Week 94 Antofagasta

Dec 26, 2016

So this is going to be a short update because I don’t have a ton of time to write. We had a very good week this week. We were able to meet all of the mission standards and we managed to take an entire family to church. I hope they can be baptized on the 7th of January. This morning we woke up at 5:30 to go fishing right outside of Antofagasta with most of the Elders in our zone. It was pretty awesome and we caught several fish! After that, we played soccer as a zone and then we watched a movie and ordered a pizza! It’s kind of crazy how we are allowed to watch movies hahaha. That is really the only news I have to report.... It was awesome talking to you guys yesterday! Everyone looks so grown up! It looks like everyone is doing alright so that’s good. Anyway, sorry I had to make this one short but I will try to send more next week! Here are some photos:

Christmas with President and Sister Ferreira

Elder from Hawaii (Michelle served in his ward)

Early morning fishing

Week 93 Antofagasta

Dec 19, 2016

So this week was pretty crazy. We had pretty high numbers and met just about all of our goals. We also baptized! So this week we worked with several members and found 17 new investigators! On Sunday, we woke up a little earlier to go pick up all of our investigators to go to church with some members. Just about all of them were either sleeping or decided last minute that they didn’t want to go... It was super lame. We were planning on having 9 investigators at church but 7 of them said they couldn’t go. While we were doing this I felt an impression to knock on a random door that I had never knocked on before. It was a pretty strong spiritual impression that I couldn’t ignore. So I yelled to my companion and told him to follow me. He questioned why I was going to that house because we didn’t know the people who lived there but I told him I felt the need to knock on that door. Turns out a family of 8 just moved there from Bolivia and they are super receptive!!! We invited them to church and they excepted right away! The mother and two of her daughters went and the others couldn’t go because they had arrived at 5am from Bolivia and were super tired. It was seriously a miracle! On Saturday we had two baptisms scheduled but we only baptized one of them because the 70 year old woman we are teaching was too scared to go under water all the way.... It was an interesting experience. Next Saturday we are going to try again. I baptized Wilder Aguilar, a young 17 year old from Bolivia! We found him a week ago! hahaha He is super awesome. My companion baptized one of the sister missionary´s converts. It was a great week:D

I forgot so tell you guys Merry Christmas in my email! I love you guys a ton and I am extremely grateful for your support. I look forward to talking to you on X-mas. Love you,

Elder Spanbauer

Here are some photos!

Wilder Aguilar

The top of my sector "The Gold Mine"

Week 92 Antofagasta

Dec 12, 2016

So this week was pretty freaking awesome!!! We met all of our goals!!! We have 6 baptismal dates.... We had 18 lessons with members present and 6 investigators went to church! So first off, my new companion is a stud. He is very good at following up with people... like SUPER organized. He is from Lima, Peru and is a convert of about 2 years almost 3. Like I said, he is from my group so that gives me the feeling that I might leave before finishing my mission. I doubt that President will have us both end at the same time in the same sector.... but it could happen! So this week we found two new investigators. Maria (Old woman) and Wilder (Teenager). Maria can’t remember the things we teach her but she wants to be baptized hahaha SHE WENT TO CHURCH! Wilder is a young boy we found in the house of one of our investigators. HE ALSO WENT TO CHURCH! Yesterday we borrowed the bishop`s truck and went with another member to pick up all of our investigators to go to church. We took about 10 people to church and 6 of them can be baptized! It was super awesome! We might baptize Maria and Wilder this weekend but if not... probably the 24th of Dec. We are seeing a bunch of miracles at the top of this freaking mountain! hahaha it´s the promised land! Lincon worked with us one day and he loved it! How cool would it be if he decided to serve a mission?!!! Anyway, I gotta wrap this up but here is a picture of me and Kermit! I saw him yesterday and he took us home after church! He is doing super good and has a calling! 

Elder Spanbauer

Photo of Elder Vitella - My New Comp From Peru

Kermit!

La Zona Antofagasta!

Week 91 Antofagasta

Dec 5, 2016

Hey everyone! So this week we baptized! I baptized a Colombian! Lincon was truly a tender mercy of the lord. This week was a pretty long one because of the anticipation of Lincon`s baptism haha. He said he didn’t know who he wanted to baptized him so I told him Elder Moraga would do it hahaha so that he would leave this sector baptizing! Everything went well with the baptism and he is very content. He says he feels really good now. Elder Moraga got transferred to Copiapo and Elder Vitella from Peru has come to replace him. Elder Vitella is really awesome from what I can tell and he will actually be ending the mission with me. President is only going to allow us to write for one hour from now on so it is going to be hard to write everyone. I just wanted to hurry and send some photos of the baptism we had and I will try to send more next week. Love you all and until next week!

Elder Spanbauer

Elder Moraga and I sad that we are being separated

Lincon was truly a tender mercy of the lord

Lincon's Baptism

Lincon, Elder Moraga, and I overlooking Antofagasta