June 24, 2013 - Fairfield, IA

Dear Family:

Well it has been another week in Fairfield.  It has been getting very warm here and humid as well.  Hasn't rained much but last night it was poring and we will be expecting some more today from the looks of it.  It has been very eventful as far as meeting go.  We meet with for the last time President and Sister Jergensen for a goodbye Zone conference.  They spent most of the time giving us advice on questions that we asked.  Then we watched a talk from Elder Holland which was very inspiring.  Then came the difficult part.  We were able to give a hug and say goodbye to them individually.  It was a very hard time for most of the missionaries.  They have helped so many people out here and you could just feel the love in the room.

Well then the next big meeting was last night with the worldwide broadcast.  That was a very special meeting.  We may never get the chance to have something like that happen ever again.  I was very surprised about the announcement for missionaries using the internet more as a missionary tool.  This is something that may be hard for many missionaries to do.  I really enjoyed all of the talks and I am hoping that many people will use the advice given to further the work.  

Well not much else beside that happened.  We are still teaching a lady that wants to meet with us but will not be baptized.  It is frustrating to teach her since she will not progress but she has agreed that she will not argue with us about our beliefs as long as we dont do so with hers.  Other then that we are trying to meet with people that have potential and always looking for new people to teach.  

Well all is well here.  Love you all!  The Gospel is true and the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth.

Sincerely;

Elder Spencer Ariotti

June 17, 2013 - Fairfield, IA

Dear Family:

 

Well it has been another week in Fairfield.  Not much special happened.  No new investigators.  One lady we are trying to meet that shows a lot of promise but we are having a hard time getting a hold of her.  She told us that she wants us to teach her sons and she wants to be baptized.  Well I guess I will give you some info of the area.  Fairfield is mostly famous for the Mahirishi (I killed that one).  They are also known as meditators.  They are way into that and some of the members are way into doing it as well.  They also have a business university that they have.  We have a few members that are going there.  They are very interesting people. 

 

Well this week we have a last zone conference with President and Sister Jergensen.  We will be saying goodbye to them and then in two weeks we will meet again to invite our new president and his wife.  It will be sad to see them go.  But I am looking forward to it.  Well in other news we have been cut down 200 miles for all mission vehicles so we may be walking a lot more this month.  It has all been thanks to the weather that has been happening and the service that has been offered.  We had our own share of the weather this week.  Saturday we had big winds and a lot of rain that hit us.  We helped with a Italian festival in town and were making canolies for everyone while it was storming around us.  We did not get too wet. 

 

Well that is about it for this week.  Hopefully this next week we will have some great stories to tell you all.  Loving the area, my companion, our district, and life as a missionary.  This truly is Gods work on earth.

 

Sincerely;

Elder Spencer Ariotti

June 10, 2013 - Fairfield, IA

Dear Family:

 

Well it has been a very stressfull week of packing and then unpacking.  I am now serving in the Fairfield Branch in Iowa.  Fairfield is south of Iowa City.  It has been interesting serving in a branch so far.  The work for the area is slow for now.  We have maybe two investigators but one of them we are having a hard time contacting.  The branch members are great here.  My companion is a Elder that I served around and was actually once my district leader.  His name is Elder Beck and he is from Alpine, Utah (I think).  It has been great being able to serve with him so far.

 

In our district we have a senior couple that is serving in our area.  And the other members of our district are Hermanas.  I can finally say that I know how the sisters felt during district meeting when they were one of the only two sisters in the meeting.  But the Hermanas we have are great.  We have 3 in one area and two in the other.  This is because of the increase of sisters coming out.  After district meeting me and Elder Beck had the great opportunity to give all of the sisters blessings in the district.  It has been hard for all of them because all of them have not been out in the field for very long.  It was a very good experience.

 

Well other then that I guess the only other thing that is going on is that President and Sister Jergensen are preparing to leave the mission.  It will be sad to see them go but I am excited to have President and Sister Jensen come into the field to lead and guide us.  We will be having a fairwell meeting in a week or so to say goodbye.  Then a few weeks later we will be meeting to invite the new ones in.  I will let you know how that goes when they happen.  Well I love you all and I know this Gospel is true!

