Monday, August 25, 2014

August 25th, 2014

This week was chill. We were able to go to the temple for a session early in the morning tuesday, the temple is beautiful. President was persistent in getting us to look for how the temple can apply to the mission work. Really theres too many ways to apply what we gain from those ordinances to every person we meet, how thats what we need to have in goal is to be able enter the house of the lord and have those eternal blessings. One thing I was focusing on is the principle of consecration, consecrating all my time and efforts here in the mission. Its a huge promise, and its hard sometimes, but if we cant work that hard for these people how can we expect them to offer their time as members. Thats something we need to remember as members, is to really give all that we can to serve others always.

We started teaching a women this last week, her names maira and shes super cool. Her boyfriend is a less active member (theres a good 20 years between them haha) and theyre living together, but theyre super excited to get married, and shes excited for baptism. The first time we taguht her we gave her a blessing of health at the end...When we came back and asked hows it going with her testimony, she said ya I already have it. She said she knows the preiesthood worked- the day after the blessing, while driving with her mom, a few huge tubes fell off the truck directly in front of her. She said miracously and almost unreal each one dodged the windshield, as she says they could have easily broke through the windshield and killed her. Nothing but her mirror broke. She instantly remember something that was said in the blessing, she told us. That God would be in her path, and nothing bad will come over her or impede her from continuing in her change. Wow that was amazing to here, really it gives me a testimony of how power the preiesthodod with faith can be. Were just waiting to hear when the wedding will be cause its always a pain here.

I found a cool scripture, and its related to something ive been wondering - can God really be saddened or angered or disappointed with all the sins right now. I mean he knew before that itd be like this right, that satan would go crazy and that itd be difficult to believe in him for many. In Moses 7, 26 it talks about how satans got this world by a chain and laughing...and it says in 28 that God see this. And Weeps. I dont know why but that gives me the worst feeling in the world. Our all mighty, loving father weeping because the devil has control over his children. And all that he has to stop that is us, his weak servants right. And it says in 41 that Enoch, his main man, wept with him, his heart was swollen. As he wept with god for his brethren, The lord showed him how the atonement will work with the the people here, and as He says in 44, Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look. The atonement is what gives us all hope that we can stop the heavens from weeping, that pumps me up that I can help god from his despair no. That whole chapters really good.

Have a good week, Im gonna try to too.


Love Elder Crisp

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

August 18th, 2014

Acts 2:47, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

The Lord really gave us a great blessing and added a new real great soul to the church.We baptized the main man Antonio this week, it was a super good baptism and he was super prepared for this change. He said when we first talked with him that he feels empty in his life, and he always has this countanance of depressed, but like in the picture he was super happy. Really what converted him is the book of mormon, from the instant we prensented he was excited to read. Ha in the three short weeks weve known him hes read almost to the end of 2 nephi. Hes been asking a lot about mission service too, ha before his baptism he asked if were gonna make him go the week after, but really he has strong desires to serve a mission, Im super excited to hear if he stays with those plans cause already hes got a great testimony.


I dont have that much to say nor time this week forgive me but know that you can make the pathway bright, you know. Every days a journey you know. Gods with us and hes with me and Im super happy for that. I hope that each one of you have a great week.


Elder Crisp



August 11th, 2014

Its been interesting this week, President put as a new indicator that we need to have 10 efficient contacts everyday, like contacts that want us to come back and listen and can progress. It doesnt seem that much but really its super great cause it forces us to work 100% more efficitent with time and harder. That and every wednesday now we have something called fishing day - were not allowed to have any appointments in our plans, we spend the whole day looking for new people. Its interesting but itll help i hope to have a lot more families to teach.

One cool experience we had was with an investigator Christian who weve had for a few weeks. Hes had quite a few doubts about leaving the catholic church, and hes been having some problems with his woman and for that he hasnt been in the mood really to listen. We asked him (and I realized it was inspired after) how has he felt the love of God in his life. He said theres a little park that he was at one time, super drunk, he didnt think he could make it home but after praying randomly his friend showed up and took him to his house, says that saved his life. So he has good memories of that park. We told him to go there to that park right after we leave to pray more sincerely than ever to know if this church is true. He told us the day after that he actually prayed for two things - the church and for his girlfriend to come back to him haha. He told us right after he finished the prayer, she called. That was his answer that hes doing the right thing changing, that these problems with her was for God to tell him to do something. Haha an interesting way to get the answer but hes once again wanting to be baptized. The problem is he didnt come to church yesterday, so he wont be baptized for at least one week more.

Other than that we havent had much, we met a bunch of new people this week, but problems with the sabbath or with desires to marriage have kept us from helping them to progress. One lady we met saturday her name is Tatiana is super super prepared. When we described the Joseph smith story she said THATS EXACTLY ME. Ha her parents are catholic, she has evangelist brothers, one Adventist, everyones in different churches and she says why does it have to be this way. So shes super pumped to read the Book of Mormon to fill her emptyness she says with the truth. She and her husband have been trying to get marryed for a couple years, theres problems cause they moved here from spain and this country doesnt know how to file documents, but we have faith with her, Shes super happy to be listening. Well have the main man Anthony baptized this saturday, ha we asked how he feels for his baptism and he says impatient. Ha Im super happy with what we have right now.

With Love

Elder Crisp

Monday, August 4, 2014

August 4th, 2014

Things went well this week, first we had a little training thing from President, he does a lot of these but this was specifically for new missionaries. Leanred about about basic teaching principles, and something he told us that stuck was "Maybe we cant do everything that Jesus Christ did, But we can do everything we do, like he would". If Jesus were a missionary nowadays I think hed be a little bit better than I am. I want to strive to be an exact representation of him in lessons. Its a high mango as they say here but its my goal.

We were also permitted to go to the temple with the ward, its the 15 year annivesary of the guayaquil temple right now. So that was super cool, it was my first time here going, we got to help out with the ordinances and some new converts do their own names. That was super sweet to see them enjoy doing the work even though all of this is brand new to them. It was a super beautiful night.

We met a new investigator named Antonio hes 19 and super cool. He doesnt go to church but likes to study the bible so hes got a bunch of interesting questions. When we started to teach him, we were about to start about the restoration, but he asked "How does one join your church". So we went straight to the gospel of christ to give him his answer, and he accepted to be baptized the 16th. He came to church yesterday and liked it, he was participating in Elders Quorum so it was cool. Yesterday we taught him the restoration, and he had doubts about almost every part, but after he asked his sincere questions he was basically like that makes so much sense. And especially about the book of mormon, he was super critical at first but by the end he was super animated to read it.

I really liked chapter 13 of Nephi I read this week. Its basically about the Apostasy that would come, how the devil would change everything and confuse everyone. The verse 32 is a good promise though.
Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall foreverremain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest theyare in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel ofthe Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church,whose formation thou hast seen.
We need not remain in this blindless, its such a blessing that we have these PLAIN and precious things right their in the book of mormon. Its so plain for us, we dont need to interpret it like every feels they need to do with the bible. People who are really searching for the truth have it right there. The main man Antonio for example, who is an honest seeker of the truth and knowledge, now can open their eyes thanks to this promise of God. How beautiful is that.

I want you all to know that even though you get to go to dodger games and to the beach and what not, I really dont miss any of that at all. Ha just kidding it kills me to see all of your freaking pictures. Ha but seriously Im super happy being here and to see that youre all happy wasting your time with worldly things. Que pasen muyy buena semana chaoooooo

Elder Crisp