Dear Family,
What a week... again.
Week 3 Miracle: Ok, so Gisela was doing pretty solid this week. We taught her everything she was missing and prepared her for her baptismal interview. However, as it turned out, she had had some somewhat serious things in her past and needed to be interviewed by the stake president. No problem. We scheduled the appointment for Friday night. Then came the opposition. Friday night comes and she was suddenly super nervous and didn’t feel ready at all. The night before she had had a small argument with her husband and wasn’t feeling good. She went into the interview and we prayed a lot while she was in there and she came out great, feeling awesome and ready for her baptism. We tell her everything she needs for the next day and then leave. Saturday, baptism day. She shows up alone 10 minutes before her baptism. We ask her what happened. Background: Sunday is their 3-year old son’s birthday. Here, birthdays are a huge deal where they invite the whole fam and go all out. Anyway, apparently the whole birthday preparation had been a big source of stress and they had another argument that night. She had asked her mom and husband to come, but they said they weren’t going to. We told her to go change and then ran to a telephone booth to call her mom and husband and tell them to come, praying for a miraculous change of heart. Well, it happened. Husband and her mom came. I have to really compliment the ward here, because it was probably one of the best attended baptisms I’ve seen in my mission. The entire ward council and their families showed up. It was super awesome and the spirit was amazing. Her mom was crying pretty much the whole time and afterward she thanked us for what we were doing to help her daughter. We told her that she was next ;) The next day was ward conference and it was excellent. The confirmation went great. I think one of the best parts of it all were Gisela’s descriptions of how she felt. When she was baptized she said that she felt like she was bursting with happiness, and when she was confirmed she said she felt like she was being filled with something wonderful. Sounds a bit like the fruit Lehi tasted in 1 Nephi 8.
The gospel is completely true. This week we get to listen to a prophet of God. Pay close attention. I love you all!
-Elder Spencer
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
September 19, 2011
Dear Family,
Well, another crazy week, but down I’ve got a little more time to write. So the motto for this transfer with Elder Petersen has been and will be *Miracles*. Did I tell you about the awesome training meeting by Elder Aidukaitis? I think so. In it, he talked about miracles (see Mormon 9:11-25, James 2:14-19, Ether 12:12-18) and was super inspiring. Then, he made a promise. He said that there is not one area in this mission that cannot have a baptism every single week. Wow. I was pretty shocked. I consider myself a person who has a decent amount of faith, and I work really hard, but up to that point I considered an option like that beyond the realm of possibility. Something that happens in other places, but not here. However, just as Naaman trusted in Elisha (2 Kings 5), the Israelites trusted in Moses (Alma 33:19-22), and Nephi trusted in the Lord (1 Nephi 3:7), Elder Petersen and I decided to trust in the promise given us by a servant of the Lord.
Wk 1 - Our baptism with Monica was a huge miracle. She told us on Tuesday that she didn’t think she would be able to get baptized because she had lawyers coming that week to work out problems with a house she had in another province. We told her to pray for a miracle and trust that on Saturday she would be baptized. Things went well. Friday night, she told us, again, she wouldn’t be able to this week because her husband’s work schedule wouldn’t let him be there and she wanted him to be there. Another miracle: the work schedules got worked out and she got baptized.
Wk 2 (last week) - I think this week we would have had the miracle sooner if we had exercised our faith sooner. Gisela, a super awesome investigator, was progressing well for her baptism for the 24th. Sunday night, we challenged her to get baptized a week earlier (17th) and she got a little shaken up with the idea (didn’t feel ready) and wanted it instead for early October. We kinda lost faith and lived with the fact that we wouldn’t have a baptism this week. Then on Thursday we had zone conference, where President Levrino (super stud) gave us the same promise. With our faith pumped up again, we challenged Gisela to pray to know if she should get baptized on Saturday. Then we started praying with lots and lots and lots of faith that the Lord would respond. Friday, however, Gisela told us that she didn’t think she had prayed with very much faith, but just felt like should do it in October. Saturday. Miracle, out of the blue, an inactive family baptized their 8 year old. I know it doesn’t count for us as a baptism, but here’s why it’s a miracle. Gisela came to the baptism. She loved it again (she had gone to Mónica’s too). After the baptism we sat down and had a talk with her. She told us (Miracle) that Friday night after her appointment she started praying and she woke up three times that night and prayed and all three times she felt like she saw bright white words saying "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Wow! what a miraculous answer to prayer. If we had continued exercising our faith and passed by Saturday morning, she probably would have been baptized that day. Oh well. After telling us that, though, we challenged her to follow that response and get baptized this Saturday. She accepted with a great big smile. Her husband came to church with her on Sunday and liked it a lot. He’s progressing great and on October 8th he’s getting baptized.
