Weekly Update 4/25/2016

Dear family and friends!

Itssssss weeekkkllllyyy update time bruh.

What. A. Week. Three interview sessions, an exchange, a canceled exchange, crazy ministers, and spider probs. We had a great week here in our own area. We taught lots of people and we got lots of members to lessons. We keep taking steps forward every week here in our area. It's nice to see. The Lord is just blessing us with cool people to teach and miracles. So I'll just hop on to it then...

This week was interviews with the mission president! They are always lots of fun and a tad bittersweet cause this could possibly be the last one with president Berry here. We had three sessions or district meetings all in one day. Which was pretty wild! We were driving all over the place! I had to give trainings at each. I don't mind that cause I enjoy giving trainings at these things. My interview with president Berry was very uplifting and tender. It was one I won't soon forget! I truly do love that man. It was a fun day cause we got to hang with sister Berry as well. She's a hoot, and lots of fun. They even had lunch prepared for us. Which was a tad awkward at first... Hahaha but we had a good time in the end. It's always so fun to be a part of the things like this. We get to help the mission president and his wife do things like this every now and then. This week we have to go to more district meetings to give some more training! It's so fun for me cause I love meeting all of the different missionaries and getting to know and learn from them. It's been a real treat for me to

be a part of all of this!

So we had a sick week here in the Eustis area. We tried a new way to plan that I have learned. It worked remarkably well. The best part is we were teaching a lot and we were getting members to those lessons. We had tons of set appointments which enabled us to also have quality lessons

with these people. It was just dope. I'm slowly learning the best and most effective ways of doing things. It's not like the other things were bad, but it's one of those good, better, best things. A favorite

quote I like by Tim Duncan is about that. He says "Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest, till your good is better and your better is best." It's just dope that the whole point of life seems just to be to get a

little bit better every day. Anyways. Enough of that tangent. It was a fun week and we were running around and teaching and just straight killing it here in the ol' Eustis area. I'm confident that we can

continue to make it happen with Gods help in the future! Wahooo!

So funny story of the week. On Saturday night Elder Holloway and I were on our back porch. We were doing some things that night when we returned home. Well as were were thus laboring I noticed a Biggo spider that was about to enter into our humble abode. Ain't bout to let that happen. So I quickly shut the door. I then grabbed a golf club that was laying around. So I went to kill this thang for good. I missed a couple times and then I hit it. But to my horror as well as Elder Holloway's when we hit it the spider it like exploded and a bunch of little spiders flew out! We were not happy. Once again I quickly ran into our humble abode and grabbed some Windex and stuff. Then I went out there and killed almost every single one! Hahaha!! I couldn't find all of them but I found most. We were not about to have those little buddies running around all everywhere! Haha!

So the coolest lesson was with Our friend John. He's dope! We are baptizing him in May so we are pretty pumped about that. They found him last transfer and now he's ready to keep moving forward. We had a very spiritual lesson with him on Saturday with the first counselor in our bishopric. It was dope, as we talked about the priesthood and how it can bless him and his life. He's such a good man and he wants to be the best father that he can! It's a pretty dope situation. It's guys like those that we want to find, teach, and baptize.

So I'm still on a pretty big health push. My new breakfast item is as follows. I make a protein shake. In it is 3 strawberries, Spinach, Kiel, cucumbers, and raw egg whites. Plus a little bit of natural

honey to sweeten that a little. It's pretty good, and it's real healthy. I'm going to keep trying to lose that weight! Gotta be good looking when I get home! Haha!!

Well that was my week here in Florida, in Eustis. I love my mission, it's so awesome. Every day I learn something new, and grow a little bit more! This life is meant to be tough, but rewarding at the same time! Life is good! Elder Clarke talked a lot about that! One of his quotes was "Love life, Love Problems!" I love that. We just need to love life and do our best. I just am so grateful for this opportunity that God has given me to serve Him and the good people in Florida. This is the best mission by far in the world! That's true, and my boy Elder Johnson can attest! The biggest thing I learned this week is that again we just gotta believe, do our best and put it in Gods hands! That's the key I've decided. Just have a desire to follow God and then be as diligent as possible! This church is true and the book is blue. Life is good and I'm looking forward to my last 3 months here, it's weird to think it's almost over already, it's kinda sad. But it's a step in the next direction. Anyways! Thanks for all your support and stuff! It keeps me going that's for sure! Wahoooo! Hopefully I hear from some of yah!

Loves! Elder Carter Crismon

Florida Orlando Mission

"I'm 6' 5"...."

 According to this board mounted on the wall he is 6'5"- too bad it was installed improperly!!! Haha!

 Some nice Specs! Haha!

 Carter and Elder Ballard!

