The Power of Prayer and Goal setting!

Dear Family and Friends,

I am so grateful for this week! I hope you are all safe and please know I love you! Have a great week!

Week of April 3rd - 9th 2017

Monday:

Well today was a wonderful day and at the same time it was a super quick Pday! I was very happy with our choice today to just relax for the morning and do some emailing and cleaning before we got to crazy into our day! I was so stunned to begin what is called My Plan, because I always associated that program to the older missionaries, and then it hit me that I really am getting close and that I need to cherish every moment even more. It amazed me how focus driven the program was and I am excited to keep planing and setting goals as I move closer. This evening I had the privilege of beginning an exchange with Elder Broberg and going to his area while Elder Hooper had Elder Flake stayed in the area! I was so impressed with the magnificent things that I learned just by driving Back. I love being with Elder Broberg and being lifted by him and just laughing and feeling loved! Great Exchange! Today I didn't have much to say!

Tuesday:

Today however I have plenty of thoughts! Oh how grateful I am for Elder Broberg and his simple teaching by his example to me. Everything that he did was trying to follow and teach as if Following the exact steps and phases that he would say to my questions and actions. Today I felt so strongly the spirit of the Lord as I served and worked as hard as I could! Today Elder Broberg and I were able to hold, throughout he whole day, a gospel based conversation about Doctrine and about the Zone. As we talked and studied he taught me amazing truths about how leading is really lifting, motivating, inspiring, and blessing all by my actions and what I say to build them up. We were very busy and as we went to TCC campus we were able to go and contact people and we talked to 19 people in an hours time and placed 4 Book of Mormon and got 4 numbers and a few set lessons! It was really an interesting time to see how we could boost our investigators in the YSA area! I was very impressed that before every lesson he did a quick overview of the lesson and then we prayed very specifically on what should be taught and receiving guidance. As we did this, every lesson we focused on following our first prompting and being first prompting spiritual responders and I was amazed and blown away by how the lessons went and how the Holy Ghost gave us both very inspired questions and ideas. Elder Broberg and I would then leave and evaluate the lesson and it felt even better when we both saw those same promptings influence our lesson. What I learned is that doing the basics correctly and even over and beyond, such as praying very specifically, that God truly guides and gives us Miracles! I am so grateful that I was able to serve around Elder Broberg my whole mission and for his love and kindness and example now as an Assistant. He truly is one of my best friends! 

Wednesday:

This morning for both Elder Hooper and I was a rough start to our day, both being super tired, however, it was an amazing day by the time we ended the day! We had a few really good lessons and they really got us pumped for the next couple of lessons! I think one that I loved was the one we had with Gabby Macintosh. She is a 21 year old and the one we found this past week! She has been progressing like crazy and today we talked to her about Baptism. She then looked at us and said, "how long do I have to wait to be baptized?" We both more than stunned responded and said that she could decided her date and decided that the 6th of May would be a good date for her! She seemed so excited and also really enjoyed the tour of the institute building that we gave her. As the day went one we had a few dropped lessons and had the chance to contact a few different people. As we were out and about, we met and had a good visit with a Less active lady named Katrina, along with her parents. As we visited we got laughing and having a good time and were able to connect well with all of them. Katrina is the only member, and so we shared a small video with them on Gratitude, and even the parents really enjoyed it and began to ask questions about how our church is different from their church. To end the evening off strong we had a really good visit with Cindy Spahr about Joseph Smith and the restoration with a very amazing member named Brother Bacon. As we taught he shared his conversion and it really was a sweet experience and Cindy did open up more! She even kneeled with us and prayed specifically saying she wanted an answer from him if she was learning the truth. It was a really wonderful experience. Just the past few days have been so tiring for me, but I am grateful for every last bit of energy that I have put into the people here!

Thursday:

Today I was very impressed and happy with how our weekly planning turned out! I feel like some weeks we are so worn down that we almost can't attempt a 3 hour planning session. However, I was so impressed as I just remembered how Jesus was always tired, but he still made the best out of every moment. Every time those thoughts come across my mind I can't help but just smack myself for saying I can't do it, when Jesus Christ did it! I am not saying I am even close to him, but I am trying to be like him! So as I was stating, our planning today was probably one of the better ones of my mission, where we were very focused and pushed to plan for our investigators in mind and really have been happy to see as our area has been changing. As we finished with our planning we just had some cool experiences happen where we went with a less active lady to tour the church and our bishop and wife were there along with another sweet family, the Peal family! It was a wonderful experience and we also were able to find a new investigator out of it! The granddaughter who is 13! So something else really amazing and a miracle to me is that as we ate with a YSA member and his family we were able to teach a small lesson to his nonmember family, and the sister in law was somewhat interested and so we are going to begin teaching her as well! Jeremy Hernandez and his family are really awesome! I am grateful for the opportunities I have to meet these wonderful families and people! To end the evening I was blessed to be able to attend Institute with Jesus Rubio and then share a lesson with him, with a Steven Jordan. Our institute class was on Judges and Ruth, and it was a very positive class and lesson! I am grateful for the Gospel and what it has done for me!

