I Wore My Suit Every Day This Week! Fireflies! June 14, 2021

Hello all! This week I was literally not in my area.

I had Transfer 5 training in Bentonville right by the new temple that is getting built! That was fantastic training. It was really great to shake President Strong's hand. I got to see some of my friends from the FIRE DISTRICT 🔥that was awesome. A take away I had from the training was I need to bring specific concerns about people I am working with to our Missionary Correlation Meeting. Also, specific things we need the wards help with. Working with members is so important!!

We had exchanges with the Zone Leaders! I love them. They are great people. One of them goes home this week. I will miss him. I had a Zone conference this week! Sister Strong taught that "I am nothing." I needed that. I often get prideful. I need Christ to help me and I think He helps me a lot more than I think He does. President Strong taught about having faith over fear. I also struggle with that. I have a choice to make everytime. Faith in Christ or fear. I will always have that choice. 

I was trained as a tech Elder. That was an interesting experience.

I saw fireflies this week!! That was awesome! I love you all. I hope you are well.

Elder Spencer 

FIRE DISTRICT

                                                                        President and Sister Strong!

                                                                                 The temple

Blessings, June 7. 2021

Hello my friends! 

This week Elder Hatch and I got word that we are going to be tech elders. We also got word that we are going to be the only Spanish missionaries in Springfield. Transfers are also next week. I have no idea what is going to happen.

I had the opportunity to be a part of two blessings this week for people in the hospital. I kind of just took it for granted at first. I felt like it was just another thing to do that actually got in the way of what we had planned for the day. But when I went into the rooms and ministered to these people I felt happy and uplifted. Even today, my p-day we had to do some service this morning and I felt frustrated because I had to help someone move early in the morning on my p-day. But it was a great experience for me. The people were so happy we came to help them and we had a really good conversation about the church. My perspective changed as I served my fellow men.

I love the song, "I'm trying to be like Jesus." It is a good reminder that I am not perfect but am trying. "Be ye therefore perfect eventually." Jeffrey R. Holland

Have a great week everyone! Read the Book of Mormon when you get a spare minute. It will be the best minute of the day.

Love, Elder Spencer 

Rookies, Poutine, and a Great Lesson May 31, 2021

Hello everyone! I hope you are well.

This week Elder Hatch and I thought there was going to be a tornado. A few hours earlier in the day it was nice and sunny, but all of a sudden it got dark and the wind and rain started coming. We thought that a tornado was coming. We rushed to the church for safety. We asked some people in the parking lot if they wanted to come in too for safety but they didn't. We sat in the church and it eased up. No tornado came. It was an overreaction on our part. We had a lesson with Bryan that night and told him of our experience. He said we were rookies 😂😂 we definitely are. 

That lesson with Bryan was fantastic! One of the best ones I have had on the mission. We were able to answer his concern of polygamy in the early church using scriptures and the spirit. It was amazing to be a part of this learning experience for all involved. 

An elder in my Zone asked me last week if I could make poutine for him one day. So I got the ingredients and did exactly that this week. 

Have a great week everyone! Elder Spencer

 

On Date! May 24, 2021

This week has been great! Lots of rain so everything is green. 

Elder Hatch and I had the amazing opportunity to put our friend Bryan on date for baptism! It was a special experience. We invited some members who Bryan is close with to come to the lesson and they did. That made the difference. They acted as support and an additional witness to the truthfulness of the work. The rain was pouring outside, but in Bryans apartment there was a warm strong spirit. He has come a long way and has the potential to go so much further. 

The humidity and heat is on the rise. Humidity was in the 70-90% this week. That is something that I am not familiar with. 

Elder Hatch is a really funny elder. I find myself laughing so much because of something he says. He is a good cook and likes dogs. He even gave a talk in Spanish this week! Amazing. 

 We did some member service this week! I am sometimes a little hesitant to help members because I always justify that the elders quorom can do it, but it is actually a really good way to build a relationship with members. It helps you get to know them better so you can then help them come unto Christ. Funny how that works. 

I hope you are all doing fantastic! Love, Elder Spencer

                                                                        A leaf with water

How the Book of Mormon and the Bible Intertwine, May 17, 2021

Hello all! Hope you had a great week.

Elder Hatch and I have been really studying on how the Book of Mormon and the Bible support each other. It has been very enlightening to study the Bible and how it talks about the restored gospel. I have began to learn more about a big part of peoples culture here. Religion is huge and an important aspect of live here. Reading what they read is helping me connect to them better. 

Elder Hatch and I made our own belts! That was a really cool experience. I will send a picture of what it looks like. Pretty cool memory. 

I had my first Spanish meal. We ate a south american dish, and the whole conversation was in Spanish. I was able to recognize a few words and with their body language I was able to comprehend a tiny part of what they were talking about. It was a good learning experience. I love you all. God does too. 

Elder Spencer

Slept in the Middle of Our Apartment! May 10, 2021

Hello everyone! Did any of you get lots of rain this week? We sure did here.

On Saturday morning at 4:30am  we were woken up by intense lightning, heavy rain, and thunder. We thought a tornado was going to come. So we each got a blanket and slept in the middle of our apartment away from all the windows. Luckily there was no tornado! 

Elder Hatch is a great companion. He is happy and excited to work here. We are still going to be doing english work but we will be starting to build up the spanish work here with another set of elders. We went to the spanish group this Sunday. I recognized a few words they said but overall I did not comprehend most of what was said. "Line by line, precept by precept, here a little and there  a little." (2 Nephi 28:30) That will be me.

We met with Joseph and Kaylee this week! We taught them the rest of the plan of salvation. Joseph had a great question about where we get the details for the three kingdoms of glory. The verse in 1 Corinthians 15 does not have much detail. We shared D&C 76 with him. We will see if he read that. 

I hope you are all doing great! Love you all, Elder Spencer

 

Elder Hatch and I

                                            My trainer Elder Decker has another Trainee! 

                                                                Bye bye Elder Buhman

                                                                                Skating!!!

Vaccine Number Two, Transfers, and Sacrament May 2, 2021

Hello everyone! I trust you are doing well and staying happy. 

What a week! We had our transfer calls and I am staying here in Springfield, MO! My new companion is Elder Hatch. He is a Spanish elder so we are going to be assisting some other elders here in Springfield with the Spanish work! We will have to see how much of my three years of high school Spanish I will remember. My companion Elder Buhman is being transferred to Joplin, MO. He is a great guy. He taught me how to teach better and to be an obedient missionary. I have been blessed greatly because of his example and leadership. 

I got my second Covid Vaccine this week! With the first one my arm was just sore so I thought it would be the same for the second. Well it was definitely not. I got real sick in the night. I had the chills so I went and got on a hoodie. Than I got really hot and threw up. I felt miserable the entire night but the next day after more rest I felt better. I am glad that I have been fully vaccinated though! 

Church on Sunday was amazing. We invited our friend Joseph and his wife Kaylee to come to church when we met with them last week. They said they would come. Well Sunday rolled around and who do I see walking up to the doors? None other than Joseph and Kaylee! We brought them in and introduced them to a family in the ward. They sat beside them and got acquainted. I think they really enjoyed the service. I was really happy to see them there. What made me more happy though was they kept the commitment they made. They said they would come to church and they did. That is special. 

Hope you all enjoy this first week of May! Love, Elder Spencer

Six month mark tie burning! (Don't worry. It wasn't one of my personal ties. I just got one from a thrift store)