Elder Collins

Hey Family!

Hows everyone doing? That is super cool that President Monson went to grandpas funeral and Anna shook his hand. Well i dont know if you heard yet probably have but Nick got injured playing soccer the other day. I dont know what he did just that he hurt his knee and has been in the office all week long. Im going to go try and see what he is doing later. So im still waiting to see if im being transferred or not, today is Cambios..i dont remember what it is in english. That was a fast change. So yes we had the baptism of victoria this past week. It was cool she asked me to baptize her. We are baptizing her grandma this next saturday and have two more baptisms the following saturday! So i guess it will kind of be a bummer if i leave this area. It was my comps birthday yesterday so Hma gutierrez bought a cake and what not. It was a good time. Haha so funny story my pinsionista pulled me off to the side this this week ande told me that we need to start excising because my comp is fat! She told me that i need him to get up and run or something. Well im going to try and send you instructions how to use the tops. its hard but i have mastered it this last week.
Well tell Happy Birthday to Max. I think its this week right? I guess that means i got to send another package right?!! Sorry i feel like i didnt have a lot to say about this week. I cant even remember what we did..I did have a exchange with the other white zone leader so that was a way fun time. Oh ya i got those pics thank you! But Anna looks a lot older!! it kind of blew my mind and our house looks way different!
OH my gosh!! i just find out im going to the jungle! tomorrow morning!! holy cow im nervous!!
Haha my zone leader just whispered to me so that i could tell you that im going there tomorrow. Wow crazy! i dont know what part yet but im going. i will let you know next week i guess. Love you have a great week family next time i email you ill be in the jungle! love you!!


 The pics this week are  of my Comps. Birthday party with the Guiterrez family, Victorias baptism, and me teaching a monkey at the zoo.

Elder Crump

Dear Family!

So this past week has been a crazy one!  We went to the zoo  P day and it was so much fun!  It was a different one than last time, it was a lot nicer and it felt like we were in the rainforest!  I got some sweet pictures!!  So the baptism with Daniel got postponed to may 5th!  he just needed some more time, plus he had to have another interview!  We were sad because we didnt have a baptism this month but, hey its better for them to be ready, and actually want to be baptized!  He is an awesome kid, and really has come so far since we first started teaching him!  He will be a powerful missionary some day! Things are going great here, we are gaining more and more investigators everyday, and this area has truly come alive!!  We have been so blessed!!

So i have some news, but dont worry!  While we were playing soccer thursday morning i got hurt.  I was trying to save a ball and as i got to the edge of the field, there is a little drop off, from the cement to the grass, and i fell down, and steped wierd and injured my knee it kind of went the other way for just a second then poped back.  After that i couldnt walk.  Right away we took a taxi back to our house and put some ice on it and called Hermana Blunck.  She had the secretary call the doctor and set up an appointment for me to get it checked out that day.  Elder Divis my Zone leader took really good care of me, making sure i had ice, getting me drinks, and making sure i was taking ibuprofen.  Then later that night we went to the hospital to get it looked at.  Dont worry mom its the best hosptital in Peru, the doctors studied in The States and know english!  They took X Rays, and found out that all the bones are good, we dont need to worry there!  But they think it might have something to do with the ligiments. But they want to make sure!  So that night i stayed with the offices guys in there house, and hung out in the offices all day.  I rested all day, iced, and took my pill they gave me!  Then we had an appointment for saturday to get an MRI Scan  So we got that done, and everything went good.  We will find out the results on Wednesday, and dont worry you will be informed!  Everything is fine! please dont stress!  Im am being really well taken care of!  Elder Huiquimilla who is one of the secretarys here, who takes care of those who are sick, and Elder Essig have been taken really good care of me!!  They always makes sure im icing, taking meds, resting my knee, and making sure i eat!  Dont worry at all, it hurts but i dont think its gonna be too serious!  We just need to have faith and pray to our Heavenly Father.  Im a little bummed because we were doing so well in our area, and now im stuck in the offices for a little bit.  But i know that everything will be ok!  I have been called to serve here, and there is no way im gonna let a little knee injury get in the way of bringing people unto christ!!  I am loving it here!  I am so lucky to be here it! It is such an amazing oppourtunity.  Family i hope this email didnt stress you out too much!  I promise you will be updated!  Dont worry at all, Heavenly Father will keep me protected, we just need to trust him!

