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!

Exclamation Point!

January 27, 2014

Hola familia!

Well, I just wrote you a very length letter and then accidently hit the discard button. So here I go with take 2.....

We had a very eventful and productive week!

First things first, we had 2 amazing baptisms this weekend!

Rosemary, our investigator from Bolivia got baptized this weekend. She had only been taking the lessons for a little over a month, but her testimony is incredible. Rosemary had a double baptism with another investigator named Juan, who the other Hermanas were teaching.

Melissa, our other investigator who is 17, has been investigating for about 5 years now. She has had many people teaching her in the past. Her entire family recently got baptized, except her. A few weeks ago, she opened up to us and some of her concerns. We were able to teach and talk to her more and develop a relationship with her. She finally decided to take the step! Her baptism was beautiful though. She never looked more beautiful.

Saturday was a stressful day for us. We had a whole mission conference all morning, and then we had the baptisms that night. We had to be at the church early to fill the font and set things up.

Rosemary had to get her baptismal interview as well. President Burton, of the mission presidency had to give it, but wouldn't be back in town until an hour before her baptism. She was supposed to show up at 5:00 and came an half hour late and didn't get out of her interview until after the baptism was supposed to start.

Also, the member of the bishopric who was supposed to come give us the keys to the font came 15 minutes before the baptism. So we had to hurry and fill the font.

 Another Hermana sang a musical number in the first baptism, while I played the piano. (I am officially named "the Hermana that plays the piano"...again). But Melissa asked me to sing a musical number in her baptism.  It was funny though because me and the other Hermana ended up doing the same song....oops.

Our whole mission conference was awesome. We had S. Gifford Nielson of the seventy come speak to us. Yep....Exclamation point guy! The first thing he said when he walked in was "Exclamation point!" He was a very animated and enthusiastic speaker. It was great to learn from him. He told some great stories and talked about the hastening of the work, including member and missionary work. He also talked about Ordinances and their associated covenants.

President Riggs and Sister Riggs both spoke as well and it was fantastic. Something I learned there was "Never settle for mediocrity" We were not sent to this earth to achieve mediocrity, we were sent to the earth to achieve perfection.  

I also had interview with President Riggs this weekend. We had a great interview and I walked away with a lot of insight. He mentioned my confidence. He asked how I became so confident. I mentioned that my family moved a few times and I learned a lot from that, and also performing has helped. But he mentioned how my companion might struggle with confidence and in that case, I have to lead and support.

 Something else he said was "Hermana Spencer, you are never ever somebody that I have to worry about." That makes me so glad. I never wanted to be a burden to this work, I wanted to help. That was my goal, to be somebody he didn't have to worry about.

But, I realized I have a new goal now. I don't only want to be somebody that he "doesn't have to worry about" I want to be somebody that he "Doesn't know what he would do without"

I don't want to settle for mediocrity!

Virginia is getting colder. We had some pretty bad snow on Tuesday, so we were stuck in our apartment all day. Unfortunately, in the Spanish program, if you can't drive you are stuck. Our areas are just too big to walk!  Virginia is crazy about school, they cancelled school the entire week!

 I love how I am improving. Something I thought about this week is that my mission really hasn't been that hard. It HAS. But it hasn't.

I have had plenty of trials and difficult, discouraging moments. But the closer I get to my Savior and my loving Heavenly Father, the easier they seem. I look back and I don't even recognize the hard moments. All I see are the miracles. All the blessings I see on my mission have outweighed every hard moment.

 I love this work. I hit my 8 month mark this week. How crazy is that!? I am excited to continue working in this work of salvation.

Thank you all for the love and support. You are in my prayers, and your prayers are felt and appreciated :)

Con Mucho amor,

Hermana Spencer

12/16/2013

 Hola Familia!                                                                                                                                      

I am overwhelmed with happiness right now.  I had quite the week. I didn't realize it, until now that my week was very eventful.

