Email: Week#29 in Paraguay

Hi!

This week was not the most eventful. We were stuck in the office for a few days doing office stuff.

Sunday, we had Stake Conference, which was pretty cool. It was super awesome because one of our investigators, Marcelo, was able to come and he really enjoyed it. Also, we had one of our menos activos come who is becoming active again and about to get the mequisedec priesthood. We are helping him get ready for the mission! So that was super cool that he came too. Then, we had some really huge lunch at Hermana Fuller's (the mission nurse) house. She makes a tooon of food for us, it really is like we feel super full after. After, we went home and relaxed for a bit to do our studies. Then, we went off to see Claudio, he is a RC, but also a LA. 

Then, we found some super cool contacts, it is actually a funny story... we once asked this girl for directions one time and then after she said it was cool that we could visit her sometime. So, we came to her house this day and someone else came out and said they would see if she was in the house. Then, some guy came out, but he was huge and muscular guy walked out shirtless, and said "Who is looking for my little sister?" and Elder Salazar got kinda scared haha. Then, his twin got out who was like the exact same. But, they turned out to actually be super cool contacts and we left them with a Book of Mormon to read and a future visit scheduled. But after that, we just went back and did some weekly planning.

The next day, we were in the office for a while as I waited for my companion to finish his office duties as financiero. Then, we went over to have mission coordination with our mission leader, so that was super neat. Hmm... also on Thursday we had a Zone Capacitation. We learned how to better teach some lessons as we did some practices. Also, I had my interview with President McMullin, and man, he sure has some great words of wisdom to tell, he helps a lot.

Today for Pday, we went out to the Botannical Garden. We first went off to the Zoo, and it was super weird, it is like really easy to get lost in there, but it was pretty cool. We got to see some weird animals there. After, we played frisbee for a bit, then went home and showered and had some lunch... now I am writing :).

But I hope that everything is going good with you guys and everything.

Rohaihu,

Elder Crandall

Email: Week#28 in Paraguay

Hi there,

 

Things are super good. We had an interesting week. So this week, there was this crazy experience. We visited Marcelo, and then as we were walking home, we saw this car that had gotten stuck. There was some construction on this road, so it was blocked off, but the cones and everything were moved about, so the car went in, but it was not smooth, like a small hill, so the car fell and got stuck. So we came by, super late at night, and helped him get his car out. We had to keep lifting the car up with a jack and placing a lot of large rocks to make like a pathway for the car to be able to back up. It was super crazy.

 

We also have been finding some super cool contacts. lately, we have been having a lot of success finding cool people that are super willing to listen to what we have to say. But also, we celebrated my comps birthday (there are the pictures), the hermanas make a cake and we celebrated after our district meeting. My companion is actually turning 27, he is really super old for a missionary, but he was a convert, so that's why. So today we have Stake Conference, it is at a different time because there is a broadcast or something like taht. My companion actually has to give a talk today and so does one of the assistants. So he has been preparing for that for a while now.

 

But really that is all that has been happening. It is crazy to think that I already have been in the mission office for over two months now and that it is almost September and my birthday! I can't wait to be 20...

 

But love and miss you guys a lot!

 

Love, Elder Crandall

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Email: Week#27 in Paraguay

Hi!

This week was super awesome. I really enjoyed this week a lot. On Sunday, we planned a ward activity for the following week and we also had some mission coordination with our mission ward leader. He is a bit inactive, so we are trying to get mission coordination working again.

This week was just full of super awesome contacts that we were able to find on the street. For example, we saw three guys hanging out in front of a yard, so we went up to talk to them. They were all really awesome guys. We started up a conversation with them and then we started to tell them what we believed. They all were, or seemed, at least, interested in what we had to say. All were willing to accept what we gave them and they all even asked for a Book of Mormon on their own, it was super neat, so we definitely will be checking on them later.

Another super awesome contact we found the next day was Sara. We got a bit lost and so I decided to go through a street, we contacted a house and this hermana came out. We started talking to her and finding out if she had talked to the missionaries before. We never really got anywhere, so my comp. pulled out a BoM and started explaining it. She still never seemed too interested. Then, my companion started writing the pasos de la oracion on the back page. So then it was my turn to talk, and I felt like I should just get to know her instead of continue preaching. And so I did just that. I asked her about her family and she started to explain her family situation and some of the problems that she was having with her daughters and her family in general, and that one of her kids passed away at a super young age. Then from there, we were able to comfort her with our testimony that the purpose of this life is to have trials and the Lord is always watching over us and has a purpose for all things. So then my companion was able to refer to a part in the Book of Mormon for her to read that would help her a lot. Then, we asked for directions on how to get back home haha, but it honestly was a super amazing experience. I just really think... what would have happened if I hadn't brought up my question or if I hadn't even decided to walk through this street, or contact it at all? Things happen for a reason but luckily we have the spirit to help us find the people that are ready, if we are truly seeking to find them.

