It's always a great week in the work of the Lord

October 21, 2013

Hola familia!

It has been yet another good week. A week of work, a week of fun, a week of learning and a week of teaching. 

We did a lot of work with less-actives this week, and our work paid off! We had 5 less actives come to church this week! We have been working with Rosi, a 28 year old woman who was baptized over 10 years ago and hasn't come to church in 10 years. We have been trying to get her at church for weeks and she always flakes out on us. We always joked that we were going to come and make pancakes for her and help her come to church. Well this Sunday, we made a huge plate of pancakes and stopped at her house before church. She was NOT planning on going, but I think the pancakes did it. She came a half hour late and left after sacrament meeting, but SHE CAME! And better than that, her YW leader from when she got baptized is in our branch. 

We invited and visited a lot of less actives this weeks and most of them came to church. We had the primary program this Sunday so it was a sweet and relaxed Sacrament meeting. 

Saturday was a very funny day. Earlier, I was telling Hermana Argueta about how I really hadn't had to eat any really bad or weird food yet. I spoke too soon....

We had a lunch appointment at a members house that lived a half hour away. We got there and while waiting for the food they had us watch their daughter's wedding video (very cute). Then they served us this Peruvian food called...Ceviche.   

It is this seafood dish that is soaked in lemon juice. It is an arrangement of raw fish with a few spices. It was HORRIBLE. We all ate it with a smile on our face and told them how good it was. Then they mentioned that nobody ever takes seconds or eats very much. Well nobody else was getting seconds, so I felt guilty and got more. I was so full and so grossed out. 

2 Hours later, and still completely full, we had a dinner appointment with some more members with all the missionaries from the branch. The second we walked in, we smelt it.....Ceviche. This time was worse. 

It was entirely raw fish, shrimp ( with legs!), octopus, some bug, and other strange meat I dared not to ask about. The octopus got me. I WAS EATING TENTACLES! It was so horrible. One of the elders snuck it into a napkin and put it in his pocket. I was jealous of his technique. I am officially scared to eat dinner at any Peruvian house. 

Other than horrible food, we had a good week with miracles. 

We got dropped a few weeks ago by this couple, Alex and Rosi. Hermana Argueta was heartbroken because she had a lot of hope in them. The other day, I felt impressed to go visit them, but I was nervous because I never met them. I asked Hermana Argueta if we should and she said "I was thinking about them this morning!" We decided to go. We get to the door and somebody is home. We knock, and somebody looks in the peep-hole, but nobody answers. I say a silent prayer and ask heavenly father to "please allow them to open this door and let us talk to them." Right then, Rosi opened the door. She let us in and admitted that she has missed us. 

We talked with her a bit and she admitted that she is stuck on the Book of Mormon, because it's not the bible. Hermana Argueta reads a scripture on faith from the BOM and I felt prompted to also share one from the bible that supports it. I shared James 1:5-6.  At closing prayer, I felt like we were really supposed to bless the home in the prayer, but Hermana Argueta was praying. Right before she closed her prayer, she blessed the family and the home. Right after that Rosi asked us to come back and read with her sometime. We were SO excited. The spirit was definitely guiding us and we felt very humbled by the experience. 

Something I learned this week was, how important it is to be grateful. Grateful to the Lord, and grateful for other people. Yesterday at church I got asked to do a lot to help with the music, ward council,  the class and with investigators. I realized that nobody thanked me besides the other missionaries. I realized, how little I thank my heavenly father for all that I have, and thank other people for helping me. We are so much more obliged to help when we feel appreciated. I think that's the same thing with our Heavenly Father. He wants to bless us, but why would he continue to bless us if we are ungrateful for the many blesses we already have? I've also noticed that the more we are grateful, the more we find things to be grateful for. 

My testimony is definitely growing. I am being refined and improved everyday. The reason I know that is because I am becoming more and more aware of my many imperfections. The second I think that "I'm good" I am in trouble. We always have room for improvement. There is something we can always be doing to become more like our savior. Whenever I make a mistake like "wow, I really shouldn't have said that" or "I could have handled that better" I take it as something I can use to do better the next time. 

