Dear Family,
Another great week. Sad news was that today was transfers and I had to send off Elder Miranda. Every time transfers happens it’s like I lose a brother. The good thing is that I get a new one to get to know for at least a month or so, so it ends up working out fine. My new companion is an Elder from Buenos Aires (the Capital of Argentina) who totally looks like an American. His name is Elder Garay and I just met him about 3 hours ago. He seems very nice and I’m looking forward to getting to know him well.
Other good happenings of the week: Right now we are teaching a man who just kinda showed up to church with one of the member families. He’s so great. He asked for a D&C and a Gospel Principles manual and he studies a ton between appointments and is super receptive. Talk about prepared! We can only teach him once a week because of how his work schedule is, but we always teach him in the house of the member family and they even help him study in between appointments. He will definitely be baptized soon! Fun fact: 66% of investigators taught in the home of members are baptized. That is a golden statistic, when you figure that only about 1% of the people that let us in their doors the first visit get baptized. Moral of the story: Invite over a friend the next time you have the missionaries over for dinner, because there is a 66% chance they will get baptized.
Anyway, that’s about it for this week. Things are going well. Today we went to an all you can eat restaurant to celebrate the big 20. I honestly wouldn’t have my birthday any other way than right here in the Lord’s field havin’ a blast working. Love you all tons!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
November 8, 2010
Dear family,
Another awesome week. Things are continually improving out here on the edge of the civilized world. The downside to being on the very, very, very edge of the city is that the roads are 98% unpaved. Normally, that is not a problem, but apparently there exists for a few weeks every year in Salta (which lies in a valley surrounded by mountains) a time of windstorms, and if your roads aren’t paved, dust storms. I swallowed so much dirt that every time I ate anything it had the delicious aftertaste of dirt. Dońt worry, after lots of water, mouthwash, and teeth brushing, it’s gone away, but I learned an important lesson: God made dirt, dirt don’t hurt, however, it don’t taste good either, so keep your mouth shut if you are in a dust storm.
More cool news. My investigator Alejandra from my last area and her daughter got baptized this week! The dad who was inactive for about 30 years is also coming to church now and they are enjoying the blessings of the Gospel as a family! Yay! Next stop, the temple!!
Speaking of which, we had a really cool conference with a Seventy (Elder Ayllou, I think) who came here for a stake conference and gave the missionaries a special meeting. He spent most of the time answering questions that we had and then at the end he told us that Salta is going to have a temple. They have not picked the ground or anything yet, but in some future time, when the stakes are strong enough, Salta will have a temple. He told us that a temple is not built with money or materials, but with faith. We need to faithfully strengthen the stakes, wards, and members, and one day we will be able to come back and see the dedication of the Salta, Argentina temple. It was soooooo cool and the spirit was so strong. I can’t wait for the day when I can come back and see the Salta temple dedication. What a cool promise from a servant of the Lord, but like all promises from the lord, it is according to our faith that it happens. (Moroni 7:33) So, lesson learned, let us be in the business of temple building, by faithfully strengthening our wards to the point where the Lord can build one.
Love you all tons!!
-Elder Spencer
Another awesome week. Things are continually improving out here on the edge of the civilized world. The downside to being on the very, very, very edge of the city is that the roads are 98% unpaved. Normally, that is not a problem, but apparently there exists for a few weeks every year in Salta (which lies in a valley surrounded by mountains) a time of windstorms, and if your roads aren’t paved, dust storms. I swallowed so much dirt that every time I ate anything it had the delicious aftertaste of dirt. Dońt worry, after lots of water, mouthwash, and teeth brushing, it’s gone away, but I learned an important lesson: God made dirt, dirt don’t hurt, however, it don’t taste good either, so keep your mouth shut if you are in a dust storm.
More cool news. My investigator Alejandra from my last area and her daughter got baptized this week! The dad who was inactive for about 30 years is also coming to church now and they are enjoying the blessings of the Gospel as a family! Yay! Next stop, the temple!!
