Dear President,
This week was great! We had the opportunity to meet with a lot of our investigators, and we have started going through our ancient records area book that dates back to 1996. We are excited to start harvesting seeds and Sorella Worsham and I both feel that the time has come to focus on those who have been found in the past instead of finding brand new investigators.
Not much has changed with our investigators except for Bernice and Naomi. Erica (their mother\aunt) opened up to us and explained that everyone in the family has been struggling with their faith except for Bernice. We have also started working with the girls one on one which has been great for them. Marisa is also very busy and isn't answering our calls but the other sister's were able to contact her, and she said she still wants to meet with us and come to English course, just not for the next couple of weeks.
I have started focusing a lot on the language. I'm now doing my personal study in Italian, which has been great because I pay much better attention. I wanted to thank you for the focus you place on us doing what is right for us individually, and that choice is between us in the Lord. That is something I absolutely needed to learn at this point in my life.
Sinceremente,
Sorella Spencer
The rest is random stuff from several different emails.
* Also I am switching all my personal study over to Italian so I would greatly appreciate general conference talks in Italian.
* Also could you put something on my blog about what can and cannot be sent into Italy? (Please see the contact tab and reference the Postal link. I can only assume that someone has sent something that isn't allowed)
* OK I had to get off of email early to do a survey but I finished the survey and am emailing again! So I love you a ton! The mission is going great. I'm really really happy. It's not always easy but I am praying really hard to overcome the things within my control, like poor self esteem and getting annoyed with people and it's been really great. I love being a missionary. It's a very different labor in Europe than in the US, and I am constantly learning things every day. We spend a lot of time teaching people not to pray to us, which I imagine doesn't happen a lot in the states, but the ward is really passionate about missionary work, and people are really great about coming to church, and it's a normal thing to start a conversation about religion.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
It feels good to be exhausted in the Lord's work!
Cioa Cari!!!
Well for the first time in my mission we are BEYOND busy. It is only Monday and we have an appointment for every day next week, and up to four on other days (four is kind of our max because of metro.) We were planning last night and we are both kind of stressed (me more so than Sorella Worsham) but Sorella Worsham said something really beautiful that made me feel a lot better. She said "It feels good to be exhausted in the Lord's work." I think she was quoting someone but neither of us could remember who. I hope that I am doing what the Lord wants me to do, and I am really excited about this week. This week was also pretty intense so I will just have to give you some highlights.
So Tuesday we had zone conference in the morning and part of the training was about the best was to find investigators from English course, and that evening Sorella Worsham and I taught our first ever family English course (I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but Sorella Worsham and I teach intermediate English and we have never ever had consistent students so we started an English course specific for parents and children.) and we invited our only two students to start meeting with us and they agreed!!!!
Monday we went and saw a long term investigator, who really has not been making progress, but who has been on our minds a lot recently. He opened up to us and said that he wants to be baptized but he has been hurt by members of the church (he was raised in a part member family.) so it would take time. We asked him to start over with the lessons and pretend he didn't know anything about the church, and then we scheduled an appointment for the following week. Then he showed us his pet falcon, who is chained up inside of a double dead bolted cage. He said the next time he would bring him out so wish me luck!
So we had to go back and fourth to the mission office several times this week for conferences and interviews and we had a lot of chances to contact people in the metro. I'm so sorry I am out of time. Love you lots!!!
-Sorella Spencer
Well for the first time in my mission we are BEYOND busy. It is only Monday and we have an appointment for every day next week, and up to four on other days (four is kind of our max because of metro.) We were planning last night and we are both kind of stressed (me more so than Sorella Worsham) but Sorella Worsham said something really beautiful that made me feel a lot better. She said "It feels good to be exhausted in the Lord's work." I think she was quoting someone but neither of us could remember who. I hope that I am doing what the Lord wants me to do, and I am really excited about this week. This week was also pretty intense so I will just have to give you some highlights.
So Tuesday we had zone conference in the morning and part of the training was about the best was to find investigators from English course, and that evening Sorella Worsham and I taught our first ever family English course (I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but Sorella Worsham and I teach intermediate English and we have never ever had consistent students so we started an English course specific for parents and children.) and we invited our only two students to start meeting with us and they agreed!!!!
Monday we went and saw a long term investigator, who really has not been making progress, but who has been on our minds a lot recently. He opened up to us and said that he wants to be baptized but he has been hurt by members of the church (he was raised in a part member family.) so it would take time. We asked him to start over with the lessons and pretend he didn't know anything about the church, and then we scheduled an appointment for the following week. Then he showed us his pet falcon, who is chained up inside of a double dead bolted cage. He said the next time he would bring him out so wish me luck!
So we had to go back and fourth to the mission office several times this week for conferences and interviews and we had a lot of chances to contact people in the metro. I'm so sorry I am out of time. Love you lots!!!
