Hey everyone!
as we all know this week is Easter week or as they call it here "Semana Santa" and that means everyone´s thinking about the atonement!!! woohoo!!!! I gave a big old lesson on the atonement in sunday school yesterday. everyone was in awe because I explained some finer details that I don´t think they had heard before and I think some of them at least gained a greater understanding and appreciation for what it is that Christ really did for us. it was cool. Later on that day (yesterday) me and my companion were ambushed by a group of Drunk mexis who wanted to contend. We did all we could to avoid them but they didn´t give us much choice. So I just kept a big smile on my face and stayed very calm and sure of my position and peacefully destroyed their false Ideas about the deeper points of existence. One of the dudes tried to planch me (planch means to iron in English so you can derive the meaning. "to straighten out" "to correct by means of a viable source leaving the other person corrected with nothing to say) well. one of the dudes tried to planch me and explain to me that there was no God using the theory of "science." well, I just listened to what he had to say calmly and patiently and afterward corrected him on the concepts of science he was attempting to use and showing him how that example actually was pretty good proof that God existed, and then giving him my own example of a theory I derived while studying some science over a two year period in a university that basically explains the relationship between God and "Science" and how the two coexist perfectly and how science is actually a powerful testimony of God. He claimed to know a bit about science so I gave him a couple other more specific examples from the human body and chemistry concepts to back up my case as well as a scripture . my examples obviously went deeper than he could comprehend and the conversation left him dumbfounded. He had nothing to say but "Hmm... tiene razon..." which means basically, "hmm, you´re right..." or "ah... that makes sense..."
Furthermore, due to the fact that I remained completely calm and sure and showing love toward him with my replies I found out that He´s actually a member of the church! Inactive of course, but I was able to establish a friendship with him and he really wanted us to visit him and his family this week so we´re going to! I would really like to be the tool God is able to use to bring this guy back to the church. that would be sweet because at the beginning of the conversation he was way contentious and athiest but at the end he had developed a new "hunger" we can say for faith and was very submissive like a kid almost. very interesting and very cool.
well, things are going well here in Ocotlan with some tips from Dad, the mission and what I´m learning by the spirit out here its starting to finally come together. Thats super exciting for me because it means that these last 11 months are going to rock!
me and my companion are having a good time together. He´s cool and we have a TON more in common than me and my first greenie did. holy cow. my friend elder outsen from the MTC is with my first "Kid" right now and is struggling to establish a friendship with him deeper than just being mission comps. he´s a great person, just kinda hard to figure out. you gotta just learn how to coexist with him and everything goes well. haha.
anyway. like I said, things are good out here in Ocotlan. We´re getting it stirred up out here after a long "sleep." Me and Elder Ortega started the fire and we´re just working on spreading it now. The members seem to really be taking to me now which is a HUGE booyah for me. Something I´ve always wanted but its been tough. still no references but we´re working on that.
This week went really good. We put a baptismal date for the 18th of May and almost put one for the first of may on saturday. sooooo close. I think we just haven´t quite found her true doubt yet but man we´re close. other than that the work continues. finding, teaching, sifting, fasting, praying, studying, you know the drill. I like what one Dad´s notes said in an email he sent me recently. something to the effect of: "its good to get moved to a "Dead Town" because thats easy to turn around." Ocotlan is one of the "Dead Towns" of the mission but reading that pricked my soul like "HEY, YOU´RE RIGHT!!!" so all we have to do is just keep our shoulder to the wheel and we have the unique opportunity to help this little branch grow to eventually become a full on ward, and later a stake in some near future. The thought is exciting. and whats more exciting is that I´m in the position to help get it all rolling.
me and my companion are having a good time together. He´s cool and we have a TON more in common than me and my first greenie did. holy cow. my friend elder outsen from the MTC is with my first "Kid" right now and is struggling to establish a friendship with him deeper than just being mission comps. he´s a great person, just kinda hard to figure out. you gotta just learn how to coexist with him and everything goes well. haha.
anyway. like I said, things are good out here in Ocotlan. We´re getting it stirred up out here after a long "sleep." Me and Elder Ortega started the fire and we´re just working on spreading it now. The members seem to really be taking to me now which is a HUGE booyah for me. Something I´ve always wanted but its been tough. still no references but we´re working on that.
This week went really good. We put a baptismal date for the 18th of May and almost put one for the first of may on saturday. sooooo close. I think we just haven´t quite found her true doubt yet but man we´re close. other than that the work continues. finding, teaching, sifting, fasting, praying, studying, you know the drill. I like what one Dad´s notes said in an email he sent me recently. something to the effect of: "its good to get moved to a "Dead Town" because thats easy to turn around." Ocotlan is one of the "Dead Towns" of the mission but reading that pricked my soul like "HEY, YOU´RE RIGHT!!!" so all we have to do is just keep our shoulder to the wheel and we have the unique opportunity to help this little branch grow to eventually become a full on ward, and later a stake in some near future. The thought is exciting. and whats more exciting is that I´m in the position to help get it all rolling.
Thank you all for your love and support! I love and miss all of you and look forward to being able to talk to you on the 10th of May!!!
love,
Elder Spencer Henze
a sick rainbow and my distracted companion
the face of jesus that appeared in the dust on the floor after teaching the restoration
with an investigator
me racing some mexi kids in an epic footrace
me and my kid
Me with my black sheep
