Endurance

Dad,
Well that sounds cool (the new camp stove).  I'm already getting trunky, I'm tired and I'm ready to go home. Ha!Ha!Ha!  I want to hang out with my family and friends again.  Walking around pounding the pavement is getting to my body, I hurt all the time, but its a sacrifice I need to make.  Kiley sent me an email she is graduation and just got a debit card and is going crazy on spending, I bet Kolin and Hope are going to have a good time with that.  Have fun fishing with Kayla, looks like fun.

We do bike some times, but its really only when we are working the Samoan ward.  It is hard biking because the leadership live up by the mountains and its a struggle.  But, riding down is really fun, we were going 30 miles an hour down this highway it was a blast, but so scary.If we wreck it is an instant going home early because of the injuries or getting sent home in a box. Neither sound very fun to me. 

Mom,
Well, I have a dollar on my mission card and I have no other way to pay for anything so I needed to use my debit card.  So far I am doing good, I get frustrated with my companion because he thinks he is the best at everything, but I can deal with it.  The families are doing great we had a baptism that I got to perform.  They boy is a little ornery kid though.
We get fed every meal here, but I have lost 7 pounds in the field so far, I'm 195 pounds.  I went in the MTC at 210ish.  So far I don't need anything and the last package we have not been able to really do any of the foods because we are not home from about 10 in the morning until 9 at night.  I wish we could, maybe when I get transferred on the 17th of June.  I might get to or I might not and have to stay here, carless; walking all day.
That is not the best mountain picture, but its the only one I had so far.  It is warming up, we got rained on so much it was terrible.  It got cold, but its warming up.  It will be nice for you to have a break from the kids at school.  I miss sleeping in, I'm so ready to go home and sleep after my mission haha!  I love you too, have a great day off.
Love,
Elder Crawford

 

Rainy Day Blues

Dad,
I was sad for a little bit after the phone call.   I miss you all too.  I will most likely be in the area for another month or so, this area might go to the SLC West Mission.  So if I stay till that happens then I might be there for the rest of my mission.  I'm not sure yet.
You need to have the Young Women email me, I got a box from them and I would like to thank them.  
 Where is the high adventure trip at this year? I wish I could go it would be so much fun. Make sure if you see Kiley to give her my email.  She would talk to me all the time back home, I miss the weird child.  I also miss my dummy (Blair). I wish I could have seen you and her Mother's Day.  I was upset how everything went down, that I couldn't see you or talk to you longer, but what do you do. Here are some pictures of my area, we cover the Samoan Ward and we had to walk so far in the rain.

 I was soaked from head to toe; it was bad ,but it happens.  The work must move on.

Mom,
 Saturday we were walking for quite a while in the rain and it was miserable, I was soaked from head to toe.  My umbrella is broken so it droops down in the front.  I don't know what happened to it.

 That's great the Yukon sold. I'm going to miss that beast; I loved to drive it although I didn't care for buying parts for it.  So that's nice. What's the lady's name there that is getting baptized?  There is a chance I might know her from my many trips to Home Depot with Dave.  I saw that video already, "The Lift," it is a really good one . We saw it Tuesday or Friday, I don't remember. 
  I hope you get that job and I'll pray for you, but if you don't get it its fine.  You might be a principal in Minnesota, and maybe that's why they are falling through on you. So don't get down because of that!

Love,
Elder Crawford

Mother's Day Chat and P-day Hike

Dad, I forgave you a long time ago about that and I love you too!  Yesterday I went to Bell Canyon and hiked up the mountain to a waterfall it was so beautiful.  I wish you could have seen it.  It was a very hard hike to get up though, so when you get out here to pick me up we can try to as a family.  I couldn't get any pictures, but it was amazing.  I love you, have a great day.

Mom,
Can you guys pray for Danny, Lani, and Mary Jane M. they are our investigators that are the Polynesians.  Also pray for Rushmey, she is so close to being baptized; as well as the Rodrigez family.  They are kinda moving along.  Just after we got off the phone Sunday night I was told that we will be taking over the Samoan ward.  So that will most likely give us a car and we have some members that live in Salt Lake, so it is pretty cool.  I'm pretty excited to start this up.

