Update 09-26-11

More news from Cody:

This week, my mind has been on diligence a lot.  It's not just about missionary work, though.  The big thing about the church is diligence,  It's about "endure to the end."  It's about "don't stop until you're finished."  Every calling should be magnified, every service should be amplified.  As a missionary, of course, this can be accomplished by completing your service honorably.  A mission is two years, nothing less.  Elder Bednar gave a talk at the MTC when I was there, and he told us the only reason we should EVER go home is if we have worthiness problems.  (easily solved right?  Leave worthy!)  So leave worthy, stay out, and work hard until the end!  Anyone who's going on a mission, is on a mission or knows someone on a mission, knows I'm right.  So DO IT!  Please!  I hope I've inspired someone.  You just have no idea how important it is!  I thought I knew too, before I left,  but even this short while has made it so much more meaningful.  Section 1:  Inspire the troops---check!


We've had some pretty cool things happen this week.  We had a zone conference with our mission president.  He's an incredible speaker!  I imagine that if you could hear Mexican Abraham Lincoln, he'd sound something like President Cantù.  We learned a lot of really cool stuff, but my favorite example he used was a donut.  He said "don't be the kind of missionary who complains about the hole in a delicious donut."  He's SO right!  I've been given so much as a missionary, and if I get a few doors slammed in my face, so be it.  Without a hole, it would be a piece of cake! ☺


I really enjoy the letters I get from all of you.  It's a real spirit-booster to be able to hear about home!  I can feel your prayers as always, and you are in mine.  I hope to hear from more of you soon!

I thought his signature and his drawing was cute enough to add to the post this time!  I sure love this little brother of mine!  What an amazing young man!

An update at last!

Sorry this post was a long time coming.  Cody sent this to me on Monday and I haven't had a chance to sit down and type up his email...remember I get pictures of the letter!   This time I had four pictures to decipher...I need to make sure to remind Cody to check the edges of the picture to make sure he doesn't cut off the letter, some times it was just my best guess!   Yeah so it took me a bit longer to get this post up. 

I've had a few things come up with life in general which has made my schedule just a little bit tighter and more busy so if anyone is willing to write up a post on the weeks that Cody doesn't email me (already typed!!)  I would love that! 

Anyway onto the reason you stopped by this blog  Cody's letter: 


September 19th!   I'm halfway through my second change in the field.  It feels pretty fast now! Time's moving really quickly now.  So quickly in fact that I forgot my siblings birthdays, like all of them (minus Heather).  For that, I apologize, but you all know I love you!  It's really obvious now how much I miss all of you.

A member here, Hermana Moreyra, mentioned to me that I've lost a lot of weight since I got here.  Another member commented that I look a lot like John Cena (Apparently when I get back I'm going to be super attractive.)  I'm not surprised, with all the walking we've been doing.  We rarely take the bus, and we have a big area...

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned "new fruit of the week."  I realized that, although we have been doing it, I've been forgetting to write about them!  There have been three.  First there's "tamarindo."  (I'm not exactly sure what that translates to.)  But they are everywhere here! there's tamarindo candy, tamarindo-flavored water, they even make tamarindo tang.  But they are super gross. I couldn't even get through one!  Belgh.  The last few we've done have not been too successful, namely jicama, which sort of has the texture of a potato (gross) or guyavas, which have big seeds and strange fleshy texture (also gross).  I don't know what it is.  Maybe the most popular fruits are the most popular for a reason. 

(By the way, funny Mexican-ism:  putting stuff, like books or pans, into a broken appliance like a microwave or stove.)

     (Hmmmm, I guess I've never shown him what we've done for over two years with our microwave that doesn't work (it hasn't worked since we've lived here and we already had another microwave so we just use that instead!)  Maybe I'm just celebrating the Latin side of my heritage!)


Since I'm serving in Los Cabos, naturally a big part of everything is tourism.  Lots of people work with tourism in some way, whether at hotels, restaurants, or even doing fishing or surfing trips.  September is the hottest month of the year, so every one's gearing up for October, (the beginning of tourist season).  It's pretty fun, but more fun is what I got to do on September 16th!

Happy Independence Day!

We got to celebrate, along with Mexico, their independence!  Obviously we couldn't go to a party or anything, but luckily for us there was a ward activity!  There, we got to eat lots and watch some native dances!  It was SO COOL!  Some of the ward members did a cool thing with rifles, and we had lots and lots of delicious food.

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Apparently Cody explained in more detail what food they had during the ward activity to his sister...she's shared that with us!

Dear Tiffany:

I figured your kids HAD to know this. The things that they eat on Nacho Libre (the corn with the white stuff on it) are called lotes (loh-tays). It´s a corn cob with cream (not sour cream, cream cream), cheese, and hot sauce on it. They´re actually pretty good! And SUPER Mexican haha. Maybe you can make them. =) Enjoy!

Elder Crabb
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Lately I've been reading the Old Testament.  I started in Genesis and I read straight through to 2 Kings (I skipped some parts in Deuteronomy and Numbers since I already know how to sacrifice animals.)  I've been learning a tremendous amount, but last week I was wondering if it was worth my time.  That same day, we taught a girl named Ani, who knows the Bible very well, and she asked Elder Tingey about a story in the Bible.  After admitting he didn't recall that story, I realized that I had read that part that very morning.  I was able to help answer.  When we taught her again in a couple of days, it happened again! I've also been able to help her with her Book of Mormon doubts by giving her quotes from the Bible too.  It goes to show that the Lord's Scriptures will always apply.

A little while ago, I asked for some suggestions to help us contact people!  I got a couple of great ones, but I need more!  We need ways to find those chosen investigators!  Anyway, I appreciate all the love and prayers.  I've definitely felt your support all the way over here in Mexico.  I'm so grateful for my supportive family and friends.  Adios!

Viva larga y prospe!

Love,
Elder Crabb

Some exciting news from MEXICO!

I got a copy of one of Cody's emails that he sent to his mom recently...I thought it was awesome and wanted to share it with all of you.  First off some very exciting news!!!!

I baptized my first investigator this week!! =) I´ve attached a picture of him. His name`s Marino. He´s super cool! And, he´s the last one in his family to be baptized! A year from Saturday, he´ll be able to go through the temple and be sealed to his family forever! It´s so so so awesome to be able to see people getting on that road. =) The other baptism picture is Daniel, a 9 year old boy whose mom was reactivated by his baptism!

Elder Crabb, Edler Tingey, Marino and Family

Elder Crabb, Elder Tingey and Daniels Family

So I've been plugging dearelder.com and it is a wonderful resource, but for Cody in this location it will take FOREVER to get a letter to him.  So if you can, just go ahead and email him cody.crabb@myldsmail.net.    See?


The lady at the post office here (by the way, their uniform colors are hot pink, white, and lime green...weird) said that the mail takes about two weeks if you send it "registered" (which I did.) I haven´t gotten anything from you yet, but I´m super excited to! The zone leaders are in charge of the mail for the peninsula, which means we´ll probably get everything in the next zone meeting.


In the email his family got this week (we happened to be there on Monday when they got it) Cody said that he had just got our letters last week, the letters we wrote and sent BEFORE he was in Mexico, so yeah, email..email...email! 

!Hasta Luego!