"You're not in Kansas anymore, you're in Pandora....."

Hey Momma I’m doing pretty great here in Osorno, Chile;) haha. Yeah as you heard from the mamita, I’m not in Chiloé anymore... but on the bright side it doesn’t rain as much here. But I loved Ancud so much. It’s so sad I had to leave in sober cambios (emergency transfers?). Oh man that’s so sad about mamita....:/ I was so sad to leave as well haha, but more about that later.

So on last p-day after we wrote you guys, we went and played soccer with hermano Jaime and our investigators, which is good because it was our last time!!:/ On Tuesday we helped the hermanas pack up their house in the morning then we went and took it all to the new house that night. Then we had a lesson with hermana Ana (Jaime's wife) and also we visited some other members as well.:) Then on Wednesday I finished the BOM in Spanish!! so that was cool. Also we found a menos activo named Natalia and she was so cool! We talked with her for a little bit then we went to see Damarys. It was really good we went because they left to Puerto the next day and I wouldn’t have seen them before I left.

On Thursday we got a call from the AP's and they said I was getting sober cambios to Osorno as a Zone Leader..... It was funny I didn’t actually believe them... so I asked them like 3 times.. are you sure? me? Elder Spencer? to Osorno? haha but yeah it was sad. All the members were sad because I was leaving and my district of missionaries as well. But then after I said goodbye to as many as I could in the short time, I left Friday in the morning. Osorno has been pretty great. It’s not beautiful in scenery like Chiloé... haha but its chill. My first day here we visited an investigator of the old hermanas (they took the hermanas out of the other half of our sector and gave us the whole sector...) and she is actually really close to baptism! She has such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, it’s so awesome. Her name is María!!:) Then today my comp had to do a math test for college because he goes home at the end of this cambio! OH! ALSO my new comp is Elder Gledhill. He is from AZ and is super cool! We’ve had a great first 3 days together... haha. His companion went to Ancud because he needed an area with bikes... so they did sober cambios for him to Ancud... haha

Yeah I don’t know what Gabriela is thinking but that stuff isn’t the same... haha. All the Chileans say it works but it doesn’t... I have something that will work till you can send more, or can you? but maybe I’ll try it because it’s a ton different... it’s like bigger sugar cubes no mas...

Haha yeah we didn’t use the bikes that much because it was always raining... but hey maybe they will fix them up and use them?? Oh man that’s crazy that you guys are in Connecticut! Did the house already get sold or what’s the story on that? Good luck I know you can do it!!!:) Also that’s sweet that you went to the temple so much!!:) no worries momma it will all come!!:) Trust in the Lord and He will provide for you!!!:)

Woah thank you so much for the thought. That is so true. If we will commit to the Savior then the Savior will commit to us and we need not have fear!!:) I’ll share the scripture that goes with that next week – I can’t remember it right now...:) haha. Thank you momma and I am doing amazing!:) I hope you have an amazing week and I love you to eternity and beyond! Have a great week! :)

Love you momma!

Elder Shawners

The first time in 22 years....

We got snow here this last week!!!:) and I’m so glad!!:) It’s been 22 years since it has snowed here in Ancud or in Chiloé... hahha crazy right?? It was so funny, papito was so happy when it snowed, he was like a little kid!! We definitely partied in the snow, it was so fun!!

But man this last week was really fast but slow at the same time, haha does that make sense?? But I was sad because Elder Pintado left on Wednesday and then I had my new comp, Elder Guerrero. He is super chill. He is from Columbia! from a city that is right next to Barranquilla! He is a super cool dude and an even better missionary. This first week together was really good. We worked with Hermana Ana (Jaime’s wife) really hard this week. She knows the gospel is true and just is a little hesitant to get baptized so we are helping to resolve doubts.:) We didn’t get to Damarys this past week because she was in Puerto Montt. Also on Saturday we went to go contact some referrals that we had and we took our bikes out. (I don’t know if I mentioned we have bikes in this sector but never use them because it rains...) After we got to the top of our sector we realized our bikes had no breaks...  haha so that was lots of fun to ride down the big hill with no breaks. We almost died but we didn’t!!!😁 Then we went to the other side of our sector and contacted Nefi and Natalie. They are menos activos and they super awesome. We couldn’t go in because Nefi was at work so we talked with Natalie and are gonna go back tonight!!:) But it was super cool because rarely ever the referrals are people who actually want to talk to us, so it was a good surprise!!:) Then today we made Pichanga Pizza!! It was so good but I wanna die now it was so much food. (pics below)

