Elder Crump

Hey family and Friends,

So this was a great week but I had to do the hardest part of my job here in the offices...I had to send missionaries home early.  Seriously, It was such a sad feeling to have to buy their tickets and take them to the airport.  Just yesterday we sent home 2.  One because of some things that he didnt get taken care of before the mission, and the other because the they got sick, and for their health and safety have to return.  It really was rough.  Because the one that was sick DID NOT want to leave.  She was crying, and seriously it was so hard to do. So last night we were in the Airport until about 1:30 a.m. waiting for her plan to leave.  The good news is that she made it home safely and hopefully in a couple months she can come back!  I hope she can. She was a great missionary, and she so wants to finish her mission.  I seriously love hearing stories about missionaries returning on their missions.  It doesnt matter what the reason was why they left, but it just depends on the decisions they make after.  It really is an amazing experience to see how much a testimony can grow in a person when they go through a trial like that.  The Elder that had to go home was really sad too, but him as well wants to come back, and that is the greatest thing to hear.  So it was a sad experience, but if they can make it back this experience will strengthen their lives forever.

So this week has been great because a saw Reg a couple times! He is doing great! Seriously a BORN LEADER!  He really just wants to do what's best for his zone, and that is really the key to a great Zone Leader.  I'm excited to see the success he will have, he is gonna rock it!

So last week as you know we have the changes, but the problem was we still had 16 extra missionaries with us in the mission.  What happened was originally our changes were on 19th of Feb, but because of the increase in missionaries, they cut our changes short by one week this change. But the problem was we had already bought the tickets of those missionaries finishing their missions for the 19th, so they had to be stuck in threesomes their last week of the mission.  OH BOY WAS IT A MAD HOUSE!  So the thing is when missionaries finish in the Jungle, they have to come to Lima a couple days early because they have a final interview with the President.  Then they have a final dinner with a slide show, and all that jazz with the president.  So we had 5 come in from the Jungle, and they were all so TRUNKY! ( SO READY TO GO HOME)  It was so frustrating! haha  So luckily, we got all their interviews done, but the problem all came when they had the final dinner.  So after the dinner, its a monday night, and normally all the missionaries sleep either in offices with us or in a missionaries house near by, because they all have to leave early in the morning.  So we sent 3 off right after the dinner to the airport just fine because they were flying out that night, then the next morning we had 13 more leaving.  !2 in plane and one in a bus!  So this is how it all went down.  We had about 8 elders in our house that night 5 others in other houses.  But the problem was is they all were leaving at different times.  So i had like 10 different transportation's set to pick up drop off.  So at about 5, I had and Elder Leave to go to Chile, but at about 7 get a phone call saying he has too much weight in his bag and needs to pay like 70 dollars, which he doesnt have.   So I had to call the airlines and tell them to make a tab, and the area of the church will pay them later. Its nice because we have a contract with this airline company  So with him it was all good, he got on his plane and headed off.  At about 7:30 we sent off 6 more missionaries traveling all over Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and another part of Peru. The night before I might add, we explained to the missionaries about how much weight they can have, but they don't like to listen...so at about 9:30, i get a phone call saying that 2 more elders going to Guatemala and Costa Rica are over weight and need to pay like 70 dollars as well. But the problem is we need to pay within the next 15 minutes or they cant get on board!!  I WAS LIKE WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!  So we hurried and called the airline to do the tab thing, but with this airline we dont have a contract!  So I hurried and called the area, and luckily there was a member, who is a bishop that works at the airport that came down real fast and paid for the both bags.  He got there like 2 minutes before they closed the gate!  Seriously, we were so blessed!  So in the meantime, I sent off 3 more elders to the airport one to Columbia, and 2 to Peru.  But they thng is, I sent them off fairly early. They elders going to another part of Peru left like 3 hours before their flight left, but for the Colombian it was like 4 1/2 hours before. So we send them off and all is good.  It's about 12:30, and I still didnt get a phone call with problems so I was pretty happy!  Then it got to be about 1:30 and no one called, so I was so happy because they all made it!! right?  Wrong!  Just at that moment, I get a call from the Colombian, who by the way was super angry, saying he has a problem.  At first i was like please just tell me your flight has been delayed, but no he missed his flight!  I was like HOW? You were there like almost 5 hours early! haha He said that one of his converts came and he got to talking with him, and then a bunch of members of his ward came to say good bye, and he forgot about the time.  He tried to go through security and Imigrations like 20 minutes before his plane was going to leave, and they wouldn't let him through! haha  So I told him to just stay in the airport, and he had to wait till about 7 to catch the next flight.  So we waited and we had to pay a penalty fee...but at 7:30 he left.  But the thing is once he gets to Columbia, he needs to wait in the airport to catch his next plane which will take him to his hometown.  So we all had a little laugh.  I was a little mad, but glad that he got on board.  You think it would end there, but no i get another phone call from him now in Columbia saying that he needs to pay another penalty fee.  So i called and did the tab thing, and then 10 minutes later he calls to tell me he missed his second flight!!  At this point you can imagine my thoughts!!!  I was like elder what are you doing!  You had a another 5 hour wait for your next plane in Columbia. He told me that his left the airport to go visit a friend in Bogata and when he tried to come back in, they wouldnt let him.  Then his plane left. AHHH! So I had to call Columbia, explaining what happened.  After a long chat, he was able to board the next flight.  Oh boy was such a stressful night, I didnt sleep at all!  But that wasn't even the worst part.  I had to call his mother to tell her that her son will be coming home a little later than planned...like a day! haha Man I was so scared to call her!  I just imagined mom, if I were to miss my flight home, how crazy she would be! haha  I love you mom.  Don't worry, that's how all moms are!  But the good news is she wasn't mad, and the Elder made it home.  So that was the story of the week! haha

Through all that craziness, I still found this week to be great! I love being here.  This new job is hard and stressful, but Im glad that I'm here, and I'm really learning a lot.  It's all worth it in the end when you get to see them make it home with honor, or when you get to see them make it through their trial.  It's a blessing to be here, and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

So i think this might on been that longest email ever, but on the missionary side, Milton is a no go...we had to let him go. He just wasnt progressing, and with our limited time, we need to focus on the people who will follow through with their commitments, and decide to make the changed in their lives. Its always hard for me to let someone go, but maybe it just not his time.  We have been able to go up and teach a little bit more which is such a stress reliever, and we have a couple new families!  Hopefully we´ll be able to keep meeting with them.

Family, Friends, I do love you guys so much! You guys are so wonderful! I'm so happy to hear all is going good! Kenzie Happy Birthday!! I hope you have the best day ever!!!!  

All my Love,

ELDER NICOLAS COLLINS CRUMP