This week was literally impossible to get investigator lessons.  We tried and planned for investigator lessons every day this week, but we could never get in the door, or we kept missing people at home. We visited a TON of less actives and Recent Converts this week though.  I was feeling very discouraged because our numbers were extremely low this week for investigator lessons. Just as most missionaries, we want to feel proud of the numbers we accomplished for the week.

Last night I recognized what the Lord was trying to teach me.  I finally understood what it meant when everybody says "Numbers are not everything."  I have never found myself of somebody that is obsessive over numbers, but I was not recognizing the miracles we saw this week.

We were able to help MANY people this week come unto Christ. Our purpose is to simply invite others to come unto Christ by faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.  This week, we helped many of God's children come unto Christ, although it may not have been investigators and through baptism.  I truly learned this week to appreciate the little miracles this week.  I also learned to submit to the will of the Father, not Hermana Spencer's will. His will is much better. He needed us to feed his sheep this week, his less active and recent convert sheep.

It snowed pretty bad on Tuesday and we were told to not use our cars, but to walk.  Unfortunately, Hermana Argueta picked up my horrible cold and we had to stay inside most of the day.

This week, we visited Heidy quite a bit. We had some great lessons with her.  I want her SO badly to just get through the next few years and then move out and go to BYU-I or something (Although I just might be bias towards BYU-I :)).   She has SO much potential, but all day every day, she has a house full of family members telling her that she worth nothing and has no potential. It's hard helping her recognize her divine worth. That makes me so grateful for my family, and for Young Women's helping me see the potential in myself.

This Thursday, we had the Whole Mission Christmas Conference. THERE ARE SO MANY MISSIONARIES!  It was such a great conference. The first half was a talent show. I didn't sign up for anything (I get too chicken!), but then I got roped into accompanying.  I was so glad the accompaniment was fun to play and we nailed the song.  It had to have been one of the best songs.  I played for an Elder that I swear will be famous one day.

Afterwards, we had lunch and got to visit with other missionaries.  It is so fun.  I am not sure if I have mentioned quite how Hispanic my companion is.  She makes me laugh so much.  She had her very first Baked Potato this week.  I had to show her how to eat it :)  We had a good laugh.

After lunch, we got to hear all the testimonies of the departing missionaries this transfer.  It was great to hear some of their advice and their testimonies.  There were a few missionaries that gave some...odd testimonies.  It made me think about, "What am I going to say when I leave?  More importantly, Who will I have become when I leave?"

Also, I got some (stupid) news. Ever since my cold, I was getting some pain in my ribcage and sternum.  It was extremely painful to cough, or to sneeze.  Finally after 2 weeks of this, I called Sister Riggs and she had me call the doctor.He told me that I got Costochondritis.  He thinks that I must have gotten a virus in my sternum from my cold, which caused it to hurt.  So all I have to do is to be taking an anti-inflamatory 3 times a day for 2 weeks.  He said it might take 4-6 weeks to heal.  Luckily it's not too bad, I can still run, walk and do whatever.  Sneezing just hurts like crazy!

We saw a miracle yesterday. Our investigators, Jamie and Jennifer, who we haven't seen in weeks showed up at church yesterday.  Their dad came to us and told us that he talked to their mom and she said that it was their decision to be baptized!!!!  We are so happy.  We just have to explain a few more things, and we invited them last night to pray about baptism this week.

Because, it is most likely my last week in this area, we are saying a lot of goodbyes and hellos to people this week.  Tonight, for dinner, we are going out to eat with Jhoana, Esperanza, and (hopefully) our investigators, Adela and Mary-Lou (Their other sisters!).  We also have a Hermana in our Ward that does nails and wanted to do our nails as a goodbye/Christmas gift.  So we are going to do that today.  I am so spoiled on my mission!

Our Ward is really growing.  I am so proud of Sudley!  Our new Bishop is STELLAR.  Have I ever mentioned before that our Ward Mission Leader has been inactive?  He lives outside our area too, so we can't go see him.  Well, we are getting new one soon and getting 10 new ward missionaries.  We are so excited to see the hastening of the work!  We do have help from others as well, we have ministering angels helping us along!  When the Lord hastens his work, he hastens it on both sides of the veil!