 

Salt Lake Temple Blessings

Hi Mom,
I'm going great out here.  I'm loving the work, it's so much fun!  We only have had one baptism so far, his name is K.W. He was a little goofball, we love him a lot.  We are going to baptize a Polynesian family soon.   There are three kids that want to be baptized and a Hispanic kid named D.  So last week you will never guess what I got to do...

I got to go to the Salt Lake temple and do baptisms. (for information on lds temples go here) It was so beautiful and amazing.  When you come out here, like I told Dad, we should do some baptisms because you can just walk in and do it. 
My sleeping arrangements are good.  I'm sleeping okay.  I miss sleeping in on the weekends.  I know when I get home, I'm going to catch up on some sleep.  Transfers are this week, so I don't know what's going to go on with the Skype or anything.  I'll let you know more this week about that.  The last package I got was the super hero one and I don't have any pictures because the two times that I could have I didn't  have my camera.  I will get you some pictures.
The other day we were teaching this Asian lady.  We were talking to her about temples because over there temples and family history is a big thing.  So I shared the time we were at the temple doing Grandpa Beninghof's work.  When we were doing his baptism and the spirit was so strong that I started to cry.  I knew grandpa was with us in that meeting, helping me to help her to get baptized.   Our ancestors are our angels that are helping us and they are the missionaries of our investigators ancestors.  They want their work to be done.
I love you all remember, as we do missionary work the angels that are promised to help us are our ancestor.  Grandma and grandpa will help us out as we try to help others to "Come unto Christ."
Love,
Elder Crawford

Baptism and Sister Heaton

 We had a baptism this past weekend.  It was a great weekend.

Sister Heaton is just about the sweetest lady you'll ever meet.  I really enjoy living at her house.  She fixes us breakfast every morning and sometimes dinner on Monday nights.

 

Dad,



 This week wasn't too eventful, but it was a great week.  I got to go on exchanges with our district leader his name is Elder Kulu, pronounced kooloo.  He is from the Polynesian Islands. It was fun to hang out with him for a day.  [the other things reported are personal between Kyle and Kota]

Mom,
My favorite investigators right now are Jarrett and Kelsea.  She is a less active member and he is a non member, but they are so cool and loving.  I love going over to their house because its just a laid back teaching opportunity.  My favorite lesson I taught this week was the one about pre-earth life, with Jarrett and Kelsea.  Jarrett went to college and had a bible class, and we were able to discuss scriptures that he already learned about in college.  We were able to answer questions and have a really good discussion.

The area I am in is so small.  It is like from Cleveland Ave. to the outside of town going north, and from Cottage Street out to Dad's work.  That is what the area kind of looks like.  So far nothing weird has happened this week.

How is everything back home?  Did Kayla get Kenzie's email.  In the package can you send me Jesus the Christ.  I would like a paper copy that I can write in.

Two Weeks Worth

Dad,
     I'm doing so well, I can't wait for you to get my letter I sent.  It has this crazy experience this past week, it was weird and scary, but so cool.
     I'm tired I feel like I am having lack of sleep, but I do well hiding my yawns in a lesson. Yes, keep sending me emails, I look at them from time to time, and it keeps me going.  I miss Blair, but I'll see her before I know it.
    Everything is going smooth and lessons are going well, I'm learning more than I ever would back home.  Its crazy, I hope you and grandma and everyone are doing well.  I pray every night for it.
   So far me being tired not  from lack of sleep, I crash hard here; it just feels like not enough. I  haven't had any really cool experiences to speak of.  I got to bury a little dog for an investigator. She is  from New York and has the accent' she has a mouth on her; but its so funny hearing her talk.
     The weather was so weird here, first it was 75, then it started to fog up with dust, and then it rained mud--real mud, then it snowed for 2 days. Now it's hot again.
 Did you hear the talk about not being on your tablet and phones in church? As soon as I heard that I started to laugh, thinking about you and Kayla in sacrament playing on them and your phones in church.
   The ward mission leaders are great. So far the Bantas, who are  in the Academy Park Ward, tried setting Elder Sturgell up with a lady friend.  I mean he goes home in 4 months, but still he is a missionary, we cant have that!  But, we meet almost daily with most of them. There is a guy here that kind of looks like Greg Purdue.  He was the high councilmen over missionary work.  But, now there is a new one.
 I don't know if I want to still move here or not.  I want my kids to grow up around a lot of members, but its different here.  Maybe, we will see what happens.  Yeah, the area is very small and we are on the same streets everyday, and it gets to be kind of boring being in such a small area.

