We hit our 100 baptisms!!!

MOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY LIFE!! I can't think! (yes, I'm more emotionally and spiritually exhausted than I can tell you! The baptism for Kira went through, the wedding was AMAZING!I found a navy blue dress from one of my ysa best friends and Katrina bought us all matching dangly earrings, so we disobediently wore them for a couple hours.....oops. THEY'RE MARRIED!! husband and wife!! A family! Te family <3 and We just found out that they can be baptized THIS WEEKEND! I was literally jumping around the apartment on the couches screaming I can't stand it! So I'm not thinking to straight, sorry if I leave out important details of the week. My last Saturday! This family that's become part of my family. Their baptism all together is the last thing I get to do and I'm soooo grateful I can't even tell you right now! I love them!!!! I can't wait for you to meet them! we have a lot of work to do to pull this off, give us some prayer (not that you already don't...we feel them) I love you!!! 

We're in the single digits! The family ward did their fast and testimony meeting yesterday so I got to go up and say a goodbye testimony to everyone. I on;y cry through the entire thing, it's fine. 

Josh and Gabriella's baptism didn't go through. well josh's did....he was late though -.- then...........................he disappeared. Which he's lucky, because I really really appreciate the opportunity to murder him. whatever. MADRE!!!! |We hit our 100 baptisms!!! We went wayyyy over!!! WE DID IT!!!!! President sent out a text and got every missionary in Mesa to get together and see baptism #100!!! it was magical<3 So powerful! The guy getting baptized though no one would be there but there were over 200 missionaries there to support him and it was amazing! |We hit our goal! we over doubled our baptisms!!! We had enough faith :D Can I end my mission on a better note? what is this life?? I love everything! I love my Heavenly Father! Why would He give me all of this???

Man, I can't wait to party, I can do it that night, I'm on such a high :PP JK, whenever is fine, I'm sorry to stress you out though. I'm so sorry about the little boy. 

Is the Second coming tomorrow?? I need to baptized the family first, Why did Nannie get internet? I Shoot!!! go her!! 

And wait, what |Lamb of God thing?? from Rob Gardner? That CD I'm literally obsessed with and have completely memorized? did they perform it??? what the heck!! 

man idk even what to say right now. I'll see you in a weeeeeekkkkk!!!!! I have a lot of work to do though. What are you doing for your birthday? How about I come home for it? 

I love you so much Madre! 

Oh also, I love Easter pageant, we went t\3 times with 4 different people<3 I hope to go even more!!! And I love Jesus the Christ, best book. I'm ready through the Atonement part before Easter. Then we will feast on resurrection rolls. I loveee youuuuu 


TO Daddy:

hey hey hey daddy, I love you!!!!!!! I cant wait to see you. This is my last email, but I don't know what to say!@!!! ding ding ding! I went to olive garden and thought about you! 

Thanks for letting me serve a mission, you're the best dad in the whole world! really!!! thanks for everything you've ever taught me! 

Best ZONE ever!

Miracle march is happening!

I'm so excited to see you! I haven't been able to think about it until today I think. mom!! Miracle march is happening! So had one investigator with a baptismal date (march 28th) set and in about a week, we put all our faith and work in and it jumped to 8!!!!!! 3 of them are the 28th. And the couple that i've been working with since I got to the area agreed to be married the 28th too and to get baptized the following weekend!!!!!!!! WOOHOOOOO!!!! I get to see their family be baptized! And help with a wedding! the 28th was going to be so crazy, because of 3 baptisms and a wedding AND the women's broadcast. It's also the scheduled stake 8 year old baptisms so the building might be tight along with all the other mesa missionaries having their miracle march baptisms. So our family ward bishop suggested that we do the 2 baptisms in that ward Friday night. Which feels right :D They both just need to make it to church this next Sunday. please please please pray for them (kira and josh) ! And also our ysa, Gabriella. She's so sweet, came out of nowhere and already is prepared and lives the commandments, understands them and just believes and knows why God would restore the fullness of the Gospel to the Earth and give us prophets! The family is good, we just need to see them a lot a lot and finish the lessons because they've been sick, yet have faithfully made it to church for 8 weeks and are strong and ready. They just needed to admit it to themselves. There's this other ysa who's ready and won't admit it lol. he finally came to church after a little over a month!!! He's the one who was agnostic and in his prayer last night he said he knows the Gospel is true!!!! So i'm like....you just said you know you need to get baptized lol and he's like..."in due time" I told him to pray about when. But that I need to pray about it too, and we'll figure it out. But we have been going going going this past week. I can't think of a better way to end my mission.