I also learned something this morning in my personal study. I read an article in the Ensign (I love the ensign) about parenting. It mentioned how perfect parents are not the ones with perfect kids (that fits perfectly because my perfect parents have a far from perfect daughter :)), but perfect parents are the ones that teach their kids the gospel and try their hardest to love them and help them. It is the same thing with missionaries.  A perfect missionary is not the one that baptizes everybody or has the perfect investigators, the perfect missionary is the one that works hard, teaches with the spirit and does everything in their power to invite others to come to Christ. 

The spirit that we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ is unexplainable. We were invited to stop in help with Esperanza's son, Ryan's 1st birthday. She rented a place, ordered a cake, rented a DJ and had decorations everywhere (that was a little ridiculous) but regardless, we had fun. 

My favorite part was that almost all of Esperanza's family and Jose's family  was there, who are all non-members. We could feel their eyes ALL night. Jhoana and Esperanza told us later that everybody kept asking who we were. They notice something different in their family members who got baptized and they notice a difference in the missionaries.  There really is a light that each of have. It can only get brighter and brighter as we get a closer relationship with our heavenly father. 

Thank you for all the love and support. Keep working hard in the Lord's vineyard too. Every member a missionary :) 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Spencer

Mom: thanks so much for everything. I did get the package and I did get the DVD's. I already had one of them, but I haven't use the other yet. Thanks so much. Don't worry about other DVD's yet. I haven't asked President yet and I have a feeling he might say no. Anything thats online at LDS.org or Mormon.org is allowed, but I don't know if they put it DVD form yet. But if you happen to find a DVD of mormon messages (I know they make them, I just don't know where to get them) I would LOVE one. Most investigators don't have internet access yet, and we aren't cool enough to get Ipads yet in this mission. Maybe before I go home :) 

Oh how good our Heavenly Father is!

October 15, 2013

Hola Familia! 

Thank you so much for your letters. They are so uplifting to me! Right now I just filled with so much gratitude for how good our heavenly father is to us to give us the blessings of families and friends. The Lord truly loves us!

Sorry you didn't get to hear from me yesterday. It was a holiday so Libraries are closed. But, we go and email at our apartment office, which we assumed was closed, but wasn't closed yesterday. Bummer. Oh well. 

This week was a good week. But, of course :) 

Me and Hermana Argueta are really finding success. Not success as in baptisms left and right, but success in knowing that we are working hard and fulfilling our calling. 

We spent a lot of time this week doing service. There is a recent convert in our branch who needed help painting her living room. She has 3 young kids and a messy living room, so it took us 3 days. We had to cover up a lot of coloring on the walls. The walls also had a ton of peeling and a bad dry-wall, so I was proud to know what to do and be able to paint walls well. I really learned a lot and am grateful for our experience in fixing up the Bayberry house! I know so many skills I wouldn't know otherwise. I am a master painter :) Anyway, Leslie (the member) was very grateful and made us food everyday. That was a plus!

It rained ALL week this week. I was so glad that last P-day me and my companion took a trip to the mall and exchanged my other shoes for a pair of sturdy and cute boots. I've worn them all week!  

Me and Hermana Argueta also put Christian and Kayla Arias on date for November 16th! We are very excited for them. They live 45 min away from us so we only get to see them once a week. But, they just got here a month ago from Ecuador and are living with their Dad and his family who are all members. Kayla is 14 and is kind of snarky sometimes and laughs at my spanish, but has a good heart. Christian is 16 and kind of a punk, but he is really interested. He has been reading El Libro de Mormon and has been practicing his prayers in english.

We have really been focusing our teaching this week on the Book of Mormon. It literally can convert somebody on it's own. I'd encourage each of you to read the introduction to the BOM this week, we share it all the time. It points out that it's vital that we know the BOM is true. Because, if the BOM is true, than Joseph Smith was really a prophet and really translated it through the power of God. And, if Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God, than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints really is his church!

I am SO grateful for this gospel and being raised in a home that taught of Jesus Christ. The other night we were walking past a home and we hear a little girl screaming. Her dad was beating her and yelling. We got really close to calling the police, but got interrupted. It broke my heart to think of that little girl screaming. I am so grateful for a loving family and to be able to bring the gospel to other families. 

