Amazing Baptism Story

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Deja Vu

In September of 2010, President Turk was working

out in Laredo with these missionaries...

Elder Farnsworth and Elder Whiting.

They taught a man named Julio.

The seed was planted but there was no commitment.

These missionaries are long gone

in fact, Elder Whiting is married.

 

Today President Turk was teaching with 

Elder Spencer and Elder Aguilar

in Laredo...  

They told President Turk that they were going

to visit a man that has been attending very regularly

and should be baptized but it hasn't happened.

They walked up to the door

and President Turk started to have some

major Dejá Vu.

Julio, the investigator, opened the door

and he remembered President Turk.

They embraced.

The man asked him why he was here.

President replied..

It's time to be baptized Julio.

 

Julio started to cry

and accepted to be baptized on Saturday.

He was so thankful for the 

little push from President Turk.

 

They had two more glorious lessons...

 

The driver of this combi.. . mini van

has been a member in Laredo for just 3 and half months

and  now he is in the young men's Presidency and 

the big transportation man for Church on Sunday.

 

Laredo is in great hands.  Thank you Elders

for another grand day with the President.

 

Every day is unique.

Every day is a gift.

Every day is as exciting as you make it.

We have loved Every Single Day of our Mission!

Planting the seeds brings forth amazing blessings!

So first off, I just want to share this week with everyone.  We had a baptism out of no where this week.  I will start with wednesday night.  At like 10 we got a call from the assistants telling us that President Turk wanted to proselyte with us on thursday.  Well, we started making better plans than what we had had that day planned haha.  Thursday, we called this man, Julio, in the morning and told him that we would be visiting him there.  He said that it was ok.  Well we went to his house to talk with him.  I just want to let you know that his story is on the blog of sister turk.  address,     So I just want you to be able to read it.  I have the rest of his story.  He was super sick with asthma and bronchitis.  He was scared to get baptized but he chose, with some influence of people close to him and also the Spirit of course, to get baptized.  It was super super spiritual.  Im sorry that Im not really good at giving the details in my letter here.  I have been writing the whole story down in my notebook to study, because I actually look through that more often. I will tell you all the story completely when I... well.... get home.....  ouch..... 

So here are the photos from his baptism.  One before it and one after sacrament meeting with President Turk.  Oh ya.  Saturday night after Julio was baptized we got a call from President asking us if he had been baptized.  After we had said yes, President told us that he would be attending sacrament meeting for his confirmation.  It was so awesome and amazing.  

So also, we had changes.  Haha.  I will be killing someone for the first and probably last time in my mission haha.  Elder Aguilar is ending his mission in 3 weeks.  Wow... How weird to think about that one.......  He goes home, another group goes, and then.... me.... I will be coming home....  Im still kinda freakin out about how the time has passed by so fast.

Well Love you all so much and good luck with everything this week,

Elder Spencer, President Turk, Julio, and Elder Aguilar

Juilo's Baptism Day

All the Mission Leaders Meeting with President Turk

                                                I dont sing

Missionary Leaders

This was the last interview with President Turk before he leaves the Mission. 

Changes?

So we got a call last night about changes.  Ready to hear where Im going?  No where haha.  Im staying in my area with Elder Aguilar.  I will be his assasin haha.  No I will be his last comp, or in other words, Im going to kill him haha.  So we are really excited because we are going to be having a lot of success.  I can feel it.  Why?  Well, an elder just finished his mission from our district today.  But He really helped us both to understand a lot, and maybe more to remember, that we will always be missionaries.  It doesnt end when the tag comes off.  That is something we all can remember.  It doesnt matter even if we never had a tag, or waiting for the tag, is that we are still missionaries always.  

So things crazy that happened this week.  As missionaries, we normally find 10 new investigators in a week.  This week we found 21.  It was really amazing.  Oh, where we found 3 news was in a house where an actual idol was.  Like Im talking about one of the virgens that the catholic church invented.  And it was the one out of the church.  The church in this city fell.  and grand was its fall haha.  Ya it was really interesting...  I felt really weird in the house.  But They really have faith in God as well, so esta bien.

Well, this week and really the next four weeks, I got to focus on helping my comp to not be trunky haha...  He goes home in four weeks.  Oh suerte para mi por favor haha.  Well love you all and hope all is good back home.  Always remember to read, pray, and go to church.

Love you all,

Elder Sam Spencer

The Day after Mothers Day

Wow that could be a movie title haha.  Alright, so this week was really cool.  Kinda trunky though.  I will not lie.  Not just because I talked with some of you yesterday but more.

So on Friday, we had interviews with our mission President.  He is going home the 1st of July.  Well, in my interview, I dont know how many times he mentioned that it would be our last interview together.  Wow.  It was weird and I got a really strange feeling.  Actually not a strange feeling, just the Spirit.  It was so strong in my interview with him.  I will forever be grateful for his help and leadership.  So the next interview that I have in my mission will be my new mission president, President Marler.  

