Another great week in Sabadell

Hermana exchange in Barcelona

Herman Een, Hermana Wiseman, Hermana Erying, Hermana Cragun

Another great week in Sabadell :)

  This week was full of just ups mostly! Lots of teaching, lots of finding on the streets. Thursday we had intercambios with the Hermanas in Barcelona and I had to take the train out to Barc and was actually surprised at how sad I was to leave Sabadell!  Haha who would have guessed. I already love this place so much! But intercambios was AWESOME. I got to work with Hermana Een and see Hermana Wiseman and Erying. It was basically one big giant sleepover missionary party. 

   Friday I came back and taught our investigator  "R"( mom is trying to keep some privacy of names). "R" is kind of just the best, and is a walking, talking miracle. After a cita with another investigator named "B", Hermana Stott and I were walking down the street and we wanted to find at least one more new investigator for the day. So we prayed an prayed and ended up running into our investigator "A", and he had a friend with him,- "R". haha "R" immediately started talking to us and showed us these magazines that the testigos de Jehova had given him and I was like heeeey you like learning about Jesus Christ? and Hermana Stott was like cause we can teach you all about him. Investigator "R" was like well.. I've already been studying with the testigos a lot so I don't know.. but he agreed and we had an HOUR lesson with him on the street about Jospeh Smith and the restoration and the Book of Mormon and he loved it! We´ve been meeting with him non stop now and he loves the Book of Mormon and what we're teaching him. Even better he came to chuuuuurrccch!! ugg best thing ever. haha we didn't think he was coming and all sacrement Hermana Stott and I were kind of sad about it, but we got up at the end to go to class and someone said Hermanas! and there he was  :) tie and all. He had slipped in late and not told us! best suprise ever. Were meeting with him again tomorrow so I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

As for little "C", she's still a gem. We went over to teach her mom this week, "E", and mom asked if we could teach little "C" English. Which  OF COURSE we would. I love teaching so I was basically like jumping out of my seat when she asked us to. At the end of English lesson with little "C" we shared Alma 32, how faith is like a seed and gave her a little seed to keep. Hahaha little C is 8 almost 9 but she is so witty its unreal. She looked at our seed and said, "well what will this grow?" and we told her we didn´t know, but it was just  to remind her of her seed of faith. and she looked at it and said.. "Is this going to grow into God?" haha we laughed so hard. But we asked her to say the closing prayer and she looked at me and asked me to help her :) she was so cute. So I went over the steps with her again and in her prayer she asked Heavenly Father to  "..please help my seed of faith to grow". I think my heart melted. Her dad  walked in at that point and was like "Hermanas, are you hungry?" and we were like umm.. kind of and he's like well, we´re going to Mcdonalds and you guys are coming too. Hahaha that family is just the best. I can´t wait to see them again.

   Anyway that's all for this week. love you all and hope you are doing well! Remember that its the little things that matter and choose to be happy! xoxox Hermana Cragun

week 2 in Sabadell

 Las Ramblas in Barcelona P-Day

Always the cat lady!  y Below a view of Sabadell

   Oh my goooooodness :) is it Monday already?

This week has been AWESOME. We started the week off in Barc, getting to walk Las Ramblas, talking to people on the street. We also met with a lot of menos activos and investigadores this week as well. I think my favorite moment this week was meeting with this lady named  Elvia, a menos activa. When we  knocked on the door the CUTEST little girl I have ever seen answered it and was so excited, I started talking to her and asking her about herself and she told us she was  9 years old and her name is Carla. Even though Elvia is is a member of the church her husband is not, and neither are her children, in this case Carla. We mainly had gone over to talk to Elvia and see if she was okay, but as we kept talking cute Carla came in and sat in on the lesson and then interrupted to ask what we were reading, and so we told her about the Book of Mormon and she asked if she could have one. So naturally the answer was a big YES. And so we gave her one and then we told her about prayer and asked her if she wanted to learn how to pray, and she was a littler nervous at first but she said she wanted to. And right at that moment Elvia´s husband, Carlos, walked in and kind of just sat down to listen. So we taught Carla how to pray and she gave her first prayer and it was just the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Sometimes I forget that maybe I do need to be like a child, it´s really just the small things in life that matter.  When she was done praying we got up to leave and Carlos stopped us and said you are always welcome to come back to our house.  I was like uh okay thanks! But when we walked out Sister Stott was like "HERMANA! That has never happened before! Carlos never comes to our lessons and he never talks to us!" So we were SO excited :) we get to meet with them again this week.I can´t wait