We need a miracle for October 1st. Gabriela needs her paperwork to come together so she can get married in time for her baptism. Please pray hard for that to work out.
I love you all so much. The church is true and God is still a God of miracles. Look for them in your lives and you will find them!
-Elder Spencer
Well, another crazy week, but down I’ve got a little more time to write. So the motto for this transfer with Elder Petersen has been and will be *Miracles*. Did I tell you about the awesome training meeting by Elder Aidukaitis? I think so. In it, he talked about miracles (see Mormon 9:11-25, James 2:14-19, Ether 12:12-18) and was super inspiring. Then, he made a promise. He said that there is not one area in this mission that cannot have a baptism every single week. Wow. I was pretty shocked. I consider myself a person who has a decent amount of faith, and I work really hard, but up to that point I considered an option like that beyond the realm of possibility. Something that happens in other places, but not here. However, just as Naaman trusted in Elisha (2 Kings 5), the Israelites trusted in Moses (Alma 33:19-22), and Nephi trusted in the Lord (1 Nephi 3:7), Elder Petersen and I decided to trust in the promise given us by a servant of the Lord.
Wk 1 - Our baptism with Monica was a huge miracle. She told us on Tuesday that she didn’t think she would be able to get baptized because she had lawyers coming that week to work out problems with a house she had in another province. We told her to pray for a miracle and trust that on Saturday she would be baptized. Things went well. Friday night, she told us, again, she wouldn’t be able to this week because her husband’s work schedule wouldn’t let him be there and she wanted him to be there. Another miracle: the work schedules got worked out and she got baptized.
Wk 2 (last week) - I think this week we would have had the miracle sooner if we had exercised our faith sooner. Gisela, a super awesome investigator, was progressing well for her baptism for the 24th. Sunday night, we challenged her to get baptized a week earlier (17th) and she got a little shaken up with the idea (didn’t feel ready) and wanted it instead for early October. We kinda lost faith and lived with the fact that we wouldn’t have a baptism this week. Then on Thursday we had zone conference, where President Levrino (super stud) gave us the same promise. With our faith pumped up again, we challenged Gisela to pray to know if she should get baptized on Saturday. Then we started praying with lots and lots and lots of faith that the Lord would respond. Friday, however, Gisela told us that she didn’t think she had prayed with very much faith, but just felt like should do it in October. Saturday. Miracle, out of the blue, an inactive family baptized their 8 year old. I know it doesn’t count for us as a baptism, but here’s why it’s a miracle. Gisela came to the baptism. She loved it again (she had gone to Mónica’s too). After the baptism we sat down and had a talk with her. She told us (Miracle) that Friday night after her appointment she started praying and she woke up three times that night and prayed and all three times she felt like she saw bright white words saying "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Wow! what a miraculous answer to prayer. If we had continued exercising our faith and passed by Saturday morning, she probably would have been baptized that day. Oh well. After telling us that, though, we challenged her to follow that response and get baptized this Saturday. She accepted with a great big smile. Her husband came to church with her on Sunday and liked it a lot. He’s progressing great and on October 8th he’s getting baptized.
We need a miracle for October 1st. Gabriela needs her paperwork to come together so she can get married in time for her baptism. Please pray hard for that to work out.
I love you all so much. The church is true and God is still a God of miracles. Look for them in your lives and you will find them!
-Elder Spencer
Monday, September 12, 2011
September 12, 2011
Dear Family,
Well, This week has been super crazy for two reasons. Monica got baptized. That required lots of miracles because she was going to have to postpone it for problems with work and her husband’s work and such, but after lots of fervent prayers, she got baptized! Also, we moved this week, which entailed having to buy new stuff (fridge, washing machine (don’t get any illusions, it’s a stick with paddles basically), and ... everything) which pretty much killed P-day and lots of the week. Still though, we were blessed with lots of miracles.
Pray for us. Gisela is preparing to get baptized.
Anyway, thanks for everything. I have noooo time to write. I love you all. The church is true!
-Elder Spencer
Well, This week has been super crazy for two reasons. Monica got baptized. That required lots of miracles because she was going to have to postpone it for problems with work and her husband’s work and such, but after lots of fervent prayers, she got baptized! Also, we moved this week, which entailed having to buy new stuff (fridge, washing machine (don’t get any illusions, it’s a stick with paddles basically), and ... everything) which pretty much killed P-day and lots of the week. Still though, we were blessed with lots of miracles.
Pray for us. Gisela is preparing to get baptized.
Anyway, thanks for everything. I have noooo time to write. I love you all. The church is true!
