BUONA PASQUA!!
Whattt upp everyone! I hope y'all had a good Easter and that everyone
is doing good! This week went by really fast and sorry for the
confusion--there was a mistake and so really our Pday is today instead
of tomorrow. We still did cleaning though which is always the best;)
but I am just happy that it's over and we don't have to do another
deep cleaning until August.
Alright so this week started with us going to Catania like I explained
in my last letter and it was seriously so sick. The drive over there
was so beautiful with the green hills and olive trees. Just
kinda like the typical sterotype of Italy. So after around 3 hours we
finally made it there and I absolutely love Catania. It's an insanely
huge city with a bunch of crazy things happening all at once. Not
gonna lie, I really hope that I serve there in the future. We got to
the zone leaders' house that we were staying at and there were about 25
of us Anziani all staying together for the night. It was really packed,
but really awesome cause I was able to see a lot of my friends from
the mission and some of the guys that I entered the mission field
with. It was also pretty cool because the balcony of the house was the
roof of a grocery store so it was huge. Being able to talk and catch
up with some of my homies that I have made before we went to sleep was
really nice haha.
So Zone Conference was really good and I was able to see my two other
friends (including Anziano Trejo) give their departing
testimonies. I am going to miss those guys so much; they were such
awesome examples to me and I am grateful I got to serve with them. One
thing that really stuck out to me this Zone Conference was something
that was said in a testimony. He said, "Live what you teach." Very
simple, but very powerful and I think that statement is so true and I
am doing my best to really keep that in mind with everything that I
do. And at the conference there was a new senior couple and they got
us American food from the military base!! Oh my gosh, it was the best...
taco seasoning, twizzlers, and beef jerky... Ohhh yes, I have missed
that stuff so much haha. Everyone, trust me, American food is so
amazing and I miss it lolol.
Anyway, after Anziano Olsen and I had been gone from Trapani for
about a week and a half we were finally able to start working in our
own area. This week was pretty tough, not going to lie. A lot of our
investigators couldn't meet with us, but one of the few lessons that
we had was okay. This family that we have been working with is
seriously so awesome and they are so kind and they understand our
message that we bring about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ but
they say the only way they will ever change is if they receive a
dream. Gosh dang, so not going to lie we have been praying soo hard
that they will receive a dream that these things are true. We just
wish that they were willing to recognize the other signs that God is
giving them that these things are true. We will see with them. It's
kinda frustrating, but we are doing our best and if they are ready they
will receive an answer. Our other friend that we were able to see is
doing well and progressing. We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and we talked to him about baptism and he said that obviously
he needs to receive an answer first, but if he does, then he will. Which
is exactly what we want! I have a lot of hope in him!! Other than that
we have been doing a lot of finding, which has been tough but
rewarding at the same time. For Easter there is this huge tradition
here for these things called the "Mysteries" where basically people
come from all around the world to watch this procession that the
people from Trapani do from 2:00 on Friday till 2:00 on Saturday, so a
whole 24 hours through the night. There are like 21 statues from the
Catholic Church that take about 15 men to carry one and so they carry
these statues around the city, very very slowly, with like marching
bands playing sad music. This all represents the life of Jesus and then
ends with the Madonna. It was really interesting to see. We were
able to go so hard on our English course finding that night and
morning too cause Centro is full of people right now. The traditions
here are so sick--I will try to send some pictures so you can kinda
picture it!!
So not going to lie, yesterday and for the past few days I was feeling
a little down and just straight up homesick. I was missing my family and
things like that, but it's at those moments when I feel like God always
blesses me and lifts me. Yesterday we had a really great day with
church. I was asked to teach primary and that was a really good
experience for me cause I love teaching kids (shout out to my swim
instructor friends! I miss that job so much haha) And we were able to
have a really good talk about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. They
are both such solid kids; I love our primary. After that I was asked
to teach the Priesthood from the talk from Elder Holland on the last
conference called Ecco Tuo Madre (“Behold Your Mother”) which went so well too. I was really
happy, especially cause the language was not much of a problem during
it. Sunday night, though, is what seriously made me so happy. So we
headed down to Centro to do a Mostra where we have that bed sheet and
we draw things on it to talk to people about Easter. Sooo many people
were so nice to us yesterday and I saw so many of my friends. Literally,
I think most of the people I know in Trapani I saw last night, which
was great. They all made me so happy just coming up and baching
each other (I seriously am bringing that back to America, it's so great).
There was this one time where I was talking to this one guy about God
and while we were talking I feel someone like stick their hand in my
back pocket and it ended up being my
friends from the local market with his huge group of friends. It
was so great being able to see all these people and talk to them about
Easter. God is good, and that experience might not sound so big but it
seriously meant so much to me.
Okay so for my funny moments from this week-
We were going to have a lesson with one of our members who hasn't been
coming to church for a while and as we showed up to the door he
answers and he's got a nice looking shirt on and everything but he is
missing a very important part of his outfit. He was just standing
there without pants on... What the?! My comp and I were just so blown
away but we thought it was hilarious at the same time cause it
literally was so unexpected. [Editor’s note: I verified that this gentleman did put his pants on prior to the lesson!]
Yesterday we were eating at the old Mafia boss's house for lunch (ohh it
was so good…lasagna, lamb, potatoes, etc..) and so of course when you
eat with Italians you have to have dolce [sweets]. And so after church he
stopped by his daughter’s store to pick up some treats and we walk
in and I seriously felt like one of the coolest guys ever with this
huge guy as he just walks behind the counters and
starts giving us the cannoli and Graf and other treats with like this
little smile on his face. Hahah he was just acting like he owned the
store and just got everything for free. I guess when you know people
and you have an old rep you can do that. We really want him to come do
finding with us:)
Okay, so for my spiritual thought this week I want to share this from
Matthew because it is so important:
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I
know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place
where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the
dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye
see him: lo, I have told you.
I know that that statement is true from verse 6. He is not here for he
is risen. I am so lucky that I have the opportunity to share with
others that He lives. And because He lives we can all be born again
spiritually and receive that strength, hope, light, and direction in our
lives to lead us back to home with our Father in Heaven. I know that
Jesus Christ is always here for us and even though things may get really
hard we just have to remember that he is always reaching out his arm
to us because HE LIVES!!
Vi voglio bene!!
Anziano Spencer
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