Last week with Hakala!‏

It was an interesting one here... There are times when I miss family and other loved peoples so much it hurts, and this week had quite a few days of that. But I'm growing to love the Dine like they're my own! It's weird seeing bilagaanas (white people) around here actually... The work has been fantastic! There's nothing that can turn people's lives around faster than the gospel of Jesus Christ! Case study: My first week here, Elder Hakala and I walk up to an old trailer, with this lady smoking outside, looking, to be honest, like her life was dark and down. Her name is Christina, we've been teaching her since then, and now there's a light in her eyes every time we're able to teach her! Last lesson we had with her, she tells us that she knows that she needs to be baptized! This gospel brings so much joy... everything we do, every commandment we've been given, every principle and ordinance of the gospel that we have the privilege of inviting people to live, they're all designed by a loving Heavenly Father to bring us joy, to strengthen the bonds of family, and to ensure that we'll have our families forever! He's given us the opportunity here to take the steps to becoming more like him! How fantastic is that?! So to sum it up, this week was a bit like 2 Nephi 4; It's hard, but I know why I'm here! I know how much the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ can change people's lives! I'm coming to know, more and more, the love that He has for every one of His children. I'm beginning to see them, at least in part, as He does--not just for who they are, but for whom they can become! Oh! We got transfer news Saturday, I'll be staying in Kayenta for the next 7 weeks (woot woot! :)), being step-trained by an Elder Moe-shawn (sp?) who's been out here for about 7 months or something... Should be good! There's so much work to be done here, and I'm excited to be taking a larger role in that, now that I'll be the elder who's been in Kayenta longer (it's a little nerve-wracking tbh, seeing as how I get lost all the time, but should be good!)

Oh! Went to the sand dunes last P-day, somehow someone dropped my camera into the sand annnd now it's just about dead. So until we resuscitate it, pictures won't be coming for a while...

Hagonet! 

Elder Kraus

Service and Old Shumas‏

Ya'at'eeh!

We got a ton of different opportunities for service this week! For yards here, people generally just have a ton of big weeds EVERYWHERE! So we got to help a ton of people clear their yards while teaching them, it was great :) We also got to clear a lot of trees out from around Rosie's trailer--I swear that woman has the greenest thumb in the world! She has the greatest garden I've seen anywhere on the Rez :) So we're teaching Rosie's daughter, Barbara, and Thursday we head up to go teach, when suddenly it starts downpouring! We sprint to the door, soaked, and as soon as we get inside, 90-something-year-old Rosie comes sprinting in after us, speaking in Navajo about the rain and laughing! So that was awesome :) It was a great lesson too, Barbara wants to be baptized and we'll be giving her a date this week :) Hopefully by July of next year, the entire family will be able to be sealed together :) This gospel rocks! Nothing brings more joy then getting to serve and act as a representative of Jesus Christ :) Transfers are next week! I'm going to miss Elder Hakala like crazy, we've been able to work so hard and well together here... But the work will move forward! :)

Have a great week everyone!!!

Hagonet,

Elder Kraus

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIN!!!

P.P.S. Fantastic quote of the week: "Those who shine as lights in the world have no need to seek the spotlight"

Love you all!! :)

RAIN!!!!!

Ya'at'eeh everyone! 

This week was fantastic, as always! 

Monday: Went up a washed out riverbed today! Every few feet we'd sink down in the mud down to our waists! Quicksand is a very real thing. Teaching in the evening went super well! 

Tuesday: Awesome lessons with Troy and Coleman at the start of the day! Coleman reads the scriptures more than most members! And Troy is one of the most happy people I've met :) We went and cleared some tree's off of Troy's grandma's land! Her name is Rosie, and she is the sweetest old lady ever! Bit of a rougher end to the day, but we got things ready to set up a booth at the flea market for Wednesday!

