February 10th, 2014

February 10, 2014

Hello Familia!

I hope that all is well with you all. This has been a slow week for me! Not bad slow, just felt like so much has happened. Busy busy!

 Looking back though before my mission, I LOVE being busy. Being busy is such a blessing. Yes I love the occasion lazy moments, of getting to relax. But I love looking back at my weeks and seeing all that was accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Just remember that business is good. Don't ever try to run faster than you have strength, but it is a blessing.

 Monday, we had zone sports. Because in our mission, everybody lives so close to each other, we get to have activities as zones and districts pretty often.

 Last Monday, we did dart gun wars. We literally had Pvc pipes and we would shoot darts by blowing through them. It was SO fun. But, in the midst of our games, my companion went to go "tag" an elder, and he ducked the wrong direction and she ended up punching him right in the face. As a result, he has an amazing scratch across his face, and my companion sprained her thumb!

 We thought her thumb was broken for a while, so we had to go to urgent care to check it out. Sadly it took us 4 hours in a doctor’s office to find out we just need to ice it and take Advil.

This week we also started planning out giant multi-ward activity called "Mundial Mormon" which is basically the Mormon World Cup. Our district came up with the idea for our ward and we decided to make it bigger and go mission wide. We are inviting EVERYBODY in our mission (well, Spanish speakers).

We are doing an all-day event where we have a little bit of Volleyball and then a giant soccer tournament. We are having a bracket and everything. At night we are doing a talent show and food. Not to mention, we are planning church tours, movies and games throughout the entire activity in the other rooms. We have a Hermana who is studying marketing, so we are trying to get the word out to everybody. We are so excited! And the English speakers are all really jealous... :)

This week was transfers. Me and Hermana Sorensen are staying in little River for another transfer. Last minute, our mission president called the entire mission to come to the transfer meeting for a whole-mission conference (which isn't very common).

He had seen the new movie "the Saratov Approach" earlier that week and got special permission to show it to all of us. It was such an emotional experience for us. I am not sure if you have had a chance to see it, but it is a must see. There were many lessons that I learned. It's about two missionaries in Russia that got kidnapped and held ransom. They had incredible faith and amazing examples.

It was really cool though, the day before we saw the movie, we were in a neighborhood we are always in. Me and my companion looked at each other and said that we needed to get back to our car. We are quite sure why still, but all we know is that we need to go back...and fast. The movie and the experience freaked my companion out a bit, but we had the senior couple across the street come over and give a blessing.

I honestly, felt at so much peace. I knew that I was safe. My patriarchal blessing, my setting apart blessing, and many blessings after that have promised me my safety on my mission. Obviously, as long as I am listening to the spirit. I have had so many moments in my mission where we have been guided to somewhere, OR away from somewhere. I feel at so much peace having the gift of the Holy Ghost and "Angels round about me."

 Saturday, we went to the Serrano's house (Melissa's family) for Pupusas. They are the most common food in El Salvador, and I am learning how to make them! But it was so fun. They were celebrating their oldest son's birthday, and they invited the missionaries on purpose because their family would be there that need the gospel. I LOVE getting member referrals. Going through the members is SO much more effective than our own efforts.

We also had a little girl stop us in the hallway yesterday to tell us she wants her friend to "join us." She was asking for advice on how to bring up the missionaries. It was so fun to give her the advice and tell her that we would pray for her missionary opportunity.

Melissa and her family both got their temple recommends on Sunday, so we are planning a trip to do baptisms for the dead. Melissa's mom looked like she was about to cry when we found out she was allowed to go in the ACTUAL temple. She's still waiting for her year mark to be sealed as a family, but they are so excited to go to baptisms.

We had an amazing lesson with Sara last night. I met Sara with Hermana Memmott a month ago, while helping her cousin paint. Sara was super cold to us at first, but over time has warmed up to us. She is reading the Book of Mormon right now and already is in 2 Nephi! At first she came to us with MANY questions and doubts, but after a few lessons about the Holy Ghost, she has changed. Last night she told us that she knows the book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that this Church is the Church of Jesus Christ. Sadly, she leaves back for Peru in 2 WEEKS! So we talked about baptism with her and we are hoping to help her get baptized before she goes.

 Noel, Rosemary's son wants to get baptized too! Honestly, because of his mom's example and the other youth's example, he has had a change of heart and mind towards the church. I am so happy for Rosemary, since her baptism she has just blossomed!

 We are working with a teenage girl that just got baptized a month ago right now. We are working on teaching her family, but right now she is suffering from extreme depression. We are doing the best we can to help, but we can only do so much. We are trying to keep daily contact with her and keep her spirits high. She is such an incredible, and strong girl, I just wish she could see that! Or we could help her see what we see! Or more importantly, what her Heavenly Father sees.

 Dad mentioned something in his letter that I have been thinking about ALL week. The basics. Our investigators cannot progress or come unto Christ unless they are doing the basics. We have so many people so close to baptism, and commitment keeping, but they simply won't read the scriptures, or say their prayers or come to church! It's frustrating knowing how much this will bless their lives, but they simply won't act. When people act, they receive blessings and answers. It is incredible how simple the recipe is, but so difficult it is for us sometimes.

 Even when we are missionary, or a parent, bishop, or whatever we are. We have to continue doing the basics. Every day! That is part of Enduring to the End. We have to exercise our faith, and keep covenants we made.

 We are going to Washington DC today. We are going to tour some museums and to shoot part of a commercial for "Mundial Mormon"

It is cold outside though! Washington DC is a LOT better than New Hampshire. We have barely been hit by bad weather. It is cold, but we get little snow and it doesn't get below 30 degrees normally.

All in all, Things are good here. I really can't complain. Things are not easy, but things are possible. Honestly, my mission hasn't been extremely hard. Not because I don't get trials and it is not a test of my faith. But I know in every circumstance that the Lord is with me. And, the burdens don't seem so heavy, because of that. Also, we are seeing so many miraculous things, that the good outweighs the bad!

I love being a missionary. It is incredible. I love being a part of this work.

I love you all!

 Con mucho amor,

Hermana Spencer 

 

1. Me and my district

2. Nerf gun war-zone. So fun!