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

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

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

Spencer's Christmas!

Sounded like Spencer had a wonderful christmas!! talking to him yesterday was so so fun! can't wait to have him back home for next christmas!(: here are so pictures he sent us of his day!!

December 19th 2012

Hey everyone!!

Feliz Natal from Brazil! It is hot here....but the weird thing is is that yesterday it started HAILING!!! Yes, there were actual ice balls falling from the sky. But it was still hot and they melted when they hit the ground, but still. It was weird.
Ten new missionaries got here yesterday. I was there to help them out, give them trainings and stuff. I realized yesterday the importance of EXAMPLE in our lives. Really, we all look up to somebody, and we never know who is watching and who isn't, so we should always be doing what is right, even when we think that no one is looking.
What a blessing it is to be here serving the people of Brazil during this holiday season!! Last wednesday, we had our mission Christmas presentation. About 300 people from the two stakes here in Goiania were there to watch and I was able to talk to all my friends from Ala Novo Mundo again! It was so awesome!
Then on Sunday night, we had our Mission Christmas Conference. We performed the presentation again with the choir and then had a huge Christmas dinner! With about 95 missionaires, the house was full, but it was still fun to just celbrate the Holiday together. :)
Last week was stake conference and Elder M Russell Ballard presided. It was a wonderful conference. He talked about how the doctrine of the Church is so simple. All we need to do is follow the five principles of the gospel and LOVE others and we will be able to go to the celestial kingdom.
Something I have always told our investigators is that they just need to take life one step at a time, think of things in a simpler way, dont complicate it if you dont have to....I think that is good advice for all of us.
Things have a way of working out!

Love, 
Elder Spencer Eastwood
Alma 22:18

December 5th 2012

Hey everyone! How is life going?

Im doing great here. We have a baptism all set up for this weekend. She is the sister of a recent convert and we are all very excited for her to get baptized. She knows A LOT. Yesterday, we went to teach her about prophets, and she already knew basically everything! It is a real privelege to be able to be one of the missionaries sent to teach her.

My testimony has grown so much about the Savior's love for us. Many times, He sends us to help His children who are in trouble. That is why we always need to be ready and prepared to serve others. We never know who is going to need our help. Pres. Eyring once said that we should treat every person that we meet like they are in danger....that way we will truly help those in need. We can even save souls that way. Many times, we think that the phrase "Let me know if I can help" is a good thing to say, but, while well-meaning, it really is no help at all. Think of it this way, if you came across someone who was drowning, would you call out to them and ask if they need help, or would you jump in and save them from the deepening waters?

This gospel is all about true LOVE. If we can learn to really LOVE others, the veil will become thinner for us and we will be able to "know the mysteries of God"! I testify that that is true, because I have learned so much here on my mission. And I notice when the Spirit is closer to me and it is always when I am truly loving everyone.

Matthew 22:38
-Elder Spencer Eastwood.

November 28th 2012

Hey everyone!!!
It is another P-day on the best mission in the world and I am doing very well.

This week was a little disappointing. After much prayer and fasting....all of our baptisms fell through. Not one happened. It was a little sad for us as we had to watch many of our investigators tell us that they did not want to get baptized and some said they didnt even want to hear our messages anymore.
But it happens! We just have to keep pressing forward and working harder than ever before!
I like this scripture found in Philippians 3:13: "[Forget] those things which are behind, and [reach] forth to those things which are before."
I think that is a good basis for our lives. We should forget our past mistakes and look forward to what our lives have in store for us. Our life here on earth is such a blessing. I am so grateful to my Father In Heaven for the life that I have....for the opportunities I am able to enjoy....for the challenges I face in order for me to grow....for the testimony I have of the Savior.
This week, I discovered the awesome Bible Videos that the Church has been releasing online about the Life of Jesus Christ. Wow...talk about incredible.
They are so real and spiritual and inspiring. It is a huge privelege to have the technology to "see and hear" about the life of the Savior. It is almost like we are able to walk with Him, in His steps.
You should all check them out!

This week was good in the office. The mission president is doing zone conferences so we had to prepare everything for him to travel. Get all the materials ready to send to the other missionaries in far away places. it was pretty hectic in the office this week. We are practicing every Monday morning for our choir Christmas performance...it should be fun!

Anyway, love you guys! Thanks for the prayers and support!

Love, 
Elder Spencer Eastwood

Matthew 14:25-33
Luke 24:36-39

November 21st 2012

Hey everybody! This week was pretty great.

It was a real trial of my faith though.

