Monday, March 25th, 2019

Hello All! I got a new companion this week as I'm sure you're able to tell by the pictures! It's Elder Newbold! Some of you may recognize or remember him. He was my companion about a year ago. So really, he is not my new companion, he is my old new companion. We are having a great time together, and it is fun to work together with all the new things we have learned over the past year. Speaking of fun we played Pool and shuffleboard in our apartment lobby today during P-day. It is really fun, but I'm accused of talking too long to aim and shoot. Good times, and we got complementary lemon water! 

It's that time of year again where I count up all of the coins I have picked up while tracting. I started doing this at the very beginning at my mission, and I have held faithful to it! I counted $34.21. Of course, that also includes the loose change I end up having with paying with cash sometimes. 

The area 70 president for our area is coming to our mission this week, and everyone is preparing. We are all excited for Elder Bennett. The mission gets super excited when a general authority comes to the mission. Speaking of general authority, general conference is coming up and I'm excited to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I hope all of you are too. 

Elder Newbold and I have decided to do better meal prep, instead of just eating sandwiches and chicken nuggets every day. We went to the store today and we got everything, or we think everything, we need to make big boy meals, including spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, and steamed broccoli, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas and carrots, and pork enchiladas. We really hope these things work out as we put a lot of thought into it, and I'm not about to make my wife a Lunchable for an anniversary dinner, so we are going to learn to cook if it's the last thing we do on our missions. 

Cool Story:

Me and my companion were praying in the morning during daily planning, and we were thinking of a place where we should go knock doors. After the prayer, we thought of the same street to go to. We went there and we were knocking doors.  On the other side of the street, we see a guy walking his dog, and so we approach him, and introduce yourself and get to know him and tell him what we are doing. He was really interested in learning more about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have met with him a few times already and he has agreed to be baptized on May 4th! I know God will lead us to people who are ready to hear the restored gospel. It's not a matter of who needs it, because everyone needs it, but who is ready to hear and accept it. 

This week some recent converts from Ethiopia fed us some authentic Ethiopian food. It is so much fun to eat because you use your hand. I was all about that. It was also very delicious as well. I encourage all of you who have not tried Ethiopian food to try it. It was so fun to look around the table and to see everyone's hands in their plate. My kind of people! 

It was a great week and I'm having a wonderful time out here!

(P.S Mom, this is one of those emails where you have to look thouroley for grammar and spelling because I wrotes it very fastly) 

Love you All!

Elder Dallin Spurgeon 

Monday, March 18th, 2019

Hello all here are some pics! 

There is a lady that we are teaching that has custody of her 9 grandchildren. They all came to church this week. The tricky thing is, she doesn't have a car, so we had to find two ward members with minivans to go and pick up them up. All but one of them was in primary. It was a primary Jamboree!!! We call them all The Squad! 

I went on an exchange this week with a missionary that goes home in a few days. It was awesome to spend the day with him and hear his wisdom and council. His missionary certificate expired while we were on the exchange. What a big boy.

My companion and I wanted to make some delicious tacos and we wanted hard shell tacos, but we only had tortillas. I had the brilliant idea to fold the tortilla in half and stick it in the toaster, and boom, hard shell tacos. They don't teach you that in the MTC. I am now on a journey to create other cuisine wonders using a simple toaster.

Not sure why or how, but we got a call from Latvia the other day. It was strange so I decided to add it in the photos.

Tonight is call outs so I figure out if I stay or go in the area and/or get a new companion. It's always a stressful and exciting time.

Love you All! 

Monday, March 11th, 2019

Hello All!

This week I went to the city as you will be able to tell by the pictures! It was finally nice weather this time that I went to DC. The first time it was 95 degrees and 95% Humidity, the 2nd time I went it was cold and rainy, but today it was like 60 and just right! That made it more enjoyable. The highlights of the city today was probably the Natural History Museum, and the Capital Building. Because I can call my parents now, I called my mom right in front of the Capital Building. I realized I'm probably the first missionary to do that! If not oh well, you win some, you lose some. 

The work in the area is really picking up! We found a lot more people this week to teach! We are trying to get them all to church now! Church is awesome! I have been reading the sacrament prayers during the sacrament and it really helps me understand the covenants I've made with God. 

At church, I met a return missionary who got home a few days ago from the Trinidad and Tobago mission. I have a high School friend who is serving in that mission, so I went up to ask if he knew him. Turns out that was his last companion before coming home! Super cool! 

Love you all! Enjoy the pictures!

Elder Dallin Spurgeon 

Monday, March 4th, 2019

Hello all! I'm going to make section headings for each paragraph I write! 

Olney Exchange!

- I went on an Exchange with an Elder this week in my very first area! It was so weird being back. I got to see some ward members, and they remembered me! There is a lot of stuff that is in the apartment that I left, including protein powder, and a bench I made out of Cardboard! I totally reclaimed it. There was some stuff there that has been there even before I was there, like a bag of rice. It was cool to think how much I have changed in the time I left the area, to the time I went back.

Went to the VC! 

- My companion gave a Baptismal interview this week at the Temple Visitor Center for about 45 minutes, so I got to go around and meet some missionaries that worked at the Visitor Center. It was pretty fun. If anyone comes through this area, I suggest coming to the D.C Temple Visitor Center. 

Zone Conference!

- We had Zone conference last week and me and my companion got to train on teaching the law of Tithing. It was a great zone conference. We talked a lot about Prayer, Temple Covenants, and living a consecrated life. There was even some mention of a scripture memorization contest. They are all going down! 

Interviews! 

- We had interviews with our Mission President this week, which is always a highlight! President and Sister Johnson are some of the most fantastic people I know. We stayed throughout the whole day and went to all of the District Councils. Afterward, the President and his wife took us out for pizza! 

Exchange with APs!

- We went on an exchange with the assistants to the president this week. It was more amazing than a regular exchange with the APs because I went with a mission long friend that I knew since my first area. I love that guy! 

Testimonies!

- My companion and I bore our testimonies this week in Sacrament meeting. We wanted to thank them for their support and let them know how much we love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Savior, and let them know that we are here and more than willing to share the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ with them, and have them read the Book of Mormon and come to church and be Baptised! 

Sandwich!

- One night while lying in bed, me and my companion were talking about sandwiches, so I woke up the next morning and made a SLAM-WHICH!!! It was so amazingly delicious! I thought I better include a picture. 

Found some Dineros!

- While knocking doors, I will pick up coins and put them in a bowl I have at the apartment. I carry this bowl to every area I go to. This week I hit the jackpot! I found a 50 dollar bill. Instead of taking it and buying a ton of chicken nuggets, I left it there in hopes of its owner finding it. 

Cooked an egg on the stove. 

- Not sure why, but I had the idea to cook an egg on the stove top. I did exactly that, I even used cooking spray, and it worked incredibly well. Almost too well... Like, it's not worth going back to using pans. Well anyways, I'm sure I will inform you of future brilliant ideas I have. Until then, take care!

Love you all!

Elder Dallin M Spurgeon