May 17, 2010

Thanks for the letter.

Ya, I can´t tell if I´m still getting bit. Hey, too many pulga bites to count, so I can´t tell what´s new or not. I have one bite on my ankle that looks really ugly right now because I scratched it too much.
That´s great that you started gathering all the music. I remember dad talking about that and I was hoping people would see how smart it was and actually do it. I´m glad to hear that you got the garden planted. Those are things I really do miss: just having fun with the family, doing service projects with dad, working and talking with you. I think one of my favorite memories was that summer when it was just Nick, Colton, Alex, and me home. Nick went to go play with friends, Colton and Alex were put in their room for a nap and it was just you and me cleaning up the mess from the morning and then afterwards, I went to go play Banjo Kazooie and you went to do your quilting, and we did all of it while listening to Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. That was a long time ago.
Ya, I am glad I´m not there in school during all that fun stuff going on. Actually, there is a lot of political stuff I´m glad I´m not going to be there for.

We got a lot of new investigators this week but there´s always people that listen to only one lesson and then don´t want anymore. I figure out my change next week. That´s how they do it. They tell you Monday and you leave Tuesday. It might be different this time though because it will be deciding which mission you go into as well. I don´t want to leave this area yet though. I love all the primary kids that beg "Yo quiero a tomar la agua!" and for me to hold their hands and lift them up high in the air (which isn´t very high but since everyone´s like as tall as you, for them it is)
Anthony wants to get baptized and his mom is an inactive member. We´re teaching his dad so we hope the whole family can come together on this. It´s just really hard to get the teachings of all the different pastors of all the different churches here, out of their heads so they can learn. I suddenly realize the importance of always being like a child. Children have an open mind and are receptive to and ready to learn. Most people here have it in their head that we don´t need prophets to teach us like before Christ. They think that everything has become internalized, that somehow we are already glorified and that we are all prophets and that we don´t need anymore direction. It´s really sad because for some people, all the studying and teaching and spiritual guidance on my part would not get to them because they do not want to listen, they want to preach. They think they have everything figured out, but if they could only see how much there is to learn and become. I don´t want to be there when all the truth is revealed to them and they find they had nothing.
That being said, I can´t wait to join together with all those who have chosen to be humble and meek like a child and listen to our teachings, when we can find joy in the glory that the others have received. I will listen to 100 people tell me I´m wrong and contradict me to find one person who´ll receive the Celestial Kingdom. I just can´t wait to find my first person who is completely receptive to the truth. I just hope it doesn´t take ´til the end of my mission for that to happen.

Thanks for the letter. I do have a little more time now so the rest of you, my immediate family, can send me letters telling me how you´re doing, even Hunter if he wants. I´d really like that. Or, if you prefer, a letter in the mail would work too. I love you all.

-Elder Crapo