11/24/14 | No sun for 5 days!

Dear Family!!
This week was crazy!  It was cloudy and "cold" for a few days and then it warmed up but stayed cloudy, it was the longest elongated time that I haven't seen the sun in over a year!  Also we had a specialized training and we finally got to see "Meet the Mormons"!  It's a super good movie!  We also go to see the new Christmas video that the Church made to be like the Easter one, "Because of Him."  For Christmas they are starting a new launch called, "He is the Gift".  For New Years week they are posting an ad on the huge Billboard on Times Square! It's going to be awesome!  The video isn't released until Dec.1, so get excited!  Also I was talking with President during lunch and he told me that they are opening a Portuguese branch sometime in December, so he assigned me to learn Portuguese ... this will be a fun challenge:)
This week has taught us a lot as a district.  I'm reminded of the scripture in Job 23:10 when he says, "when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."  This past week I feel like the Lord was trying us to see how we would react next week, to see if we come out as Gold or if we come out as Bronze.   We will choose to come out as Gold!  
This past week we saw a huge miracle!  It started on Sunday when a Brazilian member decided to invite her step-sister, Priscila, to attend service with us.  She came and we set up a return appointment with her and visited with her 3 times this past week and had members with us each time and had some amazing lessons.  She went from not even knowing much about baptism to wanting to be baptized this Sunday!  Priscila was telling us how the messages we shared answered so many of her questions and made life make a lot more sense.  She is really prepared and truly desires to be cleansed and grow closer to Christ.
I was studying in the end of Mormon today and I love chapters 7-9.  It's when Mormon and Moroni each bear testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon in conversion. There is so much to take out of those chapters because they are true sincere testimony and as I was reading through those chapters my testimony was strengthened that this work is true!  I love how in Mormon chapter 9:21 Moroni tells us to pray "doubting nothing" and God will answer our prayers. It went along with a talk I read called, "Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence" in it Elder Klebingat tells us that we can't allow ourselves to have any self-doubt because if chisels away at our faith.  I've been working on praying with real intent and with faith and not allow fear or self-doubt enter my heart.  As we apply this, this upcoming week, we will see miracles and we will be able to baptize our investigators on Sunday!
It's been a very good week overall! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving! I love you guys!
Love,
Elder Spencer Bailey

P.S.
actually the new christmas video is out! go to mormon.org/christmas and watch it!