September 10th 2012

 Just wanted to show you all the weight that Ive lost!
Pretty nice, huh?

Hey everybody!

I will admit it. This week was HARD.
It is HOTTER than ever in Goiânia. Wanna know what Ive been doing to 'beat the heat'? When we go to visit members during the day, I will go to the bathroom, soak my garment tops in water, wring it out, then put it back on. Nice and cool!
But not only the heat was hard....we knocked on so many doors and got NOTHING. The hardest thing for me is when I know I am working hard, but Im not seeing fruits from my labors. Missionary work really drains all the energy out of you.

We went on splits this week. And my comp and the other elder were at the bus station and some members saw them. My companion thought it would be funny to tell them that I was transferred. Everyone believed it and was SO SAD! They started telling everyone else in the ward and almost every day someone was calling and saying "Elder Eastweeeee, were you really transferred???" It was pretty funny and I felt good to know that so many people will miss me when I am gone. I will miss lots of them too! But Im still the DL here and Im still loving the area. We just need more people to teach.

Today we had an activity with the zone. i planned it all! We made french toast and pancakes and then had a waterballoon fight and played water volleyball. It was pretty fun! But Im completely tired out now. I dont know if I can do another week of this heat....I ask for your prayers to be with me so that I can have more strength and energy!

Anyway, that was about it for this week. Not much new, cause not too much happened that was that interesting. Just a leadership meeting with the mission president. I gave a talk at it. It was p cool. :)

Tchau!
-Elder Eastwood
Alma 36:21

September 3rd 2012

Hey everyone!!!

This week was great. It was difficult, but it is always good to be a missionary. I'm loving it here!
This is the hottest time of the year in Goiânia...and the last few days were ESPECIALLY hot. We have to walk about 9 miles each way to and from our lunches with the members, and it really takes all the energy out of you when you are walking in the hot sun all day. But it has been good.
We knocked on lots of doors this week, but none of them really gave fruits for us. So that was difficult too, but it is all part of the mission experience.

This week was fun too! On Monday night, two families in the ward had another birthday party celebration for me. And they made a huge strawberry cake that was really good! And we made french toast and all had a good time. Then on Friday night, the whole ward got together for an activity. They made a bunch of signs for the members to hold up and take pictures with the missionaries. It was one of the most special experiences of my mission! I really felt the love that all the members have for me and the other missionaries. Im so grateful that the Lord sent me to serve here. It has been the best time of my life. But I have been feeling lately that I am going to be transferred at the next transfer meeting in three weeks....just means that the Lord needs me in another area of Goiânia! My "theme hymn" for my mission is #228: "You Can Make The Pathway Bright"....hahaha, thought you would like to know....

Well, things are going good. Just REALLY extremely hot. Im working hard as the district leader. And I love my mission! 

Love you all!!
-Elder Spencer D. Eastwood

Mosiah 4:9-10:

 9 Believe in ^aGod; believe that he is, and that he ^bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all ^cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not ^dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.  10 And again, believe that ye must ^arepent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in ^bsincerity of heart that he would ^cforgive you; and now, if you ^dbelieve all these things see that ye ^edo them.

Spencer made himself an avocado milkshake...guess he didn't like it too much!!

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

July 23rd 2012

Hello my family and friends!!! How are you all this week? Im doing pretty well. Had a decent week this week, with one of the best experiences of my life! I'd like to share it with you:

We were recently given a reference for a young family. There is a single mom and she has four kids ranging from 9 to 14 years old. Her nine year old son recently suffered a dangerous fall, hit his head, and has become permanently brain damaged. At the same time that this happened, the young mother lost her job. We arrived at her doorstep on the same day that she and her son came home from the hospital. She proceeded to tell us that she had seen us a week ago at a busstop, wanted to talk to us, but we got on the bus before she could. Since that day, she had been praying for the Lord to send us to her again. And there we were on her doorstep! With tears in her eyes she explained her situation to us, to which we replied, "We know; we are here to help you." We administered to her young son and the next day he was already doing better. To help her and her family, we took her to the church where the Relief Society was having a 'bazar'. All the sisters in the ward brought clothes and other household items to donate to those in need. This young single mother was so touched to see the Spirit of charity touching the hearts of the ward members who offered her complete help. As we walked back to her house, carrying in our hands many bags of clothing, pots and pans, and food supplies that she had never dreamed of having, I was touched by the Spirit and I started to cry. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was truly doing something completely unselfishly. I was truly helping another child of God who was in need. I got to our house that night and my heart was filled with more love and happiness than I have ever experienced in my life. I will NEVER forget this experience. Every time we visit that family now, the little boy runs right up to me and gives me a 'bear hug' (which I taught him). This blessing could never have come to me had I not decided to serve a mission...for that, I am forever grateful to my family, my friends, my Church leaders, and all who supported and continue to support and pray for me while Im serving the Savior. Im reminded of the scripture: 2 Nephi 5:27


This week was really hot! Yesterday, I drank almost 3 liters of water and I was still almost dying. I had the privelege to baptize another person this weekend. What a blessing it is to hold the priesthood! I also thought you would be interested to know that the Bishop in the ward I am serving has called me to be the new Gospel Principles teacher! Awesome!

