i love jóvenes

HELLO MY LOVELY GENTE-

Remember how Hermana Burt and I did a fast to find more young people??  Well, let's just start this email out by talking about those miracles.

Alberto-so this random less active texted us and said something like this, "hermanas, I don't know what to say or do.  I feel so lost.  I miss my Heavenly Father and I want to come back. Can you help me?"  Claro que si Alberto!!!!  We met with him and had a really sweet, really spiritual lesson talking about the atonement of Jesus Christ.  The spirit was really strong and he really opened up.  He came to the ward family home evening the next night and had a super great time, so we're hoping to help him get back on track :))

Carlos- so, this guy is from Peru!!  I think a while ago I mentioned that we contacted some Peruvians.  Well, this week we met with him and he is WONDERFUL.  It was a total miracle and he wants to know if it's true and start reading the Book of Mormon.

Tamara-we had met with this girl previously and she was great until she got busy and we lost contact with her, BUT she ran to the elders on the street and told them she's been waiting for us to come by (!!!) so we went by and had a SUPER great lesson with her and her family.  In fact, her dad had read 27 pages in the Book of Mormon.  They're going through some crazy things as a family so we made some promises that if they read the Book of Mormon as a family, it would all work out.

Isabel- I actually didn't meet her because it was on an intercambio.  BUT she's a super cool girl that accepted a Book of Mormon and asked us to come back and learn more :))

Hermana Burt and I have been having so much fun contacting these younger people. I am just so so extremely grateful to have grown up as a member of the church.  I can't image how different my life would have been, growing up without the knowledge that Christ is my Savior and that God always loves me, no matter what happens.  There's a lot of lost and confused people in the world, but the gospel of Jesus Christ really brings a new light into life and I love being a member of his church.

I finished the Book of Mormon this week for the 3rd time on my mission.  If anyone is wondering, it's still true :)) I love how I can read it so many times and ask if it's true every time.  I always get the same peaceful feeling in my heart that tells me it really is the word of God.  Read it, and ask, and you'll feel it, too.

I love you all SO much,

Hermana Spangler

happy

ALL THE PEOPLE WHOM I LOVE THE MOST

This week we saw MIRACLES.  I think probably the most miracles I've ever seen in a row and I love it!!!!!  We were headed to a cita the other day and were waiting at a red light and there were some South American people next to us.  So I asked them where they were from and we ending up talking to them for a long time, taught them about the restoration, gave them both copies of the Book of Mormon and set another cita to talk again!!!!!  It was seriously fantastic. Eva and her son Carlos, if you wanna add them to your prayers :))  Then, just last night we stopped a really cute girl from Morroco who was christian!!! (they're usually Muslim) we had a really, really good conversation and gave her a Book of Mormon and she was super excited about it!!!  We have a cita tomorrow so we'll see how it goes.

Yesterday, Hermana Burt and I did a fast that we would find youth/young adults that are prepared to accept the gospel.  Of course it's wonderful that older people find the gospel but we have absolutely zero young single adults in our ward and we need more!!!!  We've been on a search and trying to contact every single young person we see (usually what we do already) but we have so much faith that we'll start finding some future leaders of the church.

We had a cita this week with some members that was really great.  It's a cute family with 3 boys. We split up the topics of the restoration and all taught a different part and it was SO good.  I was so impressed, these boys really knew their information.  Just my weekly invitation to really study these gospel principles that sometimes we take for granted and then teach them to your families and friends!!!!

I know with all my heart that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that Jesus Christ restored his church through him.  I know that the Book of Mormon is perfect evidence and that we can know FOR OURSELVES that it's true when we read it.  I am so extremely grateful that the gospel was restored and that it's such a big part of my life.  Nothing else in this world brings me so much joy. But like true, genuine, joy.

I've seen it even more as a missionary while I spent all my time thinking about it, living it and teaching it.  Seriously guys, I'm just so incredibly happy!!!!!!  And I want you all to be just as happy so I'm inviting you to look into it if you're not a member, and live it more fully if you are.  I promise you'll never experience a more pure joy :))

Hey, love you guys a ton!!! Thanks for all the support and love!!!

Besitos,

Hermana Spangler

for those who wanted to know

DEAREST PEOPLE,

Unfortunately, this is going to be another quick email but I hope you can feel through my words how much I LOVE all of you.  I'll send lots of pictures though, hopefully that makes up for it.

Malaga is an absolute DREAM.  I love the ward.  I love my companion.  I love being a missionary.  We've been working really, really hard and finding tons of super cool, new people.  The other day, I felt prompted to knock a specific door and I kinda pushed the prompting away and told myself I would knock it later but then I felt it again and went back.  The guy opened the door, looked at us, and then shut it ): I was a little bit confused as to way I felt like I needed to knock it but the answer came later when we met a super cute couple and their baby on that side of the street!!!! They were interested and totally wanted to hear more :) all I can say is, God loves his children and will use us as his instruments if we are ready and worthy.

