March 28th, 2016

Hola everybody,

This week was pretty sweet. We had our 5 progressing investigators go to church and they all loved it. The family that we contacted last Sunday and gave a baptismal date to is probably the coolest family I've met here. They are super humble and they understand everything. They told us that they were at the point of giving up and separating when we knocked on their door. They told us every time we visited this week that they were waiting for us and every time we leave the mom tells us not to forget about them. They have a son Leo whose 11 loved church. They have a daughter whose 5, Mia, who also loved it. This week we taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Restoration and they understand it all, they accepted too the Book of Mormon and they are reading it as a family. Im so pumped for them.

The other investigator Lucy, went to church too. She said she liked it too and was pretty excited after church. She too has been reading the Book of Mormon and she has been praying and reading it all this week. An the other investigator that went was Vilma. She loved it too. Its funny because she is best friends now with a sister that got baptized last week. They sit together in every class and they are always laughing and talking so its pretty funny.

The only thing about all that is that cambios [transfers] are tomorrow and this time it is pretty much a sure thing that i'm leaving. I'm pretty bummed i wont get to see any of them get baptized but im super pumped that i got to meet them all because they are super cool. 

That's pretty much it for this week. Love you all hope you have a good week. 

Elder Crisp

March 21st, 2016

Hola everbody,
This week was pretty good. We had a lot more citas this week than last week and we got some new investigators too. We met one girl named Lucy while contacting. She pretty cool and she is super prepared . We met her on tuesday, had a lesson Thursday and Saturday and there was a baptism in the ward and she went. It was a little annoying though because there was a soccer tournament going on outside and it was super loud and there were a couple YSA people in the baptism messing around and making jokes so it was pretty irreverent and she didnt seem to like it very much. But we have a cita with her tomorrow so well see what happens.

Yesterday we contacted a family. We taught them about the Restauracion and they told us that were grateful that we visited them and they accepted a baptismal date for the 16th of April. They were super cool and they were both crying and they kept thanking us for coming by. Unfortunatly next week is cambios [transfers] and we have 5 baptisms set up for next cambio that i probably wont be here for. 

In church yesterday, everything was about the Atonement. The talks, and the classes. And i was reading in Alma 7 today and i read verses 11 and 12 :

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

These verses just make me think of how much stuff he had to suffer for us. And how he did it all willingly because of the perfect love that he has for all of us. He suffered not just the sins, but every pain that we feel, every temptation that we feel every day, and he overcame them for all of us.

Thats all i got for this week. Saturday was Fathers Day here so i want to wish all the Fathers out there a Happy Bolivian Fathers Day.Hope you all have a good week.

Elder Crisp

March 14th, 2016

Hola everybody.

This week again was a little bit slow. We didnt have too much visits with investigators but we did meet one new guy. Hes a brazillian that here studying. Hes super cool. He speaks perfect english which is cool because yhe asked me to pray in English which was the first time ive prayed in English outloud in my mission. He also has two FatHeads of Kobe and LeBron in his room and he was wearing a Lebron jersey so he obviously knows whats up. And hes also really cool because hes super prepared to listen. We talked for a little and he told us about how his mom died and how he was never going to see her again. We taught about the PoS and how he would see his mom again and he was super excited for us to come back. Im pretty excited to teach him.

We also taught Victor and Vilma again yesterday about the BoM and we answered a lot of their questions about it and they said they are really excited to get baptized.

This week we also visited the Flia Saucedo, less-actives, and they went to church again. And the son, Antonio is teaching the Young Men Tae Kwon Do for a Talent Show in the barrio. They are progressing really well and im super excited for them too.

Anyway that was basically it for this week. Hope you all have a good week.

Elder Crisp

March 7th, 2016

Hola everybody,

This week was pretty chill. We didn't have to many citas [appointments] and we didn't meet any new investigators so it was a little rough but were still working. Victor and Vilma, were able to go to a baptism this week of a girl in the ward though. And they said they were excited for their baptism. They are reading the Book of Mormon together and they also said that its bonita [beautiful], so i'm excited for that .

Today is exactly 6 months that I left on my mission. Its absolutely insane how fast itsd gone by, and even though is only been 6 months, I've still learned a ton about this Gospel and my testimonio is 50 times bigger than before i left. And i know that in the next 18 months i still have a lot more stuff to learn and I'm pumped to be able to do that. 

Yesterday we had the opportunity to to visit a family in the ward that went through something really hard. The dad of this family was accused of robbing and beating someone in a park that he was never even been in and they put him in jail for a month and basically took away everything he had. This guy is like 60 years old and is literally the nicest person i have ever met. And after he got out of jail he couldn't do anything. He couldn't leave his house alone and he had to be in his house at 6pm or they put him back in jail. The cool thing about the visit that we had was that we were contacting and we knocked on their without knowing that they lived there. We shared a couple scriptures with them and they thanked us for everything and told us that that visit was exactly what they needed. Experiences like that are what make it exciting to be a missionary. That we can have such a big impact on people. Its super cool. 

Anyway that's about it for this week. Love you all and hope you have a good week.

Elder Crisp