April 28th, 2014

"The light of the truth"

This week was good, I dont know if you remember about this man Luis Peñafiel the chico that his mom wouldnt let, but ya we finally baptized him this saturday. It was an awesome baptism, haha we picked him up while his family was getting ready so we were just chilling in the church for like 20 minutes, he was super ansy and excited he couldnt sit still. Haha like a little kid. But Dang he bore his testimony after for a good 5 minutes or so, it was super powerful I dont remember much what he said but this little kid has the spirit definitely. Haha I dont want to brag about an 11 year old but ya it was a great baptism service.

One thing I realized is amazing to see this week is changes in people. Were working with a woman Diana, lives united, no more (ha thats what every one calls it when they live together unmarried) but theyre going to get married this thursday and shell be baptized either this saturday or the next. First of all we met her cause her mom is a member but super inactive. Her mom told us that if we came like a month ago Diana wouldnt listen to anything, and never wanted to learn about God. But weve had her in church these past two weeks, yesterday with her husband they were super involved in the gospel principles class and she was full animated. Haha they gave her the gospel princliples book and shes super protective over it wont let her mom touch it. But ya all this desire to learn came from our simple message the first night about how she needs to get married to have a happy family. Its awesome teaching her. The thing is were not gonna baptize her husband. Ha the day after they went to church last week he remembered he was baptized when he was 8...haha. But ya now her mom is all excited to return too, when we came to the house last night she was doing family history and blasting hymns and reading conference talks. I just love to see how us being where God needs us to be can change people super quick and good.

I feel like I have something else to say but I cant remember ha im bad at writing but ya everything is going great. The Spanish is easy now so nothing really is holding me back I have no excuses so Im just gonna go out there and nail it. Everyone out there do the same please.

Love Elder Crisp

April 21st, 2014

The Week Holy (Semana Santa)

This was a great week, it kinda felt like i started my mission over. Elder Terrera knows full ways to find new investigators and use our time best. Its something that I honestly didnt learn much from my trainer, so I think well have a lot of success. This week we put dates on Fabricio, 17, Johnathan, 19, and Ana/Gabriela, 21/29. All of them live with members, so they will all be super firm if we continue with them. There is also a couple we are working with, its kind of funny. Theyre not married, so the first night friday we taught (just to the wife Diana) chastity and matrimony. She said shed talk to the husband about marriage. Saturday we couldnt encounter the husband for the second time, but Sunday they attended church. They both said they really enjoyed it, especially the husband which was interesting. Then we went and talked to Diana in the night and she said theyre gonna get married. So with out us teaching anything really, we have them committed to marriage, which from here is way easier. I think its kind of funny, I feel like we didnt do anything. cause we didnt.

Yesterday was a special conference for all of Ecuador, it was cool Elder Holland and Scott spoke. They were both really good talks, Elder Holland spoke about how to make homes holy places, and Elder Scott talked about the Atonement, really emotional about Christs suffering. Elder Holland spoke in English but bore his testimony in Spanish, and even though he could hardly say anything in Spanish it was way poerful, i Think even more for the people here. Cause usually they dont listen to his voice, its just something about his voice the Spirit hits harder. It was a good conference.

So ya the work is picking back up here in this area, Im loving the mission more than ever and Im really happy to be here. I love teaching people about this gospel, I feels great to know we have the one true church of Jesus Christ and that every day theres the possibility for someone to gain the same faith and knowledge and be in the right path too. Have a good week!

Elder Crisp


My new companion....

April 14th, 2014

So this last week with Elder Le Fevre was pretty good, the previous two weeks our numbers were down with lessons and whatnot, but we were able to teach way more this week. We had two new baptism dates, but they already fell cause they didnt go to church and were super uninterested anyway haha. So ya not much success... But ya I got a new companion today, Elder Terrera from Argentina. He seems way good and has like a year in the mission, and speaks a tiny bit better Spanish than my previous haha so Im looking forward to working and learning from him.

We tried something new to try to find investigators this last week, we took the ward list and went to houses that the names dont sound familiar, and we found a lot of inactives. All of them were inactives actually (besides those who had moved), and had non member family living there too, so it was pretty sweet we have appointments for this week with them, and Im hoping that we can rescue the members and bring their family with them. Kill two stones with one bird. And then baptize the bird.

We had a cool experience last night, we found a lady who hadn´t gone to church for like a year, she was super embarassed cause she attended JWs like twice just to see. And for that she thought she couldnt show her face in the church. Ya but she said that shes been super down lately, and especially that same afternoon I guess there was a lot of fighting between her daughter and her kids (same house), and she had been thinking a lot about how to bring peace back to her life. Obviously us stumbling across her name in the directory was the answer. She knows it was a miracle that we showed up, I think it really touched her that the church "remembered" her, so were gonna get her going back to church, and her non member daughter seems like shell listen too. We have her and a few other part member families that were gonna start working with so were hopeful with them. Ya thats all I got from here, I hope all is well with everyone!

Elder Crisp

Me and my papi who left

April 7th, 2014

So despite what everyone thinks, yes i got to see conference. All of it. Haha wow its way different in Spanish, but I could understand it so it was cool. Some talks I liked was Elder Ballard talked about missionary work, and how all of you guys should be familiar with Preach my Gospel too. He talked about commitments, we as missionaries have to make commitments with every body for them to change. But we can make these commitments personally too, to improve ourselves, like do missionary work on ourselves. President Monson in Preiesthood was powerful, he said we need to have the valor to say absoulutely no to temptaions. Really boldly he said if were in a place we shouldnt be, GET OUT. he said it like 3 times haha. Basically to be the same people in darkness as in the light of day.

President Uchtdorfs talk on gratitud was also sweet, that life is just easier if were grateful-grateful that we can live in neverending joy. Gratitud is a common trait in every Christlike attribute, if were grateful we have everything, and we can trade our tears for happiness with gratitud. Gary Stevenson the bishop I liked he said how those members who were in the olympics. All the athletes train for all that time like 4 years, and all their success depends on 4 minutes of competition. We need to feel the urgency of this "4 minutes" that we have that is life....We have eternity to think about the decisions we made here, so make our luge runs and whatnot worth it haha.

But ya conference was pretty sweet, we invited a bunch of people and they were all excited for it, but no one came, it was a waste of such a good oppurtunity. This week in the mission we have a new rule....We do not baptize 8-13 years olds. Unless their parents baptizes too. And 14-18 years olds we have new rules to make sure they are perfectly prepared to be baptized. I think this is awesome, cause theyre obviously trying to get us to go for full families. Although its really difficult to find good strong familys with fathers ready for the gospel, these are the families that stay strong and are basically gold. So we really only have one focus as a mission now.

We can still baptize our man Luis Peñafiel, cause his mom is a member, he has a date for the 19th, our only date and Im super excited for that causes he way way more than prepared. Were gonna go out there and find some gold families this week. And were not gonna stop looking until we have a family of 13. Have a good week everybody.

Elder Crisp