Well after that, we had talks at church.  I had found a really cool phrase that we all should remember and apply in our lives.  The Lord doesnt want to frustrate or torment the natural man that is in each of us, He wants to kill it.  I focused my talk on that and how the question, what would Jesus do is so important.  It would of been a lot better in English haha and had I followed my outline.  I learned yesterday that when we have a plan, we should stick to it unless we really are impulsed and impressed to change our plan.  but we should usually work with the plan we have.  It works out a lot better. 

So then of course as you all know I was talking for skype yesterday.  That was so weird to hear Nickolas.  He doesnt sound like a little kid anymore haha.  It was awesome to see everyone that was there and thank you for the little bit of time that we had to talk.  Next time we talk it wont be through a monitor and camera... wow.....  weird.....  Im not gonna think about it.

Bueno, Les amo mucho y siguen adelante firme in Cristo.

Elder Sam Spencer

Como Estan todos

Como Estan todos?  haha How was your week?  Mine was really amazing in all honesty.  I first off want to say that everyone can receive the same impressions.  In our Leadership council, we were talking with President Turk.  He asked us about something that he had taken away, a key indicator that we had at first.  Everyone said the same thing.  That we all felt that it had to come back to revive the mission from a stupor.  Well guess what.  We brought it back as mission, this indicator.  We have seen miracle after miracle in our district this week.  Its amazing how everyone can feel the same thing that our President was planning.

So ya, we have a baptismal date for this 18th now.  We will need to work a lot with her.  Her name is Pati.  So if you want to pray for her that would be cool. 

Oh, we also moved rooms this week.  We are now out of a garage and in a 2nd floor of a house.  The coolest thing is that literally everything is so much closer.  Like where we are now eating, ya its downstairs haha.  Its a lot closer to everything, internet, the church, mobility.  Its great. 

Well more than that not a lot is happening.  Im trying to attach a video but its not working.  Im gonna try working in another internet browser.  haha.  Well Love you all.

Good luck this week. 

Elder Spencer

Elder David A. Bednar came to our mission on Thursday

So, I just will start this week out with saying.. WOW.  I have learned a lot in just a week.  I have learned literally how to become a better and more focused missionary.  I have learned the importance to act when we pray and not just pray.  I honestly dont know what else.  Its huge.

So as you know, Elder David A. Bednar came to our mission on Thursday.  We had the afternoon to learn from him.  It was amazing.  I loved every minute of it and learned so much about how to do missionary work a lot better than, well, than I was. I need to invite more with an action and not just knowledge.  I learned a ton about just a lot of things. 

Also, this week, I got my hands on a few talks from other missions.  There is one called THE FOURTH MISSIONARY that is awesome and helps us even as just members of the church at home.  I loved reading it.  I just read a lot all week, and of course worked. 

Well, this week, we have a meeting with President.  All of the leaders in the mission are going to be together.  It will be cool actually, well to see my friends.  I have heard that this meeting is literally the most boring meeting in the mission..... But we will see. haha.

Well Love you all.

Elder Sam Spencer

oh and the photo is of me obviously walking back to Laredo from a place called Barraza.  Its like a 2 to 5 mile walk Im not sure.  But it was fun haha.

and the other is of me with Elder Zavaleta.  It was his last day here in our area.  Well I love you guys see ya

EVERYONE CAN EMAIL ME!

OH MY HECK...  Where am I?  I just learned today in the morning that yes, I can write whoever I want now in Pday using my email.  Wow that was super crazy to get that announcement so Im adding the only 3 emails that I know or are in my email to the list. 

Well This week has been an awesome week.  I got a new companion last tuesday.  His name is Elder Aguilar.  Can I just say trip down memory lane haha.  He started his mission in the same area as me.  He also was down in Chimbote and always talked with my converts from there.  I am super excited.  We are working extremely hard and we are just going to continue.  Idk why Im so happy. haha.  Maybe its just the really awesome fact that you can just publish my email address to the family now haha.  Im gonna be looking into it a little bit more.  So this is whats going on here.  This week, we focused a lot on bettering our relation with the members.  And then we learned what we need to better is the relation with the leaders.  I had my mind kinda blown this past week when I heard from our zone leaders that our mission has the same structure as a ward.  I was confused at first but then I realized that it is actually a big responsibility to be part of a quorum presidency.  It is really necessary to work really hard and rely on the counselors in your quorum.  It was a big eye opener. 

Well what else haha.  BRYCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I thought you were waiting to leave until after summer.  July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That is literally going to come in.... well 2 or 3 months...  Oh how weird....  But IM SUPER EXCITED!!!!!!!

ALSO, JAXSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And a photo?  hahaha That is so awesome!!!!!!  I have been here in Peru and tried working with parents to allow their children to get baptized.  When they dont accept, it really hurts because the parents arent helping their children.  Parents say that they want to wait to let their children make the desicion on their own and really it doesnt make sense.  They dont help their children.  They inhibit them from being able to progress.  Im so happy for him as well and hope to see a photo real soon.

Well Im actually out of things to write now.  ummmm  Oh Grandma, yes last week I received the letter from the Stout Family.  Please tell them thank you for the letter and if they want to send anymore, well just send it straight to the email.

Well Love you all,

Elder Sam Spencer