Memorial Day that didn't

So.....this week was interesting. I am little bit sick and achy, but we are still busy like always. Here are some highlights!

Ate lunch at a members house with her parent and their friends.....little did we realize that their friends was the pastor of a local christian church....

Ate a El Salvadorian Christmas dish that had tons of mayonnaise .... Hna Coughlen milked it out of her bread....we laughed so hard.

Grisel - She has 3 boys and lives with a member Yazmin! She is progressing so well. We went by on Saturday and poured out all her beer. We got some great photos. We have had some really great lessons with her lately and I really think that she will progress to baptism.

 Yesterday - I didn't get to email....because of the holiday. We picked up two English sisters for some fun yesterday. One of them is related to Logan and Megan Smith in Lubbock crazy! We decided to go to our ward activity. We showed up and it was only the Elders and the Bishop. Sad.....so we went and got a Frisbee and luckily some people showed up. We ended up playing some with the kids and eating delicious meat. Seriously I am going to be a meat eating machine. Everyone is getting out their grills and let me tell you they do not mess around with carne! Afterwards we went geocaching! Thanks Cathy! We had a good time and then the craziest saddest thing happened. We went to vacuum out the car and it was really windy. So.....wind + skirt = : / So it was interesting. I was really trying to hurry to not expose myself. Well we finished and I realized that my scriptures were not in the car. We had left them on the back of the car and driven off....we went back and they are no longer there. We are going to call the gas station today to see if anyone has turned them in. If not luckily we go to the temple tomorrow and I can buy some new ones.... I won't lie I cried a little.

Less actives are progressing. A family paid their tithing on Sunday and it was so great. The ward is really starting to trust us and give us more referrals.

Being a missionary is hard work. We only have two more weeks in this transfer and I am really worried about next one (like always). My Spanish is getting better but I still can't understand everything and explain myself super clearly. The Lord knows me so well and knows that I need to be humble. We are really trying to change the way we do alot of things. This week we are going to drop alot of people because they are not progressing. This is a hard thing to do. It hurts when someone does not accept the gospel.

I love you all. I really do love being a missionary. I am so glad that I am able to do this. President emailed me last week and said "expect success."

Love,

Hermana Spencer

P.S. Cathy can you send some more geocaches that are a little harder :)

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

Pascau

Dear Family and Friends,

Life is going great as a missionary. We have one week left this transfer. It is going so crazy here. So this last week was la semana santa! Or the week before Easter. Lots of Catholics make a really big deal out of Easter. Well we had a wonderful time sharing the story of the resurrection. It really strengthened my testimony of our living Savior.

There is also another thing that comes with Easter, Pascua - Food. Well I have to admit.....I am not a huge fan of this food. Part of the meal is canned shrimp ground up and put in a patty....I don't know what else they do to it. The other is a desert - bread with milk (so its soggy) with cheese, raisins, peanuts and sprinkles and sometimes coconut. It is so odd. We had it like 3 times this week. Every time it was so hard. Really hard. I am not a picky eater but some of this food just catches my gag reflex...but I will continue to eat my love for these people.

The time is going by so fast. I have almost been out for 5 months. Isn't that crazy. We are really working hard with so many people. I am pretty sure we are the youngest companionship in the mission and we are just learning as we are going. The Lord really does bless us with so many things. We are able to teach alot of people and I am so grateful that I get to learn Spanish.

One of my favorite families is applying for their visas. They might get deported. They are recent converts and they are just so amazing. Looking back at their photos from before they were baptized you can really see the difference the gospel makes in peoples lives. It really is just in their eyes. There are so many people that get caught up on the small things of the gospel. I really hope that we get to stay here together to work on these people.

So here is a little bit of the life of a missionary in case you don't know:

We get up at 6:25 - so that way we both will get out of bed and get ready to exercise

We exercise for 30 minutes ( you should see my calves :) )

Then we eat and get ready.

8:00 Personal Study

9:00 Companion Study

10:00 Language Study (We only get this like 3 times a week because of crazy things that happen).

11:00 Leave the apartment

9 - 9:30 Come home and Plan

10:30 Bed

We are always just going. I really wake up tired every morning. One thing I have definitely learned is that your body really doesn't need that much sleep :)

I really love being a missionary. I wish that we got 2 years just like the Elders. Right now I am in a great district. The week before this last week we lead the mission in avg number of new investigators and lessons. We are really doing well. We taught 39 lessons last week. We really want to get up to 50 I really think that it is close.

