Hello everyone!
We had a great week here this week in Casas Alemán! I love it here and I love the ward, I’m so excited to be here! I’ll try to make this one a little quicker for you all, hope you’ve been having a great week!
Highlights:
The highlight of this week was definitely Antonia’s baptism! She is a convert for life and loves the Church and her baptism! Not a whole lot of people turned out, but they were so supportive of her and she is so excited, it was such a cool experience! I’m so excited for her, she is a great lady.
This week was Holy Week, and people here celebrate each day separately with different traditions, which is actually really cool! We saw lots of fireworks and just parties, but my favorite tradition is definitely Saturday, when everyone runs around with squirt guns, water bottles, and buckets to get eachother wet. I didn’t believe it was a thing (recent convert warned us the night before) but we got chased all over the place by old men and little kids who thought it’d be hilarious to soak some white boys. Showed up to lunch absolutely soaking wet, but the sun here is hot enough that we dried off in no time! Nearly got hit later that night by a couple water ballons thrown off the back of some motorcycles. Just imagine the kinds of attacks we would’ve gotten had we been bald like Jared West. Kinda crazy tradition but also super awesome!
We ate lunch with this guy named Esteban and his family, and the dude was so spiritually deep, it was awesome! Such good conversations. One of my favorite lines that he dropped (which goes along with my spiritual thought from last week) was:
“One thing I learned on my mission was that only believing is not enough. Even the devil and his demons believe in God.”
Straight up gave me chills, it’s so true. He talked for the next bit after that about how believing really doesn’t matter, but doing is what is important. Everyone will see God some day, the important thing is that we act on the things we know.
Other than that, the week was just a lot of talking to people on the streets, getting to know members, and celebrating Easter! It was great to go on some divisions and meet some other missionaries in the Zone, and amazing to work with my companion! He is such a goat and so hardworking, it’s been amazing to learn from him!
Spiritual Things:
I love Easter so much and the focus of Christ’s Atonement and resurrection that makes all things possible for us! Because He died for us and rose again, we will live after this life! That is such a hopeful and powerful message and I am so grateful to be here sharing it!!
I think I’d be mistaken to not share some good scriptures from the New Testament about Jesus’s resurrection. Here’s one in Matthew 28: 20 as Christ appears in His resurrected form to His apostles. I love the hope this gives!
“and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Christ isn’t with us physically right now, but I love that He is with us always. It’s so true! I love how He expands on that line in John 14: 27
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
While Jesus Christ isn’t with us here physically, He offers us peace and comfort like nothing else that is offered. There is so much joy and peace that Christ offers. I am so thankful every day that He died, and rose again, so that every one of us who chooses to can return to Him and live in eternal joy and peace among those we love. It’s such a joyful message, and I am so grateful for that!
I’d invite all of you to choose today, and again tomorrow, and every day for the rest of our lives, to choose Christ. Let His plan prevail, grow closer to Him, and feel the peace He offers. It’s not enough to just believe, use that belief to put yourself to action in growing closer to Him!
I love you all so so much and hope you’ve had a fantastic week! I miss you and pray for you and will keep on doing it! Have an amazing week and choose Him, Christ the Risen Lord!
I love you!
Elder Crockett 🫶
