From a stranger 8/13/15

This evening I had the opportunity to Skype with an amazing young man that is currently at the MTC in Provo, Utah; Elder Crow. While he did not give me his first name he told me that he was from DuPont, Washington and that his mother's first name is Teri. He was with Elder Stanley. I felt impressed to reach out to you and your husband to tell you just what an amazing young man he is. We talked about the military (I am prior service as is my husband), the challenges they may face in Kentucky and the challenges converts face (I converted 8 years ago). I was completely impressed with your son. He brings so much joy and happiness to those around him. He was such a pleasure to talk with. I wish I had been on my other computer so I could have taken a photo to send. Thank you for supporting him in his decision and endeavor to serve a mission!  

Sister Mickela Cupkie

Work Work Work 8/31/15

Hello all,

this week was filled to the top with visiting appointments and biking!! To start out, we Elders work out pretty hard every day from 6:15-7:00 am. The zone leaders have a bunch of weights in a spare room, so we always have something to do. But I've still somehow gotten to 164 Ibs, southern cooking!! This past week, Elder Koenig has done a TON of role playing with me! We are studying a section in a new missionary book called "How to Begin Teaching". It's all about how to introduce the importance of our message, try to fellowship the investigator and show them we care, and invite the spirit into the room. I've learned a bunch in the last week or so and we've used it in almost every lesson we've had in the past few days. I went on my first exchange on Tuesday with Elder Allen, one of the zone leaders. The zone leaders didn't have enough miles left to drive the car that day, so we biked at least 8 miles throughout the day; we were right on the edge of the area. We met a man named gene and he was super nice! We contacted him while he was working on a vintage corvette and he was a really cool guy! He told us he'd kinda lost interest in any church and he thought Jesus was a charleton...so yeah. And he was smoking these really long cigarettes, the people of Kentucky smoke anything that grows on God's green earth!!! The highlight of that day was in a hospital though. A woman in the ward got in a car wreck with her grown son and she was pretty banged up. She wasn't seriously hurt, but she had whiplasha nd a lot of bruises. She asked us to come and giver her a blessing, so we obliged. As Elder Allen pronounced the blessing upon her, the spirit filled the room and ran over my back like a warm blanket, it was amazing!

We've had a lot of dinner appointments this week and it's all so good! My metabolism is starting to slow down and I'm freakin out, but I'm still a teenager so I'm ok :) . On Wednesday, we met a boy named Kevin with his less-active, but trying to become active, mom. He hid in the laundry room, so we went and sat by the dryer and just showed him a bunch of church videos/Mormon messages. A lot of people think that when a missionary goes to teach someone, it has to be all gospel-centered and you can't talk about anything else; but it is so much more effective when you try to get to know the person you are teaching and find out as much as you can about them, just be their friend! 

So I found out that I can read any email or letter I get throughout the week, I just can't respond till Monday; so you guys don't have to wait till Sunday night :) . Something else I've come to find true is something Brother Walker from DuPont told me, "you're going to be tired for the next 2 years so get used to it!". I struggled a bit these last few days haha, but I'm starting to stay awake during [most] of my studies. Something else I didn't expect was people asking so many questions! Whether they be honest and sincere questions or questions to challenge the church, we get asked so many questions as missionaries! The best way to answer them? With another question or letting them answer their own questions! It is better to allow the spirit to work within the investigator in the longest silence ever than to bombard them with scriptures and doctrine. The worst thing to have during a lesson? Young children and/or cats!! In the past week, I have come to realize how incredibly distracting toddlers and small children are! They scream and cry and throw crap and make the biggest ruckus ever when we are there! And one lady we teach has cats! And they climb all over us, and jump on us, and take away from the sprit and I just wanna throw em out the window!!

Anyways, I've found blessings and happiness in the smallest things this week. Elder Koenig has been having me do a lot of contacting to get used to it and really, the people in e-town aren't that rude. There are always 1 or 2 you run in to, and some will make it quite evident they don't want to talk to you; but most of them will politely decline and maybe even offer you a drink! On my 2nd or 3rd day here, we started talking to a man and he said, "Let me guess, you're from Utah?" and he was so surprised that my companion and I aren't! He pulled 2 chairs out for us, gave us both an ice-cold coke in a bottle, and we just talked! It is such a blessing being able to say I'm not from Utah!! And I've had a bunch of little bumps in the road this week, but I've found an upside to everything. I ran over a rusty nail on Friday and we had to make the hour long walk home, but I just smiled and told myself I was getting to walk rather than bike; and I get to wave to more cars! I got really hot biking one day, and my companion complained to me about the humidity, but I just told him," Well we've got plenty of sunshine in our souls!" Always look for a positive side to everything, it makes everything so much better!

