i found jesus

HOLA MY LOVELY FAMILY AND FRIENDS-

It's Monday already??????  I don't understand how the time flies so fast.  This week was a good summary of the mission because it started off really hard and we had to work a lot to feel animo and have the spirit and find people.  But by the end of the week, we were praying after every single cita, thanking God for the miracles he was giving us.

This week, I did a lot of pondering and thinking and I am SO incredibly grateful for the sacrament.  Earlier this week, I felt like something was lacking in my life and I realized it had been 2 weeks since I've taken the sacrament (because of general conference) and that I needed that spiritual renewal and remission of sins.  The sacrament has become so sacred to me on the mission.  I love having a moment to reflect on the Savior's atonement and repenting and making the changes in my life to feel the spirit more.  This Sunday, I genuinely felt a spiritual cleanse and I felt the warm approval of the spirit that I had received a remission of my sins and that it was only possible through Christ and his atonement.  I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and the ability to repent of the daily mistakes we make.

This week we met: JESUS.  He is the coolest, and most genuine person I have ever met.  He's 27, from Jerez, and has visited just about every country in the world.  We were visiting another investigator that hasn't been progressing too much and he walked in the door, introduced himself, we invited him to join, and he joined!!!!!  In fact, we set another cita for the next day and went back again to teach him about the restoration and the Book of Mormon.  He loved it all :))  We invited him to be baptized and he accepted!!!!!  His story is cool because he believes in God as of only 8 months!!!!  He used to be a complete anti-christ and finally had to look for God because of certain situations.  He has so much faith and so many desires to follow him and know the truth.  It's difficult because he works on Sundays, but we'll get him to church!!!

We had another miracle with this family from a few weeks ago ((the dad is less active and the 3 girls are not members)) We went over for another noche de hogar and it was SO good.  This time we focused specifically on family prayer.  We had them all put their hands together and we wrapped a string around their hands that represented family prayer.  Then we told them that they were having a huge trial and something pulled all their hands apart.  Well, the string ripped.  So we did it again, but this time we talked about doing it every day.  We wrapped the string around 7 times to represent a whole week and then asked them to pull their hands apart.  Of course, the string was a lot stronger this time.  It made perfect sense to them and to me that prayer can truly strengthen us individually but even more as a family.  (I'm not with my family right now but it also counts as a companionship or a district) Prayer unifies us and strengthens us and brings the spirit even more abundantly into our lives.

LAST MIRACLE: we went by to see a family that has literally never progressed and that the missionaries had dropped a long time ago but I felt like it was time to see them again.  I knew them from intercambios in San Fernando and we actually went to the American navy base with them last summer. (what?????) The dad was home alone but we talked at the door and he opened up to us A TON about his questions and what he wanted.  We told him that our message was just for him and that it would bless him and his family so much.  He accepted and told us that the missionaries that came beforehand had never taught him, they had also just passed by to speak English, eat some cake, and that's about it.  It really hurts me that there are some people like that who are just SEARCHING for answers to their questions and we are totally oblivious in helping them.  Well, now he, his wife, and their two adorable kids are our newest investigators!!!!  We have a cita with them on Monday. Keep them in your prayers!!!!!

I love love love you all,

Hermana Spangler