Soy Donald Trump......

Hola momma còmo estas? Y tambien feliz Lunes y casi HALLOWEEN!!!:) I am doing quite well here in the land of Alerce, Chile and enjoying this sacred time I have to be here as a missionary!!:) Everything is going really well here in Alerce. It’s still a little hard with the fact of not knowing the area or the streets but I’m getting in and trying to learn quick because there are cambios for real this next week; and my comp Elder Amaya has been here for cualquiere tiempo so he could possibly be leaving soon! But we will see. The ward is actually quite big here. There are usually like 95 here in church and it’s the best functioning ward/branch I’ve been in so far!

We have a few investigators, Nelly and Romina, but we didn’t get to teach them this last week because they were working... but we are in the process of finding new investigators at this moment because a lot of them have been baptized as of recently!!:) so that is pretty sweet.:) We eat with the members here and it works really well so I’m happy. And yeah I’m in a biking area now because this area is even more flat than my sector in Osorno! I love it and yeah that "yellow sea" is chacai... haha yeah it’s not too bad unless your allergic to it!

We went to Puerto Montt today to go play soccer and volleyball with the zones here and I slipped in a mud puddle and got covered in muck... haha it was pretty fun!!!!! Those pics I sent last week were two Volcanos here and yeah really it’s not that far from Osorno like an hour and half in bus. This whole area I’m in was filled with trees (called Alerce hence the name) but they have cut tons of trees so now there are not as many... mostly chacai that the Germans brought when they came to Chile a while back...

Dang that’s crazy about Koda!! but man I’m glad that he is doing better now and how has it gone so far with not letting him run around and cause mayhem like normal? Haha. I’m glad that you are doing good as well with the job and man it seemed like the ward party was bomb!! Oh yeah so for my subject line.. we had a ward Halloween party this last week and we decided to go with the other elders in our ward as Trump (me) and my secret service....😂😂😂 haha it was really sick and the ward really liked it as well! It was a fun time and the whole time the kids were trying to come up and "kill me" or "throw bombs" (ping pong balls...) haha it was pretty funny!!

Ohhh that was a sick talk "By Divine Design" from Elder Rasband!! (He talked about the fact that the Lord is in the small details of our lives (as well as the major milestones). "Allow Him to make more of you than you can make of yourself on your own.") I agree. It is so amazing and we really should treasure God’s involvement in our lives and always try to see his hand and move the way and when He wants.!!:)

"Sometimes when things are falling apart, they are falling into place." This is my spiritual quote for this week and I really think it goes with your thought as well because when we feel like everything in our lives is falling apart, it’s really just a perspective... these bad things or challenges that are happening, really are helping us and preparing us for something in the future!

I love you to eternity and beyond momma!! I hope you have an amazing week and I hope that everything goes awesome for you and I can’t wait to hear back. love you!!:)

Love,

Shawners

Trump and his security detail for Halloween :)

Friggen Chacai....

Hey momma, how are you doing this fine Monday????:) I am doing very well today and things here in Chile are crazy as always but awesome too!!!:) This last week was actually super crazy.. hahah. It started normal, we had an intercambio with the assistants to President on Tuesday and it was really cool. I was with Elder Martinez and we stayed in his sector. And my favorite part of this intercambio, aside from just getting to know and work with Elder Martinez, was we taught classes of English. It was a really good class and everyone was laughing and participating which doesn’t always happen... haha but it was super cool. Then idk I can’t really remember what else happened before Thursday... well we also were doing the contract to change houses in Osorno at the end of this month.. but now I don’t have to worry about it!!!:) Then Thursday morning comes and I was just starting insanity and Pres Isom called.. and he said, "Hey elder we have a situation and you have sober cambios... and I need you to do it today.."

