nourished by the good word & the good food

An inactive member we've been visiting looked me DEAD in the eye & told me "I don't like you" BUT he came to church AND said he is going to come back every week from now on!!!!!!!!
God's praise over Dan's praise ANY DAY

Sister Jones has been praying FOR WEEKS to know how to better explain what the Book of Mormon is to her friends. We PULL UP to this ladies home, COMPLETELY unaware of that, with the lesson plan being: roleplay- how to introduce the Book of Mormon to your friends.

God KNEW what she needed & it's SO incredible that He worked THROUGH me & Sister Gilmore to help her.
Honored.

"Let GO so GOD can GO"- Sister Gilmore

Abbie can still see dead people.... and I can feel them in her home!!!  NOT in the good way.

I wish I still had my Mr. T poster to watch over me.

Taught Michael the 10 commandments. Commandment 7 really hit him hard, "YEAH! don't mess with NOBODY'S old lady"

Got it??

"I can't physically see God in front of me, but I can see my neighbor" - dianne tanzy

God POURS down blessings on us daily. He SHOWERS us with them.  We can love Him BACK & serve Him BACK by trying to love and serve our neighbors.

WHO cares about who you're serving!!!  You're not even serving them. You're SERVING GOD!!!!

I'll SCRUB the nastiest toilet till it SPARKLES.
only for God though.

Our friend Joseph is now on date for baptism, AND has been asking us for more copies of the Book of Mormon so he can GIVE THEM TO HIS FRIENDS??? He's been telling EVERYONE about it.

"The spirit feels like gratitude and appreciation"- Carl Pickens

I've been working on making & keeping commitments with myself MY WHOLE LIFE.
"I'm going to run everyday this month"
"I'm going to ONLY speak kindly about myself"
"I'm going to...blah blah blah"

GUESS WHAT I BASICALLY FAIL EVERY TIME!!!!

I've been SWITCHING it up the past couple weeks. I'm NO LONGER making those commitments with myself, but with God.

"Whatever I tell God I'm going to do, I'll do"- Sister Gilmore (she really is a fountain of inspiration & goodness)

This commitment thing???  Promising GOD I'm going to do better & be better??? IT WORKS!! 

I realized I've been fine with disappointing myself & breaking promises with myself... BUT WITH GOD?? UH NO THANK YOU!! I'll be keeping THOSE promises till the day I die.

Next time you make a goal! Commit with God! Not just yourself! It! works!

-SISTER SPANGLER
2504 Ferrand St # 1C Monroe,
LA 71201-3262 United States

let's all hang with God for eternity

I just might be living the dream. 

Sister Gilmore?? A DREAM 

Training her??? A DREAM 

The fact that I'm gonna be in Monroe for at least 2 more transfers?? A DREAM 

being a missionary??? THE DREAM 

"Is that a WHITE girl????? HEY WHITE GIRL!"- everyone anytime I leave the house 

Carl Pickens JUMPED out of his seat when we told him that YES, he CAN go to the temple!!! 

The thought of God WANTING him to be in His temple, in His HOME, was overwhelming for him. 

He thought he wasn't worthy. THIS PURE, SWEET, WORTHY man thought God wouldn't want him in His home. 

How many times do we think that?? That we aren't GOOD enough. Or not PERFECT enough. That He could NEVER want US to be with HIM. 

WELL GUESS WHAT!! you don't need to be perfect. 

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a BIG FAN of replacing the word "perfect" with "COMPLETE" or "WHOLE" 

I can't be perfect in this life, but I can put my WHOLE heart and soul into this gospel. I can COMPLETELY love those around me. 

This gospel HEALS all parts of us. It makes us WHOLE. Jesus Christ's Atonement can make you COMPLETE. And that WHOLENESS has already begun!!!!!! 

We don't have to wait for the Resurrection to USE Christ's Atonement and become WHOLE. 

Jesus is reaching out to YOU. 

JUST like He asked the man at the pool of Bethesda, He is asking YOU, "Wilt thou be made whole?" 

PUT YOUR FAITH IN HIM AND HIS GOSPEL.

Rise up and walk!!! 

You will be made whole. 

"I want to hang out with you guys and God for eternity!!!!!!" - michael after we taught him the plan of salvation 

BROTHER OGLESBY CAME TO ONE OF OUR LESSONS AND THEN TO CHURCH THE NEXT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He hasn't come in YEARS. 

The spirit hit him hard.

Also we told him we would string him up by his little pinky toe if he didn't come. 

Celebrated MARDI GRAS by street contacting at the parade!!!!  I love reading people verses from the Book of Mormon in a CRAZY HECTIC environment, because the spirit is still SO present & SO powerful. 

That book is the word of God.

 READ IT!!!!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! 

 go to the temple for me 

 -SISTER SPANGLER 

love you!

Happy valentines day everyone!! Here's some solid photos. More next week!

CRAWFISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Boyer, immediately after drinking one sip of beet juice, "why are my fingers tingling??  My body is not used to this." 

ZONE CONFERENCE!!!  Always a good time with President Amos.  He is ALMOST as perfect as my dad. (NOT a compliment I give lightly.) BUT the man is so so inspired & so so kind. 

Except I'm HOPING he was mistaken when he told me to buckle up because my mission is about to get HARD???????????  I'm so excited!!!!

Send prayers my way. 

Abbie told us she sees dead people. 

Our BRAND NEW friend Pam texted us and told us that her cousin was recently found in an oxidation pond in Natchitoches...dead... 

HORRIBLE RIGHT????? I turned my phone to show Sister Boyer, AND MY THUMB BETRAYED ME!!!!!!   That bad boy SLIPPED & hit an automatic response!!!!  This woman just told me her cousin DIED and I texted back "Oh, that's great!!!" THATS GREAT?!?!?!!? 

Pam, I am so sorry. So so sorry. 

Maybe teaching her the plan of salvation will make her not hate me. 

KYLA AND HER WHOLE FAMILY CAME TO OUR WARD MARDI GRAS PARTY, CHURCH, AND THE STAKE ACTIVITY!!!!!!!!!!! 

the ward Mardi Gras party was a BLAST. Beads were FLYING, crawfish were dying, and my whole table was crying laughing. At me. And how bad I am at preparing (preparing?? peeling?? opening????) crawfish!!! 

I ate until my fingers BLED & my lips looked like Kylie Jenner's. 

Sister Boyer, 3 hours after drinking one sip of beet juice, "My stomach is mad at the world right now" 

We taught our friend Gary Allen. He is a sweet older man & has completely loved the book of mormon. We were planning on teaching him the plan of salvation, but RIGHT as we started teaching him the Spirit said, "SILLY GOOSE!!! Teach the Gospel of Jesus christ!!! And invite him to be baptized!!!" 

SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID & he is now praying about a date for baptism!!! He's SO ready. 

I absolutely love when people find answers to their questions in the book of mormon. THAT book answers EVERY question we could ever have. What's the purpose of life?? Oh just open up to Alma chapter 34!! You want to know how to be happy?? Bro read 4th Nephi. 

The Book of Mormon was written for YOU!!! To help YOU!!! It's PACKED with guidance & direction. 

ALSO it's JAM PACKED with the Spirit!!!!!! If you want to feel peace, love, joy, happiness, & every other good feeling on the planet earth JUST READ IT!!!! If that doesn't work...PRAY & KEEP READING cause it will. 

I love this work and I love you 

-SISTER SPANGLER