Thank you all for everything.  I am excited to talk to you all on Christmas!  It is coming up! :)

Always remember the truth of this gospel.  Christ is the light and way to happiness . How could this gospel NOT be true?  There are over 80,000 missionaries right now proclaiming and preaching the gospel.  How could it not be true of over 80,000 immature and young adults have a testimony of the truth enough to go teach others about it?

I love being a missionary. I definitely miss home and family, but feel peace and joy in knowing that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and where I want to be.

I will keep you all posted if I get transferred!

Con amor,

Hermana Spencer

1. We made a ton of these to give our investigators, members, less-actives and Recent Converts!  Aren't they cute? We are giving them with a card and the "Joy to the World" DVD

2. Me and My old MTC roommate, Hermana Trunnell.  Unfortunately, she left for home this Saturday for knee surgery. She is coming back in 4 months though!

3. All of the Hermanas at the Christmas Devotional!

4. This is how desperate we were to get a lesson this week! I have had to hop that fence SO many times. This picture cracks me up!                                                                                                                             

November 4, 2013

Hola Familia,

Hope You all had a fantastic week and a good Halloween!

Our Halloween was fun. That morning we had a meeting, and at 5pm our whole zone got to get together and watch movies! We got to watch Monsters University and Monsters Inc. It was really fun to hang out with the other missionaries, eat popcorn and treats!

We had an interesting week this week. Lots of work. We sometimes lose contact with Esperanza. She now has a car so she leaves a lot, and the only way we can go see her is if she unlocks the gate to her door, and she rarely answers the phone. Needless to say, we have a hard time trying to visit her and Jose. This week, she calls us hysterical. I guess she and Jose were having some marital problems and she was very upset. We rushed over to see her and we had NO idea what we were going to say. (I'm not very experienced with the whole marriage thing yet). We were able to help her and calm her down. We left her with a prayer and invited her to ask Heavenly Father to give her the right words to say to Jose. Later that night we went over to follow-up and the elders came to give her a blessing. She mentioned that she really did feel Heavenly Father helping and was with her in her conversation with him. It was a very touching experience.

On Halloween we also had a very touching experience. One of the Elders in our district got a call from President Riggs. He called me, Hermana Argueta and his companion, Elder Creager into another room. Apparently, Elder Creager's aunt had an unexpected bad asthma attack and didn't make it. It was a very touching experience and he felt like us Hermanas needed to be a part of it so that we could help.  It was a very touching experience. Apparently his aunt was a single mom, and her oldest son had been out on his mission for 6 months. It made me very grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. It also made me grateful for the spirit, the comforter. It truly helped the Elder through the situation and helped all of us to be able to help as well.

We taught our progressing investigators this week, Christian and Kayla Arias. They are getting baptized in 2 weeks. We only get to see them once a week so we are hoping that all goes smoothly. They are sweet kids, they just have an attitude issue at times. But they love the church and they love the spirit they feel at church.

We also taught our other progressing investigators Jamie and Jennifer last night. They get baptized at the end of the month. They are SO excited. Jamie is super shy, but she is excited too and LOVES going to primary (She's 10). We taught them a super scattered lesson last night because they kept asking different questions. We taught them the word of wisdom, prophets, obedience, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and making good decisions. It was a sweet lesson though. We love those girls! (Plus, in Jennifer's prayers she always said "thanks for sending these gorgeous girls to teach us" :))

This week I thought a lot about parents. I thought a lot about how important the lessons we learn in the home are. Parents have a HUGE impact. Some parents think "My kids are too young to know what is going on" but in reality they pick up a lot more than we think. It’s no wonder our Savior invites us to become as little children. They are innocent and submissive. They contain every Christ like attribute that we lack, even if they are unaware of their actions.

The home and how parents raise their children have a huge impact on the choices they make and who they become later in life. (Thanks mom and dad!)

My favorite quote from Jhoana this week was "Others try and tell me that this church is not true. It doesn't matter what they say, I know the truth. I am going to prove it to them by the way that I raise Jordan." 

