Dear Friends and Family,

 

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas!!! I first would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a special thanks to all those who sent cards, packages, prayers, thoughts of sending stuff and those who didn't get to it. I am very grateful for your goodwill. It is a wonderful season to remember Christ and His sacrifice for us.

 

We had a few cool experiences, but the best came last night. There is a family from Columbia who doesn't speak English and who is staying with a Hispanic family from the ward. They invited us over and since no hablo espanol, we showed the Restoration video in Spanish. The Spirit was there, even though we had no idea what was going on. The members talked to them for a while and bore their testimonies to them. I then asked for an opportunity to bear mine and I could feel the Spirit testify through me of the truthfulness of the Gospel. I don't claim some Gift of Tongues experience, but the Holy Ghost "speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding" (2 Nep 31:3). The Spirit was there and it touched their hearts. We're bringing the Spanish Elders next time though.

 

Lately, I've been reading the Gospels in preparation for Christmas. I've noticed a few cool things relating to missionary work but the cool one is located at the end of all 4 gospels. In the last chapter of all of them, the Savior tells us to preach the Gospel to all the world. I love preaching the Gospel and it has blessed my life immensely and I would never trade this experience for anything. I'll keep this short so you can go back to your festivities but have a very Merry Christmas!

 

Love,

Elder Spencer Coleman

Dear Friends and Family,

 

Well, transfer calls were yesterday, and guess what...I'm staying in Selah for another transfer with Elder Maughan! It's great that I'll be spending Christmas with people I have known for a couple three months! So, more good news, Barbara was baptized Saturday and it was great. It's like the culmination of your efforts into one great experience.

 

We also taught Betty again and we went over with Brother Beck on exchanges. It was a great lesson and we testified of the plan of salvation and the Priesthood. The Spirit was very strong and we think we'll invite her to be baptized on a certain date this week, she just needs to come to church.

 

Some cool things that happened this week: first, we had Christmas zone conference where talked about our gift to Christ this Christmas season. I put my gift down is My Will. I know that this will help the Savior because as we are more obedient, the Spirit will be with us and we'll be able to bring more people to the gospel. After, President Ware also gave us the book Believing Christ, by Stephen Robinson. It was an incredible book about members of the Church and how we oftentimes believe that Christ was the Son of God and so forth, but we don't believe Christ and the things He said like that we are saved by grace and that we can obtain forgiveness. It was really inspiring to see how much we really need the Savior and how I can help others qualify for eternal life by inviting them to build their faith, repent, be baptized and confirmed, and try their best to keep the commandments. I highly recommend it to everyone! One really cool thing I also saw this week. We were at Barbara's fellowshippers house (The Blomgren's) and I was looking around and saw this quote, "We are not humans having a spiritual experience, but spirits having a human experience." This really unfolded the purpose of life to me and helped me realize that God does love each of His children. I know that we are ALL spirit children of our Father in Heaven who loves us and sent His Only Begotten Son to the world so that if we believe on Him, we will not perish, but be able to return and live forever with our heavenly parents. I love this gospel and the happiness it brings into my life as I live the commandments. I love you all and have a wonderful almost Christmas!!!

 

Love,

Elder Coleman

Dear Friends and family,

 

We had an incredible week this week!!!! We received a referral from temple square to a lady who had met with missionaries when she was 16 and wanted to meet again. It sounded like a solid referral from the text, but sometimes it's just a prank. So we called the number, and she answered and said she would love to meet with us! We set up an appointment and went two days later. We took a member with us and taught the Restoration to her, her husband, their niece and nephew, and their 3 and 1 year old kids. We felt the Spirit testify to them as we and [a lady from the ward] bore our testimonies to them. We then invited them to church, and then [the lady from the ward]invited them to the Christmas party, mutual, church, and every other activity until the millennium. It was a great lesson, even though they didn't come to church yesterday. It all goes to show that we plant seeds, and who knows what will turn out. The missionaries who taught her years ago and even the temple square missionaries don't even know their impact on her life.

 

Also, the part member family we are teaching had a really cool experience. It was like an Alma experience and the father knows what he know must do. He said he needs more time so that he can be completely ready for baptism, so he can be sealed to his family! It was really cool to see conversion taking place in him!

 

We also taught a lady we've been teaching for about 2 months now. We took a member with us this time and showed the Restoration video. I thought I heard her sobbing too:) [The brother from the ward] then testified to her of the truth of our message and Joseph Smith, and she said that she believes he was a prophet! The Spirit was very strong when we all testified of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of its restoration.

 

So, it was an incredible week and we have a baptism this Saturday, which should be awesome! Well, missionary work is the best and I love it so much! Have a great Christmas season everyone and remember the true Spirit of Christmas, which is charity towards all men!

 

Charitably,

Elder Spencer Coleman