Elder Collins

That will do pig, that will do.

   Well hey family hows everyone doing? How was your week. Im sure you all celebrated my birthday without me, thats cool i wont cry that much. Well this week was just fantastic! We went to iquitos on tuesday afternoon and almost missed our flight (dont tell crump) because i didnt double check to see when our flight was! But it was all good. The conference was pretty good. I feel like i have a lot more zone leader friends then i did before. There are a lot more new ones. It was officially my last zone leader conference too. When we were putting the goals up for sep. We all got into a interesting conversation about what we should do. It was pretty much the older zone leaders (including me) vs the newer ones and the sister leaders. It was a headache arguing about what the goal should be for the next month for like an hour and a half. I just felt like there were too many people voicing their opinions with lack of experience. But it was a good overall. There was some pretty good trainings this time too. Pres. was even longer than his wifes this time haha. I stayed with an Elder named Withulhume. He is a way funny guy we had a fun time together. I said goodbye to couple of leaders that im not going to be seeing again.On thursday before i went back crump told me to come into the office, he bought a big slice of cake for me! What a guy! And it was a training that day too for another zone so he saved us a pizza to share too! When i said goodbye to him i was like alright well see you next month thinking about the next conference then i realized that the next time i come back too see him we will be going home!!!! Wow it hit me soo hard! I think thats the first time. Kind of sad. My birthday was pretty good. The family below us took us out to lunch and bought me a cake too! That was really nice of them! At night me and elder mossman and our pension ( did i tell ya we got one now?!) made huge rodeo burgers! It was soo good! And thats pretty much how my birthday went. I opened your package in the morning too. Thanks i like that idea a lot, also thanks to Debby and Grandma Chase for their packages too!!! On saturday i did something way cool! So there is a family in another area who got baptized when i first got here but i did there baptism interviews so they love me, well there nephew got baptized this saturday and i was the one who got to do it...in a river!!! haha it was so cool. There is only two areas in the whole mission where its allowed and i was able to do it. Ive always wanted to! Well thats about its. Les amo mucho Elder Reg

Elder Crump

Hey family, so I'm writing this letter early, because I bet you could of guessed, we don't have p day today...haha I'm used to it.  We have a zone conference today, and its gonna start at about 8:30 a.m.  So yesterday we have the Zone leaders conference, and I got to see Reg!!  Its good to see him, I wished him a happy birthday, but tomorrow I'll give him an official call on his birthday!...Well, so I started to write this letter in the morning, but the conference started, and i had to go, but here I am, and now its not too bright and early.  So like I said, it was good to see Reg.  Today I called him into the offices before he left, and I had a piece of a cake waiting for him.  So i bought some Catholic candles because that's like all they have here and we sang happy birthday.  It turned out to be great!  Its weird, because the next time I see him, we will be heading home...wow.  

So the conference we had today was super great.  Really powerful.  So in the end of every conference, we are given time to bear our testimonies, and all of the people that are finishing with me get up, man it was rough.  So of course everyone was just staring at me and the spirit was literally just pushing me to go, so I did and it was hard.  During the mission, I really have never had a problem with bearing my testimony, but to know that it is going to be my last one with all the elders and sisters, it was hard.  It really has been such and amazing experience.  But what gave me more excitement, was is that I still have one month left.  There is so much to do.  So many people to teach, marry, and baptize.  We have all the people, they are progressing, they just need to make the commitment, and follow through! I know that we will finish this month with success!  I'm excited to keep working hard until the end.  Right now is the time to prove myself to the Lord.  Have I lived up to my potential as a missionary?  If not, I better start doing it, and if so I better keep going and go above and beyond! 

This week has been a great one.  We are getting everything ready for all the upcoming conferences, and I am just getting everything prepared for my replacement.  I still don't know who it is.  I have some Ideas, but we´ll see.  I have some say in who it will be, but in the end I told President that it is his decision, because in the end he won't be my personal secretary, but yours. Haha, he laughed and he knows that he has got some thinking to do.  

So mom to answer you questions.  Yes mom, I like your 3rd option.. Lets just wait till I get home, and we´ll put the money to a new phone, and we can eat cake then as well!

