Week 52 ~ Roy Was Baptized!

Hello hello!!

This week was so happy!! Our boy, Roy got baptized!!! Such a special and happy day. When we first met him he told us that he had been looking for the truth his whole life, and it was just so cool to be part of his process in finding that! He had the biggest smile on his face as soon as he came up out of the water and it just made us so happy!!

We were able to have 3 investigators (people we're teaching) come to his baptism and they loved it. Johnny was able to go and he called us and asked when he could be baptized, too! So we have plans for him to be baptized in August. MIRACLES!!!

Texas has taken a big fat L lately and we have been hit so hard with the Corona Virus and now a hurricane. Lots of missionaries lost power and there's been flooding in some areas. Luckily, I'm in Laredo which is pretty far inland and so all we had was a little baby rainstorm. But because of the hurricane, church was canceled again yesterday. We did video call church and were able to teach 4 people and have 4 church devotionals with members! MORE MIRACLES!

Sister Turner is the new sister in our apartment and she is just the cutest! She is from Utah as well, so we've bonded over that. She has the new missionary spirit and we love it.

funny experiences:

We did service for a member and helped him throw away a bunch of things. We were going through this pile of hay and found a bunch of eggs and a whole family of geckos!! So random but so cute. See picture below:)))

Right before our baptism I was so nervous because something ALWAYS goes wrong the day of a baptism for me. Well the day had gone good so far and then literally 40 minutes before the service we get a call from the ZLs that there's a hurricane coming in and there will be no church and we need to quarantine. Then, the other sisters called us and said they had been exposed to COVID and as a result, exposed us as well so we needed to quarantine because of that. We were freaking out and had to call our mission presidents wife - but she gave us permission finally to go ahead with the baptism hahah.

Spiritual experience:

We always have such cool things that happen while we sing to people at the park, and this week was no exception! Hna C felt prompted to go talk to this woman and sing "I Am A Child of God" to her. As we sang, tears filled her eyes and she began crying. When we talked to her after she said that she had been planning on sitting somewhere else, but that God had directed her to that place. She had been going through some really heavy family struggles and she felt like God had sent us to help her. It's truly amazing to me how the Lord knows each one of us so personally, and what will touch our hearts in each moment. It was a huge testimony builder for me and made me so grateful we could be there for her.

This week has been full of spiritual highlights for me. Before coming back out for reassignment, I prayed a lot to know if this was really what I was supposed to do. My last 4 months in Argentina had been really hard and we hadn't seen a lot of success. I spent 4 months in an area without anyone progressing towards baptism, and I felt like it was going to be really hard to come back and go through the same thing again. When I prayed to know if I should accept a reassignment, I felt like God didn't really answer my prayer, but I decided to anyways because I wanted to finish a whole 18 months and I just felt like there was still more left for me to do. I wanted to serve more people and complete what I had started.

Since being here in Texas, the miracles have not stopped coming. This has been the most blessed and successful time of my mission. We have taught more lessons than ever before and we have people who are really, truly progressing towards baptism.

I know it was God's plan for me to come back out again. I know it was His plan for me to come here specifically to Laredo Texas. It feels as though all those blessings I thought were being held back during the past 7 months have just come flooding in all at this time. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father and his tender mercies.

If you are going through something hard right now and feel as though the end isn't in sight - keep waiting. The blessing are coming. The Lord has not forgotten you. He has a plan for you and He loves you and He hears your prayers.

I love you all! Thank you for your support and uplifting emails each week. 

Love,

Hermana Spackman

Sorry for the photo overload this week.

Week 51 ~ Quad Squad Forever

Hello!!

This week has been SO fun. We have had lots of lessons and kept busy with different things going on.

We set a baptismal date on Tuesday with Roy and his baptism is scheduled for this weekend!! We are so excited for him. We had pizza with him and some other missionaries and a member and had a powerhouse lesson. We all sat outside and as each person testified the Spirit was so strong, we all had tears in our eyes. Roy is so special, he has so easily accepted most of what we have taught him - the Lord has prepared him! He is a little nervous for his baptism and has had a few doubts, but he said each time he prays about it he feels calms and it feels right. We are so excited for him.

