Pictures!

March 28th, 2010. Yet Another Baptism!

¡CAMBIOS! -- Transfers!!

andddd not for us:) Elder Cirne and I are staying! and we are really happy about it too. There is just way too much we need and want to do here in Nuevo Hermosillo, and in the ward to have transfers right now.. well, not for at leasttt another 6 weeks!

WOW lots of stuff happened this week. I feel like my English is especially bad today (Elder Cirne and I are trying to speak English more when we are in the appartment, don`t worry. Oh and I`m writing in my journal, and writing letters to you all, so it should still be good. just sometimes it hurts a little more than other times to make the switch.) So forgive me.

How is everybody??? Again, it sounds like Emily`s and Mary`s lives are wayyy too cool. I had to promise Elder Cirne that we ARE normal people in the United States, and that it is very rare that people take trips to Africa, are in super sweet bands, and write music. I don`t think he believes me.

Really a tough week... opposition around every corner. Investigators dropping us... unnamed missionaries from other unnamed denominations visiting and confusing new converts... families not coming to church... people losing testimonies... marriage problems... financial difficulties.. and sadly the list goes on. But if one thing is clear, there is never a moment when everything goes wrong. President Velez has given me the assignment to study Joseph Smith History and apply what I learn to the work.

DyC 121 always comes to mind. and it`s true, sometimes it is only a small moment:)

I had the awesome opportunity to baptize Mayra Alejandra Vazquez on Saturday the 26th. Mayra is 15, she is also really cool, and was very very very ready to be baptized. Mayra`s parents, Carlos and Mayra were baptized by my friend Elder Mendoza about 9 months ago. Lotsss of missionaries have taught the family, and worked really hard with Mayrita, but she never wanted to get baptized. When Elder Cirne and I met Mayra, she had just started to read the book of Mormon... out of nowhere! She likes to read (she really likes Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings) and I guess the book of Mormon just caught her attention. We taught her a few lessons... talked about harry potter... and asked her what her goals were in life. She wants to be a writer, and wants to do what God would have her do. We asked her what she thought God wanted her to do right now.. and smiling, she said,

``Probably get baptized:)``

When we are obedient, have faith, work hard, and focus on the needs of others, things just seem to fall into place :) I have a testimony of that.

--JACK

March 21st, 2010... Baptisms!!!

WOW WOW WOW, WOW WOW WOW WOW

Sorry this email is coming in so late today, I as well, have very little time this week!! But lots to say!! It's okay ha ha I'll try to fit it into a letter or something.. I don't know ha. Sounds like things are going really well at home:)

LOTS happened this week. Trials... tests.. obstacles...prayer, fasting, success:) and miracles.

Like I said I don`t have all the time in the world, but, I`ll try to keep it really short.

-Starting off the week, it`s starting to get pretty hot.. and the locals are still saying this is nothing.

-I have pretty huge really painful blisters (ampollas) on both feet, but their starting to turn into caluses(sp?) I think

-Rosario...

Rosario called us and told me over the phone that she most like would not be able to get baptized this week:/ She shared her wonderfully simple and powerful testimony over the phone, but told us she didn't know when she was going to get baptized because her exhusband and her exmother-in-law came out of nowhere and are trying to take away her daughters..that she was going to be in court all week and that she didn't know what she was going to do, and that she'd call us when we could come by her house the next time...

These are all things missionaries never ever everrrr want to hear.(except the testimony, that was awwesome.)

Not very long after.. Elder Cirne and I found ourselves on our knees.. pleading for a miracle. All week we prayed and prayed and prayed -- knowing that if Rosario didn't get baptized this week, the obstacles and problems and everything would just get bigger and bigger and harder and harder. That's just the kind of guy satan is unfortunately.

BUT we still had Sagid, the genius 9 year old. DURING our lesson with Sagid on thursday(preparing him for his baptismal interview), I got a call! It was Rosario, telling us that she had about half an hour, and she needed us to come over that instant. I asked her why, and she told me, ``I need you guys to tell me all the answers to this baptismal interview thing so I can pass tomorrow``

Elder Cirne baptized Sagid (his first baptismal ordinance)

and I baptized Rosario (my first too: )) on Saturday:)

Sometimes it's a little rare... but it is definitely a pretty amazing experience to find someone, get to know them, teach them, watch them progress, gain a testimony, make friends in church, and get baptized.

The gospel is true, and the priesthood is real. I love you all soooooo much. I still cannot believe mary ellen is going to africa... what?.. hippos?... London?... What is this? Disney Channel? I love you to death mar bear.

Emily I am SO jealous!! I'd be more jealous if I hadn`t already seen Arcade Fire:) But I'm pretty darn stinkin jealous still. And with Katie White too! I actually remember the first time I heard Arcade fire was with you, Katie, and the Arron Twins. Oh and Josh and Jessie too! D-DAY! I miss you em.

Back to work,

-Elder Spencer

March 14th + Pictures!

The move went great! FINALLY, we have a house, well, an apartment. I don´t know if you´ve had a chance to look it up on google street view.... it´s really ugly from the outside, but I promise it´s super awesome inside! well, awesome for our standards haha.

The owners are super nice, they own a little business downstairs where they fix washing machines. They are SUPER catholic but we found out they have member family! We think this is the reason they are renting us the house, because they actually lowered the rent for us and we know for sure at least one other person was offering more.

more and more blessing around every corner:)

We are preparing two baptisms for this saturday! and one more for the following!

Sagid (the SMARTEST 9 yr old kid I have ever met) and Rosario (reallly reallllly sweet lady who finally found what she has been looking for for yearssss- the truth:) mom, you would really like her)

Next saturday is Mayra, 15 yrs old, super awesome, making me a list of sweet Mexican Bands for when I get home haha you know, real soon.

