Week Four

So this week I started a new thing!! Elder Olds Game me the idea and I really like it!! So I am keeping my journal on paper and then keeping one on my iPad as well that I can add pictures too , and then I can let you know how really my whole weeks goes!! 

So this last Monday was awesome! We went with Hermano Peña to the store and he told us that we eat crappy food(not really) so he bought us some food! He is really the nicest member to live by!!

Week of August 9-16 of 2015

On Tuesday we had an Intercambio or exchange with the district leader and his companion, Elder Hornberger and Elder Cervantes. I had an experience during my exchange that went like this.

Elder Hornberger and I were biking by the Hospital during our exchange and a young man probably 18 or 19 walked up to see if he could borrow our phone. He was having suicidal thoughts, because he felt that he didn't have a place in this world and that there is no way that Hell felt worse than what he was going through. We felt so bad and talked to him about how he is loved by a Heavenly Father and he does have a purpose here. We prayed with him and he took off. I really hope and pray that we helped him to change his mind just a little bit.

 I felt like it was a complete success and I learned so much about how to become a better missionary and the things I can do to follow the spirit more. I really love these exchanges and the new people I get to meet. This is a picture of my one day companion for the exchange. Elder Hornberger. And then the one after is a picture of the two companionships at the end of the exchange.

 

On Wednesday we had a zone conference that was a huge success! I learned so much about how to better use the spirit and the atonement in my teachings, and how important the Key Indicators really are. Here are my notes for the conference.

  So ya'll don't have to read my zone conference notes, but I put them in if you wanted too. Hopefully most of them make sense to ya'll.

       August 12th Zone Conference (also my mothers birthday!)

Making goals in Advance:

Month of:(specific) dates, names, plans, church attendance. They are going to for sure be baptized.

Month after:(possible) dates, names and plans.

Two months after:(prepare) finding, potentials 

Look at it in the sense of a ten day forecast. We now that today ( this month) is set.

Then tomorrow or the next few days ( the next month) is more iffy but pretty set.

And the last of the forecast (second month) can change a lot so change it up.

For Hennessy take the primary president with us. Find a ride for her.

Elder Brown: KEY INDICATOR 

D&C 20:37 should be our vision for our investigators.

Moses 1:39 invite everyone to make these covenants with God.

When we have an appointment fall through what should I do?

Look at your key indicators and figure out what you need to do to get that goal.

Are the things that we do each day helping us in our key indicators? If not reevaluate what you are doing.

Set inspired weekly and daily goals always.

Elder Siniscalchi: THE ATONEMENT

What is the atonement and why is it important to us as missionaries?

Atonement: Mosiah 3:19.    Alma 7:11-13.  

The atonement is how Christ overcame sin and death for us.

Also an opportunity to become one with Christ.

Progression

What does it do:

Have hope because he has been there before.

He knows us, and he is always someone we can go to.

Heals us, cleanses us and gives us that hope.

The Life of Christ was all part of the atonement. He suffered his whole life.

The most effective missionaries is those who have partaken of the fruit and share it in every word we use.

If you want to get to know something, you have to spend some time with it.

Mark 15:20

Luke 22:48

Matt 27:46

Mark 22:45

But Jesus Christ overcame theses things, and through him we to can overcome these things.

We need to get on our investigators levels, because we have had these issues before in our lives. We need to lift them up with us. Get them to that higher level.

Study the Atonement and how it can and will change you.

"Not only can we be a light at the end of the tunnel, but we can be a light with them through the tunnel."

Sister Ford: THE SPIRIT

MOSIAH 4:2

What drives us to want to repent?

-Desire to reach our potential and be like Christ.

-Greater understanding of his plan.

-Humble 

Alma 12:23-24

The atonement is something that helps us get through this life.

Using the scriptures:

Jarod 1:12 prick their hearts with the word. PRICK: motivation to move quickly.

We can teach using the scriptures, or we can use the scriptures to teach.

Use chapter 10

How can inspired questions help us teach?

-Asking these questions allows the spirit to teach them and gain a testimony of these things.

- We also are taught by the spirit to know what we need.

Do role play tomorrow. Teach about something someone is struggling with.

Sister Jensen: PERSONAL CONVERSION

How do we make a mission about the numbers, without making about the numbers?

-Make It Personal!

How does our personal conversion effect our Key Indicators?

-Key Indicators are the How, and the Personal Conversion is the Why.

2 Nephi 25:23,26

The Atonement is the HOW in the whole process.