We are teaching a few other people pretty steadily and had another friend come to church with us! He was a referral from the sisters we live with. We gave him a Book of Mormon and set up a teaching appointment!

We called someone we've been teaching to do a "drop" lesson - which basically just means you tell them you aren't going to teach them anymore. When we explained that our purpose was to help people progress towards baptism he said "well, I've already been baptized, can I be baptized again??" We were like heck yeah!! So we set a commitment with him, as well.

Transfers are tomorrow and I will be staying here with Hermana Collins!! I am so excited about that. Hermana Vander Werff is leaving our apartment, and we are super sad to see her go. But, Hermana Christofferson will be training and so we are gonna have a new missionary in the apartment with us!! Hna C has already designated me as the cool aunt :,)

Spiritual experience:

We had district council on Thursday and our mission president was able to come and be there with us. He shared lots of cool suggestions with us and talked about finding efforts. As I listened to him speak, I was filled with the Spirit! I know he receives revelation for our mission and he does the Lord's will.

The other night I had a dream about a recent convert that has been struggling with her faith, and it really worried me. I texted her as soon as I woke up and she said to me "I felt the Spirit today for the first time I have in months." It's amazing to me to see how the Lord's hand is in everything and He is aware of all His children.

Funny experiences:

One funny thing that happened was the "service war" that went on between us and the other sisters in our apartment. We were all trying to be so nice to each other that we just kept trying to one up the other companionship. It all came to a head on Saturday when they secretly bought us bundt cakes and then we secretly bought them some too right after. Too funny, haha! So we all had some cake for dessert after dinner. #QuadSquad4ever #rippedrich&righteous

This email has been long, again! I'm grateful for weeks like these where we see so many miracles and I have lots to write home about. I've had points of my mission where it felt like we went weeks without finding solid people to teach - but I'm so grateful for this past month. We have been flooded with referrals and people to teach, it has been such a blessing. I'm grateful for the Lord, He is so good. I was so nervous to come out after being reassigned, but I have seen so many miracles come from it and I know this is what I needed to do.

Some people have asked for my address, and I realized I haven't sent it yet. I would love to get letters from any of you!! I love writing back as well. Send me a letter if you have time!

2719 Camelot Drive Apt 303

Laredo, TX 78041

Have a wonderful week, everyone! Read your scriptures and say your prayers tonight!

Love,

Hermana Spackman 

I have lots of pictures this week! 

Week 50 ~ Corona Time

hello hello everyone!!

Well, to start off this week's email with a bang - we came into contact with someone who has COVID!! yay, love that haha. So we were in quarantine from thursday-today because we actually were in contact with them about a week ago but didn't know they had COVID until thursday hahaha. So that was fun being in total quarantine, again. It reminded me of the good old days in Argentina. We are happy to be back out again though and getting to have lessons in person again. Texas is just exploding with cases right now.

We had an awesome lesson this week with Roy at the church! We watched the Restoration movie and he had lots of really good questions - some of which I didn't even know the answer to. He's a super attentive person and sometimes when we're teaching it scares me when he throws out all these intellectual questions haha, but we've been able to answer them for the most part!

We had another really cool lesson this week with Johnny, the referral from the temple square sisters. He is doing so awesome and loves the lessons. He talked about baptism this week and said he wants to be baptized before the end of this year, but he wants to come to church first. The only problem is that he works on Sundays, haha. So we are working with him to be able to get off work.

Funny experiences:

 We have an AWESOME recent convert, Edwin. He is such a beast and wants to be in all the lessons we have hahaha. He basically teaches them himself, we just kinda sit there and listen to him preach. This week we had a lesson with two of his friends that he referred to us, and it went so well! After we hung up the second phone call he put on his sunglasses and said "HASTA LA VISTA, BABY" hahahah. Such a funny dude.

We did service again at this little thrift shop and Gigi asked us to sort all of the free things into bags to give away to veterans. Well, my comp found a DIRTY DIAPER and picked it up because she didn't know what it was hahahah. So funny.

