The Lord always answers prayers

First before we get to any other details or talk about a hunk the else that is happening let me say, I'm staying in Vilafranca, a miracle if I do say so myself.

Secondly. My mind is so muddled at what to write right now haha 

I've been HORRIBLE at writing so I'm sorry, but to update you my birthday here in vilafranca was without a doubt the best birthday I've ever had. I've always celebrated my birthday with close friends and family, and this year I did the same. It really was so humbling to see people take me in like their daughter and spoil me. People that I haven't known for more than a couple months. They all hold a special place in my heart, and four cakes later on the scale as well...

But truly it's such a humbling experience to see people just love you so much. 

Third- LESLIE WAS BAPTIZED. There's a 110 things I want to write about it, but basically to sum it all up one night in vilafranca we met her contacting and I wrote "miracle girl" next to her name in my agenda to try and help me remember who she was, and that's exactly who she's turned out to be, our miracle girl. As she got up to bear her testimony she said : 

As I went in for my interview for the elder asked me if I had prayed if I had received my answer, and the truth is I did. I did those things. But the way I had received my answer was through the people I met here. The peace and love I was looking for from my Heavenly Father I received and felt through the members of the church, through all the members and missionaries I met, and that's I came to the church was true, 

I loved hearing her testimony  and it was such a good reminder that the lord ALWAYS answers our prayers. Since day one Leslie has said want she wanted "to feel the love of Heavenly Father" but it is usually through others he answers our prayers. 

My companion just left for her second area, I'm sitting in a laundry mat with my friend hermana Mayes who ends her mission today. She was the missionary I spent my first night with here. Time is not real here. 

Last Saturday I received a call from President asking me for a new calling- training and sister training leader. I'm excited for this new opportunity to train again and get to work with the hermanas :) 

Love you all 

Xoxo Hermana Cragun  

what a WEEK!

Bea

Friend that is moving

Monserrat

District

What a WEEK! 

This week was full of a little bit of everything. Moments of fear, tears, and pure joy as we watched our favorite little Bea be BAPTIZED!! 

 Tuesday we were off to go go district meeting when the phone rang from an unknown number so I picked it up thinking it was an investigator when I heard "hermana cragun, do you know who this is?" I immediately recognized the voice as an old investigator from my FIRST area. And my stomach basically dropped. He began asking me where I was, where my trainer was. He was trying to get information about her. When I told him I couldn't give out info like that he said "well it's just that I've been wanting to learn more about the gospel again" and I said "contact the missionaries in sabadell  then, they can help you" and he said "well hermana cragun, it's just that I'm not in sabadell anymore, I've moved because of work, and I've just so happened to find myself in vilafranca now. And I've heard you are here now, correct?"

I couldn't believe it. I had no idea who told him where I was or who had given him the number to our phone. I basically told him never to call back again and that we could never meet. (But that if he was really interested in the gospel that he should call the sabadell missionaries) 

 I phoned my STL who had me talk to president, so basically our whole district is in guard in case anything happenes, but I don't think anything will so know worries. How he figured out our number or where I was now? Still unknown. 

There were some tears this week though as one of our favorite families in The ward moved to Mallorca :( they've lost everything so they had no choice but to go. Being on my mission has made me realize how lucky I am. I've watched people and met people who have passed through horrific things, and yet keep going. One of my favorite lines is from a girl my age who said "there are people who will complain all day to you about your lives, but I don't like to do that. All that does it make you sad, and life isn't about being sad. Life is about laughing" 

This comes from a girl whose been abused, whose lost her sight, and who has lost her home, and is on her way to live with her cousin. It's just made me realize how lucky I am to have the life that I  have. What I use to think was a "big deal" before the mission has become nothing but petty worries now. 

But the best part of the week was when BEA WAS BAPTIZED!!! it was so amazing to see her take his step! She's come so far spiritually, she's even sharing the gospel with her friends. Her service was small and beautiful. She didn't want a lot of people there, just close friends and family. But it was so great and went so well. This is one of my favorite things about the gospel. That it comes from an all knowing God we can't even comprehend, and yet it's so simple even a child can grasp it. And Bea has truly grasped it.

Well time is flying here. It's hard to believe I'll be 20 this week, or that I've been almost out for a year now on the mission. Everyday I strive to make the most of my time here. Que sepan que me encanta ser misionara. I Love being a missionary. This has been the hardest but most joyful fulfilling time of my life. 

Xoxoxo

Hna Cragun 

Semana de San Jordi

HOLLLAAA ️

This week was the week of San Jordi, which is basically the Catalonian version of Valentine's Day. Here the girls give out books and the boys give out flowers and so naturally we missionaries took advantage of it and gave out Books of Mormon! And San Jordi was a success! Giving out books and working with members to stop everyone on the streets. I was surprised how many youth came up and asked me about our religion and god in general. They kept asking me how I "knew" these things and it was a cool experience to be able to testify of Book of Mormon in my hand to peers my age about the gospel. The experience also made me realize how lucky I am to have grown up in the church and how religion has impacted basically almost every aspect of my life. I can't imagine what my life would be like without it.

