December 1, 2008

Dear Mom,

This week went by so fast! Well, the first week really stunk. The second week started to pick up. The only downer is that we had a lot of lessons with recent converts and less actives, but not very much with actual investigators. They aren't home, don't keep appointments...not really easy to get a hold of. Welcome back to Spanish work! Palmdale is really nice, nice and slow, but that's also a downside. It's a bit interesting in trying to speak to ten random people in the streets when no one walks around up here in the desert. Instead, we do a lot of door knocking. I was starting to get away from that in my last area and the one before that, so I guess the Lord wants me to knock some doors up here. No problem, I'll do it. Not my favorite, but it works once in a while. The bike is doing alright, I'm getting used to it a little. My butt hurts a lot, feels like a rock at times, but it's going well so far.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I ate a chile habanero. Holy snap it was freaking hot. I was burning up inside and I had trouble staying alert. I nearly passed out at one point. I sweated for an hour straight after that, and I had to take Imodium the next day so I wouldn't feel bad at church. We (myself, Austin, and my comp Giles) ate it as a part of our ward's talent show/Thanksgiving celebration. It was not a good experience.

Giles and I get along fine, but he's quite the quiet one to be honest. It was hard this week because he was obviously depressed and wouldn't tell me why. It was because we had absolutely no investigators up here so we knocked a lot of doors without much success the first half of the week. It was ironic because at district meeting for our stewardships we told the district we have no investigators at all and then at the end of the weekend we had at least three or four potentials. It really helped that I did the training on how to adjust teaching in contact situations, and we did a practice on a tracting situation. I did it to start, and it went pretty well. We got our zone leader Elder Chamberlain to do the second practice, and he just blew us all away. He did spectacular! I wanted to go through one more practice, but we were out of time. I was able, with the Lord's help, make that training exciting and enthusiastic, because it wasn't me that was speaking or teaching or testifying, it was the Spirit. I hadn't felt that happy in a while when I was training in front of the district. I hope the district learned from it. Enthusiasm! So that was something I've been trying to work on this past week, be upbeat, positive, and dig in there and work hard, and little by little we are seeing some fruits. Later, at our lunch appointment, we shared a thought on charity, and good Sister Hidalgo, who is a mother to me, absorbed it. I really feel at home when we visit her, and she really does her best to apply what she learns to her life.

But, this week we've spent a lot of time with members, active and less active. A lot of these LA's are just lazy and don't want to make commitments, so they're not going to be visited as much unless they sign up for dinner. Oh well, such is the missionary life. A lot of biking here and there all week, appointments fall through, we knocked doors, we visited less actives. That was our week basically. Until we get to Turkey Day! So we played football as a zone, and that was so fun! It was super muddy but it made it even more hilarious! Slipping and sliding in the mud, it was a sight to see! It was good, relaxing, and a little competitive too. I am so rusty at football, I need to play a lot more. And have cleats, that'd help a lot. One time I got an interception and no one was in my way so I ran it all the way back. Here's the funny part. So I'm running it back, and I start slowing down thinking, is this for real? This easy? Was there a penalty? So I slowed down and our roomie Elder Marshall runs up to me and is pushing me to keep going (which I was going to do) so I talk to him and he's telling me to go faster because I'm running backwards and that's how it ended. I ran into the end zone backwards talking to Marshall. Just a goofy thing. He was so excited because this was his first time doing an athletic activity since his longboarding accident. At the end, we took a picture, and then Marshall and his buddy Lopez slid in the mud together. They served together for six months and had a blast together, now they're split up. Then, Lopez jumped on the back of this one femmy Elder Rogers who began to scream because of the mud. It was hilarious! Just a good time and a great way to start Thanksgiving! We did have two meals, one with a member from the neighboring Spanish branch Little Rock, the Cantos' and then followed by a meal at the Bishop's. The Cantos can cook and bake! The mother baked several pies and cakes that were to die for, and made a turkey out of cream puff ball dessert things. It was so neat! Quite a day indeed! I had a blast. Recently I've gotten homesick, because of how slow it's been, but I know that the Lord wants me to finish strong so I'll stick to it. I kept that camel as a constant reminder for me.

My personal study has been pretty good as of late. I studied Elder Corbridge's "The Way" talk from last General Conference and it really struck me then as it did when I first listened and saw it. There really is no other way. It is foolish, as Elder Corbridge says. It is foolish to think that there is a shortcut, or a detour, or another path, to God and His Kingdom. As bold as he was, I loved it. It really was a re-emphasis of what we should preach. There is no other way, only through Christ and His Restored Gospel. That was a great start for the week. I then, the next day (Tuesday) studied Elder Oaks' talk on the sacrament followed by Elder Holland's talk on Jesus Christ's sacrifice. It really made an impression on me. I cried towards the end. He related seeing a missionary welcoming party at the Salt Lake airport. An anxious mother (I could totally see Mom), anxious family, and a stern and well-worn father that didn't seem as interested in it all, a bit aloof. As soon as that missionary walked out, the father ran to his son and gave a warm embrace. Time stood still to give reverence to this sacred moment in time. I miss you all so much, it's really not easy at all. But, I know God wills it this way, and I must obey, as Nephi concluded his writings.

Guess who took me out to dinner on Saturday? The Lunas! They came all the way up from the Valley to take Giles and I out to eat. We stopped by a local Mexican place and just talked and ate burritos. I didn't care for the meal, I missed them so much. I got to hear about how they're doing, how Cindy's classes are going as a Sunday School teacher, how Junior is progressing with the priesthood, how their family is doing as a whole. If there's one thing I learned, it is that love conquers all and that in the end, it's all that matters. One can tell if you love them, and they will not forget it. As a joke, they sent me two packages that had a scarf, a beanie, and a pair of gloves so I can deal with the desert. I believe the joke was the scarf, I'm pretty sure about that. I can't wait until they call me and say, "Guess what? We're going to the temple on such and such a date!" I could die then and there, happy as can be. Is this what the Lord promises those that serve Him? I don't deserve it!

Sunday I gave my first talk in Spanish, from what I can remember. Not a testimony, but an actual talk on missionary work. I wasn't nervous writing it up, but as soon as I got to church I was so nervous. I was shaking a bit before I got up there. Everyone afterwards said they liked my talk and were surprised at my Spanish (even though it is super rusty but I guess it's better than the others here). Let's see if they took Elder Ballard's suggestions (I used one of his talks as a base for my talk, I really liked it!). At the end of the day, we shared the story of charity by way of the Good Samaritan with the Molina family, members that live in our same complex. They loved it, and I really felt their spirits uplift ours. Doubt not because God is there for us! He asks us to be charitable, because he was charitable to us once upon a time in Israel. I've really learned a lot about charity this week.

All week we shared charity and faith with our less actives, and they really felt the spirit of the season. I really learned a lot about Moroni 7:47, the beginning part of it, Ether 3, and Ether 12, and about Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. All I could think of at the end of the week was the theme of hope that Pres. Utchdorf shared with us. As Doctrine and Covenants 6:33-34, 36 says:

33 aFear not to do bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow dgood ye shall also reap good for your ereward.
34 The refore, fear not, little aflock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are bbuilt upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
35 aLook unto me in every bthought; cdoubt not, fear not.

I love missionary work. I admit I feel trunky, only because the work is rough. But, it'll go away, as it has in the past, as we find work. Don't worry, I'm going to make it and finish strong. I love the work, I miss you all, and I know this is just one other trial that the Lord sends my way.

I miss you all, and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Love,
Spencer