August 25, 2008

Dear Mom,

Busy week indeed. I am swamped with a lot of work and not too much time to do it all! I am dead tired. At least I'm not in a really rough area because work is just falling into our laps right now. But, it's stressful at the same time. My companion is dealing with my stress and he's the best one for me right now. The ward is getting excited about the work, and I'm feeling that this place is about to burst!

This past week my good ole' ZL Boyce was alone yet again. His comp, for the second straight transfer in a row, became the new AP. So he was living out of a suitcase for the past five days, poor guy. He said it's been a great few days, but the worst. He's just out of his rhythym because he's been in at least five companionships in the last five days. Poor guy. But, we had some great time with him! He's so awesome! Busy week though!

Not even a single day without rest! So reverse order! Yesterday was busy as heck, the last day of the transfer. Church, Mike, Susan, Gye, and June came to church. Four! Sweet! We had a good meeting with our ward mission leader and I was a bit agitated by his attitude...let's let the missionaries do everything. We had a stern talk with him, and I don't think we're on the same page. Something's got to give here. A weird and crazy member from the other ward asked us for a blessing so we gave him one...but he's a bit looney. But, we had a good lesson in Elder's Quorum based on Elder Holland's recent General Conference talk, 'My Words...Never Cease'. Our Elder's Quorum President Bro. Bunce is a religion teacher at a local college, and it was a great lesson! Everyone is an RM and were shooting out scripture after scripture about how the Bible really isn't correct and yet...it is true. We all shared in the Spirit, and it was just great! We went to pick up our Boyce, went to find a referral (not home of course) and to a baptismal service at the stake center, of someone that I taught in the home of the stake president (I was SO nervous to go there that day!). It was very spiritual, a bit odd due to the interesting layout of the program....but it was a beautiful service. We gave the missionary moment, a.k.a. the Restoration lesson. It was a great service! We zipped over to an investigator's house, Monica Escobido and her daughter Christina...they're so cool! We lost track of them for about six weeks, and now that the summer is dying down they have time. So awesome! We taught them a quick Restoration lesson and we were out! To dinner! Really cool members, the Playsteads. He can cook a mean tri-tip, as well as steak of any kind. Absolutely delicious. Shared a thought, went to take the Sherman Oaks elders home (Boyce took them to our place cuz he gave them the car for the weekend)...and they didn't show up. They went contacting for almost two hours...lame! And then Woods' recent converts came to see how we're doing and delayed us even more! So basically, we get home at 9:45 due to all this. I'm stressed, tired, mad...but Woods calmed me down because I was just beat. I was out so fast!

Saturday was cool! A sweet member present lesson with Susan Lar! A fellow Filipino, Raquel Milner, brought her mom there too...they got along so well! I felt the Spirit as Sis. Milner bore her witness of baptism and it's importance, and Susan was really listening. It was really cool to see she was truly interested in what a fellow Filipino was saying...wow! We went around trying to find people the rest of the day...typical Saturday. But, it was very productive! Oh yeah! We had a baptismal interview that night too, and we got home late at like 10 pm due to it...so I interviewed a kid I met before on exchanges, Darwin, and he was so excited for baptism! He knew it all, piece of cake. He was bit tired from a tubing trip that day, but he recalled it all very well. And bore his testimony, he was ready! I promised him I'll see his baptism, and he was like YEAH. Really excited. One of Boyce's investigators fed us cake (they were teaching her while I was doing the interview). So sweet! Busy day!

Friday was nuts! District meeting, dropped Boyce off again to the other elders, we had our lessons and BAM! we're done. Crazy fast. Mike really loves hearing the lessons and I really feel he wants to change. He is just waiting on a record label deal to come through so he could work regular hours. Gye was sad to hear we had transfers coming up so at the end she prayed so we both could stay. She's awesome.

Thursday...no idea what happened really except for Susan Lar...she told us we were a bit bold when Woods said, 'you will be baptized on [this date]'. Hilarious. She was like 'Oh my gosh! You already decided a date!' She didn't understand us at first, but she accepted it. So funny! Just the expression on her face was priceless. Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Cotter, who is super trunky and ready to go home. Not a good exchange, but I got to sit back and relax a little...not good though the way he wanted to. Oh well, he's home! Tuesday, no idea what happened. Just a blurry day of the mission.

That was my week!

So we're getting a new companion, to be a trio. Elder McGahee of Alabama, who's about to end his mission. Good kid, it'll be fun with him!

Another transfer as DL. I guess President wants me to kill myself here ;-) The work is progressing! I love this work!

I got the chance to talk to 'my' recent converts up in Santa Clarita, and they're doing great! Good ole' Alberto and Yadira are doing great...going to church still, reading the Book of Mormon, and even going to support new recently baptized converts...I'm so proud of them! I'm excited for them! The Jaimes are moving to Canyon Country, on the other side of the valley up there and they're doing fine also. The mom told me she didn't like the baptismal photo I sent them because she looked too fat in it. Haha! I couldn't stop from laughing. She's so funny! But all is well...and I miss them so! Seeing them progress has really boosted my testimony as well as changed my outlook on the mission and my potential as the Lord's anointed servant.

I hope all is well...talk to you soon!

Love,
Spencer