HAPPY EASER

 April 21, 2014

Happy Easer Familia! Or as they say here....Feliz Pascua! :)

I hope your day was great yesterday and you had a wonderful day reflecting and celebrating the wondrous news..."That he is risen!"

I actually had a really good Easter this year. It meant a lot more to me this year than any other year. All week during studies, I had been studying Easter, reading talks, the Easter story, and watching movies.  Easter morning we ate hard boiled eggs and Easter candy Hermana Sorensen's mom sent and members gave us (there is no hiding from candy). We watched "to The End was I born" and both cried. (I am becoming such a wimp!) 

Something I love about Hispanic culture is their traditions. They have such neat traditions, and I really have the desire to incorporate some of their traditions in my future family.

For example, for Easter, the whole week is a "semana santa" (Holy Week). They recognize all of the events leading up to Easter, Christ's resurrection. Like, the last supper, the Passover, his suffering in the garden of gethsemane, and his death. We have been trying to recognize each of the week. It dally put it into perspective the devastation of his death, and the glad and joyous news that he lived again.

Although they only eat fish...I don't think I could do that. The only sad thing is, the majority of people we saw this week, weren't doing anything, they just talked about what they did in their country. We went around this week showing everybody the new video "Because of him" and bore testimony of all we can do thanks to our Savior. We could tell it meant more for a lot of the people we saw.

This Sunday, during sacrament meeting, I was feeling very emotional about it all. The sacrament took on a whole new meaning to me yesterday, I took it with gratitude and joy. In the closing hymn, I sang the words "de la muerte somos salvos, del pecado nos libro" which means, "of death we are saved, of sin he freed us." Instantly I began to cry, which I thought as super weird. But after the final prayer a Hermano approached me and said he noticed. He was touched that the words of the song can bring tears, when the Holy Ghost touches our hearts. He began to get tears in his eyes and says it meant a lot to him. It meant a lot to me! 

We had a really good week this week. We saw a TON of people.

Noel is getting baptized this weekend! We were a bit nervous before because he has been so cynical and tentative about this whole new "God is my Father" thing. There is a family in our ward that is kind of "Debby Downers" and were telling us that they think he is not ready and the Elders should try teaching them. That was a big slap in the face for us. After a lot of prayer, we had another lesson with him to talk about his baptism.

We had an INCREDIBLE lesson with him. We asked him why he wanted to get baptized and he said that he has seen a lot of miracles in his life and he is ready to trust God and feels like he can admit he needs him. We ended our lesson with a kneeling prayer and waiting afterward. Noel cried. HE CRIED! That is huge. He has felt so lonely his whole life, and I think he is finally realizing that he isn't alone. He never is.

He is so ready for this. We taught him a few commandments last night, like the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. In the past he would have questioned it all and not be willing to live them. But he took them graciously and said he'd be willing to obey God. It's so incredible. I think the most fulfilling part of missionary work is watching the change in others.

Tara is ready too! Her baptism is the next Saturday. We are planning hers too. She has had all of the lessons and loves it. She loves the gospel more and more.

Yesterday, I went on splits and went to the 16-17 yr. old Sunday school class to babysit, because they are such naughty kids to the teacher (and there are 3 investigators in that class!). They all were super reverent because I was there, but they all got super bored. Haha punks.

We are trying to find new investigators and track down old ones right now. We have some really good investigators but we will need news ones once they get baptized! Sadly, a few of our investigators fell of the map. Sometimes we just can’t get a hold of them, or sometimes they just get scared and don't want to commit. It breaks my heart when they don't see how much they need this gospel. But we are excited to find new fun people!

I had quite a few embarrassing moments this week. Funny ones. I find that sometimes things are less embarrassing on your mission because, well you are a missionary. We just are weird as it is.

This week, we were leaving a lesson and as we walked outside, we started running for the car because we were late, and I had to go to the bathroom. Well, it was super embarrassing because the YW leader of the ward saw us and started honking. We thought it was some creep so we ran faster. She finally caught up to us and was laughing so hard because we looked so funny running in skirts.

Then leaving the same house a few days later, me and Hermana Sorensen were walking back to our car. Well, sometimes I get awkward wedgies in lessons. So I just fixed it up right there. The next thing I know I hear a man cracking up behind me. I look around to see a car full of Hispanic men laughing because they just saw me. So moral of the story is....if you have to itch your bum, make sure there are no creepy Hispanic men watching. We had a good laugh about that one.

I love being a missionary. Some people just treat us like royalty when we come over. We just get the special treatment. Most of the members here are converts, majority of them. They all have a special place in their hearts for the missionaries, those angels that shared with them the gospel. I love being that angel. It makes me grateful for those that taught me the gospel...my missionaries: Parents, teachers, YW leaders, etc.

I hope that you are all well, and not dying of heat yet in Arizona. I love springtime weather.

Happy birthday Jordan! You are getting do old, is it weird? :) Best of luck to you in the MCAT, I will be praying for you. Did you ever get your package?

