Miracles Everyday!‏

Andddd I'm feeling lazy today, so here are some of the highlights of my crazy fast week! 

Zone conference! Man do I love the missionaries in our zone! We had incredible trainings about how we can help this work progress even more in this area. One of my favorite trainings was given by President Snow on how we can increase our spirituality. This is the key to missionary work because the spirit is what converts the people and changes their hearts, NOT the missionaries. The spirit has a way of working it's way into every fibre of our beings and leaves an overwhelming feeling that we will never forget. That's why in the Book of Mormon, when Laman and Lemuel saw an angel but didn't allow themselves to feel the spirit or to let it change their hearts, they were still just as wicked as they were before they saw the angel. But when the people of Ammon felt the spirit and let it change their hearts, they were converted unto the Lord for the rest of their lives! The spirit is huge and is also so incredibly sensitive. We can lose it in a split second should we choose to listen to bad music, be disobedient, or let ourselves be distracted by negative or bad thoughts. But we can gain the spirit by being humble, studying scriptures everyday, and being exactly obedient in all things. Once we feel the spirit in our lives, we should seek after it just as much as we do water for our physical bodies. 

We had other trainings that got us all pumped up to go out and find lots of new investigators and get lots of people to church, and because we had faith that it could happen, we were able to see miracles! 9 people came to church on Sunday and we found more investigators in this area then we ever have before! Miracles happen when we focus our minds on the work and rely on the spirit to guide us. This truly is Christ's work and is hastening it all around us!

Our investigator Nichelle got baptized yesterday! Man I am so proud of her :) She was prepared from the beginning and everything we taught her, she just let it soak in and then ran with it. She had tons of questions from day one, but had lots of faith and allowed the spirit to touch her heart so she could receive a confirmation that this church is true. Unfortunately she is moving to provo this weekend.. but she will be welcomed with open arms from the ward she will be at and the missionaries there! That is one of the most incredible things about this church.. it is true everywhere! 

We were also able to start teaching a lady named Beth who came to church and the baptism last night. Afterwards, she asked me if I could play violin at her baptism.. which was shocking to hear because she wasn't even sure she wanted to be baptized. The spirit is at it again! What a miracle :)

And the last miracle of the week.. we ran into a couple named Tom and Colleen on Saturday. We only talked with them briefly but invited them to church on Sunday. They expressed an interest in coming, but we weren't sure if they would actually follow through.. but sure enough, they showed up right on time and loved every minute of it! We met with them later that night and they were completely different from the first time we talked with them and said they would really love for us to come back and teach them more. Whoop whoop!

Man I love being a missionary. Even though my older brother is getting married tomorrow (~~CONGRATS to DUSTAN AND ELLEN KRAUS!~~) and I'm super bummed I can't be there.. I know this is exactly where the Lord wants me and where He needs me. This is His church and it is SO true! Love you all and have an amazing week :)

Sister Kraus

Pics:     1. Nichelle took us out to lunch and we ran into Elvis!

2. Walking to church with Nichelle and her adorable kiddos!

 3. Baptism

Guage's baptism!‏

Yo Yo Yo!

And another week down.. can't believe it's almost September! And shout out to Dustan and Ellen who are getting sealed for time and all eternity next Tuesday. How incredible is that? And bonus, they are going to have the cutest kids ever.. 

So this week was a blur like usual, but that means because it was chuck full of amazing experiences. Being a missionary is so fun :)

We had exchanges on Tuesday and I was with Sister Lowry for the day! She is a bomb missionary and a phenomenal pianist. We're doing a musical number at Zone Conference tomorrow so that should be fun. We were able to see lots of new people and set up some return appointments! We also had a crazy rain storm that night so the other 2 sisters had to stay in Kingman for the night (they live in Lake Havasu..about an hour away). We had a slumber party of course.. which consisted of eating Hy-chews, doing our planning for the next day, and hitting the sack. We were exhausted. 

On Friday we had Sisters Conference which is pretty much the best thing ever. All of the NVLV sister missionaries get together for some trainings, food, testimonies, and tears (we're sisters.. what do you expect). The sisters here are def going to be the moms of the next stripling warriors. We also got to go to the temple afterwards and what a blessing that was! The spirit is always so strong and peaceful. I didn't want to leave. I also read D&C 93:51 which helped me understand how much Heavenly Father knows and loves us all. He knows us by name! He also wants us to hasten this work and help more souls come unto Him and find the joys of this gospel asap. About 99.8 percent of the world is completely missing out on what we came here to do and become. We've got lots of work to do. 

Saturday was awesome as well and Guage Short (9 yrs old) got baptized!!! He is a cutie pie! The spirit was super strong, and watching his face as he looked up at the guy baptizing him with a little smile was priceless. Kids are so pure and innocent! No wonder we're told to become like little children. His Less active/non member family members were able to come and support him as well and I think his example had a huge impact on them. 

Sunday was.. well pretty much filled with church meetings. SO.. awesome! I never thought I would be able to sit through 6 hours of church (2 wards) and survive, let a lone enjoy it.. but hey, people change right? It's pretty much an all you can eat buffet of the spirit. We also had a fireside later that night so about 8 hours total of church.. not bad eh? Nichelle came with her 2 kids and really loved it as well! She will be getting baptized this Sunday and is so excited :) I love that girl! She also wants to go to BYU in January for school. Shout out to the best school there is! Go Cougs! 

