Mi querido familia,
I love you guys so much. I am so blessed to have been born to you. The Dominican republic is a slice of heaven. I got the opportunity to go on splits last Friday. It is part of the training here. on your 5th and sixth week you get to go either the east or west mission on splits with real missionaries. My comp's name there was elder Bickmore. He was amazing. he really helped me a lot. He said my Spanish was really good. I guess I learned the trick is not to be afraid to use it. I mean i definitely don't know Spanish yet but I know i never will if i am afraid of making mistakes. You got to be humble and you just got to do it. I love being here and I love doing what I do. I love talking with new people. in the field i met this guy named Mario. It started raining super hard so he invited us under a little overhang to keep dry. he could speak English so I talked to him for a long time. In the end he said he had been all over the world but had never met a people quite like the Mormons. he wanted us to teach his daughters but they lived in a different area. We did tell the other missionaries though. Sounds like your birthday was a total success. I'm so blessed to have a great family. My family is definitely my Ebeneezer. I haven't had a super easy time here. Its been rough. But knowing that my parents, brother, and cousin have all felt this way helped a lot. The best was realizing that the savior had felt this way before specifically for me. he suffered literally everything I've suffered here just for me now. You guys struggled watching me leave by myself and I cant imagine what heavenly father felt when he watched Christ suffer completely and utterly alone. I cant imagine what he felt when his only begotten son cried out in total loneliness father why hast thou forsaken me? But the message that we carry now and the hope that we get to spread to all the world is that Jesus Christ has risen. He has suffered it all and we will live with God again. I kinda had to grow up over night. I know i am not the same. My language is coming along just fine. I work very hard and the lord has blessed every effort. I'm just really struggling with subjunctive form but i know the lord will help me out with it. I pray for you guys constantly and I definitely feel your prayers. I'm super sorry if i don't get to email next week but I might not have a p day. I love the story of Ammon and actually one of my new favorite stories is when Alma takes 7 others with him to the Zoramites. it makes me feel my cousins. it helps me remember that we are all in the same fight together. It reminds me once again that i am not alone here. The lord never said it would be easy. But its not easy for investigators to change either. And in the end all he asks of us is to open our mouths to them. Tell them of his love and of his plan and invite them to follow Jesus Christ. I love my mission so much. I wouldn't trade a single moment. I still can't believe I've been out a month. I love you guys and you continue to amaze me.
Con muchismo amor,
Elder spencer w. hulsey
Elder spencer w. hulsey
ps if you are looking for a book to read i heard of one called witnessing the hand of the lord in the Dominican Republic. its about the church's history here. Just thought it might be interesting if you could find it.