Mission Rules

Christina is safe and in Ecuador.  Her mission rules prohibit the posting of letters on blogs or Facebook so I will post only a few details about her mission and some pictures.  But not her letters as we had originally thought.  So with that in mind, if you want to keep up to date on her mission details please send me your email and I will forward you her letters (this is approved on mission rules.)

Christina has been assigned to the Machala area its about 3 hours south of Guayaquil.  Her favorite thing about Machala is that it is overcast a lot so it doesn't get very hot.  I bet it is also very humid there.

She seems to be adjusting to mission life, and has had some good experiences so far.

Remember to send her Dear Elders so she knows what is happening with you.



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Christina's heading to Ecuador

On her way to Ecuador

 

I have never been so excited about a phone call.  I was up at 6am waiting for the phone to ring so I didn’t miss it.

 

Finally it came.  Christina called this morning about 7:30 from the airport on her way to Ecuador.  It was so nice to hear her voice and talk with her.  One of the hardest parts of this mission for me is that I don’t get to hear from her very often.  Just once a week, so when I send letters with questions the answers are long coming.  So a conversation with her, hearing about her experiences in the MTC and getting immediate answers was awesome! 

 

She was a little tired after a 4:30 am start, and she has a long day of travel ahead of her with 2 layovers before leaving the country. But she sounded so good, so happy and excited and scared to start this new adventure.

 

She said be sure to send Dear Elder’s to her so she is still connected with everyone.

 

At the MTC

Dear family,

 

The MTC is a blast! Well.  Actually. I don't know how to describe it.  It's nothing at all like I expected it to be.   We got here, the host sisters took us up to get our nametags and keys and such, and then we delivered our luggage to our rooms.  Then they sent us directly to class. It's CRAZY here.  For the first few days, we were in class for six hours a day, studying for four hours a day, and then the other time devoted to various workshops, orientations, etc.  Also not very much time for meals, and some gym time a couple of the days.  This week we still have six hours of class per day, but some of the time that was devoted to study now goes to practice activities, like the TRC. Point being, we are SO BUSY. We have 16 hour days, and every hour of them there's something we're supposed to be doing. (Well, except for today.  There's some unscheduled time today, since it's P day.)

 

Speaking of the TRC (I have no idea what this stands for--we show up at an appointed time, and we get assigned a practice investigator), we had our first "progressing investigator" yesterday.  I think ours went pretty well, all things considered, but some of the other sisters in our district had a really rough time.  One of the sisters cried during their visit. Her companion cried later during class. 

 

We did have a "teaching experience"  our first day, but all of the new missionaries did it together, and it was in English. It was really great, actually.  We split into groups of 75 ish missionaries, and each group met with an "investigator".  They told us about their problems, and we told them about the Gospel.  We had 3 "investigators", but one of them really had an impact on me.  His name was Jose, and from the beginning, he seemed really sad.  He talked about how he moved here from (...wherever he was from. Guatemala, maybe?) to be near his daughter.  Someone asked him if he believed that God loved him, and he said no, but "I know that I need Him". Several missionaries then bore testimony to him that God did love him.  He started talking about how difficult his life had been in Guatemala (or wherever), and how even as a little kid he had to work.  Then he talked about how his father had left his mother and him when he was a very young child.  If his own father could look at him, know him, and leave him without looking back, then how could God possibly love him? Then several missionaries shared their own personal experiences, one of whom had felt the same way when his father committed suicide, and one whose mother came from a war-torn country.  The Spirit was SO STRONG.  (Which was good, because I was legitimately worried that I just wasn't going to be able to feel the Spirit.) In my mind, I felt the words "let Me bear their burdens".  That changed my perspective on why I'm here and what the purpose of missionary work is.  The Savior loves the people who are suffering.  He wants to bear their burdens.  But He can't bear them if they don't come unto Him, and they can't come unto Him if they can't find Him.  Even writing about it now I'm getting kind of emotional remembering it.  That's why we do this.  That's why I'm here.

 

The Spirit is strong here, but not all at once. Sam described it as kind of a quiet hum in the background, and that seems about right.  You're not overwhelmed by it all the time (though we are sometimes), but it's always there (well, if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing.)

 

Things have been mostly really good.  I was a little bit homesick on the fourth of July (we got to watch the fireworks, and the movie 17 Miracles, which was SO SAD. JUST SO SAD.), but since then I feel like i haven't really had the time to be homesick.   Classes are great, studying is great (although I need to work on being more focused so that I can get more done), my roommates are great.  My companion is Hermana Juarez, and she's from California (her parents are from Guatemala).  She's headed off to Salt Lake City West. The other girls in our district (well, our half of the district. In our class. I can't keep it straight.) are Hermanas Soto and Butler.  They're both from Utah. Hermana Soto is headed to Pocatello (Spanish speaking. I didn't know there were Spanish speakers in Pocatello, but apparently there are.), and Hermana Butler is headed to Rancagua (spelling?), Chile.  The Elders in our district are Elder Garcia (from Richfield, UT, but originally from a latin American country that escapes me now), Elder Peterson (our district leader... from Utah, I think), Elder Moraza (from Puerto Rico--he speaks English really well, but sometimes his language errors are really hilarious. The other day he said he was frustrating.  Not frustrated yet, but getting there.), and Elder Johns (who is super white and super blonde, from Tennessee and headed to the same mission as Hermana Butler).  They're great. We do basically everything together, since we do class and study in the same room with everyone.

 

I know I'm forgetting to mention a million really important things, but my time is running out, so I'll try to close. Thank everyone for sending me DearElders and emails! The sisters that sent me DearElders are getting letters back (except for Caroline, but thank whoever helped her write her email to me, because it kind of made my day). I love DearElders. Send me lots.  All of the days. 

 

Much, much much love! I pray every night that Heavenly Father will take care of you guys while I'm gone, and I have faith that He will.  I'm loving the MTC, and I'm safe and happy.  I'm learning SO MUCH! It's hard, but awesome.  Don't forget about me! And keep me in your prayers, please.

 

Love,

 

Hermana Crum

And she's off

This past week has been an emotional one.  After shopping for last minute items, having lunch with Grandma and Mom and getting some pretty cool fuzzy slippers, Christina started packing.
Getting all the things on the list in 2 suitcases and under weight was an almost impossible task, thanks to her Dad's wonderful ability to accomplish the impossible.

After a wonderful father's blessing from her Dad, then it was time to head off to the Stake Presidents office to be officially set apart.  That's when it became real.  She was really going!   Another great blessing to set her apart.  What a wonderful night, the spirit was so strong, such a confirmation to all of us that she is doing what the Lord wants her to be doing. 

Wednesday July 3rd we dropped her off at the Provo MTC.  When we got there she was so excited and nervous to become a missionary.  Not a second thought about giving the next 18 months to the Lord, but nervous she wouldn't be able to do it.  I know she will be a wonderful missionary, a wonderful servant of The Lord, and to be able to touch so many lives while she is in Ecuador.

So here we are 5 days later and we are still waiting for her first letter.  I guess there will be a lot of that in the coming months. 

Stay tuned as I try my best to keep you all updated on her adventures.  I know I'm not near the writer she is, so most of it will be copied directly from her letters.