Dear Family,
So great to hear from all of you. For those of you who I couldn’t talk to, I love you tons, and don’t worry, my voice hasn’t changed much. Perhaps a little manlier, but still just as awesome. It was fun to hear you guys and I hope you all had a merry Christmas and have a happy new year.
I just got here to the Capital City of Santiago del Estero, my new province, after a nice 6 hour bus ride, and now my comp and I are waiting for the bus that will take us to our area, another 3 hours of fun. The nice part, however, is that the Zone Leaders went all out and bought me first class on the bus, which means super comfy seat and a huge window to enjoy the view. Salta is soooo green right now. I love it. Tons of forested hills and valleys. I’ll send the pics in the next email. Santiago, however, is pretty flat and deserty, so the Colorado boy in me is a little bit disappointed. Oh well, it’s pretty in its own way. It’s got what we call a "sweet spirit" as far as looks go, haha.
The last Sunday in San Ignacio was super cool because all of the less active families that we had been continually inviting for the last 3 months finally showed up to church. I got to give a talk and it was a big blessing for me to see them feel back at home again. I hope they keep coming and feel the fullness of blessings that come when we obey. It was also kinda sad to have to say goodbye to another group of people and another area, but I’m also excited for my new area and can’t wait to get to work. The highest church attendance they’ve ever had was about 45, (the lowest was 5), and right now the average is 15-20. Sounds like it’ll be a challenge, but I’m ready for one.
Also, cool story about Freddy. The other day we were talking about what he had read in the Book of Mormon and it was amazing. He completely understood everything he was reading and he told us that when he read he tried putting himself in the shoes of the people in the stories. Wow! He learned in a month what it took me 19 years to learn. He’s doing great and should be baptized within a month.
Anyway, that's about it. I’ll let you know all about my new area next week and be sure to send pictures, now that I’m in a place where I can take out my camera without worrying about it getting robbed, haha.
Love you tons! The church is true!
- Elder Spencer
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
December 20
Dear Fam,
Great week! First things first, Freddy’s doing great! He hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol this week. The other day we had a lesson with him where he told us that he had decided to read the Book of Mormon from the beginning. This is a huge step for him because earlier he was very hesitant to read. He’s 31, but doesn’t have a high school diploma so it is one of his weaker areas. Last week we read Lehi’s dream with him and showed him the painting of it and explained it to him and that had a really good effect on him and built up his confidence for reading the scriptures. We had always left him sections to read that we thought he might like, but we got to our appointment and he told us that he felt like he should start from the very beginning. We were super excited for him! We also challenged him to be baptized that same appointment. He told us that he wanted to wait and see because he felt like he would do it right now for us because he loved us so much, but he wanted to do it for God. We challenged him to pray and ask God if that’s what he should do and the next day he told us he had prayed and God responded to him and told him that that was what he needed to do. Yay! He should be baptized by the end of January
And that’s about it on the mission front. We also had a baptism yesterday of a lady who had talked to the Missionaries about a year ago but didn’t get baptized for one reason or another. We found her about 2 months ago knocking doors and she’s progressed super well. As it turns out both her daughter and sister are receiving the discussions and her daughter got baptized a few weeks ago and has been a super good support for her mom in helping her progress to baptism.
In other news, the weather here is crazy. Right now we are in the middle of summer. It’s been a little weird listening to Christmas music while eating watermelon, but it’s a nice twist. The weird part is that about once a week out of the blue it rains super hard for a day. So there is a week of grueling hot weather, in some parts up to 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees F), and then one day it gets wet, cold and rainy. It’s actually quite refreshing having the break from the heat, but after it stops raining, immediately it all evaporates and it is nice hot, heavy air again. Nuts, huh?
Anyway, that’s about it. I look forward to hear your beautiful voices on Christmas and if I don’t hear from you, have a very Merry Christmas and remember what it’s all about. The Church is true!
-Elder Spencer
Great week! First things first, Freddy’s doing great! He hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol this week. The other day we had a lesson with him where he told us that he had decided to read the Book of Mormon from the beginning. This is a huge step for him because earlier he was very hesitant to read. He’s 31, but doesn’t have a high school diploma so it is one of his weaker areas. Last week we read Lehi’s dream with him and showed him the painting of it and explained it to him and that had a really good effect on him and built up his confidence for reading the scriptures. We had always left him sections to read that we thought he might like, but we got to our appointment and he told us that he felt like he should start from the very beginning. We were super excited for him! We also challenged him to be baptized that same appointment. He told us that he wanted to wait and see because he felt like he would do it right now for us because he loved us so much, but he wanted to do it for God. We challenged him to pray and ask God if that’s what he should do and the next day he told us he had prayed and God responded to him and told him that that was what he needed to do. Yay! He should be baptized by the end of January
And that’s about it on the mission front. We also had a baptism yesterday of a lady who had talked to the Missionaries about a year ago but didn’t get baptized for one reason or another. We found her about 2 months ago knocking doors and she’s progressed super well. As it turns out both her daughter and sister are receiving the discussions and her daughter got baptized a few weeks ago and has been a super good support for her mom in helping her progress to baptism.
