Hello to all,
This week has been a long week, that is for sure. However, it has been nice to have some people progressing! This week we had a family come to church, and they all really liked it! They are the Tocas Family. They are so sweet and the dad is really studying the Book of Mormon more than I have seen other people study and so it makes me so happy to see someone take so much interest in really searching the word of God.
We also took a nice long hike through some rice fields and farm lands, which I wish I took pictures that I don't have, but we were also almost attacked by some guard dogs when we came across a nice house in the middle of the field where she had all sorts of animals. Chickens, guinea pigs, turkeys, ducks, cats, birds, lots of different things. We stopped and talked with them, but I was secretly hoping just to have a new investigator because of how dope the place was and that there were trees and all.
I also have been drinking increased amounts of coca cola. I don't think it is a good habit, but when I need one, I need it! Hahahaha
Not a whole lot really happened this week that was exciting. I love and miss you guys! I hope you guys are all reading your scriptures and saying your prayers and all. I know the church is true!!!! You guys are the BEST.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Hello to all!!!
So this week was quite eventful. Also pretty long. However we worked hard and taught/met many people!!!
Crazy experience however. We were teaching an investigator who has two daughters and also her brother lives with her. Her brother is only 16 years old, although he looks much older since he is a little rough looking, with tattoos and all. However, we were teaching our investigator when her brother came running into the house, frantically searching for something, which happened to be like 6 inches away from me. Well, he grabs what he was looking for and bolts out of the house. We all looked at each other thinking that that was a little strange, when one of the daughters of our investigator comes running in the opposite direction. It turns out that this kid was getting into an fight and when he ran in, he grabbed a gun and ran out with this thing. We were all like `what just happened` super confused and a little scared because the gun WENT OFF when he entered the house where he was fighting. We later were sitting in her house when the investigator came back yelling at her brother and we witness him pack up his things and get kicked out of the house for bringing a gun and getting in fights and all. Later, and what scares us more, is this kid now lives directly in front of our apartment.......
We also have found a group of Venezuelans! However, these people have been through so much. They WALKED from Venezuela to Peru, which took them over a month to get here. Jeez that is a lot of walking. We have been trying to get to know all of them and have been teaching like 30 Venezuelans. The problem is that some of these people are rough looking and are straight up GANGSTERS, so we need to be careful because I don`t know how much I trust some of them. Haha.
We have a branch in Chepen, and I have to say a branch is way different than a ward. It is so much smaller! But it also feels like the people are so much closer, and it is nice to be able to remember their names since it is a smaller group. I love working with the members and receiving references from them and leaving with them to teach. Everyone has such powerful testimonies here and I love having them share their own testimony!!
Other than that, this week has been fairly busy and lots of working. Chepen is HUGE so we have to take motos everywhere and I am still learning the names of this place so hopefully I can be a little less lost soon, if that is possible. I love you guys and I know this church is true!!
I just want to share my testimony of the power that our examples have. Here in the mission we have come across some kids who are so wonderful. I know that from my personal testimony, that specifically my mom has been such a great example to me. I shared my testimony with one of the investigator moms that we have about the power and influence that she has on her kids. I remember being a little annoying kid and always walking into my parents bedroom to ask for things or who knows what. Some of the things that maybe I didn't take to heart in the moment but definitely realize now is when I walked in and would see my mom on her knees saying her personal prayers and secretly peering through the door to see what she was doing. In these moments is when I knew that the gospel and knowledge that we have is something special. Because if me, being a kid, saw my mom in private talking with God, I know that this is something important. Maybe I didn't do that like I should've, but being here I am now eternally grateful for the example my mom set for me. I have no doubt that I have truly been born of goodly parents. I bore my testimony to these parents we had as investigators and I know that this principle is extremely important. It isn't what my mom said to me, because I know I didn't listen, it was the integrity, the example, the love, and appreciation she showed through her simple private expression of faith in the prayers she gave which I know that our family was included in those prayers. I know when we live the gospel, not only listen but truly live the commandments, it is when we receive the blessings of heaven in more abundance than we can receive. If we read the scriptures, pray daily, pay our tithing, obey the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, and exercise our faith to do these things, then maybe we don't realize our blessings in the moment, but we are truly blessed. We are an example to the world, even if we feel no one is watching. You never know when there's that little kid, peering through the door to see what you are doing. And if you are the pure, honest, humble child of God, you can change lives just by your obedience and submissiveness to God. I know this is true because I was that little kid peering through the door, and my life has been changed by simple acts of faith.
I love you mom! I love you family!!!! I love you all!!!!!!!!! I hope you guys all have a great week!!!
Love,
Spence
P.S. here are some photos I took in Esperanza!
So this week was quite eventful. Also pretty long. However we worked hard and taught/met many people!!!
