Christmas Post

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope everyone is just doing fantastic. The week has flown by. There is a saying here - "the days are like weeks and the weeks are like days!" So basically the MTC is in a time warp of some kind. So we get 30 minutes to email....and when you sit down and start writing your mind goes blank - so I will try to calm down and think about what happened this week!

Thank you for all of your wonderful letters! They seriously help me get through the days and some are even answers to my prayers. I have seen so many miracles this week. Mostly in the form of prayers being answered. My companion and I have seen much growth in ourselves and in each other. We have loved this week! It is still odd being a missionary. Sometimes I look down at my tag and it still surprises me! I am loving it right now!

So some crazy things. Our teacher, Hermana Purizani, told us on Monday that we were going to play a "game." Its called the native game and it basically means that you get the opportunity to speak in espanol all the time in order to win points by people thinking you were the native speaker. So whoever is the best or speaks the most espanol wins. So this is not over till Friday. The first night was one of the most frustrating moments of my life. I really had a hard time speaking at dinner. It was so hard and people laughed at me. Which those of you who know me know that I am sensitive when it comes to things and right now I am sensititve about spanish. Basically I got my feelings hurt. I kept going and you know what the next day I actually knew more espanol. I was humbled (that happens alot just so you know). It is so important to be humble because the only way we can learn anything this quickly is the help of Our Father in Heaven. Now I am so much more confident in espanol and its only been two days!! Hermana Thomas and I are going to teach a whole lesson in espanol on Friday or Saturday and we are already well on our way to that goal. So spanish is getting better and honestly it is amazing how much I know. I can only talk about food, the weather and the gospel (what else is important anyway right?).

Our district is intresting. Much of them have graduated from High School earlier this year (which honestly is super weird when I think about it). Sometimes I think that they don't like me (mainly the Elders). I am trying to figure out how to get them to talk more to me. I really wish that they would. Hermanas- are awesome. All of the sisters in our district and zone are amazing. I am learning so much from them. Some of them remind me of what I was like before the MTC. I have kinda put on a little shell that is slowly cracking. Hermana Nibley is a girl about to leave to go to LA. She speaks beautiful spanish and is so nice. You never see her without a smile on her face. There are also two girls Hermana Loftus and Hermana Collins who just make me feel so comfortable. I am really excited to learn from their wonderful examples. Ohh I finally told some of my district about fruit flies (see the shell is cracking). They thought I was a little odd but you know what - I kinda am!

Today the temple is closed so we had a wonderful amount of time to do whatever. It was some of the most relaxing moments of my life. Next week the temple is closed also but we get to clean it! Ohh yay! I am so excited! I am about to get my hair cut so cross your fingers and hope it goes ok. Also I have eaten alot of candy and sweets today (christmas packages and all). Luckily I went to the work out class at 6:00 this morning :)

Christmas at the MTC is going to be amazing - I hope. One of the Elders in our district made the talent show with a magic show. Hopefully an apostle or maybe even the Prophet will come talk to us! We have a devotional on Friday night and then I think two talks on Saturday. I am so excited to see who comes. The devotionals have already been great! We also have time to email on Saturday (or that is the rumor). So send me an email :)

I have learned so much about the gospel the past two weeks. I have felt God's love for me and for so many others. It is so amazing to see why we are here. The answer is the same reason we have Christmas, Jesus Christ!

Another thing - When we get to walk to the temple it is so amazing. I feel like I never see the sky. I feel so free when I can just see the sky and feel the wind. I do miss Lubbock for its weather and also for the sunshine. I pray for sunshine alot. It has been cloudy all week. It snowed for like two days straight. It was beautiful but cold. I am so grateful to be here. I know that this is where I need to be and am glad that I have 9 weeks here (most of the time). I have seen Veronica! She got here last week and it is just so great to see someone I know.

Remember why we celebrate Christmas! Make it the best one you can because there will never be another December 25, 2010 again!

I love you all so much,

Hermana Spencer

P.S. There are so many stairs here and here is a modified quote fromt he best two years "From going up all the stairs my bottom has become quite beautiful".

Ohh and everyone has learned my secret - I am very uncordinated! BUT I survived this week without getting hit in the head :)

Yo se que Jesucristo es mi Salvador. Mediante su Expiacion podemos regresar vivir con Padre Celestial!