Go through all the key indicators and find out why it is a key indicator.

Make a calendar for members to sign up and go with us on exchanges.

(Some of this was just plain notes, but some had my personal thought on the matter.)

Also, after Zone Conferences the ordered materials get handed out. Well we ordered a box of Book or Mormons, but we could bike with the box, so Hermana Ford and Jensen we sweet and took it to our house!! When we arrive at our house we found the box on our front porch with a note written on it to help us to have a great day. They are so thoughtful and really understand their purpose as missionaries of the church. This is a picture of the note.

 

Thursday: 

So today we had our 3 amazing hours of weekly planning. I get very tired in these three hours, but I also love them, because I can feel the spirit so strong to guide us in the right direction for the week. After our planning session we went to our investigator Hennessy's house and taught her about the 5th lesson. How she can be a missionary right now. A way I like to put it is, "when you are baptized you take a name upon you in your heart to always remember. That name is Jesus Christ. Well come to find out, our name tags have that name over our hearts, and in other words we are all missionaries.

After that we had an appointment change to tomorrow, so we went contacting and met a really nice man named Juan Hernandez who wanted to hear more, and right away let us in his house.

He has a family of 4 and what's to know what he can do to be a better husband and father. I know this gospel can help him and I told him that. I hope he prays.

On our bus ride home I started to talk with this lady. We talked about our churches and just had a really good conversation. In that moment I felt such a love for her that I wanted her to have and know what I have and know! I knew that was the love that God also has for her and so I pray that she was touched by something I said to visit our church sometime!!!

I am finally starting to feel like a real missionary!!!

Friday: 

So today my companion had an appointment with family services to solve a few issues he was having, so we had Hermano Peña drive us for an hour to the Family Services office. While in the waiting area I found a new era and read a talk in there that I really liked! It talked about a window and how mo eu makes that window shiny like a mirror. When you heart is focused on money: -"If you focus on the silver," my father replied, "all you see is yourself, and it will keep you from seeing clearly the eternal destiny Heavenly Father has prepared just for you."

        Larry M. Gibson

I invite lol of you to go an read it!!

I was so tired from the long week that I actually fell asleep on the way home! Once we got home tho, Hermano Beltran, a member, picked us up and took us to Hermana Aviñas house for dinner. Hermana Aviña is a sweet old lady that is a Spanglish speaker to the max! However, she is so sweet, and definitely lonely. I would say her food was very comparable to the best restaurants I have ever eaten at so far on my mission and I loved it!

After dinner we biked across town for an appointment that fell through and biked back in time for bed. In total we biked 10 miles and now we are very tired, but would do it again in a heart beat for any investigator that needed us. As we were biking this is a picture of the sunset!

 

Saturday:

So today was a very long day for me! We had a lot of places to travel, and last night I just didn't sleep well. However it seems that the longest days for me turn out to be the best days for me! We went to teach a lesson to a recent convert, but she was not feeling well so we had the amazing opportunity to go and contact!! I really love contacting even tho it can be a bit weird or scary at times. You can meet some the nicest and craziest people and still feel that love that the Lord has for them, it's amazing. 

So after a bit of contacting we went to a near by Subway to use the restroom when a man drove up to us in his truck. He was a very nice man all around and he said, "holly cow! I didn't think that I would be seeing you missionaries in this area!" We asked him why he said that and he responded, "I just moved here and was told that the gang population is out of control and no where is very safe." Now I don't say this to scare anyone! He told us, "I am not a member of your church, but I have family members who are, and I know you guys are being protected by the Lord." I believe those words with all my heart, because there has not been one time where I have felt scared. Everyone has been so caring towards our welfare in some of the worst parts of town.

So after that we went and taught a progressing investigator Juana.

We taught her the plan of salvation, and she loved it! She really understood the concept, but was missing key parts of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I bore a testimony about the atonement in my life and told her she has to find for herself, and I finally think she really will!! I am slowly picking up on the language!!

Today really was amazing!!

Also I believe that this is my new favorite photo! Through Faith in Christ, we can do all things! (Faith is an action word)

So as I sit here and look at this picture I see a few things. 

First: Not only does Christ have Peters hand, but he has his arm as well. What I learn from that is that Jesus Christ can help us in more ways than one.

Second: that Peter is keeping his eye on the important thing. Not only is he using his faith, he is also striving to focus all he has on the Lord.

I challenge all of you who read this to put yourself in Peters shoes in this picture and I promise the savior will do all he can to raise you up out of the rising waters.