Crazy experience however. We were teaching an investigator who has two daughters and also her brother lives with her. Her brother is only 16 years old, although he looks much older since he is a little rough looking, with tattoos and all. However, we were teaching our investigator when her brother came running into the house, frantically searching for something, which happened to be like 6 inches away from me. Well, he grabs what he was looking for and bolts out of the house. We all looked at each other thinking that that was a little strange, when one of the daughters of our investigator comes running in the opposite direction. It turns out that this kid was getting into an fight and when he ran in, he grabbed a gun and ran out with this thing. We were all like `what just happened` super confused and a little scared because the gun WENT OFF when he entered the house where he was fighting. We later were sitting in her house when the investigator came back yelling at her brother and we witness him pack up his things and get kicked out of the house for bringing a gun and getting in fights and all. Later, and what scares us more, is this kid now lives directly in front of our apartment.......
We also have found a group of Venezuelans! However, these people have been through so much. They WALKED from Venezuela to Peru, which took them over a month to get here. Jeez that is a lot of walking. We have been trying to get to know all of them and have been teaching like 30 Venezuelans. The problem is that some of these people are rough looking and are straight up GANGSTERS, so we need to be careful because I don`t know how much I trust some of them. Haha.
We have a branch in Chepen, and I have to say a branch is way different than a ward. It is so much smaller! But it also feels like the people are so much closer, and it is nice to be able to remember their names since it is a smaller group. I love working with the members and receiving references from them and leaving with them to teach. Everyone has such powerful testimonies here and I love having them share their own testimony!!
Other than that, this week has been fairly busy and lots of working. Chepen is HUGE so we have to take motos everywhere and I am still learning the names of this place so hopefully I can be a little less lost soon, if that is possible. I love you guys and I know this church is true!!
I just want to share my testimony of the power that our examples have. Here in the mission we have come across some kids who are so wonderful. I know that from my personal testimony, that specifically my mom has been such a great example to me. I shared my testimony with one of the investigator moms that we have about the power and influence that she has on her kids. I remember being a little annoying kid and always walking into my parents bedroom to ask for things or who knows what. Some of the things that maybe I didn't take to heart in the moment but definitely realize now is when I walked in and would see my mom on her knees saying her personal prayers and secretly peering through the door to see what she was doing. In these moments is when I knew that the gospel and knowledge that we have is something special. Because if me, being a kid, saw my mom in private talking with God, I know that this is something important. Maybe I didn't do that like I should've, but being here I am now eternally grateful for the example my mom set for me. I have no doubt that I have truly been born of goodly parents. I bore my testimony to these parents we had as investigators and I know that this principle is extremely important. It isn't what my mom said to me, because I know I didn't listen, it was the integrity, the example, the love, and appreciation she showed through her simple private expression of faith in the prayers she gave which I know that our family was included in those prayers. I know when we live the gospel, not only listen but truly live the commandments, it is when we receive the blessings of heaven in more abundance than we can receive. If we read the scriptures, pray daily, pay our tithing, obey the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, and exercise our faith to do these things, then maybe we don't realize our blessings in the moment, but we are truly blessed. We are an example to the world, even if we feel no one is watching. You never know when there's that little kid, peering through the door to see what you are doing. And if you are the pure, honest, humble child of God, you can change lives just by your obedience and submissiveness to God. I know this is true because I was that little kid peering through the door, and my life has been changed by simple acts of faith.
I love you mom! I love you family!!!! I love you all!!!!!!!!! I hope you guys all have a great week!!!
Love,
Spence
P.S. here are some photos I took in Esperanza!
Monday, March 11, 2019
Parent update -
Spencer spent all his time chatting with me instead of writing an update email, so I told him I'd provide an update. Big changes this week moving to Chepen (which took 20 minutes of me repeating it and never once enunciated it correctly. I was saying something that sounded like Japan, saying it too slow, and putting the emphasis all over the place). His companion is from Mexico, from an Arizona border town, and Spencer really likes him. A cool note is that his trainer was first assigned to Chepen and the pensionista has his picture on the wall, so the small world connection was happy for Spencer. Also, this missionary was engaged a month after returning home, so he thought that was weird, but he was happy for him - the missionary was 28.
Chepen is apparently quite a bit wealthier than Esperanza. He said there are some really nice home. There's a slang word in Spanish for rich and fancy, I suppose similar bougie, and some of these home fall in that category. It's more of a concrete jungle and much less sandy. There's a Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the entire city and it's illuminated at night, and he said that's really comforting. Spencer mentioned that the people were a lot more trusting - some of them leave their doors wide open, which did not happen in his last area.
He kept forgetting to mention that he shook Elder Renlund's hand while at the CCM. That was exciting for him. Also, his area did not feel the earthquake that occurred in Ecuador several weeks back, Peru is not Mexico, so allusions to the movie Coco are wasted (for which his companion got a good laugh at me for, also his companion does not play the guitar in the town square), and figuring out the exact street he lives on is virtually impossible.