 

Sincerely;

Elder Spencer Ariotti

June 3, 2013 - Davenport

Dear Family:

Well it has been a very good week in Davenport.  Our golden investigator Harold Briceland was baptized on the 31st of May and confirmed on the 2nd of June.  It was very fun to see that happen for us.  It was a little bit scary at first because we got to the church a little late so we were behind on filling up the font.  The font normally takes about 7 hours so we need to us a hose which takes it down to 2 and a half hours.  Well we were behind on getting there so we had to haul buckets of water in between the font and the kitchen to get it filled on time.  We did so for about an hour.  Me and Elder Bankhead were very exhausted by the time the baptism started and we were grateful to get it done.  After the baptism Harold said he felt 100%.  This is what it feels like to be baptized.

Other then that we had a normal week.  On Thursday I was in Rock Island doing exchanges and we heard the tornado sirens.  Aparently there was a tornado in Illinois close by.  There was also some strong winds and rain and we were walking in it for about 2 minuits and we were soaked.  There were power lines that fell down in Davenport and it caused a lot of the down town area to be without power.  So that was exciting.

Well we got the calls and I will be transfered.  Elder Bankhead was playing with me for a little bit and made me think that he was leaving.  But transfers are on Thursday and all I know is that I am being transfered.  I will really miss this area.  There are a lot of good people here in this area.  But it is time for me to move on.

Love you all!

Elder Spencer Ariotti

May 28, 2013 - Davenport

Dear Family:

Well it has been a wet week in Iowa.  We have been receiving a lot of rain here and the creek that we are close by has risen quite a bit.  During the weekend it was really raining.  In some parts of town where there is a slope down there was up to 1 foot of water.  In front of our apartment yesterday morning there was a pool of water that they had to close the road off so it could drain.  Sadly we did not have the car when it was raining this weekend so as a result Elder Bankhead has a little bit of a cold that he is getting over. 

Well I had a great birthday doing missionary work.  And to finish off the day we got a phone call for someone that is interested in being baptized.  That was quite the gift to receive.  Well this is a big week.  We have the baptism of our golden investigator.  We had a little problem figuring out the time for the baptism but got it finalized for 5 on friday.  I am still a little bit worried because most people are still at work at that time or are getting out of school.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for people to be there.  We are also still figuring out who will do what for the program.  Elder Bankhead will be baptizing him (thanks to a coin flip).  But I just have a feeling that everything will be alright and that it will all fall into place.

This weekend we will also be getting transfer calls.  I am a little anxious to find out where I go.  I am sure that I will be transfered but there is always a small chance that I will stay and Elder Bankhead will go.  I always did hate waiting for these calls.  Well everything else is going well.  Love you all and I love sharing the Gospel!

Sincerely;
Elder Spencer Ariotti

May 20, 2013 - Davenport

Dear Family:

Well it has been another week in Iowa.  It has been very warm lately and we also had some good rain storms last few nights.  We were even on tornado warning all last night.  Elder Bankhead was really hoping that we would get a tornado.  Sometimes he worries me with what he wishes for.  Our investigators are doing well.  Our investigator that will be baptized on the 31st has his interview thursday so we are hoping that he passes.Which he should.  He is so solid.  He has not gone back to his coffee or tea or any of that.  He truly has been prepared by the Lord for us.  We found another investigator that is the grandson of a less active member.  He is 13 so he will be easy to teach as long as he doesnt have any word of wisdom problems and I would be surprised if he did.

Our other investigators are doing well.  We will need to push one date back because of the ward trek but we think she will be fine with that.  Our other investigator is still waiting to get married but he is so ready for it.  Well these are the last three weeks of my time training.  It is also the last 6 weeks of President Jergensen as our mission president which is sad.  He has been a great man to me and to the mission.  But President Jensen will be a great man as well.  Who knows what lies in store with me as a missionary.  But I know that the Lord knows what he is doing.  Love you all and the church is true!

Sincerely;

Elder Spencer Ariotti

May 14, 2013 - Davenport

Dear Family:

Well it was great talking to everyone yesterday!  Yes it is true I did have a smile on the whole time and my face did hurt by the end of the phone call.  There are few things that compare in a mission to calling home and talking with people.  I would like to do the skype idea for christmas time.  I was actually thinking about asking for that.  We will just have to organize it so that I can be at a members home that does that.

Well I dont have much else to say.  I already said everything that needed to be.  Life is going good and it will keep on getting better.  It is suppose to get up to 85 today so it will be hard.  Oh and there was one thing that happened.  We had a less active member die last wednesday that I had grown very close to.  She was in very poor health and life was just very hard for her and her husband.  But she is in a better place now.  We will be going to the funeral today so it should be good.

Love you all!

Elder Spencer Ariotti