The Gospel and Pretty Toes

I went on exchanges this week.  It was pretty fun.  This time I got to go to the YSA [Young Single Adults] branch, or in espanol, rama de adultos solteros jovenes.

I finally had posole.  It's pretty good, just so you all know.  :)  And arepas, which are like Hispanic pancakes.

I also had my first "same two meals in a row" day.  We had pizza for both meals.  We were in an area and we decided to go to this one house.  Well, the Elders were already there and eating dinner.  Sooo... we did too, which is breaking rules.  But you can't say no.  And then, we drove to our dinner appointment and they feed us pizza as well.  I was stuffed.  AND, we might end up having three dinners today.  :)

This first picture I'm sending is of a stop sign we found.  It's pretty funny.  I guess they were serious about people stopping.  We sure did, and we took a picture too.

The next picture is me with Hermana Rodriguez.  She is from Peru and she feeds us almost every Sunday.  Everybody gives us good food.  But hers might just be the best.

Have any of you ever given a Gospel lesson while having your toes painted?  Because I have.  It was an interesting experience.  We met this one lady while talking to one of our other investigators.  We told her that we liked her nails and then she offered to do ours for us.  So now I have pretty nails, salon-style for free.  And somebody got to hear about the Gospel as well.  Yay!

We are always super tired when we get back to our apartment.  Yesterday we got back earlier  than usual but we were still dead-tired.  We finished all of our planning and stuff and then sprawled out on the floor.  Neither of us wanted to get up but we did have the energy to take a picture.

This morning (on our P-day), we decided to take a mini nap while Hermana Newman's clothes were in the wash.  Aren't we cute all bundled up in our sleeping bags?  We both think it's super funny that we both have sleeping bags.  So we needed a picture.  After the picture we took our nap.  It was a good nap.

Look at Hemana Newman all bundled up in her sleeping bag, checking a text message from somebody.  How dare they interrupt our nap!  Just kidding.  Neither of us wanted to get up, so Hermana Newman hopped over to the dresser to check what it was.

I don't think I have anything else to say so... 'til next week.
Hermana Crotzer

Editor's notes:  "Exchanges" are when missionary pairs switch up for a day.  Catherine would be paired with a different missionary sister, and Hermana Newman would pair with the missionary sister's companion.  It gives them a chance to see how other missionaries teach the Gospel lessons, and it allows them to met new people in a different area.  It also gives them a break from each other, since they have been together literally 24/7 for quite a few weeks now.  Catherine and her companion seem very happy and get along well together, but this is not always the case with all missionary assignments, although of course the missionaries try to get along with each other no matter what differences in personalities or habits they may have.

Catherine and her companion both have sleeping bags because they are awaiting visas to foreign countries and that is what they were told to pack for their foreign country assignment.  Sometimes missionaries take twin-sized sheets and a blanket, sometimes they are told to take a sleeping bag instead because it works better for a particular climate.  In Argentina, the nights can get cold, especially in winter.  A lot of the homes are not climate-controlled (i.e. no central heating or cooling), so sleeping bags keep the girls from freezing to death in winter.

A Rough Week

This week was rough.  I know that we are only supposed to share positive mission experiences, but I can't explain any of this week without saying that it was rough.  And that isn't negative because it was a learning experience.  Learning experiences are positive.  Sooo...

We were visiting investigators that live kinda far away (so we usually only visit them once a week) and we had lunch at the Papusaria.  The same one that I told you all about before.  Anyway, we were finishing up eating our papusas, and some black man behind us said, "Hey, beautiful."  I thought he was talking to my companion so I just said to ignore him and continued to stuff my face full of delicious, mouth-watering papusa.  (We love papusas.)  :)  My companion turned around anyway and then turns back and says to me, "Uhh... Hermana, he's talking to you" and points back towards him.  So I turn around and it turns out he was pointing at me.  He must not have been able to see very well because I am not beautiful, I don't look that much older than 19/20 (and he was in his 30's at least), and  I told my companion to ignore him (and I'm pretty sure he heard me).  Our conversation went something like this (the italics are me):

"Hey, beautiful."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you.  C'mere."
"Why?"
"I wanna talk to you."
 "About what?"
"About us."
"Uhh... no thanks."

So...  yeah.

Here is a picture of a license plate with some Spanish humor.

"Umm pues" means some thing like, "Umm, well."  I don't know why Hermana Newman and I think it is so funny.  But we find it hilarious.

The next four pictures are of Hemana Newman and I stressing out after everybody canceled on us the second day in a row.  As you can see, we handled it pretty well.  We took pictures.  Two of them are just us making faces.

Aren't I gorgeous?

Another photo is us and our cookie packages.  The cookies were already gone by the time we took the pictures.  (We might stress eat just a little.)

The next picture is of Hermana Newman curled up on the floor.  Another person had just called us and canceled.  As soon as she got off the phone, she threw her hands up in the air, shouted "BBAAAAAHHHH!" and promptly curled up in a ball on the kitchen floor.

