Exchanges and miracles :)‏

Hello all!! 

Sorry for the short email this week. Time is short (and so am I), sooo here's a miracle or two!

This week, we had the opportunity to go on exchanges to Farmington. Twas wonderful, and I learned more than I thought I ever could in a day. Awesome sauce. Then we had the opportunity to teach a Francisco this Sunday night; he only speaks Spanish, so we're using a translator from the ward. He accepted a baptismal date for the 19 of March!! Ahh!! Also, it's incredible how simple teaching can become when it must be translated into another language. In other news, this week seems like it will be CRAZY! MLC, Zone Training, Exchanges, annnnd transfers. Oye vei.

Hope you all have an incredible week!!

Elder Kraus

Week 4; Durango's never a bore ;)‏

Ok ok, I'm running out of ideas for title lines. Gonna have to figure out a way to get some creative juices flowing again...

This week was fantastic!!!

Remember David and Amy? They're a family we've been teaching who GOT MARRIED TUESDAY!! So much joy :) Then they came to Stake Conference, which was just the greatest thing evah. Had the opportunity to train the Ward Mission Leaders on Ward Mission Plans; supah dupah excited to see member missionary work take off in the coming weeks and months :) Pretty interesting experiences teaching some interesting people... learning to love the Zone and the people in Durango and my companions more and more every day. My spanish is improving; we're teaching a couple of people English and the lessons (with a translator), and that's been great :) All in all, I've been coming to love Durango like it's home. If you define home as where the heart is, then Durango is home. I don't want this mission to end.

Also, had a tie-trading session with our Ward Mission Leader. My collection is now Legen-(wait for itttt)-dairy. :) 

Loving life, loving this Gospel, loving God, and, in turn, loving His children more than I ever thought would be possible. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. 

Oh! I love you all too.

Have a fantabulous week.

Elder Kraus

Here's a selfie from the library; don't judge the face-chub. We get fed too well here XD

Answers to Prayers‏

G'morrrning family and loved ones!!!!

First things first, big birthday shoutout to the one, the only, Dussttaaaannn Krauuusss!! You're my hero ya old goon.

This week was crazy great :) Emphasis on the crazy... So, one of my companions had never had the opportunity to give a blessing before, and he was pretty trepidatious about the whole process. So, I, knowing fully well that prayers work WONDERS, decided to pray that night that he would have an opportunity to give a blessing soon. I found out exactly how soon the next morning. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say it's been a loonngg time since I lost that much weight in a period of 24 hours. He was given the opportunity to give a blessing, I had my prayer answered, and was better by the day after that. Lesson to be learned: prayers are always answered, but not in the way we might necessarily want or expect. Be careful whatcha pray for...

Other than that, this week was just AWESOME. Saturday morning began a new phase in missionary life for us. It's like fear doesn't even exist anymore... If there's something that moves in our line of sight as we go throughout the day, we will open our mouths and proclaim the gospel to them. We only have a short time to be full time missionaries of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You best believe we won't let one opportunity pass us by.

I love this work. I've been praying more for the gift of Charity and it's been there! The blessing of seeing people the way Heavenly Father sees them has been one of the most wonderful and apparent changes I've seen. Don't be afraid to open your mouth to share what you love with those that you love.

Praying for missionary opportunities for us all, always,

All my love,

Elder Kraus 

Didn't take many pictures this week, but I found this one from Kayenta AZ, atop of Black Mesa.... I miss that place like crazy, but I know Durango is where I need to be right now :)

Love you all! Have an incredible week!!

Pictures and other things!‏

Hello all!! 

Time is short; this week was crazy. Amid the highlights was picking up a new companion (back to a tripanionship with an Elder Waite! Woot!), teaching some awesome people, Mike receiving the priesthood, annnd getting to speak on Sunday in Silverton, where there's a branch of ~6 active members. That, along with the drive there, was puh-retty cool. Now it's storming. Here's some pictures of the drive and of Durango. We're lucky to be here. Have an incredible week!

Love you all!!

Elder Kraus

Oh!! And I ate a pepper 4.5 times hotter than a habenero this week. Ouch. That was the worst, but I got 6 ties out of it, soo totally worth it.

Durango for another 6 weeks!!‏

Hello all! 

First things first, I'll be staying in Durango for another 6 weeks with Elder Longino! Woot! We'll be getting another companion as well; yay for tripanionships! 

This week was a little less event-filled than normal; missionary work is progressing and progressing well! :) Worldwide missionary devotional this past Wednesday was Ahhhhhhmazing. Focus on the Doctrine of Christ. It's the basics. Faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, leads us to trust that through the Atonement of Christ, we can overcome our sins and mistakes and become better everyday. Because Faith is a principle of Action and Power, it leads to repentance (i.e. CHANGE). It's through the process of Repentance that we become more like Christ, and experience lasting joy. Baptism (and renewing the promises of baptism every week through the sacrament) is the way we promise God that we'll strive to follow Christ, and to live the way He's shown us (the manner of happiness). We're given the Gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us on this path, to teach us how we can become more like Him, to enable us to do so, to comfort us when we or others fall, etc. etc. 