Wow I'm so excited for Jordan.   Hmmm, lets see, I think that she is going to either Peru Iquitos or Paris France. Those are my guesses!  That will be great for her! She will love it!

Wow, I hope everything is ok with Alex.. I didn't think it was that serious!  I saw the picture, and I bet his mom flipped out!  I hope all is well, and he doesn't have to go home!

So let me just tell you guys that this month, like I said before, will be a very successful month.   We have many families that we are teaching, as well as this 20 year old guy named Joel.  His friend gave us the reference, and he really wants to know if this is all true.  He says if he can know Joseph Smith was a Prophet, he will the know the truth to it all.  He knows he needs to pray, and he knows that God will respond.  When we first met him, he didn't believe in him, but he prayed and he said that he could describe the feelings he felt, and he knew that someone was listening.  So when he gets his answer, I'll let you guys know.  As well as the new families that we are teaching, they too just need to pray to know the truth.  This last couple of weeks, we really have been focusing on the apostasy.  We had our conference with Elder Callister and taught about that, and said that the investigators will NEVER progress or make the changes if they don't understand the apostasy.  They need to know that it happened.  They need to know why.  And with that, they will be ready to hear of the restoration, and will be able to accept it and pray to know the truth.  So many times in my mission, I really never understood why the people don't fully make the commitment.  They feel the spirit, and they believe that the restoration is true, but then they kind of just go back to their old life.  Well all the churches are good, just like this one,  so they don't fully commit, and then become eternal investigators.  But when we teach about the apostasy and really help them to understand that Christ organized one church, but it fell, then begins the repentance process, where they start to make the changes.  Where they can't deny the feelings of the spirit.  It really has been such a blessing to apply all we learn into our teachings and our everyday lives.  I know without a doubt that the blessings will come through and we will finish strong.

Family, Friends I love you guys so much! Its so great to hear from you guys! I am so blessed to have all of you in my life.  I cant wait to hear form you all, and I hope that all is great!

Ps mom i'm still getting your letters! The trip sounds great I cant wait!!

All my love,

ELDER NICOLAS COLLINS CRUMP

Elder Collins

Puchicana!! 

   Hola familia como fue esta semana. Espero que todo esta bien y que la torta helada que compro por mi cumpliaño va durar un mes... Well i just wanted to write the first line in another language like myles does. This week was great! I have my new companion. His name is Elder Becerra, he is from Piura Peru. My 4th peruvian comp. I heard he is awesome so i was hoping to get him as my last comp. And you know what its true he is awesome! Im really happy and greatful that he will be my last comp. He is really chill and just calm. He only has 11 months in the mission. Poor guy i will be the second missionary that he will send home. He seems to always be happy and doesnt like to talk to much unlike my last comp who wouldnt shut his trapper. He came on tuesday night but didint get here til 11:30pm! I was waiting in the transport office since 9pm! We got home pretty late. There is also another new kid in the zone and the truth is he is a wierdo! Well this is only my 3rd time having to show the area. The truth is i dont like doing that because it always makes you think that you dont have enough investigadores. Im really happy this week we had a baptism! Ronaldo Peña. He is the Brother of Darvin one of the boys i baptized like two months ago. With this baptism i completed my goals i set at the first part of my mission!!!! Im really grateful that Heavenly Father has given me soo many opportunities to learn and grow and to get to know so many of his children. I was really happy about that but also sad because i realized its coming to an end. This week we are going to Iquitos! whoo! Its like taking a vacation haha. It will probably be my last zone leader conference i dont know if they will let me go my last week in octubre. We get back like at 9ish on thursday and friday is my birthday and then on saturday im completing 23 months!!! what a trunky week haha. We are still teaching the Sinti family. The dad Ronald has a drinking problem. The mom is really upset with him because he drank one glass of beer and tried to justify it saying he didnt get drunk and Jesus drank wine haha. Its frustrating but i still have some people to baptize here before i can leave. I want to pass my goals i made! Well thats about it. Thanks for the video that was awesome! But i saw like 2 little blonde girls that werent in the family before.....???? Well i love you have a great week love reg!!

