Weekly "Thang" 3/23/15

So this week thus far has been pretty crazy! First things first! I GOT A NEW IPAD!!!!!!!:) It's really nice- I believe it's the iPad two, and it's very nice! It's great for us because it's faster. We have a couple of apps, but one in particular uses a lot of memory and stuff! So it was always slow on the old ones. But now it loads very nicely! Which I'm thankful for! We also got very nice cases for them! Which is pretty awesome! Thus far this has been a crazy week. So we had zone conference on Wednesday. Which was good, I got to help with a training again! So that was fun! We actually talked about the Ford family! The miracle family that I help find, and get baptized! They are awesome! So that was good! Also the day before we had a good day! We had 38 contacts in one day, which is a record for both of us! We were pumped the best part, is we still taught 3 lessons! So Tuesday was a great day! We were working hard! So this Thursday we had a little surprise when we woke up! We did our studies and stuff, but then as we went to go leave at 10:00, Elder Hamp wen to grab our bikes, and we noticed that some one had broken in to our screened in patio. They stole Elder Hamp's bike, but not mine!! In our apartment we have a screened in patio, which is where we store our bikes. We also live in a nice neighborhood! So we were both stunned! It was also a little scary, cause we left our back door unlocked. Usually we lock it but this time we forgot. So this guy could have snuck in and taken more stuff, or even worse. We were both very, very grateful! So I love Elder Hamp because we were driving to the mission office to report and pick up a loner bike, and he starts laughing! And I'm like what the heck!? He says that God is answering his prayers, and it just hit him! I guess he's been praying for humility. So for the last three weeks just crappy stuff had been happening to him! So he just realized that! After he really wasn't even mad! He was in a great mood! So was I! So we got this loner bike, we had to go to bike works and get it road ready, and that took 2 hours cause this thing was in terrible shape. So we actually ended up getting it the next day! This week has been good. Also that night we set a baptismal date with our investigator Juliana! We set it for the 11th of April! Three days before my birthday! Hahaha her mom and bro just got baptized two weeks ago! She's great! 

         So in other news today was Friday. That is our planning day! We also were having our carpets cleaned. So that's cool I guess! Speaking of cleaning, Mom I am now a clean freak. I wish you could see it! The apartment I'm in when I got here was gross, and then I cleaned it! Hahah it's like freakin' pretty now! It's funny everything has a place now, and it's all organized! I totally blame you! Plus I enjoy working in a clean place! The spirit is just stronger! The habits I'm picking up seriously are great! My wife will love me cause I'm gonna love cleaning! So weekly planning today was awesome! At the end of the three to four hour process we have what's called a companionship inventory! Basically it's a companion therapy session! It can go one of many ways! Either it's super awkward, or really constructive, or it turns into an all out brawl! Most missionaries don't like it! But the purpose of it is to help our companion unity! Which it does usually! But mine and Elder Hamp's were freaking great. We talked for 30 minutes about a lot! We are really good friends now! I now know why I'm in this companionship with him! We just wanna work on a lot of stuff together it's really awesome. I love it! So life is good here in O-town. Funny story today I met a Shinequa Brown, yes she was black, and she wanted us to come back! She lived in the ghetto of our area! There is a pretty big ghetto in our area! It's pretty funny! Hahaha I seriously though got in the car and LOLed for a little because I met a Shinequa. Goodness like I used to joke about names like that! But they really exist! Haha Elder Hamp got in the car and was like once we walked up to her I just knew her last name was brown. Hahaha 

         So on Saturday the 21st of March we did some work. We knocked not even kidding 75-100 doors. It took 5 hours. Longest day of my life! But hey we got another 25 contacts, and some solid potentials! So that's good I guess! We also visited the ghetto today. Known as Mclearn Cr. It's pretty crazy there! Just a weird vibe as you walk around! I guess back in the 90's there was shootings there every week, pretty crazy stuff! It's only about a 10 minute bike ride from where we live, but we live in nice apartments.... Or at least I think we do! Hahaha The area has cooled down a little bit, but at night the place is still hoppin' with drug deals! Matter of fact a cop stopped us before we went in there asking us what we were doing! Haha They thought we was up to no good! But we told them we were on a mission from God. #bang. They warned us about the area, but I ain't never scared. #turtles! So any who love y'all have a good night! 