We couldn't find the little place for lint on our dryer and so we've just been using it until it starts on fire. Well, finally we found it yesterday and it was FILLED. I'll attach a picture of hermana collins with it below. We are lucky we didn't burn the apartment complex down.

We have been doing a diet and exercise routine as an apartment and we've all lost weight so far!! The other morning we drove over to the high school track at 6:45 am and I kid you not there was this wild pig booking it down the highway hahhahahahha. so funny. felt bad for the poor little guy. he didn't get hit by a car, thank goodness.

Spiritual experiences:

We had a lesson this week with this recent convert who lives in the UK, she had a super cute accent. She has been going through so many trials lately and she told us that she's unsure if God even exists, and if He does she thinks he hates her. As I began to testify to her of God's love for her I just had an overwhelming feeling that He knew her and loved her and I started crying and couldn't even speak. My companion picked up where I left off and shared her testimony and began crying as well. It was such a sweet moment and we were so touched by God's love for this lady, all the way on the other side of the world. I am not really one to cry during lessons, but it was one of those times where the Spirit was physically palpable in the room. Such a cool moment that I will never forget.

This email has been a long one, you're a real one if you've made it this far!! 

Thank you for all your prayers and awesome emails each week, they mean more than you know. Have an awesome week everyone and wear your mask!

Love,

Sister Spackman

Week 49 ~ Yay, America!

Hello Everyone!!

This week was so awesome! It just keeps getting better out here. Roy came to church again!!! We just love that for him. Afterwards we were able to teach him the restoration in full, and it took us a total of three hours, hahaha. He just had so many questions and started asking about the law of chastity and if we have prophets and all of these other things and it just ended up being a really long discussion - but so awesome. We are so excited for him and all his progress. We asked him this week if he would be baptized and he said YES!! wahoooooo

We also have a baptismal date with our friend, Juan R!!! He is the cutest little guy. He's kinda shy and so usually our video calls are just us staring at a black screen hahaha but that's okay!! As long as he is learning, lol.

The last good news of the week - we got a reference from the TEMPLE SQUARE MISSIONARIES. what. So cool. Idk why but when we picked up the phone and they flexed that we were all just shook hahaha. but yeah, we are teaching a guy named Johnny!! He is so ready for the gospel as well and was also a self-referral. SO COOL!!!

The 4th of July is awesome in Texas, it was fun to see all the people in their huge trucks with American flags hanging out the back haha. La familia Guerrero hooked it up and brought us this huge rotisserie chicken and potato salad that we had for dinner. Then we went to Krispy Kreme and got american themed donuts hehehe

Spiritual experiences:

Our mission pres. has been putting a lot of emphasis on family history over the past month. I got really into indexing during the 2 months I was home, so I've been super excited about it and it's been so much fun. One thing I've realized while doing it is that the spirit of Elijah is SO real. Just seeing our whole mission get pumped about this has been so cool, and we've been able to help so many people fill their family trees already. It's been awesome.

Funny experiences:

hahaha my poor comp just keeps getting beat up. On the 4th we had a special zoom call with our zone and after the call ended she got up on her desk to see the fireworks. While she did that I decided to say my nightly prayers and as soon as I closed my eyes I just heard "WHACK" and something slammed into my leg. I opened my eyes to see her laying on the ground hahahh she literally just went straight through the desk and broke it. We both just died laughing and the other sisters came running into the room and we all were literally crying.

Yesterday we went to drop food off at the ZL's and the sisters and while we were there this little boy just started throwing pop-it fireworks at my companion from a balcony above her and we both lowkey thought she got shot and started screaming. This little boy's dad got so mad at him but it was the funniest thing ever. Please pray that my companion does not get beat up again this week. it's two weeks in a row now.

Also we watched 17 miracles as a mission and the 4 of us were not okay. We cried our eyes out.

If you don't have a crockpot, go get one. We have been cooking it up and eating so healthy, so easily, out here. I understand every middle aged mom in Utah now.

Well, that's about all I have for this week!! Thanks for all your emails and support. They are felt out here more than you know.

YAY AMERICA!!! Happy July y'all 

Love,

Hermana Spackman