Pictures from November

Spencer may or may not have broken (or dropped in water) the first camera he left home with.... We finally got him a new one and now we get pictures! Yay!

November: Transfer!

On November 18th, Spencer wrote he has now been transferred to Diriamba, Carazo, Nicaragua. He is in the same stake, but a different zone. The weather is a little bit cooler.

Here's some info on Diriamba:

 

Diriamba is a municipality in the Carazo department of Nicaragua, with a population of 31,200 (2005). It is located to the west of Jinotepe.

Coordinates: 11°51′N 86°14′WThe city is well known in the country by a number of idiosyncratic events and landmarks, as well as its mild weather, rich agricultural lands and jovial people. The city celebrates the life and story of the Chorotega chieftain named Diriangen, and famed by his struggle against the invasion by the Spanish conquistadors.

During the month of January, the city celebrates the annual festival of San Sebastian, Diriamba's patron saint. The week-long celebration culminates with the marching of El Gueguense, a complex dance incorporating both Christian and pagan traditions in a satirical criticism to the Spanish colony. The Gueguense is the first precolonial literary figure in Nicaraguan history. It was allegedly written by an unknown author in the 17th century. The storyline hails back to the years of the colony and by confusing Spanish and Nahuatl word sounding alike, it makes fun of Spanish authorities.

His new companion is Elder Rojas who is a convert from Costa Rica.

October

In an email to me (Ashley) Spencer commented that he wishes he could watch Nacho Libre because the extremism of the cultural and many of the references made through make so much more sense to him now. :) I think he will quite enjoy re-watching that when he comes home. He then proceeded to tell me the following story that I will try to re-tell in his words--more or less: (If you don't know this already Spencer's emails are almost like trying to decode ancient Egyptian):

Written on October 1:
     Friday was super crazy. We had a zone meeting in Jinotepe which is an hour away, including the walk. We came back to Nandaime at 2, ate lunch, and had a ton of stuff to do to prepare for a marriage/baptism the next day. Finally we got the time to go visit the family and see how they were doing. When we got there (there is pretty far away and in the POOREST part of Nandaime), they were super depressed and told us they weren't going to do anything the next day--get baptized or get married. I was like, "WHOA, WHAT!?! I don't think so. What's going on?" And this is why they were so bummed: In the poor parts of Nicaragua, some people revolt and steal electricity. They just send someone up one of the poles and make their own power lines and no one says anything. BUT the person who makes the power line and puts up the pole that everyone connects to has almighty power. This particular day the power went out  in that area and the owner of this pole and power line doesn't like Mormons! They have been very very very clear about that. When it happened they pointed fingers at this family because their line was this little teeny wirey thing made out of barbed wire and because the missionaries visit them. So they cut the line and now the family is more or less out of luck and out of power. They basically thought well life sucks as a mormon so I don't want to do this anymore and I said, "You wait right here." I went to the house of the people own the pole and huffed and puffed and rebuked them with almighty power!! Actually, no, I didn't do that. I ran home to call the district leader and ask him what we could do. We came up with this idea: We rallied all our troops marched back down their with torches and pitchforks--minus the pitchforks and if torches were flashlights and add some hymnbooks. With 12 or 13 Mormons under a super teeny tiny tarp roof, we prayed, we sang, we taught, we laughed, we cried, and we ate cake the next day after a super chaotic marriage and baptism!!

That is one of my favorite stories he has told. :)

Spencer later went on to say that he and his companion were able to strengthen their relationship by working on contacting the streets. He said nothing gets your blood pumping like mustering up the courage to talk to complete strangers about the gospel. He took a lady and a man to watch General Conference, but when they came back for the gentleman he was a little too drunk to go the Priesthood session.

On October 29th, Spencer commented that there had been a lot of rain and he and his companion had to spend a lot of time shoveling buckets of water out of people's homes.

P-Day Adventure-August

Don't you just miss him?!

September 10, 2012

I am doing good. I did feel the quake, but it was a side to side quake not up and down so it wasn't dangerous or anything, but it was super cool to feel!!! I loved it!. And I am no where near the volcano so don't fret. my comp is good. I love talking to Catholics especially the faithful ones that are open because they are really loving.