Thanks for all your love and support!!!!!

Hermana Spangler

I'll just blow up your emails with consejo pictures of me and all my friends.

When missionaries come back after being home ten months ((what))

Pday today

week 4927277261

MY DEAR PEOPLE,

Remember the first time I traveled to a new area and totally messed up everything and got lost??  Remember how I have lived in Spain for a year now and should know how to travel??  Yeah, me too.  But somehow I managed to mess everything up again my last time around.  Let me just paint the picture:  I got on a train at 12:15 with Elder Rogers (thank goodness I wasn't alone) and we headed to Dos Hermanas.  It was a 45 minute trip and it was great.  When we got to Dos Hermanas, we got all of our suitcases and things and got out of the train.  As we were waiting for the elevator, an older lady holding a baby came up to us crying that her daughter was still on the train and that the doors closed before she could get out.  She had her granddaughter and her daughter’s bags and phone and everything and she was freaking out.  So we calmed her down, got all her stuff together, called some people and helped her get to where she needed to go.  What we didn't realize was that we only had 10 minutes to catch the train to Malaga.  So, in the process of helping this lady, our train came and left...........  We called the missionary secretary who figured everything out but told us that the next train wasn't coming until 5:30.  So here's us: Hermana Spangler and Elder Rogers stuck together at the train station for 5 hours, no food, 4 giant suitcases, and to top it all off, the lady had left her baby in our care (without telling us).  It was the craziest situation I have ever been in but we had a blast.  We couldn't leave the train station because our tickets wouldn't allow us so we found a bag of Oreos in my bag and a jar of peanut in his, and lived on that for the rest of the night.  Our train finally came and we arrived in Malaga, hungry but happy at 8:30 pm.  I don't know how I manage to do this every time.

But anyways, I LOVE MALAGA.  I am having a grand time and actually working harder than I ever have before.  We walk and talk and teach all day until we get back home and literally crash into our beds, completely exhausted.  It's the best kind of feeling :))  My companion is amazing and I am learning so much!!!!!  We have seen a ton of miracles already.  Including a family that we found on Friday.  We are teaching the daughter, Thamara.  She's 27 and super great!!!!  Her parents sat in on the lesson too and had so many wonderful questions.  We have a cita with them on Wednesday so pray that it'll go well :))

I am so happy to be a missionary and be able to serve God.  I want to work extra hard these last 3 months and put my heart and soul into this work.  I love the Lord and I love sharing the gospel with all that I meet-it brings me REAL joy.

Sorry this is kind of uneventful, but we are going to consejo today, AND I GET TO SEE HERMANA BAILEY along with 3 of my other companions :-)  I'm pumped.

Hugs & kisses & all my love,

The newest malagueña,

Hermana Spangler

change is good, right?

MI QUERIDA GENTE-

I know you're all waiting for the transfer news so let's just get right too it.  I'm leaving and I’M GOING TO MALAGA.  I have gone through so many mixed emotions and madre mía I do not want to leave this special place ): Jerez has touched my heart and changed my life in so many ways that I didn't think were possible. You bet I cried like a baby giving my last testimony yesterday in church and I cried basically the whole rest of the time saying goodbye to people.  I genuinely felt like I was leaving home and it was so hard.  This whole week was full of goodbyes and I didn't like it at all.  BUT I'm actually really excited to start fresh and end strong in Malaga. My companion is a super cute chica from Washington state (shoutout to the Spangler family).  She trained Hermana Wood in Alcalá and then was companions with Hermana Bailey in San Fernando so we have a lot in common :)) We've worked together for intercambios and she's a really, really dedicated and hardworking missionary so I'm really excited!!!!

I'm really sad to say goodbye to Hermana Malterre as well because she has changed my life.  I think she is hands down the most obedient missionary I have ever met and I have learned so much from her.  I'm glad to leave the area in her hands because I know she'll continue to do great things.

This week I shared a lot of scriptures with a lot of different people as a 'goodbye' and I want to share one of my favorites.  It's in Alma 26:16.

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever.  Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord?  Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men?  Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

I love it.  Who can glory too much in the lord??  I don't think I will ever be able to express my love and gratitude for the Savior and everything he did for me.  I feel so blessed to be a missionary and to be able to share my testimony with the world and rejoice in the gospel :-)

Sorry this is a short one, but I've got lots to do today!!!!  Next time I write I'll be in Malaga!!!!!

LOVE YOU ALL

Hermana Spangler