Celestial Kingdom

Mother! 

Well we had transfers today... and I get the opportunity to go to a different Zone! I am a little sad and a little happy! I am sad to leave my ward, my district, my zone, my converts, my investigadores. But I am really excited to get to know other people and have more experiences. I want to share only one experience and one scripture. 

Well to start off this Sunday was one of the better Sundays that I have had in a while. Because our investigadores finally came to church!!! After waiting, and waiting and waiting some more they finally came! That made me so happy to see that they are trying their best to do the right things. But one experience really touched my heart this past week. This Sunday a lady and her daughter contacted us after church ended. She told us that she wanted to hear what the missionaries had to say because her daughter is a member of the church. So we took down her address and the next day in the afternoon we visited her and her husband. We were talking and turns out that they want to get married. 

But that isn't the experience I wanted to share... the experience that I want to share came from her daughter. We started to talk about the Celestial Kingdom and how only we can enter if we get married according to the commandments. I was searching rapidly for a scripture to share when somehow I came across this scripture in D&C 131:1-3

Which says: 

 1  En la gloria celestial hay tres cielos o grados;

 2  y para alcanzar el más alto, el hombre tiene que entrar en este orden del sacerdocio [es decir, el nuevo y sempiterno convenio del matrimonio];

 3  y si no lo hace, no puede alcanzarlo.

ENGLISH:

 1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

 2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into thisorder of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];

 3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.

When I started to read this... I can't even explain my feelings. It was something totally different. But after, the daughter shared an experience that I will never forget. She told us she had dreamed about the Celestial Kingdom. At first I thought she was a little crazy but then she told us her story about how there was a place that was all white and that she was holding hands with Christ and walking on a path with him. She told us at the end of her dream Christ said,

" Don't worry they are in good care." 

When she finished I have never felt the Spirit in such a way before. When we finished the lesson there was a great spirit that was in the house. And when we were walking back to our room I was reflecting the scripture above. And I knew that one day this family will be sealed for time and all eternity. But it is going to take some time. 

God has given us time here to become like Him

Elder Spencer 

Birthday week!

Mother! 

Well to start off I am 19 years old! How time flies fast here in the mission! I can remember when I wasn't able to talk and now look at me! I have been sharing the Gospel, my feelings, but most important my testimony of the truthfullness of The Gospel. Well to start off I just want to share a couple experiences that I had this week! 

We have been helping a couple with the their wedding papers! I am so excited for their wedding and after their baptism because I found this family with my previous companion! And we have been working so long to get the papers from them! And now we have them!! Wow they are so excited. They are attending church almost every Sunday! I can't wait for their wedding day! 

Well 2 days ago we had a Work Visit with the Zone leaders! We knocked on a door that I visited previously but he never was home. But this time he was home. This man has no legs and he is stuck in his wheelchair. But previously the missionaries contacted him and he told them that he was interested. Well 2 days ago we found him in his house. We taught him The Plan of Salvation. Well the thing with him is that he can't hear very well. So the whole lesson we were practically yelling. But when we were teaching The Resurection I told him that one day after this life that he was going to be able to have his legs and walk. I could tell in his face that he understood what I said. We paused for a little while. But in that moment I could feel hope for this man that I had only met once. 

Well the last couple of nights I have been reading in Alma! But this morning I was reading in Alma 29 and I really liked the verses 9 and 10. That says in Spanish ;) 

9  Sé lo que el Señor me ha mandado, y en ello me glorío. Y no me glorío en mí mismo, sino en lo que el Señor me ha mandado; sí, y ésta es mi gloria, que quizá sea un instrumento en las manos de Dios para conducir a algún alma al arrepentimiento; y éste es mi gozo.

 10  Y he aquí, cuando veo a muchos de mis hermanos verdaderamente arrepentidos, y que vienen al Señor su Dios, mi alma se llena de gozo; entonces recuerdo lo que el Señor ha hecho por mí, sí, que ha oído mi oración; sí, entonces recuerdo su misericordioso brazo que extendió hacia mí.

ENGLISH:

 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.
 10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

You can look it up in English! But this scripture is so true! We can't brag in our own strength because who gave it to us? God! We are HIS way, HIS instruments in helping others come unto HIM and HIS Son Jesus Christ! That needs to be our Joy! Bringing the children of men back to the presence of God once again! We have to follow HIS ways to make them our own.  (Alma 29:9-10) 

Elder Spencer 

bday

The Family that let me have my party in their house! The Family Twesta Chalco

The members that attended my party!

Enduring

Mother! 

I am so excited to share some on the experiences that I had this week! 

Well to start we have been teaching which is always good! There is always someone to teach here in my area! You can literally start talking with anyone and they will invite you in to their house to talk for a moment or two! All the people here have a religious background a some kind and they all know that there is something more to God. But they just can't explain it! I love it when we talk with people and they ask the question: Why are there so many churches in the world when there is only one God and one way back to him? I love this question! Because when they ask these questions we can see as missionaries that they are searching just like Joseph Smith was searching. They know that there must be something more to God, this life, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.  

