Dear Dad and Mom,
So this past week was really a week of surprises, to start off I was transferred to a new and finally my last area, Taquari. I didn't really want to leave my last area even though it was really difficult but I know that one family was really close to baptism and would have been baptized but I will continue to pray for them.
So another surprise that I found out about on Saturday was that I am famous in Brasil now. On Friday I passed on national tv here in Brasil, because of the assault that almost happened with me. Do you all remember when I said that I was almost assaulted.Well like I said, they filmed us and I passed on a national program about the police here in Brasil. All of the members were telling me about it and I just had to laugh, it was really funny. I tried to find the video on the internet but I couldn´t find it, I will tell some members to look more for it and I will send you all the link. So that was a good surprise for me.
Then on Sunday I had a really nice surprise birthday party visit from some of my friends from my last 2 areas, Satelite and horto. I received some really cool presents from them, a t-shirt that is really nice and a new tie. They also made me a cake and we had a good old party it was awesome.
So I like my new area. It is really good. This past week we were teaching a kid and we taught him about baptism and on Sunday he came up to us and asked if when he could be baptized. We told him lets mark it for Saturday and he said can't it be sooner, but we decided on Saturday.
My new house is a pretty good one, but the only problem is that alot of times we don't have water, but we live really close to the chapel so we can go and get water there to take a shower our of a bucket. Other than that the house is really nice it was really dirty when I got here so we had a total house makeover and cleaned it all up really nicely.
I also forgot to tell you that on Saturday night at 12 o clock I woke everybody up in our house and they sang happy birthday to me and broke eggs and put maracuja juice mix, flower and talcum powder all over me. I have a video for you all to watch when I get home. I don't know why it is a Brazilian tradition but it is, so I let them do it.
Well I don't really have much else to say about this week. Oh I almost forgot my new comps name is Elder Silva He is from Sao Paulo and I already had met him, but he is really cool and it will be fun for him to kill me off here in the mission. Well I love you all very much I will see you all here really soon.
Love your Son,
Elder Crittenden
Saturday, September 10, 2011
emaiI for 8/29/2011
Dear Dad and Mom,
So this past week for me was a little bit stressful and tiring and sad all at the same time. We started off the week pretty good. We had quite a few people to contact and visit, but as the days went on and the visits went by, one by one our investigators told us that they either weren't interested in our message anymore, they were comfortable with their religion and didn't want to change or just told us to stop coming by and by Friday we were without investigators to visit or people to teach.
I had a baptism on Saturday that I performed for Elder Daniel because the guy chose me to baptize him so that was a highlight of the week.
I had my last English class on Saturday also and I made them pancakes with maple syrup that I had promised them and I actually ended up making pancakes for almost everyone in the institute because as they smelled them cooking they came to find out what it was and wanted some. A lot of them were returned missionaries and remembered their American companions that would make pancakes for them on the mission, it was pretty funny.
So that was my week. What really left me feeling sad and worried was when Francisco and Iracema called us on Tuesday and simply thanked us for the visits and loved our lessons but they told us not to come back and visit anymore, without any type of explanation. That was like a punch in the gut to me because Irma Iracema was progressing so well. She wanted to be married in the Temple with Francisco and basically marked her baptism date for herself and was just that type of person that is an elect and then they called us and told us not to come back. I was really sad and tried to mark a visit just to talk and try and figure out what had happened but they just said no.
I don't know yet what the Lord is trying to do with me here in this area yet or what trials he is proving me with but whatever it is I will just keep going and let the Lord do the guiding.
I did get my package already and I loved everything that was in there THANK YOU very much Mom and Dad.
So to talk about my itinerary. I haven't heard anything else yet but I emailed President about it and I should know next week and I will let you all know as soon as possible.
I don't really have much else to say in this letter. Today I will be going to the zoo with 6 other Elders so that should be fun. I am out of things to say, but I love you all please keep praying for me so that this week is hopefully better than last, I will pray for you all and I love you.
I had a baptism on Saturday that I performed for Elder Daniel because the guy chose me to baptize him so that was a highlight of the week.
I had my last English class on Saturday also and I made them pancakes with maple syrup that I had promised them and I actually ended up making pancakes for almost everyone in the institute because as they smelled them cooking they came to find out what it was and wanted some. A lot of them were returned missionaries and remembered their American companions that would make pancakes for them on the mission, it was pretty funny.
So that was my week. What really left me feeling sad and worried was when Francisco and Iracema called us on Tuesday and simply thanked us for the visits and loved our lessons but they told us not to come back and visit anymore, without any type of explanation. That was like a punch in the gut to me because Irma Iracema was progressing so well. She wanted to be married in the Temple with Francisco and basically marked her baptism date for herself and was just that type of person that is an elect and then they called us and told us not to come back. I was really sad and tried to mark a visit just to talk and try and figure out what had happened but they just said no.
I don't know yet what the Lord is trying to do with me here in this area yet or what trials he is proving me with but whatever it is I will just keep going and let the Lord do the guiding.
I did get my package already and I loved everything that was in there THANK YOU very much Mom and Dad.
So to talk about my itinerary. I haven't heard anything else yet but I emailed President about it and I should know next week and I will let you all know as soon as possible.
I don't really have much else to say in this letter. Today I will be going to the zoo with 6 other Elders so that should be fun. I am out of things to say, but I love you all please keep praying for me so that this week is hopefully better than last, I will pray for you all and I love you.
Love your Son,
Elder Crittenden
email of 8/22/2011
Dear Dad and Mom,
This week a was a pretty busy week too, we have been teaching a new family, Irma Iracema, Irmao Francisco e euma their daughter. Francisco is a less active member but is really smart and has a strong testimony of the church. Iracema is also really interested in the church and basically invited herself to be baptized this past week it was amazing. Her husband Francisco told her a little bit about the temples and eternal marriage and she really wants to be married for eternity so we got to teach them about that. The only problem is that she has quite a few health problems and hasn't been able to visit the church yet. They were supposed to be there yesterday but couldn't make it for some reason unexplained, but they are an incredible family. I feel like they are going to be a really strong family here in the church once they get baptized.
It was really interesting also was that this week we had a lot of people come up and talk to us and wanted to know more about our church which is incredible because we are needing lots of new investigators to teach.
This past week we didn't really have anything extraordinary happen, it was a really relaxed week. I don't really have much to say. I can say that my package is in the office here and I will pick it up this week. I have a guy here in the ward that would like a little hymn book in English so if you all could see how much that is and let me know then I can buy it and send it to him when I get home.
I also am in need of a little bit of money, if you could put like 20 dollars into my account, in this area I have been saving quite a bit but we catch a lot of buses and sometimes it just doesn't cut it and I have been using my personal money so if you could put like 20 dollars in that should be enough.
I really don't have a lot to say. I am sorry. Send my love to Aunt Karen and I will always be praying for you all. I love you all very much.
It was really interesting also was that this week we had a lot of people come up and talk to us and wanted to know more about our church which is incredible because we are needing lots of new investigators to teach.
This past week we didn't really have anything extraordinary happen, it was a really relaxed week. I don't really have much to say. I can say that my package is in the office here and I will pick it up this week. I have a guy here in the ward that would like a little hymn book in English so if you all could see how much that is and let me know then I can buy it and send it to him when I get home.
I also am in need of a little bit of money, if you could put like 20 dollars into my account, in this area I have been saving quite a bit but we catch a lot of buses and sometimes it just doesn't cut it and I have been using my personal money so if you could put like 20 dollars in that should be enough.
I really don't have a lot to say. I am sorry. Send my love to Aunt Karen and I will always be praying for you all. I love you all very much.
Love your Son,
Elder Crittenden
Monday, August 15, 2011
e-mail of August 15th.
Dear Dad and Mom,
So like Danielly said, (from a conversation on a facebook chat) we had stake conference yesterday but I didn't see her. She saw me but she had to leave early so it didn't work out. But from what she has told me and the Elders from Satelite have told me, her mom still hasn't said anything and it seems like she won't change her mind, so Danielly will just have to wait until she turns 18 I guess. Her mom doesn't not allow her to go to the meetings, but she is wanting Danielly to go to the Catholic church and do, I don't know what it is in English but Primeiro comunhao (First Communion) at her cousins church and Danielly doesn't want to at all. So it will be interesting to see what happens. Just keep praying for her and her mom.
At stake conference yesterday I also got to see Armando and Rita, the family that Elder Moraes and I reactivated and baptized and some others that I helped reactivate and baptize. It was so good to see them and know that they are still strong in the church. I had tons of people from Satelite who talked with me and it was just good to meet up with them again.
Other than the conference, it was also Father's Day here in Brasil, so Dad "Happy Fathers Day". I wanted to call you and tell you that in person but here in a little bit I will be able to do that.
This past week was a really difficult one. Almost every single one of our appointments fell through and we had basically no luck in finding new investigators, until Saturday.
Saturday was a really fun day, for my English class I taught them the parts of the body and I taught them the song, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and it was a blast to see all of them singing and dancing to that.
Then as we were heading back to our house after the English class we were stopped by a man and a women and the man is less active and the women wanted to know about the church. We invited them to go to Stake Conference but it didn't work out. We went and taught them last night and it was an amazing lesson. If you could think of an elect, it was this lady. She had gone to a Catholic church and school when she was a little girl and was baptized there because her parents are Catholic but she doesn't like the Catholic church because of the hypocrisy. She has investigated lots of other churches and was just looking for the right one. As we got done teaching her about Joseph Smith and the Restoration, we invited her to pray to know if it was true, and she just told us, I already know that its true, it's impossible to believe that the restoration didn't happen. It was an answer to my prayers, that the Lord blessed us with this miracle because a lot of our investigators are not progressing at all. I have been praying for a long time to have a miracle like this happen and the Lord answered.
I haven't got my package yet but I will try and pass by the mission office this week and see if it has arrived.
Send my love to Uncle Kevin and Aunt Karen and let them know that we are praying for them.
I don't really have much else to write about for this week, I love you all very much.
At stake conference yesterday I also got to see Armando and Rita, the family that Elder Moraes and I reactivated and baptized and some others that I helped reactivate and baptize. It was so good to see them and know that they are still strong in the church. I had tons of people from Satelite who talked with me and it was just good to meet up with them again.
Other than the conference, it was also Father's Day here in Brasil, so Dad "Happy Fathers Day". I wanted to call you and tell you that in person but here in a little bit I will be able to do that.
This past week was a really difficult one. Almost every single one of our appointments fell through and we had basically no luck in finding new investigators, until Saturday.
Saturday was a really fun day, for my English class I taught them the parts of the body and I taught them the song, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and it was a blast to see all of them singing and dancing to that.
Then as we were heading back to our house after the English class we were stopped by a man and a women and the man is less active and the women wanted to know about the church. We invited them to go to Stake Conference but it didn't work out. We went and taught them last night and it was an amazing lesson. If you could think of an elect, it was this lady. She had gone to a Catholic church and school when she was a little girl and was baptized there because her parents are Catholic but she doesn't like the Catholic church because of the hypocrisy. She has investigated lots of other churches and was just looking for the right one. As we got done teaching her about Joseph Smith and the Restoration, we invited her to pray to know if it was true, and she just told us, I already know that its true, it's impossible to believe that the restoration didn't happen. It was an answer to my prayers, that the Lord blessed us with this miracle because a lot of our investigators are not progressing at all. I have been praying for a long time to have a miracle like this happen and the Lord answered.
I haven't got my package yet but I will try and pass by the mission office this week and see if it has arrived.
Send my love to Uncle Kevin and Aunt Karen and let them know that we are praying for them.
I don't really have much else to write about for this week, I love you all very much.
Love your Son,
Elder Crittenden
Monday, August 8, 2011
August 8 e-mail
Dear Dad and Mom,
Just to start off I am so excited for Kesha and Doug and the fact that there is going to be another Crittenden goober running around and I will be able to be there for his birth. In my English class on Saturday I had them talk about their families and like always I talked about mine and everyone was surprised at how many nieces and nephews and sisters and brothers that I have but it was a fun activity.
This past week we had a lot of miracles happen with us. We went and taught Jucienne that has the son with self esteem issues and is suicidal and she told us that she wanted to be baptized in our church. She went to church yesterday and unfortunately had to leave early, but we will get her baptized here in the next two weeks, hopefully with her husband and son too. We also started teaching another family in Campestre Leste and they are all really interested. Unfortunately they couldn't go to church, but this next week they should be there. It was really amazing. We just started teaching this one lady and more and more of her family started showing up and listened to our message and were asking really good questions and it was just amazing. They all were invited to pray and we will see this Wednesday how everything went and hopefully we will have some more baptisms.
Then yesterday at church we had another miracle happen, Irma Conceicao, Junior and Gabrielle, who is the entire family of Ismaeli went to church yesterday and all of them liked it. It was a really good testimony meeting at our chapel with lots of people wanting to bear their testimonies. It went past 7 o clock.
Tomorrow we have zone conference and it should be interesting because it will be my last one, which means that I will give my last testimony and the last time that I see some of my friends here from the mission. I am excited but at the same time sad. It's hard to explain but Dad or Anna or anyone who has already served a mission I think knows what I am feeling.
We got a letter today from President saying that the mission is going to open up two new cities for work that have never had missionaries, Caixias, Maranhao, and Araguaina, Tocantins. I don't think that I will be one of the Elders chosen to go there but that's alright. I feel like this is going to be my last area here in the mission.
I don't think that I have anything else to write about from this past week, other than I love you all and keep praying for my success. I am praying for you all.
This past week we had a lot of miracles happen with us. We went and taught Jucienne that has the son with self esteem issues and is suicidal and she told us that she wanted to be baptized in our church. She went to church yesterday and unfortunately had to leave early, but we will get her baptized here in the next two weeks, hopefully with her husband and son too. We also started teaching another family in Campestre Leste and they are all really interested. Unfortunately they couldn't go to church, but this next week they should be there. It was really amazing. We just started teaching this one lady and more and more of her family started showing up and listened to our message and were asking really good questions and it was just amazing. They all were invited to pray and we will see this Wednesday how everything went and hopefully we will have some more baptisms.
Then yesterday at church we had another miracle happen, Irma Conceicao, Junior and Gabrielle, who is the entire family of Ismaeli went to church yesterday and all of them liked it. It was a really good testimony meeting at our chapel with lots of people wanting to bear their testimonies. It went past 7 o clock.
Tomorrow we have zone conference and it should be interesting because it will be my last one, which means that I will give my last testimony and the last time that I see some of my friends here from the mission. I am excited but at the same time sad. It's hard to explain but Dad or Anna or anyone who has already served a mission I think knows what I am feeling.
We got a letter today from President saying that the mission is going to open up two new cities for work that have never had missionaries, Caixias, Maranhao, and Araguaina, Tocantins. I don't think that I will be one of the Elders chosen to go there but that's alright. I feel like this is going to be my last area here in the mission.
I don't think that I have anything else to write about from this past week, other than I love you all and keep praying for my success. I am praying for you all.
Love your Son, and soon to be uncle AGAIN!!!
Elder Crittenden
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