Now Let Us Rejoice

My new companion is Sister Prue! She was serving close by in our district and I really admire her. She has been out 7 and a half months. She is so uplifting and great at giving advice and correction. I AM GOING TO LEARN SO MUCH FROM HER. I really admire her so much.

 I LOVE SCRIPTURES. This week I studied Ezekiel 47. SO good. I MISS THE TEMPLE SO BAD.

There are such amazing things going on in this area. We updated our three month rolling plan. We feel like by the end of the transfer we could have as many as 4 baptisms! There are also quite a few that we see that could happen in October or November. When I got here we were not teaching many progressing investigators in our area... Not it is truly an example to our district

We actually saw a huge miracle in our area this week. When we were getting gas this week we were, you know, just casually talking to everyone. There was a young couple. My age maybe. And I talked to them and asked if they wanted a free bible-and they did! They asked what church we were from and I told them. I asked if they knew any Mormons.... the boy said his grandma was Dee Huggins! NO WAY!! I WAS SO FLOORED THEIR FAMILY IS SO PREPARED. He asked if he could have a book of Mormon too. I gave him one. We got his address and number. His mother is the one who is not a member that reffered herself to Salt Lake because of the influence sister Huggins had on her. It was such a miracle. There are so many in that family who are ready. Sister Huggins is preparing them.

Another Miracle came from roleplaying. We decided to roleplay searching the teaching records one day. We scrolled through area book to find a random person and make a lesson report for them based off all their information before they were dropped. When we did this we actually found a lost sheep! She was in as a gator but in her notes it said her and 3 of her children had actually been baptized in OP! WHAT.. On top of that we were in their area later on that very day! We stopped by and met them. She let us in to teach her... GUESS WHAT?! SHE HAS AT LEAST 2 CHILDREN WHO ARE OLD ENOUGH NOW TO BE BAPTIZED! We are not sure if she was ever confirmed. It is so confusing but she doesn't seem to be on any records here or in Orange park. I am not sure what to do to find her. They may potentially need to be rebaptized if they never received the holy ghost though... It was so long ago that they were baptized. They hardly remember it. Mostly they just know they have a book of Mormon and a restoration video.  It was such a tender miracle.

Since transfers we found 6 new Investigators in the last 3 days. And of our investigators came to church. We are far too blessed to be stressed. We had 5 investigators come to church. It was so great. We got to go to primary with one of them! Two of our investigators came with their families. One of the families is less active! It was so great to see them bring their grandson to church!

Sunday night we were out working and saw a guy pull into his house. we really felt like we should talk to him. IT WAS SO INSPIRED. We were able to teach the restoration and he accepted the invitation to be baptized. We will have another lesson with him this week. Heavenly Father has truly blessed us with so many opportunities to find people who are searching for truth.

Y'all Be Blessed

When Jesus Christ Was Baptized

This week Jordan was baptized and confirmed a member of the church! I am so grateful to have been able to be part of Jordan baptism saturday. He had asked me to give the talk on baptism. Wow. He has grown so much. I am so full of joy for him - I am so proud of him. It is such an incredible feeling to have been able to teach someone and see them through to baptism. It is such a wonderful experience. I remember when I was taking the lessons and I wonder if the Missionaries saw such a profound change in me in that short time. It is my most sincere desire that he will never forget how he felt after his baptism. He and his family mean so much to me. 

We had our first lesson this week with another part member family! Brother Kinder is so prepared. You can just see the spirit beam in him as we talk. He truly understands that After Baptism he will be able to be sealed to his wife. He is so in love with her and he truly has the desire to begin making covenants with God. It is truly incredible. Most of the ward doesnt realize he isnt a member. The bishop always says he is more active than most of the Elders Qurum and he is also already an active home teacher for an older woman in the ward. He always make sure she rides with them to church. When her temple reccomend expired he notified the Bishop. I am always so humbled by Mike Kinder. He is truly so Christlike. 

