So.... this is my poor little knee in my high tech ice brace (it constantly has ice water filtering through it!) and I don't feel a lot of pain right now, but I know that the worst is yet to come. :(  Thank goodness some genius invented Percocet!!  Any positive wishes are welcomed! I need them!

Mer.

Dont you hate it when you had really high expectations (or maybe just hopes for something) and they go nothing the way you planned them?  Yeah, i hate that too. hmph.  Im probably going to die a cat lady.

Im Back!

Well here I am making my big comeback after the mission. Life is pretty interesting right now. I don't work, nor am I in school... so im just kinda loafing around and having fun. And I feel so weird!  But its nice to be able to just have fun. I would say the most tiring part about being on a mission was having to care about, and solve, other peoples problems. So its good to have some me time. But i DO miss the mission. Life was so nice on the mission (and yet it was the hardest thing i have ever done!) because everything was planned out for you and you didn't have to worry about schools or jobs or relationships (except for those with your investigators).  So simple. And now its all complicated and i have to get loans and find a job! yuck!  AND i have to have surgery soon (that is IF a certain energy healer didn't heal my knee yesterday.... )  on my bum knee. But things are looking up!  Im on a diet and i will soon be back to fitting in my jeans! huzzah!  I guess overall you could just say that im in a state of thankfulness right now. So thankful that i even got to go on a mission and get to know so many amazing people and for my own conversion to the gospel. After experiencing what i have, i know that there is NO going back. I love this church and all the wonderful things i have learned. Over and out.

chi chi chi, le le le, viva chile!!!!

hello erybody!it was such a busy week!!! we worked so hard this week and finally found some new ppl to teach, so thats good. we went to the doctor for my companion, saved a dog from being eaten by ticks, and we had the 50 year celebration of missionary work in chile!!! it was sweet because the missionaries got to watch the show and also we got to sing "i´ll go where you want me to go". the show was so cool because there were people dancing the traditional dances of all the countries in south america and my little anthropology heart was super happy! im going to download all the music when i get home and listen to it in my car... and probably cry while thinking about chile. the chileans have so much pride.. its awesome. they are so crazy. every chance they get they shout "chi chi chi, le le le, viva chile!!!" i like shouting even though im not chilean. when all the missionaries shouted it, the crowd went crazy and were cheering for us. it was cool. the celebration also did a moving rendition of the pioneers crossing the plains and got all teary eyed which never happens. one of our new investigators name is Adrian. He is the boyfriend of one of our memebers who´s son has brain cancer. they had to build a whole new house that was equipped like a hospital for him so he could come home so we went to help them build and paint every chance we had. we also came and sang to thomas (the kid with cancer) and brought him pictures of jesus. one day while we were telling him about the 2000 strippling warriors he started crying (thomas) and Adrian held up a piece of paper with the alphabet on it so that he could tell us what was wronge. he spelled out spirit. he was feeling the spirit. After that Adrian decided to start taking the missionary lessons! how cool is that? so your challenge this week is to go out and do some service. i have heard countless stories of peoples lives being changed because somebody cared enought to serve them. well, i dont really have anything else to say except that im happy and im loving the work even though its really hard sometimes. the time is flying!! i cant beleive i have been out here for 8 months! well, i love you all!love crystal

LUCKY GIRL

Well Crystal is loving the MTC and really getting into every aspect of missionary life. She is trying to get familiar with EVERY part of the missionary training center. In order to do this she has torn her ACL and in so doing has made herself a candidate for a long stay in the sports medicine rehab area of the compound. I had no idea that such a place existed but it does. BUT before she can go there, she will be transported to Payson where she will undergo a little St. Patrick's day operation to reconstruct her bum knee. Lucky Lucky Girl!!!

There she goes...

Sister Crystal entered the MTC on Wednesday. She was excited to get this party started! No doubt Chile will never be the same after they meet Hermana Bates!

AAAAHHHHHHH

I LEAVE TOMORROW!!! tonight at 9 i will be set apart as a sister missionary! :) im super excited and super scared and ready. please write me letters PLEASE!!! my address is in the about me section of my Facebook. i love you all and i will write you back if you write me i promise. k see ya in a year and a half.