But ya the mission is pretty great. I learn a lot every day. We had a multi zone meeting this past week. Holy cow! We have the truth! That is something pretty exciting. We have allllllll of the blessing God can give us and we can be 100% prepared for the day we see God. Sometimes it sounds like a fairytale, but that's because it is.

Spanish is better, I am feeling more confident I just need to study hard. pray. and practice. I want to leave with perfect spanish. but it probably wont happen because the spanish here isn't that great. I did know about Peyton (Manning). I was at a house and someone was flipping the channels and passed ESPN and I saw him in orange and almost threw up. 

Update July/August

At the end of July, both Spencer and his companion were plagued with stomach problems. I think he might be still adjusting to the food. They had some great learning opportunities when a sister from the church came down to provide extra training for the missionaries. Spencer said, "Its really hard to be the missionary that you want to be. No one ever tells you about how hard the mission is in that sense." I know he is trying really hard to be the missionary he knows he should be. After this training meeting he and his companion had a terribly tough time getting back to Nandaime. All the buses were full and no taxi seemed to be going that way. They were blessed when they came across a taxi driver headed home that way who gave them a ride.

Spencer was adamant that his sister's baby was going to be a girl. He was right, and very proud of it.

Spencer had a companion change. He is still in the same area, which he is really excited about. He is enjoying getting close to the members and understanding the area. Now, he is training! After only a single transfer. His companion is from Guatemala. So at least one of them speaks perfect Spanish. :) However, Spencer has mentioned that his Spanish is getting much better, still not perfect though. He is loving the learning opportunities he has a trainer.

More updates to come. Promise. 

Pictures June/July

June 25, 2012

i miss the fourth of July a lot! nothing really exciting happened this week, OH i guess there was two things. me and my comp have been really popular with the higher ups for some reason. Tuesday night we got a text message from our zone leaders that prez. monastel was going to work with us the next day!!!! AHHHH haha he came to this suburb place with us called matadero and we talked with the first branch president of nandaime...and his huge and inactive family. who said they were going to go to church and didnt BLEH. and two other lessons too...i thought he was going to rebuke us but he actually complimented us a lot and said we teach really well we are both on the same track and that my spanish is alot better than he thought! ALAS haha but i did get rebuked on one thing...i dont smile enough HAHA ME NOT SMILING crazy! but ya i get really lost in my thoughts when i am trying to figure out how to say what i want to and forget to smile. i am a sinner!!! haha, but then the next day the AP worked with us. and he gave us even less notice! it was a fun day though. but the next couple days were hard alot of our appointments were dropped and a lot of people were just not caring... sad... but! there is always this week and i cant wait! oh and get more people to write me i am really enjoying that i am able to write them.

June 18th, 2012

so my companion and i are finally starting to understand the area and how we need to work it. it still is hard because its huge but we are working very hard. its been very difficult recently with how many people are not taking the time to find out for themselves this is true. also i have been alittle under the weather too, just a sinus cold that has now just reduced to a cough and the sniffles. we have had some crazy rain here. that didnt help my health. we were across the street from an investigator and inbetween was a RIVER. haha the streets get nuts flooded here. like taxis drive through the bad parts and get pushed from one side of the road to another, but after thinking about it for a while we eventually decided that we had to teach her and just trompped right through it. haha. it was pretty fun. tomorrow in the morning were are digging like a fifteen foot hole for a toiletñ. dont ask how. i´m just going to show up and laugh when every one else does. nod alot. and try to help. my spanish has decrease this week i thingk haha. probably because i havent had the energy. but everything is supper taunis(cool)  here...i did just find out that apparently our zona is the worst in the mission...i dont really like that. its time to kick it up a knoch. oh i should decsribe the pictures, they are all from a place called san juan del sure, its super cool little toursist beach surf town. and the hike to the jesus statue was stEEeEEeEP haha never sweat so much! but ya that is my life. i would love to hear about yours! love you all buh bye!

