Well …..this is Hermana Crouch last letter to us.  I have been blessed to have such a strong Daughter of God to serve.  I cant wait to see her beautiful face tomorrow.  Yes, ITS TOMORROW SHE WILL BE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9-14-2015

I didn’t think Id be writing but here I am!!

Okay 11 September was the craziest day!! I spent Karter birthday having the biggest food fight I have ever been in. So we had a Group BBQ/ goodbye party thing. We had like 50 people show up. We laughed and ate and played games in a place called El Sitio (where the monkey is) And then the night started to wind down.. it was only us and the Familia Agustin and the Elders. They brought out a cake and the tradition is that the person has to bite in and then if you are loved you get your head smashed in it.... I felt pretty loved. I pulled a, [Hey look over there!!!¨ and then bit the cake real quick... but then everyone thought I should end up with cake on my face. Then the cake war started. EVERYONE was covered in cake. Then we have extra tomato and eggs... gross I know. But then someone wanted to take picture of us all gross so I went over (trusting them) and as they took the picture I got three gallons of tamarindo juice on me. We went home so gross but it was so fun. 

Then Saturday we had an activity in Ipala with all the Hermanas. That was cool!!

Sunday: BEST DAY EVER. The primary did so good. I was amazed about how wonderful it was. Then Hna Bertha (our convert) bore her testimony and I almost cried. She is a rock. These people here have to go through the refinners fire real early. It is hard to be a member here because the church is so newo San Luis. I then gave a talk and I almost cried again. We had the highest church attendance that I have ever seen here. People that haven’t been to church in the longest time came because their son was in the program. We also met some of the actives that where baptized in Ipala 15 years ago about 2 months ago. We have become really close to them and they came to church again!! Everything was amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better day. I wish you could have been there to see. 

All my suitcases are packed... with cantaros ahaha I received like 20 of them. Dad, you will need to put up a shelf in my room to hold them all!  

I LOVE YOU GUYS!! The mission is the best!! The church is true!! See you en two... days!!

Hermana Crouch

9-7-2015

GO BIG OR GO HOME... or DO BOTH!

May have robbed that titulo de Chels when she came home... YOLOSWAG.

This week has been crazy. Elections are going on. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time and we accidently met the president of Guatemala and we were recorded on national television. Haha no joke. I haven’t even seen the president of the united states, let alone meet him! They always have these crazy caminatas here and we are always accidently finding ourselves stuck in the middle. 

Things were supposed to get pretty crazy here. We were instructed to have two days of food ready just in case anything happened. And we had to be in the house early. But nothing happened. In the morning we woke up to do exercises and we saw a fist fight... we decided it would be best to go back inside. But it has been super chill here.

This upcoming week...  ayyyy no. I think I might die. Just kidding but really. In my set apart blessing it talks about when I come home I will be mentally and physically tired. I think I was given a heads up but I didn’t realize that I would be this tired. Okay so tomorrow I have my last interview with president. We have to travel to Chiquimula. Then we have district meeting Wednesday. Thursday we have to go buy all the food for our Group BBQ on Friday. And then Friday we have weekly planning (which always talks FOREVER) and then we have to travel back to San Luis and start helping cooking the food. Saturday we are having an activity with the Hermana’s in Ipala. We are all one branch but we are separate.                 the props of running the relief society and the primary. And then after the elders will have a baptism of a great family. And then Sunday we have the primary program and I have to pack and start my long journey to the capital. And then the following Tuesday is independence day here so the temple will only be open in the morning...... who knows what I will be doing all day that day.

Then we all know what happens Wednesday.  It still hasn’t hit me yet.

But, I do know for sure that I have never given so much to anything I have ever done. I will come home content knowing that worked my very hardest until the end. I have had the best 18 months. I have learned more and grown more than I ever thought possible. I know my Savior lives. I know he know each one of us. I know that our Heavenly Father hears every prayer. Even when it felt that no one knew how I felt, I always felt the sweet assurance that I am a child of God and He is very aware of everything that goes on. I have seen His hand in my life. He has gotten me through the hardest times. The mission isn’t all fun and games. Sometimes,  it is really hard. I have learned to listen the spirit and rely on the Lord. I know the church is true. Thank you for all the support I have received. You guys rock!! I love you!!!

I don’t know if I will be writing next week, but see you next week!!

-Hermana Crouch

8-31-12015

Okay, I love birthdays on the mission! But I always end up getting cake smashed in my face... it is a Guatemalan thing. The weeks a flying by!

Last week on my birthday we were supposed to have a tri-mission conference but it wasn’t smart to bring all the missionaries in because it is election time here and I guess it is pretty dangerous in the Capital... Don’t worry, I am suppppppppppper far away from the cap. And no worries because we will be coming back to Gaute after the elections so all will be safe again.

BUT Pres. Nelson (yes from the 12) went to El Salvador and we had a virtual conference, which was still pretty sweet...., until the last 20 minutes and the connection went out.... but hey! I learned so much. I LOVE THE MISSION. I have learned and grown so much. I know without a doubt that the church is true. It is the only way to eternal happiness.

My companion is doing great! She is learning Spanish so quickly. It amazes me how fast we can’t pick up the idioma. MIRICAL! I remember when I started off; I thought I was NEVER going to learn... but hey! I can get myself around now haha

I love you all!! Sigan pilas patojos!!

Hermana Crouch 

8-24-2015

FAMILIA!!!

Okay so week was the best!! I got my birthday packages and I decided to opened them on Saturday because we threw a little girl in our branch a birthday party and I knew there would be decorations I started to pull out the board shorts and say, [Wait, why do I need theses... we cant go swimming!![ And them Hna Kioa said, Maybe it is a clue that they are taking you to Hawaii when you get back!! Then it clicked... theses are the things that they got these when they went there a few months ago.

Today I have no time to write because we went to esquipulas and I went in a cave and got SUPPER dirty.... but I finally got a new backpack. My old one was super sad. 

Ummmmm we are working supper hard. 

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

Have a great week!!

8-3-2015

This week has been crazy.

Let me just tell you guys about of exploding toilet. So we all know that you cant put toilet paper in the toilets here because the plumbing is not all that great.... but we went on divisions and the Hna Liders broke it. So we had to go to the ferretería to get some drain-o... the gave us so black market stuff. HOLY SMOKES BAD IDEA. It was this black group but we trusted it. We put a little bit in and then the toilet started to smoke and the water started to boil.... AKA WE OUT *said in a Californian togan voice. All of a sudden we hear an explosion so we went in to see what happened and there was a huge crack on the toilet and the black stuff was just flowing out. We ran to the pila and started dumping out a ton of water... good thing our bathroom is outside. But then we cleaned it really quickly and went out to work. We came home and the crack wasn’t there any more. Milagro? I think yes. 

My poor compa is still adjusting to the food here. She has gotten sick about every other day. But she is going great with the Spanish. Change calls was last night... obvious that we didn’t get changes. I LOVE HER AND SAN LUIS. It is the bomb. 

On Saturday we got chased by pigs. It was pretty scary but we lived.

Other then that we are just working really hard and being obedience’s. 

I love you guys so much.

Sigan pilas

Hermana Crouch