Still No Visa

Y'all should send me some mail.  I'm feeling rather lonely because of a lack of mail.  I was considering sending an e-mail that said, "this week was great." and nothing else, but that would be kind of mean.  So I won't.  But send me some mail please.  I'd love to hear about how your dog went to the vet.  Or whatever.

I didn't get my visa and so I'm staying in the same branch until I do.  There aren't any other areas for Spanish-speaking sisters.  (Sisters aren't allowed in Baltimore proper.  It's too sketchy apparently.)  So, I get another six weeks in the same branch with the same companion, and because the Spanish Elders didn't get transferred either, with the same Elders.  Who are awesome.  It's gonna be a fiesta.

I'm sitting here at a computer in the library, hoping I don't throw up all over the keyboard.  (I'm sorry if that was too much information for any of you.)  My companion and I are either dying from a diseased mosquito bite or we ate something funny.  Both are pretty reasonable options.  All I know is that around the same time yesterday afternoon, neither of us were feeling all that hot.  And then during planning and all last night we were both throwing up.  Good thing it's a P-day.  We can sleep as much as we want and hopefully feel better tomorrow.

There was also this enormous bug in our apartment last night and we're running around, not very fast because neither of us feel good, trying to swat it with my fly-swatter.  We kept missing.  Hermana Newman finally got it and then smacked it a couple more times just to make sure it was dead.  And then the responsibility of picking the blob of once-upon-a-time bug was left to me because I missed more times than she did and she was the one who actually got it.

We also had our first Law of Chastity discussion this week.  I found out that there is a difference between adultery and fornication and that the scriptures don't like either.  I don't even know how long we spent trying to find a scripture that didn't call them the worst of all sinners.  We ended up using 1 Thessalonians-I-don't-even-remember-anymore.  But it said something along the lines of, "flee fornication, it's a sin."  So, we are sitting in Zuylema and Angel's living room and decide it's time to pull out the scriptures.  Angel reads the scripture, sits there quietly for a second and then says, "that's us."  (Why yes, yes it is.)  And then Hermana Newman says, "So do you think it would be a good idea to get married?"  They are getting married.  We just aren't sure exactly when.

I have a picture of the MTC sign thingie in Mexico City.  My teacher from the MTC in Provo is teaching there now and sent us all a photo.

Look, Mission Rd.  How cool!

This next picture is papusas.  The best food ever.  One of our investigators works at a food stand and tried to give us some for free.  We still payed but it was a close one.  She didn't want to take our money and we still probably paid less than the full cost.

And finally a picture of the Orioles park because I can't remember if I sent one already or not.

'Til next week,
Hermana Crotzer

A Baptism, Patecones, and Baseball

This week was fantastic.  We found a family we had been trying to get a hold of for ages.  And all of their questions were about the Restoration of the Gospel.  How cool is that!?  God really does prepare people to hear our message.

This week was team-ups with our district leaders.  One of them understands Spanish but neither of them can speak it.  Actually, Elder Gee can hold a simple conversation but his accent is pretty awful.  Not that I'm one to talk.  Elder Coker can't speak Spanish at all.  It was really funny, he would sit there, smiling all through the lesson and then as soon as we left he would ask, "So, how'd it go?"  :)

I also learned how to make patecones.  Which kinda look like fried, squished bananas and taste like glorified french fries.  So, they aren't really bananas.  They are fried, not-quite-ripe-yet plantains.  They are super easy to make and they taste super good.  So now I know how to make patecones (no doubt spelled way wrong) and tortillas.  And we have plans to learn how to make tamales.  I'm on my way to being a chef, don't ya think?  :)

I also got to go on exchanges for the first time.  For all of you who don't know what that is and just in case I'm calling it by the wrong name, exchanges are when we switch companions for a little while.  Hermana Newman left me for the YSA [Young Single Adults] branch and I got to hang out with Sister Jones.  Sister Jones didn't know Spanish...  So I was basically doing all of the teaching.  It was crazy.  Sister Jones and I went to this kinda ghetto trailer park in Laurel and found 5 people who wanted us to come back.

Everybody hold on to your seats:  I got to go see a baseball game on Friday!!  Whooo!!!  Baltimore Orioles vs. Colorado Rockies.  The Rockies won, just so everybody knows.  Or cares.  It was "Mormon Night" and so the tickets cost about $6 and half of the stadium was Mormon.  I wish you could have seen all of the missionaries there.  I think we filled the section.  Nah, I know we filled the section.  And then there were all of the members everywhere else.  The funny thing was that the Elders and us (...that is such bad grammar...) weren't sure we were going to be able to go because we didn't have a ride.  Hispanic people really aren't that into baseball.

