Week 31 (Feb 8)--Trapani

Whatttuppp!!

How is everyone doing?! Today started my 5 transfer which I am really
excited about. It's crazy to think that 7 months have already gone by
since the time I left. Not gonna lie it feels like only a few days ago
that I started my mission when I was in the MTC not having a clue what
was going on haha. This week was really good, it felt kinda long but I
am super pumped to start this next transfer with Anziano Garrett. And
I found out that another one of my buddies from the MTC is in my Zone
now so it will be cool to see him at Zone Conference.

So a couple weeks ago we started teaching this really cool couple that
have two kids who are 25 and 28. They are really open to talking to us
about what we believe. I mentioned them a few weeks ago I think when
they asked us when was the next time that we wanted to come back.
Anyway, so we had a lesson with them this week and we followed up on
where they were in the Book of Mormon and the wife has already read to

Jacob!! When she said that I was like.. Umm WHAT?!! It was crazy, both
Anziano Garrett and I were kinda blown away, they are seriously so
awesome. We are trying really hard to figure out their true desire
though. We talked to them about Baptism and they talked a lot about 

how they really like to study but they don't want to change, so we are
really hoping that as they continue to read they will have a change of
heart and understand that changing is going to bring so many blessings
and so we are really praying hard for them. We have explained it to
them, but as the spirit teaches them too they will hopefully have a
change with their desire.

We also had a really cool experience with this one family who we met
the husband on the street. He was walking his dog (named Spanky.. Okay
when I heard that name I was so blown away cause I am only used to
hearing Italian names like Vincenzo, Giuseppe, Francesco.. Stuff like
that. One huge dog that we met was named Champion.. What a beast name)
Okay so he told us that we can stop by his house to explain more about
the Book of Mormon. We found his house and it was right next to a
military compound  (so cool). We rang for the gate to open and
no one even asked who we were; they just unlocked the gate and we were
like "sick" so just walked right in. We then rang for their door in the
apartment and they just unlocked that too without asking who it was or
anything. So we just walk right up to their door and it opens and
there is the little dog thing, and these two women and they looked soo
freaked out. We think they were expecting something else other than two
Americans and so we were like “Hi, don't worry we talked to your
husband and yeah that's Spanky right there, don't worry we are nice…"
Stuff like that. And then the husband appeared and was like "Come on
In!!" Ohh yeah... So we started having a good lesson with them, except for
some odd reason the husband thought we were some type of Catholic
religion and so when he found out we weren't that was a little awkward
lolol as we are sitting on his couch. We ended up having a really good
lesson with them, and the spirit was really strong. The mother loved
the Book of Mormon and the First Vision, so we are really excited for
them. At the end she told us, though, that she is not interested in
changing at all. We said okay and then really challenged her to start
reading the Book of Mormon and asked if we could pass by again. We
will see what happens haha! God is so good!!

We also had our Family Night which went really well!! We were both
super nervous that no one was going to show up (I am being honest) and
there were eight people there! Meno male haha! [Editor’s note: This translates into “Not bad!”] Two of which were non-
members that I had the dinner with on my birthday a few weeks ago and that 
we haven't been able to meet with since then, so that was sick! We ended up
talking about Christlike attributes and more specifically on faith and
obedience. It was really awesome, and everyone was participating. For
the game we ended up playing Pictionary and not gonna lie I got so
competitive which sucked cause it was so hard to guess what they were
drawing in Italian. Like yeah I have no idea how to say “ant” in Italian (the bug).
Lol, just laughing at little stuff like that just makes life good and
fun haha. The game lasted for about a solid 7 minutes before they all
realized we brought brownies and they got distracted haha.

Last night we were doing some finding and we met this awesome couple.
They moved here to Trapani four days ago from Milan and we stopped
them and they started talking to us about how we have to be their
friends cause they don't know anyone here… Umm, yes, we will be!! I
then started talking to the guy and Anziano Garrett started talking to
the woman and we literally had an hour conversation on the gospel,
which he was super open about. It was awesome!! I can't wait to see
them again!

My funny experience-
So right now I don't have any main ones other than really small things
that happen every day that I just try to laugh about cause that's what
makes life good. Anyway, a while ago me and Anziano Garrett were
jogging home cause we didn't want to be late and there was this 14ish-old
girl walking ahead of us. So we didn't want to scare her but when we
ran past she kinda like gasped and then was like "Americano
Americano!!" Ummm what? So I stopped and she came up and baches me on
the cheek and then as Anziano Garrett walks over expecting to at least
get like a little acknowledgement or a hand shake or something she
just looks down at her phone and totally ignores him... Ohhh man, I was
dying. He was like "Arre you kidding me that's so bogus?!" I love
Anziano Garrett so much--he's so awesome! It's really cool to have such
a good friend to really lean on and try to just work the absolute
hardest with.

My spiritual thought is something that we shared at the family night.
I really like the story of when Peter walks out on the water to Jesus
Christ, and I think there are a lot of things that I can learn from it
and apply to my life. So in Matthew 14 it says:

"29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he
walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning
to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and
said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

At the beginning Peter had immense faith when he started to walk out
towards Jesus Christ as he kept Jesus Christ in his sight. But, as he
started to fear and to see the winds and storms around him (I think
that he took his eyes off Jesus Christ, maybe for even a second) but
because he feared, he started to sink. But, as he looked back towards
Jesus Christ and realized that he needed him, needed him to save him
from sinking. I think this is super symbolic cause in my life there are
"storms" and "tempests" but I know as I look to my Savior Jesus Christ
and rely on him even when it is hard all around me, I have no reason to
fear, and I know that I will not sink.

Vi voglio a saaiii!!

Love,

Anziano Spencer

Tristan said: "Some food!! SO bad for you..." But apparently yummy, too!