Wednesday, January 30, 2013

January 30th 2013


This week went by really fast!

Yesterday, we had 5 new missionaries get here on the mission.


It was cool cause i got to help out with them, and translate for the two Americans that got here.

I remember how I felt when I first got here and really struggled with the language for a long time. I remember that I felt really sad and stressed out and that I wanted to give up. I still feel those same feelings from time to time, but they are not because of the language now. Now, they are because of the people. The people that reject us or the people that decide not to accept the Gospel. Because now, I have a bigger vision of the plan of salvation and I know that this is the only path that leads to eternal life. We have to help everyone along this path! And those that reject us and lie to us and say they will go to Church on Sunday and don't or say they will read the Book of Mormon and don't or do any other thing....man, they are just missing out on so much.

A lot of times, they don't understand that we are not here just to be their friends, just to joke around, or just to talk about life before or after the mission....thye need to realize that we are there to help them enter the kingdom of God. And it is really difficult for me when they refuse to understand that.


Anyway, Im doing good and Im studying a lot!

Love, Elder Spencer D. Eastwood


PS: That picture is of me and President and Sister Prieto and the other secretaries and the AP's.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

January 16th 2013


Well, this week was awesome. Wanna know why?

Cause it rained every day since last Wednesday!!
And in Brasil, when it rains, it POURS.
It has been so nice here. Brazil has a nice tropical rain smell. I think it is really great :)

I love it so much here in Brazil. I love the country, the people, the food, the fruits, the culture, everything! The people here live a much simpler life. They don't worry so much about material things, just having family and friends and the Savior close. And that is how I think it should be!
Anyway, we are still struggling with finding people to teach. Im trying my hardest to give 100%. But it is funny; I think I am more tired while Ive been  working in the mission office than when I was walking around all day in the hot sun in the proselyting field full-time. When I get home at 9:30 each day, I just want to pass out on my bed!
You guys are so nice to continually pray for my well-being. I know that because of your prayers I have been kept safe and protected during my whole mission. I know that the angels of the Lord are round about me!
Love you all so very much. Thanks for everything you do!
-Elder Eastwood

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

January 9th 2013




Hey everyone!!!
This week was great! 
I am working hard in the office, helping out with making training presentations for the missionaries. These next two weeks President is interviewing all the missionaries, so we are preparing some trainings to give to the others while they are waiting in the office.

The work is going well in our area. We had a baptism this last week! His name is Jonas and the baptism went really well. There were lots of people there to watch and support him. The only downside to working in the office is that we don't have a lot of time to proselyte. We are really needing new investigators. We don't have a large teaching group, which really doesn't work out very well for us. So, if you could pray for us to find more people to teach, that would really help us out!

This week, we had one of the most spiritual lessons I've ever participated in. The spirit was so strong! The woman we were teaching first said that she didn't believe that Joseph Smith could be a prophet and that she didnt believe our message. So I explained to her that we are not asking her to believe two "snot-nosed kids", but that she has to believe God. I told her that she HAS to pray and specifically ask the Lord if Joseph Smith was a prophet and if our message is true or not. She was very reluctant at first, but then I went a little bolder with her and said that "we will all get down on our knees and you will ask God right now if this is true or not". We all knelt down and she said a very nice prayer. But....she didn't ask God the specific question. So I told her she had to pray again and ask the question this time. Finally, she asked God, very humbly, if our message is true and if this is the Church of Jesus Christ.

When she got up from her prayer, the Spirit was so strong in that room. I felt inspired to promise her that if she did ALL she could to receive an answer and she still didn't receive one, she could stay at her Church and we would stop bugging her.
But I am completely certain that God will answer her. That is why I made that promise. Because God told me to.

Love you all!
See you next week!

Keep smiling,
Elder Eastwood

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

January 2nd 2013

FELIZ ANO NOVO!

I can't believe it is already 2013! How fast the year flew by, right? I'm so excited to be here in Brazil at this time.
So on New Year's Eve, we didn't really do anything. But it was really loud at night, with lots of fireworks going off until about 2am. So I didn't get to sleep very well. It was kind of scary too....sounded like gunshots going off.
Anyway, my companion Elder Comsa got transferred to a new area last week, so now I am with my new companion, Elder Castro Alves from Belem. He is very cool. He does magic tricks for everyone and it is pretty awesome.
I really love my work here in the office and the privelege I have to work with so many missionaries and the mission president. I will be very sad when President Prieto is released, but it will be a great opportunity to learn with the new mission president. I guess they will be announcing who it is next month?

We are working very hard here in this ward. We are serving in the oldest ward in Goiânia. Basically, all the other wards in the city were divided from this ward. We are working a lot with less-active members, trying to reactivate them and help them come back to the true gospel of Christ. It is stressful work and it is sad to see how far people have strayed from the straight and narrow path. That is why I love the hymn we get to sing in Church!:

"Hold to the rod, the iron rod
'Tis strong and bright and true
The iron rod is the word of God
Will surely see you through"....

Something like that. We need to constantly strengthen our testimony through prayer and scripture study. Take a look at the free time you have during the day and use that time wisely to listen to the Scriptures in your drive to work, or to continually say prayers throughout the day. I know that it will help each of us strengthen our own testimonies.

Love, Elder Spencer Eastwood