Hermana Wilde, my old companion leaves next week for Argentina so her companion is losing her. We aren't quite sure what's going to happen there, they might put us in a trio! But they also talked to me and Hermana Argueta about working with Jhoana, Esperanza and Heidy! SO I GET TO TEACH THEM AGAIN! :) I am very excited, but I also know that they are a LOT of work. None of them came to church this Sunday because they were lazy. Ugh. 

Yesterday, we went to Arlington and DC with the Elders and then met Hermana Simpson there! It was very fun. We went and saw the changing of the Guard, and walked Arlington cemetery, then walked across the Bridge over the Potomac to DC. We saw a few monuments, but because the government is shut down all the monuments are closed. But nobody was following that rule, there were plenty of tourists there yesterday. It was a very good day, but we all went home pooped because we walked over 3 miles! We rode the metro home and all fell asleep on it. 

I can't believe how fast time is flying by. I feel like I just got off the plane and here I am on my Second Trainee and only have 13.5  months left. I think I am going to be home in time for thanksgiving next year! That will be neat. 

I love you all! Keep up the faith. 

Siempre, 

Hermana Spencer

1. All of us at the Metro

2. Me at the Kennedy Gravesite

3. Me and my old Companions in front of the White house

Septemeber 30th

September 30, 2013

Hola Familia!

What a week it has been. It has been one of the longest but shortest weeks on my mission. I have been trying to learn my new area like crazy. We spent a long time driving all over the city of Manassas because I don't know where everything is yet. Hermana Argueta and her last companion just barely opened this area so they had no investigators; they literally have been knocking doors every day for the past month.

Well, I said...none of that!

I worked a lot with other missionaries and I was able to ask the elders in our area if we could look through their area book. We were able to pull out like almost 40 women former investigators; we have been going to visit these people and a lot of less actives. We had a few poopy days where we didn't see a single person, but all is well. We are trying to find investigators like crazy. I had a huge self-reevaluation. I realized that I didn't have my trainer to lean on anymore and I needed to take some initiative to be the best missionary that I can be and push myself, and now my companion, to have confidence.

Hermana Argueta is doing great. Her last companion helped her a lot with her confidence. She is fluent in Spanish, but she doesn't know how to read or write it very well, so we are helping each other.

This week we did a LOT of organizing. I got a whiteboard and drew a calendar. Then we organized all the potential investigators, formers, investigators, less actives and members and wrote their names on the board. We realized we had a lot more people we could go visit than we thought. It has already helped a ton.

We helped 2 different people move this week, both less active families. It's hard because the branch doesn't really come to help with service like this, everybody just calls the missionaries. We helped this one family, and me and Hermana Argueta helped the Mom clean out the empty rooms. I was very grateful that I was taught to properly clean so that I could be helpful. The families were so grateful for our help.

We had a LOT of meetings this week. On Friday we had half mission conference. President and Sister Riggs taught a lot about getting back to the basics and teaching simply from Preach my Gospel. It was very inspiring.

We didn't see a lot of people this week, but we did work hard. On Thursday we made a 40 min drive to meet with these members. The Dad is a convert from Ecuador and he just had two of his kids sent here to live with him and his new family. They only speak English and are very homesick, but we were able to teach them and commit them to read the BOM. The 16 year old boy was very stubborn, but I joked with him enough to not think we were entirely weird :)

Yesterday, we got 2 other lessons. We got asked to teach 2 daughters of a member. The daughters live with their mom during the week but have been going to church with their dad and step mom. They are SO golden. They love church and promised to read and pray. We had a SUPER good lesson with them, but I think it was because I got to teach in English. I love it when that happens.

We also met with a former investigator the last Hermanas dropped but I really felt like we needed to try teaching her again. We stopped by and had a really simple, sweet, lesson with Jackie. Her mom fed us El Salvadorian food and Hot Chocolate. It's so good to just get to know these people and their culture. They really are such wonderful people.

