August 4, 2008

Dear Mom,

I didn't hear about that Uncle David lost his job...I just assumed due to all that you've written. But I didn't know he got laid off from BD, I thought he quit or something. But Northrop Gruman? That's a good job! What is he going to be doing as a defense contractor? What are the requirements to be a contractor? Eventually someone loses a job, it just depends who and when. This economic situation is making it difficult for my investigators and also a lot of potential investigators because they have to work almost double and so we don't see them as much. But, life goes on.

About that I don't have much time to write anyone anymore, let alone write in my journal. I'm finally getting around to writing Chase and Teri back (my BYU buddies) so I really feel bad...Kristy's written me twice since I wrote her. I just can't find much time as DL, it's about getting numbers every Sunday night, giving my district a call every night to see how it's going, and hardly any down time. At least I'm busy, but I'll make the extra effort to write Kristy back. I'm glad the mission is helping her out, but it does get annoying when sister missionaries go 'anal' or extreme on us. One of them called out President Goodrich during zone conference so I have mixed feelings about sister missionaries. I'm happy to hear she's doing well.

As for the cell phone, I'll be calling once in a while, not too much to eat up minutes. But I'll do the majority of my calls after 9 pm West Coast time. But, it's really liberating to be mobile, I love it!

By the way, I love my comp Elder Woods. A down-to-earth Southern boy, and he keeps me going. I truly know God knows when to give us companions to help us. And boy did I need him! I really hope we stay together for six more weeks! Because of him, this transfer has FLOWN by...does time fly!

This week was very busy. So busy I don't even know if I have enough time to describe it to you. But I'll do my best.

So as DL, we have to go on exchanges with our district members. I have 3 other companionships, so that makes 3 exchanges plus exchanges with the ZL's. Super busy! Our p-day was nice...I liked it even though we played Risk for a few hours (it was INTENSE!). Tuesday, zone conference. We had great trainings and I learned a lot. I'm excited to apply what I learned to Van Nuys 1st. We felt an earthquake because one hit somewhere south of us and came all the way up to us in Northridge. I was talking to an elder during the break and all of a sudden we both froze. We were moving up and down, so he asked me, 'are you jumping?' I said no, then we turned and saw the chalkboard in the middle of the gym was going up and down. 'A California welcome' said Elder Boyce, my ZL and fellow East Coaster. Wow, that was weird. We ate dinner with a Filipino member in her place, and her entire apartment complex is full of Filipinos. A good place to tract...

Wednesday was exchanges and that was interesting. I was paired with Elder Satuala, who is an interesting person. He's Tongan, but he's a 'bump on the log'- he's pretty nonchalant about everything. Good kid though. We had to get some things done to the car, so we got the oil changed and got an estimate for what Erickson did- he scraped up the side of the car really bad. Let's just say the paint job is going to cost under $2K plus replacement of some things. But, I gave a blessing in Spanish because the Arleta elders had zone conference that day. That was awesome. I felt bad because I had a gut feeling while I gave the blessing that this woman was going to die. I couldn't bear to say it to her, I just mentioned that she must strengthen her faith and accept God's will. Rather vague, but I couldn't do it. It scared me, honestly. I hope God will forgive me for neglecting to warn her, but I couldn't bear to do it. Did I do something wrong? I was scared! I hope it'll turn out alright. We didn't have much to do because it was mid-day, so we visited people and saw how they were. A super spiritual appointment with June. We watched the Restoration DVD in Tagalog so he could understand it, and he loved it. He felt the Spirit. He said he felt goosebumps when he saw the First Vision...and I know he knew it was true. He'll be our soonest baptism I believe. That was super spiritual...it set the tone of the rest of the evening! I still get goosebumps when I see the First Vision...no matter what I find myself tearing up at that point. This Gospel is true! We visited Satuala's recent convert, and the poor elder couldn't understand what he was saying to him (he was a convert in the Spanish ward and this elder's Spanish is super rusty). We felt his great Spirit, he's excited to be a member. We ended up going on splits with one of the high priests, and we had a good time visiting both active and less active members. Filipinos love to cook for guests, and we ate there the night before! We rushed over to the other apartment and switched again for a second consecutive exchange...my third day on bike in almost fourteen months...an interesting experience.

