said ´´God heard your prayers, and He sent you one of his servants so that you could be healed´´ Then she started looking really attentively at me at the edge of tears and i said ``Maria remember how i taught you about the priesthood being restored to the earth´´ And she said Si. And i asked ``Do you believe that this is true´´ And she said ``Si´´ again. So then i told her ``Maria this priesthood is the same power that Christ gave to his apostles to perform miracles, so do you believe that you received a blessing by someone who has that power that you can be healed´´ And very emotionally she said ``Si´´ once again. I then said ``Maria I am one of those men, who holds the power of God to be able to give one of these blessings. Do you believe me?´´ And she said Said Yes and then asked me for a blessing. So i gave her one, and the spirit was incredible strong. When i finished i set up another appointment and we left. And the two young men who were with me were incredibly silent obviously deep thinking about something, probably from the thing they just saw haha. So as we were walking away they were both just very reverently silent, and i felt like i needed to break the silence so i make a little joke and then start telling them stories from my mission. And then start telling them the plans for the next person we were going to teach. The story doesnt end there, but im out of time, ill have to tell you the rest of the story another day

Welp love yall. Keep me posted!