Elder Parker Spanbauer: Week 48 Antofagasta

Feb 6, 2015

Hey everyone! So this is going to be a quick one. This week was good. We have been working with several less active members to get references and re-activate them. We have one less active member named Jose. He is a return missionary but has stopped going to church. We have got him to read the book of Mormon and he has been coming to church every week. I can really see the change in him. We have another family that has been struggling financially and the dad has not had any luck finding a job. We promised him that if he started praying and reading as a family he would find work. That is exactly what they are doing now. We talked to him on Sunday and he said they are reading everyday as a family and now his oldest son; Christopher wants to serve a mission!!! He always leaves with us to work and it is awesome. He has started his papers and is so excited now to serve a mission! We have been teaching a guy that has been extremely tough to teach. He doesn't believe in god and says it’s a silly thought to even consider that god exists. We took Christopher to this mans house and Christopher bore his testimony and the room was filled with the spirit. This man with out a doubt felt it. I’m so glad Christopher is having these spiritual experiences because it is only going to get him more excited for the mission! We found two new Colombians and they are so receptive. They said they would go to church if they don’t get called into work. We have been having a lot of success here because we have been obedient. I know its not coincidence. Alsides is doing okay... He is still progressing but slowly. Him and the whole family he lives with committed to going to church this week. We will see what happens with all of that. What can I say, things have been good. I have been working on Transfers all week and it has been stressful because there are so many little details and things I must do so everything turns out okay and just when I think I’m done, I realize I forgot some small detail and I have to go back and change the plans which causes a ripple affect and then I have to change everything. It’s hard but I know I can do it. These transfers have been kind of weird because there have been several special transfers and that usually messes things up. Anyway, that’s the short update. Gotta finish the transfers! Love you all!

Elder Spanbauer

Also, here is a little more information from lasts weeks visit to the world’s largest observatory. We went from sea level to 8600 feet above sea level. There were FOUR large observatories (look up Paranal Observatory in Chile) on the Internet if you want to know more. Inside was incredible. The size of the telescope was monstrous! We also went to the UNDERGROUND Hotel that the workers stay in when they work at the observatory. It’s also the site where part of the James Bond movie, “Quantum of Solice” as filmed at.