June 11, 2012 to the Padres

Bueno PUES! hola! um this week was pretty slow. just a whole ton of walking. we are still trying to track down all the recent converts of the sisters before us and the less active members. i think these sisters before us flirted everyone into going to church because nobody wants to do anything anymore. we even lost a baptismal date! umm oh! we had an activity saturday night trying to get investigators and less actives to come and me and my comp only had one less active family come the other elders in nandaime had a little more luck but we had a little presentation answering basic questions about the church and then played games. i think the members got a new light of me because last sunday i honestly thought i was goning to die! from fasting. and wasnt a very happy camper but at the activity i was all happy and joyful, even played some musical chairs, and almost died from choking in the water melon eating compitition! it was terifying! spanish is gettting better, maybe alittle more frusturating though, becuase now i can almost understand everything but i just cant respond...and when i do have something to share i cant because my comp is so used to taking over he never gives me time to talk haha but its all good. i got a little homesick today listen to disney music but it was good, we were making papusas! they were good. but ya if anyone is sending me anything some more music would be nice, inspiration, written by member(dont forget the killers) or disney, english or spanish, the rain here has been pretty good here, yesterday mornign i looked outside at the blue skies and said...elder crisanto i think it is going to rain today and he said i was nuts... it rained the hardest since i have been here and usually it only rains at night, but it was in the middle of the day. but that was saturday not yesterday i lied. que mas....my stomach is shriking! i hate it! they give us huge plates of food where we eat and i am one of the few that hasnt gotten sick of the rice and beans within the firest week i just cant fit it all! haha i tried my first frest coconut, not a fan, some other wierd fruit the size of like a softball and a tennis ball put together, it was eh, and also the sour stuff the bizarre food guy eats on the bus. but ya i am loving it so much this is such a cool little city, and i saw a white person outside my window this morning who i cant wait to try to teach. oh here is a fun fact for ya....the guy who plays for the padres...form nicaragua, is from this city. boom roasted. it says in his profile granada i guess but thats just the state he is from here i guess his house wasnt far from mine, like six blocks. no se que mas, i love you all and oh yah! i can email anyone turns out! so send them my way and i will do my best to respond! PS the church is true HAHA

June 11, 2012 to the Priests of our home ward

Make sure someone reads this with power! haahha... to the Priests of the Ammon 14th ward...

I want to let you all know one thing I have learned in my little time out here and that is conversion. What is true conversion? My whole life I thought I was good, because I was going to church, I told people I read, didn't really too much, if at all though and the same thing prayer. I was happy that the world and I didn't seem to be bumping heads too much I could be spiritual at times too. I thought I was almost all in the right, I knew what my real flaws were that others didn't but i justified them with all my might, which really showed where my desires were in myself. I cared about making my outward appearance good enough that people didnt give me a hard time, with as little effort as possible. I was not converted. A scripture usually applied to investigators can bring light to this, in Ether 12 its  says we dont recieve a witness of faith until after the trial of our faith. Ask yourselves if you have REALLY tried your faith, and not by someone saying a school that is full of mormons have no fun and you saying ya huh! If you are not listening WAKE UP and listen to this part! The blessing of growing up in the church is this: we know exactly what we need to do to recieve a true witness. Get on our knees, and with real intent a sincere heart and faith in Jesus Christ and in his name, give up the testimony that has been borrowed, cherish and cultivated but still borrowed, and plead with our loving Father in Heaven for one of your own OR what you need to do to get that.THE BIGGEST REGRET I have is not getting that sooner, luckily I did gain a testimony for myself shortly before my mission but if I had more time after that to be feasting in the word and growing that testimony my faith would be on a whole other level by now. Never be comfortable with your relationship with the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father because that is when Satan is comfortable with it too if your testimony isn't being tried much, you need to work harder on it, that is when you know if you doing what you should be, and don't let those trials slow you down, repeat lather rinse repeat, pray, study, act.DONT WAIT FOR THAT MOMENT. MAKE IT HAPPEN; and your quality of life will improve in EVERY aspect. I promise that with all my heart. I love you all and hope that you can learn something from me like you learn from the other wicked people in the scriptures, haha. work, the world tells you that its not needed but oh is it!!!! in the sacred name of my, yours, and our Savior Reedemer and mediator Jesus Christ AMEN.

