4th of July - El Salvador Style

Well as Zacho would say, "Yea MURICA" haha.  I can't believe it was already the 4th of July here. Crazy stuff. We didnt really get to do a whole lot here to celebrate... fireworks aren't allowed and we didnt have time for a BBQ... But I did buy my little flag, said the Pledge of Alligience, listened to MoTabs "God Bless America", and bought ice cream so that's good! haha I wanted to buy a full size flag but it was 30 bucks... so I partied with my little one instead. It's just so different being away from the states for the 4th of July. It's made me appreciate so so much all the freedoms we have at home and the great blessing we were given to have forefathers that fought so hard for liberty.

Besides the 4th of July, this week was a more normal week for my comp and I. Normal as in awesome and crazy because a normal week on the mission is always like that. We had some sweet lessons, and have been focusing a ton on just bearing the most powerful testimony possible to the people. My companion knows how to teach quite well so the quality of our lessons is awesome and I can almost always feel the spirit so strongly when we testify of the principles of the gospel. It's the most satisfying thing to leave a lesson after having taught the Restoration and just having the feeling in your heart that you have shared the message God wants you to with all his sons and daughters.

This week we were finally able to find the problem Alfredo had and it was just the coolest thing how it all happened. We were watching a little video on the law of chastity and then we asked him, "Do you have any questions?"  He said no and we were about to leave because we had no idea what else to teach.  We have already taught the commandments like 3 times to him. So we are getting ready to pray to leave and the thought just came to me.. You haven't taught ALL of the commandments... So I start thinking... and thinking and all of a sudden it hit me that we never said anything about pornagraphy. So I'm like "Dude, do you know what porn is?"  He's like "No...." We explain it and boom. Problem solved. We helped him out with his addiction and now he is going to be baptized this weekend or the next. It's just such a blessing we have to always be in tune with the spirit and know what to say exactly when we need to say something.

It was awesome because the church attendance this week stayed super high at 95 and a lot of the less actives came once again which was great. Carlos Linares and his family are doing perfect, they stayed for the three hours for the first time and are super happy. Oscar Castillo and his wife are taking the temple prep classes which is great for him as well. I talked to an Elder that was here before I got here and told him about how Oscar and Carlos were going to church and he couldn't believe it. Oscar had pretty much slammed the door on him. It's just cool because everyone really does have their time and people are always ready in the Lord's time, not our time.

I already don't have time, so the last thing from this week is that I woke up Thursday and my lip was just huge.  I have no idea how it all happened but it was so swollen.  I took a pic a few hours after so you can see. I'm pretty sure it was like a spider bite or something, but it was just the most embarassing thing in the world to have to leave to work with a mouth so messed up. But I just laughed it off and embraced the fact that everyone I passed buy on the road stared at me, haha. Gotta love it. So ya that's  all or the week. Enjoy Cali fam.  Zacho, the temple is the greatest place on Earth

. I love it there. Talk to ya all next week!

Elder Crump