To end, I want to say this: there are few feelings that are better than the feeling I have when I serve. Yesterday, Elder Koenig stopped and asked a man if we could help him unload his U-Haul and he accepted. He only had 1 other guy helping him and his wife move in, so they were very grateful. But it wad the hottest and most humid day of the week yesterday, so I left sweat marks all over their stuff...worth it though! It felt so good to "take a break" and help them out. He told us that he had called 3 moving companies to get some help, but none of them called back! He pulled the door up on  he truck, turned around, and saw us! He said he doesn't even know why he and his wife needed to come to KY, they just felt it was right! That's my challenge this week, be that light and that saving grace to someone in need! The most effective way to share the gospel is though service and I promise you all that as you take the time to help those you see in need, it will be near impossible for them not to recognize your light!!! Serve with light and serve with love!

Elder Crow

Caught 8 bluegills this morning this is one of the smaller ones 

First Address 8/24/15

901 David Court Apartment E, Elizabethtown Kentucky 42701

This is my address for the next 5 weeks or so, the mission office is:

1325 Eastern Parkway, Louisville, Kentucky 40204 

In the Field 8/24/15

Hello everybody!

This week was an absolute roller coaster! I'll jump back to Monday of last week. I had to wake up at 3 AM to catch a bus and 2 trains in order to make it to the airport on time. Everyone at the terminal was so nice and they asked us where we were all going, it was so crazy! We were allowed to make one last call to our families, so I borrowed a cell phone from a very nice old man; talking to my family was the highlight of my day, by far! The next 8 hours of my life included a 4 hour flight to Atlanta, then a 45 minute flight to Louisville; both with time zone changes. When we landed in the airport President Brough, Sister Brough, and the assistants to the president were all there waiting for us. It finally hit me that I was a missionary when President Brough gave me and Elder Stanley a hug and said, "I've been waiting for you two for a whole year!" It was awesome!

Anyways, fast forward to this past week. We had a transfer meeting on Tuesday where me and the other 15 Elders and Sisters were introduced and given their trainers. There were some 200+ Elders and Sisters there, it was awesome! We sang the coolest version of "Called to Serve" ever! Then I met my trainer! His name is Elder Koenig, he's been out 18 months from Colorado, and he is an amazing missionary! Before I left the meeting, I got my iPad and my area...I am serving in the Elizabethtown Kentucky!!!! For those of you who don't know, that's the very town I was baptized in 10 years ago!!! And we got a ride home from a brother in the ward, Brother Crowe; and YES, he does spell it wrong!

My first week as a missionary was crazy! I am in a biking area (otherwise I'd get incredibly fat from all this food) and it is pretty crazy biking in this humidity! A lot of people admire us for it. But I tore a pair of pants on my first day in the field! I didn't have what's called my "rider's leg", or tucking my pants leg into my sock to keep it from catching the chain. And the very next day, Elder Koenig got the flu really bad! So my entire day was 10ish hours of updating teaching records, studying the scriptures, and weekly planning! The next day, when we went to work out with the zone leaders,(Elder Allen and Caskey live a block away from us) I had FRIED TURTLE! Not something out of the store, Elder Caskey and Elder Koenig killed, skinned/shelled, and fried a 15-pound snapping turtle (which isn't uncommon in this part of KY)!!!! It was really chewy and hard to eat, but it really does just taste like chicken! On Thursday, I got my bike from the bike shop; then Elder Koenig gave me the opportunity to use it the rest of the day (and I almost accidentally biked into the street...).

I have already seen the goodness of God during my short time here as a missionary. The spirit really does accompany us, but only when we are willing to listen to The Lord's commandments. There is a man here named Tracy Owens, he's been a convert for a year. Almost 2 years ago, his wife took his kids and left him; 2 days before Christmas! For the past year and a half, he has been fighting to overcome his word of wisdom issues and try to win custody over his kids. He has been called a monster in a courtroom, is legally allowed to contact his family using ONE number, and is facing severe depression and temptations. Elder Koenig and I went to visit him on Friday, and he broke down crying, because he's realized his family will never be reunited on this earth. We gave him a blessing of comfort, and the spirit of The Lord washed over the porch we were meeting on. When we are at our lowest point, in the darkest of times, and when we are deeply humbled by our trials The Lord will not hesitate even a moment to lift us out of whatever hole we have fell into. His only request? That we turn to him.

