October 27, 2008

Dear Mom,

I'm still holed up here in Northridge...and your package was incredibly huge! I've been so busy I haven't been able to really 'dive' into it yet. Thanks...but I really didn't need that much stuff!

I'm exhausted. We pumped out lessons like champs this past week! Twenty-five in total...and I believe that just showed how dedicated we are. I'm really proud of ourselves in working that hard. It was hard to get our 10 random people contacts in some days because we were flying between areas! It's one of my best weeks numbers-wise ever...and we didn't really have any slow days so far. Busy! Work, work, work!

So last p-day we washed the car...that was about all we did last p-day. I'm so tired...I really hunger for a good nap these days. I might have the time to do so today. I hope. Tuesday was zone conference! We're the guinea pig zone because we are the first zone to have ZC in the entire mission, and we had a great day! Our heads hurt a bit because they kept switching the lights on and off, and poor Elder Woods is a bit sensitive when it comes to that. I had to brush it off or I couldn't really get around later that evening because I'm the driver. I'm tired of driving...but it's only because the drivers don't know what they're doing over here. Our evening was quite busy, with a recent convert to teach and a less active to visit. It was fun though! Each night we got back at about 9:30 pm, the curfew time. Planned, called the district, and slept. Not easy at all. Wednesday wasn't much easier. We zipped around the Valley like crazy!

Thursday we did our weekly planning, afterwards we did the same. Out and off to another appointment, after another...till evening. We found out our investigator June really knows he wants to be baptized...but he isn't ready to give up his social group of friends. He knows it's right, we just have to push him a little to give it up for the sake of his family. Old habits die hard. Our recent convert, Susan, is as good as ever. She loves having 'Bible study' when it's really the 'Best Book on Earth study a.k.a. The Book of Mormon'. We're doing our best to get the ward missionaries to come with us so they can teach her and we can go on our merry way. We move a lot, so it's not good if we ditch our converts and they have no friends. The other convert we have here that I inherited is still resisting friends from church and I'm sick of dealing with it. But, we have to give her a push. We stopped by the Lunas and we just feel at home with them. We're trying to play that delicate balance of being friends, but not too friendly. We get along just great! Junior, the husband, read all of Doctrine and Covenants 84 and 107 within a week and a half so he's pumped to get the Melchezidek Priesthood. I'm excited for that! Their oldest two girls are causing them headaches, but they way they see it, when they do something good something bad is bound to happen. It's how Satan is. They're great as ever!

Friday...same deal. Busy. A good district meeting, and I took a lot out of it even though I was training. I realized that I need to prepare myself better when I teach. Sometimes we extend commitments and they surprise our investigators. Duh, I told you when we started what we're going to talk about. I have to do better. We got the not-so-great companionship to do the practice, and the senior comp wasn't very enthusiastic as usual...I wish I could've served later when there are better missionaries out here. But, I got a lot out of it and I'm doing my best to apply it. We picked up a member, Bruce Sayler, and took him to two of our appointments and he hit it off with our investigators. One, Tim, is a Vietnam Vet and is really open-minded to the Gospel. He got a ride from Bruce to go to church too! The other, Mike, was excited to see us. He's ready, he just has to take that extra step to move out and get baptized! Jessica, the other convert, came and taught another investigator with us named Bonney. They live in the same complex. She taught us the Pre-Existence. We haven't even taught her that! Haven't really taught her period. But, she got Joseph F. Smith's Doctrinal Answers book and basically told us about the Pre-Existence. We did have to correct her kindly on Adam and Eve, since she had her Catholic or whatever belief that it was a sin. We'll have to go over transgression vs. sin the next time we teach her. But, we felt the Spirit as we testified of how great it is to know this plan was prepared before the world was. Got stuck in traffic on the way to dinner. A fender bender, just great. We ate dinner with Betsy, our less active, and we had a good evening sharing scriptures...oh how beautiful are the feet of those who preach His word! Haha, tyring to paraphrase Abinadi.

Even Saturday was super busy. We are pushing a less active, James Warner, to pray vocally, but he resists such encouragement. Old fart. He's terminal with cancer so we'll see how it turns out. Visited Susan and she was excited as usual. She tells us weird stuff, but this is Van Nuys so I'm used to it right now. She does have a strong testimony of the Gospel though. She basically can teach a class if it was on the Plan of Salvation. We give the sister missionaries a ride home because their car's brakes were shot up and went to our appointment. A good reading from Moroni 10 with Delilah's kids (she was out doing errands) and they're just absorbing the Gospel. They love it! Then, we took the sisters back to Pep Boys. We had the Espinoza's join us to teach their less active son Raul who is living with his girlfriend Lesley and we had a great spiritual experience. We were a bit out of sync all weekend, even though we planned well. I was out of it and I couldn't focus because I was exhausted. I feel bad, but the Lord provides for His inadequate servants like me. I briefly explained the Restoration, then we popped in the DVD and we were all touched by the Spirit. Raul asked, as we stopped at the end, why isn't it longer? He wants to come back and be happy. His girlfriend wants it too. She's so open, and we just get along great. They still havne't prayed to know it's true, but they've felt it's true. The Espinoza's testified with power and simplicity. I love the manifestations of the Spirit! We ate dinner at a Filipino's house (they got us really good chinese food, which reminds me of home. One of the food items was a white dumpling that we eat at home, with a fluffy white covering. So good!)

Our Sunday was out of control. Primary program went very well, and I was impressed by the preparation of it all. Much better than the Spanish wards I've been in. Heart-warming time. Our Gospel Principles class was boring, our WML made it a ward missionary training class. He ended up confusing our investigator there...just great. But, we had a great priesthood lesosn on Sis. Tanner's talk. Ended on a high note. Contacted people in the streets, went home to rest a little. Woods made pumpkin bars for Sis. Lunas' birthday (she didn't tell us it was Saturday!) and we were late to our next appointment for dinner with the Playsteads. We called to ask for more time...they were really cool about it. We eat a great skewered shrimp dinner, joked around, and challenged them to place a Book of Mormon. They took it up. We could've done better, but we were short on time. No one showed up for President's Fireside except for Susan. So President gave her a 10 minute lesson on the Plan of Salvation and it was great! I loved it! I wish he could've had the full time to do it! I wonder what he would teach in a longer time setting. Alas, we went to the Lunas, and Zoomed home to put the icing on the pumpkin bars...to the Lunas! A bit awkward teaching the Law of Chastity in front of two little girls...but it went well with the Ten Commandments. Again I felt awkward. I wish I would've let the parents teach...but I don't like putting them on the spot. Oh well, we got it over with. So, we told Cindy we had a game for her. I pick up the covered pumpkin bars, and sung "Happy Birthday" to her with everyone joining in. It was actually good to eat! Surprising since Woods guessed on all the measurements with the limited time he had to cook it. We ate, joked around, and parted ways. I love that family so much!

Busy like a bee! But, what I love most about being a missionary is the fact that the Spirit works through you to touch people's lives. There was a lot to do, but in each and every appointment we testified with power. They felt the truthfulness of this message. We just have to get better to nourish that good desire to follow these good feelings towards baptism. We're working on that. But, there is no greater cause!

I love the Book of Mormon. When I feel down, I turn to it. When I want to have that enthusiasm, I turn to it. I learn so much out of it. I can read King Benjamin's talk over and over and over again, and get something new out of it each time. There is no other name whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is my Savior, as He is yours. He is our Lord Omnipotent. This I know with a surety.

I'm happy to hear all is well!

Love,
Spencer