My deepest gratitude is for the atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 Dear Family,

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Please celebrate it double for me, because there is no holiday here in Japan. No need to eat double for me though, because we have meal appointments out the roof scheduled this week!!

In honor of the holiday, let me try to explain why I am so GRATEFUL to be here right now. 

  Yesterday Sister Heimuli and I were in the church talking to a member when Chizuru shimai walked in pushing her 91 year old mom in a wheelchair. Chizuru shimais mother was baptized about 40 years ago. For almost 10 years, she has not been able to come to church because she is confined to a hospital. However, the branch worked together and got permission for her to leave and come to church for Chizuru shimais baptism!! So as they walked into the church, we walked toward Chizuru shimais mother, greeted her, and she put her hands up to her face and wept. She looked at us and just cried. Finally she was able to get out in a little 91 year old voice: ureshii! (happy!) and then she cried some more. And that moment was perhaps the most joyful moment I have experienced. She talked to us some more and said she has been praying for almost 40 years for her daughter to be baptized. She is so happy because she is able to give prayers of thanks for those who led her daughter to baptism. She cried throughout the whole service. Of course, the baptism was wonderful. It has been a marvelous journey to experience all of the faith and commitment and change with Chizuru shimai. But even more great than that, I think, is that now that family is one huge step closer on their way to an eternal family. That is what this is all about, isnt it? I am so grateful the Lord let me be a part of their journey. 

     We have been so blessed to be working with many part member families. More than half of our investigators (and the ones that are progressing better) come from part member families. I am grateful that the Lord has opened their hearts to us because as these investigators are feeling the Spirit and making changes, there is so much more happiness in their lives and the lives of the members too! 

     I was thinking about how interesting it is that this little branch, with so many recent converts and a branch president who has very little knowledge or experience in his calling, is still moving forward and progressing as well it is. It seems so unreal that the kind of experiences we are having are happening in the Niihama branch! But I was reminded that it is all because of the Lord. He is pouring out His love on the people here! 

    Everyday there is SO much to be grateful for! Of course I am so thankful that I am a missionary in Japan with all the best people, activities, food, and resources. I am also so very grateful that I get to serve with the one and only Sister Heimuli in the Niihama branch.  I feel so blessed to have my wonderful mission president and his wife and the MOST AMAZING family in the world supporting me at home. I am forever thankful for gifts of music and this world and I could go on and on. However, THE  greatest thing I (we) have to be grateful for is our Savior Jesus Christ, and His atonement, which saves us. We can be grateful everyday because of the joy, relief, support, comfort, happiness, hope, encouragement, vision, peace, and love that He gives us. 

    Remember that as you enjoy your turkey this week. 

I love you so much!!!!!

Love, 

Sister Crofts

Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts

Dear Family,

     It was another crazy week here! We spent two days in Kobe and two in Tokushima, so we had to fit everything in our week into just three days!! The Lord blessed us in those three days and make wonderful things happen in Niihama!!

　　　　 Yesterday was perhaps one of the most wonderful days of my mission. When Sister Heimuli and I first became companions, we identified three part member families who we wanted to focus on. With a music fireside yesterday, we were able to help all three of them. 

　　　First: the Fukuda family. The father is less active and his wife and 6 year old son are not members. He loves the violin, and after asking around for a violin I could use for the music fireside, he was the last resource. Thankfully, on Friday night, we were able to pick up the violin, and then they came to the music fireside yesterday!! He sat there with a huge smile on his face the whole time and his video camera out. Afterward, he was talking to our branch president for almost an hour about all the hobbies they have in common. His wife belongs in the church too. She is so helpful and bright. And everybody loved their goofy little son! It would be nice to have a primary in Niihama!

      The next family: Kawamura. Sister Kawamura is the only active member. Her husband is not a member and one of her daughters is less active, the rest are not members. Because I had a violin on Saturday, we decided to visit them and perform. Two of the daughters and her husband and grandchildren all ended up being home, and they loved having us visit!! I played a couple pieces, Sister Heimuli hula danced, then we sang/played a hymn and shared a message and prayed together. The daughters BEGGED us to please come back and visit, and they set up a return appointment for us! The next day a daughter and the grandchildren all came to the church for the fireside.

     Third family: the wonderful Ashitani family! The missionaries have been working with this family for a while. Yesterday, Brother and Sister Ashitani walked into the church for the first time in over 20 years. Along with them came their daughter Yumiko and her husband and children and their daughter Naomi with two of her nonmember friends. They were all in tears during the whole fireside. Afterward, Brother Ashitani family told us that something about me and Sister Heimuli  makes God's presence real. 

