New Apartment, City Party, and yes, I hitch hiked in Peru!

alright so first off, these pictures are from the new room. We are moving in on Halloween so we are taking the morning to move everything and then its right back to work haha.

So This week was ridiculous. I hate city parties here in Peru... Unlike in the states, there arent laws against drunks in the streets, or if there are they dont enforce anything... So this weekend was a big stupid party for the doll in the Plaza haha. Ok that may be kinda bad to say but its our nickname for the catholic church here. They were doing some like march for the virgen mary. I took a 20 minute video of it but I cant really send it haha. So Im kinda short on time because I was focused on reading everything.

 

Oh I really love Otuzco now haha. Its so much fun with the people here. Oh I have a question and request. mom or grandma, can you send me Monopoly Deal Millionare edition. It is so cool haha. Elder May received that the past week and its a lot of fun haha. Oh ya that reminds me, I didnt get the package yet but probably this friday or saturday. Its a couple days late but hey its all good. Ive been learning the atribute of Patience here in the mission haha. so Im sorry this one is kinda short but Im kinda short on time. I will definitely take less time to read this next week haha.

Oh ya i do need to say. we go every friday and sunday to Millachaqui to prosylite and have church. On Sunday Elder Cortez and I went there but we missed the bus. Its about a 40 minute bus ride there. We got on a bus that took us 30 minutes there. then we started walking. I just wanted to let you guys know that I can say I have hitchhiked in Peru legitamently. haha

Cow's in Salpo

Ok so there is some really awesome stuff going on here in Otuzco and also back in Chimbote!!!!!

So first off, here in Otuzco, I and Elder Mano are working extremely hard and seeing our labor pay off!!! We have a couple that are planning on getting baptized probably this 13th of this month if they get married before then!!! Its awesome to watch in my life Alma 32:42 come to pass. haha its so awesome to watch each of the scriptures come to life in my life and each day. The scriptures are becoming more and more part of my life. Its funny when I contact persons, I actually use parts of scriptures to talk with them its so funny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So in Chimbote, I got a letter from my old comp, Elder Perez. He told me that the parents of the family Romero Malarin (4 of the baptisms in Chimbote) are getting married and baptized the 13th of October. Its crazy to think about that!!!! I really have watched God enter into their lives and I was part of it!!!

So to know whats up with the pictures, One is from last monday at the beach haha and the other one is funny. Its a welcome to the City of Salpo, where we kill cows in the middle of the street and let the guts be out in the open for everyone. Enjoy hahahaha. Dont throw up haha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So this week, we have really elevated ourselves a ton... We decided that we better start trying to get the normas de excelencia which is the goals that President set for us to get. Its to have 5 people at church with 5 people with a baptismal date. Its gonna be hard but were looking for miracles everyday this week. We are going to see it. I know haha.

 

Hump Day

So I just almost sent a letter with nothing in it because Im forgetting everything with this thing... oh no...

So first off, ITS NOT A TIE MOM FOR A YEAR, ITS A SHIRT!!!!!!

 

 

Yes, I really enjoyed the 1 year anniversary. So I received the package this last saturday. THANK YOU HAHA the Legos are awesome!!!! If you guys want to send more in another package later on Im ok with that (Star Wars Legos haha maybe). Also yes I received everything in it, including the two ties, and the SD card. How much are they there? because ive found them here for like 13 dollars (35 soles). So I gave the red and gold tie to Elder May because its the colors for the Minico Spartans. Oh and Elder May is Colby. I dont remember if you received the picture from Christmas when I first met Elder May in the mission. So I am going to enjoy those double stuffed keeblers elf cookies today and later on probably as well haha.

 

 

So I really dont have much time today on the computer, I really dont know what happened to my time. Sorry but I just want you all to know that I am doing really good, that I am getting kinda sick of lying children but thats ok... I really am sorry for everyone of these children here. They are learning so many sins in their lives...

Oh interesting note, Saturday I had a real big Come To Jesus lesson with a less active member that wasnt listening to us. I felt really terrible about it because she didnt want to pray afterwards.. I went home and prayed, prayed that she would go to church. I got back to Otuzco yesterday and learned that she had a dream in the middle of the night that she had to go to church. She went to church. I was so suprised after the lesson we had with her....

