halfway gone

MY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE-

Well, I've officially hit my halfway mark!!!!  It's crazy to look back and realize that I'm halfway done.  I've had moments of bitter sadness and moments of pure joy.  I have grown more than I ever thought I could in 9 short months.  I am so incredibly grateful for what I've learned up to this point.  I have come to love Spain, the people, the language((yes, it's surprising to me too)) and I can honestly say that I am coming((it's a process)) to know my Savior and the role he really plays in my life.  I know without a doubt that he suffered for me on the cross.  In fact, he suffered for all of us.  In a song I heard once, it says:

"How can he know the heartache I feel when he lived a perfect life?

From Gethsemane to Calvary, was it really for me that he died?

Then the spirit whispers these words ringing true,

From the garden to the cross, he walked a mile in my shoes."

He's my older brother, my best friend, and my Savior.  We can feel His love every day if we do what He asks.  I am so incredibly grateful for Joseph Smith and his courage to ask a question.  I LOVE the Book of Mormon and being able to share it with the world.  I may be halfway through the mission, but I'm only halfway started. I have lots of things to improve but I'm so blessed to be able to share this gospel with the people of Spain.

This week was SPECTACULAR and just another reason to want to finish strong in the next half of my mission.  We saw countless miracles ((as always)).  In exciting news, we received a new area book app on our iPads so we can easily access all of our information without having to haul a huge book around.  Area book is our big binder that has the info of our investigators and the lessons they've had and their needs and things.  So the app will be really nice for people in the future to find everything.  It's super cool but it'll take forever to put all of our info from the book into the app so we're still working through that process.

Last week, I mentioned that we had were having a lesson with our sweet Bella.  We did, and it went great!!!!  She was telling us that she wakes up at 6 every morning and reads like 3-4 chapters in the Book of Mormon. ((!!!!))  She said she just wants to read it and know what happens, and wants to know if it's true.  We read Alma 32 together and talked about the comparison to a seed.  We basically told her that

since she has that desire to read every morning, it MUST be a good seed and it MUST be true.  I think it really clicked for her because when we invited her to be baptized, she accepted!!!!!!!  We are working with her for the 18th of November :-)

And the miracles don't stop there!!!!!!  We had a super great lesson with Chela this week :))  We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the steps we need to take to follow him ((faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, endure to the end)). We used giant footsteps to help her understand that all the steps were necessary to

get to the celestial kingdom ((photo attached)) She may be 12, but she's actually so mature and has a lot of insight.  I asked, "so why do you think we need to take these steps?"  She said, "to be able to live with God and be happy."  I said, "so which steps are you missing?"  She said, "baptism, but that's something I want to do."  So we told her that we thought she was prepared and invited her to be baptized on the 26th of

November.  She kept saying she was nervous but we told her to pray about it and she said she would!!!!  At the end, she said a really sweet and sincere prayer, asking Heavenly Father if it was the right day.  She said, "Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the hermanitas to me to help me get baptized on the 26th of November.  Is that a good day for me?"  A really sweet spirit came into the room and we could all feel it.  After the prayer, Chela kept saying "I just feel so happy I don't know why." So we're working with her towards the 26th!!!!!!!

ISNT HEAVENLY FATHER MARVELOUS??  Sometimes I just sit in awe as I think about how much He loves his children.  On Wednesday, we went to a residency home to visit a member that can't come to church anymore.  We ended up adopting like 15 grandmas that just wanted to talk to us too.   One old man kept trying to kiss me but I had to turn him down hahahahaha.  At one point, I just looked around the room at all these sweet old people.  Some were coloring, some were sleeping, some were just sitting there and staring into space, but as I looked at them I felt the most powerful rush of warmth and love through my whole body.  I was able to feel a glimpse of how much Heavenly Father loved them.  Age doesn't make a difference in Heavenly Fathers eyes, he loves us all equally-with a PERFECT love.  That's why I'm out here, in Spain. I'm trying to help everyone feel Gods love for them.  Someone once said, “One of the sweetest messages the Spirit will relay is how Heavenly Father feels about you.”  If you are feeling lonely, you might try praying and asking God what he thinks about you.  It'll be an experience you'll never forget.

But in the meantime, remember that this crazy missionary out here loves you too.

Besitos,

Hermana Spangler