Another Great Week in the Work of the Lord

August 26. 2013

Hello Everybody!

As always, it was a great week in the work of the Lord. It was kind of a weird week, so we felt bad for our new companion who jumped right into the craziness of it all.

Well, Esperanza IS married! It turned out amazing!! We were expecting it to be a very simple and kind of lame wedding at the church. BUT the RS president took some initiative and made an excuse to have a Hispanic fiesta. She had the Elder's Quorum help decorate the gym. She had these beautiful decorations and a beautiful cake. She called members of the RS to come and bring food. There were plenty of all sorts of delicious, Hispanic food. I was in heaven. It was more than perfect. Me and Hermana Simpson were almost in tears from our gratitude.

A ton of Esperanza's family came to the wedding and loved it. They were all so grateful for us and the members. There was a ton of fellowshipping going on. There are a few family members in her family that are iffy about the missionaries, but after the wedding, we have a ton of potential in visiting them. Her now husband, Jose, was super grateful too. He has a hard time taking help, but he was SO HAPPY at the wedding. We know that they are going to end up getting sealed in the temple. It's just a matter of faith and time.

The Baptism went well too! It was a 5 person baptism! Our three kids got baptized, plus another English investigator and an 8 year old boy. It was very weird to be a back in an English ward. They are SO different from the Spanish program. They had everything planned and set up. It was wonderful though. The Dad of Kayo, was there and he is not a member and he really felt the spirit. My talk on the Holy Ghost went well (mostly because it was in English :) )

We had a musical fireside last night. I was beautiful and VERY spiritual. I sang in the missionary choir. We sang a few songs together and had a few quartets and solos. I sang in a quartet with other sisters in a song called "my kindness shall not depart from thee" It is SO beautiful. It's about the Lord talking to Joseph Smith in Liberty jail.

We also saw a miracle last night. A sister was supposed to do a solo that was like the best part of the program. But she has vocal nodes, meaning she isn't supposed to be able to sing. She got a blessing and sang the song beautifully. She had almost everybody, including me, in tears.

Our companionship is doing well! It's still a little weird adjusting to having 3 of us and two trainers but it's going well. We still need a bed for Hermana Wilde, so she is crashing on the couch for now. We are really excited for this transfer though, it feels like it's going to be a good one!

 Our one investigator, Heidy, is doing better too! She ACTUALLY came to church yesterday and liked it! She has been complaining that she doesn’t want to come because its "sooooo boring." She knows the church is true and really wants to get baptized; it has just been like pulling teeth getting her to read and go to church. She's extremely lazy (Apparently it’s "really hard" to turn the pages of a book). But we know she will get there. We are mostly trying to get her to take her stupid lip piercing out.......

So the food is amazing. Some homes give better food than others, but I am loving the variety of Hispanic food. EXCEPT the other day, we were teaching a girl that lives in the basement of members. The member gave us this drink. I thought it was coke with ice in it. NO. IT WASN'T. It was this horrible purple slime that had the consistently of really really thick cough syrup. And what I thought was ice? Nope. It was whole grapes and pineapple. It was atrocious. But of course, I forced the whole thing down my throat.

I love being here. I am seeing trials, but more joy from this great work. Sometimes I wonder, "Okay, why do I have this gospel? Out of all the people in the world, why was I blessed with the truth" and then I realize that my calling as a missionary is why I have the truth. I had the calling before the world was to have the truth and be one to share it with others. I know that this church is true and that this gospel is for every one of Heavenly father's children.

I love you all so much!

Hermana Spencer

1. Me, Hna Simpson, Esperanza, Jose, Baby Ryan, and Hna Wilde at the wedding! (I promise they were happy, they just refuse to smile in pictures)

2. Me, Kayo, Natasha, Pablo and Hna Simpson at the baptism

3. Hna Simpson, Esperanza and me

That Mormon Book is True

August 19, 2013

Hello Family!