Well i'm out of time.. have an incredible week and look for missionary opportunities! Also, men.. do your best to become like Moroni. The ladies love him, and Satan fears him. Alma 48: 11-13; 17

pics: Gauge at his baptism! Temple trip! Sweet rock background.

Keepin it real in Kingman!‏

Whats up?!

And another week has flown by. Man I feel like I just moved across the country.. Kingman is SO different then Vegas! But it's awesome :) I'm training a girl from Mexico City who has been here for 6 weeks! She is learning English for the first time and is soo amazing! It has been a little challenging trying to communicate, learn the new area, and meet/work with over 500 people in 2 wards, but its' been way exciting! Plus, I get to try and learn a little bit of Spanish :) We do language study every day for an hour, so I'm hoping by the end of these 6 weeks I"ll be fluent...haha. yeah. I wish. 

Anyways, This area is sweeet! It's way cooler then Vegas (only about 100-105 on average) and it's a much slower paced town. The people we've met are super sweet and humble and we are so excited to find, teach, and baptize! We've been teaching a couple named Scott and Dyan and they are solid! Dyan absolutely LOVES the Book of Mormon. She highlights it like crazy and even said she gets emotional at times as she reads. She is so sensitive to the spirit and every lesson with them is THICK with the spirit. It's incredible. They are getting married and baptized on Sept. 13! Can't wait :)

We met this girl named Nichelle on Wednesday and she is also super incredible. She wants to be baptized and loves the Book of Mormon as well. She also wants to go to BYU! How crazy?? She may be moving by the end of the month to Utah though, so we'll have to see if she will want to be baptized before she moves or if we'll get her in contact with missionaries over there. 

We're teaching a guy named Quentin who is seriously genius status. He knows the bible and Book of Mormon inside and out and everytime we teach him I learn something new. Like literally, mind blown every time. He's set for baptism on August 23rd as long as he stays away from the ol cigs! 

We're also teaching a little 9 year old boy named Guage. Oh my goodness. Cutest kid ever. First time I met him, I cried because he reminded me of my lil bro Levi so much. He's getting baptized this Saturday and is so excited! Hopefully he will set the example for his parents and other siblings and drag their bums back to church! (They're a little less active at the moment :/..)

Basically this area is super sweet! I'm excited to get to know everyone and help it progress as much as possible! Being a missionary is THE best. I love it. I love this gospel so much, I love the joy that it brings into our lives, and I LOVE my Savior Jesus Christ. The church is soo true! Live it. Love it. Share it!

Sister Kraus

pic 1: we are teaching a woman who is 95 years old! She's amazing. 

pic 2. 6 am service is the best. Ohh. and the new comp's name is Sis Martin. Love her already :)

Going to Kingman!‏

Welp first things first...I got transferred and I'm going to Kingman, AZ! Apparently it's hotter then Las Vegas (not sure how that is even possible) but I am so excited for this new adventure! Definitely had a hard time saying bye to people here though. It's been a week of mixed emotions, but hey.. welcome to the mission life! 

This week was super sweet as always! Ohh my goodness my heart is filled with so much love for the people we are teaching right now... Especially Ashley and Benjamin!

Ashley is just incredible. She has been having some conflict from her mom and Grandma concerning her decision to be baptized...(unfortunately we sort of new this was going to happen). However, after she had talked to her mom one night she had the impression to drive up to the temple (where she had never been before) and say a prayer. She drove up and realized the gates were locked due to cleaning/remodeling.. but she said a prayer, and just like Heavenly Father always does for us, a man came over and happened to be opening the gate right at that moment. As she prayed, she was filled with feelings of love and peace and knew that everything she was doing was right. There will ALWAYS be opposition to the truth.. but Heavenly Father blesses those who keep His commandments and do His will. And not only that, but we are able to feel peace and joy in our life knowing that we are living exactly the way our Heavenly Father would have us live! What an amazing feeling that is. 

Benjamin (who we met last week) is also such a solid kid! Man has he had a hard life.. but he was able to read the Book of Mormon and came to know it is true. Since the day we met him, he has come to every single baptism we've invited him to, to church every Sunday, and to every other church activity. He LOVES feeling the spirit and even said he wished he could be in church all day everyday. I for one began to feel a little guilty at this point because I used to be a little relieved when church was over so I could go home and eat and sleep.. However, because he is not yet baptized, he isn't able to have that peace and comfort from the spirit at all times and  he does everything he can to feel that. He has really taught me to never take the spirit for granted! We are so blessed to be able to feel of Heavenly Father's love for us, pretty much whenever we ask for it if we are living righteously. 

Also, we were able to go up to the temple grounds on Saturday night with Ashley, Benjamin, our new convert Cody, Kenny, and my girl Erin Cranor. Man do I love this group of people! We talked about how we can find joy in the journey and compared the beauty of the temple, then looked behind us towards the strip and looked for beautiful things over there as well. We came to realize that there will ALWAYS beauty and joy in our lives, as long as we take the time to look for it.  Psalms 118:23-24. So I challenge you all this week to be happy and don't let the little things get ya down! Today is a gift...that's why it's called the present ;) 

Ohh also, shout out to Sister Hunsaker for bringing back fresh homemade bread from my lovely mama and my violin from home!!! Woot woot!

Have an amazing week! And be happy! :D