Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
I hope you all enjoyed my very favorite holiday of the year!! What good times: family, food, football, fall, skiing (couldn’t quite think of a way to say skiing that started with an F) and all sorts of fun other stuff. Pie?? Smoked turkeyyyy! Absolutely love Thanksgiving! Anyways, I guess I’ll get started with my email by apologizing once more for my inconsistency and inablitity to respond to your emails, and assure you that I love you all and read your emails. Transfers are coming up this Thursday, and I’m feeling pretty likely that I’m getting sent somewhere else (already been hear 3 months what!4 total months in the mission?) so maybe I will get a companion who doesn’t mind email writing so much. We will see. Anyways, on with the email!
People here don’t celebrate really celebrate Thanksigiving (I guess it is a pretty American holiday, so that msakes sense), which makes me sad, but luckily our ward members are absolute champions and I guess just love us! There is this super sweet old lady in our ward named Aida, and she is literally my favorite. She has kids that live in the United States, and when she realized we didn’t have a house to eat at on Thursday, she talked with all sorts of people in the ward and switched around the monthly schedule so that she could take us to a Thanksgiving dinner because she felt bad for us! We ended up going to Toks with her, which was delicious, and they even had turkey and mashed potatoes. It was absolutely delicious!! I was bummed for sure about missing out on home for Thanksgiving, but Aida for sure lifted my spirits, she is literally so awesome! On top of that, the resturant was decently empty, and they were playing the music at a decent volume. I swear to you the playlist only consisted of Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder, and let me tell you, when Boogie Wonderland came on…man it took every bone in my body to not interupt the conversation and break into a sing-and-dance number along to that song. Such a goodie. Seriously I got to hear like 7 Earth, Wind, & Fire songs and since then I have been riding high. Suchhhhh gooooooood stuff!
We celebrated Thanksgiving in a fun was as a mission, which was a nice gesture! Friday we headed to the mission offices and participated in my favorite activity, getting shots!! I was SO unexcited, I hate needles more than anything and I especially wasn’t excited to stand in a line of 60 elders, dreading for the moment when they all got to watch me squirm and squeal. I stood in line for way longer than I would like to admit, trying to convince other Elders to take my shot for me, but couldn’t quite convince anyone. Man I hate needles so much. Eventually I got basically pushed forward to sit down in the dang chair (thanks a load Elder Hall) to get my shot, and I said to the little lady dishing out vaccines left and right:
“Sister, can you fake this shot? I am really scared of needles”
And she was like:
“Don’t worry guerrito (little white boy), everyone in Mexico learns to inject other people in like middle school.”
And I was like oh! Anyways, she was like “start singing a song you like. It always calms me down. One of my favorite songs is….” then jabs me with this stinking needle. I have peripheral vision so I could see her prepping this little devious plot the whole time, and as I always do, I was clawing my hands to distract the pain elsewhere. Right after I got the shot, I got up, and looked up, to find like 15 elders laughing hysterically at me. One of the office secretaries sent a picture in the mission-wide Whatsapp chat that said “mourn with those that mourn” so I feel pretty loved haha! Photo proof is included. Memorable and unfun experience! So fun to see other missionaries anyways.
What else….this week was really just finding people. Unfortunately, the majority of the people we have that are in teaching simply aren’t progressing or aren’t particularly interested so this week we spent a ton of time just talking to everyone we could, which was exciting but also kind of exhausting. No baptisms this week, but I feel like I have such a good relationship with the members and we met some people this week that I’m hopeful for!! We woke up an hour and a half earlier than usual on Sunday to go find people to bring to church, and we only found one person that was interested, but hey she came with us and testimony meeting brought her to tears!! Awesome experience and as the Lord says in the Doctrine and Covenants, how great shall be your joy if ye shall bring just one soul unto me! I have lots of hope that she can progress!
Man I guess I don’t have a lot to talk about this week. It turned out super busy, but really it was just walking and talking to everyone. In better news, I think my directional ability is on the up and up (either that, or after 3 months I’ve simply memorized the area 😂) and my spanish is definitely improving! We met a member last night from Ecuador, and let me tell you, trying to understand his accent took a dang lot of effort and it felt like my first day in the field all over again! Very grateful that the Spanish in Mexico City is very clean, clear, and annunciated well, man his Ecuadorian accent was a challenge for me to understand. Super cool guy though, he traveled here by walking for an entire month!! The grit of people here is truly amazing.
Our water left a couple times this week, once just for 24 hours, and the second time for 2 days. Luckily, we got water back this morning! Mountain man showers are still pretty luxurious though. Seriously though, the inconsistency of our warer is about as consisntent as Ohio State selling the Michigan game every year. Ridiculous. I’m just glad I wasn’t home to have to witness te thing, and by the time I get home we better be rolling all over them. Boo! Food this week has been really dang good, and I am actually obsessed with mexican pasta soup, rice, and tortillas. Sooooo so good! There’s a little burger stand literally parked right outside our apartment, and we’ve been going there quite often. It’s called KR Burger MAX and let me tell you, this place belongs on the Jared West top 100 list, if and only for the way they name their burgers. Here’s the complete list of burger options:
1. Special2. Super3. Plus4. Mega5. Macro6. MAX
Aren’t those names so fire?? The burgers are sooooo good, very fast, and the guy that grills ’em up is a member who loves the missionaries, and gives us absolutely fat discounts. I’ve only had the special, super, and half a plus (we split it) so far, and they were dang big burgers, so I’m curious to see how big the MAX is. Delicious little stand, fighting for the number one spot as far as my favorite resturants go. That’s probably sacrilegious, given it’s not even Mexican, but hey I have yet to find a real taco place in this area so… sorry! Don’t worry, the burgers are Mexican-ified too. One has chorizo, one has chicharron, and one has lettuce that gives you diahrrea.