This next week is going to be a crazy busy week! Yes, we have transfers on Thursday. Me and Hermana Simpson are hoping and praying that she gets to finish training me. I love her as my companion so much. She has been a huge tender mercy from the lord. We are nervous though that she might be getting transferred! But, we also might be getting moved if we do stay together, and possible on bike. We will see what happen.

 

This week we have a ton going on. This Friday is Hermana Simpson's birthday! That same day is Esperanza'a wedding. On Saturday we have a baptism.

 

We have been teaching 3 kids, 8, 9 and 9. Natasha, Pablo and Cayo. Cayo is their cousin and his mom is a convert. Natasha's and pablo's mom is a less active, but they all wanted their kids to get baptized. Their mom only speaks spanish, but the kids speak english, so they are getting baptized into the english ward. They are fun, but goofy kids. Our lessons are hard sometimes because they are hard to keep entertained. But, we have that baptism this Saturday. This will be my first!

 

And Esperanza IS getting married this Friday! This week we had to write up a check-list for her and give her deadlines. We were super worried about her getting a marriage license because they didn't have a ride and they are both super lazy. But it was a miracle that they got it and she went and got a dress (of sorts.....) and a little tux for her baby. The relief society is going to help bring some food and they are going to do a sweet short ceremony in the chapel with a few people. She is going to be only the second person in her family to get married. Wow! We are SO excited though. She is so ready for baptism and she is amazing. We just know that she is going to be an example to her husband and eventually he will come around too. She wants nothing more than to be sealed to her family.

 

Hispanics crack me up. I am loving them more and more, but I am also realizing things that I DO NOT want to pick up from them. They have such amazing and loving hearts, but they are so flaky sometimes. I am just VERY grateful for the life lessons, and common sense, that mom and dad taught me that a lot of people ever learned. We are literally teaching our investigators gospel lessons AND life lessons. (ie: you don't feed your 9 month year old Mcdonalds and Mac and Cheese)

 

My favorite though is everybody calls the BOM "The Mormon Book."  Even Esperanza has bore her testimony saying " I know that the Mormon book is true."  

 

Yesterday at church, the missionaries basically run the whole show. Our Branch President found out I can somewhat play the organ, so from now on, that's my job. I played the organ in sacrament meeting. Then me and hermana Simpson got asked to do a musical number. We did a song that I had, and we just translated it. She played the piano while I sang. The branch was very grateful for it. THEN (of course) the sunday school teacher didn't show up so me and Hermana Simpson taught Gospel Principles. It went okay, I mostly stood to the side nodding and occasionally bearing my testimony of what she was teaching. Spanish is still rough.

 

Every week, Esperanza and Jhoana have to bring their kids and their sister's kids. So Church is more of a babysitting experience for us. I spent the rest of the day with baby drool on my necklace and shirt :)

 

Okay, I mentioned this in my last email, but it was clarified this week. The mission can no longer forward mail to me. It has to be sent directly to my address. If I get transferred this week I will be able to let you know on Friday, but for now its: 14054 Lotus Lane #8110 Centreville VA 20120

 

Our one investigator Heidy is progressing but slowly. I LOVE Heidy so much. She is stubborn and kind of obnoxious sometimes, but she is so special. She just got her lip peirced (oh gosh) yet she knows its dumb. We taught her a really good lesson on the law of chastity though. It went super well. We read with her my favorite talk my Deiter F. Uchtdorf "Happily Ever After" and taught her of her true potential. I truly believe that our divine potential is not affected by our pasts. " It is our reaction to the adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how our story will unfold"

 

 

 1. Me and my companion being dorks

2. On the Metro on our way to DC!

3. Me and Hna Simpson in front of the Capital Building

Update - Transfers!

August 23, 2013

Hello! So I AM staying where I am. I get to stay in the Centreville zone, and my in Sudley branch. BUT here's the twist.....

Me and Hermana Simpson get to stay together. And....I'm training.

