Elder Crocker: Short People and Christmas
Well, it’s September now. That means two things. One, people are asking me if I’m excited to be going home soon. I just let those comments go in one ear and out the other.
Elder Pratt! (Elder Crocker’s MTC Companion)
Two, it’s now Christmas season in the Philippines. I thought to myself a few weeks ago, “I’ll be home for Christmas,” but I was wrong. Christmas is already here. It’s a lot of fun to sing Christmas songs in Sacrament Meeting.
We go jogging every Saturday. It feels good.
MLC
This last Thursday was MLC. MLC has become one of my favorite things about being a missionary leader. There’s so much to learn, and I’m in the presence of the best leaders in the mission. During MLC, we were counseled to invite everyone we meet to be baptized. The way that President Tye described it was that it’ll help us find those who are willing and ready to receive us. If we ask someone if they’re willing to be baptized if they learn the truth of our message, then we’ll see in their answer how much time we should spend with them. Those who say that they’re comfortable where they are and are not willing to make a change are obviously people who we shouldn’t spend much time with. Those who are willing to commit, right then and there, are the people who we should spend a lot of time with preparing. We’ve seen a lot of success as we’ve applied what we were taught and started inviting people we just barely met to be baptized.
There are a bunch of weeds in the area that have recently turned white. I’ve started looking at Elder Cabeza and telling him that “the field is white already to harvest.”
Planned Baptisms
This coming Saturday, we have three baptisms planned. Sister Ronalyn has successfully recovered from her illness that hit last Saturday, and she’ll be able to be baptized this week. Being baptized with her is her daughter, Rodessa, and Nhiel, another super awesome and amazing guy who was a referral to us a few months back.
Waiting is hard. I forget what I was waiting for though.
Short People
Earlier this morning, the foreigners in my batch were shipped up to Manila to the Immigration Office to complete some finger printing that will allow us to leave the country in October. While difficult to wake up early to get there on time (Elder Cabeza and I woke up at 3 AM), it was a lot of fun when we got there and found our other fellow missionaries there from other missions. The missionaries who I went to the MTC with were there. I gave Elder Pratt a big hug. It was good to see how everyone has grown spiritually, although some literally grew physically. I haven’t. Too bad. Good thing that I like being short.
Until next week,
Elder Crocker
Philippines Cavite Mission
Elder David Neal Crocker
Still waiting…Do I look sophisticated?
We go jogging every Saturday. It feels good.
In this moment, we’re doing service right after the jogging.
On our way…
That’s me taking the photo in the last email, the one with Elder Cabeza taking a photo of me.
A Few Questions and Answers:
Q:What were you doing at the immigration office?
A:Fingerprints so I can leave the country. I saw all of my batchmates from Manila and San Pablo Missions. Sadly, they’ve all grown taller and skinnier, and I have not. Well, I’m a little skinnier, but not much.
Q:Height is over-rated. Look for the head bump scars.
A:Yeah yeah.
Q:Do you sing in Tagalog?
A:Sure, but not at church. They use English hymn books there.
Q:What is your confidence level on conversational Tagalog?
A:I’ll let you hear when I get home. I’m fluent though.
Q:Do you or any of your companions ever refer to each other by first names?
A:No.
Q:What do you think you will miss most about the Philippines?
A:There are a lot of things I’ll miss. I’ll just have to find out, honestly.