It was a blast.  :)  From this, we found out that backup plans are a gift from God.  We also found out that sometimes backup plans need their own backup plans.

This last picture is us studying Spanish at McDonald's.

They had a "no loitering" sign inside, so we went and "loitered" outside.  Normally we do all of our studies at home in the morning, but we had an appointment rather far from our house and early in the morning.  So we just took all of our stuff with us and studied at McDonald's.

We had a member of the Church present at three of our lessons this week, which is three more than our past weekly average of zero.  They were amazing lessons.  It helps so much to have members present.

I can't think of anything else to write.  So I will close here.  I have to go make tortillas for two Elders.  We are trading tortillas for hamburger tomorrow.  It's gonna be delicious.

So... Until next week.
Hemana Crotzer

Watermelon and a Picnic

I don't think we will ever have a normal visit with Daniella.  She is a less active member of the branch that we visit every Sunday at 8:00pm, and every time we go there something weird happens.  Last time, we found out that her dog is worth something like $2000.  I think it looks sort of ratty, but maybe once it has gotten a haircut???  The time before that, she let her three (I'm guessing) year old son bring us a plate of chocolate-chip cookies.  He doesn't have that great of coordination and he dropped the plate.  The dog snapped up one of the cookies and Daniella, for lack of a better word, panicked.  But if the dog is that expensive, maybe it makes sense to panic.

We had another appointment with Zuleyma and Angel.  We didn't talk a whole lot because one of the men that lives in the apartment with them got drunk.  He was sober when he walked in and then was stone drunk half an hour later.  And creepy.  He kept staring at us and at one point he said something to me.  I have no idea what he said and I'm not sure I ever want to find out.

On a much happier note, before we were going to leave, Angel gave us some sandia (watermelon).  The slice was two inches thick at least and was half of the watermelon.  He gave us the slices but didn't give us any napkins, and so we are sitting on his couch with this watermelon monstrosity dripping all over our hands and onto our skirts.  Whatever.  It was late at night.  Nobody could see how nasty, sticky we looked.  Instead they focused on my bright red face.  Monday was the Labor Day picnic for the branch.  As you can see from the picture, I got a little sunburnt.

The Labor Day picnic was a lot of fun.  They had a hard time getting the fire going with just the coals and the lighter so somebody went and got lighter fluid.  That got the fire going really fast.  :)  So the men barbecued hamburgers, hot-dogs, chicken and ribs.  All of them together on this huge, outdoor stove.  The hamburger I had was waaaay good.  Let me just tell you, you have never been to a picnic unless you have been to a Hispanic picnic.  They said that it started at 10am but nobody showed up until 12-ish and there were no signs of stopping when we had to leave.  Which was at 3pm.  It was fun.

This morning was interesting too, because I left my planner at the grocercy store yesterday (AAAAHHHH  if that doesn't stress a missionary out, I'm not sure what does.  Other than lots of things.)  In any case, I have my planner now and we decided to visit the mission office to get some stuff.  It was handy-dandy that we did because a concerned mother called asking why her son hadn't written home yesterday.  And she only spoke Spanish.  And the office staff had to plan on how this elder was getting home because his mission was almost over.  And so there we were, trying to figure out how to say words like, "airplane" and "fly" and "holiday."  But we got the point across and she understood what we were saying.

The next picture of us sitting in a car holding ice cream is from last Monday.  After we had written e-mails, we decided to go and get ice cream because ice cream goes really well with an upset stomach.  If we were going to throw up everything we ate, it might as well be tasty food.  And that is why we went to Rita's.  Everybody in Maryland is crazy about Rita's.  Sonic is better.  And cheaper.

We got to help Hermana Pinargote with some service this week.  She needed help "cleaning" her house.  Her sister's family is coming to live with her for the next 6 months until the husband starts school at BYU.  I'm pretty sure we made a bigger mess but we were being helpful.  There was one moment where I wish we had a picture.  We were trying to move this shelf thingie downstairs.  And we knew that it wouldn't fit on the staircase and so we had the bright idea of lowering the shelf from the top balcony to the bottom.  The balcony was a bit higher than we thought and Hermana Pinargote wasn't as strong as we had expected.  So Hermana Newman and I are standing on the Balcony holding this shelf over the side and Hemana Pinargote was at the bottom just barely holding the shelf up.  (She isn't very tall so she could barely reach it and she isn't very strong.)  Hermana Newman turns to me and says, "I'll keep holding it here, you run down and help her."  Sight and sound, right?  Well, I could still hear Hermana Newman.  I was almost out the front door, heading around to the back as fast as I could when I heard her tell me to hurry up.  I wish I had a picture because it was really a very funny view.   Hermana Newman bent in half over the balcony railing holding a shelf, Hemana Pinargote at the bottom trying to touch the shelf and me, running like a mad woman shouting, "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

And that was my week.  Mas o menos (more or less).  Until next Monday, then.
Hermana Crotzer

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