We go to the temple this week! I want to go to the temple almost immediately when I get home too! That can be my party ;) But yeah, please pray for me to have more faith. I really do feel your prayers and am so grateful! I'm going to miss the amount of prayers and protection and the blessings I get as a missionary. Ah man....do they already have the day set for when I speak in church? 

I love you so much! Brother gifford will probably send me cactus home inthe next week or so lol

"Hey, Sister Krueger...what's the distance between you and that plane? .........6 weeks!!!"

Hi padre, I just needed to tell you I love you and miss you lots and lots too. Can you be my first date when I get home? 

I'm glad I get to write you too! This week will be a better email than they have been, I'm sorry!! Yes, I am coming home on a Tuesday because every mission has different transfer cycles. Sister Brinkerhoff is definitely my last companion and I am lucky (and by luck I mean blessed). I don't think I'll need to send anymore home, except for maybe Winklestinky (the cactus) but I do not know how to make such events occur....I can't wait to meet Richard either! How are we related again? And see Nannie and everyone! I seriously can't believe it's a month away! a new RM, our Bishop's daughter has been coming out a lot with us lately. I love her! Shes my new friend (ad so are a couple of other RMs that I just love!!! #ysalife I hope I can be as cool as them when I get back)...except that she thinks it's really funny to make fun of me almost going home. "Hey, Sister Krueger...what's the distance between you and that plane? .........6 weeks!!!" I felt it didn't misrepresent the Lord too badly when I beat her up a little. So now EVERYONE, even our new investigator goes out of their way to point out ever airplane that flies by throughout the days! What the weird!? I for real think there are more planes flying in mesa than there have been the past 17 months. Good thing we're too busy for me to even think about it!! Seriously! I never thought I could do so much in one day and hold so many life-changing conversations all at the exact same time. I can feel all the prayers! LISTEN! We have a new ysa girl who just set a baptismal date for the 28th, an 4 other ysa investigators. Usually it's hard to have any work in ysa. There's so many good people to be their fellowshippers too! hahahahahahahhahaahah One hispanic guy, he's so funny. He kind of mumbles and it's hard to understand what's he's saying apparently (I don't have a problem) lol oh man I don't even know how to go about telling you about this kid. He's really excited to learn and wants the light that we have. He's hispanic and talks a lot though and as we were teaching the restoration he's all excited and loves things we say but then after a while you realize he actually didn't get it. Like we spent 20 minutes getting through what a prophet is and at the end I bare my testimony about blessings from Heavenly Father and he's like "Yeah youre building your way up to be a prophet, because you know the Lord just only works by giving us what we can handle and I have what I can handle. That's what I've been trying to say, that I just am loving what you guys are coming here to teach me because I need that happiness. You know when you first come over you're just laughing and making jokes about WATER! And I'm grateful I can have it and you're always welcome over and I want this for my family and you can come over, ya know my sister's she's getting married and I don't know what it's called, they're having a bachelor party and I don't know what you're allowed to do or if you're out teaching Friday night but you can go and if you like firemen, if you got time...." hahahahaha and we're dying because its Lorelei with us whose crazy and I can't control my laughing and he knows he's funny and just is going on and on and it's curfew. Also he had just been telling us that we picked the wrong house to park in front of and randomly in the lesson was like " yall might have slashed when you come out of her. out of all the houses on this street you park in front of that one!!" So we're freaking out not sure if he's kidding or not but he says these people are real cranky.  so I'm just like"OK, let's have a prayer!!!" lol he's like ok ok, so I'm like alright Ray you say it and he blurts out in one breath "ah, no you say it dear God thank you for..." and goes on with praying and it was unexpected and sudden. And you remember who when we would try to have family prayer? Those nights when Emily started laughing and then everyone is laughing and we're trying sooooo hard to be reverent and you're shaking and you can tell the pray-er is about to crack and the second you gain composure, the person next to you breaths in real heavy and you start laughing again. Lorelei was killing me! and it was soooo bad. I was crying. We couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the night. gooooooooooooooosssshhhh. hahahahahahahah the car was fine too. 

