Has it been 18 months?

Has 18 months really gone by? 

I still perfectly remember my first day, going to bed in the MTC, looking up at the bunkbed above me  in the quietness of the night, and thinking I have 18 months of this.

What seems so daunting and eternal has gone by in the blink of an eye;

Before the misison I had the opportunity to study in Spain. I remember the week after I opened my call we went to Barcelona as a group. We went to a famous look at point to see the view. The study abroad director, Brad Wilcox, pulled me to the side to look over at the view below us. You could see everything, buildings and the ocean and the sagrada familia in the distance. And as I tried taking everything in Brad asked me' "can you imagine yourself here Hermana Cragun? Can you imagine all the people you're going to meet and the experiences you're going to have?" Of course I always thought about my mission, what it was going to be like, the miracles is as going to see... And now 18 months later, I can look back and say, the mission was nothing how I thought it was going to be like. But it was perfect for me.

The mission has overall been the best decision of my whole life, without a doubt. The people I have met, who I have grown to love. The experiences and refinements the Lord has placed in my path to shape me, and help me grow. It has been a privilege serving here in Spain Barcelona 

It's impossible to list everything the Lord has taken the time to carefully teach me, but know I have personally come to know and love the savior even more. I've come to understand how perfect his gospel is, and how the Book of Mormon has the power to change and better our lives. Change is a miracle, and if we let Christ, he will shape us into the people he knows we can become, using our weaknesses to make them strengths. I am grateful for my Heavenly Father and  my Savior Jesus Christ, they have an infinite snd perfect love for everyone, and they've given me the greatest privilege to serve the people of Spain. I love Spain. 

I love Spain. 

My heart is aching thinking leaving these people, and not being able to be called Hermana Cragun anymore, or get to have investigators anymore, but I will forever carry these experiences with me, they have made me who I am, and Spain and my mission will forever be a part of the person I have become. 

Con mucho amor 

Hermana Cragun 

What a week

What a special week it's been, I feel like it's fitting that this week was Thanksgiving because this truly was such a special week to stop, and remember all the blessings I have in my life right now to be a missionary preaching the gospel here in Girona.

 The Lord really blessed us this week, six of our friends came to church! It was a miracle!

Our investigators continue to progress so well, Miguel has a goal for the 25 as well as our friend William for the 17th, but I would say our greatest miracle this week was our friend Leonardo. As we met for the first lesson we asked him why he wanted to meet with us and he stopped and for chocked up as he explained he was looking for a change in his life and he felt like that change needed to come through Jesus Christ,

As we ended the lesson we invited him to take that step in his life to change by being baptized and he agreed, he had a fecha for the 17th. As we closed with a prayer he cried thanking Heavenly Father for his blessings and for the help he would need to change.

I am so grateful for these small unforgettable moments and the spirit that comes with them, 

I am so blessed to be a missionary in the Spain Barcelona mission.

I am grateful for a Heavenly Father that inspired me to study here 2 years ago, and then in turn inspired his prophets to send me back to the country he knew I loved.

I am grateful for a mission president smd his wife who love me, and have taught me so much.

I love you all

Hermana Cragun 

 

 

The lord calls the unlikely to do the impossible"

-Russel M Nelson (spoken literally five feet from me)

This week we had the opportunity to hear from an apostle of the lord; Russell M Nelson,  his wife Wendy and Jennifer and Patrick Kearon, they came to speak to our mission. It was by far the most spiritual and impacting moment of my whole life. As we gathered as the entire mission waiting for the President Nelson to enter the room we quietly sang "we thank thee o God for a prophet" and the spirit was so strong, you could not deny that the lord testified to each one of us that we were going to be learning from one of his chosen servants that day.

I could probably write a novel about the things I learned that day, but what was most impacting for  me was President Nelsons, was he was of being (I'm so sorry if that doesn't translate right it sounds better in Spanish) anyways, his presence and how you could just look at him and see something different about him. He and his wife talked about how the lord is coming back, and he's coming back soon. And the importance of leaving it all on the mission and coming back changed and staying changed. We also had the opportunity to hear from the Kearons and that in itself was so amazing.

Well President Nelson did leave us with a challenge-to try a new door approach. Every time someone answered the door we needed to ask them "would you like to know more about you family?" "Do you know your grandparents, your great grandparents? Well let us help you!"