Sister Goeller is being transfered a bit early to Flemming Island to serve with Sister Ganir. Sister Prue will come from there to be my new companion until the end of the transfer! I am really going to miss sister Goeller.  I have learned so much from her. I do really love Sister Prue and I know it will be a great week or so! I know that there is so very much I will be able to learn from her. We have served around eachother the past two transfers and I am excited to be her companion! I have no idea what will happen at transfers. I know that Whatever happens it will be inspired and It will be so great!

I love being a missionary so much. It is such a blessing to be able to serve the Lord, my Mission President and my Companions. I have learned so much about myself and my savior. Thank you all for all the support you have given me!

Y'all be blessed!

Pictures to come!

Sister M. Leona Spangler

Florida Jacksonville Mission 

March 2017 - September 2018

Ps. Not sure if you can tell, but there is certainly a gator in the water there!  

Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel- Push Along

HAPPY PIONEER DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Life is so good. I am so grateful for the faithful saints who acted in faith and made it possible to live and enjoy this gospel. We are way to blessed to be stressed.

 Everthing is good here. Friday and saturday I served in Normandy with Sister Pereira. It was great. I love trade offs.

 We have a baptism on saturday for Jordan. 

On sunday we were talking to a part member family and the husband has decided to get baptized! It is a sincere miracle. he is practically an active member already. I am so grateful for his desire to make this covenant with our heavenly father. 

Pictures soon!

I Feel My Saviors Love

What a wonderful spirit-filled week here in Middleburg! Sister Goeller and I have been really busy with lessons! Bill and Nita are doing so great. Jordan is SO CLOSE to being ready for his baptism on the 29th! We only have a handfull of lessons left! He is really excited. It has been really beautiful to see the changes in Jordan since we started teaching him. I know that he feels the spirit and that Heavenly Father is helping him to be prepared to make and keep his covenants! I am so proud of him. I know that his family is very excited  because he is the last child to be baptized in his family! Since the Living Christ Fireside the ward has been really excited about missionary work. Everyone is wanting to know who we are teaching more closely and they are wanting to find ways they can participate in the  work. Member Missionary work is so invauluable. We could never do the work we are called to do without members to help the people we teach learn and grow and feel comfortable in ways we just cant.  Love y'all so much! Pictures will come in a bit!

Wow! This has been a crazy week! We set a baptismal date and had 4 investigators in church. Yesterday we held a fireside as a district. It was so incredible. We had a great turn out. We received a lot of referrals this week.  It was so fun having such a full schedule. Sister goeller is so great! 

Sister M. Leona Spangler
Florida Jacksonville Mission

How Firm a Foundation

Wow this week has been full. Wednesday we had dinner at olive garden with two really sweet sisters. We painted rocks this week with a member too! It was so fun. we went to a genesis concert and performed with some other missionaries. It was great. Saturday night we had transfer calls. I will be staying here and I will be receiving Sister Goeller as a companion. She has been out a bit longer than I. she is really nice and sweet!! We had 6 investigators in church on sunday!! BILL AND NITA came. And Gene Got baptized!

For The Beauty of the Earth

What an incredible week! We have seen miracles in Middleburg. This week we had several opportunities to bike. I LOVE BIKING. It is such a good feeling. A few times we got rained on but it was still so nice. I really feel like the more we bike here we will see wonderful opportunities open up to us!

We have been teaching an unbaptized youth named Jordan. He is really hyperactive. Sister Harris and I have gotten inventive with ways to keep his attention. Having technology available to use has been such a blessing. He is retaining much better than anticipated and we were able to set a baptismal date with him for July 29! His brother is 8 and getting baptized this week so he is the last of all his siblings to enter the waters of baptism. It is such a special thing to be a part of.