Sunday: 

So we just got home from church and are having dinner. After I eat I like to lay down for a few minutes and just ponder, and I decided it would be good to write and share a really talk I found last night. The talk is, Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man by Keith K. Hilbig 

I really like how it explains that with the spirit we can always have the energy that we need. For me I get tired really fast out here trying to learn Spanish and find people. This talk helps me a lot.

So we ended our day today teaching a dad and his daughter, Felipe and Gloria, about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. They seemed to really like it, but I had the hardest time understanding the dad. Picture having a man speak English but with a really bad studder. It would be hard to understand right? Now try having him speak Spanish and studder! My brain was fried!! But I learned more about the language and everything. Also we have been texting investigators tonight and we text a contact that I told you about, his name is Juan Hernandez. So my guess is he felt something that he wasn't sure what it was, but I know it was the spirit. So this was his rejection text to me! I know it is in Spanish, but you can find someone to translate it!! It hurt, but I still shared my testimony and committed him!:)

So yea it was a little upsetting, but on the bright side I also received a text back from another investigator after reminding her to pray and this is what it said!!

So sometimes we have our no's and other time we have our thank you's and yes's!

I am loving it so much out here and even though I am missing a lot at home I know this is where God wants me to be and where I need and want to be as well! If you want to help me is any way possible I would say just emails and letters is the best way!!!:)

I hope that all of this got to all of you and if not let me know!!!!

I love all of you so much, and thank you for the love and support you share for me!

I am so excited for all my friends who are and will be serving!!

Remember that we are all servants of the lord and should strive and desire to be one!

Con Amor,

Elder Spendlove

 

 

 

 

 

Week Three

Wow time is just flying so fast. I feel like just yesterday I was
emailing you all and sharing all of my experiences. Today I wanted to
start of my recognizing my dad. ¡¡¡¡¡Happy Birthday Dad!!!!! Wow you
are getting old really fast! Haha I'm just messing with you. I just
wanted to wish you a happy birthday, and I hope you have an amazing
day! You have taught me so much in life, for instance, everyday I bike
around and get exhausted and feel I can't go any further. In those
moments I realize how hard you always work at home and how important
people are to you. That is what keeps me going! You truly are my
biggest hero, and one day I want to be just like you. Thank you for
all you do for me. I hope you got my small gift in the mail. ( the
name tag) it's not much, but it is from Mexico! And when I have a
chance I will send another small gift, one for you and one for Mom and
the twins!!!
Now Mom,
Where do I even begin. You have been there for me in every situation.
You have taught me to love everyone and to serve them. Also, you have
taught me how to cook and clean and I am so glad you did. I think
about you and Dad everyday and thank God that I have you two as my
parents. I hope that you have an amazing day on Wednesday on your
Birthday, and that you get my small gift too! Thank you for your
example to me of studying the scriptures, praying and writing in your
journal! I'm being diligent in writing in my journal everyday and I
love it!! Thanks Mom and Dad again for everything!

So this week was a very hot week for us on our bikes. The temperature
this week stayed in the range of 104 to 106 and the humidity, plus sun
beating down on me just tore me apart!
So I was able to go on exchange with what we call the spidles this
week. They are the Spanish training leaders, and I got to go with
Elder Ray to his area and learn a lot on how I can improve my language
studies and language in general. It was amazing to be able to go with
someone new and get some new ideas from him. I will put a picture on
at the bottom of us two.
So we had an appointment with a 9 year old girl named Hennessy and her
grandmother. Hennessy has a baptismal date for the 29th of this month
and her grandma is a member. So after we taught her elder Schuhmacher
had to fix her computer so we went in the house to fix it. As we were
sitting there I started to have a conversation with her in Spanish,
and I showed her a picture of my family! Mom, she looked at you and
said, wow your mother is beautiful. And Dad, she looked at you and
said, wow your dad looks like a Mexican! Now that is not a bad thing
at all, because the Latino people are so amazing, but I just thought
that was so funny, because we always talked about how grandpa
Spendlove looked like a full blown Mexican. Also Shauni, Shayli,
Whitney, and Skyler. She said you all had a hint of Mexican look to
you, because you looked so tan and similar to dad!! She was very
sweet, and she calls us her brothers. (Mi hermanos) I am starting to
fall in love with the people for sure. ( I hope that all made sense)

