Elder Crocker: Difficulties Come with Success

I was very impressed with our work this week. We had a lot of success, but difficulties come with success. The best example of success was the two baptisms that were supposed to happen that didn’t. We have two investigators that have been interviewed and prepared for baptism, Sister Lyn and her daughter.

The Carissa Missionaries with the Branch President and Branch Mission Leader whom we affectionately call “Coach.”

All of the preparations went great: interviews, organizing the service, and on the day of even getting the font filled up and ready. As we were walking towards the chapel the day of the baptism, we got a text from Sister Lyn saying that she wouldn’t be able to make it.

We took pictures with our district. Elder Cornelius was gone because of certain going home activities.

She was going to the hospital instead.

Sister Lyn is pregnant, due in November, but she felt like she was going into labor, which is most definitely not right. We kept in touch with her and found out that if her condition didn’t
improve in the next few days, the doctors had told her that they would be forced to perform a C-section on her. That killed the evening’s mood.

That’s us at the fireside.

Success Delayed

I don’t think that I’ve ever prayed for the health and safety of an investigator like I did for her at that time. We informed members and got their prayers involved too. In the end, we received news last night that she’s better now, and that later tonight she’ll be home, meaning her baptism can go through either this week or next.

That’s good news.

“They succeed best when members become the source from which new investigators are found”

The evening of the postponed baptism, we had a fireside that we put on in the branch where we talked about member-missionary work. One of the main things that we referred to was a statement that President Hinkley made long ago saying that missionaries, “succeed best when members become the source from which new investigators are found.” (Ensign, May 1999, 105–6). We also shared the video from 2013’s “Hastening the Work of Salvation” broadcast titled, “Let Your Light So Shine”

What can I say, I’m still a sucker for cool looking water guns.

Very Handsome

“That’s Elder Crocker.” “Oh, so that’s what he looks like.”

As a more humorous note (since this week had a lot of drama), last Sunday I walked into church only to be confronted by the elderly father of the Branch President here. He looked at me and, turning to his 18 year-old grandson, asked him, “who is that?” I was startled; I’ve talked to him every week for the past 18 weeks. Was his memory failing him? The grandson looked at him and said, “That’s Elder Crocker.” “Oh,” the grandfather replied, “so that’s what he looks like.” He had just had surgery on one of his eyes to remove a cataract, and that was the first time that he had ever truly seen my face. It made me laugh; he said I was very handsome.

Until next week,

Elder Crocker

Philippines Cavite Mission

Elder David Neal Crocker

Me with men of the branch.

We did some practice teaching, where we had the members practice inviting someone to listen to the missionaries.

Our district has fun. Also, Elder Cabeza is very light.

Did I mention that I like cool looking water guns?