Our investigators are doing amazing. The Lord is truly blessing us and helping us, there's no other explanation. 

Noeli is doing amazing :) she is reading and praying everyday. She's the absolute sweetest and she's going to be baptized the 14 of May. She has the two cutest kids ever and  she invited us over Tuesday to try some dishes from Peru! 

Bea as well. Our 10 year old investigator ( her parents have been less active) never fails to surprise us with stick figure drawings AND colored paper haha I love it. She's going to be baptized the 7 of may. She's energetic and wild but she has a big heart and we love her.

We also have Leslie ! Our 18 year old investigator from Peru who is the funniest cutest girl ever! She's so smart and what I love about her is when she reads the Book of Mormon she gets it! She loves Nephi and his decision to pray which helped him not rebel like his brothers. She's not even baptized yet and she's sharing the gospel with her friends!

I've come to the point where home seems like a dream to me. I speak Spanish trying to speak English and my dreams all take place in the streets of Vilafranca. I love the work so much and Spain. I say that ever email, haha but it's true!!

Let me finish with a scripture I found this week

 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Miracles are happening here in Vilafranca 

Xoxoxo Hermana Cragun 

Many Miracles

I'm sorry that I have been basically the worst at writing lately. I feel like there's so much to say and to do and somewhere to be, that I haven't had the time to actually write how things are going.

I'm loving the mission right now, we are teaching so much. I feel like, always have somewhere to be. We're helping Nellie, a single mother from Peru, Becca, a 10 year old whose parents are trying to reactivate prepare to be baptized right now. They're sooo amazing and progressing really well. Beccas family especially is so fun to visit and to be honest they are the most  humble people I have met. They give us food every time and watch us eat because they don't have anything else to give. Last time we ate sliced up apples. Becca drew us a a picture and labeled it "to the best missionaries in the world"  I love it. 

We've also seen many miracles in this week alone! 

My first week here in Vilafranca I got SUPER lost and we stopped a man for directions to help us find the Capilla. He ended up walking us there and we talked for a minute before he had to go. WELL. Just last week we got a reference for a man from Bulgaria, who had walked into the church to see it, and it was him!! The same man we met! He told us that he has walked past the church everyday since that day we first met. He's super receptive to the message and wants to meet whenever we can.

We're also teaching a man named Javier, who a couple years ago was in an accident that left half is body paralyzed. He can't speak much above a whisper so at times it's hard to understand him. He's hard catholic, but he's willing to learn. He couldn't come to church this week but we're meeting with him again Wednesday. 

And just lastly we've helped a cute girl named Valeria work on become active again. She's AWESOME! We love her and her family. They always invite us over for dinner or noche de hogars ( family home evening). She came to church for the first time in months AND brought a friend who loved it and wants to come back, and that we're going to start teaching Wednesday.

My companion has been having serious leg problems, and they aren't getting better. Im kinda worried for her to be honest.so keep her in your prayers 

WELL I LOVE YOU ALL!!! The lord is blessing us so much here in vilafranca. I LOVE IT :) this is seriously the hardest but best time of my life. I can't think of a time when I've been closer to the spirit or felt more joy from serving. I feel soooo lucky and blessed 

Love you all hna cragun 

Refiners Fire

WEEK 2: Vilafranca 

The halfway mark 

Wow. To even think that it's been nine months seems pretty insane to me. Unreal really, time really is such a foreign thing here on the mission, it just goes by sooooo fast. 

But looking back, at the cities I've served in, the people I've met. I see where time has gone. It's interesting watching my trainee, because I remember and can relate exactly to how she feels at times, but it's weird to realize that's not me anymore. To realize how far I've come, and then to know that I have to make the most of the times ahead. Make every moment count. 

Well Vilafranca has become my refiners fire haha, it's so hard at times and yet so amazing. It's been a week of  MIRACLES!! We've been able to work with a menos Activo family, the mom is from Spain and the dad is from Ecuador, and their daughter isn't baptized. The elders were meeting with them before we arrived and things were going well, but they couldn't get them to come to church. Well this Sunday we arrived and were greeting ward members and my companion goes "LOOK!" And in walked the little girl with her mom!!! I couldn't believe it! It was the greatest miracle of all! She has a date to be baptized the 9th of April. So keep her in your prayers!

We also were able to visit Noel, a young mom from Peru. The sister missionaries were visiting her until they were pulled out, she hasn't  had contact with missionaries for months. We found her name in our area book and decided to call her and she picked up and invited us over. The lesson was amazing and she was agreed to be baptized right there! Her date is for the 16 of April. 

The ward here is all incredible, I've never seen a bishopric so on top of things. They are soooo kind to the missionaries and love missionary work it's amazing. My trainee is doing so well! She's learning so fast and is so cute and so positive. She helps a ton. 