Speaking of which, we had a really cool conference with a Seventy (Elder Ayllou, I think) who came here for a stake conference and gave the missionaries a special meeting. He spent most of the time answering questions that we had and then at the end he told us that Salta is going to have a temple. They have not picked the ground or anything yet, but in some future time, when the stakes are strong enough, Salta will have a temple. He told us that a temple is not built with money or materials, but with faith. We need to faithfully strengthen the stakes, wards, and members, and one day we will be able to come back and see the dedication of the Salta, Argentina temple. It was soooooo cool and the spirit was so strong. I can’t wait for the day when I can come back and see the Salta temple dedication. What a cool promise from a servant of the Lord, but like all promises from the lord, it is according to our faith that it happens. (Moroni 7:33) So, lesson learned, let us be in the business of temple building, by faithfully strengthening our wards to the point where the Lord can build one.
Love you all tons!!
-Elder Spencer
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
November 1, 2010
Dear Family,
This week was great. I’m starting to notice a pattern. Every week is great, haha! Happiness does not depend on circumstances, it depends on our obedience. If you are obedient to God’s commandments, you can have come what may, and love it. :)
This week was hot. really hot. really really hot. (95 degrees and it’s only the beginning of spring.) There is a hill right next to our area, about the size and distance away as Y Mount from BYU. This Friday, it caught on fire all by itself and burned half the mountain. Hot hot hot. Fortunately, we had lots of appointments the hot part of the week, so we spent more time in than out. Even so, I am now nice and bronze, except for my nose, which is cherry red unless I use sunscreen. I started using sunscreen.
Also fun, this week we had a Mother’s Day dinner (they celebrate it in October down here) for the moms of the ward and the master chef of the chickens was yours truly. It was so fun! We charcoal grilled 20 whole chickens and they turned out soooo yummy! The best news is, only 12 moms came to the dinner, hahaha, so we got to take 2 chickens home! This week was also great because we finally found some more people who would actually let us in their house and teach them, after a nice long dry spell of that the last few weeks. We are happy campers and hopefully this Sunday we’ll have a few families in church.
The best news of the week for me happened when my old comp called me to update me on some exciting things in my old area. First of all, remember my baptism Veronica Zamorano? We baptized her, then two of her kids, and we were teaching her two older daughters before I left and the baptism of one of them is scheduled for next week. Well here’s the news. Her "husband" (they were never married) had always been pretty against us. He was never rude to our faces, but he did not want for her to get baptized because he belongs to a rock and roll evangelist church. She kicked him out of the house because he was turning the kids against her and the church and telling them they could do bad things. Anyway, fast forward a few months and now all the family but him has been attending regularly for 2 months. They improved so much as a family and it was so incredible to see the change. Anyway, Alberto, the husband, was walking by the church one day, and stopped and looked at it and started crying because he had been seeing all the blessings his family was enjoying and he was missing out on his family and the blessings. He is now listening to the missionaries, and he came to church this Sunday for the first time. He is making lots of changes, including dropping alcohol and lots of other vices, and he wants to be baptized. I am so happy to see this family come together. That’s what the gospel is for, families. They can go from the most destroyed, separated wrecks (as they were), to complete happiness by living gospel principles, and one day they will be able to enjoy this happiness that they have worked so hard to build, by changing their lives and accepting the gospel, for eternity as they go to the temple and are sealed.
The church is true! Salvation and true Happiness aren’t easy to reach, but they are sure worth every brick we lay to reach them (D&C 64:33-34). I love you all!
-Elder Spencer
This week was great. I’m starting to notice a pattern. Every week is great, haha! Happiness does not depend on circumstances, it depends on our obedience. If you are obedient to God’s commandments, you can have come what may, and love it. :)
This week was hot. really hot. really really hot. (95 degrees and it’s only the beginning of spring.) There is a hill right next to our area, about the size and distance away as Y Mount from BYU. This Friday, it caught on fire all by itself and burned half the mountain. Hot hot hot. Fortunately, we had lots of appointments the hot part of the week, so we spent more time in than out. Even so, I am now nice and bronze, except for my nose, which is cherry red unless I use sunscreen. I started using sunscreen.