Wednesday was so great. We had the opportunity to have interviews. I love visiting with President Lee. Often, I wish I had longer. It honestly surprises me how often we get to see him. It is comforting knowing He and sister Lee are never far away. I love them with my whole heart and maybe even a bit more. This week I gave a training at district meeting and it went really well! There were some really powerful be still moments. Because of that I know that we were able to really invite the spirit and we all edified each other so much! there was also another really great experience that we had! We felt like we should go to a less active members house. We have tried a few times to get in but they are not very interested. THAT DAY WAS DIFFERENT THOUGH!!! She opened the door almost frantic and explained there was a spider in her house and that she had been praying for someone to come and help her kill it because she is so afraid of them. On top of that she has twins so her hands were incredibly full. I very courageously volunteered my very brave companion, Sister Harris to kill the spider for her! She was SO grateful. So was I because I am so scared of spiders too (and it was really big)! We were able to stay and do some service for her. It was such a blessing to be able to go about doing good. It was really a special thing because neither of us knew why we were going and we really didn't want to. I am grateful Sister Harris is so in tune with the spirit.

Thursday we saw another wonderful miracle!! We went back to try a part member family. It turns out that the husband, who is less active, is a perspective elder! We were able to discern that in the conversation and invited him to advance in the priesthood! We are excited to go back and start helping him work toward that goal!

Friday was our wards Founders Day event! We were able to use the family history booth. The booth is so incredible. Other missionaries from our district came to help as well. It was a really valuable learning experience and I am so excited to utilize it in the future.

Saturday marked 2 Years since my baptism!! Wow. That is really so surreal. Sister Harris had some Paper ribbon and she surprised me in the morning. it was so tender. I was grateful for the simple celebration. We were able to attend the stake conference. I really enjoyed it so much.  I really loved it. Sister Lee had us take a picture to celebrate; It is cute! I am so grateful to be here at this point in my life: Serving int he Florida Jacksonville Mission under President Brent I. Lee. I am so blessed. I feel as though I am so undeserving of the richness that I have in my life but I am also so very grateful. I am surrounded by such amazing new friends and family. Especially, my companion, my district and Y 'all. Thank you so much for helping me along the way. It really does mean so much to me. 

In closing, I have learned so much this transfer. Honestly, I cannot really believe that I am in my last week of training. Time is truly flying. I am grateful to feel like I am really becoming the Missionary and the Woman that my Heavenly Father is waiting for me to become. Again, Thank Y'all for being part of that!

Somewhere There is a Mountain

It has been such a good week!! We biked one day and it started raining while we were out! It felt so good!! I love all the rain we have been getting. We also found an entire apartment complex we have never known about before. While we were there we met a really nice man named Josh! We taught him the restoration in the rain and it was incredible! He really wants to learn more so we will go back by this week! We also had a less active reach out to us! She has been really concerned about us and calls to check to see if we have all we need or if she can help us in any way. It is really a miracle because she hasn't had any contact with the ward in a while. Yesterday she called and told us about a nice little park close by so we could have something fun to do that didn't cost money on our preparation day. It was so sweet! In church we had 3 Less active members we are working with come to church as well as 2 investigators! This week has been so blessed. the members here are incredible and i love serving in Middleburg!

I also finished my very first journal this week!!!! and am so grateful for the really pretty journal i got from Rachel and Spencer for my birthday last year. :D :D yay

Let The Holy Spirit Guide

This has been one of the best weeks of my mission so far! Sister Harris and I have seen so many miracles this week! We found 3 New Investigators and we also had 3 Investigators show up to church! We also fed a huge turtle named Toby! We have not only had powerful lessons and really fun days, but we have learned so much from each other. I really admire sister Harris. She is a spiritual giant. We have had a great week and i know it is only because of our willingness to follow the spirit. Heavenly Father has blessed us with so many prompting. As we have followed them we have been able to really feel his love for us. It is incredible how constantly we feel guided by His loving hand. <3 hope yall have a great week. Be blessed now! 

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

Some of Palatka some of Middleburg.

Sister M. Leona Spangler
Florida Jacksonville Mission