July 28, 2008

Dear Mom

I'm getting used to this district leader thing. I really like how I have to call my district every night and see how they're doing. It just makes me feel like I'm doing something, just making sure they're fulfilling their own goals and that they're on top of things. We got almost our entire district to help an investigator of another ward (that belongs to my district)move into a new apartment complex...that was pretty sweet! I really understand now why President Goodrich made me DL...so I'll stay on top of things and not get lazy as I have a tendency to do. Doesn't really hurt either that the ward is pushing me to use their ward missionaries, even though the ward mission leader is AWOL a lot. So basically we're the ward mission leader and we'll have to do all the dirty work. But, it's a learning experience.

My comp is the best thing for me. He's a bit strange, but he really wants to work. He pushes me when I'm dead tired and want to sleep. He just brings the best out of me and I really think we'll work miracles here. I can feel it. Our investigators are somewhat progressing, the ward members are opening up to us more, and I feel that baptisms will come in a matter of time. Mike Price came yesterday, again! He liked it, and he said he learned a lot from sacrament meeting. He'll have to talk to the bishop about his situation, but it's for the best because we can't help him anymore. We can only teach the Gospel, and he has to make the changes we ask him to. He's willing, but the bishop will help him in that regard. He's doing a great job!

Our part member family, the Hinehons, are doing well. June, the non-member husband, really gets along with us. All we have to do is just bring a member with us to our appointments. I really feel he'll get baptized if he has a friend, and the ward made an extra effort in welcoming him. I think his wife and his mother-in-law are very excited! We even got him a Tagalog Book of Mormon to read so he could understand it better.

Susan Lar didn't come, again, so we'll have to make her come. Bring a member and have that member give her a ride. But, she asked about a few things in our last visit. She asked, basically, who had the authority of God? What is the priesthood? Talk about a 'gimme' lesson. That was completely unplanned, but it went well. At first I was thinking 'oh man this is going to be rough' because we planned to teach something else. Then, we started defining authority and the priesthood to her. She understood it, then we showed why the authority is important. I love the ice cream man vs. policeman analogy. Policeman has the authority to give a ticket, not an ice cream man. We are the policemen, the others are the ice cream men. I love it! We shared scriptures from Acts and the Bible about authority, and boldly testified that no other church has it because of the Great Apostasy! Then we re-taught the Restoration through Joseph Smith. At the end, she was like...that makes sense I never knew what priesthood meant! She now knows, from our own testimonies and biblical evidence, that no other church has the authority of God. As Woods said, the best lessons are the ones planned by God! To start it off, she testified to us of the Book of Mormon. She can't sleep, she reads the book and feels peaceful. She knows it brings her joy. How golden is that? We just have to get her to church! It was funny because we set another appointment and she told us 'you'll see how pretty my daughter is' because her daughter will be in town- she's twenty-two years old. These investigators are so funny, always trying to impress us with their young daughters because we're faithful Christians. It's hilarious!

Our English class is going well with Gye Choi, an eternal Korean investigator. She asks the hardest questions about English grammar, and I'm stumped. Woods knows it all so I have nothing to worry about when he's teaching. I'm the fool out of the group. But, she's warming up to us and I think she'll eventually accept lessons from us. She comes to church though! That's a step!

Life is going well because we're doing our best. Every night we get home, plan, and I just relax. Then I sleep well...and I regret getting up in the morning. But, the Lord provides strength every day. We've had some great contacts on the streets, but too bad they're mostly in Spanish so we have to pass them off. We're referral machines! Pumpin' them out! With the Lord's blessings of course! Life is great...and I just love the work!

About the move, it was awesome! We went to play basketball in the morning and then went to the Sherman Oaks elders' place to relax before we moved their investigator. Sara and Tayler are so fun to be around, they're my favorite elders in the district! I know I can't have favorites, but they're hilarious. One is like 6'4'', the other (Sara) is 5'6'' like me. Sara is hyper, Tayler not. Tayler whines a little, Sara tells him to shut up. Fun duo. So we helped them move for a few hours, and it was alright. It was awkward trying to move a couch with Tayler. He lifts it halfway for him, but it's high for me. Awkward going down the stairs with it. But, Shirin really appreciated it (that's her name) and it was loads of fun. We even rearranged her new living room, playing musical couches and tables for ten to fifteen minutes. It was tiring, but I felt good doing it. Then we went to teach our less active, who fed us lunch. Betsy Miller is progressing! I know she'll come back to church soon! I know! She's changed so much, and she really wants to go to the temple when she's ready and going back to church. We taught the Gospel- faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. The room was full, almost oozing of the Spirit. We testified with power and with sincerity. Those are the moments I treasure...wow...I love it. Absolutely love teaching her. She wants to change, and is doing her best. She feels better all week, because she's living what she is re-learning. The Lord is blessing her because she's putting that faith forward, 'Lord, I want to change. Help me change, help me feel that I need to change.' It is great, seeing her progress.

My ZL's are awesome...they gave me a boost when they talked to the stake president lately. I think they were in a meeting and they asked how the lesson went. We taught a non-member, Kathy Pena, in his house with both him, his wife, and the investigator's family there. Her husband is an RM that's a local deputy. The ZL's told me that Pres. Jex really like how I taught, and he was happy I was there teaching Kathy instead of the previous district leader who created several interesting situations. Haha, it's funny thinking about it knowing the past DL. They know when to give me a boost, and I'm motivated to help them by helping out my district. I can see why they're excited...this stake is going to explode with baptisms! I can feel it!

Woods and me were talking about it before...we know God has prepared this ward for us, well, the missionaries. We have gold here, all we have to do is thrust in our sickles and reap the harvest. We talked about making a plan, which we did, of how to get the members involved in the work, get the ward missionaries excited and teaching them the lessons so they can teach them with us, and fellowshipping our investigators. The Lord's hand is here, just waiting to pour more blessings on us!

"The standard of truth has been erected, no hallowed hand can stop the work from progressing..." -our Beloved Prophet Joseph Smith

I know this place is for me. I love it, I love the work, I love the Lord. Please continue to pray for me so I can be made equal to my tasks and burdens.

I love you all, I love you Mom. I love you Dad, you are an example to me. Steven, I love you and I miss you a lot bro...how I miss home! I love you Grandma, I can't wait to see you again!

May God keep you safe.

Love,
Spencer