The bummer about my new area is that our apartment is a former Elder apartment, so it has nasty stained carpet and a strange smell. Also, the apartment complex doesn't give missionaries gym passes or even parking passes because we aren't on the lease. So, I am afraid of getting lazy about working out the colder it gets!

We are really close to everything in our location. It's really nice to be so close to our investigators, the church, and shopping. I also lucked out and have a queen size bed!! We do live in the more ghetto part of Virginia though. We here sirens every morning before 8am and then throughout the day, it's great :)

So the other day, we went to go check on some former investigators and couldn't find parking. We had to park at the church and walk to the home. Well we were walking through one of the sketchiest 

neighborhoods in Manassas. Luckily we were out during the middle of the day. We got a LOT of strange looks. Everybody is looking at us like "Girls, what do you think you are doing here? Are you nuts?!" but me and Hermana Argueta just smiled and walked and said Hola to everybody. We ended up walking in the wrong direction and got completely lost. We ended up walking for over 2 miles in that neighborhood. We ran into these sketchy boys and when we said Hola they were excited we spoke Spanish. We told them we were missionaries and just gave them a pass-along card. Then one of the boys looks at me and says "Porque eres tan bella?" (Why are you so beautiful?). We quickly said bye and walked away. It became a running joke though between me and Hermana Argueta, it was just a really funny experience.

 The Relief Society Broadcast was SO good. It just made me excited for conference! I just remember how strong I felt when Thomas S Monson started speaking. It reminded me of when I said the prophet in person at the MTC. I remember then and I felt it again on Saturday, that he IS called of God and that he is our living prophet. I love him and I want to follow his counsel.

Things are going well. This week I had a few discouraging moments when it comes to training, leading and learning the language. But the longer I am here the better I feel. I'm learning a LOT and I am getting pushed in ways I wasn't expecting. It's scary and exciting!

We have a BBQ today with President Riggs because our whole zone got 90% baptismal invites for the month. We have a lot more fun on the mission than I thought we would!

I love you all, keep up the good work and help those missionaries find people to teach! Sometimes we know the people we know because the Lord knows they are prepared for you to share the gospel with them.

Love you all!

Hermana Spencer

My new address is 10841 Gambril Dr #23 Manassas VA 20109

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.

Me and Sister Simpson one last time before she got transferred

Me and my new companion, Hermana Argueta

Naked Kids, Pink Food and Baseball Games!

A Hey and A Hidi Ho to you all too! :)

We have had quite the eventful week.

On Wednesday, we went to see an investigator Patricia Coca Cayo. We always have an adventure going to her house, it's quite crazy. She has 3 kids. Her Daughter Karol, age 8, has a disability and we have to have a lot of patience with her. She normally can't stop laughing or trying to touch us when we are there. But, we love her. Well, this week, Karol was being crazy so her mom sent her upstairs to get in her pajamas. Karol comes running down the stairs and up to us, pajamas in hand, but completely NAKED. Her mom starts chasing her around the living room and Karol is running around saying "Don't spank me! Don't spank me!" Me and my companions were doing everything we could to not laugh out loud. It took a bit of time and her mom eventually got her dressed. At the end of the night, their neighbor ended up spraying Hermana Simpson with a hose (We have no idea why). And Karol, chased us to our car and pressed her face against our window. It took us a while to finally get out of there. I don't think I could ever forget that night!

On Thursday, we went to dinner at Esperanza's. She fed us the Guatemalan version of Enchiladas. They are more like Tostadas. They had beets on them and so they were very pink! But so good.

Her Husband Jose is coming around. He has been very receptive and they have tried reading the scriptures together. He wanted to come to church this week but had to work. Bummer.

Friday, we had a really neat opportunity. All of the DC South and DC North missions got to go the Nationals baseball game! It was something that normally would never happen, so we were super grateful to go. We got to ride the Metro into DC and It was so fun to go and see over 500 missionaries there representing the church to kick off the National Day of Service. The best player on the team, Bryce Harper, is a Mormon, so it was good to go and support him too.

Yesterday, we got to go to the "Why I believe" Fireside, done by Senator Orrin Hatch. We sang in the Choir and sang, "My Dear Redeemer, Lord and King" and "I know that my Redeemer Lives." It was a great experience.

