Elder Ethan Crisp

It´s almost not fair how fast these weeks go by and they keep saying
they go faster and I´m just getting started! There´s a trend going on
in the mission field everywhere and that is that missionaries start
training earlier. There are two missionaries from my generation that
are training right now and my district leader keeps telling me that
i´ll be training too next transfer. Híjoles that´s nervewracking. But
I´ve got five weeks--semanitas haha--to deal fight that off and get
better so that if it comes i´ll be ready--though i´m thoroughly
convinced that the transfers by President and the Assistants are
inspired and if it happens it means i´m ready. Like i said i´ve got
time.

I´ll get past the worldlyness first--PUJOLS--what are ya thinkin? I´ve
now lost some respect for him haha. Bummer about the Colts right?
How´s college football going? Have the bowls started yet? Just curious
:P... I´ve noticed some things while i´ve been here. One is that
Stephen is absolutely hilarious. Out of nowhere something reminds me
of something he said or did and i start laughing and my comp looks at
me like i´m crazy. Those ideas for the movie are so Stephen and
Nathan--and they made me laugh. BTW I didn´t feel the earthquake--i´m
was out of reach i think... Mom, thanks for sending that talk--i´m
glad that my experiences can constitute a talk....Dad, my trainer went
to Boise State before the mission and he always said he hated the
Boise Temple (not really hated obviously--its a temple) because its
super ugly-- but who knows haha....Amy, Google translator is working
fine haha. Please send that music, though i still don´t have a way to
listen to it, i want it haha.....I haven´t gotten the package yet--we
were going to go pick it up today but we´re gonna go next week i
think. I hope you didn´t send that new camera :/.....Also, some happy
news about "the call." We are going to call the 24th. What´s going to
happen is we are going to have the call from the church, and you guys
are going to call me. We have another week so we are going to figure
out what time and how and get back to you next week. We have 2 hours
to call. My companions dad said that its best for him in the morning
so get back to me if there is a problem with that. Also, check the
TIME ZONES please so there isn´t a problem like that. I´m pretty sure
its an hour the difference, but this computer says its 2 so check on
it and we´ll talk next monday about all this again.

Awesome....so the highlight of this week was thursday--the Festival
Navideńo. IT was all the missionaries that are in Sinaloa--those in
Baja California couldn´t come. We started off with breakfast then they
gave us the mission tshirt for this year and the anuario--its a little
booklet with all the missionaries in the mission. Then the battles
began--we played Dodgeball. First we had teams and my team made it to
the finals but we lost--i was the last one and i tried to catch a ball
but i dropped it :( But after the battle really began--it was
Mexicans vs. Foreigners (Americans and the few from other countries).
Its like 60/30 Mexicans but yah we won. It went down 4 on 4 and I got
the last 3 out, hitting two and catching the last one. We chanted USA
afterward to show our dominion haha. After we had lunch and then the
devotional. It was a testimony meeting. At first i thought--i bear my
testimony every day, why would i bear it now. But then i felt that i
should, but then the line got long and i thought-they´re going to cut
it off now because there´re too many-and so i never went up. About an
hour later when they finally said that they would hve no more i
regreted so much not going up. I made a little covenant as i sat there
regretting--I´m NEVER again going to give up an opportunity to bear my
testimony. It doesn´t matter the place or the time or to who, i´m
going to take it. I´ve realized that i have been so blessed to have
been born in the Church--especially in these times when its so
critical to have that foundation. I need to bear testimony more--even
though i do it like 50 times a day--EVERY OPPORTUNITY POSSIBLE i need
to take. It was just an awesome day to see all my friends (almsot all)
from the MTC and be able to speak in english haha. And to feel the
spirit as missionaries shared their experiences and why they´re here
in the mission. I´ve realized that my life has been soooooooo easy.
All the problems i´ve had have been caused by my own mistakes--i´ve
never had a trial not caused by myself. I need to work to show my
appreciation for the life that Heavenly Father has given me. And I
need to start doing things of my own like it says in D&C 58. I don´t
need to be senior companion to work like a senior companion. That´s
what i´m going to work on most in the coming weeks. Just be better.

As i´ve taught the Plan of Salvation, i have realized some
things--mostly about how practical it all is. And really how straight
forward the call for us is. The things we have to do are simple: have
faith, repent, get baptized, recieve the Holy Ghost and ENDURE TO THE
END.3 Nephi 27:17 says: "And it shall come to pass, that whoso
arepenteth and is baptized in my bname shall be filled; and if he
cendureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my
Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world." As i´ve
taught about the Spirit World i´ve given thought to this. 2 Nephi 31:
14 says this " But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice
of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and
witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments,
by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of
the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the
tongue of angels, and after this should adeny me, it would have been
bbetter for you that ye had not known me." Its so simple also as i´ve
thought about temple work. Those people who didn´t have the
opportunity have the chance through us to be baptized and move from
prison to paradise as they complete the Gospel--those 5 steps. But if
we don´t endure, we´re stuck in prison without a way out until the
resurrection. And less will we have the chance to live in the
Celestial Kingdom and enjoy living in the presence of Heavenly Father,
Jesus, and our families. For that reason it is super important to
endure--alsways doing those things that we know to be right. Because
we have this knowledge and so comes the responsbility.

Thanks for the support and the love that is always there. Though
sometimes at first i´m kinda bummed when the page comes up and there´s
only a couple of emails, I quickly realize that that doesn´t really
matter. I love you all and i know you love me and i´m grateful for
that. I´m excited for Christmas though it´s way different and i´m
looking forward to this christmas eve when i´ll get to hear your
voices. Have an awesome week. ˇQué tengáis buena semana! (that´s
vosotros haha)

--Elder Crisp ;)