That is my message this week, to turn to Him who is mighty and willing to save us from the depths and pains of sin and sorrow. In a missionary fireside I attended yesterday, a brother read this from his fortune cookie, "All the darkness in the world cannot put out one candle"; President Brough then said in his testimony, "But isn't it amazing how one candle can chase away every bit of darkness?"

I love you all and live your lives this week like you are setting your candle on the hill that cannot be hid,

Elder Crow

Elder Norris ( the younger brother of one of Zach's MTC teachers) and Elder Crow 

Pictures from sister Brough 8/19/15

Elder Crow arrives at mission home 

 President  Brough and his wife 

President Brough, his wife, Elder Koenig (first trainer), and Zachary in front of the Mission office

MTC 8/13/15 Photo's

MTC: Elder Irwin, Elder Gibby, Me, Elder Stanley, Elder Fowkes, Elder Bell, Elder Excell, and Elder Bissett (Elder Bissett is the reincarnation of Uncle Shane and he's from Alberta) 

Elder Zach Crow with Elder Zach Westhoff (Japan Mission)

Zach at the Provo Temple

MTC 8/13/15

Hello all you beautiful people, 

Sorry about no email last week today is my only P-Day (Preparation Day) and we went to the Provo temple for endowments today. Holy cow I have so much to say but I don't have a whole lot of time! Big thanks to Sister Davis for taking me to the MTC, we had some picture difficulties, but I think we worked it out! They had us go through the MTC and go to different Brothers and Sisters who gave us books, pamphlets, papers, etc. 10 minutes after I got to the MTC, I had a class! I have 2 teachers: Brother Norris (not related to Chuck Norris) and Brother Doane (like "dome" with a n) and they are some of the most spiritual people I've ever been taught by! I met my district 5 minutes after I got to the MTC, I'll put their names and some pictures in my next email. 

I quickly learned that the MTC is work, work, WORK; with very little play. We have a 16 hour day every day, we wake up at 6:30 and don't go back to our residence hall until 9:30; lights out at 10:30. We have 2 3-hour classes most days, so everyone gets fried pretty fast. I don't know what my Canadian family was talking about when they told me about the food, because it is the best cafeteria food I've ever had; and it's all you can eat (and they usually have doughnuts)!!! 

My MTC companion is Elder Stanley and he is such an amazing Elder! Me and him hit it off so fast and we are a great companionship! We have 3 investigators right now called TRC investigators, most of them are converts (recent or long ago) who act like an investigator again. It's easy being able to talk about religion and doctrine in Sunday School, but it is much harder to relate it to someone who may or may not be willing to hear what you have to say. 

But I have an amazing experience to share. One of my investigators is named Lisa and she is investigating the church because she doesn't think her son should've joined the church. Yesterday was our second lesson with her and our entire 25 minutes was devoted to helping her know that God really does exist and that he is there for her. We were doing our best to invite her to pray, but she was very hesitant. I felt prompted to share with her the experience I had at Camp Helaman and how I overcame my doubts. I bore my witness to her that God really does love us and we can speak to him, and we were both tearing up while I shared my story. She was still reluctant afterwards, she told us that we couldn't promise her that God would speak to her because He'd never spoken to her. Elder Stanley sat up straight and said, "LISA, I TESTIFY TO YOU THAT IF YOU PRAY, GOD WILL ANSWER YOU!!!" and I have never felt the spirit testify to someone so boldly. Lisa started to pray aloud, but once she finished saying "Dear Heavenly Father..." she started crying. Her prayer only consisted of her asking him to be there, just like King Lamoni's father did, and thanking him for sending her to the missionaries but I have never heard such a powerful prayer; nor have I ever felt the Holy Ghost manifest himself in a prayer like he did then. We all knelt there bawling our eyes out, and we left Lisa a few minutes later. 

I absolutely love this gospel and I can't imagine being anywhere else right now. I love serving The Lord and wearing the name Jesus Christ over my heart every day, it is such a blessing. Whether they accept me or not, I will preach this gospel to the people of Kentucky with a fire they've NEVER seen! God lives, he truly does answer prayers Jesus is our savior and redeemer, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's true church on the earth today. Before we left Lisa, she asked us who we were. We answered, " We are representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we are servants to The Lord our God". That is why I am out here.

Much love,

Elder Crow