Also fun, this week we had a Mother’s Day dinner (they celebrate it in October down here) for the moms of the ward and the master chef of the chickens was yours truly. It was so fun! We charcoal grilled 20 whole chickens and they turned out soooo yummy! The best news is, only 12 moms came to the dinner, hahaha, so we got to take 2 chickens home! This week was also great because we finally found some more people who would actually let us in their house and teach them, after a nice long dry spell of that the last few weeks. We are happy campers and hopefully this Sunday we’ll have a few families in church.
The best news of the week for me happened when my old comp called me to update me on some exciting things in my old area. First of all, remember my baptism Veronica Zamorano? We baptized her, then two of her kids, and we were teaching her two older daughters before I left and the baptism of one of them is scheduled for next week. Well here’s the news. Her "husband" (they were never married) had always been pretty against us. He was never rude to our faces, but he did not want for her to get baptized because he belongs to a rock and roll evangelist church. She kicked him out of the house because he was turning the kids against her and the church and telling them they could do bad things. Anyway, fast forward a few months and now all the family but him has been attending regularly for 2 months. They improved so much as a family and it was so incredible to see the change. Anyway, Alberto, the husband, was walking by the church one day, and stopped and looked at it and started crying because he had been seeing all the blessings his family was enjoying and he was missing out on his family and the blessings. He is now listening to the missionaries, and he came to church this Sunday for the first time. He is making lots of changes, including dropping alcohol and lots of other vices, and he wants to be baptized. I am so happy to see this family come together. That’s what the gospel is for, families. They can go from the most destroyed, separated wrecks (as they were), to complete happiness by living gospel principles, and one day they will be able to enjoy this happiness that they have worked so hard to build, by changing their lives and accepting the gospel, for eternity as they go to the temple and are sealed.
The church is true! Salvation and true Happiness aren’t easy to reach, but they are sure worth every brick we lay to reach them (D&C 64:33-34). I love you all!
-Elder Spencer
Monday, October 25, 2010
October 25, 2010
Dear Family,
This week was great! It was one of those ones that shows you what you’re really made of. We had it planned to be a super effective week and we had members scheduled to go out with us every day. Unfortunately, nearly all of our appointments fell through. Almost every single new investigator we had did not show up for the second appointment and we ended up walking a lot, passing by every investigator we have to at least teach someone. What made it great was that despite all the difficulties we had, we were still able to teach several people and the people that we are teaching really are progressing. They are reading the Book of Mormon on their own and keeping their commitments and in those lessons we did have, the spirit was felt. Despite the hard times, we were really blessed.
The family I told you about are definitely progressing. This week we had a lesson with them and the bishop and his wife, who live across the street. It was a super great lesson. They have been having problems with family unity and the dad recently came back to the family after years of being separated. Because of this, the kids don’t really listen to him that much. We taught them about how fatherly leadership should not be one of forcing and shouting, rather leading by example, service, invitation, and love. I told them how my own dad never forced us to go to church, just woke us up with a glass of cold water if we slept in and made pancakes to serve us. A great example of the leadership prescribed in D and C 121. They really liked the lesson and still haven’t come up with a wedding date, I think partly because of the family unity problem, but are progressing well and doing prayers every night as a couple and then as a family and also FHE. This Thursday we have another appointment with them so hopefully by then we can get things rolling some more.
This week I finished the Book of Mormon again. It is the word of God and physical evidence of the veracity of the church and truthfulness of the restoration. Read it. Cherish it. Those pages contain the power to change lives, increase faith, and invite the spirit more than perhaps any other thing I can do as a missionary.
Anyway, got to go now. I love you all! Choose righteously! It takes courage, but it’s worth it. Elder Scott said in his conference talk that happiness in this life comes from making many right decisions, none of which is hard to make. No matter how difficult your circumstance, you can always find happiness, peace, and safety for the soul by choosing the right.
-Elder Spencer
PS, this week we got to our house one day to find our gate blocked by a cow eating the bushes in front of the sidewalk. We ate well that night... haha, just kidding. (There really was a cow though!)
This week was great! It was one of those ones that shows you what you’re really made of. We had it planned to be a super effective week and we had members scheduled to go out with us every day. Unfortunately, nearly all of our appointments fell through. Almost every single new investigator we had did not show up for the second appointment and we ended up walking a lot, passing by every investigator we have to at least teach someone. What made it great was that despite all the difficulties we had, we were still able to teach several people and the people that we are teaching really are progressing. They are reading the Book of Mormon on their own and keeping their commitments and in those lessons we did have, the spirit was felt. Despite the hard times, we were really blessed.
