Met David Archeletta

You all are lucky the weather here has been kinda fall like, but it's depressing the lack of fall I'm seeing out here.  I think the coldest it got was 50s at night, so that shows you what it's like out here.

  It's good to hear, Harley gave a talk, I think the move is what they needed. They will be sending us to the temple on Halloween so we aren't trick or treating. So some missionaries get the kids from the stake to do it for them. I hope we are in faze 3 by then (Christmas) if not it will be another phone call and I'll try not to cry so much this time haha. There is a chance I'll be here in the area one more transfer at least. We will be getting a new place to live Wednesday. Tomorrow is transfers just so you know.

 I wish I could see the family I miss them all. I'm doing fine, I feel I am a little stressed that we aren't teaching many people.  I think there are more ready to be taught.  But, I would like to stay one more transfer. I'll find out today if I'll be leaving or staying.

 Well something fun we did this week is that we were able to meet David Archeletta I shook his hand and said Kayla was a huge fan. He told me to say Hi to her. I have a video of him singing but it's to big to send over email so you will have to wait to see him sing. He has very soft hands by the way and is just a little taller than Kayla.  He is very thin too, his cheeks aren't as chubby as they were when he was first starting. He looks good.

 The hand in the Lord is always in the work out here. I don't know what to say haha. I've been blessed to be out on a mission it really helps me to be the best person I can become. Someday a husband, then a father; this mission is where I'm meant to be for sure.  I learned that the atonement is real, but it's not the atonement that saves us it's Christ, the one who preformed the atonement. I learned that Christ achieved Godhood before gaining a mortal body. He was the only one who got that far. When they mention God anywhere in the scriptures they talk about pre mortal Christ. You think it's Heavenly Father, but is not; it's Christ.  Now that doesn't mean Christ is Heavenly Father, but he acts for him because Christ achieved Godhood in the first estate. Now in Hebrews it talks about Christ being above angels, but also says he became lower than angels, I think 1 or 2 chapters later, meaning he got a body and it talks about those that rule over you should also be your servant and Christ even though he is God, he was our servant as well. So just some things to think about.

Visits from Ashland, Ohio Friends

Hello Mom and Dad,

This week has been about the same. The new elder (in Ashland) sounds like a work horse and might do good things for our ward.

I wish I was there for the movie night that would be fun. I'm miss it all back home. Kayla went to this school to learn how to train so is she finished with school or is she still have a week or 2? Did it help Dixie? haha the trouble maker dog. I miss my puppy, you should just send her out here so I can love on her haha. I can't wait to see her again.

 How is the MMTC going? Has it started yet, or are you starting it this week? To be honest, what they teach in the mtc is nothing like the real deal. If done right though, members will know when to bear testimony and pitch in to help teach. As long as they know what to say and keep it to the PMG, members are one of our greatest tools.  In PMG under using members in; either how do I teach, or how to find; I don't remember, but it's really a good idea. 

 I had lunch with Austin Hronic Saturday. We went to this Brazilian restaurant called Tushar it is so good. I didn't get a picture with him I left my iPad by mistake, but oh well it was fun. Jordan Oldroyd was going to take us out last week or the week before and never told us when. He could, so maybe this week.

  I have heard nothing from Jenkins, but I think Jordan said he hasn't heard from him much either. 

 I love you all hope the mmtc works out for you. I love you.

Elder Crawford 

Food Allergies Getting the Best of the Week

Hello Everyone, 

My week has been a crazy week so far I'm not even sure where to begin. Well last Monday we were to have a baptism for our investigator, but from the information we got from the previous Friday; his dad who is not active suddenly said he wants  to wait till he is ready and has learned more.  So we missed out on a baptism this week and we are having a hard time getting him back on track.

 

Another thing that make this week so crazy was that my companion was sick most the time he has been sick almost every day he has been here.  Other times he is really sick and it sucks cause then I run the risk of getting it. So I have been sick once or twice I don't remember this transfer has been a blur.

 Not much happened on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday due to his sickness I had to go to all the meetings myself it's hard running a stake by yourself. Friday we went on exchanges with other elders and then watched Saturday morning conference in our apartment. It was fun but to hectic and hard to pay attention in conference when they were talking but it was a great conference.

 

The priesthood session made me miss home cause we would go to on tap to get wings after. Sounds like you didn't do that this year with the Tompot's gone. I will miss them for sure, did Rick ever say what he was going to do out west here is he going to start up Tommy's again in the west or do something different? 

 

Well that leads to Sunday my companion got to go to the Sunday morning session of conference with sister Burrows I was pretty jealous of him haha but I enjoyed conference this year. My prediction was that elder Holland would be next prophet but the way president Monson was looking Sunday isn't going very well in my favor. But the way he was looking Saturday he looked better than the five apostles who are before Holland. I really think Holland will be prophet and I think he will do wonders for the church he is my favorite speaker along with President Monson and President Uchtdorf. 

