june 24th 2013

Well, another week has gone by. The time has slowed down. But there are changes happening, so it will start picking up again. One of the zone leaders got transferred yesterday, so we will have a new missionary in our area with us this week. Hopefully we will all be able to work well together.

The work is going well, but it could be better. It is difficult to adjust to new difficulties after having so much success in my other areas. We are struggling to find new people we teach, because the people we do have are losing interest quickly. We are also facing difficulties in our retention rates...but nothing that the Lord can't handle. I just hope that I can be an effective instrument in the Lord's hands to bring about the work of salvation in this area.

I try my hardest every day to magnify my calling and to strengthen my testimony of the priesthood. I have seen so many examples of worthy and righteous priesthood holders on my mission and throughout my life. I was reading through a lesson manual yesterday and it was talking about how goals for a young man should be to serve an honorable mission, to always honor his priesthood, and to prepare himself to be worthy and deserving of a wonderful young woman that the Lord will prepare for him to marry in the temple. I am trying my best to do exactly that, because I know that the most important thing I can do for myself and for future generations is honor my priesthood and use that priesthood to bless the future family that Heavenly Father will bless me with.

Well, I am sending email a little earlier today, cause this afternoon we are heading to...wait for it...GOIÂNIA!!! We are going to have a mission conference with the entire mission at the Rua 9-A Chapel tomorrow to say goodbye to Pres. and Sis. Prieto. I am looking forward to it...I have missed Goiânia so much - I love that place and the people there! :)

Hope you all have a great week. Be happy and remember you are in my prayers!

Love,

Elder Spencer Eastwood

June 17th 2013

Hey family! How YOU doin'? (I miss Friends...hahaha...speaking of that, this week, we helped a family move a couch...I remembered Ross screaming "PIVOT!!! PIVOT!!" and started doing that, but everyone looked at me funny and thought I was crazy.)

This week was very hot...we worked very hard. It was a real faith builder for me. We have been trying hard to find a family to be able to baptize at the end of the month. Every night, my companion and I would pray specifically to find a family the next day. We always asked Heavenly Father to lead us to the honest in heart who are ready to accept the gospel. The next day, we would leave to go working with a prayer in our hearts and every single day this week we found a family. Then we started praying to help them get to church. Unfortunately, not one of them went to church. I know that the Lord is testing my faith. It is funny how everything that happens to us is a test of our faith and knowledge of the gospel.

I could have very well gotten upset at Heavenly Father for not helping us bring the families to church, but instead, I took it as a learning experience, especially about the importance of prayer. Something interesting is that when we pray, we are praying in the name of Jesus Christ...that means that our mind is His mind and our desires should be His desires, not the other way around. We have to remember that prayer is not to change God's will, but to secure for ourselves the blessings He is already willing to give us, but that we have to pray and ask for in order to receive.

Sacrament meeting is such a great time for us to reflect on ourselves and reflect on our relationship with Heavenly Father and how we are applying the Atonement in our lives. I received some very personal revelation at church yesterday and I am very grateful that I am so close to the Spirit and am able to receive, recognize, and cherish revelation.

Love you guys! Have a great week!

-Elder Spencer D. Eastwood

June 10th 2013

Hey everyone! This week was pretty good! We closed the week with four baptisms. One of them was a total miracle! The zone leaders went to do the interviews and at the very end of three of them, one young woman in the family who wasn't really wanting to get baptized came up and said, "Hey, I think I want to get baptized now!" So we had the great blessing of being able to bless all four of the siblings together. It was really great.

 

We were worried at the baptism because their car broke down on the way to the chapel and we didn't know if they would be able to get there on time. But, we said a prayer and soon, they called us up letting us know they were on their way! Everything went alright in the end!

 

Yesterday, I gave a talk in sacrament meeting about obedience to the commandments and following the Holy Ghost. I was able to use some personal experiences from my mission to help me. I am still trying to figure out a way to help make a difference in the branch here...everyone seems so...discouraged. We are trying to do activities to help get everyone happy and excited, but it doesn't seem to be working.

 

I did a fast this week with two very special purposes. I never really have had a big testimony of the power of fasting, but ever since I have gotten on my mission my testimony has been strengthened in so many ways. I prayed during the whole day that I was fasting and I felt so much closer to my Heavenly Father. Plus, I got answers to my prayers so much faster and I felt like they were more recognizable. Some of my worries were put to rest and I was able to know exactly how Heavenly Father feels about the decisions I will make and the things I want to do with my life. It was a very special experience for me.

 

Anyway, hope all is well with you! You are still in my prayers!

 

Love you!

-Elder Spencer D. Eastwood