Elder Crocker: Truth, Baptisms and X-rays
Truthfully, it was an eventful week. I actually forgot a lot of what happened until I just reviewed everything in my planner.
The Carissa Zone! The Best!
Carissa Zone Meeting
We had Zone Meeting, for one. Elder Cabeza and I decided to focus on a few things, from studying Preach My Gospel regularly, planning, companionship unity, and our attitude as missionaries. One of the great ideas that we had was to have a three-legged race with each companionship as a demonstration about companionship unity. We had a lot of fun during zone meeting.
Truth
We taught Brother Felix again. Every time we meet him we learn more about him. He left his old church because he doesn’t believe that it was the Church of Jesus Christ, and he says that he’s been looking ever since. We taught him this week and answered all of his questions, and he had quite a few. In the days that we weren’t with him, he managed to read the entirety of the First Book of Nephi, the very first part of the Book of Mormon.
“You believe that the Holy Ghost will let me know what is the truth through my feelings and thoughts?”
He had his own opinions for a lot of things and what they were supposed to mean, but every time he didn’t agree with us, we invited him to pray to God to know the truth. After saying that at least a half-dozen times, he said in exasperation, “You believe that the Holy Ghost will let me know what is the truth through my feelings and thoughts?” I responded affirmatively and opened to him Moroni 10:3-5, where Moroni exhorts those who read the Book of Mormon to pray about its truthfulness, and then promises that “by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye shall know the truth of all things.” Up to that point, Brother Felix had all been about how what we taught had to match up perfectly with what he had come to believe was the truth, but at that moment, he didn’t have an answer. He leaned back in his chair quietly and pondered.
Baptisms
Elder Crocker, Brother Pinoy and Elder Cabeza.
The week had a fantastic climax with the baptism of Brother Pinoy. He’s a referral from the Branch President here in Carissa. As an individual, Brother Pinoy is a quieter individual, but he has great real intent to follow Christ. After working with him for a few weeks, he was baptized and confirmed.
Speaking of Baptisms and Confirmations, I had word today that Brother Wilson, the very converted man who I had the opportunity to baptize, had the opportunity to baptize his wife this last Saturday. After a year of teaching, Sister Maria accepted baptism. I’m very happy, but I don’t think that I’m anything close to as happy as Brother Wilson.
X-rays
While in Manila for x-rays, the departing group of missionaries stopped by the Philippines MTC
This morning, I was whisked away to the Area Office to get x-rays taken for TB. I’m clean, luckily. Since I’m slowly nearing the time of departure, I’m starting to have a lot of things to take care of. Because my going-home batch is so big, we didn’t all fit in the Assistant’s van. I was actually assigned to drive a car up to the Area Office with a couple other Elders, so I got to drive in the Philippines one last time. Traffic is still a thing. Oh well.
Until next week,
Elder Crocker
Philippines Cavite Mission
Elder David Neal Crocker
A Few Questions and Answers:
That’s me driving!
Elder Crocker rests briefly.
Elder Cabeza and I working on some district reports
The three-legged race.
Us in the area with some Branch Missionaries
The temple from the MTC.
I don’t know what I was doing with the gate. That’s the Rigby’s gate, but I’m outside.
This morning.
Q: Have any of the people you have taught on your mission gone to the temple
A: Not to my knowledge, but Brother Wilson just barely baptized his wife this last Saturday. I’m super happy. I saw him this morning. He’s super happy too.
Q: How long does it take to wash your clothes? Do they ever really dry out?
A: It takes me a good hour or two. It blows. They dry out just fine.
Q: Is there anything you’d like shipped to you before you go home?
A: Not to my knowledge, but Brother Wilson just barely baptized his wife this last Saturday. I’m super happy. I saw him this morning. He’s super happy too.
NOTE FROM DAD
We received Elder Crocker’s return itinerary. He departs the Philippines on October 8 and arrives in Salt Lake City on October 8. He will get back the day he lost when he flew to the Philippines in 2012.
