Pick Pocketed

Hey everyone!!

I'm gonna start off with last Monday. There is a golf course in Spanish town, and the Elders there did service for them, so they got an invite to golf for free and they invited us!! So Monday morning, we got ready early and left out to go golfing. :) The bus we were on was way crowded and we were standing in the aisles packed like sardines... The guy behind me, asked me if i could turn sideways so he could get off, and he got off the bus.. Our stop was a few minutes later, and when we got off the bus, i reached in my pocket to feel for my wallet and ... ya, it wasn't there anymore.. The guy picked me when he was getting off. :( I didn't feel a thing either!! I'm way impressed with his pick pocket skills, cuz i seriously didn't feel a thing.. the bus was way crowded though and everyone was really pressed up against each other, so that prolly helped him, but ya, it was a great start to the day haha.. I had my license, temple recommend, mission credit card, and $9000 Jamaican cash in it... cuz i was planning on buying the next two weeks worth of groceries... so it was a little rough.. but its only money i guess.. so no worries. So it go i guess. The rest of the day was ok.. we got to golf, and the course was way nice!! It was super fun, and I only lost 2 balls!! haha.. I'm not so good on the golfing, but it was coming along towards the end.. when we were almost finished President Hendricks surprised us, and showed up to talk to Elder Knowlton about some stuff, and it worked out great because he gave us a ride back to May Pen (I don't know how we would have gotten back otherwise because I had 0 dollars on me lol) ... So ya, it was an up and down day... started bad... got good. :)

Tuesday, went well, We met with Novia, who possibly might be moving out of her boyfriend Michael's yard to live in St Thomas with her family there so that she can be baptized... She was there over the weekend and visited the church in St. Thomas and really liked it, so she is still working on making a final decision on whether she wants to get married or move out. Wednesday was sweet!! I am the district leader now, so I taught district meeting and then went on a trade off in Old Harbor with Elder Mackay (my mtc companion).. it was so sweet to serve with him!! I would love to serve a whole transfer with him sometime.. he's a great guy! Oh, and the house in Old Harbor had hot water!! so I got to take a hot shower for the first time since being to Jamaica.. I forgot how nice it was to be able to hop in the shower and not get a big shock from icy water. :) Basically the house there is way stush. The rest of the week was pretty normal.. We had a lot of good lessons with people, and Saturday we did service for a guy who's house burnt down. It was really fun, we spent the morning on the roof ripping burnt boards out of the concrete and helping him basically tear all the burnt stuff down. In the evening, I taught Jonathan piano again, and he's actually doing really well despite me having to teach him without any books.. but i've written him a couple songs to practice and he's getting it down. :) Sunday was pretty good, and I'm really coming to enjoy how relaxing church is. :) Its really nice to sit back and listen to other people teach and talk and just relax...

So ya, things here are going well.. I'm way excited for Christmas coming up... mostly I'm excited to get to talk to my family... But time is short... Everyone have an amazing Christmas!!!

Love

Elder Kraus

Love Tang & B.B. Jersey's

Hey everyone!! This week went pretty well... I don't have much time.. cuz today was packed, but here's a little update.. Tuesday, we finally met with Queenie's husband Carlos and he opened up a ton, because we found his passion... food!! (the size of his belly should have given that away.. but we didn't notice til now haha).. When we started talking about food, his face lit up, and i guess he loves cooking!! We talked for a while and before we left he gave me a bunch of herbs and stuff to make tea in the morning and made us a meal... that was the interesting part.. It was good flavor.. except the main course was ... fish head!! only the head, nothing else.. so ya, i choked it down and then when i thought i was finished, i told him i loved it, and he said, "you didn't finish the best part...." so yes, i also ate the eyes.. basically it was...... an adventure haha definately dining gourmet out here :) Weednesday morning, i made the herb tea (which has a name i can't put on here... lol).. and it was... gross!! but it cleaned me out for sure.. just like it was supposed to haha.... gotta love it.. the whole house smelled terrible the rest of the day from the tea... oh and i have found my newest love.... TANG!! they have so many different flavors out here and its amazing!! One more funny thing, an investigator asked us what latter day saints meant... and when we explained she said, "oh, so its just saying... The Church of Jesus Christ.. nowadays" :) it made us funny, but its right.. the church on the earth today is the same church that Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth and anciently in the old testament.. its nothing new. Thursday I taught piano again, and finished my jersey at lunch (since we are the friay night activity basketball champions, we decided to make jerseys... :) so ya, here they are... basically, its my best work yet... :)... Friday, we fulfilled our jersey's purpose and rocked the court 4 games to 1 :) shooter was there with her original squad and they were impressed because we keep getting better and better... hopefully we'll start teaching them soon.. ...Oh, and I got a call from President Hendricks on Friday and he told me that I am the new district leader... I'm way nervous, but hopefully with the Lord's help, I'll be able to do a good job..... Elder Mackay and Kartchner from my MTC group are in our district so now, i'll get to do trade off's with them.. so that should be way fun!! :) Saturday we also had a pretty good day... :) We are still teaching Mobrey, and she was kinda getting bored with the BOok of Mormon, she said that it was just pure good.. nothing exciting.. so we read the story of ammon chopping the arms off with her, and she loved it!! :) she said she's gonna read all of Alma now haha.. but i wish i had more time,. but its run out.. so til next week. :) Elder Kraus

Service for Sister Sterling

Hey Everyone!! Life here is going pretty good. This week went well for us. Monday was a pretty normal day, nothing too eventful, I've definately come to love Mondays though.. The family home evenings rock!! :) Tuesday was pretty good for us (I had Elder Walker cut my hair in the morning before studies... it actually doesn't look to bad haha), but a rough day for the other Elders. We woke up in the morning and after studies went to get our bikes.. and both their helmets were on the ground, minus their bikes.... So ya, both their bikes got stolen. :( Thats the second one for Elder Poulsen!! Someone must not like him.. cuz our bikes haven't been touched and they were nicer than theirs.. But on the bright side.... we found the lock kinda by the fence!!! sawed in half haha... so it was definately planned... so sadly they'll never see their bikes again and are walking now.. they reported it to the police, but they don't do squat here... Basically, its gonna be a way long transfer for them. Walking here would be rough!! Oh, also Tuesday morning we did some service for sister sterling (we weeded and created her a flower bed haha)... It was .. very hot, and i got some new tanlines!! :) woooo!! Wednesday was pretty good... nothing too eventful.. I got proposed to a few times, and asked some other stuff... but nothing too out of the ordinary. :) Basically the rest of the week was a pretty normal week. I'm out of time for now, sorry.. next weeks will be longer.. Love Everyone!! Elder Kraus