April 29th, 2013

Family,

First off, this is the easiest way to write me. It is faster and I can print off your letters and read them. We do thirty min in the morning for my friends and I print your letters. Then 30 min in the afternoon to answer my family.

Alright, I am going to get a bit mushy. I was brought to tears because of the detailed letters you all send. I know it may not seem like a big deal but I really cannot understand why I was so lucky to be placed in the family I was placed in. I love you all very much. Thank you for your examples to me.

Okay now about the week. First off, early in the week i came to know I dont know the language as well as I thought. haha. We were teaching and it was my turn to teach the first vision and I completely forgot what I was going to say. Like I forgot every portuguese word I have ever learned. haha. And we sat there for like 5 minutes in silence. Literally almost 5 minutes. Ya that was humbling to me. Hoenstly I speak to everyone. I dont even care if I speak wrong, they can always understand me because they have to pay more attention. Members in teh branch tease me because I conjugate things wrong or stuff. But I try anyway. The youth tease me alot. But i have the attitude that it really doesnt bother me at all. Although they do say my accent is really good. But some say I sound Italian because I fluctuate my voice too much. haha. O well.

Okay so we were tracting into the ghetto area. And all of a sudden this guy comes out with a giant faka or sword. I think there is another word for it i cant remember. It is used to cut grass. anyway, He comes out of  his house going to kill someone. haha. Comes to find out the guy he went after and was running away from him kicked a ball and hit his 3 year old son. This dude was crazy. But we wanted to teach him anyway. So the next day we went to go teach him and he loves the bible and wants to hear lots more. He wants to read the book of Mormon. haha. Crazy! This guy had a sword and was ready to kill someone.

Next day we are teaching a young man who has a problem with drugs and really wants out. So he asked to meet with us. Right before we were about to teach him this old lady comes in and starts talking to him and from what I could tell that she said, she said God is not happy with you win you sin and doesnt love you and he wants this nasty demon inside of you out and so she put her hand on his head and one in the air (this is all right in fron of us). haha. And just starts creaming and yelling trying to cast this Devil out of him? haha. She was saying things like, Come out of him, The Lord wants you back, I have the gift of tounges and I can save you and then she would go off in some other language. Freakin weird. Anyway we taught him after and he loved it and he came to church with us yesterday. He is a really good kid and wants out of drugs.

Okay so the thing here is family fotos, they all want to see my fotos. So as they look through them the same thing happens. They say, What happened to these two? (pointing to Garlan and Nate). Then I always reple, Yes the are unattractive, infact quite frightening. But we love them anyway because we try to follow Christs example to love one another. Then we lead into Christs Ministry. And the first lesson. The Spirit is so strong. So nate and G thank you for looking the way you do. You invite the Holy Ghost to every first lesson.

Also, everyone asks your names. And they all are in love witht the name SPENCER. When they hear me say it they all just say, wow that is so beautiful, wow I love that name. Then they repeat it like 10 times.....I know Rich, I am just as confused as you are. haha.

So we taught lots of lessons and were able to contact many news. I love inviting people to come to church or asking if we can come teach them. They always accept. And they always accept baptism. haha. The people here are great.

With the language, it is difficult. But the solution is to just SPEAK, they will understand you because of the Spirit and they love to hear the American talk to them. It means a lot to them.

Okay I love you all very much. Remember who you are. In Romans 8 we can read Pauls testimony about us being Children of God and He will never abbandoned us. We have experienced, we are experiencing, and we will experience hard  times. We go through hard times because the Savior went through the hardest of times. I have been thinking about the Atonement A LOT lately. Christ felt the pains of every person who has walked the earth. He knows how to succor us. IF we let Him. He can and He will heal us. Read Romans 8. Great Ch. and I am out of time. I love you all very much. And love hearing from you.

Elder Hadley