September 29th, 2014

So last tuesday I got transferred....Ha so now Im in a little town called Simon Bolivar, its pretty small, and its kind of in the middle of nowhere, its pretty cool though theres just huge fields of trees in miles every direction. Its a branch here, only about 40 attend, but right now theres 4 missionaries so i think the work will speed up here. I think the members and missionaries that have been here havent been too positive about how it is right now. But its funny ive just been trying to meet as many members as possible, and to every one i ask Do you want a chapel or what? and then they get pumped up Ya of course! Were gonna get to work with the members and make it happen here.

Im now with an Elder Jensen, from Ogden Utah. Hes new to the mission, hes been here like 6 weeks....Hes super cool and wants to work, learn, and teach. Its interesting being back with an American but I think its way funner. We dont have very many investigators right now but the people are pretty humble here and love to talk so Im excited. Were gonna focus on inviting people to conference this week (I cant wait for conference) and on the prophet and apostels that there are here, I hope we can find people who understand the importance of that.

I was super excited that id be "staying" in my last area but I got called in the night. But the area im in is relatively close to my last area, basically the same zone, so I got permission to go to the baptism of the main man Mayra, she was super ready and content and it was an awesome baptism. I remember back to when we first started teaching her, and she had an awesome experience with the blessing that she recieved, really it was a miracle that happened with her. I never doubted from that moment that she would keep progressing because of her testimony of the priesthood. That the most powerful tool we have as the restored church of Jesus Christ. Thats really why the church here in this tiny little branch is the same in every corner of earth. I know that it is connected with God because of that authority, and that is why the Church of Jesus Christ is absoultely perfect. Im so happy to be able to help people understand that here in the mission.

Happy Week Elder Crisp


mayra y edison
my old ward mission learder

September 22nd, 2014

So turns out Im staying here in bellavista, luckily. This last week we didnt have too much going on we did have a few people come to church, one was a lady Elsa who weve been teaching for a while, she and her granddaughter came. She really enjoys the church, she has quite a few problems in her life right now, 2 of her sons are complete bums druggies to start. So shes has full stress, it makes it hard to teach to her cause her minds never there. But she has huge desires to learn, and to obtain the Holy Ghost which weve been focusing with here. Ive noticed that Ive been praying a lot harder, especially for her, so she can just get her testimony shes so close haha. Ive really gained a testimony of how prayer works.... something I remember from an mtc talk from holland. When we want our investigators to pray harder, thats cause God wants us to pray harder. All of our investigators need a bunch of prayers right now they all have a bunch of challenges.

I heard something super cool this week....to start, about 2 months ago, the RS president here gave me a referal of her friend who lives in Gardena, I guess hes got a pretty popular band there. (she origanally wanted me to give it to you guys cause supposedly everyone in California knows each other haha) so I gave it to the mission, usually mission to mission referals dont arrive they say. As i sent it I alsmost said to myself this is a waste of time. But finally the missionaries got to his house, he accepted them, and in the first lesson asked to golden question to them - "what do i have to do to be baptized" So ya now hes attending church and prepping for baptism, he told her on facebook, when the sister told me that I just got the chills. How awesome is that that shes doing missionary work from here in Ecuador even to LA. How easy was it to share the gospel for her.

Lucas 5 made me remember of something that always happens here in the mission, and even in the normal life, something the phariseos said to jesus.
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 33 ¶And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

This just goes to show that the amount of specualtation people have against the church is the same that Christ had here on earth. ALL the time people are asking, if youre christians, why do you do this, or that. If your church is true why arent the members perfect. The usual (mind my language) crap. People allways want to compare the Church of Jesus Christ with all these evangelical churches here, or with the catholic, and it comforts me to know that people did the exact same thing with Christ. And its also a reminder that we are being compared, and watched. Not to say lets fast and pray to be seen of men, but If theyre gonna waste their time judging lets at least be good examples am i right. I thought that little topic was really interesting.

So ya thats basically whats going on here, Im happy with all thats going on right now, Im grateful for the challenges that I have everyday cause it reminds me that God is real, Christs church is right here its all true.


Love, Elder Crisp

This is the couple thats gonna get married friday, Edison and mayra thats gonna get baptized. I know what youre gonna ask, Ill say right now hes 49, shes 23. Dont think me to be a bad person for supporting this.

September 15th, 2014

I feel like ive grown a bunch this last week, and I feel super happy to be here in Milagro still. My testimony of the Savior is strengthened every day, and I want it to be known that I know he is living and he guides us as his church every day, this is his church there is no doubt. The words of the song Asombro Me Da (I Stand All Amazed) hit me so hard it brought me to tears yesterday at church as I shared my hymnal with Antonio, someone who I was able to help a little bit to come to Christ now a month ago. The second verse hit me especially hard.
I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

We had a sweet little fundraiser for the wedding of the main man Mayra, we (they) sold 100 plates of food (200 bucks) and raised a lot more money than we need haha....but ya everythings good for her wedding the 26th, shes super pumped for baptism too! The bad part is that next week 30 new missionaries are coming, and Pres. Riggins straight up told E Alcantara that hell be training... Ill probably be leaving before seeing the wedding/baptism (Like what happened with Diana in my other area, AGAIN this happens to me). I really hope I can stay to see the matrimony, But its still cool cause shes super converted, already paying tithing, prepping to be able to do baptisms in the temple and everything.

