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

        

Meetings, New Years, Resolutions, Teaching, Serving, Loving, etc. etc.

Hello!!! First things first, Happy New Years!! Hope yours was incredible.

This week, as with all others, was CRAZY good.

Tuesday: MLC for most of the day at President's home. We got the opportunity to find out what the Lord wants the culture of the mission to be for the next couple of years. We settled on: In the New Mexico Farmington Mission we represent Jesus Christ as we find, teach repentance, and baptize converts. It's simple, it provides a clear directive, and it enables missionaries, members, and nonmembers alike to grow and progress and become more like Christ in the process of coming unto Him. I love it. 

Wednesday: Christmas Devotional with the Utah Zone and President and Sister Adams. (twas postponed due to much snows and slippery-ness). It was so good!! We got to evaluate how the Christmas Initiative went (swimmingly), and what direction we all wanted to go with the new year! Elder Anderson and I got the chance to perform the first Noel (he on the guitar, me on the vocal chords) and take a bit of time to relax with the other missionaries. 

Thursday: Zone Training!!! Wo0o0o0o!! Focused on the dissemination of the information presented at the last couple of MLCs... I got the opportunity to give a training on the Doctrine of Christ. Throughout my mission, I feel like this has been one of the things I've gained a deeper understanding of... It's SO central to everything that we do. Want to understand the doctrine of Christ better? Read the Book of Mormon, and do everything you can to LIVE it. There will come into your life an added measure of the spirit, joy, peace, charity... Essentially every Christlike attribute. Enclosed is a picture of some of my outline... putting things down on paper isn't really a big strength of mine, so take it with a grain of salt XD

Ok. So the rest of the week was simply awesome. Got the chance to teach Mike and then Elizabeth--2 of the most ready people I've met. (Both are on date for the 16 of January!!! Ahh!!). My resolution this year is to become more like Christ. I know that's something we say a lot, but He is our ultimate exemplar. He's shown us the way back to God, and He's shown us who we need to be. In His own words: "Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."

I love this gospel. I love the chance that I have to share what I love with God's children. I love the power, and the peace that it can bring into people's lives. As you make The Book of Mormon a point of study this year, look for the Doctrine of Christ. He's shown us the way to live, to love, and to serve. Follow Him.

Love you all!!!

Elder Kraus

Christmas and Other Happenings‏

G'morning loved ones!!

This week was da bomb.com.... There was so. much. snow. and blessings. and joy. 

Really was one of the greatest weeks ever. 

Ok, so time is pretty short, so here are some of the awesome happenings of the week:

-Climbed a mountain. Through waist deep snow. In a suit. Found a cabin; no one was home. Still a fantastic experience. I love winter! 

-Got locked out of Durango on the way back from Farmington. Apparrreently snow+ice+cold+roads=not a great thing... so, we found some county roads and drove through da deep snows and made it back safely.

-Sooo many opportunities for service. Which led to opportunities to lessons. Also led to a Jewish man (he looks a LOT like Stan Lee) we're teaching making us Ham sandwiches... And then he and his wife came to church!! :D

-Christmas!!!! Opened the family's package. I'm now fat. (Thanks a lot family). Also had the greatest gift ever of getting to talk with them :) You never realize how much you love your family until you only get to talk to them twice a year... It was so good though :)

-Remember Elizabeth? The girl we're teaching from NAU? We asked her to pray to see when Heavenly Father wants her to be baptized annnnd she got the 16 of January. Which is the same date that we had gotten. The amount of faith that she has is just incredible. She knows that what we're teaching is true, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. 

This life is so great. Here's an excerpt from the letter to the mission president:

Hello President!

This week was full of miracles; learned how my sister got engaged (the guy is AWESOME), didn't die in the snow, committed Elizabeth to baptism on the 16th, talked to my fambam (everyone is doing SO WELL; I have such a strong testimony that a mission blesses your family), had 5 investigators come to church, andnnd yeah! I'm excited for the New Year! I see where I am. I see who I want to be. I know I can get there through the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He's shown us the way. God speaks to His children, and we have the blessing and the opportunity of bringing His message, that the way back to Him, the way to a fulness of joy in this life, the way to be with our families FOREVER, to his children! There is a prophet of God on the Earth.

How incredible is that? I love this gospel. I love being a missionary. I love being in this mission. I know that mission calls are divinely inspired. Thank you for all that you and Sister Adams do. I'll see you tomorrow!

In this coming year, make a commitment to keep the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of Christ, in your life. Do better. Be better. He's with you.

I love you all!!!

Nizhoni na'ash

Elder Kraus

There's no place like Durango for the Holidays‏

(Cue supah deep Santa voice)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

This week was, to put it into a two syllable word: crazy. 

