Special Witness of Christ

Well folks, it’s Monday again so it seems I’ll have to fill you in on this week’s events.

My companions and I get along really well. I thought it would be a lot harder to be in a trio but I actually like it a lot. We are always laughing and having fun and overall it’s helped me to be more excited about the work. The only downside is that Elder Alberca is going to leave in two more weeks so our time is short. The best part of it all is that the area were Elder Alberca was, is without missionaries, so we aren’t supposed to go contact to find new people there... but we are allowed to go visit the members that give us dinner :) haha!

So in our area we are struggling a ton to find new people to teach. My area is like the size of our ward back at home and it really seems like everyone is less active and doesn’t want anything to do with the church, or has already heard the missionaries like 100 times before. We are working on finding new ways to find people.  But something funny that happened was we were contacting houses one night and my comps just like, ‘One more house then we will go home’...I’m just like ‘Ok man, sounds good!’ So we go to a house and the yard in front is pretty big, but we yell BUENAS!! And the lady just shouts ‘Come right in!!’ My comp gives me a grin like, Ya I told you so...I just shake my head. We walk in and they are having a little cult with like 5 people. We sit down and I’m like ‘Dude, let’s get out of here.’ But he’s like ‘Just wait.’ So the lady starts giving this huge sermon and is like screaming in our faces about the Bible and who knows what else... so I tell her we have to go but she’s like ‘NO! We need to pray for you.’ I said that was ok and so they all get down on their knees and start praying. Praying here is that everyone shouts random stuff that hardly makes sense all at the same time. But the lady that was the preacher starts going and then while we are praying, walks over to my comp and puts her hands on his head, and the rest of the people in the room followed. They came to me and then finished with Elder Alberca. And with each one they gave us a special blessing. It’s hard to describe how it all went down but it was the weirdest thing ever. To be blessed by an 80 year old lady speaking with the gift of tongues as they say.... once in a lifetime experience for sure!

The sweet thing that happened this week was that Elder Quentin L. Cook came to visit us and I was able to see Dallen Howell again. (A tri-mission conference, all three El Salvador missions).  He is still out in San Miguel. But Elder Cook talked to us for a good while in the church by the temple, same with the rest of the general authorities. But anyway the meeting was coming to a close and Elder Cook started to tell us about how a guy asked him once why they weren’t more direct in the testimony that they share with people. He explained to us that as it says in PMG that sometimes things that happen are sacred and it’s not something that we just go around sharing with everyone. But he’s like, ‘After that moment I have decided to be more direct about my testimony.’ So he then shared his testimony of Christ and said some stuff that just blew my socks off. I felt the spirit so strong and even though I have heard apostles speak a million times before, I knew that he literally was a special witness of Jesus Christ. The spirit was just so so strong in the room and everyone fell dead silent. He finished and we sang Called to Serve, and wow! It was such a special experience. It was just something that made me know that Christ really is at the head of the Church. He guides it in every little thing. The apostles are called by him to testify to the entire world, and we represent them as missionaries. I KNOW that the organization of the church is perfect and that our leaders are called of God. It’s something that the spirit showed me in such an amazing way.

That’s all the time I have, but I love you all a lot. Life is crazy, stressful, hard, and challenging but, it’s awesome. I wouldn’t want to be anything different right now in my life except a representative of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have a great week!

Elder Crump

At the falls again.

I suspect these are the elders in his district.

With Elder Dallen Howell.

San Salvador Temple.

Life Lessons

Hey there family! Good to hear from all ya guys and know that the funeral went well. I would have liked to be there but what can ya do! Thats great that the navy was there for the burial and everything. Im sure it was an emotional day. This week we have changes and Ill be staying here in Juayua! My new companion is Elder Alacan from Guate I believe, they are doing the changes really differently now so all the missionarys know who there comp will be before the changes meeting. Ill also be in a trio...yipee haha with elder alberca from peru who is finishing his mission this change. We will be working in two areas and stuff so who knows how thats all gonna go down! Im pumped though!