So the middle of this week I had the opportunity with my companion to
go and give a blessing to this family who had been in an accident. I
did the anointing, and elder Schuhmacher did the blessing, and it was
all in Spanish. It was a nervous, but different feeling not hearing it
in English, but the spirit was still the same.
Also, president Ames came by our apartment for personal interviews. It
was so amazing and I learned so much from him. There was one thing he
said that really stood out to me, and I just haven't been able to stop
thinking about it. He said, once you have this language down I have
great things in store for you, and you will go to some great places. I
don't know what he meant by it, but I really want to learn this
language fully now!!
I want to end by challenging all of you that read my email to read the
Book of Mormon if you haven't. I don't care if you are a member or a
none member, I know that the things contained in it can help you all
in your daily needs. Also if you have never read the book Jesus the
Christ, try to read it. I have learned so much about my purpose here
and the worth of souls. I testify that this work is the work of God
and I promise if you do these things and ponder them in your mind and
pray, you will feel more peace and joy in your life. I know it to be
true!
Thank you all for caring for me and for praying for me! Never forget
whose work this is!!
I love all of you so much.
Con Amor,
Elder Spendlove

 

This is me with Elder Ray just after our Exchange. It was an amazing 24 hours of full Spanish!

 

 This is two little kids of a recent member who we were on exchange with!! They have so much energy and only speak Spanish. It was so fun!!!

 

And this is by far my favorite picture, I look at this when I am having a hard time and it always helps me!!!!! With faith in Christ we can do all things!!!!

Con Amor,

Elder Spendlove

Week Two

Holly cow it is crazy how fast time has been flying for me! So this

week a lot of things happened. To start off we were blessed with

another a/c unit for a box (aka our apartment) and it has been

freezing cold ever since. We study in temperatures of around 66 to 68

degrees. That sounds freezing, but you are in the 100 plus degree

weather all day tracting it is amazing to shiver a bit.

We also had pretty much a full day of service last week on Wednesday.

We went to the food bank and sorted foods for around three hours, but

to get there and back took around 2 hours by bike and bus, so the time

really added up. It felt amazing to work with other churches for one

simple purpose of helping other people. That night we went to

Guadalupe's house for dinner and a lesson, and she made the best

Mexican food I have ever had! I say this because I usually am not a

fan of fish, but her fish was to die for!! So after dinner we taught

her the restoration again, and it was amazing to see how she started

to open up and share experiences and her testimony. I know she will be

a great asset to her ward if she keeps doing those simple steps of

reading, pondering, and praying. All of us can become stronger member

through these 3 steps. We all have a simple purpose in life. We are

all missionaries and missionaries teach investigators. Start with

yourself as the investigator and be converted first unto the lord, and

I promise you will strive and want to share what you have with every

person you see. So I try to stay as positive as I can in my letters,

because I really am loving it. But I received a letter that said to

please share about the hard times and the good times. So this week for

me the hard times happened everyday. Missions are not easy. I struggle

a lot with the language and a lot of people slam the door in our

faces, our appointments fall through and people drive by and say some

vulgar things all the time. So why do am I serving? I am serving

because I love the lord, because I know that everyone is a child of

God they just don't realize it yet. Jesus Christ did not give up on us

and still loved and wanted the best for those who crucified him. I

will probably not be crucified, but I am challenged, but through

Christ example and attributes I can find the good in every person I

see. So as I was having struggles this week I had a friend send me a

package and in this package there were 2 quotes that I needed so

badly. One of them states, You are loved more than you will ever know

by someone who died to know you. -Romans 5:8

And the second one said, those who move forward with a Happy Spirit

will find that things always work out. - President Hinkley

These I put to use this week and I found so much for happiness through

living them.

I also received a package from my parents and letters and snacks that

really boosted my energy and confidence. My companion loves his new

tie mom and dad, and I love everything you got me!! The BYU shirt is

something I was definitely missing.

The next day we taught a younger girl named Hennessy and she committed

to be baptized on the 15 of August so our goal now is to get her to

come to church and keep her commitments so that she can be baptized on

that date. So Sunday my companion gave me an opportunity to talk about

one of our investigators in ward mission correlation meeting, and I

was scared out of my mind, because it is in Spanish. I did great and

learned so much, and then I was asked to play the piano for the

primary kids to practice songs for their program next week and what an

experience that was! I am slowly learning the language, and I can

slowly start to understand more of what people say. It really was an

amazing week.

I hope this covers a lot of what you all wanted to hear? Please keep

sending me the emails and letters, they help me so much. I love

hearing about the family things and things going on. Yes I get a

little homesick, but then I realize that 22 months from now I will get

to do all those things with you all!