Wednesday: Flea market went pretty well today! We got to talk to a ton of people about our message! Not too many lived in Kayenta, so we got a lot of referrals for the other elders :) We went street tracting when one of our appointments fell through. We met with an awesome family, who told us about how they used NAC (Native American Church, peyote ceremonies and stuff) to heal themselves or something... We still were able to share a good message with them though :) There were so many rez dogs out on the road though! I'm getting better at scaring them away with a rock when they charge us. That and using Elder Hakala as a shield ;)

Thursday: Awesome district meeting on using the Book of Mormon more effectively in our teaching. Our ENTIRE message rests on the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. If you're not spending time every day studying it, do so now! Read it together as families. Read it alone. Just make sure to read it! There's not another book on the earth that will make you happier, bring your family closer together, or bring you closer to Christ. Also SO MUCH RAIN! Driving is interesting when the dirt roads turn to mud roads with mini lakes all over them.

Friday: Even more rain! We had an appointment out of the town part of Kayenta today, out on a dirt road and up this big hill! The truck was sliding everywhere, but we got it under control. Missed my family and loved ones quite a bit more today than usual, but I know why I'm here! I'm giving up time with those I love for 2 years so families out here can be together forever! I'm lucky to be here :)

Saturday/Sunday: I'm out of time, but this weekend was incredible! We got to meet with and teach so many families! The gospel of Jesus Christ is on the Earth again!!!! We've been provided with a way to be with our families forever, to overcome sin, and to change to become the men and women God knows and wants and helps us to be! How incredible is that?

Until next week!

Love you all!

Elder Kraus

Dine Bazaad and Zone Conference‏

Ya'at'eeh!

This week was fantastic, as always!

Sunsets we always get!

Tuesday: Exhanges in Monument Valley! We were walking to a house, when we hear Gamali! Gamali! (It means Mormon or Missionary, translated literally it means God Mumbler). We walk over and there are these 2 guys in a shade hut, one was the drunkest I've ever seen! We had a really good conversation with them though, and a return appointment! One was on the placement program, both were homeless... Life can be pretty hard for the people here. We said a prayer with them and they both felt a lot better!

Wednesday: Zone Conference! It was on the atonement, absolutely fantastic! We also went over how the transistion to the new mission president, President Adams, is going to go! I got assigned as the driver so as to better learn Kayenta, we're driving a Nissan Frontier :) Then we had splits! I went out with a member and Troy, the most all star investigator ever! What type of investigator has a strong enough testimony to come teaching with the missionaries?! Troy does :) I've never met someone so ready to be baptized!

Thursday: Today was the last day of school here! That means that alllll of the middle schoolers entering high school had promotion parties today, so most of our appointments fell through. We got to visit and fellowship at one or two though! I finally got to taste some mutton, it's so good!

Friday: We got to see Coleman again today! He's committed to overcoming his addiction, and he's just about ready to be baptized! Other than that, we met and talked with a ton of people!

Saturday: What a day! We got to go visit Troy's home today, he lives way out in the deeper Rez, with a big sheep pen and everything around :) Most of our other appointments fell through today... We were visiting people, when we walked up to this trailer and a huge bear dog came and bit me! No puncture though, so we're good ;) Now I keep my dog killing rock with me, just in case. Also had an awesome lesson with the Mariano Family! They rock :)

Sunday: 10 investigators showed up to church! Elder Hakala and I got to speak in sacrament meeting in first ward today! I went up, and completely blanked on everything I was going to say! So I just talked about the blessings of temples. Temples are the end goal of conversion! The blessings we can get from them are more powerful and numerous than we can count! Elder Hakala's talk was brilliant; he was the closing speaker, so he had to speak for like 25 minutes! Then we got to visit Troy's old shuma, literally the sweetest old lady I've ever met, she only speaks Navajo but still comes to church every week! We're teaching her and her daughter (who's acting as a translator, I'm not that good yet ;)), who also wants to get baptized! She's about your age mom :) So that rocked! We have an opportunity to clear some trees off of her land later this week :)

Monday: Now it's Monday! Elder Hakala and I went for a run to the weight room this morning, the first time I've been able to go for a pain free run in over 2 years! I'm pumped for this week, teaching this gospel and serving these people is the best blessing I've ever had in my life :) He lives. The power of the Atonement can change everyone into so much more than they are! His restored gospel is on the earth again!

Hagonet!

P.S. Read Ted. R. Callister's talk on Identity and Destiny! It's incredible what our potential is!

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Loving Life!!