October 28, 2015

Hello everyone!!!

This week was fun of learning and humbling experiences. First of all Saturday was a sight to see at the stake family day. I think it was a nation wide thing. Where it had a bunch of activities to strengthen families. It is so cool to see while the world is getting farther away from families we are getting closer! There is one family that I don't know if I have talked about yet the Dison family. The mom has been a member since she was about 17 and now she is about 30 with 5 kids. All of those 5 kids are below 6 years old! Those kids are full of energy and you can just see how hard she is trying to do her best to raise them.  Her husband doesn't have a great job and isn't a member yet. He wants to get baptized and is ready except they actually aren't legally married yet and the father lost his birth certificate. But anyway that will work its self out but to see them bring their whole family to church is quite the sight. I am sure it is not easy and could get frustrating sometimes but there is something that brings them back each week and its awesome!

Conference weekend is here once again. You will get it a week before I do so please next week try not and include any spoilers!!:) Like I said last week those general authorities are amazing and I can only imagine the apostles. I am really excited to see who the Lord calls to fill those positions. How cool is it that we have apostles that sacrifice so much to help grow the church.

The Selim family accepted a date to get baptized on the 31st of October. They are the ones who have standards like they are members a church and just so prepared. They have 3 kids that are all really little pray for them. 

Dela Vega family with 5 kids came to the family day on Saturday and promised me they would come to church....but didn't. I am not sure why maybe we can blame it on the rain but we will see. Pray for them.

 The Recto family probably one of the biggest houses in our area have really accepted us well and just so smart. Mark who is about 30 years old and the dad is a Medical Rep. he sells anesthesia to the hospitals here in Iloilo! We are going to need miracles. All of these families have came from tracking the last few weeks and really have just thrown our faith at Heavenly Father showing him our desire to see miracles and I trust, know, and expect miracles to come from these families! Pray for them.

I love this and am expecting great things to happen here. I am putting all my faith and trust in Heavenly Father knowing that his plan is better than mine.

I love you all so much

Love,

Elder Craythorne

September 21, 2015

Mayong aga!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MOST GWAPA SISTER IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!! Everyone should watch out we got a new teenager in the family! Big 13!!! Wow but I could not be anymore proud of her!!! She is turning into quite the special young women! I love you so much Brooklyn and have the best birthday ever!!!!

Alright so we had a mission tour with Elder Bowen of the Area Presidency! I don't think I have ever had an opportunity like that to be around someone that high up in the church and wow was I impressed. To explain him I would probably just say a man with a firm understanding. He just gets it and understands whats going on! He was awesome! I got to spend lots of time with him and he also interviewed me! They literally live the law of concentration and gave up so much to live and serve here in the Philippines!

Here are a few things I learned from him! I think I talked about a few weeks ago that he wanted us to study about the Abrahamic Covenant and the House of Israel! At first I didn't really know why and was kinda thinking it wasn't a big deal. I obliviously did not understand at the time. Throughout his training he kept asking:
"Why are we talking about this? So we can know who we are!
Why is it important to know who we are? So we act accordingly!" 

He used doctrine to have us understand who we really are and what kind of potential we really have! Through the Abrahamic covenant he were blessed with exaltation IF he stayed faithful and kept the commandments of God! As part of the House of Israel we are also entitled with this same glorious blessings upon the same conditions. A huge portion of the scriptures are about this. Again why is this important? So we can know who we are!
Why is it important to know who we are? So we act accordingly!" The more we understand who we are the more we will act the part!!!

Knowing a little bit more about this really really really helps understand the scriptures so much more. It makes a big difference so I would like our family for a few days of scripture study try and learn a little more about the house of Israel and what they really are. Because it is in the Book of Mormon 105 times! I think that will really help!!! Let me know how that goes:)

To be 100% honest I have never just talked to everyone like I have this last week. We found so many people!!! Our schedules were full this week for sure!!! We really just went all out this week expecting miracles!!! I hope and pray that the Holy Ghost will touch them and help them see how beautiful the Gospel is!