   We also have two fechas for baptism set which has been a MIRACLE. I´ll probably talk more about them next week.

   All in all this week has been amazing. I know my Heavenly Father is answering my prayers and strengthening me. I can´t express how much I love Spain and these people. I am so happy and I am constantly laughing here. The people here are fun. Sometimes they call out to me and Hermana Stott. one man stopped me and asked if he could buy me a drink and I said umm, no thank you :) so he just shook his head.  Hahaha weird things like that happen seriously everyday but it´s so funny and just part of their culture and I love it. I truly am so privileged to be able to be preaching the gospel among these people, I love this work! I love you all and hope all is well back home! 

xoxox Hermana Cragun

First week in Spain; Sabadell

HOLAAAAA!! :)

  Wow. Barcelona. There are no words to explain how it feels to be back. 

First though let me do a quick recap of the past week and a half.

Last Sunday we packed up our stuff at the CCM and said our goodbyes. I was the first one to go at 3 AM Monday. My cute girls(roommates) though woke up with me at 3 AM and walked me out to the bus where we said our goodbyes and got our last picture, pjs and tears and all. Really I couldn´t have asked for a better district to begin with. District 12 will be missed for sure. 

  And then I headed off for the airport. Let me say that the CCM is great. Really. But man they are the WORST at getting you to the airport on time. Despite being woken up at 3am and leaving around then, I didn´t get to the airport until (no kidding here) 6:45 and my plane was leaving at...7¨30. awesome. So I'm basically scared out of my mind that Im going to miss the flight and even worse the line for security was the longest I had ever seen it, out the door. I don´t know if I've ever prayed harder haha but by some miracle the line cleared and I ran to my gate and made it just in time. And who would be waiting for me there but none other than my Dad :)) For those of you at home this was seriously just a chance run in. My dad was leaving for a business trip but we saw each other one last time before I left. MIRACLE! 

Sabadell. And Sister Stott. That´s my first area and first companion :) Where to even begin about any of these... Sabadell is about 30 min from Barcelona so it´s very close. I love it. Classic Spanish houses, children and grandmas out on the streets till 1 am or later. Our district is great, the ward is soooooo amazing. But our week has been anything but normal. Or maybe even great, haha it´s been kind of..crazy. Missionary work is HARD hard people. I have been yelled at multiple times for preaching lies, Ive had Muslims tell me I believe in a false God, Jehovah´s witness wanting to dispute over religion. We have to go door knocking a lot and people usually do one of the following a) look through the peep hole and don't answer, b) tell us they are not interested or, c) angrily tell us to go away. hahahahaha but you know what? I am SO happy. I honestly love being a missionary! It´s hard and it´s hot and most of the time people don´t want to listen. But I know that the message we´re teaching is true and I know that our Heavenly Father loves each of his children so I know how important it is to keep going because this gospel will change lives and it is for everyone.

I'm so happy to be here! I cant believe I'm back!! Love you all and hope you are doing well! 

xoxo -Hermana Cragun

 Knocking in Sabadell

 Hermana Stott

 View of the City

Adios CCM at 3 AM

Week 2: Arrived safely in Spain July 7th,2015

One last hug from dad, 

Chance meeting, he was off to San Fran and she off to Barcelona

Broke down and called home one last time.

