April 23rd, 2012

Hello! Good morning! Unfortunately, I think this weeks email will be a little shorter than my usuals....because literally nothing happened this week! let me recap for you: On Tuesday night....I got transferred! So I was up all night packing my bags and getting ready to leave....Wednesday morning I went and said goodbye to all my recent converts...a few of them cried, it was rough. Then that morning I went to the mission office to find out where i will be going....I got there only to find out that President Prieto wanted me to come stay at his house for a few days to see how my leg is doing....

....and so Ive been at his house since Wednesday! It reminds me of staying at my grandparents house for a weekend...lots of good food and rest....So ive just been here studying and eating cake and living the good life....hahaha that is about all the news I had this week....sorry!!!

I got a package from Brother and Sister Peterson this week! They sent it on March 29 and I got it like April 17....that was fast! I wonder what happened to the packages you have sent me mom??? Oh no!! Hahaha

Well, i hope all is going well back home....Im doing good here...still having some leg troubles, but we will see what is going on....

Thanks for all your prayers and support! love you!

Elder Spencer Eastwood

Moroni 7:47-48

Meu testemunho em Português:

Eu sei que A Igreja é verdadeiro. Nos podemos tornar mais proximo a Deus se nos seguirmos os ensinamentos do profeta, Thomas S monson. Sei que o Livro de Mórmon é verdadeiro. Lendo ele, nos podemos conhecer nosso Salvador Jesus Cristo. Sei que nossas familías pode ser eternas. Em nome do Salvador, Jesus Cristo, Amém

April 16th 2012 Email!

Hey everyone!!! This week was interesting....had one more baptism!! The sister of the young boy we baptized a few weeks ago. It was really special. I think we are going to baptize their whole family and change their lives for ever! What a blessing it is to be able to bless people's lives here.

I got a new companion this week. His name is Elder Hofmann and he is from Argentina and speaks Spanish! Cool! It is funny, because I feel like I can speak Portuguese and understand it so much better with him. This week has been my best week with the language so far! The only time I used English this week was to teach the English class at the church, but that was only for one hour.

I saw a really cool example of magnifying one's priesthood this week. My leg has been hurting, especially when I walk, and so one day last week I had to go to President Prieto's house for the whole day. As we were riding the bus, the bishop in the ward here called me and said he had heard about my leg from one of the members and asked if he could help. I explained that we were going to be gone all day and would miss lots of appointments. I got home to find out that the bishop, just out of the kindness of his heart and out of his priesthood duty, had taken the time to find all the addresses of the people we had and personally visit them! He did that all just because I was not able to. That was such a testimony builder for me.

But I am doing okay now. This next week we will need to work hard to find more people to teach! I am starting to keep a collection of the conference editions of the Liahona and I always read the words of the living prophets to strengthen my testimony. I have a quote from President Monson I would like to share: " May we realize and understand how close our Savior is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, how much He loves us, and how much He does and is willing to do for us."

Love, Elder Spencer Eastwood
Alma 36:3
PS: I found another hymn that has a U2 lyric in it :) Hymn 52

April 9th Email

Hey people!!! This week was okay. a pretty rough one to be honest. My companion got sent home after we talked with the mission president. Apparently, he had had some other problems as well....but all is good. I spent Tuesday in the mission office with the President as my companion! That was really cool. He talked to me, gave me some advice and counsel. Then I went back to my house with Elder Vincent from Sandy, Utah. Ive spent this week with him. I think I will be with him at least till next Monday, when the transfers are. He is really great, he has two more months than me on the mission and speaks the language really well. He helps me a lot and corrects me a lot too, which is good cause it helps me learn faster!

This week two of our baptism dates fell through...I dont know why. But it was really hard on me and discouraging. But we will work hard with them this week!!! Also, this week has been rough because my right leg has been hurting REALLY bad. It is swollen and painful...dont know why. But Im talking with the President tomorrow about it, so we will see! No worries!

I had a fun time the other day when we visited this guy my age. he got a new guitar and asked if I played. I said YES GIVE IT TO ME! I started playing One by U2 and he recognized it and started singing along....then I started too! We filmed a video of us playing and singing One, but I couldnt get it to upload on the email...Lame!!!

I got a letter from the family that was sent on February 28th...wonder why it came so late!! But it had some letters from paige, parker, tara, and carter, how awesome!!! Paige, I went to the Be the Change day one year. It was really cool. But I agree, it was difficult to hear people and their problems. Just remember how blessed we are to have such an amazing family in our lives!! i also got a package from Grandma Joyce that had a package of cookie mix in it...I will be making them this afternoon and I cant wait!! YUM!

This week I had a cool experience when I realized that I had been sent by the Lord to someone he had prepared to receive me. Remember that young woman I baptized? My first baptism? We talked with her and I asked her about her testimony, about what made her decide to get baptized. She told us that 2 years ago she had told her mom that she would never join a church unless some people knocked on her door to tell her that their church was true...and only if they had proof. Two years later, two missionaries knocked on her door and one of them was me! And we had that proof that our church is true. It is the Book of Mormon. She read it all the way through the first night and then prayed about it. She told us that her answer came the next day when I bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon. She told us the night before she had had a dream and that in my testimony I said many of the same words that were in her dream. That is when she knew it was true. How awesome!!!

Well, that is it for now....have fun this week....until next monday!
You are in my prayers always! :)

Love, Elder Eastwood
Isaiah 41:10
Helaman 5:12

So this week was just okay. My companion, Elder Nickel got transferred early on Wednesday and I got paired with a Brazilian companion named Elder Leite.

Conference was good! I unfortunately wasn’t able to see it in English, but it was cool cause I just listened to the music (the only part that was in English) and gained a real testimony of the power of the Spirit in music. I took a lot of notes too...just spiritual impressions that I felt during the four sessions. How lucky we are to have a living prophet and apostles today! I loved Pres Uchtdorfs talk...how we need to stop being jealous and judging others. We simply need to stop it. Also enjoyed Pres Eyrings two talks, the one in the session and the one at Priesthood. He is such a spiritual man. Elder Andersens talk was incredible too.... really brought the Spirit. So were Elder L Tom Perry and Elder Andersens talks...really powerful. Elder Bednar was great in the Priesthood session too. I hope I can get the conference issue Ensign in English to read them all though.... i loved all of it!!

We marked two more baptism dates this past week, for next Saturday. The members here are starting to talk to me more. The bishop calls us every now and then to talk with me and ask for my help. The youth really like to spend time with me and work with us.

So, hope things are good back home! I love you! I got a letter from the family today that I read! Parker, I loved the picture you drew of me walking down a street with no name!!

It is so true what you said about mom. She is one of the best examples to me of a true Christ like person. Her bright personality, her ability to make the best of EVERYTHING, and her ability to brighten the lives of others is so incredible. I wish every day to be more like her, because I know if I am more like her I will be more like our Savior Jesus Christ. She is such an amazing person. We are all so lucky to have her in our lives. I miss her a lot, but I pray for her and for you and the family daily.

Last night, I gave the entire lesson on the Restoration and felt like I made zero mistakes. The spirit was with me.

Thanks for the scriptures dad!

1 Nephi 1:20

-Spencer