12.7.09

Hey family,
How´s everything with you guys? The last week was ready slow for us. We are always running around and doing things but the area is so big that we lose a lot of time walking. But all that time pays off with a baptimsal serivce.Last night Elder Parkhusrt and I found a lady from Columbia. She has been here for about a 1 and a half. She trys to speak portugues but she throws a lot of spanish into and its hard to understand. I had “El Libro de Mormon” in the house so I gave that to her so she could read the it and understand it. So this morning I borrow a spainsh – port. Dictionary to learn to bear my testimony in spainish to her. Later today I will look for a spanish bible to give to her. Man I am so exictd to teach this lady. And learn a little of spanish at the same time.
I love the mission, Elder Spencer

11.30.09

Hey family,
Raimundo was baptized yesterday. The feeling I get during a baptism is awesome, I love that feeling. It makes me feel so happy. I love the mission.This year we didnt do anything special for Thanksgiving, but the baptism was sure a treat. I love the mission.The rain season hasnt arrived yet, they say that only in january that the rain will start. Which means it is super hot. We need to stay in the water.
Pois é I love the mission and I know that The Church is true. I am working for this purpose.
Love Elder Spencer

12.14.09

Hey,
That was pretty funny about Landon and Quinn. You sent pictures of them around my birthday but it sounds like they are always changing and growing, so are already different than those pictures. That’s great that you guys will spend Christmas with grandma, I know that she will love that. I sent her a Christmas card two weeks ago so it should be getting there any time. I just sent her a card this year. I have not had time to get cards out to everyone, like I did last year. So I need to know grandma´s number to call her for Christmas is that right? Next week I´ll let you know the number that I will use to call you guys. Most likely I’ll call in the morning, right before lunch time (grandma´s time).This last week we had a district conference in the branch. It went really well. I learned a lot. After the conference we went to a park in another elder´s area and watch a movie about the church and answered questions that the public had about the Church. It was the first time that I had done that in my mission. I really enjoyed it. I believe that the zone leaders want to do it in every of the zone.
I love the mission. I am always learning something new each day.
Love you,Elder Spencer

12.28.09

Hey family,
It was awesome to talk with you guys on Christmas day. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I did missed out talking with some of you, but there is always next time.
Love you all,Elder SPencer

11.23.09

Hello family,
Are you guys ready for thanksgiving? Can you believe that I forgot it was thanksgiving this week until elder parkhurst told this morning? That’s what the mission does for you. You forget everything.This last was really productive I felt. I opened my mouth and talk to a lot more a lot people than I usually do. I love being a missionary.This next Sunday Raimundo will be baptized. I have learned a lot from teaching this past month. I am excited to see him be baptized.I know that the church is true and that life doesn´t stop. I am grateful for the knowledge have been given of the three kingdoms of glory.
We are truly blessed to be living during this time and to have the knowledge that we have.
Love elder spencer

11.16.09

Hey family,
I AM doing well. I sent my last companion to train and he went to Macapa. A place that I have wanted to go to, but I am not sure if I will. My new companion is Elder parkhurst, he is from amom, idadho(?). I am making the change quiet well with him. He is a good elder with a strong desire.Raimundo was not baptized this week we felt that he was ready yet for baptism. We are praying that it will happen this Sunday.I am loving the mission and the people, each day we find wonderful people.
I know that Christ is our Savior and that this is His church.
Love,Elder Spencer
Ps the internet is really slow today.

11.9.09

HEY Family

This week was great. We werent able to teach a whole lot because of the wedding and baptism of Adriana that happen this Saturday. We spent a good part of the week focusing on her and her weeding as well as her baptism. Saturday night was awesome h the members help alot with the food and drinks as well as preparing adriana in terms of her dress and make up.Elder Lacerda was called to train a new missionary. So he will be leaving the área and I will be getting a new companion. The área is going great. Next week we will have the baptism of a deaf man. His name is Raimundo. He was a refernece of a member and has been to church a few times. We still have alot to teach him and tomorrow I will be going to belem to drop off Elder Lacreda and to get my new companion, I will return to my área only on Wednesday night after traveling back from belém.Everything will go happen just like it should.
The Church is true.
Love,Elder Spencer

11.2.09

the raining season is near.