Weekly Update 4/18/2016

Dear family and friends!

How the heck are yah?!

I'm doing pretty swell here in the classy country of Eustis. It's been a great week! A really good one, full of revelation and good times. It included a birthday, three exchanges, new investigators, cool

miracles, and tons of tons of hope! I'm very happy with how this week turned out and I'm looking forward to this next week. It seems that every week God blesses me with a lot of cool tender mercies. God is good people! It's true! Well I'll hop into the week and share some cool things that have made the week good.

So to start this week God allowed me to work on my hope. Saturday I went on an exchange with Elder Anderson from Belleview ward. It was my first time taking over the area. So it was a tad stressful, but it started with a killer study. I was full of hope and faith and I just knew God would take care of me. And He did. The day was looking alright, we only had two set appointments, but we went off! We ended up teaching 10 lessons and had some MPs. God just put people in our path to teach. It was a really cool faith building experience. It was also good to have the young missionary who was with me to see how that can happen. At the end of the day during the long 50 minute drive home we

had a good conversation with a member about deep theology! Hahah just a good way to end the day.

So as some of you may know my birthday was this past Thursday! It was a great day for me. It was a special day because I went back to my old area, my first area actually. With Elder Johnson. It was such a cool day, and one that was definitely needed. Everywhere we went we talked and Jammed out. It's such a blessing that Elder Johnson and I are on the same mission. It's pretty dope. We taught a ton of people! Which was freaking dope. We also talked a lot about how we can improve as leaders in the mission. Trust seems to be the Key. One of my favorite quotes from a movie called "Remember the Titans" is as follows "Attitude reflects Leadership" there's been a tad of an attitude problem here. So we are in he process of fixing it! It was a great birthday for me and I learned a lot from my best bud Elder Johnson. It was also cool to teach some of my close friends from my first area. We took some cool pics and had just a great time. Elder Johnson and I talked about how it's just funny that we are in these positions. Back in high school, two years ago... In government class we talked about going to the same mission and being leaders. So it's funny it came to pass. Yeah buddy.

Another cool tender mercy that happened to me this week was on Friday. Some days before my birthday I prayed that God would bless me with a special tender mercy for my birthday. Well it came the next day. With me loosing so much weight my shirts don't really fit all that well anymore. They are huge. So I was in need of some new shirts. Well we were at the house of our favorite members GM and Nana. I mentioned to him that I needed to know where I could go to buy some new shirts. He then asked what size I was. I told him I wasn't sure anymore! Haha! So we went into the other room and he pulled out these really nice Nordstrom shirts. That are wrinkle free! Which is what I loved. He found them in our house somewhere the other day. (He takes care of our house BTW) well I tried them on! They fit perfectly! Wahoooo! It was dope. Then as I was thinking and the spirit hit me really hard and the prompting was "This is your gift you requested" it was soooo soooo cool to me that God cares enough to answer a prayer like that! What a huge blessing to me. God does care, and my faith was strengthened. I had a bishop once that said God cares enough to give us blessings like that cause he knows it'll make us happy. Such a cool thing! So that was dope.

Funny story of the week time...... So we had a good week as you tell thus far. The funny story is this, so on Monday night we went on exchanges with the Summerville elders and it was a great exchange. But the night of Monday something funny happened. So I went to sumpter hills out in the Boonie's. It's a hour and 15 minute drive. Right when we got there I realized that I had the phone for Eustis..... It was pretty bad. So my poor comp had no phone in our area and had to just wing it the entire day! Hahaha poor feller! I felt pretty bad....

Anyways! Thank you all for the birthday wishes. It really meant a lot to know there are people out there who know! Hahah Shout out especially to Elder Johnson for that great exchange on the day of. What a great way to end it. Today marks the 4 months that I have left till I board a plane and return home. I am not totally looking forward to that day. It's like each day that approaches I fall more and more in love with the mission. This work is true! I know it, and I know that God lives. He's watching over us, and taking care of us. This week was just proof for me, and that's for sure. With all the good that happened this week it felt nice. My birthday was just the icing on the cake! And again thank you for all the wishes and the cards! It truly does make my day! I really do love and miss you all! I guess I'll see you sometime in the summer. That will be weird. This church is true, and God lives. There is no doubt in my mind of these eternal truths. The gospel makes sense and for those who've never truly looked into it, try it. You'll like what you see and that's a promise! Have an amazing week ladies

and gentlemen!

Love, Elder Crismon!

Carter & Jaden on exchanges

 Classy country- as Carter calls it! :)

Weekly Update 4/11/2016

Dear family and friends!

What a week it has been.... Needless to say I'm glad it's over.