-Elder Spencer
Monday, September 5, 2011
September 5, 2011
Dear Family,
So I have very little time to write today, but I have some crazy news. So this week was transfers, which was sad, because I didn’t want to leave Villa Alem. I totally love that ward. Well anyway, you will *never* guess what happened. We got the phone call for transfers and the district leader said: Well I think there’s been a mistake because it says here that you are going to Jujuy (who-whoey) to be with Elder Petersen!!! I was pretty excited, but since it wasn’t for sure, I kept my cool. That night in the apartment, we called up the mission president to see if he had everything worked out and our district leader asked the mission president if he was aware of what had happened with my transfers. The mission president said yes, and told him to ask me if I believed in revelation. I told him of course, and the president replied with a chuckle, well then, no problem. Everything will stay the same. I went pretty much nuts at that point and now I’m up in Jujuy with Elder Petersen and we’re just kinda in euphoria.
Anyway, not much time to write because of the 6-hour trip that took up most of the P-day, but we have baptisms planned for every week this month. It’ll be difficult, and we will need miracles, so please pray for us to see miracles here and help these people to come unto the waters of baptism.
Elder Petersen wrote up a brief about each one. Please pray for them.
Monica - Sept 10 - Wife of a member, they have one daughter who was baptized a year ago. She is totally ready to be baptized except there are some legal problems the family has in selling a property in Buenos Aires. She as the legal owner might not be able to be baptized this week if the final meetings/legal papers/signatures get scheduled for this week.
Gabriela - Sept 17 - "Spouse" of an inactive member. She was 7th day Adventist and was baptized there with much faith and desire. She is reading the Book of Mormon and believes it is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet - but she hasn’t recognized her answer from the Spirit. She will also have to get legally married before this date. She wants to be certain before she makes a drastic change, but she likes the church meetings and prays amazingly.
Gisela - Sept 24 - She is ready for baptism. She has already received and recognized her answer from God. The only thing that stands in her way is she needs to be legally married to her spouse and understand the rest of the doctrine/commandments.
Graciela - Oct 1 - She has also received and recognized her answer from God that Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored the priesthood and that the church is true. The problem we have is that she is very hard to find. She is a single mom who works and has a very sick daughter (and thus is always going to doctors’ appointments.) We only need to set fixed times to teach and help her understand the rest of the doctrines/commandments.
I’ll fill y’all in more next week. I love you all so much. The church is true!!!
-Elder Spencer
So I have very little time to write today, but I have some crazy news. So this week was transfers, which was sad, because I didn’t want to leave Villa Alem. I totally love that ward. Well anyway, you will *never* guess what happened. We got the phone call for transfers and the district leader said: Well I think there’s been a mistake because it says here that you are going to Jujuy (who-whoey) to be with Elder Petersen!!! I was pretty excited, but since it wasn’t for sure, I kept my cool. That night in the apartment, we called up the mission president to see if he had everything worked out and our district leader asked the mission president if he was aware of what had happened with my transfers. The mission president said yes, and told him to ask me if I believed in revelation. I told him of course, and the president replied with a chuckle, well then, no problem. Everything will stay the same. I went pretty much nuts at that point and now I’m up in Jujuy with Elder Petersen and we’re just kinda in euphoria.
Anyway, not much time to write because of the 6-hour trip that took up most of the P-day, but we have baptisms planned for every week this month. It’ll be difficult, and we will need miracles, so please pray for us to see miracles here and help these people to come unto the waters of baptism.
Elder Petersen wrote up a brief about each one. Please pray for them.
Monica - Sept 10 - Wife of a member, they have one daughter who was baptized a year ago. She is totally ready to be baptized except there are some legal problems the family has in selling a property in Buenos Aires. She as the legal owner might not be able to be baptized this week if the final meetings/legal papers/signatures get scheduled for this week.
Gabriela - Sept 17 - "Spouse" of an inactive member. She was 7th day Adventist and was baptized there with much faith and desire. She is reading the Book of Mormon and believes it is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet - but she hasn’t recognized her answer from the Spirit. She will also have to get legally married before this date. She wants to be certain before she makes a drastic change, but she likes the church meetings and prays amazingly.
Gisela - Sept 24 - She is ready for baptism. She has already received and recognized her answer from God. The only thing that stands in her way is she needs to be legally married to her spouse and understand the rest of the doctrine/commandments.
Graciela - Oct 1 - She has also received and recognized her answer from God that Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored the priesthood and that the church is true. The problem we have is that she is very hard to find. She is a single mom who works and has a very sick daughter (and thus is always going to doctors’ appointments.) We only need to set fixed times to teach and help her understand the rest of the doctrines/commandments.
I’ll fill y’all in more next week. I love you all so much. The church is true!!!
-Elder Spencer
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