On Sabado [Saturday], Hermana Newman and I got to go to a baptism with two of our investigators, Perla and Jennifer.  They loved it.  It was really funny because when we first went to the baptism, for some reason Jennifer thought the baptism was for her, and she asked, "Wait, I'm getting baptized!?"  But by the end, she wanted to know when she could get baptized.  So Hermana Newman and I are trying to figure out a date for her and her sisters!

As you can see, it's been a great week.  :)

This is a picture of one of the boys in our branch and his sister and friend.  I think his shirt is a riot.  By the way, we took it at the baseball game.

Con amor,
Hermana Crotzer

Coincidences Are Just Little Miracles

This week I had my first ever zone conference.  It was pretty sweet.  We learned about working with the members.  It was really helpful and really fun.

Miracles on the mission are the really small things that we called coincidences before.  There was this one lady that we had been trying to get in touch with for ages.  Ages.  And one day we decided to go over to her house because it was the only place we could get to before we would have to go home.  We drove over there thinking that we were going to call in, nobody would answer, and we would just have to drive home.  (Her apartment is one of the ones where you have to call in and they unlock the door to let you into the staircase and she never answers.)  When we got there, we found that somebody had held the door open with a rock and that we could get in.  So we waltzed up the stairs and knocked on her door.  She answered and asked how we had gotten in and told us that she had disconnected her home phone so it wasn't possible to call in from the call box.  She gave us her cell number and said we could come back whenever as long as it wasn't so late at night.  Hopefully she is going to teach us how to make tamales next P-day.  I promise to take pictures if it really does work out.

I have to tell y'all about the Spanish elders here in our district.  Elders Green, Greene, and Dutsen.  (I have no idea how to spell the last one.  Which is sad because it's not like I don't see his name tag every time I look at him.)  All of the members of our branch think it is absolutely hilarious that two of the elders are "Elder Verde."  I'm really not sure why it is soooo funny to them, but it is.  Anyway, the Elders are amazing.  I don't know what exactly goes through their mind when they see their phone and that it's us who are calling.  But it must be something like:  "Great, it's the hermanas again.  What do they need this time?"  There are so many times when neither Hermana Newman nor I have any idea what to do and so we just call up the Elders.  We love them.  They are the fount of all knowledge while we are on a mission.  Otherwise, it's Google.  But we can't use that now.  Just so you know.

Elder Jones puts this at the end of the e-mails he sends out.  I thought it was funny and that you all might like it too.  Maybe, maybe not.

     The Golfer’s Hymn:  There’s a Green Hill Far Away;

     Definition of Hymn: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation’s range;

     Definition of Choir: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the congregation to lip-sync.


I haven't got anything else, so... 'til text week I guess.

Love,
Hermana Crotzer

Editor's note:  As a reminder, "P-day" is the nickname for "preparation day".  It's the day missionaries do their letters, laundry, and anything else they might need to prepare them for the week ahead.  Catherine's P-day is now on Monday, which is typical for any missionary in the field.

A zone conference is when all the missionaries in a geographic region (or zone) gather for a day of instructional and inspirational talks and activities designed to further develop their missionary skills and strengthen their own growing testimonies of the Gospel.

Another good week, but mail was lacking

I was going to send some pictures but the computers here hate me.  So maybe I'll print some and mail them home.

This week has been rather amazing.  We have met so many people by "chance."  One of our new investigators, Sarai, was going into her apartment complex when we stopped and talked with her.  We asked if we could share a message about God, Jesus Christ, and families and she was like:  yeah, come on in.  In Spanish, of course, which is something like:  Sí, claro, pasen.  AND, usually, when people can't make an appointment, they let us find out when we go to their houses and they don't answer.  But she actually called us and rescheduled our appointment.  I love people who do that.

Another "new" investigator is actually someone that has been talked to before but just didn't have time to meet with us.  Her name is Maria and she has 8 kids ranging in ages from 26 and pregnant to 7.  O.O  Wow.  She was outside watching some of the neighborhood kids playing and was really happy to see us and talk to us.  And she said we could come back.  I'm pretty positive that if she hadn't been outside, we would have never managed to talk to her.

One of our appointments got cancelled because of the drunk guy.  The lady texted us and said that then wasn't a good time because he was home and he was very drunk.  And in a very "me gusta tu" mood.  Sooo...  We didn't go to that appointment.

Hermana Newman and I also got to go to the Washington D.C. temple with a member and an investigator.  It was really cool.  The Visitor's Center there is really awesome and is HUGE!

On a very different note,  please write to me.  I didn't get ANY mail this week.  :(  I felt all lonely and forgotten.  Just kidding, but really.  I love hearing from people.  Escríbame.  Quiero oír lo que ustedes hacen.  [Write to me.  I want to hear what you do.]

Hermana Crotzer