It's been a rough week here in Eustis! Nothing to crazy has happened it's just been a real trial of faith. I've been asking myself do I really believe? What does belief really mean? It's been an interesting

couple of days, now please don't misunderstand I'm not questioning the truthfulness of the church, or wondering if I should go home. It's just been an eye opening experience to say the least. An experience that has caused me to change the way I think! For the better! I'm excited for this next week and the opportunities that I will have to exercise my newly found faith, and to cultivate it. 

"Be Not Afraid, Only Believe" An interesting phrase- one that I've had first hand experience about!

In my new area the zone has been really struggling. As it turns out the targets we thought that we had were wrong and we were actually far below. My area I'm currently in is also struggling. We taught 30

lessons, but we only have 1 solid investigator at the moment. And to say it was stressing me out was an understatement. My companion is from another mission, and has a different way of thinking. Which is fine! And understandable! When your in another mission for 18 months and get transferred it'd be a tad weird! So it's been a struggle to say the least. My faith has been tested. Mucho, LOL. I feel a great deal of pressure from outsiders to get this thing turned around and when things started not to go the way we had planned it just was a recipe for no bueno! Then on Friday night I found myself calling a dear friend and asking for advice! He said something interesting "Elder Crismon, you know how to find! Do you believe?" Bang. That hit home. So I pondered on it for a while and even prayed in my own closet for a bit. I received an answer in the form of a feeling of peace! I don't know everything, but I know that Heavenly Father will take care of me. So please pray for me and my comp as we do our best to find those that are prepared. Even though most likely they will find us.

"Late nights.... Bruh" So on Tuesday was an amazing day. As was Monday night! I went on an

exchange with a young man named Elder Jensen! He's from Utah, and a young enthusiastic district leader. He's got a hungering for knowledge and I was ready to try and help him get some! On Monday night we stayed up till 12:00 at night talking over finding techniques, and how we can be better leaders! It was an amazing revelatory experience! We both felt like we could get anything done! So we went to bed ready to hit it hard the next day! We woke up and ran a mile! That was dope. Then we went to town. We found a bunch of cool people to teach for them! Keep in mind that we are in their area! It was a such a cool experience! It works! Hahahaha We just have to believe! That's really the key to everything is a belief! So we had a great day and really changed some lives. We set a date for baptism and helped turn an area around. Now he's looking to impart knowledge upon others in his stewardship. Funny story form the Day! So the night before on Monday we needed to get gas, but since it was already pretty late we decided to get it in the morning. Well..... We forgot. We turn the car on and the gas light is on! Elder Jensen goes " AH CRAP!!" I'm like what? Then I see that gas light on and we look at the range to see how many miles we have left and it says 0.... We were like "Fetch." So we said a prayer and then looked with our maps for the nearest gas station.

We found one 0.7 miles away. We said another prayer and then with a quiet prayer in our hearts began our approach to the station! We cut through a Walmart parking lot, and some how, miraculously WE MADE IT!!!!! It was dope. We were both pretty pumped. Cool miracle of the

day!

Well Fellars, that's my week in a nutshell, it's been a hard one, but one that I'll never forget. A mission is an interesting thing. You learn a lot and grow even more. I learned that I have to put my faith in God, and not myself. No matter how strong or great I may be. It's all up to Him, this is His work! I just need to be that elder he can trust with anything, I hope he does, and I know my goal is to continue to be my best for these last few months. On Thursday is this guys birthday! Holy cow, I'm turning 20!!!! That's half way to 40.... Pretty wild... LOL. It'll also be the day Elder Johnson and I go on exchanges round 2. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do then to boldly teach the gospel with my best bud! I know that God lives. I know that he sent his son Jesus Christ to the earth, I know that by placing our hope in him and loving him we can see miracles. This week we had ZTM. I gave a training on hope. I believe it was the best training I've ever given and it opened the doorway for my own growing experience as previously mentioned. I got a lot of compliments and the zone seemed to take to it and roll! Make no mistake the Leesburg zone is rising. We are on our way to being the

best we can be. And with Gods help anything is possible! I close with a quote "Hope On. Journey on. Honestly acknowledged your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith. Because all things are possible to them that believe." Elder Jeffery R Holland.

Elder Carter Crismon

Florida Orlando Mission

Leesburg Florida Zone

 Carter and some very BIG dogs! He told me they weighed in around 190! Crazy!!

 A beautiful day in sunny Florida!

 Car selfie's are the best!!

 I am not sure who made this but he included it in the photos this week! So true!!

 Carter out harvesting some eggs!

 Gotta get a picture with the chickens too!

 Carter and his birthday box! We tricked him with a Nike box knowing he would think it was shoes! Haha! All Will's idea!

 Silly selfie!