So then we set up another lesson. It was Friday night. So we asked him to come to the Visitors Center! He doesn't confirm when we text him but we head over and he then texts asking all these questions and sounds so frantic about going and Im like, oh man he thinks we're taking him in the temple or something, but we tell him to still come, he keeps trying to get out of it, and he finally calle. I'm trying to help him and he's so concerned sounding and I couldn't figure out his problem but he's like "man idk what to wear, you know how i told you aout tha bacholr party, and I don't know what to wear cuz i can't get in to grab my clothes cuz the stipper's already here. I'm just in an undershirt and shorts." I'm trying not to crack up, so I just blurt out, "it's fine, you can dress casual, just come!" And he's like "really? ah, idk! I uh, m, ok, uh yeah sure, alright!"lololololo and then I think about it and i'm lke gahh what if he's not wearing any clothes, and we're all again dying as we wait for him to come. lol 

phew, but here's the thing! He does come and he was dressed AND......he brought his dad. OMG, we brought them in and it turned ot to be the sweetest most powerful lesson. The Spirit was SO STRONG. His father only speaks spanish so we got a VC sister to take us through and she kind of took of the lesson. We listened to the Christus in Spanish and it was the most beautiful thing ever! ||It was like, i knew the Gospel was true all over the world but to hear His words to reach out to everyone and speak to them in their own way was so beautiful. They're all going to get baptized. It was cool to observe a lesson from the outside. You forget sometimes what you're doing and the importance everything you say has. 

Anyway. We spent a lot of time at the VC actually. And at a Ranch. Guess what!! Andy and Katrina ( I can't remember if I gave you code names, but I give up on that) are getting married the 28th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They're so amazing, we've been waiting in suspense for forever. Especially me because I wanted to see it before I left and they're getting married!!! I hope they get baptized before I leave too. I'm going to tell her that if she does, well go to the temple togather when I come and visit, to do baptisms for the dead :D 

The 28th is going to be nuts...it's also the Women's braodcast. This life. I love everything about it but there's no time to breathe....so many good things! I wouldn't trade it for anything. We're gong to be more busy too because we're now part of some group of missionaries going around to sing in nursing homes this month. Woohoo!! 

Kira might be moving though...she hasn't been coming to church. it's the worst! 

We had stake conference this weekend. The Jenkins were there! I love them! Oh and so was Elder Stoddard from the 70. While he was he he went to visit this part member family in our ward and no the nonmember dad who wouldn't come in to our lessons 3 weeks ago wants to get baptized! YAAAAYYY! 

Gah, I sure hope I can stay productive when I get home. I was really sad about EFY, and I don't think working with Antonio's cafe will probably pan out either, we haven't talked in a couple months. We'll see! But the Lord promised me if I didn't worry about it and focus, then He'll take care of it, or at least help me figure out what to do and how to be effective when I do get home. So it's okay!! I'm so happy YOU have a job!!!!! For realz. Way to go Idaho! 

I dont know about school! Blah!!! I never do lol I still want to become a Seminary teacher. But, I feel like still either that or going to an animal college will just be a 2 year school. Danielle is so sweet! She's the one that found me rough housing and everything. I have to repay her so much. 