Hey family,The picture that I am sending is of my birthday lunch at a member´s house.This upcammoing week we are going to be super busy with a wedding and a baptism on saturday. Alot to do and so little time to get it done.Hope you guys enjoy the picture.Love,Elder R Spencer

10.26.09

Hey family,
Tudo Bem. The mission is going wonderfully. Eu amo a missão. The best thing that has happens in my life, even better than running. Last week I wrote about a lady that will be marry on the 14 of November. News flash…Just in from The Vila of the cabins (Vila Dos Cabanos)….drum roll please… let´s tune in to Elder Lacerda, he´s at the front of the breaking news. “ Ela vai casar-se no dia 7 de novembro” . No in English please, “She will be married on the seventh of November”.What ?!?!?! That’s right folks she will get marry one week earlier, which means that Elder Lacerda and I will watch the marriage and her baptism together before transfers on the 8 of November.
This is the largest area that I have been in on my mission, is tough on the feet and knees because we end walking more than we do teaching. But it will all payoff in the end with the marriage and baptism of Adriana. Like I said I love the mission, there is no other place that I would want to be right now. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true and living church of our Savior on the earth.
Com amor,
Elder Spencer

10.19.09

Hey family,
This week we helped a family with the start of their marriage. They will be getting marry on the 14 o f November. Right after the marriage will be the baptism of Adriana (the mom of the family) I am so excited for them. This last week we went to Belem for a conference with President Campos it went well. I am ready my hardest to stay focus on the work of the Lord. Lately I am finding it hard because our area is huge and we need to travel a lot in between investigator´s houses. I just need to trust in the lord that I was given the power to do all things through faith.
I am happy and grateful for the package that I received for my birthday. Thank you Mom and Lisa.
Elder Spencer

10.12.09

Hey family,

My birthday was wonderful, one of the Best Days that I have had on the mission. Saturday we had a baptism of 17 year young man that had some life changing experiences. His name is Willian. So on Sunday morning he was confirmed a member of the Church and received the Holy Ghost. Sunday morning on of ours recent converts received the priesthood. He was ordained to the office of Priest. His name is Maicon, the man that Elder Lacerda and I fasted for a few weeks ago so he could be baptized. Maicon is excited and getting really to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. He is already talking about it. YES!!!! Willian is talking about serving a mission here in two years. After church we went to Lunch at Zeca and Gloria´s house. They prepared a barbeque for us and crème de maracujá( the passion Fruit) . I love crème de maracujá. The best thing in the world, even better than cake that’s for sure. I took pictures but today is a holiday (Children´s Day) so I don’t have much time to send them to you guys but next week I´ll do my best to get them to you.

Love,Elder Spencer

10.5.09

Hey family,

General Conference was awesome. I learn a lot about my purpose as a missionary and what my purpose will be after mission life. I loved the talk of Elder Holland and the love that he showed for the restored gospel and the Book of Mormon. An example for me as a missionary, as there are many people that don’t have respect for the Book of Mormon and its teachings. Last as I read the Book of Mormon after Conference and I could feel the power that it has for me and the message that brings to my soul. I wish that others would read and ponder the teachings founded in the Book of Mormon. Granit, I too need to improve with and my study of The Book of Mormon and the Bible. That´s the purpose of General Conference is the reminder of the little things that we are not doing in our lives, or at least for me and my life.

I love the gospel.

Elder Spencer

9.28.09

Hey family,

How everything? How’s the ward doing? Getting bigger, I hope?

This week is the best week of the year because the will be prophet speaking to the world. We are blessed to live in this time. I hope everyone else is as excited as I am to listen to the prophet, and inviting others to listen to him this weekend.

