Elder Ethan Crisp

Well hope you all have had an awesome week. This week was kind of a rollercoaster. To start, Tuesday we went around with members from Relief Society telling em to go visit Yaneth in the hospital. Then that night, we called her husband to make sure of the room and the bed and all that in teh hospital and she answered! She was feeling all better and was at home. She still have a stone in her pancreas but she was good enough to go and that was just awesome. Plus, a friend of Angelica, the girl that got baptized about a month ago said she wanted to get baptized too (she has been going to church and mutual and all that). We talked with her parents and they said that she could if she understood why she was going to do it. So we got super excited. But then Friday night we got an interesting phone call from the zone leaders--"Elder, the assistants just called--special changes, you are going to leave Monday for Culiacan." That was different enough but then he added, "and youve been bumped up to zone leader." WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I thought they were messing with me but it turns out that they were not. So here i am in Culiacan, in the zone Culiacan in Villa Verde with Elder Sandoval as zone leader. I was so surprised all weekend long that i dont even remember well what we did. What i do remember well is last night. First we went with Miriam to say the good byes and that was normal (all the kids gave me a little gift including some stuffed animals and candy and stuff like that :) ). But then we went with Yaneth. First we watched the Joseph Smith movie (do you have that, mom?--i think it comes with the set of D&C videos that you bought. If not, look for it--its a little different and better than the one we saw in Salt Lake). After, i broke the news that i was going to go and she started to tear up a bit. The she offered the closing prayer and said "bless me that i can get baptized and bless 'el hermano' Crisp so that he can know that i got baptized." I walked out of there tearing up a little bit. I was kinda of sad really but i realize that i am here for a reason and i have been given this assignment (although i still feel inadecuate and unprepared) for a reason. Either i have to learn something or someone else from me i dont know--maybe both. Either way it comes from God. So here i am, in the same zone i was like 2 months ago--in fact the two areas touch and my companion is still there and my district leader when i was there is still there and now im his leader haha. Its a weird sitch. But apparently there are a lot of problems in the zone right now. My patriarchal blessing talks about how i would strengthen companionships on my mission--maybe this is the time.

To answer your questions and comment on your comments....Mom...i am feeling better--but i still have a cough which is kinda annoying but whatevs. Good for Ben and Stephen and the Dodgers. Its always good to hear that our baseball teams are winning :) Gosh i loved that talk by E. Holland so much (did i tell you guys that his grandson was in my area like 3 years ago. His name is exactly the same Jeffrey R Holland. Fun Fact!). Hes my favorite! He just knows how to motivate. I really like his talk in this GC too (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-laborers-in-the-vineyard?lang=eng). it makes me happy that you have the missionaries over so much and that they are good. I remember a while back when they came over a lot but that kinda faded. I am gonna invite the missionaries over as much as i can after--and im gonna work a whole bunch with em. I almost cant wait haha.

I'll leave the talk from E. Holland for yall as the spiritual thought--it talks alot about our attitudes..towards new members, towards members in general, and for ourselves in our own repentance. Its a solid talk--im sure youve already studied it. I thought a bit about what you guys now say "Remember Ethan...i miss him" (thats such a Nikki thing--and by the way who is Ethan? That name doesnt have meaning anymore for me). I thought about that and that im gonna miss some birthdays this week. Happy 32nd Birthday to Mom and 15th to Ben! Eat some extra cake and scream a little bit louder for me at the Dodger game. Its true that i miss things like that--like in the moment like right now but in 10 minutes ill forget all about it and get focused again. I absolutely love the mission. Its freaking hard haha and its only gonna get harder, but i love it. Like e. Holland says, (directed at Ben and Stephen), dont do anything thatll make you unable to go on a mission. You'll regret it for the rest of eternity.

I love you guys so much. I realize that time goes by faster and faster every day and in June i'm gonna finish a year and it'll only go faster but im gonna try to enjoy this time--before i know it i'll be home and i'll have to live life which is really scary but oh well haha. Well thats all i got for ya.

¡Que tengan buena semana!

--Elder Crisp :)