May 26th 2008

We are rolling right along:

Oí,

Thanks for all the letters. I wish I could respond to them all. I type too slow and time is limited. I hope all is well back home.This week as been weird and rewarding. My first transfer within the mission happens on Wednesday. I am pretty sure that I am staying put in Telegrafo but you never know. What makes it hard is that I live with the guys that make and know the transfers for the mission a week ahead of it actually happening.And weird because one of the aps left for home this morning. I went on splits with him many times in the past 6 weeks and now he has left for home. It's like I just start and why are you leaving in a hurry? So that was different and now there is a new guy to fill His spot. I have never been one to like change but I am finding that I need to change and become accustom to things faster to make for a smoother transition.

We were in the waters of baptism last Saturday. The lady that we baptized was going to be baptized two Saturdays ago but ran into to some problems. But she made it through it.Turns out that she has a 9 year old too. So we are going to teach him as well. We had 11 people at church yesterday which was rewarding because the work is finally paying off. The aps said that they are going to create 5 new stakes in the belem area here in a little awhile. You need 10 stakes for a temple to be built. So I am not sure what the total would be after the new 5 stakes are added. The work is progressing in belem.

Take Care Ryan Spencer

May 19th 2008

Oi,

Well this week has been an interesting one. I went a whole day a senior in a way on Thursday with Elder McCombs. He was my trainer comp in the CTM. Anyway my comp was sick with pink eye and stayed home with another elder who was sick also. Elder McComb is not familiar with the area or the people that we have been teaching, so I had to make all the decision's on where to and what to. It was different and definitely a lot more stressful.


The baptism for this week fell though on us, which is disappointing. the mission pres challenged us this week not to knock a door, unless it was a reference. So everything that we did was through names that members and investigators gave us. Friday night we went to one reference and there was 10 people waiting to hear our message it was great. Too bad only one person showed up to church Sunday but she did say that she really enjoyed it. So well see what happens there. People are more willing to hear and listen to you when you have a friend of theirs with you at the door step.

Thanks for the emails and the pictures.

This week I added a picture of a baptism two weeks back and pictures from the president house, which has a great view of Belem. As well the river at ver o rio. This morning we went to the pres house for breakfast and had pancakes and blueberries muffins. I am definitely being spoiled because I live with the office staff (and gaining weight which everyone says I'll loss it soon).

tachua, and take care

Ryan Spencer

May 12th 2008

oí,
sorry but this week i could not get pictures to attach
to the email. maybe next week. anyway, we were in the
waters of baptism this past weekend. that's where we
want to be. we baptized a Young women who is about 20
and she has a desire to serve a mission. it was a great
week. we have two more investigators progressing
towards baptism this next Saturday. a 15 year old Young women
that lives with the family that we baptized two weeks
ago and then an older lady that works for a member.
so i hope all goes well with all of them.
it was a good to hear for my family yesterday on the
phone. it was really quick but wroth it. its good to
hear that every one is doing so well. it was really hard
to hang up at the end.
well happy mother´s day, and happy birthday to those
that are having a birthday this week. you know who you
are.
até logo
Ryan Spencer

A Phone Call Home

Since today is Mother's Day, Ryan got a 40 minute phone call home. Here are some of the highlights:

Cody:
-"Cody what was the highlight of your phone conversation with Ryan" Lisa
-"it was like 2 seconds and everyone else wanted the phone...ugggghhhhh.....i don't know" Cody

Mom:
- Ryan bearing his testimony in Portuguese
- Hearing him say "I love you Mom"

Lisa:
- The Parrot Story: Ryan was holding a parrot at a members house and he was "looking at it quietly" and it bit him! I asked if he got hurt and he said "umm... yeah"
-Miguel or Nigel: The Portuguese word for Awesome!
-Noah's Ark :a game they play with the members after they eat lunch with them. They sing a song and the members write down referrals for them to contact then that afternoon they contact the names. He says the referrals are usually really good.

Laura:
- To hear him and know he's okay.

Aaron:
- Ryan telling him he saw a monkey.

Dad:
-Finally getting through to him
-Listening to Lisa talk to him (apparently I drilled him with a hundred questions!)
- Just hearing him.

Can't wait til Christmas!

May 5th 2008 (First Baptism)

Oì,

Well this past Saturday i had my first three baptisms. Niaha, the mother of a family that we have been teaching, ask me to baptism he(The only one i performed). It was nerve cracking because my Portuguese is as bad as my English. so it took me a couple times to say the prayer exactly right. It didn’t help that she was trying to tell me what to say as I was saying the prayer(which wasnt the prayer at all) . But in the end everything turned out great. I said it the right way. Its was an awesome experience, reflecting back on it as I walked to the house. It was like WOW I just help someone open up the doors to heaven tonight by using the power of Priesthood of God . AWESOME. Right now we have about 5 or so people progressing towards the waters of baptism. The members are wonderful here. they are Always willing to give help and to teach with us. The members are KEY. You can see difference when you teach someone that was contacted through a member or a member is involved and a person that was not contacted through a member or doesn’t have the support of member.