Thanks again for all your support. I have the best family! I know that the Gospel has helped our family so much. We are the product the teachings of the church and so proud if it!!! I know that families are forever! Just like the song. I saw my mother kneeling with my family each day. I heard the words she whispered as she bowed her head to pray. Mine was also a home where every hour was blessing by the strength of priesthood power! My father and mother lead the way and taught us how to trust and obey. I am so thankful that love is spoken here!!! I love you family and miss every single one of you!!!

Love,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne

September 14, 2015

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! Ya but no joke its the next holiday here so the Christmas season is in the air!  I'm not complaining! Yesterday was our Ward Conference that we have been preparing for since I got here. We wanted to make it big so the ward has been visiting a lot of less actives and its been a huge team effort and yesterday we saw the reward! It was awesome seeing so many people show up and it has really sparked some excitement here in this ward! 

The only problem is that I don't really get to spend a lot of time in my area. We go around traveling a lot and go on splits with other missionaries which is a lot of fun. We really get to know a lot of missionaries and see how they do missionary work. I really like it because I learn a lot from them. Everyone is unique and does things differently. Some work better than others but it has been sweet to see! You also get to see the different levels of desire. Some missionaries are so excited and have such a great pure desire and its a lot of fun to work with them. Then there are those that make missionary work harder than it really is and frankly not very fun. It really depends on the missionary on how much they enjoy their mission. You get what you put into it! That goes for everything I guess!

We have an awesome couple that we found this week that have been prepared for a long time to accept the gospel. The Asenin family! They have 3 kids and the happiest couple you have ever seen. They love each other and work together to raise their family! One of the biggest problems I have seen here is the dad works and uses a lot of that money on his alcohol and cigarettes. Which leaves a little left for his wife and kids to eat. This man is one that does not have that problem which is uncommon as sad as it is to say! The reason is they were both affected by it when they were kids by their parents and they both don't want that for their kids. Their desire is so pure and really so family oriented! Of course we invited them to "Pray to know" so they can get an answer if the church is true is not. So when the came to church they were glowing and so excited to tell me that they got their answer and know that the church is true! MIRACLE!!! I am excited for both of them. 

And this letter would not be complete without the highlight of my week. I had one of those tender moments that really touched me and it will be hard to explain and probably even harder for you to picture but. After we taught the Asenin family their second oldest child gave me one of the most powerful hugs ever. She is so little but I was wrapped in a feeling that just surrounded me with such a special feeling. Only about an hour after that I met a family where one of their sisters just died at only 28 years old because of that same problem I explained in that last paragraph. She left 3 young boys here. So the whole family was gathered together and they introduced me to those 3 little boys and with that recent hug still in mind I got on my knees and just gave each of them a hug and that same feeling came back and it confirmed to me that I have such a HUGE purpose here and that God really does love us and I felt that love so strongly through those kids this week that I cannot explain but only know that it is so real and so pure!

Hopefully through this email you can feel at least a little bit of what I felt this week here in this beautiful place doing this even more beautiful work! I KNOW ITS TRUE! 

LOVE,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne 

September 7th 2015

Wow what another great week here in Iloilo! This will be a short but hopefully sweet letter this week. I have 5min.

 This ward is so missionary focused right now its beautiful. They always bring people to church which makes being a assigned here awesome! And like I have always said. Members here are amazing!!! They are the elite!!!

In my studies I learned about the House of Israel. How they were scattered and how the prophets prophesied about the gathering. One of the main purposes of the Book of Mormon was to start the gathering of Israel! Which helped me see the big picture of missionary work. It has been part of Heavenly Fathers marvelous plan all a long and we right now are apart of something huge. Gathering the house of Israel. It was something kind of new for me to understand but something really cool!

I also found something out on my pedigree chart. The first Craythorne to join the church! 

Edward Craythorne in 1849 joined the church when he was 17! I don't know his conversion story or what exactly happened but 150 years later I am so grateful that he had the courage even though he was only 17 years only to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because of his decision in 1849 my family and I are enjoying the blessings of the gospel and eternal families.

Yup times up so I love you all so much!!!!

Love,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne