10/03/2011 Last e-mail from Brazil

Dear Dad and Mom,
Well its really hard to believe that this will be my second to last email in the mission. This is going to be a rough week for me with lots of goodbyes and then in the end a long awaited hello to the people that I love the most.
Well to tell you all about my last week. It was wonderful, we had a wedding and a baptism on Friday night and then general conference on Saturday and Sunday. I got to see lots of my good old friends from Satelite and Horto as they came to our chapel to watch Conference.
I really don't have a lot to say. I am kinda at a loss for words because it's hard to believe that this 2 year journey is coming to an end. So I have bought little souvenirs for everyone and I did send a little box home of some stuff this week but it won't get there until after I am home, I think. So I am getting my bags ready and I am ready to go. Well I love you all very much and I will see you all in 9 days. Love your son, Elder Crittenden

9/26/2011

Dear Dad and Mom,
So this past week has been pretty normal for me to, not to much has happened other than we received a reference of a big family with lots of young men, 5 to be exact and all within the age of priesthood holders.
I hope that you all got my flight plans that I sent to you today, if not let me know and I will send them again. I really can't believe that my mission is finally ending and as I was getting my suitcases ready the other night I will need to send some stuff home so if you could put a little bit more money into my account so that I can do that next week that would be highly appreciated. I have been buying souvenirs for everyone these past few days and let me tell you it has not been easy. I really can't believe that my time is coming so quickly to an end, its only 2 weeks and I will be home.
So this week on Friday we are going to have the wedding and baptism of Deusa and her Husband Francisco. Unfortunately he will not be baptized this week but we are working with him and trying to get him to go to church, he still hasn't been and he promises us every week but ends up not going.
I am super excited to go to conference this year and hopefully I will be able to watch the priesthood session too, I am going to ask President to watch it at night the live session, because our house is right in front of the Capella and it would be easy for us to get home, without any problems.
As for the baptisms of Gabi, Junior and Danielly, well Gabi is going to be baptized on the 8th its already marked, Junior is for the 23rd of October but the sisters and his girlfriend is trying to convince him to move it up to the 8th with Gabi, and still nothing with Danielly, but we are all praying for her.
I am going to finish out my mission satisfied with the work and results of my mission. But still lots to do here and we have to go to an appointment now, but I love you all very much, if you could let me know what day and my topic for my homecoming talk that would be great too, and I will see you all here in 2 weeks. Love your son, Elder Crittenden

September 20th. email

Dear Dad and Mom,

So I didn't write an email to you all yesterday because we didn't have power here in our area when we got back from bowling. But anyway, this past week was really a good week. We still didn't have any baptisms but here in a little bit we will have some.
On Friday night we went to a pizza place to commemorate my comp making 1 year in the mission and Junior an investigator from my last area told us that he was going to get baptized, so that made the day perfect. Then on Sunday his little sister Gabi went to our ward in the morning and then went to her ward in the afternoon and marked her baptism for the 8th of October and wants me to baptize her so that made my weekend really good. They were two of my investigators that I worked with a lot in my last area and I am happy to finally see them making a decision.
I don't really have much time to write today sorry, but everything is ok with me I am safe and the Lord really protects us here.
Mom just to let you know the guy that tried to assault us is now in Jail and will be there for 11 years for drug trafficking so you don't need to worry about me. I am safe.
Just to let you all know about my flight plans. I will be home on the 12 of October around 12 o clock. One of the Elders from our mission office will call today and let you all know what my flight plans are for you all to plan accordingly. If he doesn't call let me know and I will make him send me an email with them. But I love you all very much here in a little while I will be home.