Hermana Cragun

President y Hermana Dayton 

MTC week one

HOLAAAAAA!!!!

aaaahhh! I can't believe it! I'm an HERMANA! okay first let me start off by saying that this past week has been the best year of my life (cause I'm pretty sure it's been that long since I was dropped off) I also need to say thanks a million for all the notes and the PACKAGES! you guys are the best! Getting letters and packages here is pure gold. Can't explain how great it is to hear from you all.

Alright let's get down to the real good stuff.

I'm a MISSIONARY! wow that is so crazy to me. The MTC is the coolest most challenging place ever. EVER. I'm in the advanced spanish class which consists of almost all natives. For the most part I can understand and speak back but there are times that everyone starts speaking crazy fast and I just kinda laugh to myself like eehh okay whatever I'll get that next time.

My district consists of 5 other sisters (Hermanas- Greenman (my companion who I'll talk about in a second) Romero, Clarke, Sorenson, and Gomez) and four other elders. 

My companion is a DOLL. oh my goodness. She's a gringa from Idaho but don't be fooled, she speaks perfect spanish. Her parents both served spanish speaking missions so that's what they taught their kids, spanish is her FIRST language so she is a great great help to me. She is also so kind and so peppy and very enthuastic about everything haha it's a good motivation to me to find the good in all that's going on. But Dad, what you had to say about MTC companions is as true as it comes. As for the rest of my district they are the greatest. Sorenson is a crazy girl who's bursting with energy and runs everywhere haha we love her lots. Gomez is from Mexico and is insanely sweet and loving. Romero is my favv she's so funny and she's going to Costa Rica! Clarke and I actually worked together at BYU so i knew her before. 

This week in all has been a great learning experience. The first day was kind of a shock to me. You have a schedule and a companion you need to be with and they are drilling into your head the importance of missionary work and relying on the spirit and I felt sooooo overwhelmed. But since then it has been great, challenging, but great. Sister Greenman and I have been made Sister Training Leaders over our zone, I've also been made senior companion. So I have a lot to do in terms of being obedient an working hard and loving my zone (but that part is easy cause they are the greatest!) Sometimes I feel inadequet especially when it comes to the langauge, but I know that as long as I rely on the Lord I can do this :)

I also got to meet my MISSION PRESIDENTS!! I am the only person going to Barcelona here at the MTC so I was the only one in our little interview which was cool. Let met tell ya I have the best mission presidents in the whole world. They remind me sooo much of the Wilcoxs. They are both so loving and funny I especially loved Sister Dayton. I cannot waaaait to go out to Spain and get to know them better. They are spiritual giants and honestly make you feel so loved right off the bat I honestly feel soooo lucky and soooo excited to serve with them. At the end Sister Dayton was like, "we all have to get a picture together and send it to your family!"  So we did! hopefully it made it to you guys?

Well time is running out so I must end this giaaaant email. But I want you to know that I know this is the right place for me! It is so hard at times. I have not cried because I am discouraged or because I miss home, but I have cried because I have felt the spirit so strongly.  On Saturday I was having a hard time with my spanish and was feeling soooo discouraged. I prayed and prayed all day to just know that this was right for me and that things would get better. An hour later the zone leaders walked in and said they were going to put on a video we all needed to watch which was about turning weaknesses into strengths, it's called "His grace is sufficient" and it's by none other than Brad Wilcox :) I was basically crying the whole time because Brad is pretty much family to me and to see him even on TV was the greatest thing. And then to hear him say the end, "You keep trying, don't you quit! I love you, and most of all I believe in you" Was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. My heavenly father knows me perfectly enough to send just the right message, at just the right time, by just the right person I needed to hear it from. I know that that our Heavenly Father also loves aaaall his children. So when you are feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, drop down on your knees and pray because he will know exactly how to help you, he's just waiting for you to come to him.

Love you all soooooooooo much and I'm praying for you everyday! :))

xoxox Hermana Cragun