Leila's baptism

Hey Mom,

I`m glad to hear everything is good with you and the family, I am doing great too, we had Leila`s baptism and it went well. We had assigned a few recent convert members and less active members to help with little talks and prayers, and everyone came that was assigned! It was great to see the branch helping the missionary work, even if they just came to eat the cake after the baptism :)  I am happy with the progress we have made in Thompson, and I hope that the branch keeps growing. Sometimes its tough but the moments when we have baptisms or less active members show up to church that we have been visiting makes it all worth it.

All is good here, we don`t have too many investigators that are progressing right now, but like you said Mom, there is that 1% that are waiting to hear the gospel, and we are searching for them in every moment we have. 

I am very excited for conference this week, I think our branch will have it on a TV that they have in the church building. I am a little dissapointed because I won`t be able to watch in English, but I am going to enjoy it anyways, I don`t know if I`ve said it before but General Conference is like Christmas for missionaries.

I enjoy all of the pictures and letters you send, so sorry if my updates are short, but everything is going well and no worries about me being tired, its part of the mission haha. 

I was talking with my companion this morning and we were discussing the things and experiences we have here on the mission, we get to know a lot of people every day and the experiences in their lives helps me learn new things for my future and how I want to be when I am older and have my family, the gospel truly gives us happiness if we strive to live the teachings of the Savior, its not easy to be a member but when we know something is the truth, it makes it easier to follow.

I hope you all have a great week, thanks for the news that the Utes won, that makes me happy too, enjoy general conference and can`t wait to hear from you soon!

Rohayhu!

Elder Spiro

Allan and Leila

Leila's baptism

A new companion, Elder Yardley

Hola Mama,

Todo esta muy bien, I am doing great and healthy and happy, so last week I was going to have a new companion named Elder Morales but it got changed again because of a mix up in the mission office and my new companion is named Elder Yardley. He is from Idaho, he is really tall, probably my only companion I have had taller than me, but he is a cool guy, we get along and joke and everything, it's always different to have a companion from the same country. At this point I`m not worried about the English but companions from the same country a lot of times understand each other better. We had 2 investigators come to church this week, Leila and her mom, and we will be having Leila`s baptism this week so pictures are on the way! Allan is going to walk with her every week to church until he leaves for his mission and we are on the search for another adult to help when he leaves.

Not much new this week, just the same missionary work, never easy but always worth it. I hope you guys have had a good week, Dad told me its your anniversary tomorrow so HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!! WWOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! 24 years! Haha, hope you guys do something fun, and I`m glad to hear Camille did well in the primary program, it's crazy to imagine 150 kids, we don`t even have half of that of people that attend church but we are working hard to improve it!

I like the picture of Gavin, he looks huge! Thanks for the package you guys sent, I got all the candy and pictures that Camille sent and your letter too. I`m always hesitant to eat the treats because I want them to last longer, but if I wait I won`t be able to enjoy them, so I just eat them anyways.

Thats about all for the week, I hope you are all doing well in school, work, and at home, I always keep you in my prayers and am thinking of the things you have written me each week. Can`t wait to hear from you soon!

Rohayhu!

Elder Spiro

He got the stuff we sent! Only took a month!

Elder Spiro, Elder Yardley and some ward members

The elders, Allan and Elias

Same area, new companion:Elder Morales

Hey Mom!!!!

Thanks for the emails and pictures as always, I`m also happy because the Utes won!!!!!! I`m sure the game was super stressful, but I`m happier to just hear they won, that game is always the most important of the season for sure. I`m glad you enjoyed your birthday too, and I hope you got some help from the family with the little kids.

So the news is I won`t be going to a new area, but my companion will be going to the mission office for his new area though. I`m not sure who my new companion is because nobody has called but I will find out very soon. [[in his email to his dad he found out he has a companion from the U.S. named Elder Morales]]

We had a good week, we got the signature for Leila`s dad, but we won`t have her baptism yet because the mission asks for a responsible adult to bring her to church every Sunday, and we just have Elias bringing her to church, and he is only 12. We have met a lot of new people this week though, a lot of people have asked us to visit them, but the only problem is that they need to come to church!

I was thinking about 9/11 the other day, I will always remember the day I woke up and turned on the TV, and every channel had the video of the towers burning down and I didn`t understand why. It makes me happy to know our country is growing and progressing, and I am grateful to have a lot of the freedoms that we have.

I like the pictures of Camille playing the violin with Abbey, I hope she continues playing and practicing and is not like I was when I started playing just to complete a credit for school haha.

Anyway thanks again Mom for everything, I will update you next week on who my new companion is [it's Elder Morales haha] and how things are going in the area! Have a great week and GO UTES!!!!!!!

Rohayhu!

Elder Spiro

:) :)

Teachin in the Rain...

Hey Mom,

Thanks for writing me as always, I always enjoy hearing from you and the family, even though I don`t always write much in return (sorry) But I`m happy that the Utes won and you and the family had a good week at school and work. I`m sure you are excited to celebrate your birthday this week! I`ll be searching for birthday gifts here, but they will arrive around the next year, so just be patient haha :) But HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 

I am doing well as always, it has been raining this whole week and it has been cold but I am trying to enjoy it because I know the heat is coming soon. 

It was rainy on Sunday, so we didn`t have very many people come to church, but we had 1 investigator. She has been investigating the church for about 2 years, and she wants to be baptized but she has to get married and her boyfriend has to get divorced first so I think that will be a long process. We are going to visit them and see how the process is going.

To organize a wedding here we just have to have copies of the IDs of the people who are going to get married and also of the 4 witnesses of their wedding. We have the wedding on Saturday, and when the wedding is over, we have the baptism, so it all works out well. We put up decorations in the church and the relief society helps us a bit too. [[I asked him what it took exactly to put on a wedding so quickly]]

We have been working with Elias`s little sister Leila, who is 9 years old. She wants to be baptized but we just need the signature of her dad who lives in a different city. Elias is going to go to his dad`s house to get it. The guy that has a drinking problem hasn`t talked to us much lately, we only found him at his home once and he said he was busy, so we`ll see how his process goes I guess. 

Not much else new, this is the last week before we recieve transfers, so next Monday I will inform you if I am leaving the area or not, and if I have a new companion. But everything is great, I`m learning more every day and really starting to understand my purpose as a missionary and the infinite amount of things there are to learn in this world.

Hope you have a great week, thanks for the pictures and emails, the only things I have been thinking for the Christmas package was a few P90x disks, but I`ll let you know which ones because I don`t have weights here to use.

Can`t wait to hear from you soon! Have a great birthday week Mom!!!!!!!!!

Rohayhu!

Elder Spiro

Elder Spiro and his district