My second week here in Progreso

Well so this week has been so crazy haha!  We had another baptism this week. 

A boy named Juan.  His aunt and uncle got baptized last month on Valentines Day haha.  He has a big support system with them.  I am learning so much stuff now its crazy...  I am also so tired.  I dont think I ever have used a phone like before... 

Oh there is so much stuff thats been going on that I really dont know what to write.  haha.

Ok so last Monday, we went to central or downtown I think is what we call it, and ate McDonalds.  I really miss fast food.  here, well there isnt any.  Only in some places.  In place of fast food in every corner, its a church in every corner haha.  There are so many churches here in Peru.  Its a lot different from home for that reason. 

Tuesday was my first time having a district meeting.  It was really fun teaching it because I did something that Im sure no other missionary has ever done.  I took Legos to the meeting and we used the Legos to explain the principle that people can change, but they just need to commit them to do it.  It was really successful.  So this month we have a super crazy goal to get 8 baptisms in my district.  We have 3 weeks left this month and we have 4 up until now.  Its awesome.

Elder Zavaleta and I are working extremely hard with another kid in a part member family.  Hes 10 years old and keeps putting excuses to not get baptized.  We are going to be working with him a lot this week for his baptism to be this week.  His name is Arturo, so if you all would like to pray for him it would be really helpful for us. 

This Sunday, the 17th, we have stake conference.  Its gonna be a little more difficult this week but all will be well.  Its going to be really awesome, I know. 

Oh so the funniest part of everything is our study in the morning.  I study the Book of Mormon in Spanish, being the north american there.  And Elder Zavaleta, well he studies the book of Mormon in English.  He is literally my first companion in all of my mission that actually wants to learn English.  He prays, talks, and now reads in English.  He helps me and I help him haha.  Its really funny actually.  I just need to help him to start writing in English.  Maybe a letter to you all in English from him haha idk.

Well I love you all and I will let you all know this next week what happened with Arturo.

Love you,

Elder Sam Spencer

PROGRESO, My new area

How awesome is this huh?  I was here for less than a week and we had a baptism.  This week we have a baptism and the next week we should as well.  How CRAZY is the change.

First,  Elder Zavaleta my companion.  He is awesome!!!!  He just finished his training and is literally the most capaz missionary I know.  He has his head focused so well on the work.  I have honestly learned so much from him, and we only have 5 days together.  Also, he has the biggest desire to learn English.  With his companion before me, he would speak English all the time.  His comp was another Latino.

 Now he is super excited because Im here to help him with his pronunciacion.  Sorry I dont know the words in English haha.  We have a super crazy goal going on here of 8 baptisms in our area.  He puts goals high.  I like it haha.  I think we can easily get 5 to 8.

Second, Area Progreso.  The greatest.  Its like being in Otuzco like with fields and a ton of stuff like that but with a real ward of 80 members active, and everyone is helping us out a lot.  I am super excited that Im here.  The bishop is really cool haha.  He is a little crazy at times but really helps us a lot.  Like I said, we are baptizing, a ton.  I really love it here a ton.

Third, My District.  Wow...  Its so weird as a District Leader.  Im now writing after doing everything.  Its kinda weird to not be writing with everyone else.  The Elders in my district are awesome.  There are

3 areas in my district.  Elder Quispe and Guerra, Elder Cañarte and Lopez, and me and Elder Zavaleta.  My district is really new, like half of the district has less than 6 months.  Its so crazy to be here with all of them.  As you all can tell, Im extremely happy and content with my new area and district.  From what I have seen they are all extremely wild but obedient.  They all learned that one from Elder Nelson, from my group if you all remember him haha.  He left this district right as I came here...

So I wanna say mom, the video I sent of the Elder falling off his bed was Elder Peralta, my old comp with Elder Riquelme.  That video was taken while we were down from Otuzco for a week. Mom, you mentioned mixes to make soda.  was there one for Dr. Pepper?  That would be great haha.  There was something I was going to ask but I totally forgot it.  Oh dont send that other Snowboarding magazine.  I will read it at home.  I threw the rest in the bags and they are hidden from view.  I dont want to be trunky at all.  I realized this past week that it is so much better to be 100 percent focused on the work.

I would love them but no haha.  Well Im out of time haha.

I love you all so much and good luck this week.  Mom, Grandma, take pictures ya? haha no puedo creerles por nada haha.  un crucero....

Que chevere.  hahahahahah  Love you!!!!!

Elder Spencer

Finally.....a transfer!!!!

Well can I just say that this week started out as one of the most difficult weeks of my life, so far.  I have been dealing with all of my district being, well inicuo, oh sorry wicked.  They dont want to follow the rules.  And its all coming from one person these desires to break rules, our District Leader.  He has dragged down this district but I had to make a stand.  Remember the talk from President Monson, I think in 2011 October? Dare to be Mormon?  Well I had to remember that all week and for the past couple.  Thanks to the book, Teachings of the Prophets, Joseph Smith,  I have been learning that behind every trial that will undoubtedly be thrown our way there are blessings to counter the trial.  I like to think of the way we receive blessings as to the law of Physics of Newton.  For every force there is an equal opposite force.  We get hit with trials all of the time that are meant to build our faith but also can break it.  But we should remember that there are blessings equal in force as to the trials waiting for us.