But ya im out of time sorry there isnt much more here.

I love you guys and I will well write you next week. Im excited to hear about your week.

 

 

Elder Sam Spencer

Adventures on P-day

Ok so I have decided that you all are more trunky than I am!! It was like when an Elder was going home, everyone else was super trunky for him hahaha. So yes this week I do hit a year... weird.... I seriously cant believe it...

So first off I would like to inform you all that I received a package on Saturday, but it wasnt the Year mark package. I finally after 6 weeks got my birthday envelope with the card, two ties, and two garment tops haha finally!!!!

So the first funny story this week was actually last monday. We, Elder Nystrom Elder May and I, decided to make a shooting range in our house. The problem was we didnt really look exactly at what was in the area from where we were shooting. Elder May shot a rock with the slingshot and broke a water pipe haha.

 

 

  So we spent about an hour and a half learning how to sketchily replace tubing. You just use pvc cement and heat up pvc to slide it over the old stuff. Ya its super sketch but hey it works haha. So two of the photos is what it looks like when shooting a slingshot from here. they are slightly on the sketchy side but theyre fun haha. Mine actually that I have is yellow. Its just that in the photos I had another slingshot in hand. Oh mom, this is the slingshots we use against dogs.

 

 

 

So also this week we had changes. My companion is Elder Mano. He is from Bolivia and has 13 months in the mission, 6 weeks more than I do. I was honestly kind of worried at first that he wasnt a hard worker because he has more time than me but I am senior comp.... That is still weird for me to think. I dont feel like it and really it doesnt matter. I only am making mention of it because I was scared that he wasnt a super hard worker but that is wrong haha. He is awesome. He is a super good missionary and Im super excited to work with him. His comp before me was Elder Aquino, if you all remember he was my companion in Chimbote, good missionary but not the most 100 percent obedient. Elder Mano is not like that though. We are doing really well.

Otuzco is really difficult I wont lie, but its all good, with more challenge comes more blessings. We are looking for miracles everyday. I was a little discouraged but not anymore. I realized that its the opposite of Faith. Never get Discouraged in anything. Its what comes when we fear something, and when we fear something then we lose our faith.

 

 

So the last thing that im going to add to this is even though Elder Nystrom left, we still play Monopoly Deal between us four. Oh if you want to see a picture of Elder Mays new companion, Elder Cortez, just look at the blog for the mission. I will have a picture of Elder Mano and me the next week. Just wait, Im gonna come home and destroy you guys in Monopoly Deal hahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Love you all so much and miss you all the time. Have fun celebrating Hump (Trunky) Day for me back home haha

Elder Sam Spencer

Big Decision

So last Tuesday, we were in trujillo all day long. That was cool but super long with meetings... We had interviews with President Turk and so yes I discussed with him about starting school. I have really been thinking about it a lot these past few well months and I was super happy to talk with President Turk. He told me he has the authority to move my last day in the mission 30 days in whichever direction I want. But then he told me about his own son when he served his mission. His sons last day was like a week or 2 after school had started. He talked with his family about doing the same thing. President Turk told his son that he could make whichever choice he wanted but that President Turk told him that it such an awesome experience at the end of the mission to testify in front of each one of the Elders that we came with to the mission. President Turk told me to think about that and what I really wanted to do. I thought about it a lot. I was reading something in the mission manual and it had a line from the mission calls letter. That we are here dedicating all of our time to the the Lord and that we need to put in second place all of our personal matters. The Lord will bless you more than you can imagine. To finish the story about President Turks son, he decided to stay in the mission. He missed starting school by literally 2 weeks. He stayed home and spent the time with his family and had a job. President told me that his son said that he was blessed beyond measure for staying in the mission. Can you guess what I feel that I've decided? YES Im finishing my mission with my group. Im going to stay here until the last day of my mission. Ya I know I'm going to be missing starting school in August, but I know that The Lord will bless me and us as a family beyond measure for my service until the end. I want to have the experience at the end of the mission more than starting school and continuing on with everything.

