October 31st 2012

Well, this week was a great one!!!

Friday, we had a Halloween Party in the ward....(unfortunately, the computer Im using today is not working with my camera, so I will have to send pictures next week.) 

Of course, for my costume, I went as Bono....I had the sunglasses and everything!!!

It was really cool and the decorations were just like in America!!! It reminded me a lot of being home. It was really fun to be there with all the ward members and to hang

out with them some more. I think this will be the last party I have with this wonderful ward. I have that "feeling" that I will be transferred either this week or the next.

I will miss the ward a lot, but I am ready to move on. This will definitely be the ward that I visit my last Sunday on the mission though!!! Ive already planned it out with

the members here....my favorite family is already planning the "Farewell Party" for next year....hahaha.

Anyway, we are preparing a family for baptism! They went to church yesterday and loved it! They invited us to have coffee with them one day, and we just said that

we dont drink coffee. So they stopped too! We hadnt even taught them about the Word of Wisdom....we are doing that tonight. But they are totally being prepared

by the Lord to become members of this Church! I think that one of my purposes here was to find them and begin teaching them.

I learned a lot this week about the importance of fulfilling our responsibilities as priesthood holders. If we dont do our duty as priesthood brethren, the Lord has no one

here on Earth to help his other children. It is OUR responsibility and OUR privelege. I learned this when I helped my companion give his first blessing. He was very nervous

that he would not know what to say or what to do. I explained to him that it doesnt matter what the words are, all that matters is his faith and the faith of the person he will

be blessing. That is true for all of us!

To hold the priesthood of God and use it to bless the lives of others is the greatest privelege we men can have in this life.

Love, 

Elder Spencer Eastwood!

D&C 121:45-46

October 22nd 2012

This week was wonderful!

We had another baptism! I had the awesome privelege to baptize little Samuel, that special little boy that I have talked about before.
It was a baptism like none other. He entered the water and it was like he truly felt the sacredness of the ocasion. He looked around
and took in every single detail: the water, the steps, the mirror, the celing, the doors, everything. And then he looked at me and I 
felt the strongest impression from the spirit that he was doing the right thing. I felt like God was accepting him into his kingdom.
I also had the opportunity to confirm him a member of the church and give him the gift of the holy ghost. It was the first time
I had confirmed someone on my mission, and it was a wonderful experience for me!!

I love my mission. I dont know what I would be doing without it. Our lives move so quickly that often, we miss the best moments if 
we are not really looking for them. Im grateful that I have kept a journal and have not missed a day so far. Im grateful for all the photos
I have and the memories and friends I have made. A mission is the best thing I think anyone could do. I know that Heavenly Father
is preparing me at this time for my future life with my future family and friends. What a blessing!

Anyway, this week was not too stressful. I had an interview with Pres. Prieto and he helped me set some goals for the next year of my mission.
He is so kind and loving to us. I am so blessed to have him serving as my mission president. It was very good to talk with him and really take
time to have a good conversation with him. After our interview, I am almost POSITIVE that I will leave this area next transfer. Which is good 
and bad. I will miss here a lot, but I think Im ready to leave.

Love you all!
-Elder Spencer Eastwood
3 Nephi 9:19-22

October 15th 2012

Well, this week was a good one.

We had a miracle yesterday!!!! I got to the church and the Bishop asked to speak with me. I went into his office and he explained that there was a non-member who had already received all the missionary lessons and was directly participating in the church services, but had still not been baptized. He said that he had spoken with Pres. Prieto and that I could interview her that day and she could get baptized that afternoon! I went in, resumed all the lessons with her, and then interviewed her and....she passed! We had a surprise baptism in the ward!!! That was really miraculous! Im grateful that the Lord has allowed me to recognize miracles in my mission and in my life.

This week has been good. We are working with two children of an incomplete member family. The son, Samuel, will get baptized this Saturday. And the other daughter, Samara, will get baptized soon after, I hope. She is really afraid that if she gets baptized, she will have to change every single thing in her life and have to walk around dressed like sisters all the time.

I have gotten in the habit of talking with the members here and asking them about their conversion stories or what they felt when they first gained a tesimony or how was their first visit to the temple. What I have heard and learned is amazing. The faith of these members is unshakeable and it builds my testimony every day. Their examples make me want to be a better and more faithful member of the Church when I return home and begin raising my own family. Because one of the most important things Ive learned here is that there is NOTHING more important than a family established in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who lives the gospel faithfully together. Family Home Evening, family prayer, and family scripture study need to become consistent parts of our life!

I also finished reading the Book of Mormon this morning for the sixth time on my mission. I know with all my heart that that book is true - even the most correct book on earth.

I love you all! Thanks for your faith and prayers in my behalf!

-Elder Spencer Eastwood

D&C 76:22-24

October 8th, 2012

So this week was such an inspiring week wasnt it?

Lets go over the news before I get to conference....

There were some transfers this week. I am staying in this area for at least one more transfer....but I am training a new missionary. He is from Sao Paulo and really nice and friendly. But there is a little difficulty in that he doesnt know how to read...so I have to help him and teach him how to read in a language that is not my own! It is really humbling and teaching me patience, so that is good. Anyway, Im still the district leader and I still love this ward, but the money situation with all the bus passes and walking is killing me, so I hope that next transfer I will be moved to another area.

Conference this weekend....wasnt it just AMAZING!?!?! 

How bout that awesome announcement from Pres Monson that young men can start serving at 18 years old and young women at 19??? Everyone here went crazy at that announcement. The youth here are so willing and wonderful. They just want to serve! (Do you hear that Paige?....hehehe) I loved Pres. Uchtdorf's talk...I love when he gave us three suggestions:

"Let us spend more time with those we love.
Let us become who God wants us to be today!"
Let us find happiness now!"

He is such an inspired man. All the talks were awesome and just what I needed to hear. I felt like this conference was the first one where I was constantly feeling the spirit and constantly learning something new. I loved when Elder Nelson said, "Ask the missionaries; They can help you." And I loved Pres Monsons talk at the priesthood session where he talked about how people can change. We can always change with God's help. I can tell, and I hope you all can tell too, that I have changed A LOT since a year ago when I was leaving on my mission. How blessed we are to live in the time we do...to have a prophet of God that loves us and teaches us!

I love you all and hope you had a wonderful experience with conference. How blessed we truly are.

Love, Elder Spencer D Eastwood