Dear Mom,
We had an amazing week! I can't believe it's gone by this fast! I still feel like it's still the beginning of the transfer...but I'm two weeks away from the end! Ah!
Our investigators are doing well, and yesterday two of them came to church! A big black man, Mike Price, and our steady one Joy Sabrine. We had a sweet lesson with Mike this week. So we get there and want to give the Law of Chastity talk, and that actually went well. We loaded a lot on his plate. Word of Wisdom to start, a brief overview of the Law of Chastity because he read the pamphlet we gave him about it, and then about authority to baptize. Somehow it went that way...but it was a great lesson! He was overwhelmed at the end, but he needed to hear it. He was shocked, that his baptism meant nothing, and he said he'll pray about it to know whether it is right to be baptized (not again, but by the right authority). It was sweet! He is really humble, and really wants to change. He said he wasted his life away as a youth, and he wants to come closer to God. He prayed in front of us, when we asked him to, and it was a sincere prayer. 'Lord, I know this is the right path and I want to know if I need to be baptized again and that Joseph Smith was a prophet.' Wow! As for Joy, we got to meet with her too. It was almost just as great! We go in there, and start teaching about prayer and how it is so very important. We committed her to pray right then and there in front of us, so we could see if she really is praying to know whether the Book of Mormon is the word of God and if Joseph Smith was a prophet...no immediate answer, but we saw she wants to know. An answer will come, we'll have to wait for His timing.
We had a great lesson with an investigator we've been trying to get a hold of- Donna Caballero. She's having a lot of family problems, just the fact that her two teenage sons are into drugs and that stuff. We sat her down, with two of our members there (who live three doors down from her), and shared the Restoration lesson, with a focus and emphasis on families. She broke down right there and cried. She wants to find that peace that we have, and I know she will. She wants to increase her spirituality, because she hit rock bottom. She knows now she needs the Spirit, and that guide she's missing. I see great potential in her, and I hope that everything will turn out well, that she will stop crying due to sadness but to cry for joy for these great news. Wow....what a great week it has been!
I went on exchanges with the zone leaders, and it went well. I was a little lost without my companion, but we did very well. I led one of the lessons, and I felt alone. But, my boy Elder Boyce had my back. English is easy, but I felt inadequate and insecure. I know I have to improve my confidence again, and it'll take time. We got along, and did well. We visited a family from Arleta ward that invited me over to eat lunch. The Garcia family, who I've kept in contact for all of my mission. They're moving to Texas so we had one last get together, with my old district buddies Elders Foust and Pace. It was bittersweet, but we had a great time! Said our good-byes, but it was a great time to spend with them.
Every day brings something new. Always. We always talk to someone that's prepared for the Gospel, or has the chance to accept or reject it. We just give them that chance to do so. We've had so much success together, touching people's hearts, sharing the Gospel, planting that seed. It's too bad we can't watch it grow. But, it's the Lord's work, not the work of any man. I'm so tired though!
Our members are really warming up to us. I really love them. Yesterday, we had two great lessons with two of our member families. The Dutton's were so funny, yet very spiritual, and the Nygren's are very personable and practical. It was sweet! My poor comp has been sick, so he didn't eat much...but we had a great time! We read from 3rd Nephi 11 with the Dutton's, and the Spirit just filled the room. It was so awesome! We were all just touched at that point, when Christ commanded the people to go and touch him, to feel the prints of the nails and in his feet. They shared their testimonies, and it was an edifying experience. Sister Dutton was frank, saying she knows that she has a lot to improve and she's looking forward to improving herself until Christ comes. She's so funny! Brother Dutton said he prays a lot for Christ to come, so we could all be in his loving presence again and avoid all this evil in the world. His daughter (he re-married) Reanna bore her witness of how the Plan of Salvation really has helped her life. Talk about being spiritual, they just brought him in even more! The Nygrens were really cool. We got along, talking about stuff, and we asked if they read Preach My Gospel, and they did! Surprise! So we were puzzled, like 'for real they read it? what do we do now?' looks. We figured out to let them pick out a chapter to study and apply, and they were all for it! The wife works in Cedar Sinai, where Dennis Quaid took his twins for health reasons. Celebrity-ridden hospital indeed. They're so awesome.
This week has been 'bomb-diggity'. I love this work! We're getting so much work done here in Van Nuys, it's ridonkulous!
I'm glad to hear all is well, and I can't wait to hear from you again!
Love,
Spencer
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