How fun that you are putting grass down and everything, and clean windows? I am going to come home to an entirely different home! And family...Dallin and Lizzie are growing up way too fast. Haha 

Thank you so much, Mom, for the package! I loved all the clothes. Although it's a little depressing to me that the size I was before my mission BARELY fits me now. But I got tons of compliments on the skirt and dresses. Wore them all this weekend. You're getting so good at picking out things! :)

Thank you all for the Love and Support, it means a lot to me. So many people ask the missionaries to pray for them. I love being able to do it, because I know how much I can feel YOUR prayers. Thank you so much.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Spencer

1. We went to the zoo last Monday and loved it! This is with the cute panda

2. Riding the metro with Tara and her cousin Jocelyn

3. Loving the springtime!

It's Spring!

Hola Familia!

 What a week it has been. Time just is flying by.

Virginia's finally warming up! We had a super long winter, and a lot of snow. But I am LOVING the springtime. All of the trees are blossoming and there are daffodils on the side of all the roads. I love it!  It just makes us want to go out and share the gospel! Although, it is
surprisingly hot. It kind of went straight from winter cold to summer heat. That makes us nervous for this summer.

We saw a ton of miracles this week. I think the biggest miracle this week was Tara. We have been working with her for a long time, but it's been rough with her family situation. She's been a little iffy about the church in the past because she didn't want to cause problems with
her dad.

Well we went to go see her this week and no woman was home, so we couldn't go inside. We sat on the porch outside and chatted with her. She was so excited to see us! She had, had a dream the night before. She was trying to turn this list switch on, but it wouldn't turn on.
She decided to pray and ask Heavenly Father to help her turn it on. Instantly, when she tried again, the light came on. She said that she had this feeling come over her that she has never felt before, and she knew that her Heavenly Father was there, and this was the right church
and path.

This week Tara has expressed her heartache with some family problems, which was a little sad for us because Tara is never not smiling. But she began to cry when she talked about the gospel. She said that there was always something missing. She didn't know what, but there was
something she needed. And as she has made these steps in the gospel, she feels complete. And she feels like she has a relationship with her Father in heaven. :)

My testimony grew this week. I think I have always known the gospel is true. I always knew that it was right, but when I see somebody gain a testimony, and come to know that it is true, I see a change I them, a light that just gets brighter. And that just reassures me of the truthfulness of my message, as a missionary.

Noel is progressing well, too! He is kind of still a punk and questions just about everything we say but there is a change in him too. He knows it's true. Our lessons are getting better and better with him. I love working with youth, because I feel like I can connect with them. Noel is preparing for baptism and is understanding the importance of it more and more. We have fun lessons with him.

Our district is really trying to step up the game. It's incredible to see the ward, especially the leaders pushing us, and encouraging us! They really want to see baptisms and success, so they are doing all they can to see the work hasten. Yesterday, bishop went around church
and basically chastened the leaders for not going out with the missionaries when they can. We get a lot of youth to come out with us, but adults often are too busy. It makes us want to work harder!

I got this terrible cold (again! I feel like I'm always sick....) at the beginning of this week and I still have it. It was super hard at the beginning because I'd have to take naps in the afternoon in order to have a bit of juice left to be a missionary. Hermana Sorensen got a ton of paperwork done this week while I napped. But I learned something this week about sacrifice. It was super hard, but I forced myself to get up and work during the most important hours of the day.
And although I was sick, uncomfortable, miserable, and I had an excuse to stay in, I noticed that when I went out, we were blessed. We had the BEST lessons when I was working although sick. I know The Lord blesses us when we forget about ourselves and get to work.

Our mission had a theme for each quarter as we set goals for our areas. This first quarter was "step out of be boat" meaning, we can walk on water but we have to take the first step out of the boat! We just started our new quarter "step onto the mount" meaning the mount that Abraham went obediently to sacrifice his son Isaac. It is so hard to sacrifice, that is what I am learning. Abraham had a hard time giving his only son, but he wanted to show God he loved him more. So as a mission we are asking, "What are we willing to sacrifice?" Sometimes, it's little. But, when we give up something we love, and put it in hands of The Lord, he will provide. In the end, Abraham was provided with a ram as sacrifice, but he knew all along that The Lord would provide. His faith just needed to be tested.

Today we are going to Washington, D.C. With Tara and her cousin Jocelyn. We are going to the Zoo and super excited. DC is covered in the cherry blossoms right now and we don't want to miss it. Spring break started today, so everything is going to be super busy. But we are happy everybody will be home this week to teach :)

I can’t believe how fast time is flying. It made me think of the conference talk last week. Just like Olympians only have 4 minutes as their moment to shine, after much performance, our life is so short in the perspective of eternity! I only have less than 7 months of my mission. It is flying by. It just makes me think of what can happen in a short amount of time, what I can do. What differences I can make.

I love you all! Thank you for the love and support. I love hearing from you, it's so motivating :)

Con amor,

Hermana Spencer