Also I’m glad that you could talk to Gabriela and get everything figured out with her!!:) Did Elder Thomas come and visit this last week? But thank you for sending the stuff with her and also thank you for the info on the water proofing stuff!!:) I’ll let you know how it works. But thank you so much for the stuff you sent!!:) I might have to have you see about the guarantee on the mission pants as well. They almost have holes in them…

That is so friggen cool that Chad is already starting to learn Spanish because I didn’t learn any so I had a hard time when I entered in the MTC.:) And that is so cool that you got to go with gram and gramps!!:) Thank you for all the fotos by the way I loved it!!:) Man can we do that again with them when I get back?:) Who is living in great grama’s house now?

That is so crazy that Eric is home. All my friends (Andrew, Hardy, Palmer) are gonna start coming home now too. It’s gonna be crazy to see all of them get home!! And thank you for your thought momma I love it. It is so important that we exercise our priesthood righteously and through all these characteristics of Christ. I love that thank you!!:)

For my thought this week it is about the last part of the book of Ether: Shiz and Coriantumr are fighting for just pride.. they end up destroying everything and everyone. The only one that lives, barely, is Coriantumr and it's worthless because now he had no kingdom to reign because everyone was dead... So the key here is humility. If everyone had humility, Satan would have almost no power, because it is only when we are humble that we can repent and live more to be like Christ. So this week my thought is this: be humble and you will have the mercy of the Lord.:)

Love you to infinity and beyond momma!!:) Hope you have a great amazing week and let me know how everything is going!!:)

Love,

Elder Shawners

Que va a pasar con cambios...

Hey momma, happy Monday to you as well!!:) Also yes!! thank you so much (he saw the video and got the information on Chad’s mission call). That is seriously so cool that Chad is going to go to Mexico!!! I’m not gonna lie, I never thought that he would go to Mexico... haha but at least now we will be able to talk in Spanish too when we get home. So you better start getting ready now momma!!!;) haha. But it seemed like there was quite a bit of people there at his opening? :) I’m glad that it was awesome and I hope Chad likes his call as well!!:)

Well things are going really good here as usual. This last week was really good besides me getting wrecked on intercambios on Friday... haha now wait and I’ll explain. But before that Hermana Ana is doing really well. We taught her about baptisms for babies and then showed her 17 Miracles this last week in our citas with her. Also one of our investigators, Damarys Soto (who has the 2 year old with cancer), is progressing so strong in the church. She said she knows the Book of Mormon is true. Even though she has a ton of hard things with her son right now, she isn’t condemning God, so that is so amazing of her! Also like usual we had our activities of soccer last week as well and I did pretty well and scored a goal, while also falling on my tail bone.. haha it was sweet but hurt.. haha. Then we also had cambios with the zone leaders Friday and it was super sweet. We taught some of their investigators and it was great. Then Saturday at 4 in the morning I woke up and I was basically vomiting with diarrhea all friggen morning... We finally made it back to Ancud from Castro like 8 at night on Saturday. On Sunday we received cambios!!!! :( Elder Pintado is leaving to the same area where Elder Muirhead went.. haha Rio Negro in Rahue, and all I know is my new comps name is Elder Guerrero? He’s Columbian!:) I’ll tell you more about him next week :). But no worries I feel a lot better now, but man was my stomach wrecked... it was close to when we were in Bulgaria... haha

Sound like this past week was super good for you as well. Also thank you so much for putting the names in the temple!! We actually just started fasting weekly as a zone now to help our investigators, so we will see how that goes. Also haha I can imagine you opening the mail box and freaking out.. haha the neighbors... ahh the crazy lady again..;) haha naw but I’m glad that he finally got it! and oh man I miss the Summerfest, but I’m glad that you loved it!!

