January 11, 2010. He's Going To MEXICO!

Estimada familia,

I have not yet received the next Mexico safety letter, but I am looking forward to it. Also, I got the letter containing the letter from grandma Eccles that went to Mexico! It was funny to see all the stamps on it. Moms little note seemed to imply a package? I don't think I have received it yet if that it the case, and honestly I'm not quite sure when I'll receive it! -because- I got a call from Pres. Walker this morning and I'm leaving the Arizona Tucson Mission TOMORROW!

President says I'll be receiving a call or a visit from the APs later on today and they will have my very detailed flight/church travel information-- but it looks like I'm not going back to SLC after all! I am flying to Boise Idaho tomorrow, and I am being interviewed at the consulate there?... my interview is on Wednesday I believe, then I fly to Mexico on Thursday! Weird.

My phone call with president was very nice and funny this morning. He told me there are a bunch of details about my interview and specific answers the church wants me to give regarding how long I will be in Mexico and which cities I will be visiting -which may or may not be true- I'm positive he said I'm flying to Boise, and I'm 90% sure he said my interview is there, but I'll find the rest out when I talk to the APs later. I am traveling (at least to Boise) with another Visa waiter, Elder Rowand (going to Tampico Mex.)

Since I'm just going to Idaho for the next few days I figure I probably will not make a call home until Thursday. I am not quite sure what time I will be calling yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll be staying at the mission pres.'s home in Boise, and that he will probably let me email home what time I'll be at the airport etc. when I get that information.

President Walker also just thanked me for my service here in the ATM (Arizona, Tucson Mission), and told me that I am welcome at any mission reunion. I thanked him for everything and told him that the ATM has been a huge part of my mission and that, honestly, I am going to miss it A LOT.
I am kind of nervous, scared, unsure, and REALLY REALLY EXCITED that I am finally crossing the border! We'll see how everything plays out..

This week has been AWESOME. As theSsahuarita zone, we set a bunch of records for lessons taught and new investigators found. Elders Hernandez and Loveless and I found this entire little hidden city of trailers way out in the middle of nowhere in the desert and found 4 new investigators! Then found 3 more in a little town called Amado a little farther south. The work has been exploding here, and our two strongest investigators have been coming to church! Both Alicia Lopez (a really sweet old woman from Cananea Mex), and Felizitas (another really awesome lady who takes care of her 5 adorable grandchildren), have baptismal dates for the 29th and have their interviews tomorrow night!
Miracleof the week-- Felizitas really wanted to come to church, but her son had her car, and she was taking care of all 5 of the kids (3 under 8 and 2 in car seats). We had pretty much called all of the members in the branch who HAD cars and none of them could drive that far, or fit that many. FINALLY we got a hold of a wonderful couple, the Rehms! She could just barely fit all 6 of them in her SUV if we drove her husband in our truck with us. The Rehms live more than a half an hour away from felizitas but were ready and willing to help. Christlike, selfless members are the key to success in missionary work.

Well, time is running short, and I still want to send a few pictures! looks like I might actually get a chance to call home soon! I love and miss you all. David's homecoming sounds like it was a blast!
oh and I got my package from the Hammonds which was AWESOME. Lots of really good pictures of Ben and will and two really great letters! Ben! expect a letter from Mexico soon!

My time spent here in Arizona has been amazing. I've learned so much and grown to love the people and the work here. I love being a missionary, I love the gospel, and I love the lord. If we just try to be the tiniest bit more like Him each day, we're doing alright:)

much love and lots of excitement,

ELDER SPENCER

January 3, 2011

Sorry there was no email yesterday! This one will be short too because I'm a little low on time---

Today we went to the Temple in Gila Valley (I'm one of the really lucky ones that got to go more than once a quarter because I got transferred) so we worked yesterday and P-day was moved to today, Tuesday. We just stopped by Pima Community College to email on our way back home and we still have to go shopping and then we have three solid appointments tonight on top of that!

The Temple was absolutely incredible, again, and it was really cold in Gila Valley this morning, it felt like Utah. We borrowed the mini-van the Elder's serving on the UofA campus use so that we could fit all seven of us for the district temple trip. I'm not completely sure why the university campus elders have a minivan when all the rest of us get sweet ford fusions and pick-up trucks... maybe president gave them a van because it's such a chick-turn-off to lessen temptation? That must be it.

After the temple we ate at a 12 dollar pizza buffet that was half off because it was 1 oclock, then half off again because the manager is a member! So lunch was 3 dollars for all you can eat! Then there was free dairy cream because the manager there is a member too, and all the local young women make up the employees. Is this what it's like to be a missionary in Utah?

Then we stopped by the house where Pres. Spencer W Kimball grew up in on the way home and took pictures! The white handbook says to avoid looking like tourists, but we thought this had to be an exception.

This week has been really good, and yes realllly cold. Not nearly as cold as Johnny must be on his mission, but there was a day when I wore my sweater and my new Christmas PJ pants under my suit! Elder Hernandez and I keep the car therm. in centigrade so he actually knows what temp. it is and so I can get used to centigrade before I go to Mexico -- yesterday morning the car said it was -4degrees C! I'm not quite sure what that is in degF but it was pretty dang cold.

Alright I'm running out of time! but really quick exciting news:

Our two most solid investigators are making leaps and strides, one said she wanted to be baptized, YES! and the other came to church on Sunday!!! She's also giving me some referrals to take to Mexico!