The family I told you about are definitely progressing. This week we had a lesson with them and the bishop and his wife, who live across the street. It was a super great lesson. They have been having problems with family unity and the dad recently came back to the family after years of being separated. Because of this, the kids don’t really listen to him that much. We taught them about how fatherly leadership should not be one of forcing and shouting, rather leading by example, service, invitation, and love. I told them how my own dad never forced us to go to church, just woke us up with a glass of cold water if we slept in and made pancakes to serve us. A great example of the leadership prescribed in D and C 121. They really liked the lesson and still haven’t come up with a wedding date, I think partly because of the family unity problem, but are progressing well and doing prayers every night as a couple and then as a family and also FHE. This Thursday we have another appointment with them so hopefully by then we can get things rolling some more.
This week I finished the Book of Mormon again. It is the word of God and physical evidence of the veracity of the church and truthfulness of the restoration. Read it. Cherish it. Those pages contain the power to change lives, increase faith, and invite the spirit more than perhaps any other thing I can do as a missionary.
Anyway, got to go now. I love you all! Choose righteously! It takes courage, but it’s worth it. Elder Scott said in his conference talk that happiness in this life comes from making many right decisions, none of which is hard to make. No matter how difficult your circumstance, you can always find happiness, peace, and safety for the soul by choosing the right.
-Elder Spencer
PS, this week we got to our house one day to find our gate blocked by a cow eating the bushes in front of the sidewalk. We ate well that night... haha, just kidding. (There really was a cow though!)
Monday, October 18, 2010
October 18, 2010
Dear Family,
Another great week in the green hills of Salta Argentina. Well, it’s actually more like dusty roads, and brown hills right now, but, they say that in the next couple months all the hills turn completely green, so I’m pretty pumped.
This week we’ve been keeping up a lot of what we were doing last week. We don’t really have any good investigators who are progressing so we’ve just been knocking doors pretty much all day every day. Bad news, it’s pretty hot. Good news, I have a very enviable tan, and we are starting to find lots of really good people willing to listen to us. This week we have been working with a part member family where the whole family are members except for the dad, and they aren’t married. Missionaries have been trying for a while to convince them to get married so the Dad can get baptized, but the problem is that the mom and kids don’t have a very good relationship with him. We tried taking a different approach and have been teaching them about charity and the importance of FHE, family prayer every night and scripture study to form family unity and now they are starting to show lots of progress. They told me the family is changing tons and they are starting to feel a spirit they never had felt in the house before. We were pumped. This week we are going to have them make a goal for when they can get married, now that they are starting to feel ready. I’ll let you know how it goes :)
Other than that, pretty normal week. We had a stake conference this week with super good talks. One of the speakers dropped cane on all the youth (and adults) by saying that the same person who tells you he can’t memorize scripture mastery could probably recite to you in a heartbeat the latest pop songs lyrics. Haha. It’s funny because it’s true.
Read the scriptures. They are important. They aren’t a novel, they are an exercise program. You need to do what they say in order to get any results. Love you all, the church is true!!
-Elder Spencer
Another great week in the green hills of Salta Argentina. Well, it’s actually more like dusty roads, and brown hills right now, but, they say that in the next couple months all the hills turn completely green, so I’m pretty pumped.
This week we’ve been keeping up a lot of what we were doing last week. We don’t really have any good investigators who are progressing so we’ve just been knocking doors pretty much all day every day. Bad news, it’s pretty hot. Good news, I have a very enviable tan, and we are starting to find lots of really good people willing to listen to us. This week we have been working with a part member family where the whole family are members except for the dad, and they aren’t married. Missionaries have been trying for a while to convince them to get married so the Dad can get baptized, but the problem is that the mom and kids don’t have a very good relationship with him. We tried taking a different approach and have been teaching them about charity and the importance of FHE, family prayer every night and scripture study to form family unity and now they are starting to show lots of progress. They told me the family is changing tons and they are starting to feel a spirit they never had felt in the house before. We were pumped. This week we are going to have them make a goal for when they can get married, now that they are starting to feel ready. I’ll let you know how it goes :)
Other than that, pretty normal week. We had a stake conference this week with super good talks. One of the speakers dropped cane on all the youth (and adults) by saying that the same person who tells you he can’t memorize scripture mastery could probably recite to you in a heartbeat the latest pop songs lyrics. Haha. It’s funny because it’s true.
