Week 19--Nov 17 (Terni)

Ohhh Spencer!!!

Hey everyone!! I hope that y'all had a good week and what's going on with y'all? I hope everything is good!! So this week was really good! I have a reason for the title of this letter this time. So do you remember the transvestites? Who I invited to English course? Yeah, bad bad move on my part.. Anyway, oh my this week was interesting.  So we were doing the normal finding last week and then all of the sudden we saw her/him standing in the doorway of this store so I was "ohh no" so we crossed the street as fast as we could but then I hear the familiar "Ohhh Spencer!!!" And I turned around like gosh dang it, not again and walked up as she and her/his friend brought me into their store (lair) and sprayed perfumes on me. It was horrible. They will be at corso tonight so yeah... I don't think I will ever get rid of them until I leave Terni lolol. 

So we have been teaching this new woman. She's from Romania and is literally so awesome. She accepted to be baptized and is progressing so well. Anyway so I am not saying this to be mean but she is just a very big lady. Like very, very big. So after the lessons when she stands up she kinda blacks out. We had our last lesson in this park area and when she stood up she blacked out again so she grabbed my arm for support. As she held on hard, I was like “Don't worry Pia, I will not let you fall" but in my mind I was like, "oh my if she does fall we are both going down and that just would not be good" and then she started to shake and I was like "oh gosh we are both going down" like bracing myself but she recovered. So it was all okay in the end haha. I love working with her, she is so amazing. 

So this week I was pretty stressed because yesterday was our zone conference (that's why I am emailing today instead) and I was asked to perform a musical number. Ummm what? I don't really do that kinda stuff haha. So luckily I have the most clutch cousin who I am super blessed to be in the SAME ZONE with! I called him and he told me that he could play the piano and so I called some of my other missionary buds from the MTC and we ended up performing I Know that My Redeemer Lives with me and Anziano Slade harmonizing. It went really well and I am really happy with the way that it turned out. And so yeah the biggest highlight of my week was being able to see my cousin yesterday. Family is everything and I am so grateful that I was able to see Anziano Cannon. It was the best hug that I have had since my dad at the MTC. 

Cousins! Anziano Ethan Cannon and Anziano Tristan Spencer

So this week we are still working hard to find people that we can work with. But I am trying to realize that it's important to recognize the little miracles that we can see in our life every single day rather than trying to look for the huge ones. This is something that I am still trying to work on. Yesterday I received some great counsel from my mission president. I was talking to him about how it's difficult for me to feel like I measure up when I live in a house with missionaries that are incredible and speak the language really well like Anziano Palazzo. And he looked at me and was like “Well, Anziano Spencer, it is hard playing on the freshmen basketball team with the varsity team isn't it?" And that hit me, all of them have had so much experience like Anziano P is about to go home cause he is almost finished. So instead of getting jealous and down on my stuff, I need to work on having a more humble and open mind and receiving all the instruction I can receive while I am still here in Terni. So yeah I've got a lot of weaknesses but I know I can be made stronger and become the man the Lord would have me be on my mission!! I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,
Anziano Spencer

PS These pics were taken from the mission blog from zone conference.   The link in the sidebar will take you to the mission blog for more pics.