                                           A bike a member created for him and his wife.

 

Mom,
Things are great, I sent you a letter with an experience I had and it is really cool. So far we have 13 investigators and 8 on date for baptism, I'm excited, I love the work.
I did eat dinner at the Desommer's, she was really cool. She talked about home and she was excited that I knew where Medina was.
The pillow is great and no, I didn't get bedding; but the place where I'm staying already has everything I need. Sister Heaten sent you a letter the other day, she is a great lady, I love her she is quirky, she even makes us breakfast and it is so good.
I might be losing weight, it doesn't look like it from this end.  I run every morning and the Elders Quorum  president takes us boxing in the morning sometimes.  He was the best in the state and best in the region. He is really cool and owns 3 nationwide businesses, I don't know what they are called though.
So far I haven't really had a favorite lesson. We lost a guy we were teaching, but gained 4 new people. It's great they are growing so fast.  We will be having a few baptisms this next few weeks .

So far I'm being taken care of ,so I'm good on that.  Is there any news on Kenzie? Oh and I am emailing Erin Jackson now too. She is doing well, she is still serving her mission.

The lessons are easy, the ward's are great, they treat me like I've been there for a long time; very loving and great.   We  didn't get our aura looked with the Tongan missionaries on our personal day like I thought we would, so I don't really know what its like.  How was grandma doing, if she has left already ?

SLC when we went to conference

April General Conference

Dad,

Things are going great here, I'm loving it.  I sent some pictures of me and Elder Sturgell and a guy that is a member and has the priesthood, for almost 3 months now.  He is great and loving. Elder Sturgell is from Memphis, Tennessee, his parents are wealthy.   His dad is a banker and I dont know what his mom does. He was going to Harvard, but got sent out right after his graduation. He wants to work on Wall Street and be a banker or stock broker or something.  He returns home this June I think. My feet are fine now, I got the blisters in my Deerstags, not the new shoes; those are my church shoes. But, I popped them and now I am doing better.

The work here is great, we have 8 to 12 investigators; 8 on date for baptism, and they are all great. The weather has been great, sun and mostly warm.  I had to wear my sweater twice, but the sun has been out everyday. So far the meetings have only been fast and testimony, but great!  I gave my testimony in the last ward we went to.  We cover 6 wards because missionaries here cover stakes not branches or wards; but, our area is only a few blocks.

The food is really good we have had pasta 3 times so far. The weirdest thing we have had was last night. It was a burrito with this kind of chili stuff you put on it. It was good, but the chili was green. 

 Elder Crawford and Companion

Elder Crawford and new friend.

Mom,

My companion  is very knowledgeable in the scriptures and loves the gospel. We are very much alike. I have learned a lot, its hard to really write it all out. My feet are fine now, I popped the blisters and they feel great.

 So far we had only one baptism, one of our guys dropped us and it was sad.  But, after he dropped us we found a family of 7, 3 want to be baptized, 3 are to young to get baptized and one isn't really interested.

So far I am getting every meal, our home owner makes us breakfast every morning, it is great she is the best. It was so amazing to be in general conference to be so close to the prophet and the 12.  It was so spiritual and up lifting, at the end I told Elder Sturgell that dad was now going to get wings at On Tap, lucky dog. I really don't need anything except, I need an note pad to write letters home. Grandma Beninghoff sent me a card in the mail it was sweet. I love you, and I cant wait to see your progress in the Book of Mormon. I hope you are reading everyday or night. Remember to tell dad to stay off his tablet in church and get Kayla to get off her iPod ,the general authorities said so, and it shows respect for the Lord and those who have prepared to teach the ward  .

Priesthood Choir at the Priesthood session of General Conference 4/4/15

 President Monson coming into conference.

First Vision Sculpture at Conference Center in SLC, Utah.