Filled with highs (ha, Colorado pun) and lows

Monday was a bit of a miniature snowpocalypse. I'm improving my winter driving skizzles (we drive a tacoma. spoiled much?); found out Taylor is now engaged!!! (Congratulations!!! P.S. I LOVE Bryson.) annnnnnd the new incoming trainees got stuck in Denver!! they got here like 3 days late.

Tuesday: We were going to drop Elder Vineyard off in Farmington with his new companion, but then the weather was like: "or nah." So, instead, we went around teaching and preaching and shoveling up a storm. Twas beautiful. Oh! Elder Vineyard and Longino paid me moneys to dive barefoot and in a t-shirt through the snow then walk ~100 feet through the snow. Too bad they didn't realize that my cold tolerance level is over 9000. No big deal. The Lord provided us with some incredible opportunities to meet people through service today. :)

Wednesday: One of the main reasons the week was crazy. Dropped off Elder Vineyard in Farmington (supah sad to see him go. He's AWESOME and tripanionships are the equivalent of missionary superpower immunity--there's no home we can't visit). Picked up a bunk bed for the Durango 2nd Ward Sisters (they're a tripanionship now; lucky ducks). drove back to Durango, attempted to build the bed, realized there were screws missing, went and gave a member a blessing, picked up screws, finished the bed, had a rushed dinner with the gospel principles teacher (one of the most awesome guys evahh). Stake Vitality with the Stake President on top of all of this made for a very interesting day...

Thursday: A little bit less hectic; drove down to Cortez for their district meeting; discussed the power of finding! Taught some incredible people, planned for Zone training... 

Friday was supah crazy!! Weekly planning; lesson with one of our favorite investigators! Planned out his baptism on the 2 of January with him :D Oh!!! Got the Christmas package from home, and a letter/pen from the grandparents (thank you!) and Dustan's fellowship proposal today!!! By the way Dustan, you're brilliant. Jussayin. Can we work together someday?

Saturday: One of the only perks to not having a tripanionship is the amount of member involvement it forces you to have. Member missionary lessons for dayyzz! We also rang the salvation army bell outside of the City Market and sang to everyone! If you have a fear of putting yourself out there, have no fear. A mission will DESTROY that fear. 

Sunday: I love church so much. The opportunity to renew promises with God every week? Seriously? Have you ever considered how significant that is? Just... wow.  

I love this gospel. Merry Christmas. Remember why we celebrate; because of Him! 

Challenge for da' week: invite anybody and everybody, definitely at least somebody to visit christmas.mormon.org. The message there is life changing. 

I love you alll!! 

Merry Christmas!!!

Here's pictures from the thing :)

Letter To president

Oye everyone! Sorry, just about out of time. Here's the letter I sent to president! It's a pretty decent overview

Hello President!!

This week was pretty great; I'm pumped to be in Durango for another 6 weeks, and I'm happy Elder Vineyard will be so close--I've really grown to love him. This week really flew by. Got my knee and chest scanned early this week to make sure no cancer was coming back. As far as I know, everything's going well there. Physically, I'm starting to get my handstand prowess back; especially on the parallettes. I probably need to start doing more floor work, but that'll come with time... Socially, I feel like I've been doing pretty well... I'm really trying to emulate Christ more in all that I do and say, and it's been helping. Mentally, I get stressed occasionally--there's always so much to do, and there's never enough time; but life is awesome. I'm learning more than I ever have before--by study and also by faith. Spiritually; I'm feeling great--I feel like I'm following the spirit more, and I'm able to communicate that to others.  

Hmm... exciting happenings of the week--My sister got engaged!! She'll be getting married in April. I'm a little bummed, because it will be about 3 and a half years total that I haven't seen her (I left while she was still on her mission) and by the time I do, we'll both be so different, but I'm super duper happy for them! I love the guy she's marrying (I'm going to convince him to give me guitar lessons when I get home). Life couldn't be better President. I love these people and I love this work! Oh! Jill came to Sacrament Meeting this week and absolutely loved it! She felt the spirit so strong she started to cry! We'll be teaching her and her family the Plan of Salvation this Saturday and, unless the spirit blatantly tells us not to, we'll be challenging them to baptism! This work is God's work. I know it. I live it. I love it.

The Zone has been experiencing fantastic success with the Christmas Initiative as well. Less Actives have been returning to activity; people have been asking to be baptized (really, just ask the Cortez Sisters), and many other miracles are happening. 

To close, here's a quote my dad sent this week that I really loved: "Learn how to be uncomfortable, the faster you wish to change the more discomfort you’ll feel."

How cool is that?

Have an incredible week!

Elder Kraus

And here's some pictures from today--we sang and rang the bell for the Salvation Army this morning. Twas Grand. Our apartment is right behind us.