Church yesterday was an adventure as well. I play the organ every Sunday and just have to sight read the songs because nobody knows what they will be until that morning. But, before church the new ward chorister, a crazy Hermano, started talking to me about the music. He was saying something about changing a song and adjusting some notes and stuff, but I only understood half of him. In the middle of sacrament meeting, Hermana Simpson realized he was doing a musical number and wanted to play. I impromptu ran up and accompanied him to "I am a child of God." Half the congregation didn't realize it was a musical number so they started singing along. It was a pretty horrible, but funny.

We also had a ton of people at church! We had Jhoana and her son Jordan, Esperanza and her baby Ryan, Their 3 nieces, Heidy, and Patricia and her kids showed up for the first time! Everybody was very welcoming and we think that Patricia liked it!

Heidy gets baptized this Saturday! We are so excited. We were really worried for a little bit because she moved back in with her family in her grandma's house. She doesn't have a phone anymore so it's been hard to keep in contact with her. But we saw her this week and she told us she got a job and she has been praying and reading every night on her own. We almost cried tears of joy. She also came to church this Sunday on her own. We are so proud of her and it's been amazing to watch her grow and come closer to Christ. I love that girl. We just still are working on her taking out her stupid lip ring....

My advice to all that read this is the quote from Joseph Smith, "After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."

We have been so blessed with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today. Our numbers are few. But our faith is strong. When we return to our creator and we are visiting with friends and loved ones from our life on earth who did not have the gospel, how heartbreaking and tragic it would be if they approached us and said "You knew about this...and you didn't tell me?" Don't let your fear stop you! If you are scared, that's okay. I am too. You can pray and give it all to the Lord and he will guide you and tell you what to say. Even if others don't agree with you, bear your testimony. Others can argue doctrine and opinions, but they cannot argue your testimony and what YOU KNOW to be true. Bear it, and bear it often.

I love you all so much. Keep in touch. And keep the faith! This IS the true gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today. I know it.

Much Love,

Hermana Spencer

1. Me and my pink Enchilada

2. It's been a little colder and it rained this week. Tracting in the rain!

3.Me at the Nationals game

Another great week in the work of the Lord

September 9, 2013

Hello Familia!

It has been both a long and short week.

This Friday we had my first zone conference! It was so wonderful. We talked a lot about prayer and the importance of it in our own and other's conversions. We also talked about asking inspired questions. I have a huge testimony of inspired questions. We have had lessons go completely not as planned because of asking an inspired question.

It was so good to listen to President Riggs. I LOVE that man. He is extremely young, but SO wise. He seriously just...Gets it. President Riggs talked about all of his missionaries are his investigators and that he loves us all so much. I was filled with so much hope and love when he spoke. I am so excited I get to spend my whole mission with him as my president. He is so inspired.

Every zone conference they do car inspections. Me and my companions went and got a car wash, vacuumed and organized everything in the car. At the conference they gave out clean car awards, and we won first place (which is 100 extra miles). I am pretty sure EVERYBODY in our zone hated us at that moment because they had all seen our car all the other times. We have 3 girls in one car and tons of teaching material. It is far from first place material. It was pretty funny though.

On Saturday, We had "Launching Leaders." Which is a Seminar about developing ourselves. It is taught by a senior couple who have had an amazing life. He has been a mission president and they have served a few missions. He is dripping of wisdom and success. He talked to us about being on our "Peak Performance." When we are on our peak performance, we have the ability to be successful, we feel good about ourselves, and we are the last person to choke. He talked about how we must have balance in our lives in order to be a peak performer. It was something I had heard before, it just put it nicely into perspective about each of our potentials.  

We did a bit of finding this week. We were checking up on some potential investigators and formers, and we decided to knock on this door. We met this guy named Jairo from Guatemala. He has a great family. We taught him the restoration and he seemed really intrigued. He was very involved and he sounded like he was really going to study the BOM. We are excited to teach him again tonight!