On the 11th I turned 7 months old in the mission! weird.

fun thing happened last week! I guess the office made a mistake or something with our visas(all of us who came down here together on the plane) and we all had to go back to immigration and sign some paper. Sucks for the mission/church... because they had to buy a lot of bus tickets.. but pretty sweet for us because I saw all my friends from the MTC and JOHN again!

John and I took a picture, he looks good, I look really bad-- I´ll probably send it anyway.

The answer is yes.. it is starting to get a little hot here haha. Hot for me, REALLY hot for Elder Cirne, and absolutely nothing for the people here in Hermosillo. Since our new pad is upstairs--(every day at certain hours the city cuts ff the water, so every house has a tinaco, or a big black water tank)--, all the members are telling us that in a month or two when the real heat comes, we need to fill two buckets of water with ice every day to shower, because we´ll burn ourselves if we shower from the tank ha ha.

Don´t worry. I put my sunscreen bu the front door so I remember to put some on every time we leave the house:)

Esta todo bien aqui en la nuevo:) estamos muy felices y ¡LISTOS para trabajar!

Tell me everything about whats going on:) you should be getting letters soon! actually I am giving some to the same hermana this week so her sister can send them from AZ

Miss you, Love you,

JACK

more pictures!

February 21st, 2011

alriiiiiiiiiiighht family :)

VERY little time today, Elder Cirne and I have to leave in a few minutes to deliver a big box of folletos, tarjetas, dvds, libritos, missionary stuff to our district leader in his area. so I apologize! but I have to be brief.

Elder Cirne is hilarious haha he speaks a little english kind of! everyone learns a little bit in high school here-- like 'what's your name?' 'Where you from?' and 'Gi me fi!' (give me five) 'I speak englis so so'

and thats pretty much it. My comp however knows a lot more than that and we practice his english when we are in the appartment.

We have been working reallllllllllllllly hard this week and are kindof seeing results!!! we have a million names and references from members and everything, now it just comes down to finding the time to do everything.

Game day was a downer:/ no one came to church, even though we did EVERYTHING possible haha like practically knocking down their doors before church, and asking them for rides so they would have to go... we ended up having to take a taxi:/ by ourselves.

The good part is heavenly father always has a way of showing us that we are doing the right thing, even when we feel like nothing is coming of it. Last night we kncocked ONE LAST door before going back to our house, and the man invited us in before we could say a word. We taught the first lesson and set baptismal dates!!!

We also have an AWESOME investigator named jorge who reads the bom every night, understands everyyything we teach him, wants to get baptized, and rides a motorcycle.

LOVE you all, ad cant wait to read your letters tonight,

JACK

February 13th, 2011

Estimada familia mia,

¡¡¡Everythings changed again!!! well, not everything. CAMBIOS (transfers) yesterday and today! I am staying here in Nuevo Hermosillo, but Elder Florence se va! Upgraded to zone leader, Elder florence is catching a bus to Agua Prieta(about 4ish hours away, justtt across the border from Douglas Arizona) tomorrow morning!

My new comp, Elder Cirne, is very young in the mission, he has about 3 months and was serving in Guaymas! Elder Cirne is from Puebla, Mexico... I can tell I am going to learn a LOT this transfer haha a lot of spanish and a lot about missionary work too. with 6 months under my belt now I am senior comp, taking over the area! Im not going to lie, Im a little nervous.. as senior comp I have a lot more responsibility, I have to make all the phone calls, and pass all the dats, AND i am supposed to teach my companion about missionary work?.. what? I dont even speak his language!!!

Needless to say.. IM PUMPED! sometimes theres no better way to learn than just jumping in :)

Ends up we are not changing houses.. not for another two weeks at least. We still dont have any water.. we found out the reason though! The Elder who lived in our appartment before Elder Florence and I forgot topay the water bill 3 months in a row.. so the city took our water away!and isnt going to give it back for three months ha ha

right now we have a tinaco in our back yard that we filled with water.. so every night and every morning we fill buckets to wash the dishes and bathe and stuff.

And to give a litttttle bit of an idea whats going on, I will summarize a typical day for the missionaries here in Nuevo Hermosillo.

6:15 am, we wake up, hit our knees, personal prayers, comp prayer-- oh and fill the bucket w water

6:30 (Elder Florence and I) leave to go running

7:00 return, shower, get dressed

7:30, eat breakfast while listening to conference talks in spanish

breakfast-- Yogurt, cereal, sometimes eggs and toast! and lately Ive been buying grapefruit

8-9 personal study!

9-10 comp study!

10-11 language study!(if we donçt have appointments)

11:00 leave the house, grab an apple or a mandarine on the way

tracting... knocking... following the spirit... usually we have atleast one or two set appointments

2:00-3 pm la comida 'lunch' with a member family, share a spiritual message, ask for referrals, knock around their street, talk to their neighbors

back to work! tracting, teaching appointments, etc. we try really hard to have a set app. at 7 and 8

9-9:30, return to the house,PLAN, make calls, update area book and teaching records, grab a piece of bread, maybe some more yogurt, write in journal, get ready for bed and the next day

10:30 hit our knees, comp and personal prayer, go to bed

I've learned a lot this week about the imprtance of obedience... and always remembering the big picture. Why do we do the things we do? to what end? what can we do better? what can I learn form this? How can we improve?

OH and really quick, the bishop told us sat night at 9 that the next morning, at 8, we would each be giving 20 min talks in church! I also learned to stay on my toes and be ready for anything haha I hink it went okay:) I spoke first, we did a musical number, E florence played the piano, I sang, then he spoke.

muccchho amor,

ELDER SPENCER