Im so glad you enjoyed your trip to the Bahamas, you guys deserved a nice vacation, but im still jealous!! Haha  

I heard about great grandpa, i was so sad to hear, but then i thought how happy he is to be with great grandma!  I bet he was so funny before he left!!  He was such and amazing man, and he will be missed, but know that he is so happy right now, and he will always be with us!  Mom dont beat yourself up.  You had no idea what would happen, but know that grandpa loved you so much.  His spirit will always be with you, guiding you.  And the best part is we WILL see him again.  How lucky we are to know this promise, as long as we live our lives and follow the lord we are promised eternity.  What a blessing!  That is so cool that President Monson came and spoke!  I cant wait to hear a copy of it!!  

Im glad to here that things went well with Grandma Crump!!  I pray constantly everyday for her!  Let her know how much i love her!!  Im so grateful for her and her love for all of us, and her love of the gospel.  She is an amazing woman, and i love her so much! 

Thats great to hear about the safety stuff you are doing in the neighborhood!!  Im glad that you guys are prepared!! Dont worry we have only had little earthquakes here called, tumblers.  They only last like 20 seconds, and dont do any damage, but dont worry ill be prepared if we do have one!!  Give Ray and Lisa my Love and tell them i pray for them daily!!  They really are two of the kindest people i know, and truly have changed my life!!  I am so grateful for them!!

Hey so i have some questions?

Who are the new SBOS?

ok so i only had one! haha  keep me updated on whats going on!!  Sorry i dont have my card to send pictures, but if i can i will try next week, ill send double!!  Hey i love you all so so much!! Your all so amazing!! Thank you for your letters, packages, and emails!!  They really make all the difference!!  Oh yeah by the way i have been out for 6 months as of last Thursday!  The day i got hurt!! haha But seriously mom, dad dont worry all is going well!  you will be informed when we get out test results back, but until then ill be in the offices till we know!!  I love you!! Stay happy and stay safe!!

All my Love,

ELDER NICOLAS COLLINS CRUMP

Ps thank you for sending the DVDs!!  i cant wait to get them!!!

Elder Collins

Hey family

Wow that is so sad about grandpa. It kind of bummed me out. This might sound weird but i thought about him a lot this week and for some reason i knew. I really did think about him this week at the most random times. Im grateful that he is excited to see grandma. Thats hard to hear but I love him a lot and wish grandpa and dad the best! And also all of his family, ill be praying for him and so will the prophet. I wish i could be there to say goodbye, if you can tell him i love him and am grateful for his example, love and example of what a true man of God should be.

This week i learned a lot. I had a interview with president and it was awesome to be able to talk to him. We actually talked for awhile. I think he is happy with me and is proud of my progress. He did however say that i need to work on my proununciation a lot more. I have the grammar down but if you dont prounounce right it doesnt make sense. He taught me what he expects us to be doing with our wards every sunday. I was reading in the Liahona and there was some way good talks from the last one. One was about learning a language and also remembering that we should only worry about what God thinks of us and not others. After talking with president about my language i was bummed out because i thought i was so close to being fluent. On sunday i gave a lesson and it was terrible. I couldnt speak and it was basic stuff that i knew but no one could understand me. I was way mad at myself and was comparing myself with other missionarys spanish. After church i read that article and it helped me a lot. I realized i got selfish and stopped praying every morning that Heavenly Father could help me with the lanuage and "loose my tongue", and that it is important to realize i was called by God and if he wants me to speak ill speak but that i need to have more faith and try my best to be a good missionary! So im thinking that im going to be here another transfer with the same comp. Dang it! i want to say that he sucks and what not but its important i make my own soluctions and i have nick and stuff here too, so its good! 