Well, besides that, I also did another division with Elder Billings, who is also in the office. We also have a new office elder, named Elder Monzon. He is actually Paraguayan from the other mission, but serving here. So it was the three of us this day. We first went out to find a family, but we found a few contacts, who just liked to talk a full! It was kinda funny because a few we just cuoldn't get away because he liked to talk so much hahaha. But it was pretty neat. So then, we had this Noche de Hogar with the family Cañiza. They are super awesome. We first read Alma 30 and then did an activity to try to draw something blindfolded about the gospel and have everyone read it, it was fun to do. Then we had some food and headed back home, but it was super cool.

So then on Friday, we had our activity. I was super surprised when I came in to see how many people had shown up. It was super crazy. We usually have an attendance of 45-50 people, so to see this many people was super AWESOME! It was a really wel planned activity, like they had a bounce house for the kids in the gym and we had soccer games going on, and they also had a barbecue outside, so it was really neat. I think it will help a lot to get some of the Menos Activos to come back to church more often. But the real help, was all the members. People really respond better when stuff comes from the members, so we will have to aprovechar that for sure.

Today, we had a baptism for someone in the assistants area. It was a super cool baptism, then we did a service project for someone nearby in their ward to help them move. Now, we headed back and ate lunch and here I am... haha.

But that was my super awesome week! Talk to you guys later!

Love, Elder Crandall

Elder Crandall sent us two old photos he found:

Email: Week#26 in Paraguay

Hi,

There sure is a lot of people from Mesa in the mission and in Gilbert too. I can see like 10 missionaries within 20 minutes of our house.

For my birthday, the coolest thing would be if you can ask everyone to send me an actual letter, like all our relatives and my friends. You could say something on Facebook or something and ask them to write me, that would be super cool to get a bunch of letters. If you could leave the address for everyone, that would be the best.

For some reason, this week has been super busy as well. The only real productive thing we were able to do was visit Marcelo. He is our super investigator that can't baptize because he doesn't have permission. We visited him and the hermanas that were teaching him before left him a super chuchi triple to have. He was super excited and has more desires to read again. He was slacking a bit going to church and diong everything, but we are going to walk an extra hour before church to come walk with him to church so he has no excuse. he is super awesome and we want to help him out. We also had a super good attendance in the capilla today. We had 56 people today, and that is actually super awesome for us. Never have we had such an awesome attendance in this ward. It was super cool to see. Now we are going to get out to work a lot more!

Well, but that is really all that has been happening lately, but did you realize I hit my 7 month mark not that long ago?!

Les amo muchisimo!

Elder Crandall

Email: Week#25 in Paraguay

Hi mom,

This week was super crazy. We had changes this week and we were working a full to get everything done. We literally did spent our whole time in the office preparing,  not even one time did I go out to proselyte this week. The night before all the nuevos came, we were preparing the room and all the things for the presentation and all until super late last night. Then, the next day we got a bit of sleep and then the new people came in the morning. They were super cool. It was a group of 19 people, 16 elderes and 3 hermanas. It was super cool to meet them all. I found out from the Hermana Jones that her comp. in the CCM was Lindsey Trendler from some of my clases in Mountain View, that was super cool to find out! The world is pretty small sometimes. But we did some training classes as oficinistas to the new people to tell them all about what we do. Then we had a super nice lunch, and then they left to take pics at the temple. After a bit of time, they came back and then we did divisions with them! We each took out 2-3 nuevos and went out contacting the people. And honestly, it was an experience just super amazing. Like I really am not that perfect guy doing contactos, but it just went reeeeally well. I definitely realized that the Spirit was helping me to use my talents in the best way possible to help the new guys have a good time and have success. Usually when we go contacting, we don't have like any luck, but this time everyone we talked to just seemed willing to talk to us and share. But anyway, after that we headed back super fast to get a nice dinner of pizza from Pizza Hut haha. Then, we went back to home and slept.

We got up really early the next day, my comp and I, to head off to the office for the changes. The mission office was just waaaaaaaaaaay filled with people. So many people had changes this day. As Cartero, I was super busy like all the day helping people get the stuff that they wanted. Also, I went over to congratulate all my friends in the mission that were training. But after a bit of time, everyone started leaving and then we we a bit more tranquil. Later, we helped the missionaries leaving get ready. We helped them back their stuff and get it under weight more. It was crazy too as we stayed up till 2 in the morning. So Elder Billings and I left to the house after to get some sleep while Elder Salazar and Elder Valenzuela took the next group to the airport. Then Elder Billings and I got up at 7 to send a few more Elders home at the airport and help them with everything. We were just so dead tired at this time, because it had been a few days since we had slept well. But we finally got all the changes  done and all is well!

But really that is all I can really say now, it really was my week. Today, we had a super barbecue with all the people in the office and the two assistants. It was super good. One of the assistants, Elder Day (from Gilbert), had some barbecue sauce that his mom sent him, and it was the best thing ever. I can't  even remember the last time that I had eaten that. it was really good. We actually have a barbecue place in our house in the backyard, so we finally used it after years!

Our house is super nice because all four of the oficinistas live there plus all the new people when they come in. We have a stack of mattresses for the newbies. There is a house a few blocks away from the church that we live in.. 

So here's just a picture of a missionary that left, he is just the chillest guy ever! I will sent a picture of our barbecue outside our house later today.

Les amoité! Hablamos despues!