Ciao!: Week 28--January 18 (Trapani)

TRAPANI WEEK 6

Hey everyone!!! I hope all of you are doing soo good!! Life is good and
yeah, isn't it Martin Luther King day over in America? So sick, I
miss those random holidays haha. Thank you again for all of the
birthday wishes; they really meant a lot to me and it was good to hear
from my family and friends! This week has been pretty hard but nothing
super crazy has happened--everything has been tranquilo and calm
from things that I talked about in my last letter, so I am happy.

So there are some things that I have gotten a couple of questions about that I want
to explain. Here in Italy just because of how the culture is, we don't
do a lot of door to door cause most people live in apartments. Instead,
we go out on the street and near really crowded areas and just talk to
people. Something that me and Anziano Garrett are working on is trying
to connect with people first to really gain that trust which has been
cool as we have done it with people. We normally go out with like a
big whiteboard and write stuff on it like "Do you Believe in Miracles?"
so then we can start a conversation that way. I like it because I have
learned that just going up and having a conversation with someone is
really fun, and you can make a lot of friends that way. (Random side
note- Mom ya know that one picture that I sent home with the creepy
guy standing next to me and I am in my grey sweater? Anyway we met him
in Centro and he's the guy that gets really excited cause I am from
Texas lol. He's actually pretty nice, and likes to talk to us about
buildings. So he asked me to ask all of my Texan friends if there
would be anyone interested in coming over here to Trapani and being
his girlfriend. I said I would and then let him know, so spread the
word.. Stefano is his name and he wants a girl haha.)

Other stuff that I have mentioned in my past emails--we finally got
our money back!!!! Ohh YESS now we can buy food and so we are all good
there; I am so happy that that worked out cause not gonna lie it was
not super fun having to explain to the Italian bank dude that they
took our money haha cause we don't really know that side of Italian
words yet. Also my knee is getting a lot better. It has not locked up
since the one time that it did up in Terni about a month and a half
ago. I can bend it, and I am even starting to jump rope again without
a lot of pain. I talked to the doctor and he is aware about it and now
I just have to really give it time. I know this was a miracle and I am
so grateful for everyone's prayers and thoughts cause I am lucky to be
serving here in Trapani and be able to walk.

This week was pretty hard, not gonna lie. Me and Anziano Garrett are
having an awesome time and having fun--it's just a lot of the people
that we find either straight up disappear or they are not really that
interested so we are really trying hard to find those who are ready.
On my birthday, we actually had a really good lesson with a family who
had their friends there so there was about 10 people including us. Not
gonna lie I was a little nervous to teach all these people about the
Restoration but when we started, the Spirit was there and I was totally
calm. I was able to express myself without trouble with the language
and when I recited the First Vision it was incrediable how powerful
the Spirit was. It felt like a fire inside of me and I was totally
focused. The language was not a problem at all. After our lesson it
was kinda just silent for a while while; we sat there and then the food
was brought out. It was definitely a testimony builder to me that if
we do our part by being obedient, and really trying hard to be better
each and every day, then God will bless us. Maybe it will be in his own
way and timing but he does. The Church is so true.
Other than that experience we have been doing a lot of finding. It's
hard at times, but we know that if we keep dong the things that we are
supposed to and if we are happy and we are feeling the Spirit, then we
are being successful missionaries. We might not be seeing success in a
large teaching pool, but we are seeing it in different ways.

So my funny experience from this week:
Ya know that guy that was like the Mafia Boss at one point in his
life? So we went and had dinner with him and his wife and right when
he got there he was like Anziani I need to show you something. We were
like soo sick this is going to be legit. He takes us into his study
and I a thinking ohh man this is going to be some intense stuff like I
don't know maybe about the Mafia…. My imagination is just going.. . and
he gets really excited as he pulls out a microphone, turns on his
computer, and then continues to belt out the song New York, New York by Frank
Sinatra, in English... And we are just standing there as he is
performing this for us... Not gonna lie.. Totally expecting something
way different. And then at dinner, so this guy is a pretty big dude
that's trying to lose weight so his wife gets onto him if he eats too
much. And then they will start going back and forth in Siciliano (which is
a totally different language than Italian) during dinner if he does.
So every time her back is turned or when she walks out of the room he
would sneak as much food as he can. Not gonna lie I have never seen
someone eat like an olive that fast in my entire life, and he would
like take our forks to snatch this food up so fast when his wife
wasn't looking. I was dying haha.

So my spiritual thought is from a scripture that I really like in Acts
3. And I love these verses from the symbolism that I got from these
scriptures.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have
give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and
immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the
temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Okay, hopefully I can explain this well. I love this cause not only
Peter performed a miracle and helped this man, but in verse 7 I love how
he took him by the right hand. Peter didn't just say words to this man
but he leaned down and lifted him. But, it wasn't just all on Peter,
obviously the man sitting on the ground had to give him his right hand
to stand up as well. It was a two-part situation in which this
happened and this just really hit me. As a missionary we have the
gospel and we are trying to share it with everyone, but thinking about
this scripture what more is there for me to do as I take others by the
right hand? But at the same time, even though I know how much the
gospel could bless people that I meet, I know that they have to be
willing and open to act and "lift their hand" as well. And then I
think we can apply this to our own lives with Jesus Christ, as we are all
the ones sitting on the ground struggling with different trials in
our lives, but Jesus is always there. Waiting for us to reach up and
grab his hand so that he can help us walk.

Well, I love you all!! I know this is true and I love being a
missionary! We are going bowling today with some of our Italian homies
that we have made so I am really excited.

Vi Voglio A Sai,

Anziano Spencer