June 11, 2012 to Ashley

Living situation is on the high end of missionary living here. I have a cold shower twice a day, most missionaries only get cold buckets, but it is because we live where the sisters used to  HAHA!!! We live above a nonmember family who is very nice. We can use their kitchen but all I do is occassionally make eggs in the morn... then there is studying to be done until lunch because they have all the new missionaries on a twelve week program so that they will be ready to train others after twelve weeks. So I head out to lunch at los pollitos(the little chickens) to a giant plate of rice, beans or wierd pasta, but usually the first, and either fanta or juice. Then head off to find all the people the sisters left us to play with and the new families we have too. And return around nine, plan for the next day till about nine thirty get ready for bed and then fall asleep to the sultry sounds of bugs, bats, borrachos(drunks, and i almost threw a Book of Mormon and word of wisdom pamphlets at the other night cuz he was yelling like a banshee), or loud music, i am going to have issues with the quiet when i come home haha.

(Editor's Note: Then I asked him what the area was like)

 Like super chill, everyone just sits outside their houses in chairs and talks. haha its pretty spread out and super catholic or evangelist colorful, fun. old school...its a pretty great place very family oriented.

On Nandaime

Here is some info on Spencer's new area:

The patron saints are St. Anne and San Joaquin.
Major League Baseball player Everth Cabrera was born in Nandaime.
 Nandaime is a small town in South-East of the country. It is located on the Panamerican highway which crosses the Pacific area of Nicaragua

Department Name: Granada
When it was elevated to city: October 29, 1890 Territory: 340 km
Geographic Reference: located at a distance of 67 km from Managua, capital of the Republic, and 20 kilometers from Granada, the departmental capital city

Height above sea level: 140 meters
City Limits: North with the municipalities of Granada, and Diriomo. South, with the towns of Bethlehem, Potosi and Buenos Aires (Department of Rivas). East with Cocibolca Lake or Lake Nicaragua West with the municipalities of Santa Teresa and La Paz de Carazo (Department of Carazo).
Annual Rainfall: 1200 – 1400 mm.
Population Total: 37.413 inhabitants. Urban Population: 17.522. Rural Population: 19.891. 49.8.2% of its inhabitants are women. 46.5% of the population is under 15 years of age. Approximately 67% of males are under 25 years of age. 61.5% of its population lives in rural areas Population density of approximately: 112 inhabitants. /km2 Its inhabitants are grouped into 84 communities. In urban areas about 14 communities and 16,000 residents, in about 70 rural counties the remaining 19,000 people reside.

What does Nandaime mean?
The name is originally Nandaime chorotega of voices Arroyo NANDA which means that EMI and the term indicates abundance. Nandaime or Nandaime means "place of abundant streams.

Tradition and Culture Nandaimeña
Local Holidays: July 26, in honor of St. Anne, patron saint of the municipality. Dances: There are many traditional folk dance rooted in the town, other dances that are practiced during religious festivities in the community are the dance of the bird, the siren and the owl. The running of the bulls a little different than in Pamplona in Spain. The Baile of the Devils is the Typical of Nandaime.

1. The traditional foods are based on corn.
2. The melting pot: it is a stew of corn dough.
3. E The spent: is a dish that is cooked in the pig's head.
4. The gallopinto which consists of red beans and rice fried with onions and bell pepper
5. The Nacatamal - Nicaragua tamal version a full meal on its own
6. The Stew
7. Platain Chips (The fritters, very common on weekends in various corners of Nandaime)

The Bagel - round cookie like bread made of corn and cheese good for dunking in coffee

Religion: The town's population is predominantly Catholic and traditional. The celebrations of Santa Ana, Easter, Christmas and the Immaculate Conception, 7 and 25 December respectively, are the major annual religious activities of the municipality. The same over periods ranging from one to two weeks to each festival.

