I Have Another Baptista

(September 8th letters were personal to the family and not published.  Much of the content from September 14th is removed as well).

 This is my new comp and this was dinner last night it was so good those little peppers were so good! Elder Baptista is from Brazil he is a really cool guy, he speaks 4 languages its really cool. We had a first lesson, it was great! The work is picking up, I'm not sure what I need yet I'll let you know when I do need something though. Yeah my face is doing a lot better, there is still a hard spot where I bit through that I hope heals and goes away. That really hurt I would suggest not doing that ever haha! Grandma Benninghof's cards are pretty interesting she names them for me and tells me to feed them and water them hahaha!

 Mom, I love you so much.  Thank you for all the pictures you have sent me, I love seeing you guys and my puppy. I miss you all but, I'm on the Lord's mission and its where I am ment to be. We have a baptism coming up he is 12 and asked us if he could get baptized. It was a great lesson. He is a great kid very smart too.
The Lord puts in our paths the people we need to meet; president told us once sometimes you are sent on a mission to find your spouse because there wouldn't be any other time you would meet them.  I'm excited for that (marriage).  I truly think a mission is to help us prepare not only for future church leadership, but to be parents as well. I have been able to control my anger better and learned to love more I am learning to become a better husband and father in the future. By coming on my mission and it was all because of the push you and dad gave me. Thank you for not giving up on me, I love you so much always remember that.

Dad,
I have done a baptism once in Kearns. It was fun teaching him, you never knew what funny thing would come out of his mouth. We haven't had a whole lot of success, but I got a new companion. He is from Brazil his name is Elder Baptista haha! The day he came in to the area someone called us and told us their grandson wants to get baptized. We had the first lesson and he is very smart and is going to get baptized on the 26th. I'm so excited to baptize someone here, I know the members want another baptism in the stake haha!
 We get a lot of praise out here and its hard not to get a big head sometimes, because they call us the best elders they have had in a while. But hey, it's great to know people like us here. I'm loving South Jordan the longer I stay here. Which can be bad to I might get too comfortable around the members and we cant have that happen. At the end of this transfer I'll have been here for 4 and a half months, its nuts I've been out for 6 and a half going on 7 months. Time is flying by here.
 I also miss my puppy, does mom still let her on her lap, or no haha? It's good she is doing well without Dixie there, but I think us separating them a few times really helped that as well. I cant wait to give her a big hug when I get home. [In an answer to a personal prayer he felt] it was the weirdest, but coolest thing I have ever had happen to me. I think in that moment I gained a stronger testimony that the Lord truly is there and loves us. He will put the people we need to meet in our paths, our president says that sometimes that's why we are sent to where we are (on a mission) is to find our spouses and I think I have found mine. The Lord could have sent me anywhere else in the world the second time and if it wasn't for Elder Munyer I wouldn't have met her at all. So I know the Lord is there and answers prayers.
It's amazing the way he works sometimes and when I come home from my mission I know that my training out here will help me. When I become a husband and a father someday to keep a cool head and not blow up like I would. It's helped me to know how to find the deeper concern in peoples lives to help them out to the best I can. It's funny I can make people promises as one of the Lord's representatives, and He will keep them. In lessons we tell people as the Lord's representative we are teaching you the things Christ would be teaching if He were here right now; and I know that He loves you so much; that He has put us in your path this day to bring you closer to him. He loves you more than you can even imagine and because He loves you, He wants you to be a part of His people and we can do this by being baptized. I get to say something like that , and I'm going to miss being on a mission, but afterward I'll be called to serve as a husband and father. That promise I'll make will be worded differently, but mean the same.I love you dad, thanks for not giving up when I did, and giving me the push to be better.

Love,
Elder Crawford