-Sorella Spencer
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Short but Sweet
Well this week Sorella Worsham and I have seen miracles! We have finally figured out the buses. We didn't miss a single appointment this week because of bus problems, and we also didn't end up in the middle of the woods completely surrounded by goats. (it's very interesting how quickly Rome stops being this thriving metropolis, and starts being goat territory.) We had four investigators in church on Sunday, and investigators that I never dreamed would progress are close to accepting baptismal dates. The ward is responding really well to us and we have pranzo appointments for not only this week, but the next! (that has never happened in either of our experiences as missionaries.) Sorella Worsham and I are very different, but our personalities are very very complimentary for missionary work. We teach together very well, and we work together very well. The combined faith of two, is a lot stronger than two people working contrary together.
I don't have a ton of time to write, so it will have to be a short one this week. I love and miss you all. Have a good week!
I don't have a ton of time to write, so it will have to be a short one this week. I love and miss you all. Have a good week!
Monday, January 6, 2014
Home Sweet Rome
Buon Anno cari! Tanti Agguri! (Good year loved ones, good wishes.)
Alright transfer calls came and went, and I will be spending the next six weeks in beautiful Rome,with the wonderful Sorella Worsham. Transfers were actually relatively boring. Sorella Merenda is the only one leaving so it will be my third transfer with Anziano Burnham, and Jimenez, and my fourth with Sorella Williams (we were in the mtc together and we have literally spent more of our mission together than apart. I think that if I serve with anyone from my mtc group, it will probably be her.)
Having six missionaries in the same ward has been great because there are always 5 other people who understand exactly how you are feeling, and who can help you get home when you are lost, but it's also tough because we are all trying to work with the same members, and sometimes a member gets visited three times in one week without us noticing, so we are trying to coordinate a little better this transfer.
Today is the last Holiday in a series of holidays, so starting tomorrow there is no excuse for the buses not to come!!!! We love Christmas, but we love missionary work even more!
So this week..........
Monday, so hopefully as you all remember, we were surprised by Borris in church this last Sunday, and I scheduled an appointment with him for the following evening. He really likes the church,and he wants to get baptized, but he is a full-time student working to put himself through school, and he doesn't always have time to come to church. He comes when he can but he usually has work. We had a very spiritual lesson about the plan of Salvation with him, and at the end we talked about church. He told us that he wanted to come, and in a couple of years when he is done with school he will be able to come to church every Sunday. We asked him to pray about finding another means to come and he agreed to. Then he told us that volere e potere (the desire is power) He didn't make it this Sunday but our entire district is praying for him.
Saturday we went to a member's home for dinner,and they had a friend there. She told us after the meal was over that she had had a strong feeling that she should go visit her friend Christina during the day. We taught her a lesson, and she agreed to learn more. There is a talent show this week, and we are hoping that she can make it. It was really cool to see that kind of miracle and how the Lord works sometimes. On a slightly less spiritual note it was a very interesting evening because Sorella Rosetti is a french African woman married to an Italian man, and she made us a traditional African dish for dinner. It was really delicious, but it had little tiny crustaceans (Sorry Amy and all other vegetarian friends I have one year till I will go back to my vegetarian ways) and Italians aren't very exposed to foods of other cultures so the tiny crabs very much alarmed our investigator, who is probably the most pure Italian woman I have ever met (and thus very blunt) and she refused to eat the main dish. We finally got her to try some of the fish but she never would eat the mini crabs she told us "she couldn't she had fear."
On Friday we visited a member in our ward who has a less active husband. He seems like he has a testimony, but he isn't coming to church. It might be because of work but we aren't sure yet. It was great because Sorella Salerno expressed a desire to help with lessons, which we never would have expected because she has a baby and another little girl. It's been really great to start getting to know members on a more personal level,and see how excited they really are about missionary work. Also Fratello Salerno is hilarious. They don't have fettuccine alfredo in Italy so it's always fun to describe "Italian food" in the US. While we were describing alfredo, Fratello Salerno started joking that it was a six legged beast from America. He said he ordered one off of ebay once and it was delicious.
Also we have a man who is dating a member of the church and thus they have started coming to church together. The catch is she is Russian and doesn't speak Italian or English (and he speaks almost no Russian but they are very happy.) So her whole family came to church on Sunday,and they decided they like me because "lei sembre come un proprio russe" *{editors note - a loose translation "would seem to her as their own Russian"}* (I get that a loooot here.) So I had a very exciting Sunday with the Russians. (if someone could send me some basic phrases in Russian, I would greatly appreciate it) So the way this family is broken up is there are two Russian sisters. One is married to an Italian, and one is dating an Italian. The one who is married speaks perfect Italian, and the other speaks none at all. So on Sunday we tracked down our only Russian speaking sister,and sent the sisters to gospel doctrines with her, and then we went to gospel principles with the boyfriend, and husband. It was really great because the husband used every opportunity he could to bear his testimony. It really invited the spirit. I'm excited to see what comes of our sweet Russians.
