June 13th, 2016

Hola everybody,

This week was honestly one of the best weeks of the mish so far. First off we had a lot of good visits with investigators. One of them was with a new investigator named Javier. We taught him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. He promised to read and pray and he told us that he wanted to go to church. He told us about his life a little and said that he wanted to change the way he was living. I'm super pumped to start teaching him. 

I don't remember if I've mentioned Blanca before, but we taught her again this week. It went really good. We taught about the Book of Mormon and she also promised to read and pray with her family this week. She too told us that there was something she has always been missing in her life. It sounds kind of crazy but she basically said that word for word.

We had a really cool experience this week. We had an investigator that we taught in my first week here that was progressing really well. The only problem was that she was living with her boyfriend (who's a less active member) and she knew that she couldn't get baptized unless she moved out. After the first week, they didn't answer their phones and they were never in there house. So we kind of though they just didn't want to listen anymore and we kind of just left them for a while. Then this past week we got a call from the missionaries that are in a different zone saying that she was getting baptized this Saturday. She had moved out of her house and was living with her mom so that she could get baptized. So we got permission to go to her baptism. It was a super cool experience. She lives in my old Zone so there were a few Elders from that i knew.

Last week i heard that in my old area there was a bunch of baptisms, but while i was there they told me there was 6 baptisms of people that I had taught while i was there, and that that family that we found my last week there are getting baptized too. That was super sick to hear.
Overall this week was pretty sick.

Hope you all have a good week. I love you all!!!!

Love Elder Crisp

June 6th, 2016

Hola Everbody, Hows its going?

This week was pretty good. We didn't get to many lessons but we were able to teach a couple for the first time in a while. Jose Carlos and Tatiana. I'm not sure if I've mentioned them but they are super cool. They are a young couple that are actually married. It is really rare to find a young couple here that are married. People here don't really think its important. But they are pretty prepared, they always read and they always pray together. They've accepted a baptismal date like 5 times but the only problem is that they wont come to church. They live pretty far away from the chapel but they've told us that they don't feel ready to go to our church. I'm not sure what that means but we've tried to explain to them importance and all that but they just don't seem to want to go. But we have a cita [appointment] with them on Tuesday so well see what happens. 

We also taught a lady that was receiving the lessons like a year and a half ago but then stopped. Her name is Blanca. She is a single mom with 2 kids. Shes read the BofM and she prays with her kids everyday, but she doesn't really want to go to church either. Her kids are going through classes for their 1st Communion and she has to go there but this week she said she would make time to go to Sacrament Meeting so that pretty cool. 

13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

I read this scripture this week that i had never read before. But I love it. Because as disciples, missionaries and members of the church we are all called to declare His word and help others to come to Him, so that can also have everlasting life. 

That's all i have from this week. Hope you all have a good week.

Love Elder Crisp

May 30th, 2016

This week was pretty sweet. On Wednesday we had our last interviews with Presidente Zambrano. He leaves on June 30. And on Thursday was his last Multi Zone conference with him too. Presidente and his wife are probably 2 of the coolest people i have ever met. Its going to be pretty sad when they leave but there has been so much that i have learned from them that i will probably never forget. In the conference he talked a lot about the 3 things that makes someone successful:

1)Obedience(obvious), 2) Living righteously, correcting things that we can in our lives and whne there are things we cant correct ourselves, we trust in the Lord to help us correct them, 3) Doing everything we can to help others. He always applies those 3 things to missionaries but he explained to us that these 3 things apply for the rest of our lives, that through these 3 things we can really find happiness in this life. Its basically impossible to do anything in this life if were not living according to gospel and when we do everything we can to live righteously we can be successful leaders of the church.

We didn't really get to visit with any of our progressing families this week other than the Campero Flia. We visited them on Saturday and it was a really good lesson. We talked about the Book Of Mormon a lot and how much its changed our lives. The spirit was really strong and he was on the verge of tears so it was really good. They couldn't go to church though because they left in the morning to go to his moms because the 27th was Mothers Day here. Other than that we didn't visit with to many people .

Anyway Happy Bolivian Mothers Day to everyone, i hope you all had a good week,hahaha. Love you guys.

Love Elder Crisp

May 23rd, 2016

Hola everbody,

This week was pretty sweet. We finally found some of our investigadores in their house so it was great. The Lara Family is on of them. They are a family of 5. They are really cool, they always understand everything but they are super catholic. They have all their kids in classes for their church and they go every tuesday thursday and sunday. We taght them this week the importance of Prayer and they promised to read and pray as a family. They still wont be able to go to church because they aren't willing to give up their other church. But we've passed by with members and that's starting to help them.