     All three families had a great time with the branch members and it was SO wonderful to see the church full of happy people!  :) In addition to that we had an investigator bring her friend to church and the branch president brought one of his students to church for us to teach them. And I gave a talk in sacrament meeting and the people before me were so short that I had 20 minutes to speak! In Japanese! It was such a CRAZY CRAZY day and week. It reminded me a lot of what Elder Ringwood said about exhaustion and exhilaration. I have never felt so tired at night, but at the same time, I have never been so excited to get up the next day and work again! 

     Yesterday caused me to think a lot about gifts. At the beginning of this transfer I set a goal to study about, pray about, and develop and use gifts from the Savior. I realized that Sister Heimuli and I were both blessed with certain gifts, including the gift of music, that have blessed the people in Niihama in incredible ways. As I have studied and thought about it and worked with other missionaries and members, I have learned how true it is that we ALL have been given gifts from Christ, and the Lord places us right where we need to be to use those gifts and help His work progress. It makes me so humbled and grateful to be placed here at this time. I LOVE the work of a missionary and I LOVE the people living around me. More than anything, I LOVE the Savior and I am grateful to be serving Him!!

     Also, dear wonderful family, I LOVE you to pieces!! Ha I watched the video Jason sent of Joseph blowing out birthday candles. Hearing all of your laughs made me realize yet again how happy you all make me! Thanks for your support and prayers!! 

Love,

Sister Crofts

Power and Authority of God--神の力と権能

Dearest Family,

Shout out: JOEY!!! Joey, joey, joey, Joey!! Youll have a birthday, shout hooray!! I want to sing to you today!! One year older and WISER too! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!

Next Shout Out!: Dear Miss Idaho, good luck in your beauty contest!! Blow them away with your talent!! (and beauty.) Love ya!! ttfn.

Shout out #3: Happy Halloween!!! I hope it was at least half as good as mine.

The Lord answers prayers. Even those about Halloween parties. Even after the hours of planning and preparing that went into the Halloween party, we had high concerns that it might just be a flop. And so we prayed. And God answered our prayers! We had about 5 people from our branch at the party, and about 95 other people there!! Including two investigators who we have not been able to contact for a full transfer. And our neighbors who we invited the night before. (We talked to a woman who was pregnant and her mother. The mother said no way! My daughter could give birth any minute! And it was true...she was huge. We walked away from that home joking about somebody that pregnant showing up at a Halloween party. But to our surprise, the next evening, she walked into the party. And she brought with her her mother, her husband, her son, and her husbands mother too!!) We were shocked at how well the party turned out and that SO MANY people came! The branch was shocked too. Most of the members did not come, but President Manabe was in charge of the music, and he LOVED it. We visited him later in the week and he told us it was by far the best Halloween party he had been to! The Lord definitely answers prayers. 

     It has been made clear why Sister Heimuli and I have been put in Niihama. The Lord is using our talents to bless the people here. Last week when we visited the Ashitani couple (who have not been to the church in over 20 years), Sister Heimuli played a song on the piano and sang for them. Brother Ashitani was in tears. He told us he could feel the Saviors presence. And he decided (promised) to come to the music fireside we are having this week! At the request of the branch, we visited his daughter, Yumiko (who is also a less active member) last week. She was very friendly and let us right into her home. She told us how happy her father was to have us visit him, and she thanked us for opening his heart. She said that is very hard to do. She also thanked us for the special feeling that we brought into her own home. She said we were the first missionaries ever that have made her be okay with a second visit. But not only that, she decided as well to come with her husband and two children to the music fireside! The members of the branch have heard about it, and apparently it is a really big deal. They were talking to us a lot about how amazing it is that the Ashitani family will be coming into the church. To be honest, we did not feel like we did anything special at all! The Lord is just using the talents He gave us to bless this family at the time they are ready. 
     I continue to learn so much from Sister Heimuli every day. I am taking note of the things I learn from her, and it is becoming a nice small plates for me. She studies the scriptures diligently and puts her mind and heart into helping the investigators, members, and other missionaries. I am SO grateful for her example!! 

     Also, I am in the most beautiful mission in the world. I am beyond convinced of that. This morning we went running to a park. This park has HUGE trees that droop over a nice pathway surrounding a lake with cranes and Japanese-gazebos on it. There are shrines and the unique Japanese plants off the pathway, and we found a flight of stairs (so steep...my legs are like jello now!) that led to the top of a mountain where we could see the view of our whole area! We have mountains and an ocean and a nice view of so many little islands. It is beautiful!! We are so blessed. 

      Oh and Chizuru san too!! She is progressing so well. More to come next week! But really, she is so bright!

     I spent too much time sending pictures!! So that is it for today. Anyway, I love you to pieces!!! Enjoy November in America. I am loving it here in Japan!!

Love,

Sister Crofts

p.s. the church is true