I love you all so much. Thank you for the love and support. I know that this is the work of the Lord and I am honored to be one of his servants in the vineyard. Keep being great member missionaries!

Con Amor,

Hermana Spencer

October 28, 2013

Hola Familia! 

Thanks so much for the letters and updates! I love being up to date! 

That's so funny that it's such a small world. I totally know Alli Gillespie. She was at my apartment all the time, we had fun. Congrats to Brittany on the mission call! That is SO exciting. She will absolutely love being a missionary :) I didn't know Olivia was engaged yet! WOW! If you get a chance, tell her congrats for me and I want to see pictures!

Thats so fun that mama Lopez is visiting you! Tell her hi for me and love getting the emails each week!

WOW Dallin! I am impressed. You look like a stud in your pictures! When I come home, you will have to teach me the art of hunting.

This week was yet another good week. We started off the week with exchanges. I stayed in Sudley and Hermana Argueta left. I had Hermana Dopp, one of the sister training leaders come to me and work with me for a day. It was VERY helpful. I learned a ton. Hermana Dopp has been out for a very long time and she is very experienced. We started a bit of training and Hermana Dopp felt impressed to ask ME for some help with some trials. I was very touched. She just felt like I would be able to help her and give her good advice for some companionship problems.  

That night we went to go teach a few lessons that fell through. She said "well, might as well go knock some doors!" (bleh). The first door we knocked let us in. We had an amazing lesson with this entire family. It was a huge testimony builder for me. We taught them the first lesson and the one lady, Marta, had a lot of questions about prophets and the Book of Mormon. We aren't sure if anything will come of it, but regardless we had a really good lesson and I learned a lot. 

This Friday we had Sister's conference. All the sister missionaries met and we heard some great talks. Sister Riggs said she really felt like she needed to talk to us about the woman and the Priesthood. She talked a lot about priesthood power versus having Priesthood authority. It was very inspiring. She mentioned that we ALL need and have access to the priesthood in our lives. It made me very grateful for my dad and for other worthy priesthood holders in my life. They also talked about Dress, Manner, Distractions, and even self defense/being safe. It was very good. 

I think my favorite new quote from president Riggs is our DC South mission Three C's of no-no's. "I will Not complain, criticize, or compare." Something I definitely need to work on!
 

Friday night we had Trunk-or-treat in our branch. All the missionaries came and were able to meet some friends of members. Me and Hermana Argueta switched name tags and dressed up as each other. (Clever, huh?). We got candy and we were going to decorate our trunk, I was so bummed because they decided to just pass candy out in the building because it was too cold outside. Regardless it was fun and we might have a few new people to teach from it! 

We are completely out of miles for the month, so it looks like we are going to have do a lot of walking this week! We were so frustratedThursday night because we confirmed and everything, drove out to Warrenten (45 min drive) to teach our progressing investigators, and they weren't home. That was frustrating, but the rest of the night ended up good and we were able to work more with Jamie and Jennifer, two daughters of a member. 

This Sunday we taught a great lesson on the gospel of Jesus Christ, to Jamie and Jennifer and we both felt prompted to give them a baptismal date. They said "we just want to get baptized already!" after we brought up the idea. They are getting baptized at the end of November. We are very excited for them!

 

I had a really great interview with President Riggs this week too. He mentioned a lot about hastening the work. Each of us are called to be here at this time for a reason. We were chosen before the world was to take part in this work! 

OKAY. So, HUGE NEWS. Our mission is going to implementing Facebook, Ipods and Ipads! We are going to be using facebook in the next month, and we get Ipods and Ipads in December. Isn't that CRAZY!? We are going to be able to use facebook to teach friends and family on our facebook. We are going to be able to teach lessons over facebook and skype, and we can use friends and family as a member present lessons as well. Our Ipods and Ipads are going to replace our planners and area books. Everything will be electronic. We also are going to be able to use videos and other lesson materials on our Ipads in lessons.

I love you all so much!

Hermana Spencer

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