Elder Crump

So first off, sorry for giving you that teaser in the last email, but hey I mean who doesn't love it when a movie ends and it leaves you hanging!  Haha, well so the changes have been done, and some were pretty crazy, but the most crazy was.....I have a new companion!  Yep, Elder Carter is no longer the Financial Secretary...But he isn't leaving the offices...He just got called to be the new Assistant! Haha, I was flipping out!  I'm excited for him, but sad because I really wanted to finish with him!  Plus that means he will probably be in the offices for like another 6 to 9 months!  And just this past month he completed 6 months in the offices! Haha, well like I said, I have a new companion! His name is Elder Lozano.  He is from Lima, and he is so awesome! He was a zone leader, and we have been friends for a while. He speaks perfect English.  Seriously, he is great, I'm excited to work with him, even if it will only be for a transfer.

So as you guessed, they sent out Elder Uribe, who was the other assistant, and he went to go train a new zone leader in another zone!  It's crazy because everything changed, it's gonna be super different.  Now I am the one who has been in the offices the longest!  Almost 10 months. since I got here! WOW, time has flown by!  Anyway, it will be good for the mission.  Elder Carter is an amazing missionary, very humble, very obedient, and very focused in his purpose!  He will really help the mission to progress!

So I'm glad you guys had a great time in Powell, I bet it was a nice relaxing trip!  But hey, EVERYONE better be ready to go down next year, because it has been TOO long since we were all together!  So start planning!  Trevor, Kenzie, Corrine, Bradford, Shay, Bren, Hudson, Norah, and Mia! haha

So we just got back from Moyobamba....and all I can say is wow! Really Reg is living in paradise! It is so green up there!  Just the drive from Tarapoto to Moyobamba was amazing!  So many mountains and trees.  Seriously, i felt like I was in the movie Jurassic Park!  My training that I did with all the Zones was about the Baptism Records.  How to fill them out, and why they are important.  About a year ago, they did a training on all this, where the Secretaries went to all the jungle with the assistants to do the training, but that was over a year ago.  All those Elders, who learned how to do it, finished their missions and the others who are still here like me, apparently aren't teaching the new missionaries how to do it.  So we have been having a lot of problems and a lot of mistakes.  So I proposed the Idea to go train all the zones again and the President Loved the Idea, so we went!  It really has been helping, and ever since we got back the Baptism records are being completed correctly!  It really makes the process go faster, and makes it possible for their converts to be able to go to the temple.  But the sad thing is, if there is an error or the name is spelled wrong, the Record doesn't work, and the baptism like doesn't count.  It was super sad, because I shared a story about how from our mission a family had gotten baptized over 3 years, and during these three years they worked hard to save all their money to go to the temple.  Finally, after all that hard work, they finally made it to the temple.  When they got there, they found out that 2 of their 5 children were not in the records as members.  Their record wasn't done right.  Because of that, the whole family couldn't go to the temple to be sealed, 2 would be left out.  So the family got their stuff and went home.  The 2 children had to get re baptized and they had to wait a whole 3 more years to be able to go to the temple.  In the end, they all made it, but how sad is that.  All because of one mistake, or someones lack of verification, this family had to WAIT to be an Eternal Family.  It ended up being a good training.  I think everyone learned how important it is to fill out the Record properly.  We go through so much hard work to find, teach, marry, baptize and then confirm people.  And in the end, it doesn't even count, because we didn't do our part...I can't imagine how sad I would be if one of my converts couldn't go to the temple, because of me. Hopefully everyone caught on to what I was trying to say.

So this week has been good, we are trying to get back into our area.  The good news is the members were visiting some of our investigators, and just last night we just invited another family to get baptized!  Wow, seriously this family is so great.  Their names are John and Melissa.  They were a reference from the ward, and they really just want to make all the changes that are needed.  We talked about how we can turn this house that they are living in, into a home.  Because yes there is a big difference.  A house is something material, something we live in, but a home is were we are with our families, where the spirit is, and it's the one place in this world that we can feel safe from all that goes on in the world.  Melissa looked as if she wanted to cry!  And then John just blew my mind with his answers.  We talked about repentance, and he said that a man cannot repent with just his lips, because tomorrow he will go back and commit the same sin.  He told me that he needs to change, but with his actions.  He needs to come to church, read the scriptures, and pray,  And through that process, I can truly show God that I want to be forgiven, and better yet I deserve to be forgiven...WOW, I was speechless! Tomorrow, we have a lesson with them.  Were gonna set the date for the wedding and baptism!

