Oops

Hey Everybody!

Sorry you didn't get an e-mail from me yesterday, we didn't have time to come out to the library so our zone leaders gave us permission to do it today. But the mission is awesome! My zone is the San Jose South zone and its the most successful zone in the mission. My trainer is Elder Benner. He is way awesome. WE are really good at getting up on time and doing all of our studying and keeping the schedule and following rules and such. And I found out our mission is the only mission in the world where the church has done away with tracting. We are still supposed to get 140 street contacts a week, but we do not knock on doors. In our mission we are doing a lot of work with the less actives and referrals. And our ward is really cool! I had Thanksgiving lunch at the ward mission leader's house and then dinner with the McNeal's who are an older part member couple. It was so cool. Last week we didn't have very many lessons because of the holiday, but this week we are probably gonna have more than 20! I'm way excited. Mom I got those letters from Josh and Greg. Thanks for those, they were awesome. My new address is 824 Deland Ave Apt 5, San Jose CA 95218. The mission secretary asked us to tell our families so that she could cut down on the hundreds of letters that she has to sort through a day. So ya that's basically my story so far. It's been really great so far and I'm super excited to be here! Thanks for all of your support, I love you all!

Elder Spencer Grant Harbold

Note from the Mom: I feel compelled to note that his belief that his is the only mission in the world that has done away with tracting is likely not accurate. For instance, there was no tracting allowed in all of Mexico when I was on my mission, and I don't think that has changed. I think we can safely chalk this up to mission legend..;)

I'm Here!

Hey I just have a few minutes this evening to let you know that I arrived in San Jose safely and just had dinner at President Watkin's house. I was told to say that he is very smart and handsome. But my P-day will be Monday so that's when you'll be getting my emails. But I'm safe and am getting to work tomorrow! I cant wait and I'll talk to you all Monday!

Elder Spencer Grant Harbold

I have my travel plans!

Hey Everybody!

Its been great in the MTC! Been staying really busy all the time. For some reason they never just give you a couple hours a day to do what you want. There is always somewhere to be and something to be doing. Which actually is really awesome, getting me into a schedule and stuff. My district is so awesome! Five of us are going to San Jose (all 3 of my roommates plus Elder Hammond) and the other 7 are going to Roseville. But we are all way tight and get along really well. We do everything as a district, even things that you can do as just companionships or individually like gym and laundry and eating meals. Oh and Dad, I ran into a brother here that knew Grandpa when you guys lived in Corona. I wrote his name down but now I can't find it.

I have my travel plans! I'm leaving the MTC on November 23rd at 5:00 am and my plane leaves from Salt Lake at 8:00. I have exactly one more week here. I like it here, but I can't wait to go out and get to work. But there are things from here that I'm going to miss like the devotionals. Yesterday the speaker was Tad R. Callister of the Presidency of the Seventy, and it was so amazing! He spoke about the Great Apostasy and how understanding it is pivotal to understanding the gospel. He gave 10 evidences that the apostasy really did occur, and at the end he was telling the Joseph Smith story, and the Spirit was so strong, and all I could think to myself is, the Spirit testifies of truth. It was the best devotional I had ever been to in my life.

Well my time is almost up, but before I leave, Mom can you send me the pedigree chart, my line of authority, my patriarchal blessing (that's in the pocket on the underside of the lid in the old brown and blue suitcase), and also the afterglow CD's A Feeling Within and Ever Onward? Thanks! Oh and just so you know your Dear Elder letters are awesome, thanks for those. I really like those 'cause I don't have to wait 'til Wednesday to read them. But thank you all for all your letters and everything! I love you all and hope to keep hearing from you!

Elder Spencer Grant Harbold

My district is so awesome!

Hey guys! I got your package and all of your letters. Thank you all so much for everything. If you meant to send me an email I think you sent it to the wrong email 'cause I don't have one from you guys. But thanks for the cookies, the Elders really like them. And I was so sorry to hear about Brother Pymm. He was a great man. And Mom thanks for all the stuff with the thank you cards, I have done some and I'm going to finish the rest right after this. But that was way awesome of you to do, thanks so much.