Yep, that's right. Another trio! Well I got my new companion, Hermana Wilde yesterday at transfers. She is fresh out of the MTC. She is super cute, and I am excited to be with her. I got the call Monday night, and I guess that I and Hermana Simpson are co-training, regardless of the fact that I was halfway through my own training. Apparently, president Riggs thinks that we can do it, though! There were a couple others that are doing the same thing that we are.

Hermana Wilde is actually a visa waiter. She is called to serve in Rosario, Argentina Mission. She was sent here from the MTC to train and wait for her visa to come.

She is so sweet. She is a little scared and confused but she is already an awesome missionary. She came at such a great time. We have our wedding for Esperanza tonight and a baptism tomorrow...which I was asked to speak at! eek!

 Another twist is that they put another set of Hermanas in our district, so our area is probably going to change quite a bit. There were 42 new missionaries that came in this transfer and they opened 13 new areas in the mission! CRAZY! The work is hastening.

 Well anyway, I love you all. I am staying at my address of Lotus Lane in Centreville. I LOVE getting letters. So send me some :)

The church is true, and I will write you on Monday to catch you up!

Much Love,

Hermana Spencer

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

August 12, 2013

HOLA! Como Estan?

I am so glad to get your emails with love and support. I am glad things are going well at home. I think about you and pray for you often...

 This week was a good week, (claro). We had rough moments but good ones too.

We had meeting ALLLL week. Tuesday, after district meeting, we had Spanish Forum. So basically, all the Spanish missionaries in the whole mission met and had a seminar/ fireside. We had lunch, and then President Riggs came and spoke and we did a lot of learning and practice teaching. I realized I needed to work on my Spanish a lot more. President Riggs can't speak Spanish though, so his talk was my favorite part. It was so fun to see all my MTC Hermanas at the forum though! It was an awesome reunion.

I also so Elder Caleb Earnshaw from the Boston stake. He didn't recognize me at first but then we caught up a little.

Every Wednesday, we go to Correlation at the Branch President's house for lunch. His wife is an AMAZING cook, and correlation is always fun.

Then, we went on exchanges. I was really nervous. I stayed in my area and one of the sister training leaders came to be my companion for 24 hours. It was a great learning experience. She was very grateful that I was going okay, because I guess a lot of times exchanges is  time for sisters to vent and cry to the leaders. She was really glad that I was perfectly fine and didn't need to cry :)

On Thursday, when I got my companion back, we found out that the Young Women's were doing a temple trip. So we hitched a ride with them and took our investigator Heidy, and her aunt the recent convert Jhoana. It was last minute, but perfect. We set up a tour with the visitor center Hermana there and she did phenomenal. The spirit was so strong. She taught Heidy the plan of salvation and the importance of our life. Heidy has a really hard life and has a pretty messed up family. She has a hard time understanding her individual worth and is kind of a punk. She is 15. But she really wants to get married in the temple.

I am so grateful for the temple and the blessings it brings. All Hispanics LOVE the idea of eternal families and being in the house of the Lord. Jhoana was a like a kid in a candy shop at the visitor center. She wants to find somebody and be married in the temple so bad. We just love her so much.

We had to have a very serious chat with Jhoana this week because she has been dating this guy for a year, he is separated but not divorced from his wife. He is NOT a good guy, and is not a good influence. We had a very heartfelt chat about keeping the temple a goal and refining ourselves to be worthy. We all ended up crying, hugging and telling each other we loved each other. . All I could think about then was "I doubt this happens very often with the elders...."

I love this work. I love being a missionary. I have been so HAPPY. I feel like I have had it so easy though. I have an excellent companion, who is super easy to get along with, and I have excellent investigators and I have the calling as a servant to the Lord. I love being here. I am just waiting for some storm to hit!

Today, my whole district is going to DC to visit and tour the sites. I am so excited. We get to take the metro there.

Sorry I never get a chance to email everybody back. Give my love to everyone.

I was just told today that from now on we need all mail to be sent straight to my apartment. It is the one on Lotus Lane in Centreville. I would LOVE letters:)

Keep the Faith and remember the blessings of the gospel. We are so blessed to have this in our lives!