Well, until next week! I know that this Church is true. Jesus Christ lives and He is our Savior and Redeemer.

Love, 
Elder Spencer D. Eastwood
2 Nephi 2:11-13
Alma 5:14-15

july 16th 2012

Hello my family!!! How are you all this week??

Im doing quite splendidly. A little sore from all the walking Ive done, but, today is Pday, so I can rest and relax!! This week was hotter than normal, but we got a lot of work done.
I will share an experience with you:
The other night, we had spent the whole day knocking on doors, with little to no luck. People werent home, they wouldnt let us in, or we were even yelled and sworn at by 
a Baptist minister. Suffice it to say, I was a little discouraged. My companion still doesnt understand much Portuguese, so he wasnt as discouraged. I will be honest and tell you that
I wanted to head back to the house early. It was about 8:30, so we still had some time to work. We were walking down a dark and dusty street with no name. I offered a prayer in my head
for Heavenly Father's help. As we walked past a house, I felt the strongest impression that we needed to stop and go back. I told my comp this and we turned around and headed back.
I was led to a house that had no lights on, and looked empty. I knocked on the door and my comp told me we were wasting our time. But I stayed there. I knocked again. Nothing. 
I knocked a third time. Still nothing. Then, just as I was about to leave, even more discouraged, the door opened and a young woman holding a little baby answered. She must have
about 24 years. I explained who we are and testified that we are true representatives of Jesus Christ, and without saying anything, she let us into the house. The lesson was one of the
most spiritual that Ive already given! 

It was a testimony building experience, because 1) The lord answered my prayer and 2) I was led by the Spirit. I felt like Nephi in 1 Nephi 4:6 when he said that he was "led by the Spirit, not
knowing beforehand the things [he] should do." That has happened a lot on my mission and Im sure it will happen more.

This weekend we had two baptisms, Stefany and Mariajulia, who are relatives to members and are only 8 years old. They asked me to baptize them! What a privelege that was for me. The experiences Ive had with 
little children here have made it clear to me that I should be a pediatrician when I get home, so that is what I will be studying for! 

Im SO Grateful for my mission. I love it, love it, love it!!! Thanks for all your love, prayers and support. I still need it :)

Love, Elder Spencer Eastwood

Moroni 7:41-42, 45

July 9th 2012

Well, this week flew by faster than ever!!!!! I remember when I first arrived on the mission, dad would always tell me "Make use of this time because it will be gone before you know it!". i didnt really believe it because I was having so many difficulties at the start, but now, I just want to try to keep all this time and memories that Im making!

As I said last week (sorry the blog email didnt work out, i hope you got it again), I have been called to be a trainer. Im training a new missionary named Elder Caballero, he is from paraguay and speaks Spanish! It is a little difficult, because he is still learning portuguese, so sometimes we dont communicate very well. The interesting thing is that he knows Elder Josh Quinn from our ward! He said that he talked with Elder Quinn on many occasions and that he is doing VERY well. Training is an interesting experience, because I passed many weeks since I was being trained. Now, I have to slow my pace down and help a new missionary learn the ropes of how to be a missionary! It is sometimes very stressful and I am doing a lot more teaching then normal. I lay down on my bed at night and just fall right to sleep. The only trouble we have is that he has some struggles being obedient, but Im helping him see the importance of this.

We have a baptism planned for next saturday....remember Hugo? Our recent convert? His sister has decided she wants to get baptized! Soon, we will convert their whole family! We also had the blessing of finding two more families, who live in very humble houses. The light that we brought into their homes was visible on their faces as we testified of the truthfulness of this message.

Well, my hair is getting long, I should probably get it cut. Im still losing weight cause we walk so much. I make smoothies every morning for breakfast with fresh fruits from Brazil! Today was pineapple, strawberry, and mango....what will it be tomorrow??? I got a package from Gma Joyce this week (thanks grandma, I loved it!). Thank you all so much for the love and the prayers you offer for me! I have felt those prayers and am most grateful for them!

Love,
Elder Spencer D. Eastwood

Mosiah 27:35-37
Hymns #140, "Did you Think To Pray?"