Anyway, thanks for your scripture thoughts! I love them. Something that I found this morning!!- It may be me overthinking, but in Nephi's vision 1 nephi 13:5 it says that iron, the same thing that the iron rod (or God's word) is made of! But they take it and turn it into something bad, a make it a yoke and it binds them! That's why we have to be so careful and why the apostasy happened, because they changed something so good into evil! ding ding ding 

so yeah, that's part of my life. Many other things going on! #miraclemarch

We had a GRITS PARTY! #mymissionsthebest

I love you!! I love my companion a lot! She is sweet and full of life and obedient and hard working and helps me focus. she is from Tennessee technically and she likes pink too and has been out 7.5 months! we are happy! I really am(: 

They're taking my ipad on Wednesday because everyone is buying one and they're taking the old ones. since I'm leaving in about a month I don't have to buy one :) what luck! I got my whole mission in the exact time fame of having a free ipad! #mymissionsthebest

thanks for your prayers!

YES!! I mean, if anyone wants to come to my party, whoever remembers me(: I love parties! invite the family and friends! TO THE BEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yesyesyesyesyesyes! good plan!!!!! then someday I'll figure out what I'm doing with my life. what would happen if I decided I want to go into animal therapy? and find a school that has that major........I'll be looking today.

I feel like I have nothing exciting to share this week, but it's been exciting and busy!! We have 3 ysa investigators! I'm so proud of the area! please pray Andy and Katrina will get married the 28th instead of the 11th!!!!!! They are doing well, they watched jspr with us at the visitors center and the spent their Saturday afternoon studying the pamphlets and scriptures!! I love them, I told them you'll meet them in April!

I love you so much!!! life is so good! I was stressed to take over the area but everything is falling together beautifully.

thank you for being my family!!!

Making GRITS!

We had a GRITS party!

Off to the party!

this is the last transfer news I ever get to get

Only 6 weeks! I go in circles thinking how excited I am and then how sad I am to leave, but mostly I'm too busy to think of it at all which is nice. We have had a lot of lessons and miracles lately! Even Ysa investigators. A new one came to church yesterday. We had three......but then when we went back for a return appointment with B... (after having one of the best lessons and closing prayers of my life) two days later we were told he was now in prison. Now there's two. The other is the agnostic boy who is doing really well. He cracks me up. We asked if he knew about Adam and Eve and he told us his whole experience with learning about it and being told it was a bad thing they did and after pondering decided for himself that it was all part of God's plan for hem to eat the fruit! Lol we read from the scriptures exactly that. Our other ward is great. The family, where the dad has been being dragged along, has started coming to lessons and being involved in them. His fiancé, who's ready to get baptized about texted us last night after a crazy hard lesson saying at she walked in on him by himself reading the Book of Mormon!!!! I couldn't have been happier! We screamed and cheered and danced, even though I might have been driving. It was one of those moments the Spirit says that's what the mission is all about. That's what you sacrifice for.

I'm also sad though because K... has not been coming to church so now we have to move her baptism:/

Gah......a lot more happened but I can't even think straight right now. My sis Nis is leaving! I'm so sad, I feel inadequate to take over the area  and this is the last transfer news I ever get to get!! Blaaaahhhhhhhhhhh I'm sooo sadddd.

I'll get over it and I'm going to love sister brinkerhoff, I think she's a hard worker and obedient so we'll take over the wards together and everything is going to be great. I still have an amazing zone and all these fabulous people to work with and the Spirit is in charge anyway and I just need to pray more for direction and everything will work out.

.....I don't even know what else to say.

Oh, we had a bonfire this week and pretended it was our halfway and my investigator gave my a new pair of cute tennis shoes!! I couldn't believe it! They're perfect! Oh crap what if my companion doesn't run? I'll be fine. Anyway, a family also took us our for Thai Saturday night and it was amazing beyond description!

