11/15/2010

Estimada familia mia,

Another week! The first week of this transfer is over already -- crazy. I had my "third birthday" this past week which means I've been out for 3 months! Not bad if you asked me, but Elder burns (16 months) likes to make fun of me. Last night we were riding our bikes on our way home when an airplane flew over head. He yells over to me, "Elder Spender! (a nickname, spawned from a note in which a lady we're teaching misspelled my name) How far away do you think that plane is?" I thought about it... looked at the plane.. tried to figure some elementary geometry, and answered that it had to be less than a mile. He responded. "WRONG! FOREVER! You're never going home!" (ha ha)

This week has been AWESOME. Honestly, nothing very exciting to the ordinary person has happened, but from a missionary point of view, this week ROCKED! We have been SO busy, in missionary lingo, this area is "blowing up." We hardly have enough time during the day to ride our bikes (our "hogs" or "bicas"--pronounced "beekas" or bicis pronounced "beesees" short for bicycleta (not really sure how to spell anything right now)) all over creation to see everyone we need to see, and our nights are even busier (the car is a great asset when we have at least 4 lessons a night!)

tenemos muchos investigadores nuevos como Nick and his mom Lucia who I mentioned last week, and a 16 year old kid named Alex who we met trying to get a hold of his mom (a referral). We ended up running into him twice here at the library, and gave him the first lesson, and now he's reading and praying about the Book of Mormon!

Nick and Lucia are the best investigators I have ever heard of. Nick hasn't smoked meth (you smoke meth right?..) or pot since our first lesson, and has broken it off with his married girlfriend! He told her, "I'm a Mormon now, if you still love me in a few years lets get married." ha ha! He's GREAT and so incredibly willing to change. He is feeling some withdrawals from the drugs:/ but calls us when they get really bad, and is still giving his call to quit drinking coffee and tea! I can't imagine how hard this is for him, but still he is so willing. Everytime we teach his something new, he prays about it, and just does it!

We gave Lucia the infamous "Jehovah" lesson because she asked us about God's name... we shared a couple scriptures with her, talked about the Godhead, the Father(heavenly father), the son (Jesus Christ,nuestro salvador y redentor, aka Jehovah in the scriptures) and the Holy Ghost/Spirit. She was pretty distressed that she had been "praying to the wrong person" for so long!So we assured her that she had been praying to the right person all along! That he hears her prayers and has answered them still, she's just been calling him a different name. Like calling me Steve. She liked that and felt a lot better:) oh and gave us a dozen more tamales, WOOHOO!

Funny Things--

--We went to visit a member family with the zone leaders last night to watch a pirated copy of the Joseph Smith(Jose Smit) movie in Spanish ha ha. I guess the movie hasn't been released to the public yet and Elder Kinsey got it from the "underground missionary black market." Leave it to the Spanish speaking missionaries to get a burned copy.

--We accidentally crashed a family birthday party at one of our investigator's houses and stayed for a little while singing along with Enrique Iglesias. Funny fact--every good Mexican party has loud music and a brinca-brinca (jumping castle)

Sad Things--

--Sheila (a really nice Investigator with three kids and a husband in jail)'s house was broken into and torn up pretty bad:/

Scary things--

--we like to take the mission rule "try not to take the same route every day" to the extreme and go on adventures trying to find new ways to our investigators' houses. This past week we were riding on this dirt road behind a wash when we were seriously attacked by at least 5 really angry really big pit bulls. and they were FAST too! all three of us got away without a scratch but there were some pretty close calls

To answer your questions..

What do we do for food?-- We USUALLY eat at members houses-probably about 75 percent of the time which is AWESOME. AHHHH I love the food it's ridiculous. But we cover/make breakfast and lunch and things for ourselves usually. Thanksgiving, there is a branch party this Thursday, and I think we have at least 2 maybe three thanksgiving feasts booked for el dia de accion de gracias:) so I think we'll be pretty stuffed ha ha

Again, miss and love you all so much, I am healthy and happy even though it is starting to get a little chilly at night haha and yes mom I have sufficient blankets and sheets : )

Esta todo MUY bien. I love the Lord, I love the gospel, I love my calling, and I love my life. may Dios les bendiga.

ELDER SPENCER