June 29th, 2015

This week we had a family come with us to church, the mendoza family, the dad Angel is a lessactive member from 20 years but hes way excited to come back to church, as he remembers the things he used to learn he gets excited and clarifies them to his wife, Leticia, who is preparing to get baptized. They have a kid whos 8 who also will get baptized, in this month were gonna help them to get married and its gonna be super sweet. And also Voltaire the main man came to church, we thought he had given up cause he stopped answering our calls, we thought he just wanted to keep live his life as a drunk, but we finally contacted him and he came to church completly alone and super early, told us he hasnt drunken all week, and in the church was super calm and happy to be there. A few members helped a bunch to make him feel comfortable and like he was with family, were super happy for him and his progress.

I loved a talk that the bishops son who recently got back from his mission gave in church yesterday, talking about the story in the book of mormon when Moroni and his soldiers are abandoned and with out food, and Moroni gets mad and chews out Pahoran, even though Pahoran was in a similar situation. He spoke about how We sometimes are like Moroni, we get upset with others with out understanding the situation completely. We make accuations and threats like Moroni, or simply judge without reason. But, wheter were the ones that judge, or if were like pahoran, being judged unfairly, we need to take the high road as did Pahoran. He responded super calmly and took the high road, he basically hey bro I understand where youre coming from, I know you got a big heart and are trying to help, but hey man Im trying my best. Ha he responded like a champ, with love, humility, and without trying to start more problems. I really liked that talk.

Elder Crisp

I call this photo "The Joy of the Gospel"

June 22nd, 2015

This week went by really fast, weve been finding people to teach, just from looking for people from the ward list we have found a couple families who are ready to come back to church, and their families who are just recently hearing about the church are interested. Its sweet to see people be touched knowing theyre still remembered in the church. And even though sometimes its difficult to be teaching to a bunch of people, making their problems ours, worrying about them even though they dont really worry about their ownselves, its worth it to keep trying, to keep inviting them and encouraging them. The drunk guy Voltaire is struggling giving up booze. The guy we were helping to get married Gonzalo has relationship and money issues that have distracted him a bunch. No but were gonna keep at it. The work is going well, were learning a bunch and havin a blast.


Elder Crisp

June 15th, 2015

To start off, congrats to Ben thats way exciting about the mission call! Way back in the day when i was serving in the mission La Paz we had a bunch of success we found a lot of humble loving people I had a lot of great experiences....let me tell ya youre gonna love that country. Its real neat. ha just playing

We had a good week, weve found quite a new people to teach, theres this dude Voltaire (dope name) who we met when he was drunk and wants to quit alchohol, hes super humble and willing to accept the gospel so and were helping him to drop that. We also got the main man Gonzalo whos working to be married to be able to be baptized, hes got a few problems in his relationship that are coming up so we have to help him a lot. We met a few part member families, this one lady Maria has been inactive like 18 years and have hardly seen missionaries that whole time, she wants to come back to church and her family is also interested. Theres so many people with so many different things going on, so many different stories, but in the end they all have one thing in common. The Restored Gospel Is The Best Thing That Can Happen To Them, Its The Most Important Message They Will Ever Hear.

I was thinking a bunch about and I shared with the ward in a talk Sunday a simple thing Christ said in John 8:14. In defending his testimony that he was the son of God, he said simply enough For I know whence I came, and whither I go. To be able to be firm in defending our testimony, following His example, we must be sure from where we came, and to where are we going. Know what our purpose is. Know who we are. This life is a war (D&C 76:29) and were encircled about, as saints of God, by Satan. Knowing who we are helps us to be sure, like Nephi saw in our days (1 Nephi 14:14), that we are "armed with righteousness and power from God in great glory". That comes from a sure testimony of from whence we come and whither we go, with that testimony we can be sure of our beliefs and defend and share them.


Elder Crisp

June 8th, 2015

So this week we hardly had any time to work.... I got my companion wednesday. His name is Elder Alvarado hes from Lima. We spent the day in the presidents house, that was my first time going there, its was sweet. Obviously he talked about the basics of teaching and missionary work and whatnot for the new missionaries, but I learned a lot, We stayed quite a while after cause the sister Riggins was worried about some crap that i showed her sprouting out of my face. So we got back really late wednesday, we worked all of thursday but friday we had to go back to Guayaquil for this ugly stuff thats growing on my face. It turns out that i have Folliculitis its pretty nasty and now i cant shave till it all goes away. All the members yesterday were calling me "Castaway" and saying wilson! cause I havent shaven since wednesday haha. But despite the lack of time we had to work, we had help from the fast we had, an investigator we just barely talked to saturday in the night, his names gonzalo, came to church, he wants to get baptized so were gonna help him get married, and start teaching to his girlfriend. it was definitely an answer from god.

I had just been reading a talk from this last general conference, the magazine finally got to us, and i was reading a talk from Neil l ANderson in his talk "Thy Kingdom Come" who tells something that Pres monsons told him.

Eighteen years ago while traveling on a train in Switzerland with President Monson, I asked him about his heavy responsibilities. His response strengthened my faith. “In the First Presidency,” he said, “we do everything we can to move this work forward. But this is the Lord’s work, and He directs it. He is at the helm. We marvel as we watch Him open doors we cannot open and perform miracles we can scarcely imagine.”

Thats way true and i have definitely seen that here in the mission. Sometimes we dont involve God in the work, in our decisions or when we need help. We just kind of do it how we want it. But ive definitely seen that we Hes the one guiding us, stuff like what happened saturday with Gonzalo happens, doors open and we get a bunch of help. I think thats a super powerful quote and its definitely true. 

Shoutsout to ben for graduating what a champ, im pumped to hear his call, Shoutsout to the corolla too. good buy. Ya so have a good week.


Love, Elder Crisp


an adorable little jungle looking river tree deal. thats nature baby.
4 missionarys of bellavista

June 1st, 2015

Hey how goes it everyone. Im doing good. Elder Camacho finished his mission so Im in guayaquil right now with the homie Elder Lizana and ill be here the next couple of days cause my companions getting here wednesday. We met quite a few new people this week, we tried to give it a little more to finish off his last week on a good note. We met this lady feliza who just lost her son, this other dude osualdo who always is cleaning his table right outside his house and has some interesting chest hair and has been married for 25 years. And weve been fighting with the Barreiros to get an answer from God if the church is true....we found out the problem is theyre kinda scared to get the answer.....theyre scared to have to act on that answer and so theyre hesitant to pray sincerely and actually listen. But we got them over that, and we talked about fasting and praying and they want to do a fast, were gonna fast with them this week. They liked the scripture from Alma 5:46 that says that he prayed and fasted MANY days to be able to know the truth of what he is teaching. 

This week we saw a huge miracle with a less active member who gave birth...shes like 44 and there was supposed to be huge birth defects and problems with her own health, but everything came out (literally) perfectly fine thanks to her faith and a priesthood blessing. It was a huge testimony that God knows us, he answers prayers, and that the preisthoods real. Ya so everythings good, Im kind of a little bit safe here in guayaquil even though today we took a taxi with some dude from lebanon and he started talking about how much he knows about explosive weapons, and that everyone in his country comes out of the womb hating north americans.... I made it out of that taxi alive. haha. Well I love you all, find joy in everything you do. Thats the key.

Elder Crisp