This week I was thinking a lot about something that happens all too much here in the mission with members. We visit a lot of less actives as missionarys and well, here there are A TON. So anyway this week I was visiting one of them and just talking about all that had happened and why they had stopped going to church. He explained why and for the first time here I actually understood the guy. Like what had happened really was rough, but I told him sorry for what happened but, ya still need to go to church! He doesnt what to still. A couple days later Im visiting an active member and she tells me about things that happened a while ago and how hard it was for her. The two stories were actually pretty similar and I had to admit they were terrible experiences.. The difference though, one is still active in the church, and the other isnt. In the church, we are bound to go through things that make us uncomfortable, or shamed to go to church, but as this lady taught me thats still active. The church is true. Thats all. Thats all we need to know. All the stuff that happens, even if its with church members really doesnt matter. Its just another trail in life. If your bishop does something bad that doesnt make the church bad. Thats just him. So I invite all you guys, if anythings happened in the church to just keep pushin on. Embrace the trials and remember that every single person in the leadership of the church is there for a reason. God called them. So we need to accept them. Just another good life lesson I learned here.

Thats all I have time for so we will see you all next. Ill keep Grandma in my prayers. Love you all and take advantage of the fact that you are members of the only true church upon the face of the earth! Until next week...

Elder Crump

With Familia Campos and Familia Tadeo.

Elder Leiva

"It's a Great Day to be a Miner" (In honor of Gpa Crump)

Buenos Dias mi querida familia...

Hearing about Grandpa Crump and everything was pretty rough for me but, luckily enough, we have so much to do that I haven’t been able to think about it much. The reality is that Grandpa Crump taught me one thing; If I’m gonna do something, I’m going to do it right the first time, and give it everything I’ve got. Everyday in the mission is so hard to not just slack off a tiny bit and relax for a second. But what Gpa taught me, by example, is if I’m going to be here, I’m going to give it every last bit of effort I can. I’m sure he is doing the same thing in the Spirit World right now. You’ll have to record all the stuff from the funeral to send to me!

Well, first things first! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE BROTHER!! Turning 19 already, yikes! What a better way to celebrate the day this Thursday than by working in the Lord’s vineyard! Hopefully the day goes well for ya and the members give you at least a little bit of cake and stuff! Birthdays in the mission are well.... one of a kind but I’m sure the day will treat you well. Having my bro reppin’ the Crump name in Cali is one of the greatest blessings. So keep giving it your all man!

Alrighty folks, this week we had a bit of improvement with things and the work. We were able to have a baptism date to finish the week, so that was great. Sister Ana also went to church for the first time, so that was a miracle. We just want to take the rest of the family next week now! We also had our leadership meeting for the month and it was awesome because we got to do it in President’s house for the first time! I’ll send some pictures.

So this week I went to do an interview in Nahui and I was really excited because it was an awesome kid and I always learn in interviews.  Anyways, I was talking to him and he asked me a bunch of stuff about keeping the Sabbath day holy. I started to explain all the doctrine. He asked me, ‘What about playing soccer?’ I told him I played soccer some at home but knew it was important not to play on Sunday, so I never did. And so I invited him to stop playing and things... well, then he says, ‘Can I watch soccer or other sport games on Sunday?’ I’m like ‘No...you aren’t suppose to.’ but then when I started to explain and testify... I just couldn’t. It was really weird. And all I could manage to say was that he would have to talk to the elder that was teaching him... He said he would ask him and that was that. But it really hit me after and I felt bad. It was like the movie of Preparing to be a Missionary by Elder Holland where the kid goes out on the mission and has the moment to testify but the words just choke in his mouth and he can’t do anything. Lucky for me, it wasn’t anything serious, but it’s true. We literally can’t testify of something we haven’t lived. It’s impossible. The words just won’t leave when we try to talk. I watched football and soccer on Sundays so I couldn’t tell this kid to not do it either. I just want to invite you all to live worthily so you can testify of ALL the gospel principles there are. Because only then will you have power in your words to convince others.

