Mexico News 8-22-11

First of all I have to tell you how ingenious my brother is!!!  He only gets 45 minutes of computer time, so what he does is write a few letters, take pictures (or scan them, I'm not sure which), then when he gets his computer time all he has to do is attach the picture to the email...and voila!  He can send more "emails" out during his time frame!  Hahaha..what a thinker!  So yeah I got a very short email with two attachments...a PICTURE of the front and back of a letter!  ☺  It was for you guys so here you go! 

"Hello, hello, from Mexico!  I can’t believe it’s only been three weeks since I got here.  I’ve learned so much in the gospel and Spanish that I can’t imagine that it only happened in three weeks!  First of all I want to give a quick shout out for a couple people in my family.  First, to Tory McAlister, my nephew who just had a birthday (actually, “just” is almost a month ago now…).  Happy birthday, Tory!  I miss playing Game Cube with you!  The other one is for my awesome sister Heather, who also had a birthday, on Friday.  Man I miss you Heather!  We had so much stuff that we did together, I had no idea until I left!  For anyone who doesn’t know, my sister is awesome.  She’s always so unexpectedly funny.  And one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met!  Way to be, Heather.  ☺  I love you! 

So the long and short of it is that I’m in Los Cabos (the peninsula)  and I’m currently in a city called San Jose.  It’s a lot different than I expected! There’s a lot of poverty, but there’s also a lot of richer people in some of the different parts of our area.  Want some fun?  Try google maps in Los Cabos, San Jose.  It’s so interestingly different. 

So Elder Tingey, my awesome companion is in a band named “B r u m b y.”  They’re pretty excellent, so I hear…so give them a listen.  My awesome companion and I have instituted a couple traditions, which include:  a) Mango Time:  Mangoes are consumed whilst listening to a song on his iPod that sounds sort of island-y.  b) Nuevo Fruto del semana:  each week we try a new fruit, usually one not available in the USA.  This week:  “nanches.”  Verdict:  Not good!  But we also tried a “guanavana” which in addition to being fun to say is also a delicious fruit!  (think of a mix of a coconut and a pear!)

I am able to receive emails from anybody, but I can only respond to family,  it turns out.  Sad, but I’d still like to get a quick note from some of you!  You could help us out in the process:  include a creative way Elder Tingey and I could find new investigators! 

Anyway, I’ll keep updating!”

Elder Crabb

Hey, so I'm going to ask Elder Crabb to make an effort to TRY every suggestion (for a creative way to find new investigators) that someone sends him and then have him write us back telling  what the suggestion was, who suggested it, and if the method was successful or not!!!  Me? I think since they both are singers I'm going to suggest they stand in the middle of the street, mall or city center and sing a primary song...see if anyone stops to listen to them.  They may have already done this, but it doesn't hurt to ask.  What are you going to recommend?  Think about it and shoot Cody an email real quick!  cody.crabb@myldsmail.net  Remember he is a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  So please don't ask him to do something that he can't or won't do.

A little late...

But better late than never!


More of Cody's MTC pictures!

My favorite statue at the MTC

 Elder Price "riding his bike" with the missionaries

Always working hard, us missionaries

 Me and Elder Peterson on the way to Salt Lake for our Visas

The epitome of our companionship

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.  (New Testament,  1 Peter 3:15)

Elder Crabb's first area is...

I know I left a few of you high and dry waiting to find out where Elder Crabb's first area is, I am going to let him tell you in his own words from a letter that he sent to his family: 

Hi from MEXICO!! It´s been a long couple of days but I´m here safe and sound. My area is in Los Cabos. I now know the way to San Jose, because it´s the place I´m serving! Let me tell you, it is absolutely gorgeous out here.  I´m writing this in a cyber café in San Jose, with legit Mexican music playing in the background. I´m finally here!  Our apartment is two rooms. One room is the kitchen slash study area, and the other one is our bedroom. And i´m sure you guessed this. But it is HOT. I mean all the time. In our apartment, outside, in members´ houses, just...everywhere! SO HOT. I´m going to lose weight just from sweating all the time!  Tracting is so fun. It´s the best. My companion usually knocks on a door and just mouths "Le toca" (your turn). Gah! I don´t speak Spanish yet! Pretty much I understand about 65 percent of everything, and I can´t even tell what anyone is saying. It´s so frustrating haha. 