In other news, the weather here is crazy. Right now we are in the middle of summer. It’s been a little weird listening to Christmas music while eating watermelon, but it’s a nice twist. The weird part is that about once a week out of the blue it rains super hard for a day. So there is a week of grueling hot weather, in some parts up to 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees F), and then one day it gets wet, cold and rainy. It’s actually quite refreshing having the break from the heat, but after it stops raining, immediately it all evaporates and it is nice hot, heavy air again. Nuts, huh?
Anyway, that’s about it. I look forward to hear your beautiful voices on Christmas and if I don’t hear from you, have a very Merry Christmas and remember what it’s all about. The Church is true!
-Elder Spencer
December 13
Dear Family,
Another great week! This week had some good and some bad, but all in all good. First good news, we had a baptism. It was a girl of a less active family we’ve been working on activating, so hopefully this will be a good motivation for them to come back to church. There are soooo many inactive families here, and they all have rather petty reasons for leaving the church and most of them tell us they want to come back to church. I totally wish I had 25-40 hour days, especially Saturday, to pass by all of them and motivate them to come back, because all they need is a nice little kickstart and they’ll come back. We’ve also been trying this idea of doing a few FHEs on weeknights and inviting the less actives and investigators to those so they make friends with the members and have a reason to come on Sunday. That’s actually been working pretty well and we have a family who is coming back to activity because of it. Neat, huh?
Bad news. Freddy made it 2 and a half weeks without drinking, but on Friday after work his friends all invited him and he caved. Incidentally, we had scheduled an appointment with him that night and he showed up super late and pretty out of it. I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed. He was our golden investigator and every time we taught him I imagined him in the future as a bishop or something because he was so good and progressed so well. That experience made me think a lot about how Heavenly Father must feel when we do something stupid like blatantly disobey him. Not mad at all, just disappointed because our actions limited our future opportunities. He sadly watches as we paint ourselves into a corner, captive to our own choices. Luckily, there is a way out. There is always a way out. Long, perhaps; difficult, probably; worth it, certainly. Faith and Repentance are always an option, no matter how far into the corner we go. The next day we talked with Freddy and he felt so bad for what he had done. He recognized how he had been disobedient and the consequences and he felt determined to not make the same mistake again. He is now even more resolute to change his life and not fall again. He told us that falling made him see how bad it was before and how much he wants to change and he is going strong again. A great lesson for him and me.
I love you all tons and pray for you all. The church is true!
Elder Spencer
Another great week! This week had some good and some bad, but all in all good. First good news, we had a baptism. It was a girl of a less active family we’ve been working on activating, so hopefully this will be a good motivation for them to come back to church. There are soooo many inactive families here, and they all have rather petty reasons for leaving the church and most of them tell us they want to come back to church. I totally wish I had 25-40 hour days, especially Saturday, to pass by all of them and motivate them to come back, because all they need is a nice little kickstart and they’ll come back. We’ve also been trying this idea of doing a few FHEs on weeknights and inviting the less actives and investigators to those so they make friends with the members and have a reason to come on Sunday. That’s actually been working pretty well and we have a family who is coming back to activity because of it. Neat, huh?
Bad news. Freddy made it 2 and a half weeks without drinking, but on Friday after work his friends all invited him and he caved. Incidentally, we had scheduled an appointment with him that night and he showed up super late and pretty out of it. I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed. He was our golden investigator and every time we taught him I imagined him in the future as a bishop or something because he was so good and progressed so well. That experience made me think a lot about how Heavenly Father must feel when we do something stupid like blatantly disobey him. Not mad at all, just disappointed because our actions limited our future opportunities. He sadly watches as we paint ourselves into a corner, captive to our own choices. Luckily, there is a way out. There is always a way out. Long, perhaps; difficult, probably; worth it, certainly. Faith and Repentance are always an option, no matter how far into the corner we go. The next day we talked with Freddy and he felt so bad for what he had done. He recognized how he had been disobedient and the consequences and he felt determined to not make the same mistake again. He is now even more resolute to change his life and not fall again. He told us that falling made him see how bad it was before and how much he wants to change and he is going strong again. A great lesson for him and me.
I love you all tons and pray for you all. The church is true!
Elder Spencer
Monday, December 6, 2010
Dear Family,
This week was absolutely excellent. Several good news. First good news: we had a baptism! It was of a 16-yr old girl named Mariel Chocobar. 3 of her sisters and her mom are members, and when the missionaries started teaching her family she wanted nothing to do with the church. One week she showed up at church with her sisters and we didn’t recognize her so we introduced ourselves and asked if she would like to have us teach her. She accepted and we started teaching her. She had already heard the lessons from like 6 different sets of missionaries, but didn’t have a testimony so we focused on gaining a testimony and every lesson instead of teaching the normal lessons we read sections of the Book of Mormon with her and explained it. The Sunday after her baptism (yesterday) was fast and testimony meeting and she got up and bore a sweet testimony even though she was very nervous. Her family was so happy and she’s excited to continue strong in the church.