¡Feliz Cumpleaños! To my cute little niece Berkeyboo, I hope you have

an amazing day and eat lots of Doug-nos(doughnuts). Also happy

birthday to Adam on the 5th and Jaden on the 6th, and Annie James on

the 7th. I hope you all have amazing birthdays!!

I love you all so much!!! Please read, ponder, and pray daily for

personal revelation that you desperately need each day. I promise the

Lord will bless you as you do theses things.

Con Amor,

Elder Spendlove

 

 

Week One: Fort Worth Texas

¡Hola mí familia! ¿Cómo estan sus días sin me? Por favor saben que

estoy feliz y que mí padre en el cielo me ama mucho. Aveces la obra es

dificil, Pero yo se que yo puedo ser más cerca de Dios mediante

serviendo las personas en esta ciudad. Tambien yo tengo amor por la

gente de esta ciudad. Aveces Ellos no entienden porque somos aqui,

Pero nosotros obtengamos un amor por ellos.

Yo se que esta obra es verdadero y mediante leyendo el libro de mormón

podemos recibir muchas benediciones y ser más cerca con Dios

Put this into google translate to see what it says!

Hola family and friends, it feels so good to be able to finally email

again! It has been a little while because of traveling to the field

and missing p-day and all, but I am so glad to be Out in the field and

have already had some amazing experiences.

So I arrived around 11:30 on Tuesday and had the opportunity to go to

the mission home and have dinner with Presidente Ames and Hermana

Ames. They are so sweet and I am so amazed by the words they speak.

They speak so simple, but get such an amazing message acrossed to me

individually.

I am living in an apartment made of brick and plaster that has a

little ad unit in the window. So as you can imagine the bricks heat up

and the temperature in our apartment is about 90 degrees ever day. We

live next to a members house. Brother and sister Peña are so sweet and

always give us rides and watermelon to cool us down. My address for

now is 2745 S. Adams St. Forth Worth, Texas 76110.

The next day I had the opportunity to meet my companion Elder

Schuhmacher! He is from California and has been out for 13 months!! He

is an amazing Missionary that is so hard working and dedicated. For

instance the first day i arrived in the field we got on our bikes and

headed straight out to work. We do not have a car in our area and ride

buses and bikes everywhere we go. Some days reach 100 plus more

humidity than I am used to, but the work is fun.

I met my first so called "Texas talker" which means a drunk person who

just talks and talks about the bible and things he thinks are corrupt

about the Book of Mormon. This man asked me a question that hit me

hard, do you really believe that Smith boy was a prophet who talked to

god?. And I was so proud to be able to say with my whole heart that I

did believe through Joseph Smith and the power of God that we have

this gospel today.

We found a man named Francisco and taught him the first lesson in

preach my gospel and all he could say was, wow I want to change my

life and I know I can. So we are going to keep working with him and

see where he goes!

Finally I am am learning to understand how to speak this language, but

at times I can not understand a word that is said your investigators

and members.

So we're waiting at a bus stop the other day and an African American

man walked up to us and asked if we had a few dollars he could have.

He had not eaten in 2 days and was starving and he needed a bus ticket

that was about 2 dollars. So we gave his a few dollars and talked to

him about the gospel and had a prayer with him and it just felt so

good to serve with a full purpose of heart. After the prayer he looked

at use and said, you two must be my angels today, I have been praying

for someone to help me and you two did, thank you. The feeling of love

ran through my body and made me realize what I am doing out in Fort

Worth Texas.

So Saturday me and my companion had our first baptism with a sweet

Latino woman named Guadalupe. She was baptized by a member, but wanted

a picture with us so we would never forget us. I will send a few

pictures to you at the end.

And yesterday was my first time in full meeting in Spanish. Wow did my

head hurt when church was over, but I did learn a lot about how the

language is used and I am learning more vocab for sure.

Thank you for all the emails that have been sent. I love hearing from

all of you. I pray for all of you everyday, multiple times. And right

now I am especially praying you Grandma and Jody.

Please keep me updated on how grandma does. Tell her how much I love her!

I know this is where I am supposed to be and I am loving it!

This church is true and I know that with all of my heart!!

Please go and read the lessons in preach my gospel and see how they

apply to you, and also please go and read through Alma 1-2 and tell me

your thoughts of it when looking at it with spiritual eyes.

I love you all!!

Con Amor,

Elder Spendlove