Love your son,

Elder Crittenden

James on Brazil television program

James and his companion were involved in an attempted assault the end of July. The police arrived within a very short time and there were no problems. A few weeks ago James commented in his email that they were famous, that he and his companion had been on a national television program talking about the assault. He was finally able to find the link to the broadcast, so here it is:
http://assuntospublicoscampogrande.blogspot.com/2011/09/reporter-record-missionarios-assaltados.html.
The link is to a blogspot for the church in Brazil. The text of the blog in Portuguese and English is:

No REPORTER RECORD (03/09), programa jornalístico da Record comandado por Marcelo Rezende, mostra dois missionários (élderes) de A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias, sendo assaltados no subúrbio de Teresina/PI, por Ligeirinho, um dos traficantes mais famosos da região.

Assitam abaixo o vídeo que já inicia com o assalto aos Élderes e a perseguição ao assaltante pelas ruas de Teresina, tudo isso filmado pelo Reporter Record. Aproximadamente aos oitos minutos os elderes falam rapidamente sobre o que aconteceu.

Fica um conselho: Voltem cedo para casa, andem sempre acompanhados e em locais com maior movimento de pessoas. Se forem abordados, nunca reajam.

In REPORTER RECORD (03/09), Record of the news program led by Marcelo Rezende, shows two missionaries (Elders) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being assaulted on the outskirts of Teresina / PI, by Speedy, one of region's most famous drug dealers. Watch the video below that already starts with the onslaught of the Elders and the pursuit of the robber through the streets of Teresina, all filmed by Record Reporter. Approximately eight minutes to the elders speak briefly about what happened. It is an advice: Go back home early, walk in places and always accompanied with increased movement of people. If they are approached, never respond.

email of Sept. 12th.

Dear Dad and Mom, This past week for me too was basically the same as all of the others, not much happened. We did contact a reference from Carla that is from my last area Horto with her, it was her friend and it was a really special lesson. We got there and started talking just to figure out what religion that they are from and just getting to know them. We found out that they go to the Catholic church and a nice little family of 4, the parents and their 2 daughters. We started teaching the 1st lesson to the mom and 2 daughters because the Dad was at work, and from the start we could tell that the mom wasn't very interested, but the daughters were. As we got done teaching them and inviting them to pray the younger of the 2 girls told us that from the moment that we started to talk about Joseph Smith and the restoration she wanted to cry and after that she started to cry. We explained to her that it was the Holy Ghost giving her an answer and that she needed to follow it. It was a really powerful lesson with the spirit really strong in the room. Well we went back on Friday night to see how their pray was and the other daughter, the older one, prayed and dreamt about Joseph Smith and the first vision. We explained about how the Holy Ghost answers our prayers in many different ways and we explained to them both that they had already received answers from God and that they needed to follow them. We invited them to go to church on Sunday and they agreed. But there were a couple of concerns with them and about changing their religion. They are a family really involved in the Catholic church and they don't quite know what their parents will say or do if they change. We are talking with them about this and plan to talk with their Dad this week. They went to church yesterday and loved it. Also on Friday we went to the Cartorio and we put in the papers for a marriage of a couple that will get baptized here in the Ward on October 1st with the marriage being on that day too. Well other than that the week was pretty normal. We didn't have water at our house for 3 days so we had to go to the chapel to get water to shower and to drink. Flavio came over and made us Tacos on Saturday night which were awesome and reminded me alot of home and Yesterday was the farewell talk of a kid here in the Ward, who is going to Campinas Sao Paulo Brasil mission and he will leave this Thursday for the MTC. Well yesterday was a big day for the U.S. the ten year anniversary of September 11, 2001. It was recongnized even here in Brasil, some of the members were telling me that there were some reports and documentaries about the twin towers and it was also my, I only have one month left mark. I need to know if you guys have a problem with me giving away some of my clothes to some people that will be needing them, I still have all of my shirts and pants and they are all in really good conditions. I plan on taking home 2 short sleeved shirts and I haven't decided what to do with my pants. They are all still in really good condition. They don't have holes or anything. I just need to know what to do with them if you all have a problem with me giving them to people in need or if I should bring them home. Anyways let me know, as for the video link, I still haven't found it but I am looking and I will send it to you once I find it. Well that's about it for my week, I love you all very much. Love your Son, Elder Crittenden