June 10, 2008

Dear Irvine Family:

I am so happy to be here, but I have to admit it's a HUGE change going from Spanish to English. It was a very confusing and busy first week here in Van Nuys 1st ward. There is so much work to do here! It's so great to know God sent me here to work! I'm in another car area. I don't think I'm ever going on bike in the mission!

My new address: 8511 Balboa Boulevard Northridge CA 91325 apt.#13

I got to meet a good amount of members and investigators, and I see the potential of this area. I really think we can reap the harvest here. As I found out, if I do my part, the Lord will send people my way to baptize. I met Mike, who lives with a less active member who wants to kick him out, and he is just great. He wants to learn, it's just his schedule right now is really busy, so we can only meet with him once a week. I think if he receives an answer, he'll be baptized. He was awesome! Ivy, a longtime investigator, is the girlfriend of a member who came back from a mission...early. Her interest is so-so, but if she puts the faith and efforts forward, she'll know she's doing the right stuff. It was just a jam-packed week! It was funny because one of the members I visited, Sister Duggan, her grand-daughter has a lot of friends in the Arleta spanish ward, that I know. How weird is that?

So basically we did a lot of media referral contacting, we have about five pages to go through and contact and deliver items. It's a bit hard because everyone works so much here it's ridiculous. But, the Lord will provide for His servants. So we were contacting our referrals, and we saw there was one on Columbus. I remember Columbus from my Arleta days, and they weren't very fond memories. Bunch of gang bangers and cholos and bike cops. So I was freaking out, I hate being in the middle of a ghetto that has a curfew so the police can handle things. Locals say that the curfew only helps the gangs control the streets and drug trade. So we knock a door, no one is home, and we walk away and contact people. Then we hear a shout, and we turn back. A lanky white boy running towards us...in the middle of Columbus. That's a sight to see for sure. The only reason was because there was still light out. So his name is Jerry Allen, and right off the bat I can tell he has a Word of Wisdom problem (cigarette tucked into his ear). But, he was really excited to see us. So we go into his apartment, a cluttered mess, and start talking. He's a bit weird, but he's my brother so we just ignore it. We ended up explaining a bit about us, and then showed the Restoration DVD. He has ADD and ADHD so he had problems focusing, but I could tell that the Spirit was in that room, amongst the mess, amongst the smell of cigarette smoke. It was a blessing to be there. We testified that the Joseph Smith story was true, and left him with a challenge to watch it again, to soak it in, and bring us questions the next time we come. I can see the potential in him, and caught myself thinking...if he straightens up, he can convert his fellow brethren and sisters. Kinda weird, seeing Jerry that way. God has plans for all his children, we just have to try to see that potential. Just one of the many lessons I learned this week.

That was just one experience we had on Saturday. A crazy end to our week! So earlier (that was our last lesson of the day with Jerry) we updated media referrals at our district leader's apartment, then went back home and I took a nap. We went out to help a less active member move to a new apartment building and I got to meet the somewhat odd members of this new ward. They talked about HALO parties, how strange but not unfamiliar. Just a bunch of geeks and strange people. After that, we got home, showered, changed into proselyting clothes, then off to a wedding reception up in Granada Hills. Erickson served in one of the other wards in the stake and knew very well a good number of the members over in Northridge, so they invited him to their wedding. I felt very out of place, like hi I'm here to mooch food off of you all, I know nobody, I'm here with my comp Erickson...you all know him...just awkward. Then one of the members got Erickson to talk to some people at her table, and we ended up giving these two non-members a tour of the stake center. Completely unplanned. We shared the Joseph Smith story in the chapel, and we felt the Spirit. I did it in Spanish because they were Hispanic, and the Chilean woman was so prepared. So we ended with our witness that this is true, and she wanted the missionaries to come over. It was sweet! She was prepared for the Gospel! She said she had felt terrible all day, she had felt really frustrated, but when she came to the building she felt at peace. Erickson jumped on in, 'that's the Spirit testifying to you that this is the true church'. Go Erickson! So we got her address, and passed it on to the Sylmar Spanish elders. Then, we went to teach an investigator, who has been to church since January and we didn't know that, and she had some great questions. Sabbath day, which day? She's a 7th Day Adventist, so she stumped us and I did my best, trying to show that the spirit of the Sabbath is most important, that Paul worshipped on Sunday (somewhere in Acts), and our living prophet told us so because he receives revelations from God. Wasn't satisfied, so we'll have to go over it again. But, great questions. And we testified that if she really wanted to answer her questions, read the Book of Mormon. She's just waiting for an answer, so we'll keep praying for her. Then we went to Jerry's after that. And, we had a sweet contact after the appointment. So it was almost 9 pm, and we had to get home. So Erickson, the bold missionary, goes to contact a Hispanic family getting out of their van. In his improving Spanish, he contacts them, gives a pass-along card, and we head to our car, right behind their van. He gets in half-way, I'm standing behind the car ready to back him out. I was like...we didn't get their information...well, it's Erickson's call cuz he contacted them. Then he pops out and asks to see if we could have their information. They gave it to us willingly, and they were a little entertained by us. It was a sweet day! A sweet week!