President Campos has introduced a new way of working with investigators. Not a way new to be honest but he emphasized one thing that I have forgotten. That is to pass with the investagors every single day. I remember that was the counsel of Bishop Dellenbach when I left but I forget I became too occupied in numbers and not in baptisms of people. These last six weeks I have that I have grown the most since I left home, mainly with my testimony of the Gospel and the Restoration.

Testimonies don’t always come in an instant but generally over time as we study, ponder and pray.

I know that the church is true; I know Jesus is the Christ and the Savior. He has called prophets. And we are blessed for each and every one of those things. We are blessed for the knowledge that we have.

Elder Spencer

9.21.09

Hey Family,

I am glad to hear that everything is going well back home. One my goals is life is to hike to the “Y”, if Aunt Becky can do it, I can to. Thanks for the hope and the example Becky.

This last Saturday Elder Lacerda and I went to less active’s house. To get to the house and teach the lesson and return to our area of force took us about four and a half hours. Let me explain the journey. We got a van for 1,75 reais. The van took about 40 minutes to get their barrio. In the van we told the driver that we want to get off at the barrio Canaa. When we arrived he told to get off and follow the road. We got out of the van I look down the road and saw a river, I thought to my self “NOSSA E AGORA”. We followed the road and it turned at the river. When we made that turn I saw a bridge. A BROKEN Bridge. ”NOSSA E AGORA” . I asked a man on bike if he knew where that barrio was and he said to keep going and that we would get there. To cross the river we took a 45 seconds canoe ride.( first canoe ride of the mission) then we walked in the forest went across the road and got to the barrio. “NOSSA E AGORA” I look at my planner for the name of the street and the number of the house. I had only the street name. So we found the street after 20 minutes of walking like chickens with theirs head cut off. Once on their street we started to make contacts with people asking if they knew Adriana , and at the same time looking on the clothes line for Garments . We found the house through a member of another church that knew everyone on that street. We found the house and taught Adriana. She wants to get baptized but she is not married. Her husband was baptized eleven years with his sister in Belem. His sister served a mission in São Paulo and she helping her brother and his family become active in the church again.The faith that family has to leave their house every Sunday at 7 in the morning to go to church is huge. Adriana was one of two investigators in the Chapel Sunday. A family that we are working with the lives 2 ,minutes from the chapel didn’t go Sunday because they sleep in.

The test of our Faith.

Elder Spencer
I love the mission

9.14.09

Hey family,

This last week was named the week of miracles. There is a reason behind. Remember i wrote last week that Maicon would be baptized on Saturday. The baptism didn't happen on Saturday. But it happen Sunday morning before church.

I´ll explain. Thursday night we pass by his house to talk with him about the baptismal meeting. He told us that he would work on Sunday so he wouldn't be able to be confirmed on Sunday. So we canceled the baptism for Saturday for that reason. Friday we started a fast and asked the Lord to help Maicon find time to be baptized so that he could receive the same blessings that his wife received and that the family could be able to go the temple next year to be seal together forever. We ended the fast Saturday at lunch and we hadn't hear anything from Maicon. Saturday afternoon made the journey out of his house to speak with him or his wife. We spoke to his wife because he was working still. But she told us that there was a chance that he wouldnt work on Sunday but she wouldn't know until that night when he return from work. We left with new hope that he would be baptized on Sunday. About 8 o´clock we called Maicon about 15 times but nothing. Nobody answered the phone. We started the trek back our house and about 45 minutes later we called him again after the fifth try he answered and told us that he wouldn´t work on Sunday. Man, was I happy. You have no idea. We called the first conselhiro told him about the baptism was going to happen before church on Sunday. We ran home and called ours leaders to have them come and give the interview at 7:30 Sunday morning. At 8:15 Maicon was baptized. My companion ELder Lacerda baptized him.( his first baptism of his mission)

I have a bigger testimony of that heavenly father really answers our prayers and that fasts are important for our growth and the growth of other people.

I love the Mission.

Love Elder Spencer

I hope everyone understood my e- mail this week.

