January 9, 2012

Dear Family,

This week went grrrreat!!! So a couple of months ago we were working with lots of families that weren’t married. They were super nice people, but unfortunately they didn’t progress much and they’re still floating around the same status of wondering if they should get married even though they have several children together. Oh well. Well since then we’ve been fasting and praying a lot so that we could find new investigators who are ready for baptism. Our prayers were answered and last transfer we found lots of great people through the randomest of ways. A little old grandma who always sits outside told us she doesn’t want to listen to us, but she gave us two references and they turned out to be some of our best. One’s getting baptized next week, the other, early next month. I really know that the Lord listens to, and answers prayers.

This week, the biggest miracle we have seen was in one of our investigators, Dario. He’s a 30 year old single guy and has pretty much lived the life of the party for the last 10 years. When we first met up he seemed really depressed. He said that he had lots of fun living his life, but he didn’t feel peace in his life. He didn’t believe that he could develop the kind of will power that would help him resist the temptations that offer that kind of lifestyle. Well now he’s been coming to church for the last month. He wasn’t reading very well the Book of Mormon at first, but now he’s devouring it and marks up his copy a lot and is starting on 2 Nephi. His baptism is this Saturday and he’s so excited. This week in church he sat next to one of our other investigators, Maxi. Maxi was telling him that he didn’t think that he would be able to make it, to resist all the temptations and make the true change in his life, and Dario totally pumped him up and told him that he could do it, that they would change their lives together. Yesterday Dario brought us to the house of his best friend so that we could teach him and helped out a ton in the lesson.

If you knew the background and the lifestyle of Dario before we met him, you would probably think that that type of person could never change, but I really know that it is possible. The Holy Ghost can work a mighty change in the heart (Mosiah 5:2) of anyone that looks for it. All we have to do is start to experiment on the word (Alma 32:27-28), feasting daily on the words of Christ, and the Lord will work miracles. Never give up on anyone! The church really is true! The gospel really does change lives!

I love you all!

-Elder Spencer

PS - Transfers came in and.... I get to finish up my mission here with my trainee, Elder Bárcenas!! Yay!! We’re totally going to tear up the area here in a BIG STRONG FINISH!!