.............I love you. I miss you

I can do hard things :Dr mark so we could burn stuff! I burnt my dead toms. I miss them lol...but they were very dead. And our inv

A GOAT!!!

HMMMM

My SUNSHINE!

And HOW exactly does this work?

I made 5 new eternal friends at the temple

Yes I got my Valentine's Day package!! Thank you!! We had treats to bring to a lesson with this family that night and it was fabulous! Thanks(: This whole week has been great. I feel like I'm living in a dream, I just love my life so much. We got to go to the temple and the had Zone Conference the next day so the week was busy. I am no longer at all sick and feel very well and alive and happy! Lol almost every night, Sister Niska and I are being crazy, and stuff like affirmations :P Glad someone approved of it. We're seeing people all the time and are busy and tired in a good rejuvenating way. Our investigator's less active mom had us over to make us lunch for Valentine's Day.Oh and two nights in a row, someone dropped of gifts at our door for when we got home. Made both my days! I love V-day and the gifts were so sweet. We don't know who it was though!! Also, how the heck if it half way through February?? It's stinking hot here though! What the heck, I want snow like you!

I have to tell you a story though!!! Lately I've been feeling like our zone and district members have had a little too much contact, I just feel like we see each other almost every day and spend all of P-day together and I was worried it might have been getting a little distracting. (Cause we know I have a flirting problem and I don't like the temptation!) We had plans today to all go hike flat iron, which I really wanted to do and thought would be fun, good exercise (I love things like that and I love being with our zone) but I felt impressed to take an opportunity to not go hang out with everyone. I couldn't figure out why exactly and felt so stuck in going for some reason. It was so hard!! I don't know why but something said I shouldn't go and I couldn't figure how to get out of it. So yesterday I fasted for a way out of going. In Sacrament, I felt the strength to just decide not to go no matter what and felt SO good about the choice!! Then about 2 hours later, our zone leader sent the news that WE COULD GO TO THE TEMPLE!!! The Spirit hit me so strong. I made the tiniest little sacrifice and received this enormous blessing (which is what usually seems to happen....life is unfair that way). Heavenly Father told me that He had inspired President and others to let us attend the temple today just for me and to answer my fast. What a miracle! I attended some initiatories this morning and felt a connection with the 5 people I went through for and knew in my heart that for sacrificing friends for a day, I made 5 new eternal friends at the temple whom I cannot wait to meet.

That was my weekend and I feel like I'm on cloud nine, you know when you repent and that weight just lifts from off of you and you feel like you can fly? It was like that. Anyway, yes transfer planning is this week, so we will find out on Saturday. Sister Niska and I think she's going to kill me, meaning we'll both stay. And maybe when I die, she will leave the area too and they'll white-wash it.

It's been soooo fast, because we're busy and having fun. I'm so happy you two are working a lot too. Even on Valentines day :P And I'll go stalk you on facebook in a little bit. And wait, what happened to your foot? Did you miss church to stay with Nannie? I sent her a card.

Yeah yeah, so we're teaching a recent convert's athiest mom who's actually progressing. An agnostic YSA who confessed last night his faith in God has grown the last couple of week. Both of them prayed with us out loud for their first time yesterday!!!!!! We'e been spending a lot more time seeing Kira (the ten year old) and her mom, The family who comes to church every week but won't set a date :/. We are doing so much better in our teaching! I feel the Spirit filling my mouth with word and inspired questions and actually teaching pure doctrine and from the scriptures. it's so much better than when I try to do it on my own. We took people to the Visitor's Center a couple times which is the best. I've been learning so much about how important it is seriously to have a family, and for parents to raise children well. Everyone's lives are falling apart because of the wicked traditions of their fathers and because parents are selfish!! Thank you for being my mom and being really good at it. I love you so much.

 YAAAAYYY! I can't wait for April! Love and miss you. MWAHHHHH

Valentine's Day Surprise #1

Valentine's Day surprise #2

More FUN pictures

Heading to do service

Still flexible

Oranges year round!

Goofing off