I love it here in Vilafranca, it's smaller than I'm use to, but I feel like the Lord is preparing SO many people for us here. It's truly such an adventure and blessing to be here. I'm grateful for the miracles I'm seeing, for the lessons I'm learning. I love missionary work, and I love my Savior. 

LOVE YOU ALL  

Xoxo Hermana cragun 

Chapter one in Vilafranca

Hermana Allen from England- Greenie

Vilfranca-New area

Fantastic market!

 

About an hour from the city of Barcelona you will find a quiet city near the coast called Vilafranca. It's quiet, with a population of 35,000 and most of the citizens here are Spanish. The work is good, with a promising new frontier. I have found I am more of a city missionary, I like the constant hustle and bustle and places to be. And while Vilafranca is no where near the size of Valencia, something about it reminds me of my first town Sabadell, so it had a comforting, homey feeling to it, and with no one having been down here, my trainee and I do have our hands full. 

MY TRAINEE! My trainee is the absolute cutest. Monday night we went out to work with the new missionaries before they were assigned trainers. Hermana Wiseman (my old companion) is also training and so the two of us went down to Barcelona together. But because Barcelona is where Hermana Wiseman use to work, they gave her permission to have the night visiting members and recent converts. Well one of the houses we went to, the current missionaries from Barcelona passed by with their new missionary- Hermana Allen.  I got the chance to talk to the adorable quiet British Hermana Allen. And who would have guessed it but, 14 hours later we were made COMPANIONS. 

Hermana Allen has been the sweetest, and opening an area has been the CRAZIEST! But it's awesome. We've been able to try and go meet as many members and people as possible these days. We've come home dead tired every night and we wake up to do the same the next morning. But beside all that I have never heard a peep of complaint come out of her mouth. She's quiet, and shy, but when you get to know her she's really just so intelligent and sassy. Haha she's the perfect companion for me and I love her so much.

Vilafranca is amazing. It's beautiful there are so many amazing ward members and the bishop is INCREDIBLE!!!! He loves missionary work and he truly cares about everyone. Our first day here we were out on the streets when a police officer pulled us over and asked for our DNI ( ID papers). Ridiculed us for  being missionaries and then said our DNI looked fake. And well right when I was about to panic he took of his helmet and introduced himself as Bishop Borrut,  hahaha he's hilarious and has been such a huge help. We spent the week meeting members, viewing the area and on the streets trying to create as big of a new investigator pool as possible.

Truly it's been SO amazing, I feel like Vilafranca is a blank page, a white sheet. It's possibilities are endless, literally this city is what Hermana Allen and I shall choose to make of if. This morning as we read our scriptures, I read DC 10:44 : And by your hands I will work a marvelous work among the children of men, unto the convincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and that they may come unto the kingdom of my Father.

45 Wherefore, the blessings which I give unto you are above all things.

What a blessing it is to be a missionary and to be able to be his hands for his work. Till next week. Pray for us to see miracles here in Vilafranca 

Xoxox Hermana cragun

Not the same missionary

There isn't enough time to write today, and even if there was, I don't think I would even know what to say. 

My chapter of Valencia has come to an end, and what a sweet chapter it was. I feel like it was in Valencia where, I learned how to be a missionary, learned how to be dedicated, to love the work, to love the people. And to make the most of every minute. 

My last week was filled with a couple of unforgettable moments. Eating and laughing with our Italian friends who made amazing pizza, teaching a family from Africa, who surprised us with pigs feet for dinner. It was the first (and last) time I had tried it. Saying goodbye to my converts and the members and all the people I love here, which was the equivalency to  having my heart ripped out.  They are all just so special to me, I'm not saying this to be cheesy but I honestly didn't even know I could love this much. Even thinking of them right now makes my heart throb a little. And then the bishop asked me to share my testimony for the last time, I got up there and started bawling basically. I didn't think it was going to be so hard to but it was. I felt like my time in Valencia flew. And as I've looked back on the time I've had, I feel so blessed and happy because I feel like although it was just yesterday I got there, that the missionary I was then, is no where near the missionary I have become and am today. I learned soooo much in my time in Valencia, and I guess that's why half my heart will always still be there.

I gathered up notes and journals and photos and pajamas friends and families too kindly gave to me, and wished I could have given them something more. Wished I could have stayed forever with them. But I guess I've learned that we never grow in our comfort zones, and Valencia has become my home. And the mission is all about growing, so therefore I must go.

I wish I could thoroughly express how much I have come to love these people, or the difficult learning moments I've had that have pushed me into something better, or the friendships I have made that will last forever, but I can't, so these black and white words will have to suffice for now. Just know that I have created memories that will never be forgotten, and friendships with these people that will last forever. 

And now. I leave my comfortable home of Valencia, to go for my new adventure. Opening and  training in Vilafranca 

Xoxox Hermana Cragun 

Sent from my iPad