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.