First Full Week in La Punta

Hola familia-

How's it going out there in Gilbert? The temple looks so amazing, I can't wait to see it in person! Sounds like you had a pretty good week. Chloe's going to FIJI?! That's going to be so awesome!! And that's so cool that Rustin got his blessing! It's going to help him out a ton. Also, tell Sara G. congrats!! Haha I remember when she told me a long time ago (while Jared was on his mission) that they were dating and I didn't believe her at all.. well, now I guess I have to believe it! That's crazy!

So my first full week in La Punta was pretty good. We had a zone meeting last Tuesday and the ZL's talked a lot about faith and how God is a God of miracles and even when it feels like too much is being asked of us, the Lord will qualify us for whatever calling we're given as long as we have faith. That was good for my comp and I to hear because we both have been feeling like a lot is being asked of us- given the fact that we're opening the area, she's brand new, and I've never trained before (in fact I was never really trained in the first place!). We've been working hard though, trusting in the Lord, and doing our best. To clear up the confusion, Hna Martinez, my comp, is from Honduras and just got out of the MTC in Guatemala. She has 10 siblings and she's the second youngest. ALL of her older siblings are return missionaries- 7 girls and 2 boys, and her younger sister just sent in her papers. She's very sweet and a little bit sensitive. We get along pretty well but she gets frustrated sometimes because the people here are a lot different than the people in her country, and she came in with a lot of expectations about the mission from her siblings who all served in central america and it's not exactly the same over here in Argentina. She misses her family a lot too. Her oldest brother was just mugged and killed a year or so ago and so I think that's been on her mind a bit too. She'll be alright pretty soon though. The first few months are always a little rough.

I really love La Punta though! It's so nice here and the people are friendly. The branch is small but the members are so pumped up about missionary work, and are excited to help us out with lessons and by inviting their friends and family to church. All of our leaders are awesome- it's one of the coolest branches I've been in! This week we had a great lesson with 2 friends of this 18 year old girl in the ward named Brenda who got baptized 3 years ago but has been inactive for 2 years and just recently started coming again. She's one of the branch missionaries and last week she came out to go tracting with us and two friends, Angie and Belén were hanging out with her and decided to come with us too. It was a little strange, but we started talking to them and they became pretty interested in why two girls their age would leave their countries and families to do what we do. A few days later we had an appointment with them and watched the movie "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" in the house of the Varela family (Brenda's house). The spirit was really strong as the movie ended and the mom (who's also recently re-activating) bore her testimony as well as Brenda. Belén asked us for a copy of the book that she saw in the movie aka the book of mormon, and wants to read it. Unfortunately they both live in the other hermanas' area so we're going to have to give them over to them, but it was a great experience for my comp and I.

Speaking of the other hermanas, they're both awesome and we all have a ton of fun together. It's really nice living in a pension with other hermanas again, it gets a little boring with just two. Hna Martinez 2 from Nicaragua is super cool and was the hija de Hna Hales (she came to Argentina 1 day after my ex comp Hna Tzorin), and Hna Hatch is insane but hilarious. We're hoping that none of us get transfered because we all want to spend Christmas together here in La Punta.

It really is so crazy that I'm about to be HALF-WAY done.... Some days it feels like I've been a missionary for my entire life and the life I had before was just a dream, but other days I feel like I was just in the MTC yesterday and there's no way that I've really been here for 9 months. It's weird and impossible to explain. I'm turning 20 in a month though too, which is also super weird! I'm so excited for Navidad and to get to talk to you guys a little bit. It's going to come really fast, I can already feel it! I've got to go now, I think we're going to go on a hike as a district! I love you guys!! Enjoy the pics!

<3,

Hna Crawford

Walmart! This one's a lot more like the real thing- there's even Christmas decorations. I felt really weird shopping there last P-Day..

Mi hija eating her first alfajor!

Sometimes during the siesta (they sleep from 1-6 pm now that it's hot) we take 5 minute breaks from searching for open doors (if we knock a closed one, they'll get super mad)

Isiah 52:7 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

Las hermanas de La Punta! 

Actividad en Ampya: "Un dia en el CCM" (a day in the MTC)