The MTC has been really awesome so far. Just the spirit here is so awesome. I really like the routine and schedule here because there is always something to do. My classes are amazing! My teachers, Brother Coffman and Brother Roberts are the best. Brother Roberts is from South Africa and has an awesome accent that we all have a lot of fun with. But there is another teacher that comes and helps out sometimes named Brother Sikihemia. Brother Sikihema is the best, you can ask anyone. He has taught me now to study and organize my ideas and present them in a coherent fashion. He is helping me to progress more than anyone besides the Lord. My district is so awesome! I have pictures with me and my district and my companion and roommates that I'll send to you when I get them developed 'cause I can't put them on the computer to email them. But its really cheap to do pictures here so its gonna be all good. I'll also send the ones with the family and grandma. Yesterday was kind of a rough day because our progressive investigator didn't show up for our first appointment. I've never realized how frustrating that is, but it was a good learning experience for me to learn patience and what not. I'm also getting a bad cold so on top of that I got kind of grumpy for a couple hours, but I got over it after gym when I got to play some basketball.

Oh and happy birthday yesterday Dad! I totally remembered by myself and didn't have to have Mom remind me in her letter that she wrote me at all! But I hope you have a great birthday! Tell Jeff and Paige and everyone else who reads this to write me a letter 'cause we are having a district competition to see whose friends and family loves them the most, and I really think I can win this one. Well the time is up. Its been awesome to be able to write to you guys, and I hope to hear from you all soon! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Spencer Grant Harbold

Note From The Mom: I had posted Spencer's email address incorrectly before today. The correct address is Spencer.Harbold@myldsmail.net (not .com). Sorry if you sent anything that got lost in cyber space. Also, I have just been educated on using www.dearelder.com. You write a letter online and they will send a hard copy letter that gets delivered to Spencer's MTC mailbox the same day or the next day. It's free and he gets the letter before p-day and he can then use his limited email time on p-day writing letters instead of reading them. Thanks for your loving support! Let's help him win his 'who is loved most' competition. Love you all!

Loving Every Second Of It!

Nov. 3, 2011

Dear Mom, Dad, and Joseph,

My first 2 days have gone great! My companion is Elder Johnson from Orderville, UT, and he is awesome. He just turned 26. He has been working really hard to be able to come and is really excited to be here. He is also going to San Jose along with our roommates Elder Carpenter and Lewenilovo (Lemon) and they are awesome as well. They all love the gospel and are very excited to be here. How are all of you doing? It’s been so long since I’ve seen all of you.

Now I would like to talk for just a minute about music. I would really appreciate if you could get me two Jon Schmidt CD’s called Hymns Without Words and Winter Serenade. Then those two Not Your Mother’s LDS Music CD’s that are in my room somewhere. And anything else you want to throw in would be awesome.

So I can write E-mail here so I will start that on Wednesday which is my P-Day. Mom, what E-mail address do you want me to send it to? Until you tell me otherwise I’ll just send it to karen@fugal.net. Also, don’t be surprised if you get E-mails from my friends asking about my blog. If you don’t want me to give them your E-mail then tell me and I won’t, but I’m sure you’ll be ok with it because you rock!

Anyways, I’m working hard and studying hard and learning hard and loving every second of it! Thank you all so much for your love and helping me become the man I am now. I love you all so much! I hope to hear from you all soon!

Love,

Elder Spencer Grant Harbold

The Drop Off

After some last-minute rushing and a quick Skype session with Jeffrey, Spencer is now safely in the MTC. Jeff has commented that taking missionaries to the MTC is now not unlike making a donation to DI. You pull up to the curb, pop your trunk and some one comes to collect the stuff and gives you a receipt. So we made our significant donation of a worthy son on Wednesday. We didn't get a receipt, but we'll settle for the incredible return on our investment that the next two years will bring. The Lord can make much more of him in two years than we or he can alone. The big drop off is a beautiful experience that you prepare and plan for from the time they're born, but then you drive away with tears in your eyes. We experience an astonishing array of emotions at that point. We are so full of joy, relief, gratitude, and satisfaction to have them where they really need to be and yet so full of pain at the loss of their company, their laugh, and their smile. We are all really looking forward to that first letter! We love you, miss you and are so proud of you, Spencer!

MTC Address:
Elder Spencer Grant Harbold
MTC Mailbox #131
2005 North 500 East
Provo, UT 84604-1793