We had a baptism this last saturday, Abigail, she is the daughter of the inactive family that we reactivated and that Dad was recently put into the bishopric so he was able to baptize his daughter when a month ago he couldnt have. It was a cool expirience. We have another date for the next saturday a 20 year old girl Victoria who is progressing so fast. And we set another date for Luis Gutierrez! Finally we might actually dunk that kid! And YES 6 months baby!!! who would have thought huh?! So this last week we got to go to the temple and for the second time in a row i forgot to ask my President for a temple reccomend so i had to wait outside! its alright i took a nice nap under the trees. Haha i probably looked like an unworthy missionary. But today president told me i can go to his house and get an interview so that will be cool. Its kind of a bummer because i dont get to go the zoo with the others but its ok. I love you all so much and miss you! I love Great Grandpa Collins and hope your all doing well! love reg.

ps. if you are one of my friends and are reading this blog and dont write me, how dare you read my journey to manhood! How do you sleep at night?

Elder Crump

My dear family and friends!!

How are you guys!!  So this week has been a good one! But before i get started i will answer some questions because i always forget!!   So yes i got the CTR rings i love them!!  I have gotten the package with the shirts in it!! Which by the way are so awesome i love them!!  Were gonna take pictures soon!!  Also today i got the B of Ms and the jerky and cookies!! You are an angel!!  Thank you thank you thank you!!  I love all the letters and packages!!

 

  So this week we went to the temple, but we emailed on monday.  It was so fun!! I really missed going to the temple!  Its been 3 months! Being out here made me realize how much i didnt take advantage of the fact that we live in Utah with 14 temple, and 2 being within a 15 minute drive!!  Ugh, i wish i would of gone more!!  It is seriously such a blessing to go, and i cant wait to get back and do a session with you guys!! Save me a seat in the draper temple!!  Anyway it was a fun day!!  Took the bus down, there was no seats so we had to stand in a crowded bus for an hour!!  It was rough but so worth it!!  So my advice to all if you can go to the temple as much as you can!!  i never realized how much i missed, and needed it im my life then when i came out here and my attendence is limited!!  Such amazing blessing come from the temple!  It's our Lords house and in there we can escape from this sometimes crazy world. SO PROMISE ME YOU GUYS WILL GO MORE!!:)

So this week also we had interviews with President Blunck!  It was so good!  SO while we were waiting the assistants always have us practice teaching them.  So we just started going and for some reason, everyone was nervous and like didnt want to do it, so i just started talking, and pretended like his was my investigator.  I taught about the plan of salvation and how he can live with his family forever.  No one wanted to talk or help so i just kept teaching!! It went so good!!  Even though it was a practice, it really felt like my investigator!  After the assistants were way happy and saying how much my spanish has really come along!!  Plus they were like thank you for talking and not being nervous!!  So when it was my turn to go in right away president just gives me a big hug!! He really is such a nice guy!!  Both him and his wife.  So right away he started asking how the area is going.  I only had good things to say!  Ever since i got here each week has gotten better, and we now have investigators!  He was like I'm gonna be completly honest with you Elder Crump, This area almost was closed down before you got here.  The missionaries in the past year, really just let it fall apart, and lost all the realationships with the members.  Their numbers were low, they argued with the members, and really just didnt care if they had investigators, plus they didnt care to update the area book!!!!  He was like elder crump the area which you serve depends on the missionaries!!  99 % of the time its the missionaries fault when an area is bad.  I knew that i need to do something.  Because this area seriously was the worst in the mission.  He then started saying that he knew he needed to put me here!  He said elder crump your one of the happiest missionaries we have here!  I only hear good things about you all the time!  I knew that this area needed you, and you really have made a difference!  For the first time in Months this area has investigators, families, and the missionaries are fufilling their contact goal every week!! You and elder fonseca truly saved this area!  Thank you so much for your hard work, and your smile!!  And for the first time in months, you guys have a baptism.  He then said not only do we have investigators, but them members in the ward trust us, and actually want to work with us!  Plus our ward attendence has gone up like crazy we had 60 people come to church this past sacrament, and by the time church ended, almost 100!!! I was so happy that he felt inspired to put me here, its been a challenge,  but so worth it!

