September 8, 2008

Dear Mom,

This week has just soared by! Oh my gosh it's crazy. I'm loving this area! We have one person that passed a baptismal interview, Susan Lar, so she'll be baptized ASAP. So excited! The fruits of my labors, and the many blessings of the Lord.

So we got Elder McGahee back here in Van Nuys. Poor guy had to spend two weeks up in the desert where Danny is (but in a different companionship) because another missionary knocked himself out of commission longboarding on some hill up there (now they're officially banned...use common sense guys!). He's really fun! He's from northern Alabama and he's almost home (he leaves in November). Loads of fun so far! We have the shortest companionship in the entire mission, and Elder Sara from Utah is in our district too so we have the four shortest elders in the entire mission in the same district, three in one companionship. Feels weird, to be honest, to have another extra missionary tagging along. I love it though! We're gonna rock this place! He's really changed from what I heard because he was a bum to begin with, but he's a great missionary. He's really going to help Van Nuys 1st out a lot. So that basically means I'm probably going to go, because I have one transfer here more than Woods, and we all have been senior companions at one point in the mission field...so I'm just going to work my best and wait to see what happens. But, this work is going great right now!

This week was a blur! We did a lot of service for Bruce, an older member but he's a recent convert of two years. He needs a new pipeline for his gas, so we dug a trench for it. We have to finish it up this coming week, but not much else is left. We did have a great week though. We taught Susan several times this week with our ward missionaries (the two we took with us are sisters...really humble and loving sisters) and wow! They bonded. I think that Susan is just outgoing and loving so it makes it easier to become friends with members. She has fellowshippers galore, so she'll be active no doubt. And Saturday she passed the baptismal interview, so all we have to do is organize the program and BAM! 'Baptism, boom baby', as my zone leader Elder Boyce says. I'm so pumped for that!

We taught June Hinahon a short but blunt lesson, that we are here to help him find out for himself if the Gospel is true. We committed him to pray specifically to know whether the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith (or Joe Smith as McGahee says) is a prophet of God. He said, to my amazement and shame, 'well, I never had mentioned in a prayer those things', he thought a general prayer would work. Well, it hasn't, but it will help him receive an answer pronto. Their family has really grown close to us the missionaries, and I really love them to death. Their poor girl, Alyssa, is anemic and so they're praying hard so her test results will be fine. They took four vials of blood out of her, and June's member wife Jennifer said, 'I didn't even know she had that enough blood in her.' Surprised me too when I heard that. The members love us, and I love them so very much. Really great stuff going on down here.

We had two consecutive dinners with our really active less actives, the Lunas. Junior and Cindy, the parents, are so fun-loving and outgoing. We just clicked. We go over there Saturday and we just have a ball of a time, and we share a scripture to invite them to prepare for stake conference the following day (Sunday). They came to stake conference, which was great, and we went over for dinner some hours later. Cindy's mom, Sister Duggan (very active member), thanked us for caring about them when she called to tell us, she signed up for dinner this coming Monday (today). My goal, as is theirs, is to get them sealed for time and all eternity. Yes, Cindy and Junior were active most of their lives, but they settled for a civil marriage. The bishop who married them, Bishop Molen, is going through a tough time. His wife passed away a few weeks ago. When Cindy went to the funeral, she realized she must be sealed to her family. In come the missionaries! That would bring me so much more joy that I have now to see them go to the temple, and they're doing their best to do their part. But before I cry, just to sum up our lesson plan for them yesterday. We watched the Testaments movie with them...that movie is quite the tear-jerker for me. I realized in the movie how much family is so important in life. That movie is a testimony reminder for all members of the Church. I love the Testaments, because I know that Christ lives, he died, but He lives! He is my personal Savior. I just cry a lot during that movie, but at the end we had a great testimony mini-meeting. McGahee bore his witness of the Book of Mormon, and I committed them to read it daily as a family to strengthen themselves against the world. Woods shared his testimony, which was the last straw for me and I just let the tears flow, but I tried not to sob loudly. I'm such a baby! Ooohhh the Spirit was oozing through the walls of the home...it was really special. Even the active daughters were subdued a little. I know I was sent here for a reason. To activate the less actives and to find the elect. Why is God so merciful to me? I don't deserve it!

So we're going on a spiritual high leaving the appointment, and we go visit a less active, Betsy Miller. She couldn't go to church, but her sister was called to the stake Primary presidency and was going to pick her up. But, she cut her hand bad and it's her writing hand. Poor woman. We stopped by to see how she was doing. She's so loving and so kind, and I just have learned to love her like a sister. We chatted a little, joked around, and had a good, warm time. Time for a scripture! I share Enos, how he felt consoled at the end of his life to go to His Maker. And I told her it was her goal to return to God's presence, but to be sealed with her sister (good ole' Sister Tribble). And she felt touched, as did I (I had tears welling up in my eyes...oh man), and it was a great spiritual experience. Elder McGahee and Woods shared their witness also...I love the trio! We're too good now! And I mentioned to her that she's changed. She said, I don't feel like I changed, and so Woods pounced on that. He shared Alma 5:26, talking about the change in your hearts, and he pointed out it is gradual and that we need to look back with a time period in mind...how was I six months ago....how was I a year ago...? She said, even a year ago my life has changed a lot. She said that she realized she can't rely on herself anymore, but that she needed to prepare herself spiritually. Wow, a great evening! I didn't deserve it!

My converts Alberto and Yadira are doing well, and Alberto is almost done with the Book of Mormon because he's reading in Ether right now. I'm so proud of him! Or, as Bruce said, excited for him (because pride isn't a good word to describe this enthusiasm!).

Stake conference was great! Just that spiritual boost we needed! It did get boring when they talked about Proposition 8 again, but the members need to step up. Pres. Jex, the stake president, called the members out with Joshua 24:15, 'as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' He told all my donate means (or money) to the cause and that now is the time to canvass communities to push the cause forth. If it doesn't pass here, it will lead to serious moral problems in the future. I hope it'll pass. I really hope that the members here pick up the ball and move with it. They're too lazy it seems, but I know that this will get them moving, that great giant to start trouncing the enemy. I took a lot from stake conference, and I loved it! I love meetings now, more and more. Just great spiritual highs! It also helped Pres. and Sis. Goodrich were there, and they bore their witness of missionary work and of the Spirit. Pres. Goodrich admitted he had no idea what member missionary work meant until he came out here. He said, 'all we have to do is invite, invite, and invite.' We don't need to sift through our friends to see who'd be most receptive to the Gospel. We must share it with everyone. The most unlikely accept the Gospel, when the most likely to accept it show little interest and reject it. It's that simple! Wow! Sis. Goodrich bore her testimony of the Holy Ghost, of how it has helped her in her life, and how he truly exists. I love the Lord!

I know the Church is true. There is no other greater Church nor doctrine. Jesus came to pay for my sins, He did that, then died. He rose on the third day, and He lives again! He loves us so, and to show that love He has for us He has given us a loving and caring modern-day prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know Pres. Monson is a prophet of God. I know the Book of Mormon can answer any question we have. I know it is the word of God. As Elder Woods said, we can learn from every single verse in the Book of Mormon, and I know that to be true. I do not doubt God loves us still, and he revealeth his secrets to his servants the prophets.

I love you all. I hope all is well in Zion! My thoughts are with you, and I miss you so. Stay safe, will ya?

Love,
Spencer