So we tried it out  and saw soooo many miracles Haha and so many funny responses as well. One of those miracles  was meeting Adrian and his girlfriend Denia. As we knocked a building this young Spanish couple answered, covered in tattoos and piercings clearly had just been smoking and so well we presented ourselves and asked if they wanted to know more about their family, and you know what?! THEY SAID YES I just want to make it clear that that NEVER happens haha. We ended up teaching the plan of salvation and it was so incredible, were coming back Wednesday to teach them more. 

The work is growing here in beautiful Girona, we have three investigators preparing for baptism right now- Daniel from Honduras, Merlin from Honduras and Elvira from Peru; we love working here and I absolutely LOVE the members here, I feel more at home than ever. 

I love this work, I love being a missionary and I love Spain! I'm grateful as President Nelson stated that the lord "calls the unlikely to do the impossible." I at times feel like the most unlikely person to be called to the lords work, as I think of all my flaws and how much more I have to learn and do, but with the lord I truly can do the impossible 

Love you all!! Xoxox Hermana Cragun 

perfect week

cant beat that view of the city

life is good, mission is perfect

Mom's favorite, family from Venezuela with typical plate of Pabellon

 

What a crazy week! Between two intercambios and teaching at zone conference, visiting our favorite Venezuelan family and it raining like CRAZY and getting soaked

we had an amazing miracle...MARI HAS AGREED TO BE BAPTIZED!

the experience was so amazing,

Saturday we met with Mari to talk about her doubts about baptism, and in the beginning she was saying that she just felt like she was just not ready And needed to keep learning, and we explained to her that she WAS ready. Mari has changed her whole life around for the church, she stopped drinking, going to parties, she stopped going to the gym on Sunday to keep the Sabbath day holy, she even is moving out of her piso to find a better atmosphere where she can study and keep the faith with less temptation. SHES AMAZING. Anyways we explained baptism and how it's really just the gate to the path and not the ending destination and she was still hesitant,
WELL then an idea came to my mind...an elder from my past area shared this experience and brought back to me...

And we suggested that we could pray. Each of us. Mari, Hermana Spiegel and I, and our two members that were helping us, to ask god if Mari was ready. 

So we each knelt down and prayed and the spirit flooded the room, we couldn't resist but crying and by the time it was Mari turn to pray she said she knew she needed to but she was afraid, she thanked God for each of us in her prayer and when she finished she stood up and said she knew she needed to be baptized 

My testimony grew so much that day that God DOES hear and answers prayers. He is so perfectly aware of each of his children and wants them so badly to have the gospel and the answers to our prayers. Sometimes he tests us and makes us wait for these answers, but the only thing he asks of us is that we have faith and KNOCK at the door, because he will always answer. His way is ALWAYS the right way, even if we don't understand it and even if we're afraid to follow it, he will do what's best for us.

Love you!!!

Hermana Cragun 

September update

Herman Spiegel and Hermana Cragun

                                                   

                                                   Once a cat women always a cat women

What a spiritual week! I feel as though I've sat at the feet of the Savior and heard and learned so much through his servants this week. It was absolutely incredible to be able to spend 2 days with the Zwicks, the area seventy. I learned sooo much from them! Some of my favorite parts were how they said to always keep striving, and their touching stories about their son Scottie with disabilities who even despite set backs has helped convert people because of his love of the gospel! I learned so much from them and was able to receive so much revelation for myself and area! The best part? Elder Zwick said he was going to call on a random companionship for the practica in front of the mission, and who did he call? Yours truly. Hermana Spiegel and Cragun hahaha, but it went well so it was okay in the end. 

One of the highlights of this weeks was when Hermana Spiegel and I were able to  visit a family from Venezuela, they are living together but the husband wants to get married. Since they done have papers we had to do the hard thing and teach them the law of chastity and invite them to pray about it, and move out.  The spirit was sooo strong and at the end, they accepted!

We are so happy for them and know the lord will bless them so much! He's doing so much to build his kingdom here in Gerona! Our other investigators are doing so well too! We are constantly finding and teaching and seeing so many miracles! Mari has accepted that she needs to be baptized so hopefully in the next couple weeks she will be ready!!:) 

Love you all!! 

Hermana Cragun 

Small update and picts from maddie

                                                 Not much but quick updates these days.
                                                       She is happy and doing well.

           This is a friend from High school Emilie, who was on student council with her and is now serving in Barcelona.  They were able to see each other briefly making transfers when Emilie arrived.

                                  As of today this is Maddie's new area Girona Spain

                                 She is super excited and has a new comp ( no picts of her yet)

                             Good bye to one of her favorite areas and a Bishop and his wife who became like family to her.