Thanks for your support and love,

Ryan Spencer

Elder Hinsdale and I

April 28th 2008

oí,
well its been a crazy week here in Belém. we are always working and walking to and from appointments. there always seems to be some to teach. last night i had buffol meat and açai(fruta here in brasil). the açai made mine whole mouth purple.i´ll send pictures of that another time. the irma that was serving us was putting food on my plate everytime i was about ready to call it quits.that was a good lunch. theres a saying in the mission that in branches you dont eat but in wards you eat all the time. i am in the biggest ward of the mission. we are still working with that one family towards thier baptism, which is going to happen this saturday. i´ll hope that it all goes through and they make it through the week. thanks for the package it arrive two or three days after i did. all the mail goes through the mission office so if any one was wondering that thats the address to send it to for the rest of my mission. here in belem i will get it the day it arrives because i live with the office staff, but anywhere else ill had to wait for the next transfer( which is every 6 weeks).
take care
ryan spencer

April 21 2008 (in Belem)

oí,
well i got to belém about a week ago. the ctm was great, but i am out and about walking around and teaching with my new comp.( mainly he teaches and I try to follow along), whose been in the feild for 7 months and on a mission for 9 months. he´s great and a hard worker. He is from chico, ca. he is a great elder and i think well get a long just great. i am inbelém. i am serving in telegrafo, a burro if you will of belem, sort of downtown belem. the mission office happens to be my area, so i am in the nicest house of the mission. which is kinda of nerve racking for where ill be sent to next, but i wont worry about that to much. theres eight elders na casa . the aps and the office staff and then my comp and i as full time teaching elders. i been on spilts with the aps every night expect one so far. their are great guys and harder workers. the ward here is the biggest of the mission and they want to spilt it soon. the reason that i work with the aps so much because they are assinged to work in our area all the time, when not traveling around the mission or in the office. i hope i am making some sense. I came into belem from the ctm with eighteen other missionaries. all the americamns stayed in belem except one sister who went to macappa(?). I belive all the other sisters stayed in belem . the braizilans elders went all over the place.The work is hard but there is always someone to teach here. We have one familiy progressing towards baptism, which will be exicting. The people are all great and loving and willing to hear our message. Its be a shock of how they live here. I am not in the jungle by any means but some times you wonder how they make ends meets here.
Até logo,
Elder Spencer
p.s. happy to birthday to anyone that has had a birthday recently or will have one soon

April 9th 2008

i have no time to write. long story. power went out, computers wented down, in line at the post office for an hour. i leave to belem tuesday morning. this is my last week in the ctm and my last p day in the ctm. ill try to catch everyone on my next pday. oh i tried cheicken heart today, didnt care for it much but it wasnt bad either. went to the templo in são pualo, love that place i cant wait to go again in two years. all is well. i just wish i had more time.
love you all,
Elder Spencer

April 2nd 2008

Oí,
yea i got the all the info from alb. but i havent gotten my pin number for the debit card yet. and yesterday the post office down here in brasil went on strike so i am not sure how long that will last for. apparently it has happen twice in the past two months and didnt last longer than 5 days. so i hope for the best. as for the transfer to belem i dont know of my plans until the day before we are to leave. early a tuesday is my best guess. the last group to belem left at 430 in the morning to the airport and and had a laid over in brasilia and then a flight to belem. i do know that there will be about 6 americans and another 6 brazilians going to belem the same time i do. i also know that i leave on a tuesday so ill go a week without a p day. its kinda scary to leave the ctm because i know that the ctm is nothing like belem. i am doing alright with the language but we will see how much i really know we i get in the campo. last night i was reading in alma chapter 14 and it really hit me hard the things that we can overcome through faith in christ and the power that he bestows upomn us when we exerse faith in him.
LOVE
Ryan Spencer

March 26th 2008

hey,
well i wasnt able to write last week becuse the server for myldsmail.net wasn´t working. and the week before that myldsmail.net sent my email back, so i hope it works this time. well i went to the campinas templo today. long drive but it makes for a well needed nap. i have less than three weeks left in the CTM and i am off to belém. i am strating to count down. the ctm as been great but i cant wait to get into the campo. scripture for the week is form isaish chapter 64:8. it was shared in sunday school on easter sunday. i really like it. i go proslyting this friday again because we werent able to go last week. the worldwide director of the mtcs had a meeting with all the teachers when we were supposed to go. my district had a large group meeting with him about finding, teaching by the spirit.everything going well
talk to you later,
elder spencer

On Behalf of Elder Spencer....

My mom and I thought that starting a blog to post all of Ryan's pictures and letters would be a fun and easy way to catch everyone up on his mission. So here we go...

Ryan left for Belem Brazil on February 10th and stayed in the CTM (Brazilian MTC) for about two months. He was recently transferred to his mission in Belem (pronounced Belang) roughly two weeks ago. But thats enough of me trying to tell you about his mission. I'll let his letters and pictures tell the story.

This the first email we recieved from the mission telling us of Ryan's safe arrival.

Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:45:43 -0700>

Dear Parents,


We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at> the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary> as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.> > They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned> to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study.> The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary> couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These> couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as> they embrace and watch over the missionaries.> > The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He> is assisted by his able wife.> > We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.> > Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning> at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on> individual assignments.> > Important information is attached for communicating with your missionary> through letters and other mail while at the MTC. Your missionary's mailbox # is> 38 and their district is 7 B. Too many packages are arriving after the> missionary has left to the field, so we ask that you send a package only in the> first 4 weeks and after that send any packages to his or her mission home.> > We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have> been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you> and know of your love for your missionary.> > Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the> lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by> President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in> the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord> that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”> > Please accept our love,> > President and Sister Woodward> Brazil MTC


These are the pictures Ryan sent of the CTM. Ryan apparently being attacked by a Brazilian reptile.



Ryan called this the smallest track he ever ran.

We are all of course very proud of Ryan's decision to serve a mission for the church for 2 years and hope you all enjoy reading about his experiances!
Lisa

Also here are a few pictures from the sunday before he left. Speaking at his farewell was his brother in Law Derrick Webb and Ryan!