Read the scriptures. They are important. They aren’t a novel, they are an exercise program. You need to do what they say in order to get any results. Love you all, the church is true!!
-Elder Spencer
Monday, October 11, 2010
October 11, 2010
Dear Fam,
Not much time this week, but it sufficeth to say, great week. My new area is right outside of Salta capital, at the very very end of the city. The roads are pure dirt. Translation, the soles of my shoes are completely worn out. I’m having them replaced tomorrow for a whopping 15 dollars, haha, gotta love cheap labor and such down here. Luckily another elder left another pair in the apartment which, while uncomfortable, will work until mine get fixed.
The area where I am is jam packed with people and it’s pretty poor, but the people are super nice and receptive. There weren’t many (...any) investigators progressing when I got here, so this week we busted our bottoms to find a ton of people. We did, but unfortunately none of them came to church, so this week we are going to keep teaching them and find tons more until we can find someone who will progress.
This p-day was awesome. It was a holiday (one of the very, very many) so we went with the ward to a little town that’s about 30 minutes away from the city that is super cool and has awesome mountains and a lake. Super awesome views. Salta is really pretty. There are mountains everywhere and I love it here. About as hot as San Diego. Anyway, because we went there, we don’t have much time to write. So, love you all tons, church is true, and I’ll let you how things are next week if things get a little more exciting.
Love,
-Elder Spencer
Dog bite. It got a little bit bigger and puffier than this later on. (buff leg, eh?)
Saying goodbye to our awesome investigator Alejandra
Not much time this week, but it sufficeth to say, great week. My new area is right outside of Salta capital, at the very very end of the city. The roads are pure dirt. Translation, the soles of my shoes are completely worn out. I’m having them replaced tomorrow for a whopping 15 dollars, haha, gotta love cheap labor and such down here. Luckily another elder left another pair in the apartment which, while uncomfortable, will work until mine get fixed.
The area where I am is jam packed with people and it’s pretty poor, but the people are super nice and receptive. There weren’t many (...any) investigators progressing when I got here, so this week we busted our bottoms to find a ton of people. We did, but unfortunately none of them came to church, so this week we are going to keep teaching them and find tons more until we can find someone who will progress.
This p-day was awesome. It was a holiday (one of the very, very many) so we went with the ward to a little town that’s about 30 minutes away from the city that is super cool and has awesome mountains and a lake. Super awesome views. Salta is really pretty. There are mountains everywhere and I love it here. About as hot as San Diego. Anyway, because we went there, we don’t have much time to write. So, love you all tons, church is true, and I’ll let you how things are next week if things get a little more exciting.
Love,
-Elder Spencer
Dog bite. It got a little bit bigger and puffier than this later on. (buff leg, eh?)
Saying goodbye to our awesome investigator Alejandra
Monday, October 4, 2010
Oct. 4
Dear Family,
It has been quite the week. Starting from the top: somewhere around Tuesday I lost my voice completely due to a bad sore throat. No fun. Then, Wednesday night, I got bit by a dog for the first time, thus confirming my childhood fears that dogs really are mean. It got a pretty big tooth mark and blood and stuff and we tried asking the people to see it to make sure it didn't have rabies or anything but they didn't let us, so we just went home and put on some antibiotic and hoped for the best. Then, Friday, I got the news that I was to be... transferred! After 6 months in my first area, Tucuman, I got changed to my new area where I am writing right now in Salta, San Ignacio. I had to go say goodbye to all my converts, which was sad, but for lunch on Friday Teresa taught me how to make empanadas, which was a fun way to have a going away party, and then Saturday and Sunday we were chock full of conference (Which was incredible by the way!)
This morning I hopped on a bus at 5 a.m. and arrived here in Salta at 9 a.m. I´ve been getting my stuff put away and washing clothes for the last little while so we decided to come take a break to write to you. So, it has been quite the week.
