August 27th 2012

Well, this week was great! Im 20 years old! I can hardly believe it!

This week was really special....we were able to baptize one of the daughters of that special family that we found that Ive been talking about for some time. It was a really special baptism, because it reminded her mom of her own baptism 14 years ago. It feels so good to know that Ive done some good in someone's life by knocking on their door and helping them come back to the Church, and also by giving their children this new opportunity to be a part of the true Gospel plan.

We also had a mission conference with the mission president and it was really cool. We learned a lot about the gathering of Israel and how we can use our priesthood power to bless the lives of the people we visit. I have been trying lately to live a special blessing on each home we visit, and in turn, Ive been greatly blessed!! 

The district is doing really good too. We had 3 baptisms this week. I had to go interview the baptismal candidates and it was really special for me to do.

Im loving the time that I have here. Yesterday, we talked about the importance of the temples at church and the bishop asked me to explain to the members what I feel is important about the temples and how my testimony has grown as Ive served here. I have emailed a lot about temples, I know, but it is because they are one of the most important things that the Lord has given us. They are everything to us. I gave the members here a suggestion that no sacrifice is too great for the blessings of the temples. And the same thing applies to every member of the church in every country. No matter how close or how far you live to or from a temple, it should be of utmost importance to you and you should sacrifice to visit it and serve there as often as possible!

I love this Church and I love the opportunity the Lord has given me to serve Him!

Love you all!

-Elder Spencer Eastwood

Alma 33:3-8

August 20th 2012

Hello family and friends!

What a blessing it is for me to be able to write to you through email! I certainly was called by revelation to serve a mission in Brazil and not in a different place!

Remember that family I have talked about for some time? Well, we marked a baptismal date for two of the kids this coming Saturday! Their mom was so happy and was brought to tears last night when I asked her to share her testimony with us. She talked about how all her life, she has wanted her kids to be baptized in this church. And after 14 years, the missionaries have knocked on her door again and have given the rest of her family this chance! I was so humbled to know that I was an instrument in the Lords hands to be led to this family that was truly needing His help and His love at this time. I received a confirmation that the Lord truly is mindful of each one of us. (see Alma 26:36-37).

What a blessing we have to be members of this church. I hope that every day we look for the Lords hand in our lives and look for the little blessings He has given us. Sometimes, they are the easiest to take for granted, but in the end, they could be the blessings most important to us.

The Portuguese is better than ever! It is just like normal now. When I speak English, I feel weird. I think my voice sounds weird now when I talk English. Im so grateful for the blessing Heavenly Father gave me to learn a new language. I know it will bless me for the rest of my life!

Im so grateful to hear about my friends who are leaving on missions, preparing to go, or who are going through the temple. It just strengthens my testimony that this church is true and I cant wait for them to be able to serve missions and learn how rewarding this work is.

Im so grateful to be a full-time missionary! In a few months I will be coming up on my one-year mark and I know that this next year will be even better and pass even faster, so Im going to dedicate myself to this work and do the very best I can!

Thanks for all the love, support, and prayers! Love you all!

-Elder Spencer D. Eastwood

August 13th 2012

Hello!!!!!

This week was great!!!

I LOVE THE WARD THAT IM SERVING IN!!!
Im going to be so sad when I leave...I have so many great friends here and the leadership of the ward is just awesome! The bishop is so supportive and helpful. Im so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here!

Anyway, about the work...it is....going...slowly....we desperately need more people to teach. Im trying to motivate the other members of my district to make more contacts, because the more people we are talking with, the more chances we have to teach them, to invite them to church, to mark dates with them, and to baptize them!!! But we are working hard...yesterday, we knocked an entire street of houses and taught one person! And it was an older lady and I dont think she really understood what we were saying...but it was good nonetheless.

Last P-day I went to the Harley-Davidson dealership here in Goiania. We found out that one of the workers there lives in our area, so we grabbed his address and I think we will go to visit him this week.

We started teaching the wife of a less-active member. They are going to get married here in the chapel in a few weeks and then she will be baptized and they will prepare to be sealed in the temple next year! The family is SO COOL! He used to live in London and speaks English, with an English accent...hahaha it is really cool!

I got a bunch of letters for my birthday this week and it was SO WONDERFUL! I also got the awesome package that you guys sent and the awesome pillow tie (that I have put to good use already). Grandma Beckstrom also sent me a b-day package with raspberry flavored M&Ms and they are the best things ever!

Im so grateful for my family and friends and all the love, support, and kindness I get from you all! You guys are so loving and generous! Thanks so much!

Love, 
Elder Spencer D. Eastwood

Alma 7:23-24

August 6th 2012

Well this week has been good! On Thursday, there was another transfer. I am staying in the same area and still training my companion, but the only change is that I have been called to be the new district leader here. We are actually in a trio here until next week...elder nickel is with us until he heads back home next monday as he finishes his mission. It has been fun having three elders in the same house, but now I am always thinking of what it is going to be like when I am preparing to head back home next year! That is gonna be an adventure!

We didnt have a baptism this week, but we are working on trying to find more people to teach and prepare for baptism. This friday, we are going to have a big Fireside at a condo unit that the ward helped us plan to help us get more references. It is going to be about Families and I am the 'keynote speaker'. They put my name on the invitations and that I am visiting from the United States to talk to everyone, so they are all getting pretty excited and I am getting pretty nervous.....hahaha....we will see how it goes!

Anyway, things are pretty normal now. I have a lot more responsibilities now as the DL, but it is all good. Im pretty excited and grateful for this opportunity!

Love you all! Thanks for everything!

-Elder Spencer D. Eastwood

July 30th 2012

Well, I reached the 8 month mark today!!! (see the photo hehehe).

I cant believe that in just a few months I will have been gone for a year! It sure doesnt feel like that!

This week was interesting. For the past two months,  we have been living alone in our house, just one companionship of elders, but this week, two more elders got transferred to work in our area with us and live in our house. It is kinda cool, cause one of the elders was my trainer, Elder Nickel. He is going back home in two weeks and so he is really "trunky" hahaha and making everyone else trunky with him!!! 

We taught one of Gabriel's friends this week, her name is Gadia. The first lesson with her was AWESOME. We presented the Book of Mormon and she looked at it and told us that it "looked familiar to her". like she had already seen it before, but when we asked her, she swore she had never heard of it. She read it and prayed about it that night. she told me that at 2am the next morning, she woke up and couldnt get the Book out of her head. So she just kept reading. She said that she had the nicest feeling of peace come over her that she had never felt before. She knows that this Church is true. She accepted a baptismal date for the 11th. Then she said that absolutely she will go to church with us on Sunday, and she was there yesterday! She even brought one of her friends!! And her friend loved the church meetings. We will visit them again tonight. but it was SUCH  a blessing and an answer to my prayers to find this investigator! 

This week we worked a lot with the members inactives and helped to strenghthen the ward here. We also had the privelege to help with the Church's Helping Hands project in Brazil. It was a really rewarding experience.

Well, things are going great now! I LOVE my mission and am so grateful to be here, no matter how hard it is or gets.

You are all in my prayers. Love you!

-Elder Spencer Eastwood
Mosiah 25:24
Mosiah 18:9