7-16-12

(Wow!  sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while.  I have been completely overwhelmed with getting ready for girls camp.  My assignment this year is MASSIVE and it has consumed my time! I will post Cody's letters but I will have to wait to put the pictures up...hopefully sometimes next week!  Until then, enjoy all the updates you get all at once!)

 

 

This week, as I mentioned last week, was a lot of scrambling trying to get things done. Like I said, EFY, the temple trip (which are both MISSION activities, so everyone who wanted to go to the temple or to EFY in Sinaloa or Baja California Sur was preparing to go). As a branch presidency, Elder Osorio and I were running to all the young men's/young women's houses and getting everything in order for EFY, in some cases begging the parents to give them permission. In total, we had Erick and Jesus go. Erick is a really great kid but he has some doubts about the church, so this will be good for him. And Jesus, his cousin, isn't even a member! Woo! So maybe he'll get a testimony this week. EFY ends on Saturday.

Well, we've had some other miracles this week too, but the biggest are the following:

JULIO. One day, it was night time, about 8:30, and all of our plans had fallen through. We were with Carlos, a really awesome 15 year old recent convert. We didn't really know what to do, but he picked up a leaf and said "Wherever it points to, we're going there." I was kind of thinking, "Aw, look at that faith." But when he dropped it, it pointed exactly at a house, and I thought that maybe he was on to something. When we knocked on the door, we found a guy named Julio, who, regrettably, was extremely interested but didn't have time to talk to us right then. Being a teacher, he said to check with him a little bit later, after the 15th of July. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he'd read. All that took place about three weeks ago.

Fast forward to Saturday. We were walking down a road and my mind got Julio'd. I just suddenly remembered him and that he said the 15th. Then, I realized we were on his street! We went to his house, knocked, and he ushered us right in. He told us that, sadly, he had left his notes at work (wait...what notes?) along with his Book of Mormon ("Hey, it's okay if I'm marking it up and highlighting stuff, right?"). He has a notebook FULL of questions that he has from 1 and 2 Nephi. I was totally blown away!! He is very, very interested in the "us" aspect. Like OUR values and OUR beliefs. That's a little different, because normally I'm just a representative. But I realized that MY values and God's values are the same. Responging to his questions, we basically taught him about the Restoration, the Plan of Salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Commandments in an hour. Anyone that has been or is a missionary will tell you that that's totally nuts. But we did it. We're going to go back and teach him slowly so he really understands, but WOW!

Chely y Sara. I don't even know if I've mentioned them, but we baptized this week! Whoa! They are Aracely ("Chely") and Sara, sisters, and children of an inactive member. Their grandparents are very active (they just got back from the temple). We've been trying to help them accept a baptismal date for a while now, they just feel like they aren't ready. They definitely were; the other day, a Baptist gave Chely a little anti-mormon booklet, and she said to him (after reading it, mind you), citing a little part of the booklet, "Look, here it says "The Church of the Latter-Day Saints", but that's not what our church is called. We believe in Jesus Christ." (Our church? Awesome!) So finally, we just told them to pray and see if it was something they should do, and if not, we'll maybe talk to them another time later. Chely, by this time, had decided that she wanted to be baptized, she just wasn't sure when. Sara still wasn't sure. But they both prayed, and when we came back they were both totally ready. I said "How does Sunday sound?" and they were both excited and accepted. We asked them why they changed their minds, and they said it was personal, but I know they had a great spiritual experience. After church on Sunday we had a really great baptismal service. They both wanted me to baptize them, which was a little weird, but that's what we did. It was really a beautiful thing. Chely was just crying and crying, and she couldn't even talk but she was SO happy. You know how it is when you're so happy you just laugh and cry together? That's what she was doing. Honestly, it made me cry too, just to see her experience something so joyful. This was really special. They're really excited to do missionary work too, they gave us about eight referrals this week! They are really great. My first converts in Carrizo! WOO!

If you guys want to ask questions, that's totally fine, don't think I'm ignoring you, I'm just waiting for a less eventful week! (if that ever happens) I love being a missionary. Have you experienced a mighty change of heart? Because I sure have! Oh, I was going to mention, today in the district meeting, Elder Guillèn, our district leader, shared Jacob 1:19 with us.

• "And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day."

I'm starting to understand my mission a little better now. I love you all, have a fantastic week. Please pray for my investigators that they can get an answer to their prayers!

Nos vemos.

Elder Crabb