It's the Final Countdown

This week was super great, now let’s see if I can actually remember what happened. The days really blur together here because it’s sort of monotonous but I still love it. 

First off, I only have 4 more days left in the MTC. I have to be at the Travel Office at 10am on Wednesday and I fly out to Portland at around 3:00. I’ll be the last person in my district to leave so I’m glad I get to see everyone before I go. I’m super excited to leave and go out and do real missionary work. The MTC has been amazing but man I am so ready to be out of here and have some variety in my life.

On Sunday I said goodbye to all the Elders in District C. I had gotten close with a lot of them and I was pretty sad to see them go. They’re all awesome missionaries and they’re gonna do amazing things.

So on Thursday we had a fast from English, so we spoke only in Spanish the entire day. It was actually not that difficult, and I think I said like 10 words in English the entire day. We had a TRC which is like a mock lesson and Elder Tall said my Spanish during the lesson was the best it had ever been. I was surprised when he said that cause it felt pretty much the same to me, but I guess the Spirit and the Gift of Tongues were with me and helped me communicate.

On Tuesday, we had a devotional given by Elder Claudio R. M. Costa and it was awesome. While listening to it I received a very distinct thought that I want to share. "What I will be sharing in Oregon and Ecuador is not my message; it's Jesus Christ's. Don't worry how people will see me or what they'll think of me, that doesn't matter. Only worry about what people think of our Savior Jesus Christ." This thought hit me pretty hard. Sometimes I do worry how people perceive me and what they think of me, but that literally is the least of my worries while I am in Portland or Quito. I was reading in The Book of Mormon the other day and found a very applicable scripture. Jacob 1:19 says,  And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day." My most important duty is to teach and share the word of God, everything else comes after that. I just love the devotion that Jacob and Joseph have in the scripture and I hope to be able to apply the same sense of duty and devotion while I am in the field. 

Well ladies and gentlemen, it is with regret that I must inform you that this will be my last edition of The Volleyball Chronicles of Elder Spangler. However, it's a pretty awesome one this week so get ready. This was a defensive week for me on the volleyball court. I had some of the gnarliest blocks and showdowns over the net. There is this one elder who is massive; I'm talking like 6'4, super buff, overall just an intimidating elder. He hits the ball so hard, probably the hardest of anyone who I have played with so far. He went up to spike it and it was a perfect set and perfect placement and he was gonna destroy it. Instead, I destroyed him. I jumped up and blocked it so perfectly and it flew back and landed right in the middle of the court and it was just so beautiful. Everyone went crazy and started clapping cause I have never seen anyone block this elder before. The next day, I was playing front line again and someone passed the ball to Elder Tall who was playing on the other side of the net. It was really close to the net so Elder Tall and I jumped at the same time and both smacked the ball so hard. It just stopped dead and dropped over on Elder Tall's side. It was another beautiful moment of volleyball and I was so glad I asserted that dominance over my companion haha. I had three other instances just like that one, where I met someone over the net and we both hit the ball hit the ball super hard, and I won it every time. I am quite sad that I only have 2 more days to play volleyball here at the MTC but it is a very small sacrifice to pay to go and serve the Lord.

I actually have pictures this week!!

Group zone photo (Elder Tall was in the shower)

                                           Saying good-bye to some of my friends from District C and 
                                   a picture with my District and our teacher Hermano Stewart-Chester

                          Also a funny panorama of Elder Tall I took while I was supposed to be studying 
and a picture of us shoving cake in our mouths because it was 9:44 and we had to be in our rooms at 9:45.