The mission life is a life of miracles.  So the miracle of this week was that we were teaching Ana with her daughter this week and had left a BofM and she read 3 Nephi 11. Before we had taught her about the restoration but she totally rejected it.. and wouldn’t stop saying she KNEW that we needed to baptize babies. So anyways, we decided to teach her at least a little of the BofM and stuff before dropping her because she would at least always receive us when we would visit. Anyway we are reading a bit of 3 Nephi 11 and a member is just like ‘Alright Hermana Ana, read these verses’, which were those that talk about the exact way to baptize and things. Ana read all the verses and the member just shares an awesome testimony and tells her, with love, that the doctrine of baptism is what she read, nothing more and nothing less. And Ana just sits there listening and says... ‘Yeah I believe all that.’ I’m just like ‘WHAT!?! What did you just say???’ haha, I couldn’t believe what she was saying. She was so adamant that we needed to baptize babies and all that stuff just a week ago, and now she’s just like ‘Yeah, I get that. I believe it. If I can get married to my husband, I’ll get baptized. And I’ll go to church this week as well.’ And well, she went! It was such a miracle with the BofM and the power of the scriptures. It just blew my mind away!

I gotta head out for a zone activity but love ya all, good luck at the funeral this weekend. Stay classy family!

Elder Crump

With Elder Leiva.

Mission Leader Conference (Elders)

The Spirit and the Truth

Muy Buenos Días Familia Crump! Que gusto tengo de poder escribirles en este hermosa mañana... Si todos solo pudieran entender español, pues les escribiría así, pero no.... haha well family, it was good to see all your smiling faces on Christmas and especially to see Gpa again! I’m glad to know everything is going well and that everyone is happy and healthy. I’ve gotta say thanks to everyone that wished me Happy Birthday. It really makes a big difference seeing everybody that took the time to wish me a happy day. You guys are awesome. Definitely have the best family and friends in the world!

This week was super crazy out here in Juayúa. With the holidays and stuff, people here in El Salvador get crazy, and on top of all that the festive days for the year are this week and the next week. It’s like the entire city of Juayúa is partying 24/7 and literally nobody is in their houses. You could say it’s a little hard to do some missionary work, haha. But the good thing is that everyone is happy and even though a bit drunk, like to watch movies of Christ and learn more.

So the coolest experience of this week was the following... President Spjut randomly shows up to our house New Year’s Day in the morning to see if we start our studying in time. (Luckily we didn’t have a midnight party and I was already studying) but he came to study and work with us for the morning. Cool stuff. But anyways, after we studied we started a practice for one of the lessons we were gonna teach that day. We were gonna teach the BofM and why it was that the Lord wanted the people here to have it. So President just starts teaching out of the blue and tells my comp to read the very first intro to the BofM, like before the introduction. And started teaching about how God just wants to make the exact same covenants with the people here that he made with them in the past. I don’t know why, because President just explained it normally, and didn’t use great Spanish, but the Spirit just entered the room instantly and my comp started crying. It took me by surprise but I just felt so strongly that what he had just taught was completely true. The BofM was written precisely for that purpose. And I need to help the people here understand what the covenant is. In reality, how we explain things doesn’t matter. If it’s true what we are saying, the Spirit testifies of it. It only depends on whether or not the people want to accept it or not. We just have the responsibility to share the truth, and let the Spirit do the rest.

We were able to find a bunch of new people to teach and hopefully lots of them go to church this week. I love working out here and know that If I’m obedient, I can be an instrument in the Lord’s hands! Love you guys all so much, thanks again for the birthday wishes and keep reading the BofM all day er day!

Elder Crump

A family at a stake activity.

Water fountain at the park in Juayua.

Ready for the stake activity.

Zone Activity