July 21, 2008

Dear Mom,

I was so happy to get the phone...but I was equally I'll talk to President Goodrich about all the details and what is really going on at the mission office. I'll ask him to see what his opinion is about sending my old phone home or whether I should keep it. We'll see what happens.

Sorry about that...I'm just so worn out I just type and I mess up on what keys I'm typing...oops sent!

So I was happy to see the phone, but dismayed when I talked to the mission office about my phone...they said to hold off on it so I'll call mission president about it. He knows all.

That's too bad about Mike, I hope he'll get it worked out! The mission is great! It'll do him some good, some great good!

This past week started slow, gained speed, then tailed off on the weekend as usual. But, it was a really great week and I am really enjoying my new companion, Elder Woods of Summerville, South Carolina (outside Charleston). It was very busy!

We had some really sweet days! My favorite had to have been Saturday. Just because we taught a less active, whose been inactive for who knows how long, and she really wants to change and come back to church. The past month she's really changed. Her name is Betsy Miller, and her sister apparently has been pushing her softly to think about going to the temple for years and years. It's finally made a breakthrough! We're re-teaching her the lessons and she is applying what we teach and ask to read to her own life. We go in there, she's like 'come on in guys!' and we talk a little so she'll get to know Woods. We asked who was going to pray to start and she volunteered (or decided). She gave the most honest and sincere prayer I've heard in a long time. Basically she said, 'enlighten me so I can learn and come back.' That really set the tone for our lesson on the Plan of Salvation. She asked us, 'how can people not accept the Gospel in the Spirit World?' My comp pulled through with Amulek's talk in Alma 34, that the same spirit in the earth will be the same spirit in the next life. Slowly and surely, she'll come back to church. We're just here to help her along. She wants to be sealed in the temple, at least to her sister. She said she can't imagine life without her sister, and we'll gladly oblige in teaching her to reach that goal.

I never realized how amazing this plan is from the Lord. We decided to go with this plan, knowing that many will fall by the wayside. But yet, we went through with it because we knew Jesus Christ will allow us the chance to return to His presence. Adam fell that men might be, that they might have joy. I love to think of the Fall this way. Adam was created, then Eve. Adam starts naming animals, 'Aardvark'. Eve says, 'Adam, we have to obey both commandments, but how are we to have children?' Adam says, 'I don't know, Beaver!' Later on, Eve again says to Adam, 'How are we to live both commandments if we don't have children?' Adam says, 'Kangaroo!' Then Eve comes again and says, 'Adam, I ate the fruit so I'm going to be kicked out...to live alone. Without me, we cannot have children.' Adam realizes and says, 'I see. ZEBRA!' and eats. See? Women are smarter! The Atonement separates us from others, on top of modern revelation. If everyone understood it, we'd be in Zion. All will receive resurrected bodies, that is a free gift for all that have lived here. And, we'll have the precious gift of eternal life if we live His laws. A truly celestial plan.

That was probably the highlight of my week, among other things. We picked up two new investigators, a member's non-member husband, June, and a former investigator Shenice Bryant. They're awesome! June used to have a baptismal goal set, but he backed out. Well, round two! He'll commit this time! We got him a Tagalog Book of Mormon because his English is still basic. As for Shenice, she used to investigate the church a little bit back but stopped. She has six children, including a month old baby. She's unmarried, and lives with her boyfriend...so we'll have to work on that. The bishop chuckled when I said, 'we'll worry about that a little later' in PEC yesterday. She readily accepted our message and she was all about reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it and about Joseph Smith. Sometimes people need time to let it sink in, so I hope it's her time.

We set a baptismal goal of three baptisms. In this area, it's possible. It's just a matter of getting people to commit to hear us and make time for us. It's almost impossible out here! But, we'll make it work somehow. I'm hoping for Susan, the always amazing Mike Price (he canceled this week because he was sick) and maybe June or Donna. We'll see what happens these next five weeks. I'm so excited!

Lately I've been sleep-deprived, more than usual. Just because I have more responsibilities as DL and I have to push the tempo. Not like I did before, but that added responsibility is making me a bit stressed...but it's meant to make me stretch. The Lord knows when we need to step it up, and I need to this transfer. We have great potential here, so we have to put it all to the test!

I always love going over to visit Bruce Saylor. He's a convert of two years and he's preparing for the temple. He couldn't last year because he got really sick and they took out his gall bladder. He thought it was an ache but it got infected and he nearly died. But as he said, 'I'm back!' Gosh I love him! He says when we come, we give him a boost. When we go there, we get a boost too! He's so funny, and he loves talking about the Book of Mormon with us. I love going to places and feeling the Spirit when you enter in that place or home. It's the best feeling ever!

Woods and I are going to love it here! I'm so excited! The Lord has something prepared here and I hope I'll see its fruition!

I miss you all...I miss y'all. I hope everything is going alright, and stay safe!

I'll drive carefully, believe me!

Love,

Spencer

P.S. I miss you Grandma! (-_-) ---me bowing to my loving grandma!