3-31-2014

3-31-14

As you know, when I got my call, I was automatically told I would get

sick in the MTC. Well, everyone who I went on the plane with has had

their sickness.... except me... until a few days ago when I found

myself in the Guatemalan Hospital... UNA BROMA aka jk but I finally

did get sick. Worst stomach pains ever. But out of everyone, mine was

much less painful. Blessing! Okay, my p-days are ALL over the place....

please write me on Sunday night! And send me letters so have time to

read them! Don’t cover them in Jesus stickers like everyone said to,

that offends us Guatemalans ;) Ummm GERNERAL CONFERENCE is next

week!!!! We get to watch it together. Last general conference was very

special to me because I was listening and I knew I was going to be on

a mission next time General Conference was on and here I am!! Holla! That saves me from speaking in church! Every Sunday they randomly call on like 8

people to give a 5 minute talk in Spanish... hahah its a great joy.

Family, go to the temple this week! I love the temple here so much.

Every morning I walk down stairs and there is a huge glass window and

we get to see the temple every morning! We are going again tomorrow!

Tomorrow is our official p-day because all of the Latinos are leaving!

I love the Latinos so much!! I am going to cry. When they leave. They

want all the nordes to leave so they can deep clean so we are going on

a tour of the city, to the market place, and to a volcano! We get our

cameras back because it will only be the nordes! Yayyyyyy. I love the

art work here. They are the most beautiful pictures that I have never

seen before. If you have time look up a movie called Journey to Faith:

A new World.  It’s all about Christ coming to the Americas and it has

awesome illustrations. Sundays are full of movies! Everyday is 100

percent Spanish except Sundays. The only thing that is in Spanish is

sacrament meeting. Okay more on my week: Endure to the end is much cooler in Spanish, it means Perceiver to the end! The atonement is amazing. The church is so true! La iglesia es tan verdadera! It is such a privilege to be serving at this time.  We get to be a part of hastening the work! I know I chose to go on a

mission in the pre-earth life and I have never been more sure of

anything. Thank you guys for teaching me to never take family for

granted. A lot of the missionaries here realize how much their

families means to them because they aren’t here. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I

think my p-day is Wednesday next week but we will see! I would trade my

favorite day in the states for the worst hour at the MTC. That’s how

much I love it here. It is truly amazing. I wouldn’t trade this

experience for anything. If you are on the fence about serving a

mission, don’t be. It is the BEST decision you will ever make. Haz Lo

Josto and keep the faith! Until next week -Hermana Crouch SEND ME

LETTERS ;)

3-26-2014

3-26-2014

So apparently, tengo hombre means i have man...... tengo hambre means,
I am hungry. Whoops! That was my first of many Spanish mistakes. HOLY
COW I LOVE BEING A MISIONARY. The MTC is the best thing to ever happen 
to me. I love ever second here. We have like no time to email and I
 had 24 emails to read. THANK YOU EVERYONE! I feel your love and 
support and prayers! I have the greatest district in the world. I love my teachers!  
Free time? What is that?  We have Elders Williams & Wright they both have
 twins! There is Elders Handson & Borelace.  Fun fact,
Guate started The Happy Meal and McDonalds! I constantly feel Gods love. It is amazing and so special. SPANISH is hard but the gift of tongues is real. Maybe I
 shouldn’t have dropped out of Spanish so many times....... The first 
day was amazing. There are 62 people here at the MTC and 24 of us are
Nordes. (That’s what they call us) President Cox says we are the 
largest group of Nordes he has ever had. He and his wife are from 
California. I LOVE THEM. I know they love us. Sooo when we first go t
here they took are cameras away from us... I guess some of the Latinos 
like our cameras as ,much as we do... So you guys wont be getting any
 pictures for the next 5 weeks. Its been one week already????? Each 
day is long (16 hours of classes) and then I dream about being a 
missionary. I’m a 24 hour missionary and I love every second! They keep
 us busy and there are A LOT of rules. HAhahah remember my luggage
 tags? They misspelled Guatemala.... no worries I just think its funny.
WE HAVE A REAL INVESTIGATOR!!!! Her name is Katerin. I love her! We 
started teaching her on day one.... Remember how I didn't know any
 Spanish when I got here? I'm pretty much fluent..  LOL JK but the gif t
of tongues is so real. When we teach her, I suddenly turn into a 
fluent Spanish speaker. Craziest thing ever. A rule in the lunch room 
is that we can only speak Spanish haha, the first few days I was 
pretty quite. But now we talk ALL the time. We room with two Latinos, 
one is from Nicaragua and the other is from Bolivia. I love them!!
 Teaching the gospel can sometimes be a challenge... now try sharing it 
in a language you don’t know. Uhhh yeah its hard BUT SO REWARDING. Fun
 fact we are the only MTC in the world to have snack time at 7:45
 we all go down stairs and have a snack together. Sunday was the best
 Sunday I have ever had in my life. I only have a few minutes left 
on line so I'll write a letter! I love my teacher Hermano Menendez, he 
is the Guatemala David Archuleta.. jk but really they could be 
brothers. He is so nice! Wanna hear the most embarrassing moment of my 
life???? Okay long story short" we were doing an activity as a 
district where it required running... we were in skirts.... and church
 shoes... I tripped and fell in fount of my whole district... it was
 more like a James bond roll.. Pretty intense stuff. I love you guy’s so
 much! I am so sorry I didn't get to reply to any emails. Yo sé que el
Libro de Mormón y la iglesia es verdadero!!! Jesucristo es nuestro
salvador. Share your testimony! It will bring you happiness! I love you 
all!! Until next week, Hermana Crouch

Kelsey arrived in Guatemala safe and sound

3-19-2014

Im here! The key boards are in spanish so exucse my mistakes. I AM SO HAPPY HERE. I have never been more happy. The group the flew to \guate with me is the biggest group of nordes "north americans| that my mtc president has ever had. There is 6 sisters and 8 elders. I love them ALL. Coolest bunch of people ever. So funny story, true story, we flew around guate for an extra 20 minutes because there was a dog on the runway and we couldn\t land! Mom, no worries, I am safe. They feed us so much great things. New fruit! I feel like I have been here for a week! My spanish is... getting better! The gift of tonges is real, they only speak in spanish but somehow i understand everything! We getting to go to the temple four times this week. everything is beautiful. i love it. my compaion is from provo her name is sister flewallen, i like her! The gospel is true! My pday is on tuesdays! I love you all!\

 

Hermana Crouch