When I first got here I was told that the ward was very anti-missionaries, and that they never liked to make appointments, and I just kind of accepted it. Sorella Worsham however, has been very gung ho about working with the members and I am shocked at how well they have responded. The ward is starting to thrive through missionary work.
(You may have noticed that I am a little behind on updating the blog for my missionary. I apologize and am working on getting caught up. Rather than waiting to catch up, I decided to go ahead and post this week and get caught up with the others later. I am still trying to balance going back to work.)
Alright transfer calls came and went, and I will be spending the next six weeks in beautiful Rome,with the wonderful Sorella Worsham. Transfers were actually relatively boring. Sorella Merenda is the only one leaving so it will be my third transfer with Anziano Burnham, and Jimenez, and my fourth with Sorella Williams (we were in the mtc together and we have literally spent more of our mission together than apart. I think that if I serve with anyone from my mtc group, it will probably be her.)
Having six missionaries in the same ward has been great because there are always 5 other people who understand exactly how you are feeling, and who can help you get home when you are lost, but it's also tough because we are all trying to work with the same members, and sometimes a member gets visited three times in one week without us noticing, so we are trying to coordinate a little better this transfer.
Today is the last Holiday in a series of holidays, so starting tomorrow there is no excuse for the buses not to come!!!! We love Christmas, but we love missionary work even more!
So this week..........
Monday, so hopefully as you all remember, we were surprised by Borris in church this last Sunday, and I scheduled an appointment with him for the following evening. He really likes the church,and he wants to get baptized, but he is a full-time student working to put himself through school, and he doesn't always have time to come to church. He comes when he can but he usually has work. We had a very spiritual lesson about the plan of Salvation with him, and at the end we talked about church. He told us that he wanted to come, and in a couple of years when he is done with school he will be able to come to church every Sunday. We asked him to pray about finding another means to come and he agreed to. Then he told us that volere e potere (the desire is power) He didn't make it this Sunday but our entire district is praying for him.
Saturday we went to a member's home for dinner,and they had a friend there. She told us after the meal was over that she had had a strong feeling that she should go visit her friend Christina during the day. We taught her a lesson, and she agreed to learn more. There is a talent show this week, and we are hoping that she can make it. It was really cool to see that kind of miracle and how the Lord works sometimes. On a slightly less spiritual note it was a very interesting evening because Sorella Rosetti is a french African woman married to an Italian man, and she made us a traditional African dish for dinner. It was really delicious, but it had little tiny crustaceans (Sorry Amy and all other vegetarian friends I have one year till I will go back to my vegetarian ways) and Italians aren't very exposed to foods of other cultures so the tiny crabs very much alarmed our investigator, who is probably the most pure Italian woman I have ever met (and thus very blunt) and she refused to eat the main dish. We finally got her to try some of the fish but she never would eat the mini crabs she told us "she couldn't she had fear."
On Friday we visited a member in our ward who has a less active husband. He seems like he has a testimony, but he isn't coming to church. It might be because of work but we aren't sure yet. It was great because Sorella Salerno expressed a desire to help with lessons, which we never would have expected because she has a baby and another little girl. It's been really great to start getting to know members on a more personal level,and see how excited they really are about missionary work. Also Fratello Salerno is hilarious. They don't have fettuccine alfredo in Italy so it's always fun to describe "Italian food" in the US. While we were describing alfredo, Fratello Salerno started joking that it was a six legged beast from America. He said he ordered one off of ebay once and it was delicious.
Also we have a man who is dating a member of the church and thus they have started coming to church together. The catch is she is Russian and doesn't speak Italian or English (and he speaks almost no Russian but they are very happy.) So her whole family came to church on Sunday,and they decided they like me because "lei sembre come un proprio russe" *{editors note - a loose translation "would seem to her as their own Russian"}* (I get that a loooot here.) So I had a very exciting Sunday with the Russians. (if someone could send me some basic phrases in Russian, I would greatly appreciate it) So the way this family is broken up is there are two Russian sisters. One is married to an Italian, and one is dating an Italian. The one who is married speaks perfect Italian, and the other speaks none at all. So on Sunday we tracked down our only Russian speaking sister,and sent the sisters to gospel doctrines with her, and then we went to gospel principles with the boyfriend, and husband. It was really great because the husband used every opportunity he could to bear his testimony. It really invited the spirit. I'm excited to see what comes of our sweet Russians.
When I first got here I was told that the ward was very anti-missionaries, and that they never liked to make appointments, and I just kind of accepted it. Sorella Worsham however, has been very gung ho about working with the members and I am shocked at how well they have responded. The ward is starting to thrive through missionary work.
(You may have noticed that I am a little behind on updating the blog for my missionary. I apologize and am working on getting caught up. Rather than waiting to catch up, I decided to go ahead and post this week and get caught up with the others later. I am still trying to balance going back to work.)
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