just do it for the lord

HELLO ALL MY LOVELY PEOPLE-

I did it!!!!!  I have officially been in the beautiful country of Spain for a whole year!!!! I was making a list the other day of all the things I have learned in this past year and it's incredible to see how much I've grown.

Here are just a few things I've learned:

1. Heavenly Father is SO merciful.  He doesn't give us second chances, he gives us a first chance over again.  It doesn't matter what we've done or thought or neglected doing, he always lets us try again.  He lets us mess up, learn from our mistakes, and become better from them.

2. God doesn't like it when we are comfortable.  Trials are sometimes evidence that  He feels we are prepared to grow.  To get from where we are to where he wants us to be requires stretching.

3. Patience really is a virtue.  When you think you have patience, God is really good at sending you someone or something that makes you reevaluate yourself and the patience you thought you had.   I think that goes with about every other Christlike attribute: charity, humility, faith, etc.

4. Christ paved the way before me, he's tested the ground and felt it all but in reality, he's also with me in every single step.  I found a quote a while ago that says this: "It is as if the judge in that great courtroom in heaven, unwilling to ask anyone but himself to bear the burdens of the guilty, takes off his judicial robes and comes down to earth to bear their stripes personally.  Christ is as our merciful judge is as beautiful and wonderful a concept as that of Christ as our counselor, mediator, and advocate."  Christ really did it all for us.  For the very purpose of being able to help us because he has gone through the EXACT same thing.

This may or may not have been the most difficult week of my mission.  We went by to visit our dear Maria and she had her neighbor tell us that she didn't want to hear anything anymore ):  Apparently she had done a lot of thinking about tithing and came to the conclusion that we were trying to steal her money.  We've tried calling her but she has made it very clear that she doesn't want us to come back.  It was really really hard for me and Hermana Højholdt and a lot of tears were shed.  It's heartbreaking because we came to love her and care for her and we know how much this will bless her and she has just decided not to listen.  I don't think she will ever be able to deny the things she has felt or the miracles she has seen, but I guess she just wasn't ready.  Keep her in your prayers though!!!  You never know what will happen in the future.

While it was incredibly difficult, it actually turned out to be one of the most rewarding weeks ever!!!!!  Let me tell you why: Right after getting rejected by Maria, we really just wanted to sit in piso and cry for 10 hours but we just decided that going out and working would probably make us feel better.  Whenever we don't have the animo to work, our motto is "Let's do it for the lord."  And that puts us right back on our feet :)) We didn't really know where to go but we felt we needed to visit some less actives, Nani and Israel.  Let me tell you a little about them.  Nani is an older lady and she lives with her son, Israel.  Israel has some mental disabilities but is able to communicate, read, walk, and do everything perfectly, just a little bit slower.  They are so sweet and so so special.  They haven't been to church in over a year, for lots of excuses, but they finally came last week!!!!!!  Ah, it was the happiest moment of my life :):):)  The changes we have seen in them are actually incredible. When we first started visiting them, Nani was bitter and angry at God and didn't ever want to open up and now she is radiant and happy and able to notice every single blessing that God gives her.  I love the peace and happiness that the gospel can provide.  Anyways, we felt like we needed to go visit them and it was so so good. Nani wasn't feeling good and of course, neither were we, so we decided to talk about the sacrament and the healing power of the atonement and just being able to testify and talk about all those things made us feel SO much better.  Nani said, "I don't know why you decided to come by tonight ((we usually go on Tuesdays)) but I feel so much better after having talked with you." God is just so good :')

Also, Rocia and Rosa are still on fire!!!!  They came to church on Sunday and loved the whole thing :-) We visited them a few times this week and they are doing so good with their reading and praying and they have been getting really really excited about their baptism!!!  Especially Rocio-she prays about it like 12 times a day and always asks us questions and tells us everything she's thinking, I love it.

I just love you all more than I can say.  Missionary work is the best, you guys should all try it out!!!!!!  You don't have to have a name tag to be a missionary :)) BUT, if you're still able to do that whole name tag thing, come join us-we need all the help we can get.

Besitos,

Hermana Spangler

PS I spent a really nice amount of time last week writing emails to everyone under the sun and I found out that none of them sent and all of them got deleted, so I may never get that time back & if you never receive an email from me, IM SO SORRY, I tried.  Just know I love you all lots :-)

PSS we may or may not be going to Gibraltar next week, so if I don't email next week, that's where I'll be.