WEEK FIFTEEN

Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you so much for all of the thoughts, prayers, love and support!
I can feel it everyday! These weeks just keep going faster and faster
and it is so crazy! So yesterday I talked to a missionary whose
"mission dad" was the elder Leavitt I was supposed to say hi too! He
showed me a picture and it looks just like he is part of the family!
Also I had so many amazing experiences! I also received that my soccer
coach went through the temple again with all of his family! The
feeling that brings me is so crazy! I know that temples and the
priesthood can truly seal us for time and all eternity with our
families. And the amazing thing is that everyone is welcome to go to
the temple! All you have to do is simply read the repent, be baptized,
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and then do the simple steps of
following the commandments. I promise you can have this true never
ending happiness if you just try!
So my week in a nutshell!
Week November 2-8 2015


Monday:
I really am in love with my P-days, all except for how fast they fly
by! So today we had so much going on I just had a hard time finding
time to write letter, email and clean! However I did realize that the
day flew by because I was so busy! So today we were picked up by the
English elders and went shopping at a store called Aldis where
everything is an off brand and much cheaper, and there is a huge
produce section! After we finished shopping we went to the Stock yards
again and had a lot of fun looking in the old fashion shops! We also
went into a shop of a member and went into a back room to sign a
missionary wall where all of the missionaries for the past 3 years
have signed as they have gone to the shop! And now my name is on this
wall with all these missionaries and it will always be there!!! It is
a place I definitely want to visit again when I come back with my
parents! Also we went to the church to play games, but no one showed
up,so I shot some hoops and emailed the rest of pday which was good
with me! As we got home I receive a package from my friend Stefani
with some really awesome treats! Thanks Stafani!

Also we went straight to work on contacting a referral that we
received. As we knocked on the door they saw us and said, we don't
speak English. Haha we began laughing and yelled back that we spoke
Spanish and a sweet lady opened the door! We talked to her and asked
for her husband and she said my oh well he is working. So we told her
we would come back and I think she felt bad, so she told us he was
eating in the kitchen. It really hurt me. These people really don't
understand what we do and why we do it. The world would rather lie
than just tell us the truth. So my thoughts changed from asking them
questions and just testifying to them of the blessings of the gospel
in my life and from reading the Book of Mormon! So that is what we did
with the next person we saw! And something amazing is he said he
wanted to go to church this Sunday so we are going to get him there
somehow!! Really we had an amazing day and I just feel so boosted and
ready as I finish messaging my family and hearing about there
testimonies! Something I learned is that the Book of Mormon is
something very important to have a testimony of. If we believe in the
Book of Mormon is doesn't matter who our bishop is or what has
happened between people, because we don't believe in the people being
perfect, but we believe and know that the book is and that means that
we always go to church and do the right things! I challenge you this
week to strengthen your testimony in the Book of Mormon!

Tuesday:
I feel like I always start my journal of by saying wow today was a
great day, so I am going to change it up a bit! Holy cow, today was an
awesome day!
So today we had the awesome opportunity to go and serve at the food
bank! As we got there and we're waiting for the rest of the
missionaries to show up a man walked up to us and asked if we were
missionaries. We said yes, and he asked if we could say a prayer for
him. He just started a 2 year program for his addiction and he lives
inside of a addiction recovery facility and only comes out 2 days a
week for service in the food bank and he felt like he was on the
breaking point of drinking again. So I prayed and he was very grateful
and after we explained how we are on a two year life changing
adventure and talked to him about the Book of Mormon. He said he
wanted one, but sadly had to leave before we had one for him! I really
hope that he will look into how the gospel can help him! Also today
after our service we began an exchange with the north side elders,
elder Cervantes and Revelli.  I got to go in my area with an amazing
missionary, elder Cervantez! He is a native speaker and has a lot of
good tips to help me! I really can't find a missionary I don't like!
So we had the opportunity to go and teach Martin and Hennessy and
Mesmerize! It was so good to see them and we set the date of the 14 of
this month for the baptism of Martin! Now we just need to help him get
there!! We also came back to the house and got picked up by Jhonny
Garcia to teach him a quick lesson about the plan of salvation and
help answer some questions! It was an amazing lesson and I felt
amazing being able to express my feeling and everything in Spanish!
Also on our ride home I sat in the back of his car and talked with his
two cute kids Micheal and Kimberly in Spanish, because that is all
they know, and I learned so much!! What a fast and eventful day!

