Picture at the Temple

February 2nd, 2011

Alriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighttt..
WHAT A WEEK. Sorry I didn`t get to email on monday! Pday was switched to today, wednesday, because we were awarded a special trip to the TEMPLE! (I`m not really sure why... from what I can tell and have heard, it is a verry rare priviledge) So today we had a zone temple trip with Pres. y Hermana Velez--everything was awwwesome except for the fact that we had to get up at 5:30 to take the hour bus ride to la colonia Pitic where the temple and the mission offices are. In a regular car it would probably only take 20 min I think.. Going to the temple in Spanish was very different ha ha but pretty much the coolest thing I've ever done. We took a zone picture outside of the temple, so I forwarded it to you guys - let me know if it comes through!
The photo of the Mexican flag flying outside our house DID come through :) I just showed it to Elder Florence, and he laughed. All he could say was,
``Mire! Mire! Verde! Vegitacion!`` <-- I think thats how you spell it
A lot happened this week, missionary work wise.. this week was 'bien pesada'... ``quite heavy`` in english ha ha
We had to drop one of the families we are teaching:/ and pretty much everything else just seemed to be really hard this week ha ha. Numbers were low.. people were mean... no one wanted to listen in the first place, let alone form two gringos.. and Elder Florence and I have really bad colds from showering in freezing cold water every morning ha ha. There is mold growing in our house from a leak in the appartment upstairs.. there was a party saturday night in front of, and behind our house haha they had a live band! and they played til about 4 in the morning!
Justtt about when Elder Florence and I were starting to think about being discouraged, Heavenly Father taught us a lesson. These past two days have been answers to our prayers. Monday morning after district meeting we decided to do something fun and different-- so we bought some chalk, borrowed a guitar from a member in Elder Church and Elder Garcia's area, then we brought some chairs from the church out onto the sidewalk by the bus stop infront of the church. While Elder Flroence and I played/sang 'jazzed up' hymns on the guitar, Elder Church and Elder Garcia drew a humungous chalk MASTERPIECE of el plan de salvacion. We talked to everyone who passed by, gave them church literature, invited them to church, and we got like a million referencias y direcciones y numeros y todo. Yesterday all of our set appointments fell, but we were still feeling pretty good from the day before so we went to follow up with some of the referrals--which turned into 4 new investigators, one of which, Sumla, told us she's excited to get BAPTIZED haha. When we got home last night all we could talk about was that it is ALWAYS worth it to keep working hard, and never give up or get frustrated when things get slow or difficult. This whole life, and the gospel, everything is about perseverencia, getting up when you fall, trying again when you fail, and never, ever, ever giving up or getting sad. This is the most important work in the world. This is the happiest message we could possibly be sharing with people, and Heavenly father always has our back.

Alright--I'm totally out of time! but really quick here is the mission office address and some of the answers to your questions--

Elder John David Spencer
Av. García Conde (number)301
Col. Pitic
Hermosillo, Sonora
C.P. 83150
MEXICO

January 24th, 2011

estimada familia mia,

WOW what a week!!! And an exciting email to read too! Bangkok THAILAND?! Cameron has to be going to the coolest misison in the worlddddd-- second to la Mision Mexico Hermosillo, ofcourse. And Mary!!! You are going to AFRICA?! What do I even say to that? haha when do you leave?? this summer?

Things are still moving really fast here! Never a dull or boring moment. Living in Mexico this past week has really made me realize how much I still have to learn ha ha in Spanish and being a missionary. That´s funny that the blog you foudn was Elder Forence´s! You´re pressumptions are correct, he is a GREAT misisonary. It is definitely an adventure, getting to know our area, learning spanish, navigating the bus system and everything together, two gringos.. and it is SO FUN. Ends up Elder Florence and I have even another connection! He got a letter from a girl named Kristen Gardner yesterday form the Zone Lords. This name sounded wayyyy too familiar to me.. I knew this girl.. but who?So i forgot about it. Later last night while he was reading the letter in the bathroom, he suddenly yelled, ´´Elder Spencer! is your first name Jack?!´´ I´m like, yeah! haha He read the letter out loud to me and it said, ´´Elder Florence, I just found out one of my good friends, Jack Spencer, from scout camp out on catalina island is in your mission! If you know him or meet him please say hi! You guys are really similar and will get along really well! etc etc etc´´ Soooo basically I spent some of the best summers of my life with Elder Florence´s best friend ha ha. So we told stories, and related experiences, and built our companionship unity HARD CORE last night ha ha. I love Elder Florence. We work really hard, we are REALLY obedient, we are as diligent as we know how, and we are starting to see the difference in the area! While walking mile after mile we talk about our favorite bands, and fun things we used to do before the mission--which all seem to be the same haha.

We have great investigators ( I talked about them last week) who are progressing, and we spend a LOT of time looking for new ones.

Just some fun, different stuff about the city in Mexico for those who didnt know already..