Well to start of we were walking in the calle last night to a lesson and there was a kid playing soccer with his dad. He kicked the ball and it came towards us! I kicked it back! And the father gave us thanks! And we started to talk about his son and sooner or later we started talking about God. He said that is has always known that God exists and that there is something else. We talked for a moment about prophets and then invited him to church the next week and we have a lesson with him this Tuesday! That was really cool. I got to express my feelings and my testimony with him! I love that. 

Second we found a family! They are amazing! The dad doesn't have a leg and is always on crutches. But the cool thing is that the first time we contacted them they invited us to drink soda with them! We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited them to baptism! And they accepted but they kept telling us that they need to learn the things of God first! And we assured them that we are going to help them! 

Wow this week has been full of happiness! I have never been this happy in my life! I know sharing the Gospel really does change your life as well as living it! 

¡Lo viviré! Es una parte de mi vida que nunca tu puedes quitar de mi. Lo viviré, las enseñanzas, los principios, El Evangelio. Lo seguiré con fe, lo defenderé con mi vida. Porque ahora es parte de mi vida y lo sera por siempre! 

Elder Spencer 

Note from Mom--The approximate translation of the paragraph above is this:

My life! It is a part of my life that you can never take away from me. We live the teachings the principles, the Gospel. I will continue in faith, I will defend with my life. Because it is now part of my life and it will be forever!

This Week!

Mother! 

Wow can't believe that it is already Monday! Where did this week go! Wow time here in the field is flying by so fast! I am learning a lot from my new companion. Especially how to be patient and express my feelings about a certain situation. Elder Pauro is the coolest cat though. He has such a big heart for the people and for the Gospel. He knows the Gospel through and through. When he talks he talks with reverence which I find very humbling about him. The thing with my companion is the following: He has 20 months in the mission, well 21 now. He is dying. That is a phrase we use here when someone has a lot of time in the mission. We wants to work but at the same time he wants to do is own thing. Which is kinda of hard for me especially when this is my first area and I want to do the best I can! 

Well he is a good kid don't get me wrong. We have a great relationship!!! 

Well this week...where to start! Well one day we were eating in a restaurant and entered a family of 6 they sat next to us. I continued to eat my lunch like normal. But half way through I started to feel a little sick. I felt like I was needing to talk to that family. But we finished and left for our apartment. When we arrived at the apartment I told my comp that we need to go back to the restaurant and talk to them!! He told me that I was crazy. But I told him that I was serious!! So we left and before we left we said a prayer to soften their hearts! We then arrived at the restaurant and they were eating. I told my comp that we shouldn't talk to them while they are eating because that is a little rude and uncomfortable. He agreed and we walked in and started to talk with them!! At first it was a little weird but turned out they were interested! We left and I felt like I did my job as a missionary! We have a visit with them this week! 

Also we have been trying to find a family that my old companion Elder Ortiz and I contacted a month and a half ago! We have been going to their house for about two weeks and every time we went they weren't home. But this last week we found them! And we taught them and invited them to baptism! But first they need to get married by the Country! They also accepted this! We are going to be working with them to get their papers ready to be married! 

Also we have a family right now that they have their papers ready to get married and we are just waiting for the date the 24 of Jan! 

We have also found many other young men that we are helping! 

Elder Spencer 

Christmas Week

Hola! 

Wow time flies here when you are doing the work of the Lord! I have had a really long week here! With the changes of companions and such and trying to do the work that I know needs to be done! My comp is really cool! Well anyways my experiences this week! 

Well first thing that comes to my head is the Night before Christmas! I was expecting a peaceful night that I would return to my house and then I would go to bed! But little did I know that all night the people of Peru would be celebrating! With fire works! So at 10pm it all began! I was sleeping and I woke up to what sounded like gun shots! I ran to my window to see what was happening! I looked up at the sky and it was filled with fire works off all kinds! It was so loud! Next my comp and me went up to our roof to get a better view! I was recording the whole thing! Also in the street the kids were lighting fire works! I was a crazy night! The fireworks didn't stop until 1 in the morning! 

We had a Christmas activity with the mission! All the missionaries went to the mission home and we had a dodge ball tournament! We played soccer of course! We had a talent show which was pretty awesome and we ate hamburgers and hot dogs! Wow that was fun! 

The recent Missionaries of my Ward! Mariscal Careces! 

From left to right: Me, Elder Nelson, Elder Speed!  My friends from the CCM! 

Then Christmas Day!! 

Wow Christmas this year didn't really feel like Christmas! I wasn't with my family or anything! I passed Christmas night in my bed! I went to sleep way early! And early that day we ate a huge Christmas lunch with a member! We ate pig, turkey, fruit, vegetables, jello, bread! Oh it was so good! 

Then the rest of the week we were working in the mountains! It was really fun! But I want to share what happened yesterday when we were walking in the street! We were at the church waiting to have Ward Council and the members weren't going to show up for a long time and I had to go back to our room to pick up some papers! Well I were walking back on a street down by our house and we passed a guy and he asked if we were Mormon! We stopped and we started talking for a bit! He started to talk in English! I was a little confused at first! But we started talking in English about the Gospel and we invited him to church and he told us that he has a Book of Mormon and that he is going to read more in depth! I don't know where he learned to speak English but ut was actually really cool! I think we are going to visit him this week! 

Well that is all for now! 

Merry Christmas! 

Elder Spencer