The Catholic faithful have a parish church, the church of Santa Ana Catholic church has been declared National Historic Monument. The Catholic population also has another small temple, the church of El Calvario.

In this respect, we should note also the presence of other faiths, including several churches of different denominational traditions: Pentecostal (Apostolic, Assemblies of God, Church of God), Baptist, Mormon, and Jehovah's Witnesses groups. The municipality also work non-traditional Catholic groups linked to the thinking and practice of Latin American theology.

Sports

In Nandaime, as in most parts of Nicaragua, the most important sport, "the beautiful game" is baseball. It is the most popular sport and most supported.

He Made It!

Elder Hoffman has officially made it to Nicaragua. We all got to talk to him briefly, through a poor phone connection, during his layover in Miami. He traveled with 7 other missionaries. Surprisingly, his first area is far south, nearly to Costa Rica and not very populated. It does have a live volcano though! His last email update he ended up chatting back and forth with Dad, so Dad has provided us with a synopsis of their conversation.

His companion has been out six months.  Spencer is his first training missionary companion.  His companion was born in Nicaragua but moved to Costa Rica when he was nine.  He seems to like him.  He didn’t describe his living conditions much.  He said he does have a shower and a kitchen but he doesn’t use the kitchen much.  He is sweating to death and trying to adjust to the heat.  Their area is large and they walk and ride the bus a lot.  His area is in the southern part of the country.  His first pday excursion with the whole zone going to a port city on the lake called San Jorge.  I didn’t get much about what they did or if he liked it.  They do have a ward in the town.  It is the Nandaime Ward. He didn’t comment on how church was.  He is still a bit lost following conversations but he is confident he will improve quickly.  He also didn’t comment much about his arrival but said the Mission President had a good sense of humor.

It's not much, but he is alive. :) 

April 24, 2012

i'm just bored of my ties and i like packages, and i hear that silk ties bleed in the nicaragua humidty and heat and ruin shirts soo that is all. about the scriptures thank you, the talks werent really for the investigators though they are for me, i get alot of time in the day to work on self improvement and i just love hearing the words of modern day prophets.

What are some good scriptures about receiving revelation? tI don't know what you want to know about my schedule i just have two class periods a day where we practice grammar, teaching, and learning. personal study, comp study, language study, food and gym. oh ya! I am now a zone leader, we are down to one district in the branch that is being reassigned this week so we dont know where or when they leave and then also my district. my fellow ZL is elder inoke the one mom asked about last email. Oh and i have bad news! i can't find my patriarchal blessing so please get me a copy of that ASAP is got to be somewhere in my room but i searched high and low and no dice! i need my mommy to find my stuff! unless you packed it someplace crazy but i thought i saw it earlier please add these emails to the list and the blog it is a family that volunteers and we give them a little lesson and it is my favorite thing to do other than the temple and i love them. i just love  this family! alot of my teachers are leaving which are sad but the new ones anr way fun. i have not gotten the cupcakes but i have a package notice that i havent turned in so thanks for ruining the surprise. we get a new district today and as zone leader that is really the only time i am busy. we orient them and welcome them and it should be fun. four elders and four sisters! i am really excited and i think one of the sisters went to hillcrest! it is great seeing people i know here. but i am good and i miss you all! my new p day will be tuesdays. please keep writing and praying and telling me how your lives are. it really is a great blessing to hear from my family and friends! PAZ!

May 15, 2012

Melene is being baptised this saturday and our other teacher is doing this new thing where he is only giving us two visits to have a spiritual expiernce and we met our first one josue he was a member super young i really dont know if he is baptized or not but i had a spiritual experience bearing my testimony of prayer so i hope he felt it. Its nice to hear about your tennis, the field is open here and it opens up a whole new array of lazy man sports. Bocce, horse shoes, croquet, passy flicky thing, its just so much fun! but ya, write back and i'll get to it at laundry around three thirty or four. its so crazy that i will be in the campo! field! soon, i cant wait. our zone is starting to pick up our game and kick it in gear and i am super busy. the temple was great this morning, our teacher came with us and it was really fun. oh ya i have been sick again, haha remember in january when i got sick, kinda the same thing, my stomach is just failing at its job, the doc said its a mix of awful MTC diet and stress, but dont worry its not as bad as last time. and i think i am losing weight from it so that is always a plus. well i gotta save some time for later so i love you! and dont worry mom your mothers day present is coming with the sd card.

