Missionary fun

HOLA MI QUERIDA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS-

Well guys, it's that time again to give you a recap on all the miracles I'm seeing everyday!!!!!  I do love emailing & receiving emails and getting the chance to talk to you all once a week, but honestly, my favorite part about Mondays is being able to look back at the week and remember how wonderful God is and see all the miracles he is ALWAYS placing in our path.

So this week, we had a couple of fun activities planned ((aka the PERFECT opportunity to invite people)) on Wednesday night we had a family home evening at the church.  We try really hard to invite as many people as we can but we usually can't get anyone to come.  The family home evenings are really fun because it's put on by the young single adults in our stake.  We have a bunch and they are all SO great- so ready to come to every cita or invite people or teach with us.  Anyways, so let's backtrack a few days earlier: Every Monday night, we teach these two less actives in our ward and we take the time to serve them and eat dinner with them and everything.  Hermana villamar and I found this quality family that we were teaching Monday night, the lesson was going great and we finally committed them to start reading the Book of Mormon together.  We left the apartment and realized we were super late and had a bunch of messages from Trini ((the less active women)) saying, "don't be late because dinner is ready right now." Oops. So we are basically sprinting to get there and then all of a sudden Hermana villamar just stops and starts contacting this girl. I was like, "what is she doing we have no time????" But nope, Hermana villamar is really in tune with the spirit and felt like she needed to stop this girl.  Her name is Alexandra and she's 18.  We found out that she's a girl that we've been trying to contact for ages but didn't have the right phone number. She was super excited to see and talk to us and gave us her new number and everything ((!!!!!)) then we invited her to the family home evening and she said she would come.  So, now back to Wednesday night, we went to pick her up for the family home evening and SHE WAS THERE, all ready to go!!!!!  That never happens!!!!!  The family home evening was super great and everyone there was super nice and welcoming.  We felt the spirit, ate some food, and they all ended playing basketball together.   Alexandra is normally super busy with classes and work but we're hoping to see some progress with her.  She's so cute and fun and everyone automatically just loved her.

Saturday, we had that super cool missionary activity in Chiclana that we've been planning.  The woman in charge ((the wife of the mission president's first counselor)) split us into groups to teach.  One group was in charge of teaching a 15 minute class about eternal families, one group was in charge of teaching a 15 minute class about the restoration and the last group was in charge of making a skit or something to entertain the group and show the people what we do as missionaries. So yes, I was in the last group and needed to come up with a way to entertain the crowd for 40 MINUTES.  If any of you know me, you know I'm not too creative when it comes to things like this, nor am I very funny, nor do I really like acting. Nevertheless, we needed to come up with something fun.  Our group was Hermana villamar and I, and 4 other elders.  Unfortunately, no one really had any idea what we were doing or what we were supposed to do.  So Hermana Villamar and I basically just took matters into our own hands.  I wrote a poem that explains everything we do in a regular day as missionaries. ((I guess all those raps that my dad makes us sing every year for my mom really paid off)) I was pretty proud of it. And it actually went really well!!!!  We made everyone laugh and we also brought the spirit in at some parts.  Overall, it was super fun and we had a good time.  Not to mention, some investigators came from San Fernando that we invited!!!!!  They were so sweet to come and loved the whole thing.  I love realizing that missionary work is more than walking around and knocking on doors all day- it's really a chance to connect with the people and have fun and teach people about God’s love for them. It's a chance to be happy and show people how to find real happiness and I'm so grateful for this opportunity I have.

Okay, update on my girl Iris.  She's reading and praying every day and coming to church.  She's doing everything she's supposed to and she's SO ready to be baptized. We had a lesson with her last night and it went really well.  We basically sat down and talked about any fears that she has with baptism and straightened everything out.  We also talked about the MILLIONS of blessings that Heavenly Father is going to pour on her once she makes this step and continues to make good choices.  She's excited and nervous but so ready.  Unfortunately, some things came up the next week that will prevent her baptism so we had to move the date ): but, she'll be getting baptized the 20th of July and we all feel more sure with this date.  Please keep her in your prayers!!!

As a missionary, I constantly get asked what my favorite part of the mission is.  My favorite part, by far, is watching the change that happens in people.  I love watching someone learn about Heavenly Father, applying what He wants for them, and then making the necessary changes in their lives.  There is a REAL difference that I can notice in people.  People have a new light that starts growing in their eyes and in their faces.  It's one of my favorite things to watch.  The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true.  It really is.  I would not be out here for a year and a half if it wasn't.  I would not be as happy as I am right now without it.  There is a catholic man out here that comes to church EVERY Sunday.  He just comes for sacrament meeting and then leaves.  This week, he asked if he could come with us to the next class, Gospel principles.  ((you can imagine our excitement)) He asked a lot of questions and was super attentive.  At the end of the class he said, "I've been a Catholic all my life. I have always been around Catholics.  Now, I am with you Mormons.  I feel like there is something filling up a hole inside of me that I didn't know I had.  I feel something special.  I can't really explain it, but I love it."  The spirit was so sweet and so strong as all of us watched this man with tears in our eyes.  The spirit is a real thing, it's a feeling of peace and love and joy and it's hard to explain. But it's real. Out here on the mission, we can't force anyone to listen to us or to get baptized.  All we do is invite people to try out our message and see if it makes a difference in their lives.  I promise you-it does.  The only way to find it out, is to try it!!!

Okay, love and miss you all SO much. Thanks for you love, support, friendship, and prayers. Keep working with the missionaries and keep reaching out to people that need your love!!!

Mucho amor y besitos,

Hermana Spangler