Wednesday:
So today a lot of amazing things happened to us and it just amazes me
on how my mentality changes! So today we ended our exchange with Elder
Cervantes and Elder Revelli. I learned so much from Elder Cervantes
and I am so happy for the opportunity I had! Also we had our District
meeting today and I learned so much but I was also able to teach a
training on how the gospel blesses families. I felt like it went okay
and I learned a lot from it to! So today after our meetings and car
checks we went to San Luis to eat at 2 and then after we ate we
realized that we had a dinner tonight with the bishops wife who always
makes crazy amounts of food for us. As we went to the dinner we went
by this house of a member, but they weren't home, so we went to the
neighbors house and had great success! We taught an amazing lesson on
the Book of Mormon! The best part was she told us a time to come back
and then we went to dinner! At dinner the bishop Picon told us a lot
of good stories and we really found out some good theirs that we can
teach and do to get the members stronger! After our amazing dinner we
headed across town to teach Erica and her family, but come to find out
we got pulled over!! The lady officer told us the area has been full
of crime and she didn't want us to get hurt or our bikes stollen and
we were supposed to go home, because it was dark, and this was at like
6:30. So we decided to change plans and head home! We didn't know how
we were going to reach our goals and we just had the thought that it
was going to be okay. Well we got back to the other side of town and
just looked at our area book and found people that might be
interested. So we actually found 2 people and taught them lessons on
the door step and then I have an amazing story of what happened this
evening before we got home. So we were biking home tonight and passed
this guy sitting under a tree in the dark and he waved at us so I
waved at him and just said good evening in Spanish. As we were biking
away I just said, Elder we have to go back. He said, where? So I told
him about the guy and we went back and he thanked us so much for
coming back. He said he had been praying for us to come back and
listen and his prayer was answered! So we talked to him and came to
find out that he just got fired from his job and was trying to drink
away the pain. So we just talked to him about the church and so much
about life and we looked over and saw a lady at a store trying to take
out her garbage  sand so I told him hold on and I went and helped her
with her trash and came back. Then he told us, okay I want to know
more! Some gave him a Book of Mormon, and it was just an amazing day!
I learned that when I don't feel like working, I need to work!

Thursday:
Wow today everything is just clicking for me! I am still having
problems with the the language, but today for some reason I was able
to just talk more smoothly and understand more of what was happening
in our lessons and visits! So today we had our weekly planning and
then went and found an investigator named Erik who was leaving his
house. At first he said he was in a hurry, but then we asked him a few
questions, and he stopped and sat down and we talked to him about
these things and he wants us to come tomorrow night to teach him and
his wife a little bit more! It is amazing how simple questions can
change a full contact! So after we contacted Erik Hermano Delgado, the
Elders Quorum President came and picked us up for a dinner with the
sweet old lady sister Aviña. So we ate with her and had a great
conversation, but for me, I learned a lot of new words to boost the
confidence of these older ladies. A lot of times they feel like they
aren't good for anything because their husbands have passed alway, but
the way Hermano Delgado showed his love was amazing. As we were
talking he just began to do her dishes because she fell today and was
really sore. And after he gave her an amazing blessing! After our
dinner we went to the church to have an activity with the young men.
We were planning on doing a lot of Rescue Visits, but barely anyone
showed up and they all showed up late, so at around 8:15 pm me and
Elder Revelli went with Hermano Delgado, who is just so dedicated to
the house of some young men. Sadly, as we knocked we got the same
normal missionary response of nothing. So he asked me, Elder what can
we do? It hit me hard. This member is not thinking of himself. One
doesn't answer, but someone else might! If I could say anything to
every ward in this world I would say, stop thinking of yourself, and
you will find yourself. You will become more like Christ and things
will work out! I know that is true, because I see it in this member.
If I could only get every member to understand this. So my commitment
to all of you is to forget about yourself for a day and see if you see
a difference in your attitude!