Speaking of Mexico, I got a call from president Walker the other day saying that he got an email saying I will probably be getting my visa this week and he will call me one of these days to give me my travel plans.... !!!!! That's all I know so far but somehow I'll keep y'all updated as I learn more.

Much love,

Elder Spencer

Pictures! (more to come)

December 26, 2010

estimada familia,

It was so good to talk to you guys on Saturday! We did a lot of Christmas caroling after we talked on the phone, then we went to the mission home for about an hour and ate dinner at a few members houses that night. The mission home casa abierta was awesome. Sometimes I feel the slightest bit jipped being a visa waiter, because I feel like I never got to know presidente or his wife;. I just went straight to work when I got here (which is true). So it was really nice to go up to the mission home (a huge mansion up in north Tucson) and chat with Pres and Sis Walker. I especially had a very nice conversation with Sister Walker- she made sure I called home and told my mom that I loved her.

President and Sister Walker are from Utah (somewhere in the mountains I think) and have been married since a few months after Pres. got home from HIS mission to Chile! They dated in high school and she waited for him. They have lots of very cute stories about letters they sent to one another and things. Presidente was in Chile right around the time of the 'coup'(sp?) so I guess it was really dangerous to be an American down there at that time! He likes to tell stories about death threats against missionaries and exciting things like that.

On Christmas eve we Christmas caroled and had tamales and pazole at a member's home. There are Seven missionaries in the sahuaro branch (don't ask me, I'm not really sure why it's spelled with an 'h') so sometimes it's a little harder to find members to feed us-- but EVERYONE offered to feed us for noche buena (Christmas eve) and Christmas day. We built a huge bon fire on Christmas eve, y los Rahm (the Rahm family) gave us presents at their house for Christmas dinner! Christmas was intense because Elder Hernandez was waiting all day to call his family in Mexico! The plan was for him to call at la casa Baraja during dinner, because they had a phone plan for calling Mexico, but it ended up it was only their cell phones! President had JUST sent us all a text message about how it was against mission rules to use members cell phones, even on Christmas. Elder Hernandez was really worried so we started calling around the branch, asking if anyone had calling to Mexico from their HOUSE, FINALLY the Rahms said that they did! We called president, and asked him if it was okay if we stayed out past curfew so Elder Hernandez could call Mexico City and he said of course that was okay!

Finally Elder Hernandez got to call his family, and I got to meet his mom! I didn't want to, but she insisted that she had to test my Spanish and he basically threw the phone at me. She was really nice and welcomed me to Mexico even though I wasn't there yet:) I was really nervous but it was really cool to talk to someone in Mexico City!

Overall, Christmas was a BLAST. What did everyone get for Christmas at home?

To answer your questions, church at the sahuaro branch was GREAT. All the members (though few) are awesome and were very welcoming. I understood all the talks too! which made me feel pretty good. As I said before, we meet in the same building as the Los Reales branch, so I got to see a lot of the members and actually and old investigator family from my old area as well! It was good to see Elders Burns and Kinsey and their new companions too. Oh yeah! Elder Barlow and I are reunited! Elder Barlow moved down to the sahuaro branch from the Los Reales Branch too! Thankfully all the new missionaries didn't have to get up and talk, but I have a feeling we won't be so lucky next week...

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas:) I love and miss you all and was very glad to hear everyone's voices on Saturday!

December 19th, 2010 (I think)

estimada familia mia,

TRANFERS! I am officially in my 3rd area! I am now serving in the Saguaro Branch (Spanish), in an enormous area, we have a pickup truck b/c there are lots of dirt roads and washes and things, but we live about 2 minutes from my last pad. I am SO EXCITED to be in a Spanish speaking branch again! I've heard great things about the Saguaro branch, and we meet in the same building we did in the Los Reales branch up by the airport, 15-20 minutes up the 19! Hopefully I will be able to see some people from my first area.

I am in a trio once again, but I really like my companions so far. There is Elder Lovelis, he's pretty green this is his 2nd transfer, I just met him so I'm not quite sure where he's from, I think it's Utah. Then there is Elder Hernandez, from Mexico City!!!!! I've been praying alltransfer that if it be God's will, I would be companions with elder Hernandez because he's a Mexican native, and it WORKED! Elder Hernandez is the DL, he's kind of small and quiet, but hilarious and his English is quite good for being a year old in the mission and knowing basically nothing before he came. It's pretty safe to say I am SO EXCITED for this next transfer.

(Really quick tidbit on the visa situation--- supposedly the elders in Nogales talked to somebody who works for the consulate or something down there and he told the visa waiters there that the offices would be closed til Jan. 20th or so)

oh yeah, and my new address is 19190 S. Alpha

Green Valley, AZ App. #1201

I don't know the zip code

This has been a really busy week! We've been doing lots of service, and I got to ride a zip line! It probably wasn't the safest thing to do as a missionary trying to get out of the country.. but who gets to go ZIP-LINING on their mission?! One of the member families up on the ranch, the Harris', had built it over a wash on their property. I'm going to try to send pictures, I'm at the library again, so we'll see if I can figure the computer out.

A couple sad things happened this week.. Elder Holyoak and I had to do some investigator drop lessons for the first time. I guess it was more like them dropping us. Asi es la vida. The work is still moving along though! We also went to two baptisms of some of the investigators in the areas next to ours that we had gotten to know on splits and exchanges and things.

I love and miss you all : ) and I am really excited to call for Christmas!

please send the rest of the family my love,

Elder Spencer