Finally, Spencer wanted me to express how much he loves the gospel. How simple it can be when we choose faith and while there are complicated issues and questions (polygamy, Book of Mormon being an addition to the Bible, faith in our leaders, men becoming like God being akin to blasphemy), that none of these questions need to overshadow the simplicity of faith and hope and how wonderful that gospel is with the things that we do know and believe.
Below are a series of pictures that he sent that I absolutely love. Very funny, in my opinion. Enjoy and Spencer sends his love to everyone.
Spencer spent all his time chatting with me instead of writing an update email, so I told him I'd provide an update. Big changes this week moving to Chepen (which took 20 minutes of me repeating it and never once enunciated it correctly. I was saying something that sounded like Japan, saying it too slow, and putting the emphasis all over the place). His companion is from Mexico, from an Arizona border town, and Spencer really likes him. A cool note is that his trainer was first assigned to Chepen and the pensionista has his picture on the wall, so the small world connection was happy for Spencer. Also, this missionary was engaged a month after returning home, so he thought that was weird, but he was happy for him - the missionary was 28.
Chepen is apparently quite a bit wealthier than Esperanza. He said there are some really nice home. There's a slang word in Spanish for rich and fancy, I suppose similar bougie, and some of these home fall in that category. It's more of a concrete jungle and much less sandy. There's a Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the entire city and it's illuminated at night, and he said that's really comforting. Spencer mentioned that the people were a lot more trusting - some of them leave their doors wide open, which did not happen in his last area.
He kept forgetting to mention that he shook Elder Renlund's hand while at the CCM. That was exciting for him. Also, his area did not feel the earthquake that occurred in Ecuador several weeks back, Peru is not Mexico, so allusions to the movie Coco are wasted (for which his companion got a good laugh at me for, also his companion does not play the guitar in the town square), and figuring out the exact street he lives on is virtually impossible.
Finally, Spencer wanted me to express how much he loves the gospel. How simple it can be when we choose faith and while there are complicated issues and questions (polygamy, Book of Mormon being an addition to the Bible, faith in our leaders, men becoming like God being akin to blasphemy), that none of these questions need to overshadow the simplicity of faith and hope and how wonderful that gospel is with the things that we do know and believe.
Below are a series of pictures that he sent that I absolutely love. Very funny, in my opinion. Enjoy and Spencer sends his love to everyone.
Also, here is a picture of Spencer preaching the word. All times, in all places and in all things.
Monday, March 4, 2019
Tengo información triste. Me voy a Chepen, y yo salgo de los Robles. Muchas lagrimas y personas que amo bastante. No sabia que gran mi amor por estés personas será.
This week, I found out on Friday that today I will be leaving the Robles area and heading North, to the valley of Chepen. Not gonna lie, I didn't think how hard it would be to say goodbye to so many people I love. I definitely wasn't expecting tears from the amazing people here. It was definitely hard to say goodbye, but hopefully that I can move forward and develop amor for the people in Chepen!
It has been a great time here in the Robles. I look forward for what there is in store for Engelbert, Sebastian, Noel and Rosemary, Lesly, the Familia Taco Rocio del Pilar y Carmen, Marilu, Gerraldo, and everyone. I really love everyone here and I don´t want to say goodbye, but I have to keep pushing forward. I will come back!!! I can´t wait to go to the sealing for Noel and Rosemary when the time comes.
This week has been a great week, and I am sad to say goodbye but excited to see what other blessings there are in the mission!
I love and miss you guys! I hope all is going well at home. I took a ton of pictures but the computer isn't working with my camera for some reason, so that stinks. I know the church is true and that the gospel does amazing things in the lives of so many people and when we live in accordance with the gospel, we feel a much greater love than we could feel by ourselves. I know it is true, and helps us in so many ways. I love you guys!!
This week, I found out on Friday that today I will be leaving the Robles area and heading North, to the valley of Chepen. Not gonna lie, I didn't think how hard it would be to say goodbye to so many people I love. I definitely wasn't expecting tears from the amazing people here. It was definitely hard to say goodbye, but hopefully that I can move forward and develop amor for the people in Chepen!
It has been a great time here in the Robles. I look forward for what there is in store for Engelbert, Sebastian, Noel and Rosemary, Lesly, the Familia Taco Rocio del Pilar y Carmen, Marilu, Gerraldo, and everyone. I really love everyone here and I don´t want to say goodbye, but I have to keep pushing forward. I will come back!!! I can´t wait to go to the sealing for Noel and Rosemary when the time comes.
This week has been a great week, and I am sad to say goodbye but excited to see what other blessings there are in the mission!
I love and miss you guys! I hope all is going well at home. I took a ton of pictures but the computer isn't working with my camera for some reason, so that stinks. I know the church is true and that the gospel does amazing things in the lives of so many people and when we live in accordance with the gospel, we feel a much greater love than we could feel by ourselves. I know it is true, and helps us in so many ways. I love you guys!!
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