 It's been a long week it feels like. I hope grandma and grandpappy are doing good. I'm surprised they didn't come sooner for the fair, but hey the fall weather is what I'm missing. Yeah it's getting cooler but not like home it's still getting pretty warm during the day.

 

Oh this week at one of our dinners these people were telling us that Utah has the worst weather as in flash floods and then something about winters being worse here and i started to laugh I couldn't help it. First off on average Utah only gets 18 inches of water fall a year. now can that become flash floods sure but not like home and they don't have very high humidity here 30% is like the most they get on average and it got to 105 this year and it was hot but I would take that over 90 back home any day. Winter should be getting pretty cold here but again it's a dry cold the people here don't understand the concept of humidity. oh well it was funny to show them Utah is a breeze. well thank you all for writing me this week have a wonderful week this week

Elder Crawford 

Exchanges with Koo, Sickness Week

Went to Olive Garden when I went on exchanges with Elder Koo. It was funny, I have a new companion, but I got to go on exchanges with my old one.  Plus, I taught him how to drive as well.

 

My week has been full of sickness from both me and my companion.  He got pink eye Saturday night and last Sunday we were throwing up. Yesterday I had to stay home with him because he was sick, but my eyes started to feel itchy so I hope I'm not getting pink eye again.
 Our investigator S. fell off date for baptism again. He was to be baptized today at 7 pm, but his family said he need to wait.   That was a fear I had from the very beginning, from the time we started teaching him; but it's out of our hands now. Well with this kid's faith I think he will be baptized soon, it will be ok.

 I miss grandma and grandpappy and I missed the fair. I love the fair.  The funny thing this year it's still pretty hot, it feels like summer still.  I was telling my comp that what it feels like at night here should be what the days feel like, but they don't haha.  Did you see the blood moon last night? It would have been about 10 your time, it was so cool.  That was the second lunar eclipse I've ever seen or remember seeing.  It was great and it turned red too.  Some lady in Provo thinks the end of the world is today, but I really don't think I'll get to see Christ come back in my life time.  The odds of that are not high, maybe higher than they use to be but not that high.  It would be nice to see Christ come in his full glory and clean the earth from sin. I just hope I'm living the way he wants me to so I am not the one being clensed from the earth.  But I need not to worry about that I have people to teach.

 Kasey  got hitched huh? Isn't Jayna close to Jenna?
 
Missionary work out here is tough and discouraging right now.  The gospel is the only way and if you do not invite you are not helping people repent. In turn you have to answer to the Lord some day. When he asks, "Why didn't you help this person to my gospel they were prepared they just needed an invite why didn't you ask them?"  When I get home I am going to invite the  people I should have invited to talk to the missionaries. I want to rejoice with those people. If I don't invite, I fail. When we invite is when we truly succeeded. That's all the Lord asks of us. If you look in Preach my Gospel in the first chapter, I believe it's the first thing you see; is the missionary purpose and the first thing it says is to invite others.  Well that's my rant for the week I love you guys stay focused on our purpose here in life.

Love,
Elder Crawford

Visit to Temple Square

Dad,

I'm doing great yesterday I was super sick. To the point I was throwing up it was awful. But if you drink orange juice and a little bit of 7up the day you are sick, by the time this morning rolled around; I didn't even feel like I was sick.  I'm on the Lord's errand and I'm doing His will and because I'm doing His will, is why he blessed me with meeting my friend. I think if I am doing his work, I won't have to worry about it, it will all work out.

 

The work goes well out here we have a baptism soon, this Saturday. And we are excited it will be the first one in this stake for a while and this will be number 10 for me. People say it's not about the numbers but it even says, Christ numbers his fold and knows them perfectly and I want to rejoice with them in the celestial kingdom forever. Well I don't think I have any funny stories from this past week other than being sick that was interesting. But if there is a funny part of my week I'll let you know.

 

Well this last week we went to temple square with skyler and being there was super spiritual the tour we went on was amazing so when you come to pick me up we can take the tour there it was amazing. I love you dad

Elder Crawford

 

Mom,

Well it can be a hand full some Sundays. (I asked what it was like attending several church meetings in one day) We can really only get to 3 sacrament meetings a Sunday. It's just me and Elder Baptista that serve in this stake so we cover the whole stake by ourselves. A Utah mission is way different than the one back home we have to worry about 11 wards and 2 branches in this stake. And I didn't learn anything different this week, just more on the atonement in the Book of Mormon. It's amazing how much it talks about that in there.

