NO!!! I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING

September 13, 2010
Hey hows the family doin'?!?!?!?!? :)
Things are good as ever here in paradise! (I'd call myself crazy if I heard myself saying that 12 weeks ago!)
Well sorry for shocking you with my Saturday e-mail but I gotta do what I gotta do! Yes....I do realize that it is going to be very hard to leave this place when the time comes. I do love the people here. I wish I could take the people with me when I get transferred! Then it wouldn't be so bad. It really is the people that you grow attached to. Not the area, but the people in the area. At least for me.
Sam....you're the RS President!!! Oh you have my deepest most sincere sympathies! What did you ever do to deserve that kind of punishment!?!?! I will pray that you survive. :) (Man mom....you got the powers! Asking the RS President to set the table and when that fails going all the way to the Stake President! Now that's impressive!)
I bet that it was awesome getting to meet with Elder Bednar. It was interesting to me when I read what you said the overwhelming impression you came away with was because those two topics, ("we are agents to act, not objects to be acted upon" and also that when we teach we should teach doctrine, invite them to act and state the promised blessings), are two topics that the mission has really been focusing on as well. I have found that as we have been simplifying our teaching, it has become so much more powerful because we are dealing only with the pure doctrine of Christ. There is nothing at all that can hinder the spirit from pouring into the room and testifying of the truth of the message of the doctrine of Christ. It has been an amazing change in the mission. I have learned so much as we have been working on it.
You asked me if since I'm fast approaching my year mark (in three days) if I feel like I know what I'm doing yet. The answer is.....NO!!! The awesome thing about the mission (at least right now) is that it is constantly changing. They keep throwing curve balls at us that create a climate for change, growth, and improvement. Nothing stands still on the mission....and if it does then somethings not right! So no, I still feel like I'm trying to figure out how to teach completely by the spirit, how to help people make and keep commitments, how to find the key to peoples hearts. Its an ongoing process. But....I am loving it! And I do feel like I know a TON more than when I came out!
I will continue to keep Grandma and Grandpa and Chris in my prayers. I think about them every day and pray that they are doing well.
I like your zucchini story! Its so true. It is tasteless and pointless! You know...I never really thought about how tons of people grow it and then all they want to do with it is give it away. You're exactly right though!
The other day I got to try eating a piece of fruit. I can't remember the name of it but it was a cross between a plum and an apricot. It was actually pretty good.
So how is the whole re-flooring project going? I can't wait to see it! I noticed the wood floor and the peach colored walls in the kitchen in that picture you sent of Emma and her belt buckle. Looks good!
Well you mentioned that I should be glad that I'm not home to help move all that stuff out of the utility room....well just about an hour ago I was helping someone who was moving move a washer and a dryer to their new house and they mentioned that they could use some help painting. So really I'm not getting out of anything! :)
Hmmm....what news to tell today. Ah....here's something! So you remember how I was telling you about the good deal I got on my belt buckles? Well that was nothing!!! The guy that we bought them from is moving and he needed help moving a TON of furniture into a portable storage unit type thing. Anyways...when we were all done his wife came home and was so grateful for the help that we gave them that she wanted to give us each something. Well I ended up walking away with a money clip and five new belt buckles!!! Yes....five! Can you believe that! Now I am the proud owner of seven belt buckles and a money clip all for the small price of fifteen dollars! (And minor aches and pains shooting randomly throughout my body!) Quite the deal if you ask me! I'll have to send you home a picture of all of them! They're pretty sick! Speaking of pretty sick belt buckles, I didn't know that my lil' sis' was a belt buckle owner! When did you get that? That there's a good lookin' buckle! Interesting choice of attire, but good buckle! ;)
So me and Elder Moser have been dying for some country style home cookin'. We keep finding ourselves reminiscing about "moms cooking"! Well someone told us about this Mennonite restaurant about ten miles outside of town. They say it's super cheap and really good. Now that's a missionaries kind of combination of words! We're gonna try it out sometime here right quick because we're dying for some good cheap food! (Not that the members cooking isn't good...because it is...it's wonderful, it's just not hittin' the spot if you know what I mean.)
Well...I got some really good news but I'll save that for the letter!
Love ya all tons! Thanks for everything!
Love Elder Cryer
P.s. Oh, by the way dad....that guy that swears I didn't reach the base in time already wears glasses! I guess there's no hope for him!