May 8th, 2012

so...i leave   the  28th, my companion and i are getting along swimmingly, we have a drunk investigator right know who we are trying to help stop drinking he is 54 years old and just got divorced but i have a lot of hope, his name is David, has three kids and he is a pretty spiritual guy. my other investigator is melene who thinks its all true but she just complains on not having enough faith to get baptized. but I'll find out Wednesday if she went to church and had a good experience. an elder has joined my comp and i, his name is elder leatham he is also from California but he was have visa issues but his whole district  got reassigned and he had to stay back for health reasons. oh dad! i forgot to tell you i finished the book of mormon in 29 days..or less. i thought you would be proud:) but i have been working on the  b.o.m. in spanish and english but focusing on the new testament and i just started corithians too and just read roman s 8 and loved it!!  but please keep the talks coming i love them! you really are an inspired man! but about mothers day, the mtc just can't facilitate 2,500 missionaries all trying to call the same day so i'm sorry but  you hear from me on the 28th at the airport so don't fret. ummm oh i NEEED my patriarchal blessing please get that to me!! Ashley said to share a spiritual expierence but really i can't start to begin to choose one to share, they literally happen every day. i have amazing teachers and leaders and talks, devo, films, that are all sooo great that it is just constant. i feel my spanish learning slowing and thats not good, i'm not even close to ready! and elder messed up his hips yesterday playing basketball, but i don't have to worry about that since my  physical exercise is pretty much four square or volleyball in the gym, or horse shoes, bocce, ladder golf, or passy flicky thing when i am on the field. it is pretty great. but over all the most spiritual thing is  the power of revelation, and how often that occurs when  you are searching for it, and are in the right place, our new group of elders are amazing! they are all so powerful an d energetic, all are heading to different parts of mexico. yes one is going to t.j. daniel. umm but really over all the work is great. i love it so much.  love you all! bye!

Pictures!

Spencer and his companion.

Friday April 20th, 2012

Oh yes i know elder inoke we are in the same district and he is now our zone leader! he has a wonderful testimony tell his mom she did a great job with him, and that he never stops talking about how much he loves her. well i forgot my planner that had all the stuff that i wanted to email so i'll have to wing this one but maybe i'll try to send another. my p day is being change to tuesday so i'll be able to email then i hope too! district leader is getting easier i was really stressed all the time but it's great now! I am starting to love it more here. two elders in my room left for the spain mtc and so its just me and my companion. so much more closet space! I dont remember if i told you about the president packer talk but it was amazing also m. russel ballard talked it was really good! and i'm guessing you heard about the elder arch...choo...let..ah performance but honestly holy cow! he is one talented young man and was the most spiritual musical performance i had heard. i think it helped that he was singing in spanish for a verse and i knew the words he was saying. OH YA! MY SPANISH! haha i know enough words now that i am having "best two years" moments my two favorites were,"yo amo domingos, domingo es un discourso por la semana" which translates to i love sundays, sunday is a talk for the week, instead of descanso which means break, but my very favorite is in TRC where we talk with members and give them a lesson, i said,"Jesucristo murio por nuestros pescados" but i meant to say pecados to say the Jesus died for our sins, but instead i said Jesus died for our fish....ya pretty great!! love it so much!!! our first investigator Carlos, which is really a teacher but they act as people they knew on their missions, agreeed to baptism on the 28th! so excited i just pray that they dont throw a curve ball at us. our other investigator Melene has been really stubborn but my comp and I finally started to get her to open up and i cant wait to keep teaching her. i'm still not mega oraganized but i am progressing, i'm adjusting to the schedule well and i am healthy. i love getting letters from you all so keep them coming please, you don't understand how nice it is to get a letter! dad go ahead and hit me with all you have got scripturally i'm an open book. mom i love you so much and i miss you a ton, when i get really tired and frustrated i just want to hug your tiny body so tight until so have to pinch my fat so i let go! the church is true everone and i'm doing great, and i love you all so so much keep the mail coming!