We also taught the Campero Flia. We just read from the BofM a few stories and they again said they would read and pray this week about that. They weren't able to go to church either because at 11pm on saturday the dad got called in to work and the rest of the fam went to so it was a little frustrating.

11 And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them,that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.

12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him;and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

I love this story because even when they were forbidden to "cry" unto the Lord, they continued to pour out their hearts and the Lord heard the thoughts of their hearts. Its the same for us, even if were not saying a prayer out loud or knelt down, the Lord will still hear us and will answer the prayers of our heart.

Thats about it for this week. I finally got a picture with the soccer player guy.hahaha. We also had to cook breakfast for our comps this week. Hope you all have a good week.

Love Elder Crisp

May 16th, 2016

Hola,

this week was was pretty chill. We got cambios on Tuesday night but nothing changed. I stayed in the same area with Elder Bricher.

We were finally able to find the Campero Family in their house week so that was really good. We visited them on thursday and saturday and we talked a lot about the Sabbath day and we offered to come and pick them up for church on Sunday. They live really far away from the chapel so its really hard for them to get there. So we took and bus 20 minutes out to their house to pick them up and when we got there only there son was there. The parents went to go shopping and werent going to get back for like 2 hours. I was a pretty disappointed becasue the night before he promised to go to church. But we passed by yesterday to teach them again and we talked to them about the Book of Mormon and the importance of praying to know if its true. I could tell that he felt the spirit really strong and he promised that him and his son would read and pray about the Book of Mormon all week and on Sunday hes going to go to church. So im pretty pumped to be able to teach them again. And he told us that we could come back any day of the week.

Other than that we didnt really get to many visits this week. We are trying to work more with the members in the ward and get more references here because it is really difficult to teach people because the husbands are literally always working and we cant teach without a guy so its been pretty hard. But this week we have a bunch a members willing to come with us.

8...as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

I was reading in Mosiah 18 this morning and i read these 2 verses. This is promise we make when we get baptized. I love the bolded part. That we should stand as a witness in absolutely every place we are. In all times and in all things, EVEN UNTIL DEATH. I really love that part, we should be willing to give our life for the Lord and do all we can to serve so that we can have eternal life as the scripture says.

Thats about it for this week . I love you all and hope you have a good week.

Elder Crisp

May 2nd, 2016

Hola everbody.

This week was pretty sweet. First off, the people that own the house we live in threw me a little party for my birthday. They bought a cake and made us lunch. That was really cool. The thing they do here though is when you blow out the candle, you take a bite out of the cake. And when you do that someone shoves your face into it. they got a picture of that so ill send it. Other than that this week was pretty chill.

Unfortunately we couldn't find the Camperos this week so that almost 2 weeks that we haven't taught them. We call them and pass by everyday but they are never there. Its a little sad becauue they were so ready and then they got super busy with work and school that they don't really have time for us. But were going to keep trying with them. We contacted a whole bunch again this week but we didn't really find anyone. We've been trying to work with the members more and asking for references to try and find investigators that way but the people in this area are pretty tough. A lot of people here have money and they don't even open the door. Its pretty tough but well keep trying.

I was reading in Mosiah 2, and i read verse 41. I love the promise that Rey [King] Benjamin gives.

41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in allthings, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

That promise that he gives, that if we keep the commandments and stay faithful to end, we can live with Heavenly Father in a state of never-ending happiness is pretty sweet. And we will be blessed in ALL THINGS . And that's really all that He wants is to be able to give us that happiness and blessing. .

That's all there was from this week. I love you all and hope you all have a good week.

Elder Crisp

April 25th, 2016

Hola everybody,

First off Happy Birthday Mom. I hope you had a sick day. Now for real this time you turned 55. HAHA.

This week was a little rough. We didn't get to many visits. And we didn't get to visit the Campero family, con fecha (baptismal date), so it was a little disappointing. And they didn't go to church either. We passed by their house, called them and asked a member to pick them up, and they still couldn't go. It was a little sad. But we have a cita (appointment) this friday so well see.

This week we did a lot of touching doors haha, and we found a few potentials. One was a lady that said she attended 10 years ago but moved and never went again. She told us that the time she was attending she felt a lot happier and was going to get baptized but then moved away and didnt have a church by her house so she just didnt go. But we have a cita with her on Wednesday and im pretty excited for that.

I was reading in Alma 4 today and verses 10 and 12 made me think a little bit. 

10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church;and thus the church began to fail in its progress.

12 Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others,turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.

The people got rich and so prideful that the progress in the church began to stop. That they forgot what really mattered which was to help the needy and the poor and their pride was a stumbling block for the people that weren't members of the church. It really shows our responsibility that we have as members to be good examples for the people that aren't members.

That's about it for this week. Thanks for all the Birthday love. Love you all and hope you have a good week. 

Elder Crisp