FAMILIA!!
The CCM is just amazing down here! I have already adapted to
the concourses of cockroaches creeping across me each night and the rats biting
my toes. All have some real creative names by now!! Haha Chiste!!! Life down
here is soooo awesome! I've never been in a place so spiritual and so
specifically run by the Lord himself!!
To start off I have to say
Happy Birthday to my sweet Grandma Karen that died of cancer years ago. No other
person I know had more Christ like love than that woman, she was such a
blessing for the short time I knew her. Also, someone ever so dear to me will
be celebrating his birthday this week, my loving FATHER! He has been such a
strong leader in our home and has allowed the holy power of the priesthood to
sink deep within the walls of our house. The amount of love he has for me and
my family is beyond comprehension and I’m sooo grateful to be able to call him
Dad. So, Happy Birthday Dad. I love you!
So here are some of the
more prominent experiences from the week:
- In priesthood this week our leader shared a
scripture in D&C chapter 84 verse 33 about how when doing the work of God,
he helps us by renewing our bodies each day... and it just really struck me as
the truth because every day you wake up so incredibly tired but no matter what,
you finish the day just fine and wanting to learn more. It’s amazing!
- So as my family could
probably attest to, before I came on the mission one thing I dreaded most was
fasting. My body just essentially went into comma mode each time I would fast.
So here at the CCM we had to fast for 24+ hours which, leading up to it, I was
deathly afraid because I could barely last maybe 18 at most at home. But I
prayed fervently, and fasted for a purpose in which I truly cared, and I got
through the day as though I had been eating all along. It was such a testimony
builder, that as long as you exercise enough faith, God can bless you with what
you desire.
- A fun fact, we are the
only MTC in the world to have a refreshment time each night, which consists of
chocolate milk and amazing, delectable pastries! That is almost always the best
time of day for me! :)
- We teach two lessons per
day now to each of our teachers and although it is extremely difficult and
takes a whole bunch of planning/ memorizing, it’s definitely worth it. My
companion and I have learned so much already about lessons and can already feel
the spirit so strongly.
- Literally everyone calls
my companion and I “The Twins” because we wear a lot of similar stuff, I guess
kinda look the same, act the same, like similar songs and sports and have the
same scripture on our mission plaques etc...... So one day while arguing we
weren't twins with everyone, we found out we have the exact same birthday....
needless to say we definitely didn't win that argument! Haha
- One of my favorite
missionaries here, Elder Laing from Orem, gave an awesome story about
missions.... In the Book of Mormon it mentions Samuel, A Lamanite, a lot while
it is introducing him and stuff but later on it refers to him as Samuel, THE
Lamanite, after he has conquered his fears and preached on the wall to the
wicked people. Just like Samuel became THE Lamanite, we too as missionaries have
to become THE missionary, not A missionary. There are thousands of missionaries
in the world today, but that doesn't matter when you get in the home of someone
and change their lives for eternity. For them, you are THE missionary. Just a
cool thought.
- My favorite quote for the
week: "Your mind is like a field, you will harvest whatever you plant in
it, so long as you nourish it with faith".
- My challenge for you all:
whenever you have a spiritually uplifting moment in your life, you HAVE to
write it down. I have learned this while down here in the CCM. God gave you
those experiences to build your testimony on, but what good are they going to
do if you can't look back on them when you need that spiritual strength. Not
everyone can be a Scott Crump and write a novel every day in their journal, but
I know it’s essential to at least write down those testimony builders when God
blesses you with them.
Well that’s about it for the week! I am so grateful to be
down here, and although it’s hard beyond belief at times, I know this is where
I need to be. And I can’t thank my God enough for the blessing to be able to
serve in His name!
Love you guys,
Elder Crump
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