           Sunday! Today was a good day! Today was my compadre Elder Hamp's birthday!! Which just makes me birthday hungry! Mine is only a couple of weeks away on the 14th of April!! Hahaha It was a good day though! He got four packages! Can you believe that!? I was so happy for him! He said that he hadn't gotten any mail for a while, so he deserved it! Matter of fact I prayed he'd get good stuff for his B-day! And he did! I freaking love that guy! So today was just a normal Sunday! Church and stuff! But we are planning a prank on the zone leaders! Hahaha So we stopped by this less actives house, who has a pool. They haven't cleaned it in 6 months, so the thing is gross. And well there are hundreds of tadpoles in this thing! So what we did was caught about 40. We are planning on clogging the Zone leaders sink, and putting them in thee! Lol!!!! Hahahahahaha we are sooooooooo funaaaaaaaa. Life is just good right now. We are struggling to find people to teach though. But with enough faith that will come! This has probably been one of the craziest weeks if not the craziest week of my mission. But I'm loving every second of it! I do not hesitate to say that this is the best choice I've made up to this point! I've just grown so much in these past 7 months that it's just crazy to think about! It feels like I've been out here for a while. But then as I really think about it time is flying by! It's crazy! There is a new quote that I'm trying to live by. It's "Don't count the days, make the days count." So that is my goal from here on out! To make this the best, most powerful experience that I can make it! And to help as many would listen to me come unto Christ and Be Perfected in him. Well any who! I'm tired so I'm hitting the hey! Hope hall have a good one! LOVE YAH!!!!!:):):)

Weekly Update 3/16/15

Weekly update....... 

Monday 3/9/15~ today was a good day!! It was a good P-day. We just went to the church and emailed and a played a little ball! After that we went and got ourselves some hair cuts! That was Nice! I freakin needed one! After that we just hung out a little longer, we then went and said our good byes! Which sucked cause I was the only one leaving the group! Man I sure did love those guys! It's times like this that the song "God be With you Till we Meet Again" really hits home. So I got all packed! We then went to dinner with Sister Derosa! She's great! We call her Aunt Wanda. We had some good Bar-B-Q. Then we just said good bye to a couple of people, or I did. Then we hit the hay. 

Tuesday 3/10/15~ Today was a good day, a bitter sweet day. Nothing is more heart wrenching then leaving an area that you've worked so hard in for the past 12 weeks. You've come to love the people, the ward, and the land itself. Then you get a call, letting you know that your gonna switch areas. It's such a tough thing, it is emotionally stressful. I'm grateful for my Father In Heaven who helps me through those tough times. But my new companions name is Elder Hamp. He's from Magna Utah! He's a great guy too. We already get along pretty darn well. I left my wallet in the other area, they are gonna bring it to me here pretty quick! But Elder Hamp paid for my stuff! Just a great guy! I'm so grateful for him! The Lord has truly blessed me here. The area I'm now in is called Kissimee north. I'm actually just south of my first area. The area is very nice and kinda reminds me of home a little bit! I'm very excited to be here! Ready to work.

Wednesday 3/11/15~ Today me and Elder Hamp went to work. Just straight up. We had four lessons, and 1 new gator, and plenty of good potential investigators! We were pumped! We first stopped by this guy (I'm not gonna say his name) but he's one of our investigators. He has a mental disorder called sikisofrenia.  I probably just butchered that word. Any ways he is a great guy, and is normal for the most part. But claims to have seen Jesus, and multiple Angels. So that was an interesting lesson to say the least! We also had lunch before with a great poly member. I already forgot his name, but he knows a lot of my good friends from my first area that are polys! We went to a Chinese buffet. I don't know what it is with Chinese people and buffets, but they love them. Hahaha it's pretty funny! Any ways we then stopped by some pretty great people as well. It was a good day! Also our Zone leaders are great guys as well. Not that I have ever NOT liked some leaders! But they are truly great guys! One went to Lone peak, and is friends with Karson Lilenquest! So that's great! Anywho I'm tired, so I'm hitting the sack! Turtles!

Thursday 3/12/15~ Today was a good day! We worked hard again! And again we had 4 solid lessons. We have some solid people to teach in this area! That makes me super happy! Also Elder Hamp's and I's companionship unity is pretty good. The only thing we have to work on is switching off more, but that just comes with time! I really think that together we are gonna do some great things! Which really makes me happy! We are being obedient, and the Lord is blessing us in return! That is great! But today we stopped by one man in particular.... I won't mention his name, but I'm pretty sure that he was gay. Kinda weird, cause he was actually really cool with us, and said that he's read the Book of Mormon twice! So that's exciting! I might teach a homosexual! Lol! I also went to Golden Corral for the first time in forever, I really don't remember the last time I went to that place. Hahaha it was good, but I expected better! Any ways life's good, I'm learning and growing! I've already learned that I have the ability to continue to grow as a teacher, I thought I was good, but right when you think that the Lord has another plan in place to help you grow! The lessons I'm learning will truly stick with me forever! I LOVE FLORIDA!