And THIS is what we have the opportunity, as members, as missionaries, to share with other people. Because of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the way back to God is on the earth!! Because of the Plan of Salvation, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Central to that plan), we know why we're here, and what is possible because of Christ (Eternal Families, Eternal Life, a fulness of joy, ya know, all the good stuff :)). The Gospel, and the doctrine, of Christ, show's us the How. This is how we make the most of the time we've been given. This is how we progress and make it back to Him. This is why I'm here. Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people that they might have everlasting life. That call is extended to you as well. Don't be afraid to invite those you love to church. From there, just let the missionaries know your friends are there and we'll handle the scary part ;)

In other news, we got to give our buddy Mike a haircut! Doesn't look half bad either.

Annnnd get ready for a TON of pictures. I ran out of time last week, so here they come :)

First 3: Mikkeeee!!!! (Don't worry, Elizabeth's are coming next)

Elder Kraus

:)

Hello family, loved ones, compatriots,

The subject line kinda sorta maybe sums up my feelings about this week. Twas amazing. Let's do a play by play, because every day was pretty fantastic. 

Monday: Had an elder in the district attempt to do the "El Macho" challenge. Oh. My. Lanta. I have never seen that many nachos on one plate. Also found some matching blazers ($3 at the local thrift shop) for Elder Longino and I. A Photo Shoot commenced. Twas glorious. Photos to follow.

Tuesday: Zone Conference!! Today was a wee bit frigid outside, but luckily they don't hold Zone Conference outside.... Learned a ton, and got the opportunity to give a role play/training on teaching simply using the pictures in the pamphlets. It's funny how you tend to learn more from preparing to teach something than from being taught.... Raced (going the speed limit) back to Durango to teach some rockin Less Actives who are trying to come back to church, gave a blessing to one of the sweetest old ladies we've ever met in the hospital. Paid a bill (can I get a sarcastic "woot woot"), and got the chance to teach Elizabeth about Family History and Temples and Mike Kehn about temptation and the power to overcome it. They're two of the greatest people evahh and both are really looking forward to this Saturday.

Wednesday: Got a loaf of bread from home!!! And letters! :D Service at the food bank, fantastic lessons with fantastic people, miracles, etc. Just a typical day :) Would include more detail, but I need time to get to the best part of the week.

Thursday/Friday: Great days. Woo! Ok, on to the day we've all been waiting for (drum roll please.....)

Saturday: I'll take today straight from the journal:

"Sooo... today was pretty good! Considering two of our favorite people got baptized :) Mike Kehn and Elizabeth Wiegert. It. Was. Awesome. The spirit there was so strong---Elizabeth even bore her testimony, which was supah cool:) She heads back to school tomorrow after church, but there's a GREAT support group set up there for her, so all should be well. Hard to believe how much you can come to care about someone in a couple of weeks.... The gift of Charity is REAL. Mike was just glowing the whole time, which is so cool!! Even in the 3 months that I've been here, his countenance has changed. Can't wait to see what the next while will look like for him :) This gospel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the power of God on the Earth. It is the way to progress eternally. It is the way to be with our families forever. This work will go forth until ALL have had the opportunity to receive it. It's my privilege; my work; my responsibility to do EVERYTHING in my power, relying wholly upon the merits of Him who is mighty to save, to assist my Heavenly Father in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. How cool is that?"

Anywho, I love you all!

Do better. Be better. Become like Him!

 Elder Kraus

Only got 8 minutes to write this letter (put the title line to music and it sounds cool)

Alrriiiiiiiiighty!! 

This week was so good.

 Miracles galore. Here's a highlight reel, and the greatest picture of a missionary you've evah seen. 

Recent convert at a lesson, spirit supah dupah strong. 2 investigators passed their baptismal interviews and are getting baptized this Saturday!!! (That's the biggest highlight: seeing the absolute joy they have about this gospel.) Will never ever have an excuse to not go to church again. Stanley Austin, one of the members here, came in this past Sunday, weezing for 15 minutes just from coming up the steps, but he came. Then he died the next day. If someone can come to church to renew their promises with God the day before they die, then you can go too. One of our investigators has adamantly refused to pray for a long time. So, we had an incredible lesson on prayer--she still didn't want to say it, so we asked one of her children. He turned to his mom and said "mom, you've just gotta say it." She did, and it was one of the best prayers I've heard in a very long time. I love the spirit :') Had an AWESOME lesson at the Hugentobler's home with Elizabeth (getting baptized this Saturday) about the book of mormon. Annnnd now the Hugentoblers want to have a lesson at their home every week. There are normal members, then member missionaries, and then there's the Hugentobler family. Here's a challenge for everyone! Have at least one missionary lesson a month in your home with a non-member. There's nothing that will increase your excitement about missionary faster than increasing your understanding of the Doctrine of Christ, and this is the perfect way to do that :) Had an incredible lesson about the higher law of living with one of our investigators this week as well :) Elder Bednar puts it best: "The standard is clear. If something we think, see, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of entertainment is not for us. Because the Spirit cannot abide that which is vulgar, crude, or immodest, then clearly such things are not for us. Because we estrange the Spirit of the Lord when we engage in activities we know we should shun, then such things definitely are not for us." The rest of the week was a blur; but HUGE SHOUTOUT TO JESSICA!!! HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY YOU FANTASTIC PERSON YOU! :)

  Love Elder Kraus