Elder Spencer Wade Calvert: August 23, 2010

We didn't have the baptism this past weekend. We completely lost contact with Jessica and we didn't get ahold of her until Thursday night. The other 3 girls in the same family fell aswell as one of them was trying to quit smoking and couldn't do it in time. She will be ready for this week along with her sister who was ready but waited a week to be baptized with her. The little girl, Lorena changes her mind about baptism a lot so I'm not really sure what will happen with her. We have two strong dates for this weekend.

This past week was great. But, I only really remember enough to tell you about the last few days. Saturday we spent a lot of this day with this one family. They had asked us about fasting a lot and expressed how much they wished we could spend a lot of time with them one day and how much help it would be. We taught individual lessons to each member of the family, played guitar and sang, and ended with a church movie. It was a wonderful, extremely exhausting day. It was so nice to be able to speak to the individual concerns of the family, and the next day 6 of the family of 8 went to church. The other two have been suffering from depression and have started to improve some. We have a lot more work to do but I know one day they will all be sealed.

We were walking to church with the family, and everyone that drove by knew the father of the family so we are excited to get some references from him. Last night to bring in the p-day we made quesidillas. We found tortillas in the grocery store and it was amazing. We ate it again today, made salsa and gaucamole, Elder Schoen made cookies and it was so, so good. We also went to the healthy part of the grocery store and I got some oatmeal and flaxseed. I'm excited, this morning I made some cinammon/banana/flaxseed/vanilla oatmeal and it was healthy and good. I like it.

I love you all very much. I am suffering right now from what I will call morning sickness. I feel kind of discouraged in the mornings, but I look forward to the time I have to study my scriptures. I need that time everyday. I am still reading Jesus the Christ, and it really has changed my life. The perspective it gives you on the life of the Savior is tremendous. I'm so grateful for trials and the purifying fire. In the moment, it is so diffcult but it gives everything so much beauty. I'm so grateful for this plan, for the contrast of happiness and misery, and for the opportunity to preach the gospel of happiness to the people in Brazil.