Our whole mission is starting a 40 day fast, where every day we fast from doing a different habit of behavior. Yesterday, I was working on gratitude. I am so grateful for this gospel and being raised in it.

Much Love,

Hermana Spencer

August 5, 2013

Hola Familia!

I hope all is well. I loved getting all the fun emails this week. They are awesome and fun to read :)

This week has been good (of course). We are always so amazed with how many miracles we see on the mission.

Biggest news is that, Esperanza is getting married! On Tuesday we went to see her. We have been fasting and praying that she would be able to get married and be baptized on August 31st. This is her 3rd time being on date. She has been too scared to talk to her boyfriend and tell him that she NEEDS to get married before then. I guess, Monday night she told him that she wanted to get married this month so that she could be baptized. He was very understanding and they decided on getting married on the 24th. That is also the day 3 kids we have been teacher are supposed to get baptized. It's going to be a great day that day.

So, apparently, being a missionary also means being a wedding planner. We are going to have to help Esperanza plan everything. She wants to get married at the church, but her boyfriend Jose feels iffy about it because he doesn't want to be considered "Mormon"? (Yet). Her main goal is to be sealed as a family. She knows that it might take a while and a lot of faith, but she knows that it will happen.

We are also teaching Heidy a ton. Heidy is Esperanza and Jhoana's niece. She is living at Jhoana’s apartment because her step-dad was abusive. Her mom had Heidy when she was 13 and is very lost. It's so sad because nobody really has a lot of faith in Heidy, they think that she is just doomed to have the same life that they all live. But, we have taught her in the past few days. We were teaching her in the staircase outside of the apartment (because no woman was home, so we couldn't go in) and she was acting a little weird. Finally, I felt very inspired to say "Okay, Heidy, we love you. We are here because we love you and we want to help. What's going on, how are you feeling about what we are teaching you?" It was SO neat. She completely opened up. She believes what we have to teach her, she just is nervous because her step-dad is anti-Mormon and her mom is very active at her Pentecostal church. Her mom took her to that church yesterday, and Heidy liked it. She is just feeling confused.  Like everybody else, she LOVES the idea of the temple. She wants to get married there. She is just so lost, but she has so much potential. I am excited to continue teaching her. We hope that she is going to be baptized on the 31st as well.

NO accident's this week :) Yay! But, me and Hma. Simpson both have been getting a few headaches from the accident still. Luckily they are going away.

On Saturday, there was a Relief Society temple trip. We were going to go with them, with Esperanza and Jhoana and go to the visitor center. We were SO excited to go. They were too, they even got up early and got ready on time (which is a miracle for that family).  But, when we got to the church, no sisters showed up except the 2 sisters that planned it. So, there weren’t enough seats for us. It's so frustrating working with members that aren't reliable. They are such great people, with great hearts, they just lack the reliability.

Our apartment is cute. It is a disaster most of the time with study materials everywhere. We have a nice walk-in closet though, which is so nice :)

My companion Hermana Simpson is fantastic! We are the only Hermanas in the stake, and I guess everybody says that Hermanas are way cooler than sisters ;) She is an excellent trainer. I know I lucked out. I guess her last companion was very shy and rarely spoke, so she says it’s weird adjusting to me jumping right in! We get along great. We both keep saying that being companions is a tender mercy. She is teaching me a lot, and I hope I am doing the same for her. Her Spanish is perfect, so listening to her helps me a ton. Missionary work is fun with her. It's still work, and busy, but it's fun too!

I love being a missionary. I know without a doubt that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel has been restored to us and it is because we have the gospel that I am sharing it was others who don't. I know that families are eternal and through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can live with our father in Heaven again and be happy for eternity. I love this gospel and I love this work.

You are awesome! I am sorry I don't have time to respond to all the emails I got this week, but I can try to write some later. If possible, have anybody just put their address in their emails too and I can write a response to them later. I don't get very much email time.

Much love,

Hermana Spencer