Las Tamales Estan Listas

So this week has been a little weird. We have been busy doing what missionaries do.

So good news.....we did not have to eat with Hermana Morales. We were told earlier in the week that she thought we suggested the restaurant and not here husband....so we told her we would just come by and eat....scary! Earlier that day we were told by the RS President how awful the food was and that we should just tell her we were sick lol. Well we decided not to do that so we ended up calling her right before we headed her way and she said she had a doctor's appointment and wouldn't be home.....WHAT??? It was so weird...but yeah we survived another transfer.

This letter is going to be a little shorter because we are at the library I don't like...it is always so busy. Well other news. We had interviews with the President this week. I really love President Maynes alot. He always is so willing to help us. We even got a phone call this morning telling us how pleased he was about our work. And then of course he challenged us to work harder and teach more lessons. So we are doing great. We really want a baptism, and I really think we will have several here very soon. We have some really great investigators.

I don't know if I have told y'all about my bribes....When kids come to church (less actives) I make them whatever desert (with in reason)  they want. So baking has come in handy. I have to make some cupcakes. Mom can you send me a good biscuit recipe? So I am almost out of money because I bought some things for my recent converts.....so good thing that a corn on the cob is down to 10 cents lol.

I really do love being a missionary. The only thing I don't love is that we see lots of hurt and bad things. This week we are having some issues with some people we teach and wonder if their intentions are true. I hate having to wonder why they want to meet with us.

The title of my email this week.....so Las Tamles Estan Listas.....the tamales are ready....is a secret code with a member that is trying to get us to come by with her cousins daughter. She whispers on the phone when we can come by lol.... We really see lots and weird things. We do lots of weird things too. I feel like I can use this time to be weird and it is OK. I wish that I could tell you about all of these funny people. We went by with a girl that wants to be a Zen Master and she also practices her nun chuck skills. We met a guy locked out of his apartment and went by with him. He is from Africa and speaks french and we just happened to have a french Book of Mormon. He makes his own music, rap music and so he wanted us to listed to it. He had so many great questions. And guess what the gospel answered all of them.

Well I got to go!

Buffalo Wild Wings opens today! Yay

Love,

Hermana Spencer

In the Middle

Hola! Familia y Amigos!

I hope all is going well with everyone.

My brother and his wife are having a baby! I am just thrilled!

So news from my life! One of the less actives we teach is Hna. Ruiseco! She is amazing! Everyone in the ward has given up on her. We got her to go to church two weeks ago. We went by last week and right before we left she said to us, "Thank you so much for always coming. When you come is the only time we read. The kids love it. When we went to church it was a miracle. Geovani (her youngest child) was having problems in school and at home. After we went to church, he apologized for all the things that he had been doing. Thank you so much." She gave us a big hug. We went by last night and she was so excited to see us. She stopped doing everything and got her family together. That day had been so hard, but after wards all I felt was happiness.

Other news: Another less active, Yazmin, got a calling yesterday. She is the chorister for sacrament meeting. So this week I get to teach her how to do it. Who would have knew that that part of personal progress would come in so handy. I also get to learn how to explain that in Spanish. Her friend Grisel, who is on date for baptism, came to church yesterday for the first time. I wish that I could say it was amazing....it was kinda bad. Both talks were from the stake and so they translated them. One talk started out with  "be fiercely loyal to the prophet." The translators were boring. Now we have to get her to go back. She loves it when she is with us though.

Bridgitte Mozo - she is like one of my favorite people ever. I don't remember if I wrote about her last week, but she is a returned missionary in her 40's. She just makes me laugh so hard. We read a talk about less actives and she was like this is about me. She is just so great and I can tell that she cares about us. We are the only people that ever go to her house.

Hna. Noriega - she is very old. She likes to give huge old woman kisses! (Just so you know I might have kissed hundreds of woman by now - hopefully I won't feel the need to kiss everyone when I get back). She just loves us going by! We read to her.

La Familia Gonzalez - we taught them the ten commandments with Jenga yesterday and the kids and their friends just ate it up. One of the kids Daniel, was like when are you coming back over here.....so yeah - The gospel is just so true.!

I have really been thinking alot about what I am doing lately. This life is not the easiest. Its hard. I love the moments of seeing people happy by what we have taught them. The Lord really does know us personally. He puts things in our life that at times we don't understand, and people that can help us get through these times. I have see that lately. The Lord is using me, sometimes it doesn't seem like I know what to do, but he makes up for a lot of my weaknesses. Its amazing what he can do when we let Him.

I love you all and am glad that you read my email every week!

If I leave on my early date - I will be home in one year! Just so you know....but I think I will be staying for the late date - So June 27!

See ya soon,

Hermana Spencer

Life as Hermana Spencer

So this transfer is off with a bang.

After we found out that we were getting another companion. We spent the morning rearranging our house. We picked her up on Tuesday. Her name is Hermana Judd. She has been in the mission over a year and is also cannot have gluten....which has been a blessing this week....I will tell you why. We worked hard last week. We are having a hard time teaching Spanish. But I have hope that it will get better. 