It looks really awesome here, and I´m so excited to start serving. I have been gaining a bigger and bigger testimony every day out here. I know this is where I´m supposed to be! I hope to hear from you soon!

Con Amor,

Elder Crabb

Yeah so of course we googled the area where he is serving and I found some pictures that I thought would be fun to share...

Los Cabos is on the southern tip on the Baja California peninsula

Gorgeous right?  I can't believe he got stuck in a breathtaking resort town for his first area...I'm sure half the people speak English...because they are on vacation from America!  Oh well, I'm not jealous or anything! ☺  What a fun way to start off a mission!

Remember to send Cody a note!

Ready set...WRITE!

Hola Mexico!

Well he did it, Elder Cody Crabb left last Monday and flew down to Mexico...he's there learning the ropes, meeting his mission president, and speaking Spanish. Trabaja duro en México, Elder Crabb.

Did you know you can still send mail for FREE to Cody even in Mexico...how? DearElder.com! They have a "Free Pouch" system to Culiacan, Mexico! It's pretty easy:

Step One: Click over to Dear Elder.

Step Two: On the left hand side under the heading "Send Stuff" select Pouch (FREE).

Step Three: In the Letter Selection box pull down the drop down menu and search for, MEXICO CULIACAN. Then click the button "write a missionary"

 

 

Step Four: Make sure you address it to Elder Cody Crabb, then click down in the dialog box below and tell him I sent you...just kidding. Tell him about what's going on with you...he has mentioned several times that he would love to know what's going on with everyone. Just a quick update would be lovely!

Please note: They only send it once a week, I believe it's Sunday night at midnight!

Another method is through the good old postal system....here is the address to the Mission home in Culiacan.

Elder Cody Crabb

Rio Choix #888

Col. Rosales, Culiacán, Sinaloa

80230-645

And another method you can use (apparently) is email, in Cody's own words:

As some of you know, I leave on Monday for Mexico. Yahoo! It's going to be REALLY awesome. I'm not positive what my mission rules are on emailing people other than my family, but I've  heard that it's usually okay in most countries south of the border. So here's what we'll do. If you'd like to write, send it via email to cody.crabb@myldsmail.net. I'll see what the rules are when I get there; if I can email you back, great, but if not, I'll write you back!

A few days later:

You can tell everyone to bring on the emails! Any letters I get have to come through the mission office, which is in a different state. Don´t get me wrong, I´ll love to get stuff other than emails, but it´ll just take forever, so....yeah. =)

I don't know what it means when he says the office is in a different state...I'm not quite sure where his first area is...but as soon as I find out, I'll let you know! ☺

Thanks for all the support of behalf of my wonderful brother.

God Speed!

i La iglesia es verdadera!

Last update from the MTC

photo

Cody is on a plane headed to Culican, Mexico!  As he leaves the MTC he leaves some words of advice for those who will soon follow:


"I've learned many things at the MTC.  Oh, sure, I've learned Spanish and a ton about the gospel, but there is a lot to learn about the MTC itself.  I have here a top 10 list of things I've learned while living for 8 weeks  at the MTC.  Anyone coming in, take my advice, and learn from my words...

10.

The food here works on the "Golden Corrall" principle.  It's nothing special, but it's all you can eat, so "yay!"

9.

If your A/C is broken, I'm sorry.  unless you're friends with the maintenence guy.

8.

Bring a fan.  (see number 9)

7.

If your district is nonmusical, say, and you are...singing all the time is an easy way to get back at someone!

6.

If your companion needs surgery, take advantage of the hospital food.

5.

There are entire rooms filled with nothing but pillows and mattresses. Can you say awesome?

4.

The showers work on a "celestial, terrestial, telestial" basis.

3.

The more candy/food you have, the more friends you have.  (thanks, my family, for always making sure I had lots of friends ☺)

2.

Learning "hello" in 8 different languages when your name tag says you speak spanish is a fun way to mess with people!

and the number one thing you must know about the MTC...

1.

If you ask enough people, enough times, somebody will bring you Taco Bell!

I joke about some aspects, but for real, the MTC is a really awesome place,  The spirit is always strong here.  I testify that if you work hard here, it pays off ten fold in the field.  Have fun, but also remember why you're here!"

Con Amor,   Elder Crabb