Letter #50 - August 30, 2010

Hey you guys,

Sorry you missed the email last week. I don't know what happened. I actually did send it, so it must have just gotten lost in cyber-space. So, we have a little problem in our one-room house called low water pressure. Here's a fluid dynamics problem for you. When you have one water source that is being directed to varias locations and someone is washing while another person is trying to take a shower, what happens? Basically, the water dribbles out of the shower head and sticks to the wall most mornings.

So trying to get yourself wet is kind of interesting. It's like this, I stretch up my arm and place my palm against the wall where the stream of water is coming down, more or less making a bridge so that the water is directed down my arm and onto my shoulder and from there to the rest of my body. This is method number one. When we have a bit more pressure, there is the good old make-a-cup-out-of-your-hands method and then splash it on your body (think ELF in the shower). But my favorite is when we've got a good sprinkle going and I get all lathered up and then all of the sudden, not a single drop is coming out. Luckily it usually comes on again in a few minutes, but the moments spent standing in the shower wondering what I'm going to do if it doesn't come back on are entertaining.

Well, the best news this week is that Shilo got baptized! Mijaly and Yoli still aren't ready and I'm actually pretty worried that Mijaly is loosing interest. He hasn't let us teach him all week. But things are going really well with Suyen and Luis. Tonight we are going to teach them about Family Night at the bishop's house. The activity we had for the baptisms this week went pretty well. It was all centered around the vision of Lehi and the tree of life. We watched a little video to get started and then everyone followed the iron rod (a rope covered in tin foil) around the church, facing various temptations including a discoteca and a room filled with candy. Finally, everyone ended up in the room with the baptismal font where a lovely christmas tree represented the tree of life. Haha. It was pretty funny. Then we had the baptisms. I attached some pictures of the activity and Shilo.

Preparing for the activity

The rope covered in tinfoil--I mean the iron rod . . .


Baptisms

Getting baptized is super fly

Shilo

Today we splurged and bought betty crocker cookie mixes at the grocery store (la colonia). It was like heaven eating cookie dough, and all the latinos just stared and looked at us like we were crazy. "You are going to get so sick from eating that" they said. But I assured them that I have been eating cookie dough since I was born and that nothing would happen. Hna. Campos wanted the cookies to be done faster so she turned the heat up as high as it would go, but luckily, elder iverson saw her do it and quickly turned it back down. It made me laugh. Cookies are just not a latin american thing. But they turned out good. We also watched The Mountain of the Lord on the big screen in the church. It was awesome. I think I've seen it once before, but it really hit me how much the saints sacrificed to build the Salt Lake Temple. It also made me miss the temple a lot. We also watched part of a church video but in Portuguese and I was stoked when I realized that I could understand almost everything. Portuguese is so cool. I want to learn it when I get home.

Daddy, I'm glad you are happy with your eye surgery still and that everything went well. And I love hearing about your ward and what you are doing with them and how the family is participating. It sounds like your day of rest yesterday was a little like one of mine... not at all restful. But when we are in the service of the Lord, He promises us a rest that will be eternal.

I love you all dearly.

Being a missionary is the best thing in the world - and it never ends, keep working hard to spread the joy.

Love, Hna. Crosland

P.S. I can't wait to meet my new niece in a few months. I hope everyone is taking good care of Paige and Mikey. And good luck to Ali-bug with starting school up at BYU-I. I know you'll be great Ali, you're starting an amazing new chapter of your life so live it up to the fullest! And Will, just know I love you and I'm always thinking about you.