My new area is a whole lot farther out of the city and a whole lot poorer than the last. The people are super kind and receptive and it is usually a very successful area. I'm looking forward to getting to know it more. My companion is a Columbian named Elder Miranda. Today while I was starting to sweat, I noticed he had a sweater vest. I asked him why and he told me because he was COLD! He is very dark skinned and told me where he lives it's 40 degrees Celsius (about 105 Fahrenheit) year round. Go figure. I'll stick with Colorado weather :) I'll send pics next week.
Conference was incredible! One of the things that most impressed me was the frequent references to agency, our power and responsibility of choice. The scripture 2 Nephi 2:27 was quoted tons. One thing mentioned is that it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time rather than 98 percent. This is because of an idea I like to call "spiritual momentum". As we make decisions for either the right or wrong, those decisions build a precedent to make it easier to make future decisions in that same direction. We build up a momentum, per se, in the direction of our chosen destination. Repentance is so difficult because it is not just the immediate changing of decisions from right to wrong, but also the fighting against the momentum of hundreds of earlier wrong choices, whereas, as we continue to make right decisions, when obstacles come in our way, the built up momentum we have allows us to continue forward with ease, no matter the problem. Right choices build on right choices to build an almost unstoppable course to eternal life. Choose the right, there's peace in righteous doing, there's safety for the soul.
I love you guys so much! We have heard the voice of God this weekend. I encourage you to study it and apply it. God gives us prophets to bless us, let us follow them and receive the blessings he has waiting for us. Write me! (Prophets orders! =))
Elder Spencer
It has been quite the week. Starting from the top: somewhere around Tuesday I lost my voice completely due to a bad sore throat. No fun. Then, Wednesday night, I got bit by a dog for the first time, thus confirming my childhood fears that dogs really are mean. It got a pretty big tooth mark and blood and stuff and we tried asking the people to see it to make sure it didn't have rabies or anything but they didn't let us, so we just went home and put on some antibiotic and hoped for the best. Then, Friday, I got the news that I was to be... transferred! After 6 months in my first area, Tucuman, I got changed to my new area where I am writing right now in Salta, San Ignacio. I had to go say goodbye to all my converts, which was sad, but for lunch on Friday Teresa taught me how to make empanadas, which was a fun way to have a going away party, and then Saturday and Sunday we were chock full of conference (Which was incredible by the way!)
This morning I hopped on a bus at 5 a.m. and arrived here in Salta at 9 a.m. I´ve been getting my stuff put away and washing clothes for the last little while so we decided to come take a break to write to you. So, it has been quite the week.
My new area is a whole lot farther out of the city and a whole lot poorer than the last. The people are super kind and receptive and it is usually a very successful area. I'm looking forward to getting to know it more. My companion is a Columbian named Elder Miranda. Today while I was starting to sweat, I noticed he had a sweater vest. I asked him why and he told me because he was COLD! He is very dark skinned and told me where he lives it's 40 degrees Celsius (about 105 Fahrenheit) year round. Go figure. I'll stick with Colorado weather :) I'll send pics next week.
Conference was incredible! One of the things that most impressed me was the frequent references to agency, our power and responsibility of choice. The scripture 2 Nephi 2:27 was quoted tons. One thing mentioned is that it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time rather than 98 percent. This is because of an idea I like to call "spiritual momentum". As we make decisions for either the right or wrong, those decisions build a precedent to make it easier to make future decisions in that same direction. We build up a momentum, per se, in the direction of our chosen destination. Repentance is so difficult because it is not just the immediate changing of decisions from right to wrong, but also the fighting against the momentum of hundreds of earlier wrong choices, whereas, as we continue to make right decisions, when obstacles come in our way, the built up momentum we have allows us to continue forward with ease, no matter the problem. Right choices build on right choices to build an almost unstoppable course to eternal life. Choose the right, there's peace in righteous doing, there's safety for the soul.
I love you guys so much! We have heard the voice of God this weekend. I encourage you to study it and apply it. God gives us prophets to bless us, let us follow them and receive the blessings he has waiting for us. Write me! (Prophets orders! =))
Elder Spencer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