Things are going great like i said we have a baptism set for this saturaday with daniel!!  Our investigators are coming along we gained 2 more families this week plus 5 more investigators!!  I love it our planners are always full with appointments!!!

I really am loving being out here what an amazing adventure it has been!!  Spanish is really coming along. I definitely need to work on a lot of things but i know that as long as im doing what im doing i will be blessed!! 

Thank you for all your emails always and letters and packages!!  I hope all  is well and i hope everything is ok with grandma, she is always in my prayers! 

I have some questions;

Bahamas, how was it!

And if you can will you send me some things, A small pocket size english B of M, The Doctrine and Covenants DVDs, as well as the Old and New Testament DVDS?  If you can that would be great!!  I love you all so so much!!!

All my Love,

ELDER NICOLAS COLLINS CRUMP

Elder Crump

Family!!!

 Well hey how are you all!?  This past week has been awesome!!!  So we finally have gained the confidence in the members!!! They are offering to help out more, and they are always giving references!! I love it!!  Its been rough cleaning up the mess, but such a blessing at the same time!!  So last p day was so fun, we played soccer.  But not just any soccer like we do every other morning we played on a real field, for 2 hours!! It was so fun!! Plus it was against another zone!! But guess what zone!! Independencia!!!!  My old companions!!!  It was so fun, plus we made jersey as a zone, and we looked pretty good, i not gonna lie we looked really good!! haha so It was fun, but i have good news and bad news... the good news is i scored a goal, the bad news we lost 6 to 10... i don't want to talk about it but were gonna have a rematch and this time the scores will be different! haha

So we got 7 more investigators this week!! It was awesome!!  We are doing great here!!  But we the problem is week keep meeting people, awesome people who actually want to learn, but then we find out that they live in other area!! Ugh its frustrating!!  But were getting the references, and the other missionaries are finding them!  Thats whats important, that they get taught, even if its not by us!

So i took dads advice and we have been working with less active members a lot lately as well, cause lets be honest we got plenty of them here!! haha  So we met with this guy named Aqullies!  He used to be very active, but then one day he just stopped, and 5 years passed and he hasn't come to church!  So When we first met him is is this big guy with a beard, tattoos, cut off sleeves, and just kind of a scary looking guy.  But he let us in, and we talked about coming to church, and we focused on taking the sacrament.  By the way thank you for your letters about the sacrament.  They always help me, and i am so grateful to both of you mom and dad, and your desire to always attend sacrament no matter where you are, even your first day in the Bahamas!!:)  So the lesson went really well, and when he was saying the closing prayer, he just broke down into tears, and after he said he is coming this Sunday.  He needs too!  I was so happy! The spirit was so strong.  And what made it all perfect, was he was at church on Sunday in a shirt and tie, with his face shaved, his hair combed, and his scriptures in his hands!! I had never been so proud of someone!!  5 years of not attending and one spiritual lesson later he comes back.  Heavenly Father is incredible, and is not only blessing us to find these people, but blessing them, but directing us to them.

So to answer some questions.  Yes i am taking my vitamins, almost everyday... haha dont worry!! Yes we have a date set for our new investigator Daniel!!! He is 17 and has come to church 4 times, and we only just stared teaching him a week ago!! He just needs to repent of some things, and he will be ready for 28th of April!! Plus we are going to get silvia and her daughter to commit to a date THIS WEEK!!  Things are going great with the them!  Plus are other ones as well!!  I think in may we will have a BUNCH of baptisms, just keep praying for us!!  Dont worry im eating plenty of veggies, and TOO MUCH Fruit!! I even at a banana the other day, almost threw up!  haha

So this week we were really lacking on our contacts and i we really needed to fufill our goal of a 100!  On Sunday we only had 58... so I was like ok we got to just go contacting, but this week i dont know why but fonseca was a little bit trunky!! He hit his 11 months this week and just went trunky!!  But i kicked his butt into gear and was like comp on little fonsy!! haha he hates that nickname!!  So he kept saying there was no way we could get 42 contacts in a day!!  I was like Elder Just have faith!:)  Haha every time i said it he looked at me with his sassy eyes, and shook his head!!  Haha so it was 7 pm and we were still missing 29 contacts!  He then was like elder there is no way we can do this!!  I was like fonsy!!!  Si se Puede!!  I was like elder seriously just have faith!!  The next hour and a half we got 30 Contacts!!!  And about 15 were set for actually lessons this next week!!  He was shocked and i was like elder you have been out for almost a year, your still surprised by the lords miracles? haha that made him smile and get into a better attitude! This week rocked!! I love you guys!! Send me something from the Bahamas!!!