Mail - Can I just say that I really appreciate the mail that I get. Every time I get a letter it makes me smile and some days it really is what helps me get through everything.

Well I really really love you all!

See you after a really long time,

Hermana Spencer

Hablabeis and the Signs of Latins

Dear Family and Friends,

Things are going great here in CO! We are super super busy. Everyone in our district found more than three new investigators this last week. We are working so hard to teach people that are ready. This last week we taught two high school aged girls. One of them speaks Spanish and the other English. We taught them in English and it went so well. We also met one of their mothers, the one who speaks Spanish, and she fed us of course.....really I am going to be so huge.... but we will eat all we need to to show them our love and to teach them. We also met a lady through the elders. Our zone leaders called us Saturday and asked us what we were up to....well luckily all we were doing was knocking and told us to get where they were as fast as possible. A member invited a friend over for dinner and she only spoke Spanish. She is 20 and has a baby. Her husband is in Mexico. She only speaks Spanish, even though she was born in the US. She went back to Mexico soon after. Now she is working hard to get her husband here. We have been super blessed.

Today we tried to go to the Mint. I have always wanted to go. So we got the other Sisters, English ones, and drove down town....and they said you have to have a reservation and you usually have to get them a month in advance. Every time we try to do something it never works out how I picture it, but we still did have a good time walking down town.

This Sunday we saw miracles. We put up so many of the chairs in RS and they actually sat together. The spirit of the room completely changed. It was amazing. We also heard from a relative of one of our investigators, Hector, that he really likes us. Lots of missionaries have gone by with him because it is a part member family. But he likes us. So we have high hopes for them. We are eating dinner tomorrow! We also get lots of references.......but they are always for the North Mission. You could say there is a little bit of a rivalry with them. We have given such golden referrals...we hope that we get one from them soon. We got a call the other day and basically they said "I want to go to Church, I want all the lessons" and then we found out they live in the north mission.

So yeah. Things are going great. I am still having a hard time with Spanish, but it is slowly getting better. I really just need to use all of the energy of my whole soul...it just is so hard. We have like two weeks left in the transfer. I think I will be staying here with Sis Coughlen. It makes the most sense. I really hope so.

So Signs of Latins in Denver. So some people have plaques on their doors that say basically "I'm from Mexico". Others have the Virgin Mary. The best one was a person who had "Esta Casa Es Catholica" Or this house is catholic written on the door. It was great. I love talking to them. I love these people so much. I love meeting them and seeing the need they have for the gospel. I really wish all of them would listen.

Ohhh other great news: Karen, Yoana and Silvia are all getting baptized in Grand Junction!

I love you all so much. I am sending out some postcards.....so the post office was super busy so you will get a lot of them together!

Love,

Hermana Spencer

Attack of the squirrels and the mighty fortress

Hi Family and Friends,

I have completed another week in Denver. This transfer is going by so quickly. Yesterday Hna. Coughlen was sick so we didn't email. So just a little update about everything.

My package! Thanks mom....I got most of it :0) So what happened was....last Tuesday we were doing companionship study. Hermana Coughlen sees a squirrel outside out patio doors. Well I look out there and see a box and was like yeah there is my package. Well I went out there and chased off the squirrel. ....So Mom....the creature ate through my box and stole my cookies....I think next time you shouldn't put nuts in them :)

Another great story.Tuesday (the same day) we decided to go find this less active. So we go to the apartment building. It was like almost impossible to get in. We followed a car in on foot. We then had to find a way in. You can't even get in the front door. I have no idea how you would get in to get an apartment. They have a parking lot under the apartments. So we decided to go down there and try to get in. We find a door open magically. We climb up to the third floor and it was so creepy. It was so quiet. The design of the apartment was super odd. We then found the apartment and they were not there. Then we realized how are we going to get out....well we magically found our way out. We had to run after a car to get out of the gate. I have no idea why they would make an apartment like that. 

So this last week I have eaten some interesting food. I had pig skin in beans. At first when I saw it I thought it was Bacon....no big deal. It was really rubbery.....well I was really trying to finish my food.....I love it when we have bread or tortillas that I can mask the taste of the food. Hna Coughlen had already finished off the bread :( Another meal - Menudo! One of our investigators made it. Oscar is an interesting man. Well it wasn't horrible.....I tried to just swallow the meat whole. You could see the villi on the meat....I survived! We think that might have made Hna Coughlen sick... I also ate Pho, Vietnamese, this week! I loved it. I have had something very similar to it before!