 

No we don't  have Katrina's friend in our stake, he is in a different stake if she can find out what stake and ward he is in I can find the missionaries in that stake to tell him I said hi, and that I know Katrina. We  have a Bluffdale out here, but it is now in the Orem mission where Darren is serving. We can take naps in our lunch hour if we would like as long as lunch only takes an hour. It is hard to eat and nap in that time as well.

 

I'm not sure if I'll get to see General Conference live again this time, if I can get a ticket I can go but if not I'll just be getting to sit in someone's home. Our upcoming baptism is this Saturday, he is 12 years old and just the neatest kid ever and super smart he goes to some academy out here I forget what it's call but it's for smart people.

 

Well I got sick yesterday so after our talks and almost throwing up all over the pulpit, but today I don't feel that way anymore. And then we went to temple square last week and it was amazing we taught a lesson with the temple square sisters to the boy getting baptized, it was so cool. Elder Baptista is awesome, he is from Brazil the only thing that sucks is that he has food allergies with glutton and dairy so we have to be careful where we eat, but it's all good he is fun to be around. Nope I don't need any of that yet. I love you. 

 

Elder Crawford

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

Mom I got a BooBoo

Dad,
My week has been filled with pain. Wednesday, I busted face on the road, that's where I got the fat hole in my lip.

Then Friday I did the same thing, but this time on grass; so it was much more pleasant haha!! I learned how to ride a bike with no hands in Kearns and I was caring corn from a members house. I got to close to a wall and I pushed off the wall with my arm and shouldn't have done that.  Because it made me flip over my handlebars. When I bailed from my bike to not crash in a tree, so there was me and corn who both went flying that day--there is my cool experience I had Sunday that's in mom's email you will have to read.

Elder koo is doing good he laughs at me every once in a while about my wreck Wed. He found out that N. Korea and S. Korea are going to be nice to each other and not war against each other because they have American troops in South Korea to help train them.  Sister Burrows is doing great she can't wait to meet you guys, nor can I wait.  I'm learning so much right now we are to challenge you to read the Book of Mormon and highlight every part that talks about the atonement so start that if you haven't. It is amazing how much the book testifys of it and we got to go to a car show in our stake so thought you would like to see. 

Well I have to email president and get ready to give a blessing here soon, I love you.

Mom,
My lip kills me every day sense Wed. So the story is we were on exchanges and I had to use someone else's bike.  Well, on my bike the break only works on the front tire to stop and the break isn't that great.  Well on the bike I was using the front break works very well . So when I had to stop going at a fast speed I used the front break, the bike threw me over the handlebars and my face was the first thing to catch me on the road. I had to use the other missionaries helmet which didnt have a strap so the helmet didnt work at all. When I landed my lower teeth bit a hole into my lip almost through my lip. I have road rash on my lip and when I got up I was angry, not hurt feeling yet ;angry like look out I'm coming to get you angry.  So my companion for the exchange ran to help me out of the road because there were cars coming. I was fine for 5 to 10 min then I felt like I was going to pass out. Elder Koo said when he pulled up to get me I was very pale. That picture shows how pale I was, but we went to the hospital and they said no stitches and my teeth will be fine.  Well the next morning my wrist started to hurt, but nothing happened to it' it's just sore from getting ripped off the handlebars. My nose might be a little broken it looks a little off place, but I'm not sure.

 Transfers are not this week, but next week. I want to stay, the area is picking up now and I'm loving it here. The members are awesome and I think to help out with the members to pick up the missionary effort is that they need a little pep talk --it is not the missionaries job to find people to teach it is the members. There is a talk that President Bednar gave on that; I'm not sure what it is called.  The missionaries are set apart to teach, not find so that might help out some.

 One thing that went well this week was that I didn't have to go get stitches in my face haha! We had an open house for a new church building Saturday.

We  had 5 non-members show up and a lot of less active members. So that went well and there was a dedication Sunday. When the stake president was talking about the scripture of John 5: 1-9 the window started to glow white like an angel was there telling us the building is well with the Lord.  It was so cool, I'm looking forward to Christmas and maybe seeing you, the family, and Blair. I'm looking forward to getting married someday.  We teach about temple marriage and it makes me want to be sealed and to start a family of my own.  But I need to finish the mission first, don't worry that is first on the list!

 I'm not sure what I need help with right now, but the package was great! Elder koo was suprised that you really sent him stuff.  He said, "Did they send this because I'm Asian?" haha! I told him you said that, so he said it because he knew you thought that. haha!  Elder Koo is awesome!  So the first picture is me with a replica of the Sword of Laban from the scriptures.

(the one Nephi killed Laban with)

This is what we saw we were teaching this family last night, and the little girl gave us the stink eye. 

 It was so funny.

 

Love,

Elder Crawford