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!

Edinburg, got to love it! I am staying in the same place this transfer but I officially have a new companera - her name is Sister McMahon! She is from Canada and has been out on her mission for 11 months. So same area, new companion and new outlook. There is so much to do, change sort of snow balls and now there is a lot more changing than just a new companion. We have a goal to start working with a different focus on members and receiving referrals from them. Hopefully this will lead to more set appointments and less tracting! Ill let you know, once our plans become actions! Anyway, a lot of crazy things happened this week beyond just the transfer! We are officially out of car miles. This presents a challenge because we usually use about 20 miles a day on our car and we have 2 miles plus emergency miles for the rest of the month. Good thing I love biking; since thats our only method of transportation for the coming week - holy cow just right that makes me nervous sick... Life is good! Oh we lost our phone, tambien! Actually I would have to say that "I lost our phone" since I am the one who definitely had it last. Setting up member present lessons and calling investigators becomes impossible without a phone so that will continue to be a struggle until we get a new one on thursday! Through the foggy mess of being without a phone, or car. It has been easy to see all the miracles and little blessings that Heavenly Father has given us the last couple days. Found a scripture this morning that I felt applied... In Alma 32: 13 "And now, because ye are compelled to be humble (we don't have a car or phone so consider us humbled) blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth (we are biking and trying to plan out directions better) shall find mercy (we need all the mercy and help we can get); and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end (working hard without a phone or car until saturday) the same shall be saved." Sometimes we are going through a patch when a lot of things are seemingly working against us and thats alright! We just have to humble ourselves and rely a little more on Heavenly Father and recognize the little miracles, cause there's a lot of them! We all have periods of endurance! And we are promised, that those trails wont last forever! Life is good over here in Edinburg, and I finds themselves well wherever they are! LOVE YOU ALL MUCHISIMO! H. Boo Crawford

Well, my first transfer in the mission field is tomorrow, it has been one hectic last week for Sister Bentz and I, we got so much done without knowing what the next transfer would bring. Our investigators required a lot of attention but we were able to get a lot done! This last two weeks one of our former investigators came back and showed personal interest in coming to church and activities, without us prompting him, his name is Gonzalo. We had been working with Gonzalo for my whole time in the mission field and when it got to his baptism date a couple weeks ago - he had dropped us out of the blue. So we stopped teaching him but continued to visit him when we were in the area. (we are currently teaching his next door neighbors). Well this last week we brought up baptism to him again and he wanted it! He talked to other Elders about what he would have to do to get baptized as soon as possible...and he did it! So this last week we visited him to just keep helping him progress. It has been awesome to see his life changed over the last 7 weeks!! He started out as a daily addict to some serious drugs, and although he didnt stop cold turkey...he has been able to quit and surround himself with completely new people, get a job to stay busy and be self reliant. It all started with his own decision to change, and his recognition of the good verses the bad in his life. Gonzalo's progress in changing his life around can be looked at exactly the same way as any one of our goals in life, and I have especially thought about it as transfers have been coming. We can choose a point in time, a goal date, and then make realistic plans to get there. There might be a lot you have to change to reach a goal but its possible to reach any goal with manageable plans! Its like looking up at a mountain, especially with my current view of the mission, and then just breaking it up into small peices, make it to that first boulder...then the next boulder...then the next and before you know it you are looking back down part of the mountain and are super proud of how far you've already come!! "Motivation follows action." Any goal needs to start with a decision to act, a little bit of action and your minor progress will motivate you to get cracking!! Its awesome! Yesterday, Gonzalo got baptized. It was so exciting to see how much work he had put into becoming more of the person that he wanted to become...dont get me wrong he has more to do! But his decision to want to be baptized, and then the actually baptism yesterday are huge steps that I know will help to motivate him to keep getting better!! Everyone: Set a goal and a date, then make plans to reach that goal!! Change whatever part of yourself that you want to change and it will make you so so so HAPPY! Thanks for all the love and support! Oh almost forgot. We got news about transfers yesterday too! Sister Bentz will be heading to a new area tomorrow but we dont know where yet and I will be staying in Edinburg Central and will be getting a new companion to finish training me! Pictures and updates on the big change will come next week! I LOVE YOU ALL H. Boo Crawford

Edinburg Week 5

Popsicles that we got from a bakery and the street we had to walk to to get to a neighborhood! SO PRETTY!

Sister Soliz! She is inactive for about 5 years but we see her everyweek and shes starting to come back to the rs activities! i love her to death though she is one sassy lady!! And she loves halloween so we took a pic with her next to her decorations.

We face painted like native americans for Pday zone activity Sister alvorado! She just recently got baptized and we go and read in the book of mormon with her every week! sHE IS so cute and hilarious!

Another week has come and gone, and my first transfer day is only a week away! That is seriously crazy to think about, but its comforting to know that for better or worse time is always pushing forward! Edinburg Central is doing awesome! Our focus on the less active, recent convert and active members is paying off big time! We had three investigators come to church this last week (and though that may not sound like a lot its a ton). Our work with the members made them so much more willing to walk people to class and sit with them and talk to them! It was really cool to see, and for our spanish investigators the members really help with language barriers too! We passed a field of haybells and so I thought I would take a pic cause they reminded me of the ranch! I made sure not to ruin them though!

Sorry I dont have more time to write but hopefully the pictures will give an idea of what our week was like! Thanks for all the support!! All my love H. Boo Crawford

weekly update Oct 6th Alright, this has been one of the more frustrating weeks as far as time and energy goes, but I really am starting to feel like a missionary. There has been quite a bit of rejection this week but its been more hurtful because it has been from people we have put a lot of time and energy into. We have been working with some people that we thought were great potentials and investigators but when we visited we got dropped or just people wouldn't be home. I still don't know what lesson I am suppose to learn from walking away from a door disappointed and prepared for a lesson that isn't going to happen yet... but I am sure I'll figure it out. Anyway the definite highlight of the week was General Conference!! Some of my favorite talks included Saturday Morning: Elder Todd Christofferson - his talk on agency and accountability was exactly what I have been thinking about for the last while. I just love our ability to choose and act and then the happiness we can feel from doing the right and taking responsibility for it. Saturday Afternoon: Elder Dallin H. Oaks - well overrall he blew my mind but I love our government set up and I want to learn more about the constitution when I get home. The structure of checks and balances is applicable to all types of power, and is definitely inspired. Saturday Afternoon: Elder Klebingat - he was just super straightforward. I completely agreed with the things he said we needed and should do to improve our spiritual self confidence, and the requirements are not just spiritual actions. Looking at the talks and the notes that I wrote I realized - that I got the most out of things that I have already been thinking a lot about and have done at least a little research on! In order to learn more about a specific topic and to get those lightbulbs we have to put in time and effort beforehand. A good lesson I am learning is the resources we have to study the gospel never change but the reason why we are studying and the focuses we have will completely change what we learn. Its all about our mindset! Anyway, think about something that is interesting to you whether related to church or not and then look up key words in the gospel resources that you have and new things will just start to click in your minds! Its seriously so cool! Thanks for the love and support - the prayers make a difference! H Boo Crawford