Apart from her, we have quite a few people listening, and were striving hard to be able to have them come to church... We met a super cool family of sisters with a bunch of little kids, after teaching we found out one, Aleyda, had already been baptized, but he two sisters also agreed to start prepping. Aleyda came to church after a few years of inactivity and enjoyed it a ton, shes got a few seroious health problems so I feel like we found her at the perfect time....It would be awesome to see the whole house follow her example and come to church as well, well see. Its going well with what we have right now in this sector.

Jacob 4:10
10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to takecounsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

Con Amor,
Elder Crispa

September 8th, 2014

This week was way too quick, I seriously feel like it was two or maybe three days...and Elder Alcantara finally finished his first 12 weeks. Wow I cant believe how quick that was those 3 months, but at the same time it was a big challenge Im greatful for that. We didnt have that much doing this week, we met quite a few new investigators but already theyve lost their desires kinda....we had only Mayra come to church from 5 people that were pretty solid. But Mayra is super animated for everything, for her wedding and baptism. We have the ward involved a bunch with them, we have an activity planned to sell a bunch of plates of food to raise money for her wedding in 2 weeks. Its super cool to see everyone else excited for her to be able to get married, for that shes gonna be super strong in the church cause shes told us shes never felt so loved in her life.

I saw a really great example of humillity and faith yesterday, in an elderly brother we visited. His wife has severe dementia, she hasnt been able to leave the house in years, and they live way way out in the field, like a mile from everything in a little run down hut. Hes super down in his health as well, he can barely walk, his 5 kids dont help at all to care for his wife...he has to leave her, walk all that way to church to catch the sacrament meeting and go early to look after her...and he still walks with a smile on his face. Every one of his kids are inactives of 20 years, hes been attending church alone and faithfully all that time( always looking for new referals). And It hurts him so bad that his kids are so bitter to him and the church, hes trying so hard to bring his grandchildren to the church, inspite of his children fighting with him about it. I know that hes not gonna have all of his family with him on the other side, but for his faith and sacrifice and love he will be happy in paradise no matter what. He asked a blessing, and after said simply but powerfully, I know the Lord is with me, and with us, and that well see each other again after we go home. He was super greatful for our visit, but really I learned and felt so much from that man hes a huge example. We need to keep fighting the good fight, be even more faithful when its hard to stay firm.

I liked a scripture from 2 Nephi 26 

23 For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.
24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world;for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation

The love that Chirst showed to the world for his sacrifice is everlasting and stronger than anything else that God will ever give us....and its open for every single to person. It must hurt him a lot that he has given this huge gift and yet there are so many that dont want it. But I know with all my heart that he died for us and that his atonement is available for all those that come unto him. I am glad to be able to share this love with others, and to be as close as I am with my Savior than ever before. And I know this is his church


Elder Crisp

September 1st, 2014

We had a super cool experience this week, we met a woman Elsa like 60 at her door, at first she said No im fine. But we were basically like ya we are too and kept talking. Ha she actually let us in, and we ended up sharing the restoration with her daughter and the daughter of her daughter, and her two sons, they all accepted to be baptized. We wouldnt have had that if we werent persistent. The whole thing got crazier when we went to a sisters house who lives near by to accompany us with the next appt., turns out they are super good friends. And Elsas name was on her referral list (we have a program with the ward where they put names of their friends, and have a checklist of things to do to prepare them for us). One of the suggestions to do for their friends is to simply pray for them. This sister told us that the day before she had prayed for Elsas name. And boom we found her without even recieving the referral from this member. Super sweet miracle we had.

Elsa and only her granddaughter could come (it turns out her sons were out till 6 am drinking...) and we also had Mayra the lady whose going to get married in church. It was kind of frustrating, for the combined 3rd hour for the 5th sunday, the 1st counselor in the stake came to talk about problems with our stake. All of the less actives that there are, the problems with the seminary program, people not doing anything in their callings, member teens drinking and smoking, basically everything negative about the church. And there we have our investigators and converts there haha. But the two said that they did like the message, so i guess theres no problems there ha.

Something I have learned a lot about this week is charity. I learned a great lesson about the simple fact that charity is long suffering. It should really be difficult to serve, to give, to love even when theres absoulutely nothing for us. and if we really have charity, it wont be difficult at all. If that makes sense. I had a huge wakeup call with that this week, really where Im at with charity is not where I thought I was. I think its the same for everyone...We can love until its hard to love. But The counsel from Mormon is so true- To pray with all the energy of your soul to have this gift from god, to be filled with this pure love of Christ. I never thought thatd actually be a desire of mine, to love more. But really its all that matters. Were nothing without it right. Till next time compadres.


Elder Crisp