My companion and I have been fasting almost everyday, trying to mark baptismal dates with our investigators and help them enter into God's kingdom through the step of baptism. But this week, almost every single date fell through. It was a real struggle for us as we are trying our very best. I think I am working harder than I have ever worked on my whole mission. It took me a year to realize the best way for me to work. To realize how the Spirit talks to me. And to realize what God wants me to do for him.

I have learned that what Pres. Monson says is completely true: "We magnify our callings simply by performing the duty that comes with it."

My work in the office is very good. It is such a privelege for me to work so closely with the mission president. He listens closely to our ideas and opinions and I really think this is my chance to help the Brazil Goiânia mission become the best in the world.

My companion, Elder Comsa, is from Springville, Utah and he is basically one of my favorite companions I have had so far. He is so awesome. It is good to be with someone who knows how to work and what he is doing after training new missionaries for my last three companions. It is a real blessing. I feel like he and I are going to continue to be great friends even after the mission.

 

We have zone conference on Friday. And we still have two dates for this Saturday. I hope that we can help these people get baptized. One of them is a girl from Thailand that moved to the US to learn English and then came to Brazil to check it out. She only speaks English. So my comp and I have to speak English together to help each other switch back and forth between Portuguese and English. For about 8 months I was able to speak Portuguese without an American accent....until I could even convince people that I am really from São Paulo. But now that Ive had to speak english a lot, my accent is coming back into my Portuguese.

The other baptism we have is with a guy who was released three months ago from a rehab center. He quit smoking this week and gave me all the cigarretes and alcohol that he had in his house. It has been such a blessing to teach him. As I have learned a lot about how to help others with personal problems.

 

I will close with a quote from the Lion King that has been on my mind a lot lately.

"Look inside yourself. You are more than you have become. Remember who you are."

I hope we can all remember who we are! We need to look at ourselves and try to see ourselves as the Savior sees us.

 

Keep smilin'

-Elder Spencer Eastwood

November 14th 2012

Hey everyone!!!! 
Sorry about no email on Monday....about that...
Last Tuesday night, my mission president called me and said "Elder, pack your bags. you are being transferred." Then he hung up.
So I was kinda worried. I got all my bags ready and the next day I was back in Goiânia at the bus terminal. The president met me there and then we went in his car back to the mission office.
While driving, we just kind of talked and then I had the courage to ask him where I would be going.
He said I was being called to be one of his secretaries!
So for the past week now Ive been working in the office and helping the mission a lot.
The thing is is that my P-day got changed to Wednesdays now.

But this is really cool! I have the opportunity to work very closely with the president and with lots of other missionaries.
Plus, we leave the office at 5:00 and still have the chance to teach lots of people.
Speaking of that,
I have a favor to ask you all! We are teaching many people and have lots of chances to baptize and help them this month.
I would ask you to PLEASE remember these names in your prayers each day:
-Terezinha
-Hernani
-Pan
-Diullyani (like Juliane)
-Leticia 1
-Leticia 2
-Soraya
-Bruno
-Max
-Douglas

Please ask Heavenly Father to help us to mark dates with all of them for the 24th of November and that each one of them can stay strong and get baptized on that date!!!! I know that you can help us a lot. With our combined faith, we can have a miracle.

Thanks so much for everything. Im excited to be here working where Im at! It is going to be a fun adventure.

Love, Elder Spencer Eastwood

November 5th 2012

Hey everyone!!

Well, it happened. I got transferred! I knew it was going to happen,
so it didnt come as a big surprise. I was sad the first few days that
I left Novo Mundo, but my new area is awesome!!
Im in a new city, called Anápolis. It is about an hour away from
Goiania. It is a little cooler here. It has rained every day since I
arrived. Im the district leader here too. The city is really pretty,
lots of trees and parks and water fountains. It is a lot cleaner than
Goiania too!!! Im liking it a lot so far. The ward is great, Ala
Anápolis of the Anápolis Brazil Stake. It is great. The members are
willing to help us out.
The roads are all up and down....so Im getting a pretty good work out
here, but luckily my other area helped train me by having me walk so
far!!

It seems like this area has gone a long time without many baptisms.
The first day that I arrived, we committed four people to baptism!
That just proves to me that there are people waiting for ME here! I
just have to find them.
Halloween was great. It came and went without much happening.

Anyway, that is about it for now!!!
Have a good week (is there snow yet?)
Happy Election day tomorrow!!!!

Love, Elder Eastwood
D&C 10:5
1 Nephi 22:17