So I spent the morning packing and getting ready and called the Hermana Macarena and I thought she was going to cry... Then we ate with them and right after we got on the bus to Alerce!! Now my new comp is Elder Amaya and he is from Barrenquia, Colombia!!! He is such an awesome missionary and super funny as well.:) We get together really well!!:) Also we had a baptism here in Alerce and his name was Juan Ignacio!!! He is so cool. He has Asperger’s... but he was so ready to be baptized and I’m just glad I had the chance to know him!!:) I’m liking it here!:), but yeah I was very sad to leave Osorno. Idk I never thought it would be so hard to leave... I hate that part haha. It gets harder and harder to leave my sectors because I just love the people more and more in every place that I go!

Oh also to explain a little as well, Chacai is a plant here that is friggen everywhere in Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas. And so... the elder that was here had a really bad allergy to it and went to the hospital.. so that was the reason for the cambio... haha:) I’m glad that you like the lama sweater. We were going to take a big foto together this Monday but I kinda got transferred... haha but I have one as well!!:)

I’m glad that you got home from your trip good and that you are really liking your new work!! I feel like this company will be awesome for you!!!:) Thank you for your thought. (My thought was from Elder John C. Pingree’s talk "I Have a Work for Thee." In the talk he said that every one of us has a meaningful role to play in furthering God's work. And quoting from President Russell M. Nelson he said: “The Lord needs you to change the world. As you accept and follow His will for you, you will find yourself accomplishing the impossible.") I know it is true. The word impossible literally says in the word "I’m possible"!!! hahah but thank you so much momma and I love you so much!!! Also this week has been so cool. I have started to realize how much I like to be zone leader, not for the position or for the authority but for the opportunity I have to serve and help other missionaries. I feel like if I can help them be more positive, have the desire to work and to try to help them see what they are doing is an amazing work and the Lord is happy with us and will prepare the way, that I am doing what the Lord has sent me here to do!!! I love that feeling!!! 😄

Love you to infinity and beyond momma!! Hope you have an amazing week!!!!

Love,

Shawners

In his new area Alerce

Shawn and Elder Amaya

The yellow plant in this picture is the dreaded chacai
that the other Elder was allergic to.

Last few days in Osorno

Part of the zone in Osorno

Shawn with Hermana Macarena and family!

Boarding the bus to Alerce

Helping New Members Move In... :)

Hello there momma. How you been this last week? That’s crazy you are in Texas. I hope that you are having fun in your training!!:) I’m glad that you liked my fotos that I sent this last week! but haha that was the point, I was like oh I definitely have to take a photo here!!😂😉 But oh sweet you saw that video of me totally biffing it??:) It was so cold!! I was filled with snow after that... but haha you know stuff happens when you’re Elder Spencer!!😄 

This last week was really good for us as well! On Tuesday we went and visited Hermana Maria and it went really well. We didn’t really know what to plan to share with her, and when we went to go and visit with her; she told us she didn’t understand the 3 degrees of glory in the plan of salvation so we taught her more about that. It was an awesome lesson with her. Then also we went to the Lorca family that night for a noche de hogar (FHE) and watched the first part of the Brasil vs. Chile game. Apparently they got wrecked in the end and now aren’t going to the Fifa World Cup...:( Then on Wednesday we went to the hermanas sector in Osorno to pass out invitations as a zone because there was a "capilla abierta" on Sunday to show the building to the public!:) So that was way fun and we contacted a ton of awesome people so it was way worth it to get the whole zone there!:)

On Thursday... oh man so there is a new family that moved from Santiago that are members and they have 3 kids but we helped them move in!:) It was fun but it was a lot of boxes and appliances. So us, the elders from Ecuador, and the parents of this family were there to take the stuff off the truck and take it down to the apartment. It was a ton of work but so fun to help them and get to know them a little!!:) 😄💪💪 Then on Saturday we taught the hna Maria again and she is doing good!:) She was talking to her granddaughter about when she is coming up from Chiloé to watch her baptism!!:) Then we also had a cita with Alfredo that night but he forgot...😅 On Sunday we had the capilla abierta in Franke and it was so cool. A ton of the members helped out. And in case you’re wondering, a capilla abierta is when we open up the church and invite people to come inside, look at the rooms, listen to a few tapes and testimonies and teach very basic principles about what we do so people don’t think that the Mormons are some secret cult.. You know it was way fun!!:) (selfie included of after with the zone).

