cute decor of resturant

sister McMahon and I having lunch the other photo is

Elder Gallman (he grew up with Tess and Rustin Crawford.....my cousins from Gilbert Arizona) HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE The week before thanksgiving.....Life is going so fast. And the ward is so willing to feed us, I don't know how they do it or what I am going to do! I made a list of funny things that have happened each day this last week so I am just gonna give a quick run through! Mon. -NOV 17 After giving the weekly update last week, we were leaving the library and as usual I smiled at the person who was walking in, this time it happened to be an old man. I smiled and turned to say something to sister McMahon when the old man grabbed my arm and I turned back around. He just looked at me for a minute and I didn't know what was going on...he proceeded to ask me if I was 'german' and then went on to tell me that I looked exactly like his ex-girlfriend in high school. I don't know how the conversation progressed but we ended up talking about the word of wisdom - the man hadn't ever taken a drink of coffee, tea, or alcohol in his life and was planning on taking a trip to Salt Lake City, UT in December. We invited him to stop by Temple Square and asked if we could visit more about some of our beliefs to see if they matched with the way he was already living but he was from a town about an hour away from Edinburg and was just visiting. Odd, but so cool. This old man told us about his wonderful health in his old age, I know that his superior health was just a result of living a healthy lifestyle, whether member or not. Tues. NOV 18 District meeting was followed by district lunch and Sister McMahon and I showed the Elders this little house/antique mall/restaurant that we had walked by a couple times in our area. There are really no words to describe this place so I will send some pictures. It was expensive, spanish, completely empty besides us but overall a wonderful experience. The rest of the day was a slight let down as our investigator Mario canceled on our appointment, though his cancelation led us to walk over to a mexican grocery/gas station for Sister McMahon to use the restroom and that led me to buy a bag of granola from this place - best granola I've ever had. The rest of the day was uneventful until our meal appointment with a member, they gave us two gallons of orange juice to take home and we were on bikes, an hour away from our house...so that was good excercise. Wed. NOV 19 This was a hard day, we fasted for Mario's progress but again he canceled on us. We biked all day without much finding success until finally decided to take our 'mormon.org' time for the week. I found a wonderful series of mormon message videos called, "Bread of LIfe" and I would encourage everyone to watch the 'pattern' and 'change' videos. Heavenly Father didn't create us to need daily bread on accident, we have to turn to him and show our thanks everyday simply for the fact that we are still here, everything we have comes from Him. Then that night we also got huge food baskets from the ward - Heavenly Father really does just know. Thurs. NOV 20 Elder Foster, of the seventy came and spoke. He was pretty direct about what our purpose as missionaries should and shouldn't be. He did a good job of refocusing us on the 'strengthing of the stakes of zion' but overall what I got out of it, was we all need to 'build each other up'. Mom said, 'Build Each Other Up" to all of us 100x but I didn't get how important that is. As missionaries we just have to build everyone up, creating relationships between people (leaders, members, investigators) to help each one grow stronger in the gospel. Its so easy, yet not. At the meeting I was also able to see Sister Bentz again, she got me excited for all the other areas in the mission - she LOVES brownsville! I love Edinburg but it will be fun to see where I end up next in south texas. Fri. NOV 21 Uneventful but solid day of member work and mostly food. We taught Gonzalo about family history work a little, actually Sister McMahon was teaching both of us. Families are the biggest blessing that Heavenly Father has given us! And I got a letter from Grandma Rain today, she talked a little bit about Bompa and I just am so excited to get to meet him!! I love families! The rest of the day was meal appointments, my stomach was crying from all the food, 2 hamburger, 1/2 of a 12 inch peperoni pizza, 2 quesadillas, a plate of beans and noodles, BBQ chips, a apple cinnamon empinada and 2 side flour tortillas - this is just two dinner appointments, killing me. Sat. NOV 22 Cookies and being a blessing were the theme for today and the rain couldn't stop us from doing so. We made 36 cookies and strapped them onto the back of my bike and went out and tried to deliver them to some members and our investigator Mario and his daughter (but again he canceled). We ended up giving them to some random people on the street, and meeting a new family to teach - they are so cool! Oatmeal cookies ended up being a great way to meet to people but then the rain came! After delivering cookies to Mario's roommate, we got to our bikes and it starts downpouring! We ride for no less than a minute when I biff it and slide in the mud, boy was that rough but I laughed it off and we rode onward. On the way home we tried to stop by a members house to deliver the last of the cookies and they werent home. While trying to contact a referral in the rain, the next thing we know the Morales, another member couple pulls up and we were able to give them the cookies - they offered a ride but had nowhere for our bikes. The last 30 minutes of biking in the rain were painful, the rain felt like rocks but the memory was absolutely worth it. Sun. NOV 23 Mario came to church with his 5 year old daughter Kaylee!! That was just about the only important thing from yesterday, and we have a family home evening with Mario and the Morales's tonight! Heavenly Father is so good.