All my Love,

ELDER NICOLAS COLLINS CRUMP

Elder Collins

Well Hello!

Well this has been a busy week! We have been getting on the members the last two weeks to start being more active in the missionary work and trying to let them realize that its not just the work of missionary's but that the members are a even bigger part than us. We received a couple of references this week that are pretty awesome! One is a family who when we first started to teach them and talk to them were not interested at all just kind of went through the motions of the lesson but as soon as we started teaching about the apostasy and the restoration it seemed like a light clicked on in them and they started asking questions and kind of got a little excited. Another reference we got is a girl named victoria. She is like 20 years old and i think she was having a problem with drugs before but she wants to change really bad and loves coming to church which is always a bonus because its hard to get investigators to come to church. Her baptismal date is the 28. I realized i write too much about myself and probably should tell you about all the investigators that i have. I have a new favorite family that im teaching. The Fuentes Family, they are a married couple with two daughters! Married! that never happens. But they are really awesome and a young couple and the dad is like a friend to me. The only hard part is that he has crazy ADD so its hard for him to focus and remember the things we teach him but they finally all came to church for the first time so that was awesome! So i had a really cool experience this week, we have been going to teach this very inactive family. At one point they were active and the dad had the Aaronic priesthood but he just stopped coming to church over the last year or so and drinking a little bit. Well we have been meeting with him the last month and they have been coming to church. Yesterday he received the Melchizedek priesthood and was set apart as the second counselor in the bishopric!! This Saturday we are also baptizing his 9 year old daughter Abigial. Wow a month ago he hadn't been to church in a year! So this week like usual my comp was well, the same. But Thursday morning i literally almost killed him. Thank goodness i remembered that if i punch him ill get sent home. I realized this week though that i have been getting lazy with my personal study and just kind of praying casually during the day. Ether 12:27, im being humbled again by having him as my comp. I hope Anna had a great birthday, you can be expecting a package in the next week or so.. I love you all have a great week!!

Elder Collins

Wow..Ive never eaten so many peanutt butter cup eggs in my whole life!! Thank you for the candy! Alright, straight up i kept both ties. They were both nice so i just thought hey why not right? At first i resisted on giving my comp some candy because he is the exact same but i just felt the easter spirit. Ya, he just ate it all right then and there and didnt say thank you. I decided that he is just kind of a little kid so im just going to be his parent. Haha we have been learning how to say please and thank you this week to me and to the members who feed us. So im not going to lie, im owning lessons right now. Im a big deal. I think its because people are finally starting to understand me. Last night i kind of cracked and im going to start studying spanish way more often and longer. Im planning on being completely fluent in 3-4 weeks! just in time for mothers day.So were going to have two baptisms next week and hopefully 3 more by the end of the month. Even though im not to fond of my comp we still work hard so thats good. The ctr rings make me pretty famous around here with the kids. So i just want to wish ANNA a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Im sending you a birthday present this week so im sorry it will be late but hey its still coming. Also i would just like to say WOW BABY!! i didnt know myles could look so good in a tux! So today are zone is going to play soccer against another zone we ordered team jerseys so we should look pretty good, I will send you some pics of the big game! Hey mom could you send me another family picture the one I have I use to show our families and it is worn out because of a million little kids finger prints on it, they love to hold it and look at it also maybe some of my farewell and the night before I left? Well I got to go , but I love you so much mom and family thank you for everything! Have a great week! Love reg

                                         "hey myles cant lie I think shes looking at me..."