Friday 3/13/15~ today was a great day! One of those days that I will never ever forget! We first woke up and did our normal studies! Then we went and taught this person we had met two days prior, as it turns out we had an amazing lesson with her and her daughter! They are now new investigators! That was cool! Then we had a great weekly planning session! Where at the end me and elder Hamp talked for a while, we bonded! We really are becoming good friends. He might be my favorite companion up to date! I'm grateful for him! So after that we did some stop by's! One funny story, and one cool one. First, we stopped by a person that Elder Hamp and his old companion almost taught. When we walked up the house smelt DANK. In other words we could smell the pot from outside..... Hahah A girl answered as I knocked, and well she came to the door with her pants just totally undone..... Lol. It was gross. She then gave me a dirty look, but luckily I made her laugh and it was all good! Hahaha gotta love people these days! After that we taught a great lesson to Juliana. She is super interested and agreed to be baptized! Final story, then we visited a member in a nursing home. That was depressing, it was so sad to see people like that. These old men and women, who had obviously no family, or at least none that loved them. Their brains just rotting in this place. I wanted to go around and hug them all, another moment of Christ-like love that was given to me. Made me appreciate family. Any who! That was my day! I'm seriously loving this new area, and this new companion, elder Hamp! Life is good, and I'm grateful to God! 

Saturday 3/14/15~ So one month away from my birthday! Not that anyone is counting!! Haha but today was another great day. We did a ton of finding, we had 24 contacts in one and half hours! Which is real good! We then picked up a new investigator named Emmanuel! He's a great guy, his wife kicked him outta the house! So we are helping him get his life back on track! He likes everything we've told him this far! So that's good! After that we visited a less actives house. Their names is all weird. So it don't matter! But I had a cool experience! So they kinda like to argue, and poke fun! We were telling them the importance of coming to church! We were both getting a little frustrated. So I went to say something, and the spirit just took over! I bore probably one of the most powerful testimonies I've ever bore, and I kinda raised my voice a little, but not enough to scare the spirit away! They both got really quiet, and the spirit was way strong. I basically told them that if they did the things we were asking them to do they would be blessed a lot! And if they didn't, then they knew the consequences! I don't even remember what I said for the most part, I just remember that and it being bold, but loving! The Lord spoke through me and it felt great! They agreed to come to church! #miracle. Any who other than that nothing to eventful happened! Love you guys! I'm loving FLORIDA! I'm never coming back. I love being a missionary to much! Any who have a great night!!

Sunday 3/15/15~ Today was a great day!! We went to church and I got to meet the ward, it was good!! I was excited to meet them!! Then after that we went to a cool fire side, with a seventy named Elder Kopischke! That was awesome! He's great! He did a question and answer period, people asked some great questions! Sorry this is short! So one thing that's cool that we do is we wake up in the morning at 6 and play Bball and soccer! That's pretty great!! So any ways that's my week!! Love you all!

March selfie!

Nothing like a goofy selfie to brighten your Monday! :)

Weekly6 Update 3/3/15

Dear family and friends,

                          This week has been crazy. I've been so busy that I've totally forgotten to do my weekly update things, this was the last week of the transfer! So I was pretty committed to finishing off the transfer right! We worked hard this last week. We ended up with 23 lessons, which is my personal best! But I plan on beating that here pretty quick! Our different investigators are doing well. Specifically Carlos, and Julian! They love the church, and they know it's true! It makes us happy as missionaries, it makes all the hard work worth it! Well in other news I got a call on Saturday informing me that I'm getting transferred. Which is wayyyyyyy weird. Everyone thought that I was gonna stay, but I guess not! Where I'm going I don't know yet! It's kinda exciting, but nerve racking at the same time, cause I have no idea where the heck I'm gonna go! I'm just not looking forward to packing again! Hahaha I hate packing! It sucks! I have stuff that I need to send home to y'all! So if you would put like 20 dollars on my card, and I'll send it out to yah!! Any who! This week we had some fun though! On Saturday night we had some amazing food at Bro Jackson's house! His name is Michael Jackson! Hahaha we be calling him MJ! Haha But we had some amazing food! He grows his own garden! So it was all natural good stuff! Hahaha We also helped him pick some oranges as well! On Wednesday we helped this less active put up a fence! Haha It felt like the good ol times back home helping you guys put up a fence! We had to come back on Saturday to help him finish up!! 