-there are lots of dirt roads

-the cities/towns are divided into little barrios/neighborhoods called colonias

-there are few driving/street laws... few obeyed anyway. but that isn´t for lack of police, because there are policia everyyywhere. Oh and ped.s def. do not have the rght of way.

-on pretty much every single corner there is either a little tienda(store) (ampm status, but just someone´s personal business, they usually live in the appartment above or behind the store) or an OXXO where everyone buys their cerveza

-alfombra (carpet) doesn´t seem to exist here

-there are dogs and cats running around everywhere

-there is alwayyyys music playing all day, all night, either from someones house, car, or who knows where

-on just about every otherrr corner, there is a tortilleria:) with the best tortillas de harina in the worldddd

-the food is beyond the best in the world

anddd I´m running low on time so I´ll stop there. Things are going GREAT here:) I love my area,and my companion, and our investigators, and th ward. We are having sonora´s famous carne asada a la casa del obisbo manana! then we are havign a carne asada with th elders quorum saturday, and we were just invited to another carne asada on sunday ha ha

I´m learning A LOT, little by little(just like isometrics dad), in spanish, and just plain A LOT when it comes t the gospel. Reading adn studying in spanish is like reading the scriptures all over again! with different words, and different descriptions, I feel like the stories and teahcings and lessons are completely new-and its awesome.

I´m healthy, I´m happy, and I promise I will look into the hep A shot.

You are all in my prayers, I miss you, I love you, I´m thinking of you,

-JACK

Pictures!

January 16th, 2011

Estimada familia,

MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where do I start?? (please, forgive me for sounding weird, I am very little time and I´ve been speaking 100% spanish for the past few days and it´s getting harder to switch back and forth! It´s also a little hard to type on this keyboard-some of the keys are in different places!) We took a prop plane down to Hermosillo, got off, got through customs (speaking spanish, which I thought was pretty impressive) and met our Mission Pres. and the APs waiting for us with a big banner, ´´bienvenidos a hermosillo!´´ We drove to the mission home, which is pretty close to the temple and the mission offices in a pretty nice part of the city. We talked and got to know the president and his wife-- they are both extremmmmmely wonderful people, and neither of them really speak english ha ha. Presidente can read english pretty dang well though, because in my interview w him he basically read my whole missionary application and what my bishop and stake president wrote to him in english, but said it in spanish. We stayed the night in the house where the APs live right next to the temple (all 8 of us, and some of the mexican missionaries that were going to be our companions!) the next day, we went and did some more paperwork w the government, took some pictures, signed some papers, etc etc etc, and finalllly we got our assignments. I am serving in colonia Nuevo Hermosillo, the area furthest south in Hermosillo :) it is kind of like my first area in Tucson, the ghetto always seems to be the furthest south! Elder Palfreyman is about a 7ish-maybe8 hour bus ride south in Navajoa!! out of the 8 new missionaries that came with me, I am the only one who got a gringo trainer, but it´s okay b/c he´s AWESOME. my companion is elder Florence, he´s from Ogden Utah, and has about 8 months in the mission. He waited for his visa about 2 months in the Salt Lake City South mission, and has only been here in mexico for about 4 months and his spanish is AWESOME. The area is pretty new to him too, he was just serving in Guaymas, so every day is pretty much an adventure!

AH there is so much to tell you in so little time!

We walk everywhere, except when we have to take the bus up into town for meetings about three times a week, Elder Florence is the DL. Prettymch all the other missionaries in our district and in our zone are Mexicanos, except for my good friend Elder Church, who is serving in the area just north of us. We are assigned to the Nuevo Hermosillo Ward, and the members seem to be awesome too!

Our apartment is a little ghetto. Elder Florence says that we might be moving to a different one sometime this transfer, but maybe not. It is definitely something to get used to, not ever drinking the water, not ever having any warm/hot water, and just simply not having water after 8ish pm haha.

I love it :)

Mexico is very different... very... Mexico.. haha and I am loving every second. We are teaching a few awesome families, one we tracted into, and another that reminds me of Cheaper by the Dozen-- 9 kids, 5 from one prev marriage and 4 from the other-- he´s a member, shes not. Everything just feels right here:) I don´t quite understand everything thats going on around me... somehow spanish seemed to be easier in Arizona haha but I just have the greatest feeling that Iam where I am supposed to be.

I´m safe, and I´m happy, and´we´re working hard.

I do not have the Mission Office address with me right now - we stopped by this little hole in the wall internet cafe - but the answer to your question is that I think it will be easier to send my mail to the mission office. From the looks of it, we don´t really have mailboxes, or really reliable mail services here.. supposedly letters take like a month to get home? I heard that they have to go through Mexico City or something.. We will experiment, and I will get all that information to you next pday. But for now, email is def. the most reliable form of communication.

Alright, we have to go catch the bus! But I love you all SOOOOOO much and I am so happy and excited to finally be here! I´ve already seen so many miracles, and i just have the best feeling that more are on their way. You´re all in my prayers,

Jack

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