Dear family and friends!
What a week it has been.... Needless to say I'm glad it's
over.
It's been a rough week here in Eustis! Nothing to crazy has
happened it's just been a real trial of faith. I've been asking
myself do I really believe? What does belief really mean? It's been an
interesting
couple of days, now please don't misunderstand I'm not
questioning the truthfulness of the church, or wondering if I should go
home. It's just been an eye opening experience to say the least. An
experience that has caused me to change the way I think! For the
better! I'm excited for this next week and the opportunities that I will
have to exercise my newly found faith, and to cultivate it.
"Be Not Afraid, Only Believe" An interesting phrase- one that I've had first hand
experience about!
In my new area the zone has been really struggling. As it
turns out the targets we thought that we had were wrong and we were
actually far below. My area I'm currently in is also struggling. We
taught 30
lessons, but we only have 1 solid investigator at the
moment. And to say it was stressing me out was an understatement. My
companion is from another mission, and has a different way of thinking. Which
is fine! And understandable! When your in another mission for 18
months and get transferred it'd be a tad weird! So it's been a struggle to
say the least. My faith has been tested. Mucho, LOL. I feel a great
deal of pressure from outsiders to get this thing turned around and
when things started not to go the way we had planned it just was
a recipe for no bueno! Then on Friday night I found myself calling a
dear friend and asking for advice! He said something interesting
"Elder Crismon, you know how to find! Do you believe?" Bang.
That hit home. So I pondered on it for a while and even prayed in my own
closet for a bit. I received an answer in the form of a feeling of
peace! I don't know everything, but I know that Heavenly Father will take
care of me. So please pray for me and my comp as we do our best to find
those that are prepared. Even though most likely they will find us.
"Late nights.... Bruh" So on Tuesday was an amazing day. As was Monday night! I
went on an
exchange with a young man named Elder Jensen! He's from
Utah, and a young enthusiastic district leader. He's got a hungering for
knowledge and I was ready to try and help him get some! On Monday
night we stayed up till 12:00 at night talking over finding
techniques, and how we can be better leaders! It was an amazing revelatory
experience! We both felt like we could get anything done! So we went to bed
ready to hit it hard the next day! We woke up and ran a mile! That
was dope. Then we went to town. We found a bunch of cool people to
teach for them! Keep in mind that we are in their area! It was a such
a cool experience! It works! Hahahaha We just have to believe!
That's really the key to everything is a belief! So we had a great day
and really changed some lives. We set a date for baptism and helped
turn an area around. Now he's looking to impart knowledge upon others in
his stewardship. Funny story form the Day! So the night before
on Monday we needed to get gas, but since it was already pretty late
we decided to get it in the morning. Well..... We forgot. We turn the
car on and the gas light is on! Elder Jensen goes " AH
CRAP!!" I'm like what? Then I see that gas light on and we look at the range to see
how many miles we have left and it says 0.... We were like
"Fetch." So we said a prayer and then looked with our maps for the nearest gas
station.
We found one 0.7 miles away. We said another prayer and
then with a quiet prayer in our hearts began our approach to the
station! We cut through a Walmart parking lot, and some how, miraculously WE
MADE IT!!!!! It was dope. We were both pretty pumped. Cool
miracle of the
day!
Well Fellars, that's my week in a nutshell, it's been a hard
one, but one that I'll never forget. A mission is an interesting
thing. You learn a lot and grow even more. I learned that I have to
put my faith in God, and not myself. No matter how strong or great I
may be. It's all up to Him, this is His work! I just need to be that
elder he can trust with anything, I hope he does, and I know my goal is
to continue to be my best for these last few months. On Thursday is this
guys birthday! Holy cow, I'm turning 20!!!! That's half way to
40.... Pretty wild... LOL. It'll also be the day Elder Johnson and
I go on exchanges round 2. I can't think of anything else I'd rather
do then to boldly teach the gospel with my best bud! I know that God
lives. I know that he sent his son Jesus Christ to the earth, I know
that by placing our hope in him and loving him we can see miracles.
This week we had ZTM. I gave a training on hope. I believe it was the
best training I've ever given and it opened the doorway for my
own growing experience as previously mentioned. I got a lot of compliments and the zone seemed to take to it and roll!
Make no mistake the Leesburg zone is rising. We are on our way to being
the
best we can be. And with Gods help anything is possible! I
close with a quote "Hope On. Journey on. Honestly acknowledged
your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your
faith. Because all things are possible to them that believe."
Elder Jeffery R Holland.
Elder Carter Crismon
Florida Orlando Mission
Leesburg Florida Zone
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