SO Less actives are my favorites. We had so many at church yesterday. We are teaching over 30 less active families....alot. I love them so much. We have been finding out what is holding them back recently and I am just amazed at Heavenly Father's help with everything. We taking with on the moms the other day about why she joined the church. She talked about how it was all the example of her young daughter who right now is 11. Joanna tells her mom that they need to keep the Sabbath Day holy and that they need to go to church so they can go to the temple. She is amazing. That is one thing that I have learned on the mission - the power of children. They really make a difference in the family. They have alot of faith, and God can use that faith to change lives. They also are extremely good in their hearts. 

Last week was also Hermana Coughlen's birthday. We ate alot of cake last week. It was great. We are struggling a little with the adjustment to a 3 some. It is a little harder to do things. We are hoping things will improve. 

So for everyone that wrote me last week. Thank you for your letters. I love every word. Many times I read them I realize that they are answers to my prayers. Little did you know right?

3rd Transfer Miracles - Apparently when you reach your 3rd transfer several things become lots easier....Spanish and you would never guess it......eating. I barely even think about how full I will be. This is obviously a blessing and a curse. 

So why would my companion not being able to have gluten be a blessing? Well here is the story from the words of Hermana Coughlen:

 I will tell you the only story that is in my mind at the moment. So, I told you the story about eating with Hermana Morales (the woman who made the awful patties made of what I believe was cat food). Well, she signed up to feed us again. Now you must know that her food is so bad that all the Spanish Missionaries know of this woman and even some of the English missionaries! Hermana Spencer was terrified when I pointed her name out on our calender. She looked at me with terror in her eyes and exclaimed "We HAVE to change it! We HAVE to do something!" Well our hope came to us just 4 days ago when our new gluten intolerant companion Hermana Judd arrived. YES! Gluten intolerance! We can totally find a way to get us out of this one! So me and Hermana Spencer in our best "butt kissing" Spanish went up to her to explain... "oh hermana, we have dinner with you this coming week, but we have news. Our new companion (this sweet little girl who can't speak Spanish) has REALLYY BADD allergies! It is really hard to cook for her (lie #1 we can almost eat everything Hispanics make us... rice, corn tortillas, beans, meat, vegetables) and we were thinking that we could just cook for you instead." I worked so hard to wiggle ourselves out of her food but she pinned me with tamales.... "can she eat tamales?" "...... yyyeessss...." I answered regretfully (I can't lie too much... I'm a missionary after all). But then Hermana Spencer can to my aid and after sufficient confusion the husband (who is 30 or so years younger then her.. yuck!) suggested "why don't we just take you out somewhere?" "YES!" We responded in unison :) We are safe for one more week! Thank you Hermana Judd for your gluten intolerance!

She in the past has made PAPER TAMALES!!!!!!!! With Paper.....She really is a legend....doesn't Hermana Coughlen sound great?.....we didn't lie!?!

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I got to talk to most of my family. Familia, La Quiero! The Lord is truly blessing me for my service. My mission is changing me. I realized yesterday when I sad in Sacrament Meeting that I understood more. That I am being blessed with knowledge I didn't know I needed for my life. The Lord is really blessing my family. I know that he blesses us so much more than we deserve like in Mosiah 2. We are always indebted to Him.

I love you all and I still and probably always will love mail,

Hermana Spencer 

Dear Family and Friends,

Isn't life wonderful? This last week has been crazy. Well to tell you a little about it:

1. We are not getting transferred....but we are going to be in a threesome. We are getting an older English sister and are going to be teaching her Spanish. Two gingitas greenies teaching another white girl Spanish. Crazy right. Her name is Sis. Judd....or Hna. Judd. I don't know much about her. Really only that she sings well and she is gluten intolerant.

2. We have seen crazy things happen with our investigators. 3 of the people we are teaching, their husbands are in jail. Crazy. One might be deported.

3. The other day we had to reschedule an appointment and we called and left a message. Well she didn't answer....so we went by and left a note on a Finding Faith in Christ card. Well we went by the other day and she basically said that her husband came home found our note and was made at her because she didn't answer the phone. Now he is not speaking to her and she now says that when we come she will leave with all of her kids. We tried so hard to explain what had happened and apologize. My heart broke. I just couldn't stand it. This misunderstanding has caused someone to think ill of us and more importantly the church. We were making such progress with her.

Those are just some of the things that have been happening. It was a really hard week honestly. We have been busy like always. Another transfer starts tomorrow. All of the Spanish sisters are experiencing changes.

I love the mission. Sometimes it is really difficult. We are teaching a mom and daughter. Every time we go over there I just love it. Last week we taught how the plates were delivered from Moroni to Joseph Smith with barbies....they loved it. I am so excited to see what happens.

Also one of my favorite people from Grand Junction found a new job and can go to Church! Miracle. Karen got baptized, the girl scared of water. Her mom wrote me a letter last week. She was so cute. She told me how much I meant to her. She also wants me to teach one of her friends, but she is in the North Mission. Miracles are happening.

I really do love the gospel. I know that reading the scriptures is important. I know this the way that we can know more of the plan God has for us. I love the Book of Mormon because it helps us to change. I am so aware of my weaknesses right now. I know that the Lord prepares a way to strengthen them.

I love you and God Bless!

Love,

Hermana Spencer