Once every tranfser, we get the opportunity to leave our mission and head to the temple!! Today we got to go to the temple, and it reminded me once more of the pure spiritual power that exists there. It was absolutely beautiful, and the best pday activity we’ve done yet! The temple is a place of such power, and is the literally House of The Lord. The Spirit I felt there was simply amazing. So, I’d invite each of you to make the Temple more of a priority in your life. Go weekly, if you can!! You will recieve revelation, guidance, healing, and a greater influence of the Holy Spirit, and especially a greater knowledge of God’s plan for you. I promise you that. With that note, lets get along with my spiritual thought(s) for the week!
I managed to read this two dang times this week, once in second Nephi, and the second while I was skimming around in the Old Testament (mostly in Psalms and Isaiah, some great stuff there). Here is one of my Dad’s favorite scriptures that I read twice this week:
“Let your soul delight in fatness.” (2 Nephi 9:51, Isaiah 55:2)
Maybe that was God telling me to stop worrying about how much weight I’m putting on. Or maybe spiritual fatness….but I think it was a poke at the growing size of my belly.
Next, and more of an actually spiritual thought, here are the words of the Lord to His missionary, Nephi (the third)! And realy, I think these words can be applied to any missionary. Or anyone at all that is striving to grow closer to Christ! From Helaman 10, 4-5:
“Blessed art thou, Nephi, (or insert your name there) for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.
And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.”
Man that hit me this week with such power. Like I’ve mentioned before, these 2 years are not mine, but the Lord’s. As I seek and habe sought His will over mine, I have seen such an increase in spiritual power, and miracles in this work. And, I know that if I turn myself over to Him during this time, not only will I receive blessings in the eternities (as will all those who seek) but I will (we will) be blessed in countless other expected/anticipated and unexpected/unanticipated ways. I have a little sticky note above my desk with a combination of a few quotes, from church talks, emails, Elder Budge, who knows what else:
“These two years are all you have. No matter the pain, loneliness, sadness, or disappointments, these 2 years are the Lord’s, not yours. So, give it your all. Be able to walk of that plane in ___ days with a peace of conscience, knowing you gave everything you had for 2 years, all to Him, your Savior who sets you free. Work now, and have that rest and gratitude for eternity.”
I love that. Easier said than done, but the Lord doesn’t expect perfection, He expects effort. So, after the Lord spoke these words to Nephi, instead of going back home to rest for awhile as he had planned…
“He did stop and did not go unto his own house, but did return unto the multitudes who were scattered about upon the face of the land, and began to declare unto them the word of the Lord.
And it came to pass that thus he did go forth in the Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God, even until he had declared it unto them all, or sent it forth among all the people.”
Wow. That is quite the example, and I think goes along nicely with my little sticky note. Nephi didn’t go back home to rest, but he went out on the Lord’s errand, until he had finished what the Lord asked, to preach the word of God to everyone. Not just everyone that was interested or that would listen, but he gave every person the oppurtunity to hear the gospel and partake of the covenants of salvation that lead us to everlasting joy. Great example of who we should be as missionaries and disciples of Christ.
I almost decided to share the last 3 verses of Helaman 11, which represents how quickly we can forget the miracles and blessings the Lord has given us, but I will give you a little break from the weary dreary part of that chapter….and instead invite you to read something happy!! My dad shared this chapter of Psalms with me this week, and it has already jumped its way up into one of my favorite chapters of scriptures. Such a beautiful description of the Savior. So, your homework for this week or even for today is to read Psalms 23! I promise it is super super short and won’t take more than 2 minutes. Here I’ll even give you the link!
Read it!!
And of course, because its important, I will reminder you again of my invitation to make the temple a priority, weekly, if possible. I promise that you will feel more spiritual power in your life and recieve the revelation, peace, and guidance you need. I will let you go now, and let you know how much I love you all! Always remember that your Heavenly Father loves you even more, and has the most perfect plan for you. Trust in Him, trust in His power, and feel the freedom and joy that following the example of His Son brings you. Discover His plan and feel His love for you in the temple, and read about the grace and love of His Son in Psalms 23! Absolutely worth your 2 minutes or less.
I love you all so so soooo much!! And I miss you like crazy. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and that you’re looking forward to Christmas! Got my little Christmas tree all set up along with my lights and ornaments. Thanks Mom! And I should probably the rest of my family too, but pretty certain the tree was her idea. Anyways, remember the reason for Christmas, and enjoy some good skiing for me!
See you next week!! I love you all and am keeping you in my prayers!
❤️ Elder Crockett
Pictures! (Fingers crossed, praying, and knocking on wood that it works this time)