So we had Zone Conference this week. It was amazing. We got up at like 5 to go to the temple. We got there and I realized that I didn't have my temple recommend. We live like 20 miles away and there was no way. Hna Coffee knew that we could have them call President Maynes. Well we got in there and President Maynes was already in the session. It was so sad. So I made Hna Coughlen go in and I sat out there. It was so sad. It was like the judgement day. I was right there but couldn't go in....Now I have to wait till May! But I did learn a lesson. Zone Conference was so great! President Maynes is so wonderful. I really learned alot about the time that we live in. It is a time that has always been talked about by the prophets. We also tied with the other sisters at zone conference and won the golden hubcap award and got 100 extra miles :) Yay!

So Amalia is our wonderful investigator. She is in her 60s. She is just so cute. She is doing well. We really want to put her on date, and are really working hard. We have some other investigators that we are really working hard with. As always less actives. This week we had the idea to buy breakfast for Sunday and give it to people that we wanted to come. So we gave it to this part member family. They said they would come. Then on Sunday morning we got up early and went and woke up people. I loved it. We didn't feel bad doing it because they really needed to get up for church. They came!

The work is really hard in this area. I have no idea what is going on here, except that alot of people have a hard time with the leadership and have stopped coming. We have people going to different wards and others that just don't go. Others that don't want to stay in this ward. So we have a problem. We are really trying.

My Spanish is improving. It is still so hard. The way you express yourself is different and just in general the culture is different. We have been blessed to find interested people. I am really excited about some of our new investigators -Oswaldo and Hector! I really think we will see baptisms soon!

The mission is great. The Lord really is humbling Hna Coughlen and I! The gospel is true and Jesus is the Christ! These are things that I know, and because I know these things I love getting up at 6:30 and I love talking with people.

I love all of you,

Hermana Spencer

Denver - The weather is just like Lubbock

April 4th, 2011

Dear my wonderful friends and FAMILY!

I hope you all know how much I love you all. I hope you all were able to listen to our prophet this weekend.

I wish I had more time to write today. Every zone conference they have car inspections and whoever wins gets an extra 100 miles! So we want this badly. So we cleaned the car and are going down town for some fun with Hermana Thomas and her companion. So expect pictures next week.

Denver is good. It is still hard. We are working hard and some times stressing. The area is so huge. But the thing that I have really been focusing on is the spirit. As missionaries we struggle alot wondering if we are visiting the right people, doing the right things and teaching exactly what they need. I read a talk this morning by Elder Bednard from last conference. We really have to remember Christ to have the spirit with us. When we remember Him we will act and think like Him. I love my companion....I really do. We differ just like any other people. Sometimes God gives me opportunities to choose to be more like His Son....its great right!?! Life is good.

Lately I have really been struggling with Spanish. I think part of it is that I feel like I should know it because I am not a greenie anymore and I am with someone who has a transfer more than I do. However, I do not know everything. Some days it is hard to accept corrections. I want to be good at this, but man I am struggling. I know that it will get better. For the most part I can understand people and I can get my point across and testify. I just can't do it with finesse. The Lord is definitely helping me. One night this last week I had a really hard day. I was praying and I just knew that God loved me and that it was going to be ok. It reminds me a verse in 2 Ne 4. Nephi talks about how the Lord has helped him. He said that he has felt His love even unto the consuming of his flesh. What does this feel like? I think I know a portion of this feeling. Food for thought.

Speaking of food - this week we went to dinner and I just couldn't do it. It wasn't too strange just not great...and it was our second dinner. I hate it when I cannot finish their food.

So Conference! It was ok. Some of the translators I was able to understand more of than others and depending on the topic. Elder Scott and Sister Allred translated their own talks. It was wonderful to hear their voices. It makes me sad that most of the world does not get to hear the voice of President Monson. I really missed hearing their voices. I don't know which one was my favorite - because I didn't understand everything, put I did learn some things. During Elder Holland's talk, when he spoke of the prophet, I really felt the spirit testify to me that we really do have a living prophet. How amazing is it that I am a missionary and can proclaim this to all that I see. This last week we have talked to so many people. I love it. I love knowing that we have something that can help every person here on Earth! I really really love it. It is hard but it is amazing. The gospel is so much more than we are. I love that we can feel the spirit, we can know of our Savior and that we know how we can get back to our Father in Heaven.