Thursday! Exchanges again! On bike! We did area book work, plotting member's homes on the maps in the area book, and it was tedious. I didn't like it. I started to fall asleep doing it. So we took a break and went back at it. Then, we left to go to our appointments. We get a member's house, the mom's active and the rest aren't, and there's this fat drunk Latino standing outside yelling. I thought, oh man this is the husband? I didn't know there is no man in the house, Sister Jimenez is single. So Elder Tayler talks to him, asks for his wallet and looks through to see what's up. The man was blabbing, 'I'm CIA and they don't know it. They just think I'm just a cop...but I'm CIA' while drinking a Budweiser. He had several licenses to carry four kinds of firearms on him as well as a baton. Makes you think, this guy is working to protect us? Tayler talked to him, calmed him down and he walked away cursing the FBI for all to hear and see. He's been harrassing the Jimenez's for some time, he wants to date Sister Jimenez- she said no so he's angry. And drunk. Poor family. We had a great time there though. I was sweating up a storm because I just raced there on bike for the first time in about four months. We ended up reading Nephi's description of the Tree of Life, and we all learned. That was cool. I really enjoyed their company. Off again on bike! We raced to a referral, whose daughter tried to chew us out saying that her dad didn't know he ordered a Bible from the Mormons and he'll never be a Mormon, etc. We ended the conversation (or one-sided mean contest) and went around to contact people. I nearly hit people biking so slow, almost losing my balance and I just gave up and went super slow. We contacted some really receptive people, including a Jewish family. I passed the mom and said hi, then the Spirit said TALK TO HER in a whispering but strong feeling. So we did and had a good conversation. Even talked to a black lady who lived in Ethiopia for a bit and we got along well. Poor Elder Tayler and I had to go to the bathroom so we zipped from a less active's house that didn't answer the door (it looked like they were moving) to Ralph's. We realized that we had to be at a less active's house in less than fifteen minutes after we came back out. Zoom! That was crazy being on bike and going fast! I swear I could've died several times zooming into intersections as the walk icons were fading. Phew! We were almost there, Tayler said we were almost there, and I had the impression to contact a Latina selling roses on the corner, so I did. I found out she had been contacted before, like Tayler said, but she didn't know that we gave her a card to receive a FREE video of Jesus Christ. She thought she had to pay for it. That was good. This less active, Sister Frahner, has two super active kids, and it was nuts! Wow! All over the place, screaming, etc. But, we had a good spaghetti dinner, and a good spiritual thought in which we committed her to continue to read and study the scriptures. She's loving it! She just came back into activity, and she loves it! She was cool! What was not cool was riding home. I was full, I was tired from being on bike, and I was at the end of my rope. So Tayler smoked me going back home. A good day, and I loved being on bike!

That was crux of my week. Friday was district meeting, and two of our elders didn't come because one of them decided to be dramatic and to look depressed and cut himself with a glass chessboard so he went to the ER to get stitches. The ZL's told me that so I was a bit angry, but as time has gone on...I understand what happened more. He just wants to find a reason to get moved somewhere else. A good district meeting, because Elder Cotter made us do a role-play- teach someone in 2 minutes and do certain things such as ask a direct question, commit to do something, introduce a scripture. Kept me on my toes! Had a good time with Gye, our English student, with Mike, who wants to be baptized but we'll wait a bit so he can move out, and with our members the Picketts. The wife's dad cooked a mean steak, medium rare...absolutely delicious! He found it offensive if one put steak sauce on it so I didn't, and it was quite tasty! I love that family so much, they're so gregarious and they have a great spirit! My Friday went great!

My Saturday was nuts. I conducted my first baptismal interview, and I really enjoyed it. The girl, Stephanie, was ready. She did say she didn't get an answer if Thomas S. Monson is the prophet today, but she knows everything else is true. She already had received answers to everything else so I knew she'd get a response soon. How sweet is that? I got to sign a baptismal white! YAY! I was super nervous but it went well. Then we were out and about finding less actives and verifying addresses with a member, Kelby Thwaits, who is a stage actor in Glendale. He's so cool! And his Spanish is still sharp! Ten years he was in Monterrey on a mission- he's kept it up! It was a great day, worked hard, ate with the first counselor Eric Miele and we got along great. The ward loves us, and I know we'll have miracles here. I can feel it. I just have to be patient and more obedient. We had a great time with Bruce Sayler, a member who is prepping to go to the temple soon. I read a scripture chain of Isaiah's prophecies of Christ, and Woods finished off with Doctrine and Covenants. Thing is, we didn't plan it, but it all testified of Christ's Atonement. That was pretty nifty.

Yesterday was interesting, but ended well. So we had a discussion in elder's quorum on gay marriage, and one member was being a dope and was complaining of why aren't we doing more than being against gay marriage, to which one member, the always stalwart Bro. Ballard, reproved him sharply with the scriptures. That was cool. A bad, contentious spirit was with us, because I was offended a member could complain about the inactivity of the Church on moral issues, so we said a prayer before we got out of the car to contact. It really helps, prayer does. We had a great dinner with some members, the Duttons, and really felt the Spirit there. They're great! They have a strong testimony of the Gospel, they've seen God's hand take Bro. Dutton and literally give him back to them. Wow! We went around to find less actives in my old stomping grounds of Arleta, no one was home so I took the liberty of visiting less actives from the Arleta ward, and I felt at home. The Castillo's were home, at least the mother, and I was happy to see her again. The Jarquin's, it was good to see them again. We visited some more people, and had to head home. It was feel good day, and I absolutely love the work!

God knows us, and he loves us. I wanted to bear my testimony during the meeting yesterday, but I might as well share it with you. I know that Christ suffered for us, he died for our sins. He was wounded for our transgressions, a man of sorrows, we hid our face from him as it were. He descended below all, are we greater than Him? I know he is my Savior, my Elder Brother, my everloving Friend.

I'm happy to hear from you, and I hope all is well in Zion!

Love,
Spencer