9.7.09

Hey family,

This weekend we are head for the waters of baptism. Maicon is firm for this Saturday.

This past week flew by. We had a conference with President Godoy of the first quorum of the seventy. He also was the ex mission president of Belem ten years ago. It was an awesome experience to hear him speak. He had so many jokes about the mission that were so true. He talked about many things that happen in the daily life of a missionary and how to be a missionary of success. It was a great spiritual experience for me.

The work in the area is going well; the members are helping out a lot. About four or five this week the members walk with us, taking us to theirs friends to teach them. It´s awesome when the members do that, it’s a lot easier for to teach people. The youth here are super excited and want to get together to find and visit the less actives, to bring them back to church. The youth have a lot of love for their fellow youth. It makes me think if I was ever like.

That reminds of something that President talked about, that the mission should always being going up (like a graph) and that when you return from the mission that that trend of increasing should continue to increase. That when a missionary returns he should still had a fire in the bones to serve the Lord and help his home ward. And not think that all is done, but think that everything has just begun.

That´s what I learned this week.

Com amor,

Elder Spencer

i am not in the picture because i had to leave early to get a boat back to my area.

elder Spencer

8.31.09

Family,

This last week was short and we spent were little time working in the area. We had a Conference with president Campos and another with Elder Tubias( an area seventy). The conference with elder Tubias was wonderful. The first on my mission at any type of general authority has come to speak us the missionaries. This next week the second counselor in the area presidency, Elder Goday will come to Belem to speak to us. I am excited because he was the mission president for this mission 10 years ago. I also had the opportunity to hear him speak in the CTM.

We were going to have a baptism this Saturday but it fell though. Maicon and his wife weren’t able to make it out to church on Sunday. But we remarked it for the following week. The area is huge and its not possible to work in it all. I will guess that to walk from one end of the area to the other would take 3 and half hours walking at a good missionary walking pace. The only other form of transportation that we have is a van that passes until seven o´clock at night. So we spend a lot of time walking to Maicon’s house which is a good hour and 20 minute from our house. We go there every single day.

Life is good, and my still learning a ton as missionary. I love it. I am learning a lot with Elder Lacerda.

Elder Spencer

8.31.09

heres a photo of a lady that i taught but didnt get to see her baptism because i was transfered 3 days before. my old comp baptized her. i will attached part his letter about her baptism, so you can read and be edified.love elder spencer

Presidente tivemos uma maravilhosa experiencia essa semana com o batismo da irma leodora...Ela chorou ao sair da agua e na confirmaçao ela chou outra vez... ela disse que sentiu naquele momento algo maravilhoso...Quero lhe contar como foi encontrar elssa mulher.. ela tem 78 anos e estava varrendo a frente de sua casa...Eu e elder spencer estavamso andando a muito tempo e eu nao aguentava mais aquele sol na minha cabeça, entao parei e falei com ela... e me surpreendi quando ela disse a idade dela e estava com uma força incrivel...Puxou duas cadeiras e iriamos deixar uma mensagem com ela... quando seu neto flavio chegou e ouviu a mensagem, em trez semana flavio foi batizado e nodia do batismo dela foi tao forte o espirito que ela sentiu o desejo de ser batizada e foi a igreja pela primeira vez na confirmaçao de seu neto de 19 anos.. ela ficou maravilhada com tudo.. nem se importou em andar no sol durante 50 minutos para capela e depois voltar pra sua casa.. a péMarcamos o beismo dela e com toda certeza ela sabia que era aquilo que ela queria... todos os domingos ela vai com seu neto a igreja andando , seu neto recebeu o sacerdocio e ja prepara e distribue o sacramendo, infelizmente ele nao sabe ler mas o presidenete fabio esta ensinando portugues pra ele... e esse sabado ela foi batizada, e chorou ao sair da agua e me deu um abraço e agradeceu pela força que vem do santo espirito...No domingo ela foi a igreja e levou todas suas filhas, e ao ser confirmada ela orou por sua familia para que eles pudessem sentir o mesmo que ela estava sentido pois era mais precioso que tu que é mais precioso... e novamente ela chorou.. sua familia mora em um lugar que nao tem a igreja mas ela vai ampliar a casa e vai tyraze-los pra virem morar aqui e poderem ser batizados e estarem proxiomos dela... seus dois netos seram batizadoa dia 12 e 19... de setembro...O Senhor tem feito milagres nessa area... domingo tinha 159 pessoas na capela com uns 45 homens e os outros ramos tambem estavam cheios...Em breve essa estaca sera dividida pode ter certeza disso...

