Hermana Tess Crawford: Tess's scary story!!

Before you read Tess's letter you need to hear an update from our skype conversation with Tess on Mother's Day!

Smiles all around!!

Tess's cousins were over too and we got to talk to Hermana Hales!!

Tess said that she would tell us a scary story if we promised not to freak out. So we promised and this is what we heard...

One night last week at about 10:00 pm someone knocked on the door and they thought it might be the elders for some reason so they answered it but no one was there. Then someone started banging on the windows and the door again. This scared them and they went and got one of the sisters out of the unfinished basement (she likes to study alone down there sometimes). Their basement windows have no locks, or coverings and are easy to open from the outside. Tess knows this because she and H. Hales have climbed in them before when they have accidentally locked themselves out. So, after they brought the one sister upstairs, they shut the door to the basement, but it doesn't lock. Then they heard noises coming from the basement and we sure there was someone down there!!! They were all huddled on the couch and very afraid.

They called the elders who live fairly close and they got their quick (one is from Scottland and the other is a big black young man from Georgia and they both made the girls feel safer). The elders went right into the basement and no one was there, but they could tell someone had been in there because the windows had part of the bushes that grow right outside pinched in them because someone had left in a hurry. So the elders, and probably others put beams and boards and stuff across the windows to essentially lock them and cover them so no one can break in or see in again. (Hopefully Tess doesn't lose their keys!) The sisters seem very sure that the culprits were some "druggie" teenagers that live with their parents down the street. Also- there are some people (i'm not sure if these are the same people) that yell profanities and such at them because they apparently hate Mormons and sister missionaries.

In my letter to Tess yesterday I asked her if she thought it was possible that the elders had just been playing a prank on them. She responds to that question in the following letter.

Even though the story was scary, we know she is in the Lord's hands and is being watched over. She had her companion, Hermana Hales tell us the story on Skype and so it was fun getting to know her too a little bit on Sunday. We can see why Tess likes her so much. Tess skyped us from a woman's house in the ward who drives them anywhere they need to go, whenever they need her and Tess said she is awesome. She's like their mom up there. They have a missionary serving too and had a huge life size cardboard cut out of his picture and it was behind her while we were talking and it was pretty funny.

She is really happy and she showed us her super tan feet and told us all about the other sisters they live with. I want to meet all of them someday! She also told us about some ladies in the ward who have become close friends too and her favorite is a young mom from Argentina who has two little kids and invited them over for gnocchi the other day! YUM! She is very excited to get to Argentina though and had a little excitement the other day when one of the sisters in their house, who is extremely intelligent yet kinda ditsy, came into the house with the mail yelling "Your VISAS are here!!!" and they all freaked out, when in fact the address on the envelope wasn't even to all the girls waiting for Argentina and was NOT their visas at all! Oh boy! She said it's cute that the sisters who are permanent Ogden missionaries are as excited, if not more so, for Tess and the other "visa-waiters" to get their visas. They did get some news saying that they are still in process, so at least they have not been forgotten about!

Hola again! May 14, 2013

It was awesome to get to talk to you guys on Sunday. It was fun to get to actually see you and it was great to get to see the Wilsons and the Koskis too! I'm glad you approve of my accent and you enjoyed my tan. I love Jakey's new puffy collar and the other pictures you emailed (I sent you guys some too- you're welcome). That's crazy that the owl scarecrow thing actually works too- why didn't we think of that one sooner? Tell Chloe I want her to email or write me and tell me about her life because I didn't get to talk to her enough and I wanna know what's up. I'm happy that you guys got to meet Hermana Hales too- she's hilarious! But she was seriously on something that night because she's usually not that hyper or enthusiastic, I swear. And the lady whose house we were at is Sister Burton- I'll tell her you said thanks!

I really wasn't that freaked out by the guys breaking in, but I know for a fact it wasn't the elders and it was these teenage guys that live right by us because the elders have called the cops on them before for drug-dealing and doing other hooligan stuff and the elders around here are pretty obedient and wouldn't be out messing around at 10 pm. I wouldn't say it was the most I've ever been scared, but I can't think of an example of a specific time when I was more scared. I think the person who was the most freaked out was my companion, which is funny because she's one of the most logical and fearless people in the house, but she was so scared and made me sleep on the floor in Hermana Kreutzer's room with her. That didn't really help because she was too scared to sleep anyways and then Herm. Kreutzer snores insanely loud so neither of us got much sleep. But it's all good!

Not a ton has happened since Sunday but we did have a super long and tiring day yesterday because it's starting to get warm (I think it was low 90s yesterday). It's really not technically that hot compared to AZ, but having to walk around in it all day carrying a heavy bag and wearing closed-toed shoes makes it seem a lot hotter. I was wondering if maybe you could send me up some more short sleeved shirts and possibly a pair of closed toed shoes that has like a bunch of holes or something so that my feet get more air? If not I can just try to buy them next P-Day, so just let me know what's better. Thanks!

So we have a lot coming up this next week that I'm excited about. We finally have some lessons scheduled with potential investigators that we have (Alex and Angela, Winston, Dulce, Jazmin, Vanessa, & more) and we also have a branch fishing trip/picnic in Syracuse this Saturday, which is going to be really fun and I think the whole Avila family is coming! We also have exchanges again but this time I get to stay in Roy and another Spanish sister is going to be coming here with me- I'm a little scared though because I'm terrible with directions, as you know, and so I'm pretty sure we're going to get lost several times throughout the day, but it'll be an adventure. So yeah, I should have some cool stories for you next Tuesday! I'm out of time now because we're about to go bowling at Fat Cats with our zone (missionaries bowl for free). Hopefully it's fun even though the elders are kind of boring. I think we're going to Costa Vida afterwards too! Thanks for everything and have a fun week!

Love,

HermCrawf

Here's the picture of our casa you guys wanted

Another pic with H. Hales posing in our bedroom window

Our living room (now picture how it was when the elders lived there and the carpet wasn't visible because of all the dead mice and who knows what else...)