Second good news: Remember Freddy, the guy we helped drop alcohol? He’s a stud. Last week he dropped alcohol and was doing great, went cold turkey and completely kicked the habit. Every time we teach him he tells us about times in the last days where he’s said no to alcohol. Well, he also smokes. This week we put him the goal to drop smoking completely and... he did it! He gave my comp his last pack of cigarettes (mostly full) and never bought another one. That one was a little harder for him and for the first couple of days he had a little depression problems, but now he is doing great and it’s been 6 days since he dropped smoking. He told us that he loves being free of his addictions. Before he could only think about smoking and drinking and was a really hateful person, always thinking about grudges and such, but now he told us he is so much happier and that he has so much more love for his 6 little kids. (They are so cute! 5 little girls, one little boy.) He loves reading the pamphlets we give him and loves the Book of Mormon and wants to get baptized super bad, now we just need to get him to church a few times and he can get baptized! Yesterday he asked us what he needed to do to get baptized and my companion told him he needed to go to church 3 times. He told us "I don’t want to go 3 times, I want to go the rest of my life!!!!" What an awesome guy! He’s the 2nd oldest of a family of 11 kids, mainly boys with similar problems. His youngest brother (18) after seeing his great example told him that he wants to stop drinking and smoking and drugging too because his life really stinks right now and he doesn’t feel good at all. We’re going to teach both of them tonight. Pray for Freddy and Maxi to keep progressing! They are such great guys!
Anyway, that was my awesome week. Today we went to another All-You-Can-Eat restaurant, which is pretty pricey down here, but I’d say we got our money’s worth. Hehe, the waiters kept on looking at us as we went up for the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th plates. I love you all tons and I hope you’re all doing great. The church is true! Keep on living the gospel! It’s not easy. President Packer said that it has never been easy to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. But even though it’s not easy it is most certainly worth it, so do the courageous thing and keep the commandments!
Love,
Elder Spencer
At the baptism. The girl between my comp and me is Mariel, the
rest is her family. The guy under my arm is the bishop. Awesome guy!
Me and some missionaries at the All you can eat. There were 6 of us.
This week was absolutely excellent. Several good news. First good news: we had a baptism! It was of a 16-yr old girl named Mariel Chocobar. 3 of her sisters and her mom are members, and when the missionaries started teaching her family she wanted nothing to do with the church. One week she showed up at church with her sisters and we didn’t recognize her so we introduced ourselves and asked if she would like to have us teach her. She accepted and we started teaching her. She had already heard the lessons from like 6 different sets of missionaries, but didn’t have a testimony so we focused on gaining a testimony and every lesson instead of teaching the normal lessons we read sections of the Book of Mormon with her and explained it. The Sunday after her baptism (yesterday) was fast and testimony meeting and she got up and bore a sweet testimony even though she was very nervous. Her family was so happy and she’s excited to continue strong in the church.
Second good news: Remember Freddy, the guy we helped drop alcohol? He’s a stud. Last week he dropped alcohol and was doing great, went cold turkey and completely kicked the habit. Every time we teach him he tells us about times in the last days where he’s said no to alcohol. Well, he also smokes. This week we put him the goal to drop smoking completely and... he did it! He gave my comp his last pack of cigarettes (mostly full) and never bought another one. That one was a little harder for him and for the first couple of days he had a little depression problems, but now he is doing great and it’s been 6 days since he dropped smoking. He told us that he loves being free of his addictions. Before he could only think about smoking and drinking and was a really hateful person, always thinking about grudges and such, but now he told us he is so much happier and that he has so much more love for his 6 little kids. (They are so cute! 5 little girls, one little boy.) He loves reading the pamphlets we give him and loves the Book of Mormon and wants to get baptized super bad, now we just need to get him to church a few times and he can get baptized! Yesterday he asked us what he needed to do to get baptized and my companion told him he needed to go to church 3 times. He told us "I don’t want to go 3 times, I want to go the rest of my life!!!!" What an awesome guy! He’s the 2nd oldest of a family of 11 kids, mainly boys with similar problems. His youngest brother (18) after seeing his great example told him that he wants to stop drinking and smoking and drugging too because his life really stinks right now and he doesn’t feel good at all. We’re going to teach both of them tonight. Pray for Freddy and Maxi to keep progressing! They are such great guys!
Anyway, that was my awesome week. Today we went to another All-You-Can-Eat restaurant, which is pretty pricey down here, but I’d say we got our money’s worth. Hehe, the waiters kept on looking at us as we went up for the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th plates. I love you all tons and I hope you’re all doing great. The church is true! Keep on living the gospel! It’s not easy. President Packer said that it has never been easy to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. But even though it’s not easy it is most certainly worth it, so do the courageous thing and keep the commandments!
Love,
Elder Spencer
At the baptism. The girl between my comp and me is Mariel, the
rest is her family. The guy under my arm is the bishop. Awesome guy!
Me and some missionaries at the All you can eat. There were 6 of us.
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