Help the missionaries out. Refer your friends.

I love all of you and hope that you know how grateful I am just knowing of your prayers. I still and probably always will love mail!

Love,

Hermana Spencer

P.S. Can someone facebook Kayla and tell her congrats for me!

Denver 4th the land of the huge area

March 29th, 2011 (so sorry for the delay in posting)

Dear Familia y Amigos,

So this week has been very interesting. On Tuesday I was the only sister being transferred back to the Denver Metro area - so me and a bunch of Elders. It was sad to leave Grand Junction, but at the same time I was excited. It was also my fourth trip between Denver and Grand Junction that transfer! On the way I learned that I would be driving in Denver....that was a little scary! I rode in the truck with two Elders from Washington, Elder Allred and Elder Christensen. One is in the same stake as some of my relatives in Washington...crazy! They both were really fun. I got to Denver and found my new companion - Hermana Coughlen. She is from California and is a convert of almost three years. She has been out one transfer more than me. So we are both newbies.

My new area is huge....we cover a large part of Denver and even down town. Driving was a little scary, but it is definitely becoming easier. I am so glad that one of the APs is letting us use his GPS. I have been all over. So here is a little story of our area. Last transfer the Hermanas - Hma Ricks and Coughlen - whitewashed. Apparently there are problems here....but we don't know exactly what they are. So we have a lot of work to do here. We have been looking for less actives. The ward directory is in bad shape. The Elders found 50 addresses wrong last week and we are still continuing to go through the lists. However the people are super nice here. The members love to feed us. Last transfer the Hermanas never went to a grocery store because of double dinners....this week we have a couple of them. I have spent several hours this last week looking at the map. I am starting to know the area and around where people live.

Our apartment. We live in a two bedroom apartment. Its ok nothing fancy. It has some quirks. Hermana Coughlen and Ricks talked about how the vacuum doesn't work. Well I fixed it. It was so clogged. There was a paper towel, receipt, and candy wrappers. It was kinda bad. So It is so much better now!

Hermana Coughlen is helping me so much with Spanish. We speak in Spanish 75% of the time during the day. It is fantastic. We both are so new and at times this is really difficult. We both struggle with Spanish and we both struggle with what we need to do. But we have seen miracles!

One of our investigators is Amailia. She is an older woman that lives with her and daughter and her family. She is so wonderful. She is almost on date. She loves what we teach and she also makes great food. I really am excited to get to know her more and teach her. Another less active/recent convert that we work with is Yazmin. She is amazing. I love her personality. She works three jobs to help her family in Mexico. She is always smiling though. She also likes to feed us. We are going to help her go to the temple for the first time!

So the funny story for the week. Yesterday the libraries were closed...so that's why I didn't email. Hermana Coughlen was telling me about her horrible hair cut experiences here in Denver. She went to this place and the woman butchered her bangs. Then she went back and it only got worse. So she ended up going to another place to get it cut. Well so we tried to go to the good place and they were super busy. So we went near our house to the "Fantastic Sams." Thinking what would be the chances that I would get the same person. Well guess what I did! We got in there and she was the only one not busy. Hermana Coughlen just gave me a look. What do you do? Do you tell her you don't want her? Well I am obviously too nice so....I got my hair cut.... Luckily its not too bad. It was almost the same problem with me and my bangs. My hair doesn't look exactly like I would like...luckily it grows right?

I also got to see Hermana Thomas on Sunday for a baptism. It was great to see her.

This weekend is General Conference. For conference, our mission president has asked us to clean everything - our apartment and ourselves so we can we ready for it. I am so excited and also nervous about it because I will watch it in Spanish. So pray for me! :) I know it will be fine. I am so excited to hear from our prophet! Ohh I finished the Book of Mormon last week! There were so many times when I just couldn't understand why more people don't read regularly. I felt such a desire to understand it more. It really was written for us. I love the Book of Mormon.

I hope this email wasn't too boring. I have been adjusting to everything all over again.

On Saturday, Sonia was baptized in Grand Junction! I wish I could have been there, but I am so excited for her!

Here is my new address:

1397 S. Geneva Way #C2-105

Denver, CO 80247

I love you all and can't wait to tell you about the miracles here in Denver! I have great hopes for this area and I think I will be here for a while!

Love your favorite Hermana,

Hermana Spencer

P.S. Don't forget I always love mail!