We received word that Maria's business fell through, and that is why she is stuck there.  She is trying get it all fixed up before she comes back.  We are told that she will be back on the 9th of Sept.  So help me, I will marry and baptize this family before I come home! They are so ready, this is their time, she just needs to come back!!

Well family and friends, it's great to hear from you all! I love you guys!  Thanks mom for reminding me, but there is still 5 weeks and 4 days!! Don't be cutting me short, yet! :) Haha, this last transfer is going to be great! We will have success, and I will be able to leave my area, better than I found it!

So this week, its now been 4 weeks that we have had without P day... there has just been so much to do. We have been traveling, training and working with the missionaries, there just wasn't time.  Hopefully, this next week we will be able to take a day off to relax.

P.S. I was super sad that I couldn't go out and work with Reg.  We got sent on work visits with missionaries in the other areas. We went to Rioja, and then the next day to Nueva Cajamarca.  Wow, Moyobamba is so pretty! Nueva cajamarca is definitely the prettiest! It's the only area where you get to baptize in the river!  Anyway, overall it was a good trip!

I love you guys.  Hope you have a great week!

All my Love,

ELDER NICOLAS COLLINS CRUMP

P.S.S

So this trip, I found out that one of my Converts from Tarrapoto, Jorge Pisfil, who was the single dad that we baptized, moved to Moyobamba and got married.  In the priesthood meeting that I was attending, he became an Elder!!!  I have never been so happy, there he was in a shirt and tie sitting in church with his family! Wow, it was great!!  Best trip ever!

Elder Collins

The LAST ONE!!!!

 

     Well it came, I just entered my last transfer! Can you believe it! Thats so crazy to me i can hardly believe it. Sometimes it doesnt even feel real. I kind of just feel like im never going, kind of like i did when i was home about to leave. Really though i dont feel like im finishing at all. So this week was pretty good. We had zone conference here in moyobamba. Usually we go down to tarapoto but this time they came up here because since the mission is smaller they have a little more time on their hands. Nick came up too. I bearly even saw him though. Just during the conference and like twice after. He had to do the transfer stuff and I had to do work visits. I thought we would be able to do divisions maybe for a couple of hours but that didnt work out. The conference was pretty good. Definitely a lot more laid back than before. One cool thing is that i got another 8/4/2 certificate. Hahah big deal right? Ive been doing a lot of work visits lately. I realized ive been slacking off on those the last month. Its just hard because my zone is huge. I like them though because i get a break from my comp and i get to help everyone else out. I have 4 other areas in my zone. By car Belen is about 5min away, Soritor is about 35 min away, Rioja is about 45 min away and Nueva Cajamarca is 1 hour away! We are a traveling zone. This week has just been a lot of trying to find new investigators in a lot of rain. Seemed like the jungle or something!!. We have found quite a few. The Sinti family is good. They all came to church again. They have a wedding date and they want to be baptized too. The Mom is a little hesitant still but its nothing out of the normal. This week we should be baptizing Ronaldo Peña. He is the brother of Darvin, one of the kids i baptized about a month ago. Hes a good kid. Everyone thought he was a member and they wanted to put him in as deacons quorum pres., but hes not even baptized yet haha.

       Today is transfers. I havent received them yet but im not planning on going anywhere. I think im going to be getting a new comp, but we will see in about half an hour when they send me my email. Its good to hear from myles. He doesnt write me a lot but thats understandable because you only get like a half an hour until you go into the field. He looks like he is having fun. Haha i want to see Sam play football so bad!! and max too? How does max like high school? Thats crazy that hes in high school! Ill bet he looks really big now. What position is he playing? Ill bet sams tearing it up too. WIll i be home to see sams last games too??!! Whats anna doing? Does she like middle school? Which one did she end up going too? Could you answer some questions please?! hahahaha. Well i love you all and hope you have a great week love reg! 

