8-18-2014

Well two more patojos en mi barrio got there mission calls! One is going to the Honduras Comayguela.... (Yes that makes three missionaries from the same ward, same mission!) and the other is going to Costa Rica! 

I hope Richard and Allyse had a great anniversary. We celebrated by finding 12 nuevo investigadores! It was a good day. 

Sunday was AWESOME!!!!! One of my first converts gave his first talk in la reunión sacramental! I almost cried. He talked about gaining faith in Christ. He is a dad of the two cutest girls in the world. Then a awesome joven gave a talk about the obra misional and told everyone that the should go out with us.. SHE IS AWESOME!!! And then we had a high council member give some cincho! Here is what he said in a rough translation: When we are at church we need to be at church. (Dia de reposo is kind of a really hard thing for everyone here) We made covenats with God and we need to do our part. Sometimes we let was the missionary’s stay on the surface of our skin, but we really need to make it apart of who we are. 

It called me to repentance and I know I need to be better. Church is the only time of the week that is calm. Everyday, all days of the week we are thinking of our investigators and how we can improve as missionaries. And sometimes on Sundays I let myself wander. At the beginning of my mission, I used the excuse that I don’t understand... but well, now I speak Spanish and understand when people talk. 

My compa and I made this goal that we are only speaking  between 8am-9:40pm. That is hard! But everyday it gets easier. At the beginning, I didn’t like personal praying in Spanish because I felt like I couldn’t feel as close to my father in heaven.... then with practice, I feel more comfortable praying in Spanish then in English... I don’t even no if I can pray in English.... and the same with studying the scriptures in Spanish, at first I didn’t like it because I couldn’t t understand... but now I only use Spanish scriptures. Moral of the story, when we show our dedication to God, he can bless us. I could have never imagined that I would be where I am last year around this time.

I love being a missionary. I am having the time of my life! 

Next week is my birthday!! I will be spending hiking a volcano with my Zone!  Ummmmm how awesome is that?! Where did you spend you 20th birthday? "I spent it in a volcano, in Guatemala!!"

I love you all!!! 

-Hermana Crouch 

8-11-2014

Yes, I am referring to my hair. I cut it all off because it is so hot here and aint nobody got time for that. I now am rocking a cute A-line... but lets get real, i always were my hair up jajaja

First of all, Feliz Aniversario Richard y Allyse!!! 4 years right?! Crazy! And know you have the worlds cutest boys ever!!!

I got pouch this week!!! Thank you to the fam and to Famila Upshaw! I got two awesome packages!! I haven’t opened them and I don’t know what’s in them because my compa took away the little slip that says whats on them..... My birthday is two weeks away!!! Good bye teenage years!!!!

I also got a letter from Chelsea... but it must have fell in the ocean or something because it got wet and everything smeared... I just about cried because I had a bad day but I waited all day to open it and then I couldn’t make our anything...  BUT I also got a letter from KENZ!!! I was going to wait for my birthday to open it but then I was sad about Chelsea letter so obvio, I had to open it.. BEST CARD EVER!! And I may have taken the glasses and put a sticky note over birthday and put birth MONTH so I can wear them ever day!!! 

This week we got 4 new fechas!! I love seeing the change in people when they come to the truth. But the best feeling ever is following a prompting and then realizing that is was the spirit. I love being a missionary. It is the biggest blessing of my life. I have never ever ever ever ever ever been so happy!!!!!

Funny story, true story: My DLs live in a more of a jungle then me and they were teaching this family and then theses boys came over and started throwing a NINE FOOT DEAD COBRA around and scaring all the girls. it made me think of Kyle... that is so something he would do.....

Also.... I looked and the clock today a 7;14 and the first thing I thought, Alma 7:14 is a great scripture to invite someone to baptisms ahaha it is great

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!

-Hermana Crouch... or Hermana Ouch, whichever is easier to pronounce 

8-4-2014

Before I get into that, I got cards form Tristin and josh and the Staheli family!!! Thanks guys!!!! BTW my birthday is in three week.... goodbye teenage years! Wait, what am I saying? I live in Guatemala, Adiós teenage years!!! Better, right?

CHELSEA!!! Feliz Cumpleano en la misión!!! Ya se va mucccccchaaa!!! Jk, you have six months left to ROCK IT!! Go get em!

My compa turned 21 this week! Her sister got married and her brother is leaving for his mission tomorrow. On her birthday we got brownies!!! Funny story true story, every time we see our ZL or DL we say: Brownies... whatttt? Secretly hopping they will one day bring us brownies... it worked!!! ON saturday, my compas sister got married and it was like 100000 degrees here. We were walking up a huge hill and we were dying of heat and she started laughing... Why would I want to be with all of my family, at the temple right now when I could be climbing this huge rocky mountain? Then we thought about it for a second, it is true. There is no better place then the mission. It does not mater what "awesome" things are going on back home, nothing compares to the joy the mission brings. Even when we are dying of heat.... ahaha it was nice moment of clarity. The mission is literally the best thing ever. I LOVE IT!!!

Oh... I had a finding Nemo moment this week. I was reading the libro de Mormon during personal study... you have to understand, when your mind set it in Spanish, even English words get pronounced in Spanish.. I came a across the word Escape.... I read it just like dorry and stopped and said, that’s funny, its spelt just like escape. I laughed pretty hard. I learn knew things everyday!!

Ummmmm family... did you not watch General Conf? Russell M. Ballard’s talk? Go read it again!! I am still waiting to hear from one of you to see what you learning in preach my gospel this week!!!

Okay important knowledge in life:

Live in the essence of the gospel

Through the atonement of Jesus Crist, all men can live happy, forever

Complete forgiveness is possible

Familias son eternal 

Everyday confirms more and more that this gospel is the only true church on the face of the earth. Yo se que Jesucristo vive.   

Stay true to the faith!!!! 

PS the picture is me real food that is not beans and eggs ahaha what a joke!