                             Well I've loved my time here in Cocoa. I really am a little sad to leave! It's been a good time. I'm gonna miss the friends I made in the area! But as my favorite song says "I'll go where you want me to go." There is other people that I'm supposed to go find, and I'm excited to find out who my companion is! So that's exciting! Hopefully I go somewhere great, that's what I'm praying for! I'm excited to serve the Lord with all my heart! Also I hit my six month mark tomorrow, I'm already 1/4th of the way through! Can you believe that!? I'll be home before I know it. And that scares the crap outta me! That means real life hits, and I got to go to college! Haha I know I'll be blessed because of what I'm doing!

                              To finish this beautiful email I'm gonna tell you all a funny story. So here in Cocoa is a great man named Rob Whitaker. He's now one of my good buddies! He has been through a lot. His story really is something else! But it's not mine to tell. But I'm going to tell you a small segment that really is hilarious! So for a while he used to traffic weed. This is of course after he was converted, the funny thing is even though he did all that bad stuff he still knew it was true! So one time he was gonna sell some weed to this man. The man comes over, and they started on a conversation about God. Rob being the Great member missionary that he is gave him a Book of Mormon and a Mormon Doctrine book! Hahaha His only Mormon Doctrine book! But he still sold the guy some weed.... Hahahaha soooo funny. Well of course later on that same guy he gave the stuff too got baptized. See miracles really do happen! Hahahaha Rob now is one of the most faithful members I've ever Met! He really is one of the greatest guys! This church is true! It's the best. It has blessed my life and countless others. My favorite part is that I get to watch these people, and help these people change! It truly is a great blessing! Well I hope y'all are doing good! Hopefully I hear from some of yah real soon! I love yah all!

                          Love, Elder Crismon

Pictures from the Beach!

 Carter & his friend Jaden!

 The entire Cocoa Beach missionaries!!

Carter as his Zone Leader Elder Fergason!

Weekly Update 3/2/15

Weekly update.......

2/23/15~ Today was a great day! We had a way cool mission conference! Elder Zwick of the first Quorum of the seventy came to speak with us!! He is awesome! He also brought with him the director of proselyting efforts! (I always thought that was Jesus Christ, but cool I Guess!!) It was crazy! They were there to motivate us and to tell us how we are gonna use the new Ipads we are getting ! We are getting Mini Ipads, but they will be 32 G and faster then the ones we have now! That was exciting! And we get to keep them after our mission! Which is a great blessing as well!! It really was a great conference! It was a great moral booster for me! Elder Willard has been struggling the last couple of days, and it's effecting me a little! But I just keep on going! Haha after that we had dinner with the manual's! We went to Cracker Barrel! That was gooooooddddd....after that we helped Bro Manual get his home teaching done! It was a good day, but we all excited for P-Day!

2/24/15~ today was Tuesday, and P-day! Which is weird! Usually P-days are on Mondays but because of the conference yesterday it was today! But it was a good day! In the morning we all met at the Titusville Elders house, and had some breakfast! Then after that we went to go Email! Every time I go email, it's like Christmas! I love seeing who's emailed me! Although sometimes only Mom and William email me! Hahaha which is great! After that we went bowling again! I did a little better this time around! The first game I was just messing around, I wanted to see if I could snap it like a football. So I tried! That stuff don't work very well.... but we had a good time! We went back to the church. Played a little B-ball, and did some other stuff! Then after that we had to go help our recent convert Jason Move! He got a 24 hour eviction notice! So we helped him out there! That would be the second time I've had to help someone getting evicted. It just makes me grateful for my Dad! I'm so happy that you always keep us in good shape! Yah times may have gotten tough, but hey we always made it! It's sad to see people in that shape! Living in trailers, with just nasty stuff. Man it motivates me as well to have a good job, and take care of my family! 

