La Expiación, August 12, 2024

Hey everybody!

This week we had transfers! I am staying here but Elder Pereira left😥. We had a great time together. He is one of my favourite elders. I am now with Elder Johnson from Arizona. He's a cool guy, he has 5 months in the mission and actually when he had two weeks we did an exchange together for a day! So it's been fun reconnecting! I am his third companion and the 2nd Canadian comp of his which is pretty rare because there are only 2 Canadians in the mish here jaja. And then I also got assigned to be district leader. Basically I'm in charge of 7 missionaries. To minister unto them and be there for them and to train them and lead them. I'm excited to be able to work on a more personal level with them and to be able to serve them🙏.

We got tricked this week during cambios. So one of our leaders called us on Tuesday afternoon (our transfers are Wednesdays) and he tells us we have to trade apartments with the hermana misioneras. And that we had to do it before dark, so we only had a couple hours. So I called the hermanas right after that and told them we had to change asap. And do we did, we packed and left, making the 10min trek through downtown Santiago with our suitcases making a couple trips to make it safer. Anyways we spent the night in the hermanas apartment and them in ours thinking those would be our new areas of work. Anyways in the morning I look at the notification of transfers and it turns out I was actually staying in my old apartment and area and that it was only the names of our work areas changing. Our leader had messed up the info and we had to change back. It was quite funny jaja. 

So normally in this area we teach a lot of lessons by video chat. And we have had a lot of different experiences. Good, bad, weird, scary, etc. Anyways this week we had a really really spiritual one with a lady named Alejandra. She reached out to us saying that she had grown apart from God for a time but wanted to come back. So we started talking about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The sacrifice He made to give us the opportunity to live with God one day! The greatest event in human history! The most excruciating pain anyone has ever experienced. I shared Alma 7:11-12 with her (which says 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities). I was able to feel the Spirit testifying to me and to her, about Jesus Christ and His atonement. Thank you to the atonement we can repent and improve each day, we can see and be with our loved ones that have passed on, we can continue on in life with a heart full of faith and hope in His name. I will be eternally grateful for the eternal atonement of Christ.

Question of the week: How have you felt closer to God this week?

Love you all!!

Elder Spencer

                                                

                                                

                                                        Santiago at night, you can see my area in the back, its all the tall buildings

I found snow!!! I think it was from a machine or something, like a zamboni dump but from like an ice machine or something

Kikio the cat

a flick from on top of the hill

Me with Elder Johnson on top of a hill

On an intercambio with Elder Wride for today! Our comps went to Argentina for their visas, not sure how that whole process worked, but we enjoyed some sushi!

Elder Johnson is an absolute fan of graffiti and he is always teaching me cool facts and popular artists he's noticed in Santiago