Friday: 

Today was a crazy feeling realizing that I only can attend one more MLC like I did today on my mission before I arrive home. I feel I didn't only receive revelation to help the missionaries in my zone, but today I also heard the Lord teach me things I need to apply as I prepare to go home! It was very powerful to think those thoughts. I love so much the training and revelation that I receive while at the feet of President and Elder Broberg and Flake. They truly are wonderful teachers and examples! One of the major things we talked about today was the importance of doing things that truly fulfill our purpose and Asking Inspired Questions. As I went through the meeting I was very impressed by how my personal questions that I thought began to change. I asked questions that made me think, soul search and then commit myself. These simple questions helped me have a desire to change, to become a better missionary and person! I am grateful for a perfect man, even Jesus Christ, who can show me his example as I study and read his words as he asked questions throughout all of the scriptures! Today as we finished our meeting we went and met a guy named Paul, who seemed to want to discuss and argue points, but we asked inspired questions and told him he would receive his answers through the simple lessons we have. He, however, is very knowledgeable about the Bible, and doesn't quite understand what prophets have. (Power, or Priesthood) and because of that he questions why a prophet is needed in today's world when it doesn't mention it in the Bible. It was hard to truly answer his question. As I tried he just seemed to disagree with my testimony. It didn't hurt my testimony, but I wish he would be open to our message. To end the Evening we taught both Gabby and Aaron! They are doing amazing and progressing very well! Gabby is still set for her date, but Aaron will have to push his back just a bit so that his Father can attend! We hope it doesn't get pushed back to far! All in all it was a great day's and Aaron ask me if I would baptize him!

Saturday:

Well today I finally had the time to open up my St. Patrick's Day package that I got from the Elders Graham and Lakey. So it has been siting for just a few minutes, however, it made my day! My parents are the best! So today was a pretty packed day of both giving service and teaching, along with finding time for two Coordination meetings. Both turned out really good, however, by he end of the day we were both Zombies! One of the lessons we taught after giving service and racking the leaves for a less active member, was to an investigator who lives in quite a dirty and smelly apartment with her boyfriend and roommate. They didn't really have furniture so we sat on the floor and that messed me up! However, they were very polite and kind. I think one of the things I enjoyed was our dinner with Alexis and Brittany Selvera, where we ate at Niza Pizza, a really good pizza joint. As we ate we talked about their conversion process and the Book of Mormon and then showed them the prince of Peace video and they loved it! As we headed out they asked, wat are the numbers to your parents!? We would like to send them a message and thank them for sending heir sons out to serve. That made us feel good and we were happy to give those to them! What I learned today was the importance of relating to and teaching to the needs of the investigators! Elder Hooper is always so good at that and it really impresses me!

Sunday:

Sundays come and go, and after meeting a return missionary of a week in church today in the YSA Ward I learned a vital lesson. Life gets crazy and I need to enjoy every moment. He also said, "when you are a missionary, Sundays are never a day of rest! They are in a sense, but we are busiest on Sundays! So today was wonderful because Matt Gilstrap, who has been home for a week from Gilbert Arizona, is now home and he was my companion while alone at the Institute building for church today. None of our original investigators came to church today, but a roommate of a recent convert came to church today and was more than open about learning more and seemed to love church and want to come back next week. That was a pretty amazing experience. I also wanted to express my feelings about our lesson and the progress of Victoria Bernard, another investigator we are teaching. We had a wonderful lesson and talked about the plan of Salvation with her. She seemed to believe or feel it all made sense, and we just had a powerful time teaching out of the scriptures the Plan of Salvation and Adam and Eve. She was touched I know and we invited her to pray to close the meeting and also to pray through the week and she agreed to both. During her second prayer ever said she asked God to help her know that what we are teaching is true and to have a desire and feelings of the spirit. She asked with a sincerity that truly brought me joy. I may never have the chance to see her I the waters of baptism or even in the sacred temple, but I will do all I can to get her closer than before! Also tonight we were asked by a girlfriend of a member this question. "Do you know that the church is true?" And we responded yes. Then she said, "then why do you have to continue to seek more answers through prayer to know again? Is that a form of doubting your belief?" I ask you the same question! Why do we doubt what we know is true? This truly made me think! I loved today so much! 

Con Amor,

Elder Spendlove

De la Misión de Texas Fort Worth