Good news of the week....We are teaching Esperanza's husband Jose! He has always liked us, he just has always hid from us when we came over. But he said that at his wedding he felt like he was with family. He has noticed a difference in Esperanza. The other night, he came home from work and he joined us. He said that he is willing and wants to come to church, but he doesn't want to come to church and not change. Well, we promised him that he WOULD change and for the better. He and Esperanza read together that night from the BOM. We were so excited. Since they got married and since she got baptized, there is a difference in their relationship. It's more meaningful. We are so excited to keep teaching him. We know he will come around and Esperanza wants so badly to be sealed in the temple. She already has a testimony of forever families. It has made my testimony of families grow. We really can be together forever!

I am very excited that this Friday we are going to go to a Nationals Game! Our entire mission and the DC North mission are going for the day of service to go to the baseball game. We are all so excited and it should be super fun! Somebody teased me though and told me that they were playing the Red Sox. I got all excited...But they aren't. They are playing the Phillies!

Well, I know that this church is true. I love being here and bringing others to Christ. The gospel really is the way to true joy. I love you all and I am so grateful for your love and support. Don't be afraid to share the truth with others. It is the best news you could ever tell somebody!

Much Love,

Hermana Meagan Spencer

Hola Familia!

September 3, 2013

Well Hola Everybody!

As I am sure you guessed, the Library was closed on Labor Day, so I am emailing today :)

It has been quite a week! As always. I love being here in Northern Virginia. The more I am here, the more and more I realize that I am here for a reason. I am here meeting the people I am with, and working with, for a reason. I am learning SO much. I love being back on the East coast. Except for the fact that the drivers here are CRAZY! Hermana Simpson doesn't really like driving and Hermana Wilde can't drive because she is a visa waiter, so I have been doing most of the driving. We typically spend like 1-2 hours a day in the car and the Virginia drivers are nuts. It keeps us all on the edge of our seats.

Well, ESPERANZA GOT BAPTIZED!!! We are so happy for her. She got baptized on Saturday and confirmed at church on Sunday. It was quite an interesting baptism though. We went an hour before to fill the font and found a HUGE cockroach in the font. Hermana Simpson took a mop and pushed it down the drain. We didn't dare tell Esperanza because we were afraid she wouldn't get in the water! Almost nobody showed up for the baptism. There were 10 missionaries there, one family from the branch and her Sister Jhoana. It was a small sweet baptism, although we were bummed nobody showed up. She was so happy though! She definitely feels like family to me. I am so excited to keep in touch with her after my mission.

Sunday was crazy again. Jhoana had all the kids again. Yep, Sunday normally means babysitting for the missionaries. My crayons and coloring book,  Etch-a-sketch has been big hits, but there is normally screaming and crying over them. I have to play organ too, so sacrament meeting was an adventure. This week, Allison (in Hispanic homes pronounced: Al-ee-sone) wanted to bear her testimony, so she ran up there and 5 kids followed her. That was pretty embarrassing.

Yesterday we got to go to the temple. We were so excited. Hermana Ortega, from the branch, took us at 6am. We were tired, but very excited. After the temple, we did a ton of grocery shopping and then went to play Frisbee with the Elders in our district.

My new companion, Hermana Wilde is super cute. She is hilarious too. Secretly we hope she never gets her visa so she can stay in our mission! She has been a fun and great new addition to our companionship.

It's so crazy to think how much time has flown by. I have been out on my mission for over 3 months now. Only 15 left!

No crazy foods this week, only crazy Hispanics :) I love working with these people. It's so great. I definitely want to pick up their immense love. I love them so much. Spanish is getting better too. It's crazy how much you learn just by listening. 

Well, I don't know what else to write this week, but I will make sure to update you more next week. We hopefully have a baptism with our investigator Heidy in 3 weeks! She reminds me a TON of the teenage version of me (so of course, she is extremely difficult and stubborn). I am excited though!

I love teaching the restored gospel. It really is great news, and a wonderful message. I know that I am on the Lord's errand and I am simply a mouthpiece for him. I know that what we are teaching is true! I love you all so much,

Hermana Spencer

1. Me, Hna's Simpson and Wilde at the temple

2. I helped dye Hermana Wilde's hair yesterday!

3. The missionaries that taught Esperanza, at her baptism!