Father's Day...Happy Day...Changes Day

Well my dearest family. The mission is awesome. And it seems as though another change has come and gone and I can hardly believe it. So my companion has changes Wednesday so I’ll have to let you know next week who my new comp is. It’s been a roller coaster ride with Elder Hernandez but I’m pretty sure I’ve learned more from him than all the other companions I have had. He’s a great guy and I know he will have a lot of success in his next area... So ya, I’ll be here in Buena Vista at least another 6 weeks!

Seeing as though I didn’t get to talk about it last week in my letter. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY POPS!! I literally can’t express the amount of love I have for you and how grateful I am to have a dad as awesome as you. Throughout my time here on the mission I’ve been able to look back on every single experience we had together and it almost always corresponds with a general conference talk or some scripture or something. In the moment I have to admit I sometimes thought you had no idea what you were talking about and well, now I know... tenia toda la razon, haha. I laugh so much when I think about when you took Zacho and me to Butterfield Canyon and talked about girls and having respect for them. Zacho and I were just like laughing the whole time and couldn’t figure out what you were trying to get at. We just wanted to eat the hot dogs and get out of there. Years later the things you had said came to my mind and I realized how important the lesson was that you were trying to teach us. I could tell about a million other times you taught me important things but I think the most important is that I love you Dad. You’re the best father in the world and I’m so grateful to be your son!

Hmmm, there’s a whole bunch of things I would like to say from this week. So first thing is that Elder Alonso came this week to a meeting we had and he taught us so many awesome things. He is so powerful and the spirit he carries is unreal. So he was talking to us about studying the scriptures and taking lessons out of stories that we don’t usually catch. We were talking about Lehi’s vision and how we could compare it to the Plan of Salvation. He’s like, ‘How many sons did Lehi have...6... how many partook of the fruit? 4. Nephi Sam Joseph and Jacob. How many didn’t take the fruit? 2.Laman and Lemuel. So.... 4/6 decided to partake of the fruit. Which is the same amount of people that decided to come to this earth. 2/3 of the hosts of heaven chose to come to the earth and follow the plan of Jesus Christ. While the other 1/3. (Laman and Lemuel) chose to follow Satan’s plan.' Hopefully that makes sense. It’s just crazy how someone could understand that. So ya the meeting with Elder Alonso was awesome.

I made a new record this week of not going a single day without eating rice and chicken. Yippee, haha!

I finally got the Liahona from the last conference session in English. And I thought listening to the talks the first time was amazing!

This week was so sweet because the guy who we are going to marry this weekend went to church. Alfredo was able to go as well and stayed the whole three hours, which is huge. And the best thing of all was that Carlos Linares, who had problems with his wife getting assaulted and stuff and who we have been visiting a lot, came to church for the first time in 3 years. Boy oh boy did I have the biggest smile on my face when I saw him walking through the chapel doors! It was the coolest thing ever. He has been through so much but was finally able to understand that it doesn’t matter what we have to go through if we are able to make it to the temple as a family. I’m excited to continue to help him progress and prepare to enter into the temple in the coming months.

That’s probably all I have time for this week. Zacho, I’m jealous of the cruise bro. That’s so rad. Dad, I hope yesterday was a good Father’s Day. You’re the best. Grandpa Crump and Stevenson, I have to say thanks to you guys as well for being such great fathers and grandfathers. You guys are some of the best examples in the world! Have a great week fam, love ya!

Elder Crump

Zona Chalchuapa with Elder Alonso.
Matthew's on the first row of elders, sixth from the left (sort of).

Elder Hernandez eating a mango.

Study time :0)