Also thank you for your thought as well I love that. We need to constantly have like a personal interview with ourselves and see how we are doing with our goals and where we are headed. I love that! My thought this week is from Isaiah 41:10. It’s a great scripture and also the last part of verse 9 as well "I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away." The Lord has chosen us to be where we are and has not forsaken us. We have his son Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit so that He is always with us so we need not have fear of any worldly things.:) Love you momma and hope your week is great this week. Love you to eternity and beyond!!:)

Love,

Elder Shawners Spencer

The swords in the pictures are our "arms of war" we are giving up to serve the Lord and show our obedience to Him.:) Alma 24

How time flies when working with the Lord....

Hey momma, how are you doing this fine first Monday of June?:) As for me in Ancud, Chiloé it’s been a really awesome week here! And honestly time is flying by, it’s insane!! But I’m glad that you liked my experience that I shared about Rosita. We had some bad news with her this last week. Her dad who lives with her came back from his work trip and he doesn’t want us in his house.. but the good side is that she lives close to Jaime so maybe we can do the lessons at his house!:) As far as our investigators, the sister Ana (Jaime’s wife) is progressing really well. She is super close to baptism but she just needs a little extra push. She knows it’s all true and has a great testimony but is just a little stubborn and is a little scared. But we are close with her I know it!:) Also we visited Carla Mateo, a single mother with 3 little girls and she is progressing really well. She is reading a little in her Book of Mormon which is awesome because she almost has no time as a single mother... haha. I imagine you know how she feels with the kids, and even more she is alone because here pareja (partner) is at sea till December.

And for your thought provoking question, we had a super amazing lesson with a recent convert Adolfina. She is a grandma and is super amazing. This last week we decided to go visit her with a member who I didn’t know; and the day we went, sister Adolfina’s son lost his job. So she was super worried, and the member helped her with info she didn’t know about so she was super happy!!:) Then the video I had picked was just what she needed to hear. It was so cool to watch everything work out the way it did!!:) Also, this last weekend in church I taught about repentance and a big part we talked about was that we have to be humble enough to see our faults, accept them and want to change and get better. But if we are prideful, we won’t be forgiven. So in order to progress, we have to be humble and follow the Lord.

Yeah this last week the weather has been getting super cold and rainy!! But we are going to get a fireplace for our house so we don’t have to worry about being cold! That’s crazy about the hot weather there. Well I guess it’s the normal weather there.. haha. That is so cool that you got to go to the temple, and that is so true, I love living in Utah as well because there are so many temples so close!! Man that’s crazy about grandpa. I hope that all goes well and that he recuperates fast!!:) When will his surgery be?? Yeah maybe he should change his name to that!!;) haha (When dad and I were talking about all his surgeries he said that maybe he should change his middle name to surgery...)

I loved the pic you sent and that’s super cool that you all could go to Seven Peaks. Also I loved your thought that you sent and I love the end of that last quote that with God we can become something much better than we can without him. I love that. Thank you momma!!:) "Our only concern should be to do better than we did yesterday. Step by step is the law of growth. God does not expect the acorn to be a mighty oak before it has been a sapling." -George E. Carpenter. This is my thought. I really liked it because this life is a place of growing and spiritual tests; and as long as we are doing our best to get better, we are going in the right direction.

I hope everything is going well for you momma. I love you so much. I hope you have a great week and let me know how it goes!

Te amo hasta la eternidad y de vuelta!!:)

Elder Shawners Spencer

Service project!

Helping our papito fix his garage door

This is our papito :).

Elder Arizmendis' birthday