2/25/15~ Today was a good day! We had district meeting! This week is flying by! At District meeting I had to give a spiritual thought on the Christ-like attributes chapter of Preach My Gopel. It is such a great chapter! The things I specifically talked about is that we need to be willing to change! President Packer said "If your willing to change the spirit will be with you, if not then he won't!" Then I talked about charity and its importance! After that we went home had some lunch and did some tracting! After that we went with Rob and stopped by two people, picked up two quick lessons! Then we had some dinner with a member! Got some good chili! After that we taught the awesome Mosher family! They are so great and so prepared! They just love everything that we teach! Which makes me a very happy missionary! We had a good lesson then just went home! Nothing to crazy happened! Haha which is good I guess ! But it's always better when something crazy happens! Haha gotta love life!

2/26/15~ Alright so to start off today sucked!! We had decent studies and stuff. We did our normal stuff. Then literally everything fell through, all of our plans, the back-ups I made! They all went through! Nothing was working. Everyone we stopped by. It was SOOO depressing. Then to top it all off, for the first time on my mission I totally ate poop on my bike. I was just hiking along, and my foot slid off the pedal, and into the wheel! And I went head over heals! I scrapped up my arm pretty good, cut open my palm, and hurt my ankle a little! I also just ripped my pants from knee to hip, so that was embarrassing biking back to our house! When I got back I just sat in a room by myself on the verge of tears! Goodness that was so sad. So I just prayed hard. Anyways like a real man I just Cowboyed up, and went back to work! The rest of the night was good! We had a decent dinner, and then had a good time at the Moshers! We went to their house again! But it was the right thing. They were having some troubles, and we were able to help them! So I guess over all it was a decent day! We still had 5 lessons! We squeezed them in there! Keep praying for me! The lord knows I need it! I'd also love to get a letter from anyone of you guys! 

2/27/15~ Today was okay. It started off decent! We helped this crazy old black lady move! I forget her name! But the other Elders had been teaching her! She was hilarious! She let me drive her motor wheelchair! Hahaha but we had a good time doing that! We put this old chair that she gave us into the van. Because it's a stow and go van. I got some pics! It looks pretty funny! After that we had a lesson with Dan ! This guy is what we call a "dry mormon" we had a great time with him! We feel he's close to joining though! He bought us some doughnuts doe! After that we had some wings with sister DeRosa and her friend, that was fun! So after that we had to do some weekly planning. That's when it started to suck. So we lost pretty much half of the people we are teaching this week, and we can possibly loose more before the weeks over. That freaking sucks. We went from teaching 10 people to teaching 4. That could go down to 3. I was pretty depressed. Elder Willard doesn't seem to care either, so that makes it all the better! I'm so tired of pulling all the weight round here. It's ridiculous!! Goodness! Tomorrow we gonna have a heart to heart. Luckily though transfers are a little over a week away, so hopefully we get moved away from each other. If yah would please, pray for me. The Lord knows I need it. Have a great week peeps!

2/28/15~ today was alright! It's been a rough week! Probably the toughest week thus Far. Elder Willard is getting on me nerves. And I've just been having a tough time. But today was dece. We did our normal stuff in the morning. We went to I.P. And had a good time! We then just did like 4 hours of finding. In which we didn't find anyone to teach, that is always tough. I bought a sick hat doe. Hahaha Found a really nice one at a gas station! Haha after that we had a decent dinner with sister Stahly! She is nice, but is kinda cra cra!! We shared a message about forgiveness. An apostle said that "when we don't forgive others, we are saying that the Saviors atonement wasn't adequate for their sin." How about that! We shared a great video called "Forgiveness: my burden was made light" go watch it peeps! It's great! A real tear jerker! Then after that we saw Carlos, and the Moshers again!! They are so awesome! We had a great lesson on the Word of Wisdom!! Real happy with how that went! We also got exciting news! We get to go to the beach on Monday!! Expect some pics!!

3/1/15~ the first day of March. How about that! This time is flying by, feels like I'm gonna run out of it before I know it. Today was good. Nothing real crazy happened except for one experience. So during the second hour of church Elder Willard and I were a little behind. And Ashly and Carlos went ahead to class. Well I guess while they were there the teacher tried to force them to pray. They kinda got offended. They are both completely new to this church and weren't comfortable! So they left! Luckily they wanted to talk to us, so we talked with them! As we did I felt the spirit work through me. It was crazy, I said some stuff that I never thought I would say in that situation. But it worked! After they were redetermined to keep going. It was sooooo cool! They really are great investigators! Gotta love them! Other than that nothing real crazy happened. Had a good day doe.