Elder Ethan Crisp

Well this week was really good. We didnt have the baptism because Jose got sick but this week for sure youll have your pictures. We had an awesome experience this week. Heres some background--Tuesday mornings we usually have to go downtown to send the reembursements in the zone. But this past Tues we had some appts in the morning so we put it after lunch. When we got on the bus, we saw a young man get on too. After a few minutes he called to us in english and told us to sit by him. He said his name was Luis and that he was from Arizona and that he had a little bit of time living with his grandma here in Culiacan. He told us that a couple hours earlier he had gotten a call from his mom in Arizona, and that she told him about a dream that she had had--that she had seen some missionaries. She told him "the next time you see mormons, you have to talk to them." Two hours later he saw us on that bus. He has been so prepared by the Lord. The only hard part about teaching him is that he obviously speaks better english than spanish so he talks to us in english--its sooooooo hard to speak in English! But that literally the only problem. Another problem is that i probably wont be here to see him get baptized. But life goes on. We also had stake conference this week. An area seventy came--Elder Obando from the domincan republic (i think). It was really good. President Cantu was also there and his message was really powerful--he started off by telling all the members to stop treating us missionaries like little kids--to stop giving us nicknames and to turn off the TV when we get there, etc. That was good, cause sometimes that bugs me. There are times that they talk to us in the "tu" form (Dad understands that concept) and so he also addressed that. I´ll explain that--the "tu" form is the intimate form of "you." Its like saying thee, though that form is no longer used. Its used to talk to children and close friends--for example we as missionaries are not allowed to use it EVER. But his point was that we should be more respected by the members and that they should use the "usted" form which is the form of respect. So thats your spanish lesson for the week :)

This week i read a part of Ether that talks about secret combinations: in chap 8: "18 And it came to pass that they formed a secret acombination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.22 And whatsoever anation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the bblood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for cvengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have ano power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be bpersuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all crighteousness and be saved." I thought alot about this. It mentions there that secret combinatinos were the reason for the fall of the nephites and other nations, and i thought alot about Mexico--its full of secret combinations. The government is corrupt, the police are corrupt, there are a bunch of drug cartels (especially around here) and all that. And these combinations start with a sin--they are to cover sins and to keep sinning. Sometimes we make our own secret combinations--the classic "i wont tell if you dont tell." But that is not Gods way. He wants us to always be open and to repent openly of the things we do: "42 Behold, he who has arepented of his bsins, the same is cforgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.43 By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them." We should always ponder that before we go and do something that we know is wrong or when we are tempted to cover up our sins. Because secret combinations are the downfall of nations, and right now they are ruining this nation that i am serving.

Anyway....yes its ridiculously hot here. Its like 115 degrees but it feels hotter. Supposedly it cools off in October--i hope it does casue it sucks haha. Mom...sad to hear about the missionares going to Mongolia. There is definitely a reason--God would never let something like that happen if there wasnt a reason--maybe they wont see the reason immediately but they´ll see it. I dont know if i shared this story with you about a japanese missionary that was called to serve in Colombia. He never learned to speak spanish well. But when he had 2 months left, he met a japanese man in the street who asked him to teach his "family." His family was a whole colony of Japanese people--80 in total. Every single one got baptized. It would never have happened if he hadnt endured even though he could barely speak. They might not recognize that reason, but there is one. Dad....those pictures are ancient! I was such a scardy pants when i was little haha.

Well i hope you have an awesome week. I sure will! ¡Que tengan buena semana todos!

--Elder Crisp :)