Friday April 6th, 2012

HI. I'm doing alright. thanks for the shorts, i'm kinda sick right now though there are two nasty bugs going around; influenza A and this nasty sinus throat lung thing which i have, i'm trying to stay healthy so i dont get the flu, but i think i could be getting an ear infection but i'll be going to the clinic sometime today to get that figured out, i missed the temple this morning though and was super bummed. i'm sleeping fine, the food is gross, and yes i have seen david, all i know is that he is short, and i havent seen him in a while so i dont even know if he is still here. i'm glad to hear everything is good back home and that grandma and aunt bebe are okay. i bet steven is at work helping people out right now. keep telling me about the big news stuff that is so good to hear. and since this is probably being forwarded to people. i need letters

!!! haha i'm the leader of my district and the one job i have that i so far havent failed at is getting the mail twice a week and if makes me sad when its never for me! but thank you to those who have written me. it snowed this morning here weird huh! i already broke something! haha my shirt! they have those collar buttons that extend for fat people necks and i pulled on it and it broke, i dont know how to fix that...but i got that one extra shirt so that should be good. i can already tell i'm gaining weight the food is so carby and the little gym time there is isnt enough...my companion is super cool though, he is from Poway, California right outside san diego and he is pretty chill. everyone is great in my district, God has blessed my with the feeling of love for my district just as he has with the people in nicaragua. i cant wait to get there by the way! i have been learning sooo much here though and never have prayed so hard in my life!!! having and recognizing the hiooly ghost is so so so important and its frustrating when you dont know if you are thinking of theses things or if the holy ghost is. my teachers are way cool too! and i LOVE my branch presidency. SPIRITUAL GIANTS! and so sweet and kind too. we had a devo on tuesday and it was Elder Holland worthy. elder whitman? emeritus seventy, slash g.i. joe slash medal of honor or valor and every pin, badge, and award the armed forces give out every color of heart too! haha but he really just motivated everyone it was neat. conference was great here but sooo uncomfortable! it was cool standing and singing with everyone though. sorry for the spelling errors this program doesnt tell me when i mess up and i'm trying to hurry! AHHH i only have five minutes! ummmm i love you all! and i'm fine, even though i'm not healthy i'm fine! keep sending stuff it really does light a little fire of motivation and spirit. tell me how the republican race is going! and i love you. i think i said that. pray for my district! i love them so much and want them to be successful missionaries so bad and i cant do that myself. oh! my flag i want my flag!!!! well i have run out of things to say and almost ran out of time. so again i love you all, and i pray in spanish! for you all! and ya. hasta luego!

On the day before we took Spencer to the MTC, we stopped by the Church Administration Building to meet with Elder Callister. We had the pleasure of running into President Utchdorf and his wife, Elder Anderson, and Elder Pieper. Elder Clarke, a former area president over Central America, also stopped Spencer on Temple Square and congratulated him on his call to serve. He even sent him with a note to pass on to his mission president. Spencer was only slightly excited. It was a good kick-off to his mission.

First Letter

Dear Padres,

They told me to write you on my 1st day, so…ya. It’s pretty crazy , really fast paced. They threw us straight into Spanish. Me and my companion are the best in the zone. (in Spanish) He is from San Diego and is just a little better than me. We forgot my shorts. Hope you realized that and mailed them before you left Utah. I also need more hangers, junk food, pictures, and pocket leatherman. I just realized I can probably get everything here. My companion is normal though. Seems like a super nice guy. There are so many people here from all over the world. I don’t know what all to say cuz I’m pretty lost. Hope you had fun at conference, I heard it’ll be crazy here. I heard a general authority will be here for easter. They haven’t had new missionaries here for a while so everyone is freaking out. There’s been a receiving line in our room, it’s nuts!! Send me stuff…I love you! Dad! I need your knowledges. I don’t have enough.

Love Always, Spencer Hoffman