So that took a lot of time but it is what I really want to do. So this week, I got sick... I have been sick with a super sore throat for like 3 days. And Ive also ya had a cough for like my entire time here. But I can only go on and continue working. We have literally not had anyone at church for 2 weeks (Investigators) and I have been a little bit discouraged... But there is good here in Otuzco.. We just have to find it.. It could be in the area of my area that I seriously dont know. Its hard there because there arent numbers to the houses or anything. But we will see how it goes haha.

So this week I was able to do my 2nd and 3rd interviews. Yes... Im a senior companion and im doing baptism interviews. It is really awesome to do them. It is honestly something that I didnt think would happen here in Otuzco. It is literally the 2 hardest areas in the mission.

So idk if I answered grandma about the type of legos haha like lego cars or idk something like those, vehicles haha.

Ummm... oh the funniest thing, remember the RM? ya ok so the Elders Quorum class where they just read out of the manual? Ya that was our Elders Quorum yesterday haha. It was hilarious. So Im out of time today but remember that I love you all and that finishing my mission on September 14th is what I want to do. I love you all so much.

Elder Spencer

I'm 20 years old

So my birthday came and passed haha it was different I wont lie haha. But i dont feel older... haha in all honesty i feel younger haha. So todavia i dont have the package but its all good. Im hoping that it gets to me. Sorry that I was maybe a little mad last week. I was so tired, and well ya tired haha. So this week was crazy fast haha. Time goes really fast here in Otuzco. On Fridays and every other sunday, we go to another like village that is an hour and a half away to prosylite and have church. It was really cool to go there. When we go there we go on splits. So I was with Elder Salazar from Ecuador and also my group haha.

It was funny to read matts letter this week cause he talked about like giving a talk to encourage, or burn im not sure, the members. Well yesterday night we did the same thing... We had a fireside that was really good. We really tried encouraging them to help us. We are going to see how it goes. I realized that if this branch doesnt have people telling them what to do they wont do it... its sad but what are we going to do right?

So this was crazy this week listening to the spirit. We have been guided to people that need the gospel in their lives. There was a lady we found on Friday that had lost her dad literally 2 days before. How awesome it is that the gospel really is that peace that we need. We read her alma 40. She said after reading it that she felt a peace and knew it was true ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we are going to visit her on Wednesday because ya tomorrow we have to go to Trujillo for some meeting... Cool I wont complain. Wow there is so much.

Oh some stuff i wanted to ask. Does school really start the 16th of August. thats like a Friday. and also in a package it would be awesome 2 things haha. Legos and Zingers, zingers chocolate or vanilla or both haha. Just some last second thoughts I had.

Love you all and miss you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRI HAHA

Sam

TRANSFERED TO OTUZCO IN THE MOUNTAINS

So this week I have been dying of cold and climbing....  First off, its cold here at night.  During the day im dying of heat and at night I actually am using my sweaters haha.  Also, its up in the mountains... im dying of lack of oxygen like at sea level.  that and the fact that we climb up hills and down them all the time...  Its super different than my old area. 

So my companion is Elder Nystrom, there is a picture of him here.  He has 5 months in his mission but I think his Spanish is a ton better than mine was when I had his time.  He works hard..  a lot harder than my last two comps.  I like him.  My district leader is Elder May.  Idk if you guys got the picture back at Christmas of me and him but its Andrews and Devons cousin from Heyburn.  Its cool haha.  His companion is one of the latinos from my group, Elder Salazar.  I only have contact with these three.  Missionaries more than that not really.  In my time here, I had one of the Zone Leaders call but thats it. 

So Otuzco, its cold, its a mountain and like almost everyone works on Sunday so its hard to have people at church...  but its going to be good.  Us four are going to break the streak of bad luck here in Otuzco.  The area of Elder May and Salazar hasnt had a baptism for more than 9 months, the longest an area has gone without a baptism in the mission, and my area is number 2 with the last one 3 months ago.  We are changing that. 

Its so weird here to me.  Everyone that we contact, unless its in the door of someones house doesnt live here...  Sorry if i sound mad at all in this letter but im exhausted from the change and well a lot of changes... and frustrated...  and ya I just need to get use to the hills here and all........... 

Sorry about anything that sounds rude but ya its im tired frustrated and annoyed that the office missionaries are mad at me for stuff i really cant control but whatever.  Well see how it is this next week...

Love you

Sam