Sorry this update was so long but that is a very good summary of the last week!! Hope everyone's thanksgivings are good, don't get sick! Love from South Texas, H. Crawford

This week was good, just a continuation of the thanksgiving season and more experiences to learn and grow from. Creative opportunities to make every situation a little better are everywhere on a mission, and there are alot of fun things to do without breaking the rules - the trick is knowing the rules well enough to not accidentally break any, there is a very fine line! Also I am learning the importance of working for a reward. You have to plan a way to reward yourself for big things, otherwise you never get around to doing the big fun things like cracking a coconut. (I bought a coconut 2 weeks ago but havent been able to crack it open because we dont have the time) Alrighty so this week - I cooked pumpkin for the first time. As in I cut off a big chunk of pumpkin - boiled and ate it..tasted like acorn squash. Now we have left over for pumpkin cookies today! HOoray! We went running every morning, even though it was freezing cold and we run at a track near our house (google map: Edinburg High School -Bobcats) and you can see the track we run everymorning at - running is great but there is a really strong wind that goes exactly opposite to one direction of the track and that has caused me to ponder the attributes of resistance and perseverance! Heavenly Father puts massive winds in our path, we may feel we are sprinting our hearts out but are making very little progress... well the track has another side. Winds dont last forever and after you persevere long enough the wind will eventually be propelling you forward on the other side of the track. Our ability to find new investigators has felt alot like this lately but this week we saw some miracles, random people we had met on the street previously are coming out of the woodwork wanting to be taught - and all of our work with finding less actives has found an awesome family that has a testimony that just needs to be shown love to motivate them back into the church habit! Anyway, life and trails dont last forever! We just have to do our best and find moments to be proud of ourselves! Hardwork brings happiness!! (I even read about it in 2 Nephi 5 today) And agency brings happiness - please read Elder Christofferson's talk from conference - Free Forever. Sidenotes from this week: First off its freezing - naturally everyone wants to feed us and at each dinner appointment that we go to they think that sister McMahon and I are too skinny so they force us to eat more and more and more..until we are sick to our stomaches - but I am learning a lesson on charity from them! lol Tambien, while on an exchange - a woman that I had never met before gave me a sweater because I was "delgado y frio" and then another member that I had never met gave both Sister Tippets and I - winter hats and fuzzy socks! I love South Texas! Muchisimo gracias por su amor - tenga un buen semana! H Boo Crawford

meet resident turtle for 3 years notice the height difference between sister DelAngel and I - she taught us how to homemake floutas (mexican name for tequitos) Lessons have been learned this week. Things just never seem to work out the way that we plan them, yet they workout still the same. Halelujah for that! A lot happened this week but it was all because we didnt stop working. All of the miracles were last minute of the game type things - we founds people at just the right moments, and people stepped in to help us moments before appointments but I will just give a few bullet point events for the week since I don't have much time! The thanksgiving spirit is really coming to Edinburg I must say because this week upon review was full of singing and eating and charity from members and people.... singing -sang in the spanish ward primary program with some other missionaries -joined the stake choir, along with all the other missionaries -we sang on people's doorsteps at least 4 times each day eating -we made over 10 bowls of carmel corn -we delivered all the carmel corn to members and some people we met on the street. -i learned how to make floutas from sister del angel -ate watermelon at a mexican grocery store for dinner one night -we survived 9 dinner appointments (a couple nights we had 3) charitable people: -mario was found, he is our new investigator and just super cool -we had a member present at every lesson this week, and alot of them gave us rides - genuine lifesavers since it rained basically everyday this week! -one random women gave us peanut butter cookies, just because... -anther random person gave us each a carmel apple Basically, life is going good. I love the thanksgiving spirit! Go through the alphabet - start with the letter A and list all the things you can think of that you are grateful for starting with that letter. Then move through the alphabet each night with a new letter! Seriously blessed, super blessed! When we recognize all the things we have been given it will only make us that much happier. And lets be honest, who doesn't love being happy? peace love and blessings everyone, happy november! H. Boo Crawford

Aloha Everyone, We survived the week without a phone or a car and we still don't have a phone but that hopefully will be fixed today! We did a ton of biking, I wish I had an odometer (is that what counts miles?) to know exactly how far we biked each day and in total...cause it was a lot! We endured the end of the month, is basically what I am trying to say and the joy of this weekend has been over the moon! Heavenly Father really promises some sweet blessings when you make it to those little pit stops along the race of life! This weekend was one of those pit-stops for us! We were able to have set appointments for Halloween and then all of saturday and even a lesson right after church on sunday before our regular dinner appointment. When you are doing what you are suppose to and trying your best to use time wisely - life just feels good! We were doing everything that we could to be teaching, and that is what we are suppose to be doing out here on the mission, we were teaching everyone and anyone that we could - members included. I have gained a serious testimony of working hard and enjoying yourself...which leads me to the next lesson that I learned this week. We were able to have personal interview time with Presidente Maluenda this week and it was just so enlightening. Life is SO SIMPLE. _side note: we keep getting lectured about 'consecrating ourselves' or in other words dedicating all of our heart, might, mind and strength to being a missionary_ This sounds nearly impossible but Presiente made is seem so simple, we just have to do our best and all good things are indicators of the spirit. I learned that all I have to do is keep laughing and enjoying all my time here - good or bad - laughter and happiness is really the way to go. I know that when we choose to be happy, nothing can be too awful to overcome and change our situation. I love it. Life is good. Also if life is really rough - I recommend buying a popcorn machine. That has been another source of happiness these last few days! We have been eating and delivering carmel corn galore - and when you eat too much of it and feel nauseus just choose to happy, cause all the yuckiness will pass. Peace and Blessings - cause its november!! H. Crawford

photo with Brother Ayala making home made pizza --SO FUN and DELICIOUS!