That is sweet about Elder Goddard. I’m sure I will see him when he gets here because I receive all the missionaries!!:) Man that’s a good question. The thing that I am grateful for this last week... well there is a lot, but I would say Personal Study... Now listen before you think I’m crazy... haha. As missionaries we have time to study in the morning and if we have other things going or it doesn’t happen, I can really feel the difference I have during the day. I’m not as confident in myself or my teaching. But if I do my part and study, that invites the spirit to be with me and I feel like I can handle whatever circumstance that happens during the day!:) You’ll probably think I’m crazy but I’ve gotten a lot better at not procrastinating in the mission!!:)

That sounds like you had a fun week this last week!:) and that’s sweet that you could help the Nuñez’ and get a new fridge for us as well!! and ohhhh noooo😥😥😥 I loved the water and ice from that old fridge!!! Man I’m so sad it’s not gonna be there when I get back!!:/ haha

I love that talk as well!!:) (from Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson). It is really so true at times. We are trying to make a huge contribution in another place and we are neglecting the little things and people closest to us!! Thank you for that reminder momma; and like I think she says in that talk as well, we can ask ourselves "who needs me today?" (How can I help others today?)

Love you to eternity and beyond momma!!:) Thank you for all that you do and I hope that you have an amazing week. I’ll talk to you soon! love you so much and do work in your training !!:)

Love you!!!!:)

Shawners

Zone selfie after the "capilla abierta"

Making honey BBQ chicken with cornbread for p-day

Voyage to Volcano Osorno y Saltos del Petrohué

Well first off can I just say haha yeah time is flying by faster and faster but I’m just here enjoying every second and trying to do what I can to share this marvelous message of the restored gospel to those in Osorno, Chile!:) But how are you doing my fabulous momma??:) It sounds like your past week was pretty spectacular and you seem to be getting along ok without your boys in the house for the moment!;) This last week was really good for us as well. So we talked with the Hna Maria and she said that she is going to talk with her granddaughter to see when she is coming up from Chiloé to watch her baptism!!:) So that is good and we are going to meet with her tomorrow and see when she is going to be here to do it!:)

Also Alfredo, Beantony, and Gladys are doing well. We had a great lesson about the Book of Mormon and the fact that it just testifies more of Jesus Christ. Alfredo and Gladys are amazing and want to keep progressing but Beantony is a little more tuff haha. He just knows the Bible really well and has a ton of questions... but I just think he thinks that a church so perfectly formed (like in terms of how Christ’s was) today doesn’t exist.:/ But that is the reason we are here!:) I think we are going to start teaching Beantony apart from them. Then Valeska, a less active we have been working with, came to church this last weekend so that was awesome; but she didn’t come with her 2 kids so we are going to visit her this week and invite her to come with the whole family!:) Also this coming weekend we have a "Capilla Abierta" in the ward in Franke so we are helping with that!:) It is an event to help the people of Osorno to get to know the church so it will be cool to help with that, and it’s a great way to get new references!!:)

That’s so cool that you finally heard from Chad. I’m glad that he is loving the MTC but I hope that he can write me this week!!:) But that is so cool and you’ll have to tell me when he is coming to my mission in November (an Elder from Chad’s district in the MTC) because there are 2 cambios in November.

I love that quote that you passed me!! “A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory!” That is a sick quote!!:) And thank you for your other thought as well. It is so true that it’s never going to be easy but it will be worth it!! So for that we follow and we stay as close to Christ and our savior as humanly possible!!:) I love you so much momma and thank you and it’s true God knows all… that’s why it was such a long time until you could find this job because God had something greater planned!!:)

Love you so much momma and sorry tell everybody else I didn’t have time to write! but I love you to infinity and beyond!!:)

Love,

Elder Shawners

Here are the pictures from their "voyage" today. Shawn said when they first got to the volcano, it was a blizzard -- and he was loving it!!!!. Forty-five minutes later the skies cleared and it was sunny.