That is what has happened with me!!!  I got a call last night from one of the assistants.  He told me that President Turk wants me to be a District Leader in an Area called Progreso (Progress).  Yep.  We got changes this week and Im finally leaving Otuzco.  And Im going to be a district Leader...  Oh wow weird.  I dont know what to think in all honesty.  Well its all good haha.  Im super happy that I will be leaving here.  I have been struggling everyday to be obedient for the negative influence of others but I was able to support the trial.

With every trial comes blessings.  The blessings come in three different times.  1 immediately 2 soon in the future 3 in Heaven.  BUT THEY ALWAYS COME.  Well That is my letter for the week.

This next week I will be writing you from Trujillo in, wait for it, my new area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh Im so happy haha!!!!!!!

Love you all a ton!!!!!

Sam

Amazing what blessings can come with love and patience

Ok so I really dont have a ton of time but guess what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OTUZCO JUST GOT BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  After 5 weeks with nothing, we have found people that want to progress.  We had people at church.  It was amazing!!!!!!  I realized that what happened Dad that you were saying, happened that same day, monday 2 weeks ago.  We went and taught an investigator that up until that point nothing was happening (In Spanish its no pasaba nada con ella).  We had a lesson with her where for some reason, everything changed.  It was awesome!!!!!  Idk how but really looking back on the past 2 weeks we have really been getting super blessed and I know the blessings are going to continue coming.  I am really excited about this coming week.

 I realized that if Im in Otuzco for more time its because im supposed to be there. haha.  Ive just accepted that I dont think I will be leaving haha.  Who knows maybe not.  Changes arent for another few weeks, so it really doesnt matter to me anymore.

I love you guys a ton and will be writing more, well next week.  Oh I havent gotten my pants yet.  The elder in the office in charge of sending things doesnt know how to do his job.  He didnt send us any of the things that we have been asking for.  Who knows.  Maybe another letter could help but I dont know.  It looks like they are ignoring you guys on that end.  Sorry mom, I didnt have time to read your email but I am printing it off and will have it all week long.

Visit to the Mission Home

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Huamachuco and Otuzco - the big O's of the East

Elder Dickerson, Elder Bravo, Elder Soto, Elder Cortez

Elder Fuentealba, Elder Arriola, Elder Spencer and Elder Peralta.

They all feel right at home... and that's what we want.

16 months in the mission field today

I honestly cant believe how much can happen in a week.  Elder Peralta and I started the week going past our branch presidents shop.  We started talking to him and he gave us 2 referrals to go and visit.  We were excited because the referrals are really where we see progress.  Well it wasnt different with one of these two.  We have only taught one 2 times now.  Her name is Yesica.  We went to visit her with him and can I just say how amazing was the experience.  After explaining that the Book of Mormon is the convincing evidence of the Restoration and that the Holy Ghost would confirm that through our feelings she said to us, a little teary eyed, "It looks like God has responded my prayers." She had been given the Book of Mormon before we had visited her by President Moya and she has been reading it.  She has asked God and knows it is true.  We invited her to baptism the 9th of February because she wont be able to go to church this week as there is some test in Trujillo for all Profesores so they can hope to have work.  This was only one of the two.  We are going to go visit the other one this week as we werent completely persistent with visiting her that night we got the referral.

So I have also received another thing awesome this week.  A strong desire to stay in Otuzco...  It was so weird how it happened.  We were walking around talking a little bit and I just realized how much I do like Otuzco even though it is so full of apostasy.  I know that Im supposed to be here right now.  I guess its to help out President Palmer in the work or something. Idk haha.  All I know is that I love it here and it has been one of the biggest helps for me.  Im super happy for this work and want to continue doing everything I can while I can in Otuzco.

So I still have not received the package that you guys sent.  Im not so sure why but we will see this next week haha.  I do have a request if you can in the next one you send.  I left a pair of black pinstriped pants there that at that point was small for me.  Im sure now its perfect but if it is possible, could you send them?  My gray pants are practically destroyed haha  but I still go on using them patching whatever that I can haha.  

Well I love you guys a ton and hope everything is going good for you all.  Love you all so much!!!!!!

Sam

7 Months in Otuzco

I got to Otuzco on July 24th of 2012.  I still am not leaving yet haha.  We received changes last night and I was informed that I am going to be here with Elder Peralta for another change.  I at first thought that I was going to be extremely depressed like the last time we got the changes when Elder Mano left.  I actually am not at all.  In all honesty, Im extremely happy and just hope that my companion and I can do what God wants us to do here in Otuzco. 

So I will say that one thing that contributed to being ok with Otuzco was reading so many conference talks this past 2 weeks and praying for help in everything that I do.  I have found two talks from Oct of 2012 that have helped me so much.  The talk of Elder Anderson and of President Eyring Sunday morning.  I would suggest that if we are in a moment of struggling and need and dont know what to do I would recommend reading and studying these 2 talks.  they are titled "trial of your faith" and "Where is the Pavillion". 

So really this week we didnt see many things that interesting other than rain... lots and lots of rain...  All it does now here in Otuzco is rain..  Its been difficult with it as its super strong  but nothing is impossible. 

I should probably mention right now that I didnt get the package yet grandma.... The week of changes, they dont send a package with our letters or anything for us.  It really sucks and is annoying but I guess its alright haha.  Patience.  Nothing else.