Elder Crump

First off, I'm jealous you guys are in Lake Powell right now!!  I miss being out there! Seriously, it's my favorite place to go!  I hope you guys have a great time!
 

So I'm glad you guys went to the docks to get internet to send your letters! Haha, true love for your son!  haha

So this week has been pretty crazy!  As of right now, we have 6 Families that we are working with!!!  And yes, all 6 of them need to get married! Haha, we have been working so hard, and they are progressing! 3 of them are new and were references from the ward!  Its makes such a difference when your with someone who is either friends or family with the person.  The members have a power that the missionaries don't quite have.  The people really have a hard time saying no to the members, because they are their friends.  So we really have been taking that training seriously that we received in how to train the members to become missionaries.  We have been planning with them and doing practices, so that they can make the invitations.  It really has been working!  So sad thing, Maria still has not come back yet...we are getting nervous.  There is no communication with her and we don't know when she is coming back. We have been praying and fasting for them.  They are such a great family and with all they have been through, this is their time to make the change.  The other 5 families are doing great.  One needs to get the divorce finalized, to get remarried, and the other 4 just need to come to church.  Its been a battle with them.  Satan is strong and is doing all he can to bring them down. 

This week, well actually today, we are flying out to Moyobamba!  I'm excited, but nervous to leave my area alone for 4 days...we have been planning with the members to be able to visit our investigators, so hopefully that works!  I'm excited to go see Moyobamba.  It will be nice to see Reg!  Plus Moyobamba is the coolest part of the mission.  Plus, I'm excited, because we get to go and work with the missionaries, since we will be there for a while!  But, it's going to be a busy trip, because this next week is transfers.  Right now, I'm buying all the flights, and when were down there I got to do all the forms to send to the missionaries and prepare everything for all the new missionaries!   Hopefully we get it all done!

So like I said we got the Transfers...and there are some crazy ones!  I was kind of surprised!  I can't tell you yet, but next week for sure! Haha, sorry to do that!

Well guys, I do love you so much! I hope you have the best time in Lake Powell.  I'm jealous, but happy for you guys! Dad make sure that boat is all up and running for when I get home!

So like you said, mom, this is my last 6 weeks.  This is my last chance to give all I can.  September will be a month filled with Weddings and Baptisms, just you guys wait!  I love you guys!  Have fun and be safe!

All my Love,

ELDER NICOLAS COLLINS CRUMP

Elder Collins

Hola Familia!! 

   Wow, i cant believe that myles is gone!! I feel like he just got his call. Ill bet the house is quiet...wait do sam and max still live there?...never mind. haha From the looks of it he did a lot better than i did leaving..Haha. He is a lot emotionally stronger than me anyway. He looks great too! im way proud of him. Sounds like that language will be a killer but it all comes with time. I am really proud of him. Looking at his pictures made me actually miss the MTC a lot and brought back a lot of those first day or week feelings and excitement. It would be so cool to start all over again but at the same time not at all. haha. Really i got those first day butterflies looking at his pictures but then all those butterflies got killed as the zone reminds me that this monday i enter into my last change!! Yep, this monday i start my last change! I cant believe it! It really doesn't seem real. Can you believe it?! 

    So this week was pretty good. Im getting a little antsy because i haven't had a baptism for like 2 weeks and i was going to have one this week but he didn't attend church. Dang. But this week was pretty great because we found some good families. We have one the Sinti Family that we are teaching. They are really humble and don't have a lot. They all attended church yesterday which was cool. The only obstacle is that the dad likes to throw a few down when his friends invite him. But they do have the desires to change. This week ive been trying to love my companion a lot more. I have been praying that i could think more positivly with him. I think the Lord helped me a lot too. But its all good because i feel like im getting a new comp this next change. How about we pray that it can be Nick!? haha. That would be so cool. So i guess he is coming at the end of this week. I didn't know it was for 4 days. I guess the kid just wants to party with me in Moyo. Im looking forward to that. Well i sure do miss you a lot and hope all is well. I love you! Love reg