Friday:
So today was a day of adventures and miracles all around! So today
after our studies we went to the house of a less active family that
signed up to feed us and we ate lunch with them! As we were visiting
in the kitchen it really just hit me at how blessed I am. I was
listening to the sisters story of not having papers or license to be
here  and the struggles they are having and looking around there house
at their makeshift counter tops and shelves when it just hit me at how
many things I take for granted. I was amazed at how happy they were,
because this is more than they have ever had before! So as the sister
left the room for a second and left me and my companion alone we were
looking at all the different things when we saw all these cockroaches
run out of the cooking utensils and a few from the beans we were going
to eat! Um I was not quite sure how I felt about being in the house
let alone eating the food that was prepared for us, but before we
could do anything the sister walked back in the room, and we didn't
want to make her feel bad by telling her about the cockroaches she
probably already knew about because of the stacked house. So she
served our food and I just couldn't look at what I was eating because
I knew I would see something I probably didn't want too. However the
food was really amazing and worth it! And the funny thing is I will
probably be getting used to it, because she signed up for us to go
over every Friday to eat! After our amazing, kind of nasty, meal we
asked the sister if she new anyone that needed the gospel near by and
she directed us to a less active member that moved in across the
street about 5 months ago and she was having a hard time going back to
church. So we went over and knocked and she, Hna. Juarez, opened the
door and right always got us chairs to sit outside because her
boyfriend was gone, and also got us cake. So we sat outside and got to
know this less active for about and hour and come to find out she has
gone through a lot and can't get a real job because she doesn't have
papers either, and she wants to quite her job so she doesn't work
Sunday's, but she doesn't know where or when she will find another one
without the need of papers. She was very nice and actually set up the
next appointment for us! She told us her goal is to finalize her
Divorce  and get married within the next month and then later in the
temple!. It was awesome to see her drive, but now helping her find a
job will be the struggle. So after the random visit with her we went
to the church for elder Lickiss to plan district meeting while I
practiced the piano! It is so nice to have this time to just sit and
play and feel the spirit so strong on the chapel! After my spiritual
jam sesh we took the bus more south to the house of a member outside
of our area to  have dinner! As we were biking down the street to the
house I saw to drunk guys siting in the bed of their truck and I told
them "Buenas Tardes." The only thing they could say to me was do you
want a beer, and i just said no, but I should have said, "well  do you
want a picture of Jesus Christ and a Book of Mormon?" Sadly I am not
quite quick enough! So tonight we had an amazing dinner with the
family Dominguez. We talked about a lot of different things, but the
only thing that lingered the whole time was me living by the FLDS
people and their beliefs, so I had the opportunity to share what it
was like going to school with some of them and what it is like in good
old Hurricane! It was a really relaxing time for me, and I really
enjoyed their love for us! I think the biggest things I learned today
were that when you see cockroaches running out of you predished food
you just have to keep your eyes and mind focused on something else,
and that we will always be tempted in the littlest ways, but if we
know ahead of time how we will respond it is much easier! How will you
respond when someone tries to offer you so,etching that is against
your beliefs, or are they even beliefs for you!?

Saturday:
Holy Cow! Today has been a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions!
Meaning that there was so many things that happened today that I felt
stressed, spiritual, homesick/mission sick and love all in the same
day!! I know it sounds stupid, but I learned so much today! So we
started off the day going to Joshua Texas to give service helping the
American Red Cross install smoke detectors in random homes! It was a
really fun time and I really had an opportunity to get to know the
fire fighters of Joshua and of course I had a lot of questions! Also
during our service it was freezing cold, and I was in a rush this
morning and forgot my jacket, but as we knocked on this door an older
lady answered and said she was okay, but saw me in the back ground and
chewed me out for being outside without a jacket. I explained what
happened and told her I was alright and then we left with my pride a
little beat up. As we got to the road the lady opened her door and
said, "alright little brother, get over here! You can have my work
jacket and keep warm!" It was not the cleanest or best smelling, but
she would let me walk away until I put it on. As I walked away I just
had a change of heart with a lot of my thoughts of the majority of
people in the area! She was willing to give me her jacket that she was
wearing so that I could be warm, a random guy she just barely met.
Then my thoughts turned, what do I offer the people i randomly meet on
the streets!? Do I give enough? Do I show my love?
So all of that hit me and then we went to my first ever DLC meeting
with our Zone Leaders, elder Siniscalchi and Myer and the Sister
Training Leaders, sister Mangelson and Yingling. At first I was
confused at what it was, but it opened my eyes up to the whole process
of leadership and my mission! I am only e companion of the District
leader, but I was taking notes like there was no tomorrow! I had so
many ideas for the future and had an amazing time, but as we got close
to the end we ran into a wall on what to teach the zone, and I will
never forget the idea of sister Mangelson, "why don't we pray?" So we
did, and not even two minutes later had an agreement on something and
it was amazing. And with this Elder Siniscalchi had a spiritual
experience and bore testimony of the atonement and asked us to forgive
him, because he feels he needs to do more to help us. So it changed
all of our hearts to be more willing to do the will of the lord. Also
I feel it brought us so much closer as a leadership! So tonight we
also practice singing the song, Lead Kindly light, with the district,
because we are going to sing it in the Mission presidents fireside
tomorrow! It sounds so pretty and I am so excited!
So I am just sitting after an amazing day and really thinking things
through And just keep thinking back to a thing I saw Hna. Mangelson do
in the meeting. So as we finished praying she just sat there as if she
was still praying or just thinking, and it really got me to thinking,
there is an amazing spirit that is different about these sister
missionaries. They just have so much faith and love. They understand
their purpose and I learn from them each day. However I would say it
is a life thing. There is a reason that the mom is so important they
truly have an amazing spirit about them. How grateful I am for all of
the women influence I have had in my life, my mom, sisters, grandmas,
aunts, and friends. All have helped me learn so much and have changed
my life for the better! No I understand more the phrase this is my
better half. What an amazing day, and it will only get better as the
days go on!