Family,

Tudo Bem?

I am in my new area and with my new companion, Elder Lacerda. He is from Ponto Grosso, Paraná. We are in Vlia dos Cabanos, or in English village of the cabins. I like it here. It is by far the quietest area that I have been in. It´s nothing like Telegrafo, Imperatriz or Castanhal, Vila dos Cabanos is part of a city called Barcarena, which is a 45 minute boat ride from Belém. There used to be Sisters in the area so the house was clean and the area book was really helpful. Vila dos Cabanos is huge, I have been here a week and I still don’t know where everything is. But that doesn´t stop Elder Lacerda and I from working hard. The members are excited to work with us and they want to spilt the branch before the end of the year to help form a stake in the area. The district has only three braches and you need 5 wards to create a stake. But like I said everyone is excited to work so I am excited to see the church grow here in the Vila. I am hoping that president will put another dulpa of missionaries in this area next transfer.My companion is great and he has a huge testimony of the Church. He has been a member for about 2 and half years. He has a strong desire to work. So we are working like animals in the area. We have a baptism marked for the 5 of September. The husband of a recent convert, his name is Maicon ( micheal in english ). Something that I learned from last transfer, that I am trying to apply this transfer to always be speaking to someone about the church. I can see the lord help us in all that we do because of our efforts.

Elder Ryan Spencer

P.s. I hope my English is not too bad.Love you all.Truthfully I love you all it´s not a joke. Stop laughing Lisa. It´s true. Stop it, Lisa. Lisa, why would you think I would lie to you. I really do Love you.

Happy Birthday LIsabeth!!!!!!

Love you.

thank you laura wright for letting me copy this pictures off your blog for your son.

This story is part of a letter from laura's son Adam who is serving in Belem as well.

"elder spencer told me another story that was pretty funny. we were at the church talking with some members and there was this kid who i swear was a devil child cause the kid was just horrible. he punched elder spencer where its not the best place to be punched and then gave him the finger and the kid was like 5 years old and then the kid grabbed my name tag, because i was sitting down and he chucked it across the parking lot. oh boy was i ticked and i said, onde esta seus pais? where are your parents? and he said, eu não gosto de te, i dont like you! so yeah elder spencer and i were just like who is this kid! so that was a pretty funny story because elder spencer got beat up ha ha"

8.17.09

(beware in this letter ryan uses text speak and I couldn't understand it to translate it! If your better at this give the translation a try!)

Hey family,
This is my last r-day in castanhal. I Will be tranfer this Wednesday. To wh=ere, i=C2=B4ll let you guys know next week. This last Sunday was wonderfu=l. I watched one man that i taught pass the sacrament for the first time=. And i wacthed another recievce the priesthood. I tesfoed that the i did=in this area was worth it. It was the first in my mission that i wacthed=a man that i baptized get the priesthood. And i saw two in Just one tran=sfer. It was awesome.Like i Said i Will be transfer, i Will recieve a com=C2=B4panion straight o=ut of the CTM. I AM exicte beacuse new missionaires always are funner to =work beacuse of thier spirits and thier desires to serve the lord. Positi=on of leaderships dont even enter their minds. All they want to do is wo=rk for the lord.I know that the church is true and this is the work of the lord to brign to=p=C3=A1ss the immortially and eternal life of man. I AM grateful for the=oppurtinty that i have had and Will have.
Elder SPencer