Elder Spencer Christofferson: "Called To Serve"

Zone Conference

Hi Everybody!

So this week I hit 4 months!! For me now it feels like I've been gone a while! 4 months in and I'm not a trainee anymore, the language is flowing, this is a mission now. I mean, it always was but... I don't know how to explain it.

This transfer is over and the next one is starting this week will bring A LOT of changes. First, Elder Quintana did it! Served for 2 years and now he is all done. He is a great missionary and will do a lot of good in the world. My new companion that I will be receiving is Elder Oliveira from Sao Paulo. He has been out about one year and a few months from what I hear. He will probably get here on Wednesday. I'm excited for this transfer and I just want to work, work, work!!!

Some of the big changes that are happening is that our ward is getting another companionship of Elders! One area in our zone is closing so those Elders are moving here. I'm glad because our area is huge and it needs another set of Elders. Actually, our ward had apparently always had more than one set of elders before I was here so this will be good. We will now have 2 more people living in our apartment so that will be interesting, haha. This week will be an adjustment week for sure, and tough, given the fact that since I am the only one who knows this area I will have to show the other 3 everything at first. One of the elders moving here is Elder Janish, an American! He will actually be training a greenie, which by the way, I am not anymore! J

So one absolutely FANTASTIC thing about this week was the weather. It was a little rainy but mostly overcast and cold! Like actually kind of cold. I don't understand haha. We are supposed to be getting closer to summer but hey, I am not complaining one bit. I love it more than I can say.

We saw two motorcyles crash this week! They hit hard too. No one was majorly hurt but I thought it was funny because about 5 minutes after they both just left! If that happened in the USA they would call the police, switch insurance, go to the hospital, etc. Here nope! Haha oh Brasil! Gotta love it.

This week for us was great! We did a lot of work and God rewarded us with a good amount of investigators at church on Sunday which is always a great thing. A few of them were friends who members brought and we LOOVVVEEEE that. So you members bring friends to church and the missionaries will love you forever.

We taught Patrick again this week. That guy rocks! The sad thing is that he works so much at the hospital so his time is limited. He had work on Sunday so he could not come to church. But he is loving the Book of Mormon. Recently we read Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life and he thought it was awesome. We then attempted, very poorly I might add, to draw it for him. After we explained it a bit and after he laughed at our drawing skills, I had an idea. I took the paper and started to draw. I drew a stick figure of Patrick at the very beginning of the iron rod. Along the way, moving closer to the tree, I wrote "go to church," "baptism," "receive the Holy Ghost," etc. I showed him and said "look here, this is you. You are on the path. The key is that your hand is on the rod. Now all you need to do is take a few steps forward and before you know it you'll be there." It was awesome and I think it helped him see what he needs to do next which is baptism!

Wednesday we had lunch at a member's house. The lady's name is Edna. She is an older, short, chubbier lady who is really nice and awesome. You always just feel the desire to give her a hug. (But obviously we can't cause we are missionaries haha.) Wednesday for some reason she reminded me of Grandma. I don't know why but she did. It got me thinking about how I miss Grandma but how much I love knowing that I will see her again. Like, I just know, without any doubt, that we can see her again. My testimony out here feels so strong and I love feeling it grow. What a great blessing it is to have the knowledge we do about Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation.

Yesterday I had one of the coolest experiences of my mission yet. It was Stake Conference so all of the missionaries from our zone and the neighboring zone, Ilheus, were there. In total I think there were about 30 missionaries, plus President and Sister Bangerter. It was awesome to get to see and talk to everyone. But anyways, the last speaker of the conference was Elder Carboni, a member of the quorum of the seventy. During his talk all of a sudden he said, "Now all you full-time missionaries of the Salvador South Brasil mission, I want you to come up here." We all kind of looked around like what the heck is going on but we went up and stood in the front facing everybody. He then said, "Now Elders and Sisters I want you to sing ‘Called to Serve’," and then to the congregation "and all of you, feel the power and Spirit that will enter this room." We started to sing and IMMEDIATLEY the Spirit was so strong. The coolest part was right as we were about to start the second verse the entire congregation stood up and sang with us. There have not been many times in my life where I have felt the Spirit that strong. There was not a dry eye in the room.

Anyways I love you all! This church is true! Have a great week!!

Elder Spencer P. Christofferson

Now to explain photos:

The ones of the water is our house was Wednesday morning when it rained all night and we forgot to close one window so it flooded. Haha! Oops! All the water in that bucket is what I squeegeed out of the towels.

There is pics of our District conference with our whole zone again because we had another one this week. I think here they will happen more often since our zone is so small.

There is a pic of my foot which is way better.

There is a pic of me with a Sister from the other zone. Her name is Sister Manuel and she was born in Angola but grew up in Portugal. She is awesome but goes home this week with Elder Quintana's group!

Anyways, I love you guys!!! Have a great Thanksgiving and appreciate the food! HAHAHA!!!