Whenever we went contacting, for the last few days, we've contacted so many Latinos, only to pass them onto other missionaries. We have had so much success contacting, the only problem is they're all Latino. So we don't teach them. Oh well, it's all for the team. So after Mike's, he lives in North Hollywood, we went contacting and ended up finding one non-member who wanted to to go church, and two less actives. That night, gave the sister missionaries their information. Then, the lady that we gave a tour for, Martha Rosario, over to the Sylmar elders. Earlier that week, a few more contacts were handed over to the Arleta elders. So, we're having success...in Spanish. I was sent here to baptize, but to introduce the Gospel to my fellow Latino brethren and sisters.

My first Sunday in an English ward was...crazy. So we get into PEC and I'm like a deer in headlights...um...well...my name is Elder Irvine from Gaithersburg, MD. That's all I could say. I was in shock. I sat out in the hallway after the meeting just shocked and stunned. We made some calls, and I just sat on the stage steps overwhelmed. Deer in headlights syndrome. Then they asked me to pass the sacrament (a first in forever) and then bear my testimony. I was up there just bearing my testimony, but my mind was racing back and forth. Just random things like 'I know we have a living prophet...I know this is the work of the Lord...' Just skipping from one thread to another. I was so nervous I was shaking afterwards. Erickson just calmed me down, I was like...oh I'm confused! It was good, but some of our members are so weird! We ended up going to dinner at the Ballard's, the brother is in a wheelchair and the wife is so cool. Both are RM's. We had jumbalaya and Bro. Ballard's special cornbread, and had a great time. We did some role-plays, and we discussed how we can get the ward energized about missionary work. We spent a long time there, but it was really worth getting into the heads of the ward members. We contacted some more, and came home to set up dinners for the coming week. We're going to be SO busy this week!

I do have to say, contacts in English are crazy! We ran into Armenians my second day in. We said, 'well would you be interested more in Jesus Christ' and one of the two turns to us and says, cigarette in hand, 'can't you see we're busy? we're trying to steal something, would you like to help us?' Good-bye! Crazy people. Just nuts. Welcome to English work!

The less actives are really stubborn...it'll be hard to crack their shells. We go on splits to do home teaching here, and so I went with Bro. Fifita, whose son is playing for San Diego State Aztecs as a defensive end. Big Tongan man. Really quiet, and really nice. He's so awesome, and his wife is way cool. So to the less actives we go! One, the Piots, do car shows. They have some sweet cars. A black cherry Ford, a bright yellow Buick...old school. Steven, you'd love them! Bro. Warner got mad at a member for pestering him to do an A/C job for him and he said, 'brother, I don't want to and I don't really like you, buzz off!' and he didn't. So he stopped going to church to avoid him. Lots of excuses. Good people though, just not willing to make sacrifices.
I just wish my zone were cooler. There are a bunch of dorks here, but oh well. I like my district, but not my zone. My district leader talks down to everyone, and we got to talk to some members in his ward- they hate him! Fun stuff! He sounds like Sylvester the cat when he talks...it's so funny! But, the rest of the district is cool, in their own way. My roomies are Wilcox and Burns. Wilcox is way cool, amazing missionary. Everyone loves him. Burns has some issues, including being a jerk to Erickson and I. But, Erickson said to be patient cuz that's how Burns is. Burns apparently was a good QB in high school but didn't do well grades-wise so he played at Dixie State in St. George instead of a bigger college. It eats him up, poor guy. So he's a bit pessimistic, and I thought I was bad. One learns what to do, how to be, and what not to be on the mission field!

I can really see success here in Van Nuys. I just have to put forth the effort, and we'll get baptisms!

I hope all is well, and I love you all!

Love,
Spencer