Sunday:
Wow today was such a spiritual day! We had so much going on that it is
10:28 pm and I am just getting in the house and writing before we go
to bed! So today we had our missionary correlation meeting this
morning at 10 and a regional conference start at 11. During our
missionary correlation we had Hno. Ashton bare his testimony and it
was so strong! I love that man so much and the things he helps us with
every single day as we go through the the trials and the good times!
He is always there no matter what is happening with him! Also after
our amazing meeting we went in and watched the conference in Spanish,
and I didn't get to much out of the first talk, because the Spanish so
so fast and in a crazy weird accent that I couldn't quite understand.
The second one and the last one I understood the most, and my favorite
part was the importance of every member doing their part in the
missionary work. It is something we have told our ward for months, and
it is so nice having back up from the leaders of the church on this!
Also our investigator didn't come... And along with that me and elder
Lickiss were thinking and praying about what we should do with him and
his family, and we feel that they are missing a lot of the important
doctrine because of a lack of knowledge on the Spanish gospel words,
so we have prayed and will be handing over our investigator to some
English elders. It is hard to do, because we have taught him until
know where he is ready to be baptized and then we realized what we
were doing is not helping him like we thought it would. After the
conference we practice our song with the pianist, the wife of
President Petersen, who is the second counselor to President Ames.
They we so amazing and we really figured out what we were going to do!
So we got home long enough to go out and contact for around and hour
before we had dinner and got ready for the presidents fireside. So we
were walking down this street and saw a lady sitting on her porch! So
we walked up and just started to talk to her and come to find out she
loves going to church and learning, and she wanted to learn more! So
we told her we would be back tomorrow or the next to read with her in
the Book of Mormon and she was so excited. However before we met her
we just didn't know what to do. We were lost, because we could not
find anyone. As we sat thinking we said, "God let us come here for a
reason, now what or who do we need to find?" Well as you can see
everything happens for a reason and we can learn so much from God if
we just do what he says. Do try to know what the blessing is before
you do the thing or else the blessing won't feel as a blessing. I hope
you understand what I mean.
So tonight at the fireside we had the opportunity to sing in front of
a lot of people and it was such a good experience! I love to sing, and
I miss singing with my group! I hope when I return they will all want
to sing again! So with President Ames he talked to everyone about when
he was growing up in the mountain town in Utah and did cattle drives
all the time and this calf that always went astray because he was
blind. Well he tied this in with the calf being us and the horseman
being Heavenly Father! He helped me a lot and I love one scripture he
shared. Ecclesiastes 12:7 in this verse it says you will return to the
God who gave you life. RETURN, that means you were once there! And
there was some other great scriptures that helped me realize a lot! I
loved it so much and am so glad I have the opportunity to serve in
this mission! What a day!

Thank you all so much for the examples you are! And know that I pray
for each of you every single day! I challenge each of you whether you
are a member or not, struggling of doing just fine to read the Book of
Mormon for only 20 minutes a day and you will feel more peace and
happiness in your life and have a more open mind on the things you
need to do every day!! I know this church is true because I have had
the spirit testify that it is so many times. I know that God loves and
knows each of us individually and we can feel that love more
abundantly as we pray. I know that we can all return and live with God
as we us the atonement in our lives! The atonement is always there for
us, because it is a daily process! I love you all and know that this
is where I need to be. I stand by Joseph Smith when I say that this is
the true and living church and I will always stand by him! I invite
you all to come and join with me!
I hope all of you have a great week!

Con Amor,
Elder Spendlove!