p-day # 20

dear family and esteemed fans :)

well, hermana krites is gone. And I have received a new companion from Cordova, Argentina. :) Her name is Hermana Cantero, and I love her SO MUCH!! Seriously, if you were to compile all of the attributes of a perfect missionary, she would have every single one. It's been a little strange because there are 3 Argentines living in our house now, and me. but my ear is becoming even more accustomed to listening to fast Spanish speakers, and my tongue is loosening up a little bit more. I still definitely struggle to say everything that I want, but she is very patient, and right now we're working on my accent more than anything, because i really just lack vocabulary, and we work on that while we're out walking around.

And we are working our little butts off. haha. I come home exhausted every single night because we have done so much work and walked as fast as we can in every single direction of our sector. We found out this week that it's even bigger than we thought it was, and that we have even more work to do. But we're both so excited because our sector is really rich in comparison to the rest of chile, and the areas that we discovered are pueblitos. a lot more humble. :) She is so organized, and we have been teaching 6 or 7 lessons every day, in comparison to like 4 maximum with hermana krites. We ended up teaching 31 lessons last week, and we even had 2 little meetings together to coordinate how we want to work as a companionship and goals we want to accomplish in this time together. It is going to be an incredible change. :) There is nothing better than feeling like you gave your complete all at the end of every day, and knowing that the Lord is pleased. :)

On tuesday, we went to visit one of our investigators that hasn't been progressing because she hadn't attended church... and she told us that she had started taking her prescription pain pills again, and stealing money to be able to get them... It broke my heart. :( we told her that this is where she is going to find the help she needs, and that we are going to help her every step of the way to overcome her addiction. We've been calling her every morning, and when we passed by again like 2 days later to invite her to the relief society activity and church, she, with tears in her eyes, told us that she is so grateful for our being worried about her, and that she wanted to come to both. we picked her up for the relief society activity on friday, and for church yesterday. :) and she stayed the whole 3 hours, and randomly, miraculously, found out that her uncle is in our ward. :) it was one of the sweetest experiences i have ever had. We have already begun to see life come back into her eyes, and I am so excited to be able to witness the power of the atonement heal this incredible woman. I love her so much, and i am so grateful that i have a companion who knows how to love the same way i do. :) we're going to put a baptismal date with her this week for the end of september to help her work towards something. :)

we also decided that we're going to start giving classes of preach my gospel to the youth here to help them prepare for their missions. I am super excited to get the youth more involved in missonary work, to excite them and help them realize that it's not all that hard to share your testimony with those around you. :) we're currently working with Oliver, who came home from his misson 3 weeks after he left... and we both felt like working with preach my gospel with him will help him have the enthusiasm and desire to work towards going back. he lit up when he realized that we had been thinking all about him, and that we are going to help him with the thing he wants most for his life. :)

We have a baptism this sunday!! I am so excited. Jessica Moya is 100 percent ready and so excited for her own baptism. We worked on invitations and assignment cards for like 2 hours on saturday night so that we can have everything all prepared and ready when sunday comes. :) it was absolutely insane at church trying to talk to everyone about what we need them to do, and finding the baptism clothes and everything, but it is going to be a beautiful baptism. :) Francisco, who we baptized about 2 months ago, is going to be baptizing her! ah. it is absolutely incredible to me that these people have completely changed their lives to accept this gospel, and have rock solid testimonies. It makes me emotional that the church started with joseph smith, but that by the power of the holy ghost witnessing to people through the lord's missionaries, the church has grown to where it is today. I am so grateful for this chance that i have been given to be one of those missionaries, and bring the spirit to these people. Our heavenly father has so much trust in every single one of us, and I am so grateful that I am fulfilling my responsibilities to bring others to the flock.

I love being a missionary!!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and that you're all reading the book of mormon. every day. :)

hermana spencer.