Hermana Meagan Spencer: Conference Weekend

October 7, 2013

Hola Familia,

Every day I am learning something new about myself. And here I thought that I knew myself pretty well, but I'm still learning.

This week has been a week of work and some changes. We had transfers this week, but as predicted, me and Hermana Argueta stayed where we are. Hermana Simpson, my old companion, got transferred out and was called to be a new sister training leader. She is going to do fantastic! We lost and got a new elder in our Spanish District too.

Hermana Wilde got a new companion, BUT she just found out that her and few other missionaries got their Visas to Argentina. So we aren't quite sure what’s going to happen there.

I LOVE my little Spanish District. We have a great group of elders and Hermanas that have taught me a ton and we have had fun too.

This is officially my 3rd transfer out in the field and I have been out on my mission for 4 and a half months. It is crazy how fast time flies. I feel like I just got off the plane!

This Friday we spent a lot of our afternoon helping somebody in our Branch move. Unfortunately, nobody from our flaky branch showed up except a few Hermanas to pack. The poor Dad had 5 missionaries (including 2 wimpy Hermanas) to help move his entire house. We spent a long time taking apart furniture and moving things to the truck. It was a fun, but very tiring!

Me and Hermana Argueta got more lessons in this week which is awesome! We have 4 really neat investigators. We are teaching these two teenagers straight from Ecuador, Christian and Kayla. Their entire family is members and they only speak Spanish, they are very interested. Also we are teaching Jamie and Jennifer who's Dad and step-mom are members. They live with their Dad on Weekends so we teach them every Sunday. They are very excited and interested too.

We taught “El Plan de Salvacion" a lot this week. Looking at that plan makes me realize how lucky we are to have that knowledge. To know and look forward to the day that we can return to our Heavenly Father again and be with our families for eternity. It makes me excited for my future family and grateful for the fact that our loving Heavenly Father has made a path for ALL of his children to be able to return to him.

My companion Hermana Argueta is awesome. She was raised in a Spanish home but never learned grammar or to read in Spanish, so we are working on that together. She isn't very shy when we teach Spanish lessons, but she gets really nervous and shy in our English lessons. We have been doing a lot of practice teaching to improve both our Spanish and English teaching skills. It's been a great learning experience. We are also trying to eliminate all the "garbage words" such as "like", "um", and "ya."

Conference was SO wonderful. It kind of put a damper on some of our work this weekend, just because it was at an awkward time for us. We went to the church and watched it in the chapel. It was all missionaries there and a few members. I absolutely LOVED conference this year. I think that it's more powerful as a missionary, or maybe I just paid better attention.

Yesterday in between sessions, my district put together lunch at the church. We all combined our ingredients in our cupboards (reminded me of missionary mess!) and we made homemade mac & cheese, and chicken Alfredo. It was a fun little lunch!

I loved all the talks, but I loved Elder Holland’s and President Uchtdorf's talks. I love the conviction that all of these men have. By listening to their words and their testimonies, you know that they want SO badly for other people to just taste of the goodness that they have experience. They plea with each of us to come unto Christ. That is why the work is Hastening!

I noticed a few different themes this weekend in conference. Like; "our little decisions have and eternal impact," "NOW is the time to hasten the work," "The power and the blessing of the Priesthood in our lives is irreplaceable" and "Even during our trials, the Lord is mindful of each of us."

I agree and sustain the prophet, his apostles and what they said this weekend. The time is now. That is why I am a missionary. Our leaders push us every day to talk to more people, teach more lessons, get more people baptized and invite everyone to come unto Christ. These people are those that don't have the truth only because "they know not where to find it."

We are so incredibly blessed to have this everlasting truth in our lives. Our responsibility as those with the knowledge of the truth is to spread and share the gospel. Something President Riggs said is that we are not only to defend the truth, but to fight for the truth! Not only live as examples in what we know is right, but to fight for what we know is correct.

I urge you all to take the challenge that was given on Saturday. If each member shared the gospel with one person, millions would partake of this rich truth.

I love you all so much.

Estoy muy agradecido por la oportunidad ser una misionera en este obra. Yo se que este iglesia es la iglesia de Jesucristo en la tierra hoy. El Libro de mormón es la palabra de Dios. Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios. Yo se que por medio la expiación de Jesucristo podemos ser limpio otra vez. Se que podemos vivir con nuestro padre celestial otra vez y que somos hijos de Dios. Yo se que familias son eternas.

Los Amo Mucho.

-Hermana Spencer

Me and my district right before transfers.