Date
July 9, 2018
Area
Pioneer Ward, Tempe YSA Stake
Companion
Hermana Darlene Lopez
Eyebrows Up, Heads Down
Heyo,
Don't know if I added this to my last email and if I did then excuse my manners.. Last P-Day we had a great experience, I locked us out of our apartment (way to go greenie). Haha we just laughed and called our roommates who came and rescued us. We also thought we had like $5 when we went grocery shopping but we had much more than that cause we had just gotten money on our card, it's okay I like bread and milk (which is all I got) haha.
Another experience that will make no sense over email, but if you want to read this paragraph go for it! We helped a lady Miss Jackson move. Why do I bring this up? We had about 14 missionaries there and it took us 7 hours! She had a room of just hats and that took a while, she was really nice though, we had to settle her comments down to a minimum and she kept trying to be a match maker with the Elders and Sisters, super awkward lol.
Later that day after helping Miss Jackson we were exhausted but continued the work cause that's just what you do here, and love it. We went to find a potential person to teach and her boyfriend was over. Turns out she just became a Jehovah's witness. They were super nice to us and we talked for about 50 minutes about our religion and their religion. We had answers to questions that their bible could not answer, but it wasn't a bible bash at all, we were both learning and teaching. We hope to go back and read the Book of Mormon with them to help them feel the spirit as we testify of it's truth. They were so cool! Trea (sounds like Trey) and Tia (:
Dymes: She is doing good, we have started to meet with her over video calls via Facebook. She is in the middle of considering Mormonism and Buddhism so it's just helping her recognize the spirit. She has said the Book of Mormon is true and she has a real desire to learn but her heart is still closed off to fundamental principles (for example: God is a male, he is our father). Also, when we taught her the Plan of Salvation we got to the Atonement and she said, "that's stretching it" when we told her that Christ suffered for her, personally. So that will be our next lesson, but she did come to church and is making friends with less actives and is basically bringing them to church with her it's great haha.
Aleks: Pray for him. We have moved his date, he is ready and he knows this church is true, but the advesary is working on him a lot. He had 3 surgeries within 2 weeks and he did not tell us this so as we were trying to meet with him and get everything planned for his baptism he said, "I feel pressured to do this". It felt so guilty.. We have taken a step back and have really focused on what he needs. He feels like God is punishing him for leaving his last church. It's frustrating being a missionary because we understand what's going on, but most the time the people we are teaching do not.
Preston: My heart broke, literally like never before, broke. Preston has moved back to Texas suddenly and knowing his background it is not safe for him to go back. I will not share his past, but we are seriously worried for him, he had hope here, he wanted to stay. We got the information that he moved from his brother and we weren't even able to ask him questions because we were in shock. I pray for his safety and that he will be found, it kills me to know that there is a chance I will never know what happens to Preston, so I'll just keep praying, it's all I can do.
We have a new investigator Adam, we will be teaching him on Wednesday so I'll try to give an update on that!
Awkward story: We have really begun to go out of our way to talk to people and one lady was walking towards us (with haste I might add) and we began to talk to her but she did not stop, so we walked with her asking questions until we could not keep up.. we were laughing so hard in the car.
JULY4th! What did I do? The question of the week! We needed to be home by 6 so we came home, ordered Barlows Pizza (delicious) and played games with our roommates, there you go, not that exciting but it was still fun.
Here's my thought I want to share with all of you today. It hit me hard and really helped me. One morning before personal study I was remembering all the things I have done wrong in my life. I felt unworthy to be here. I'm here to tell you that God is aware of you. He was aware of me, I had that thought then during personal study I was in the book of Enos. Enos said, "my guilt was swept away" I wanted that feeling more than ever before!! I did more studying and found this quote:“Once we have truly repented, Christ will take away the burden of guilt for our sins. We can know for ourselves that we have been forgiven and made clean. The Holy Ghost will verify this to us; He is the Sanctifier. No other testimony of forgiveness can be greater. …“[The Lord] declared, ‘Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more’ (D&C 58:42).“Satan will try to make us believe that our sins are not forgiven because we can remember them. Satan is a liar; he tries to blur our vision and lead us away from the path of repentance and forgiveness. God did not promise that we would not remember our sins. Remembering will help us avoid making the same mistakes again. But if we stay true and faithful, the memory of our sins will be softened over time. This will be part of the needed healing and sanctification process” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 101).I am able to remember my faults so I can grow, but I know that I am forgiven, and I am so grateful for Christ's Atonement which allows me to feel this peace.
I love all of you!! Missionary work is hard in every way, but so worth it. There is nothing like knowing that in the end, no matter how small our army, we are on the winning team. God is with us, I've felt that and I know it to be true!
Sister Spencer
P.S.The subject of this email is just what we do as a mission. I don't know who started it but everyone.. EVERYONE even me now, will do this. We raise our eyebrows and lower our heads to just about anything. I don't know how to describe it.. anyway yeah there ya go, gotta love my awkward self haha.Pictures that need explaining:One picture I sent is with Sister Prestwich going to my mom's mission next week! I'm so sad to lose her but she will do great (: The one with red glasses is to help us remember our Zone vision to Be One with the Lord!