Porto Portugal - Beautiful Place!

Here are some photos of Porto I found on the Internet. This is where Elder Valentine is serving right now! What an amazing place!!

Mission Home Photos

Elder Valentine sent us the address to his mission home. Given the fact that he hasn't sent us any pictures yet, I grabbed a few off of the Internet.

Porto Portugal Mission Home

Porto Area Around Mission Home

Porto Mission Map

Portugal Week #2: Family Email

Hey family!

Wow! What a week! Or two weeks, I guess - man, it is crazy how quick things are going here. I hit my 3 month mark a few days ago! No way! That means I only have 7 more of those left! Haha that´s actually pretty crazy! First off, thanks so much anna and amanda and kimberly for writing to me - I really really love you guys so much and I love hearing how you are doing! Happy late anniversary (I don´t know if that´s spelled right) Kimber and Kevin! Holy cow! I´ve had a big brother for five years! That´s crazy! Also... I totally don´t know how portuguese computers work for pictures, so I´ll try next week to figure it out... I´m so sorry! Haha but I will make sure to send a bunch when I figure out how!

Dad - since Elder LeBaron is going home this transfer, we have talked a lot about stuff he will do when he gets home, which includes seeing star wars 7. the picture you sent me IS SO SWEET. Haha it also makes me trunky (thinking about home). Unfortunatley, the internet place that we are at doesn´t really do printing, so I can´t print anything off here. Maybe when I go to another area I´ll be able to! I love that quote by Elder Scott! I´ve really been searching for spiritual guidance here, so that was just so awesome to read! So the language... haha oh man! It´s rough! A lot of people here speak super fast, and I have really found out that when people say that it sounds like they have marbles in there mouth, it´s true. Haha but it´s actually been pretty cool - I can see myself understanding more and more everyday and speaking a little faster or another word I learned here or there - the gift of tongues is so real! Elder LeBaron and Elder Johnson are both really good at portuguese, especiall E LeBaron, so that helps a lot. But the really good thing is that I have never been scared while I have been out here! I get a little lost sometimes and embarrased when people are talking to me and I don´t know what they said, but like, with contacting 50 people on the street every day and everything, I haven´t been nervous at all! I know that I am being blessed and strengthened out here and nothing has been scary! Yay Holy Ghost! We live in a little apartment with 7 elders there. Wow. Food dissapears fast and the bathroom is always occupied. Also, Elder Wait is the elder who sleeps in my room and he snores louder than ANYONE I have ever heard. In my life. No joke. All night. Haha I got 30 minutes of sleep a couple nights ago because of it. ah... Haha! It´s rough, but I´ll get over it! Tudo bem! Culture wise, there is a very distinctive greeting here in portugal between women/a man to a woman - they say hello and then kiss the right cheek and then the left. It´s really interesting! We can´t do it because we´re missionaries, but everyone does it! The women also shake hands with men by sticking their wrist out at you and letting you shake their wrist. It´s kind of weird looking, haha! The Portuguese people are just SO FUNNY. I´m pretty sure every person above the age of 50 is crazy. They all just say the funniest things and are very short tempered. It´s been interesting to hear common phrases in portuguese - "fica bem" is like take care, but literally "stay well," "pois" and "tipo" are like how people use "like" a lot in there sentences, "tudo bem" is "all is well," and is the most common response to "Como o que estas?" which is just "how are you?" It´s all very interesting!

Mom -  I have just about everything I need! They have most everything we have in america, just portugalized. Some counterparts include; milk - it isn´t refrigerated and tastes... not yummy. Bathrooms - I don´t know how to spell it, but baday? Little toilet looking thing that replaces toilet paper? yeah, no. We go buy toilet paper because... that´s weird. The sinks also have a fosset (don´t know how that ones spelled) for hot and one for cold, so you can´t get a nice in the middle warm water! Also, the water is not very sanitary to drink. Sometimes it´s light brown. Yucky. Haha but these things are not too bad! Pastries are sweet, literally, and the temperature is really nice, and I love the people, so it´s all good! We are still in a triple companionship, and will be for this transfer. It works out though! Lessons and contacting are pretty good with three people! P days are all about groceries, cleaning the house, emails, and trying to fit something fun in the middle. We went bowling last p day, but we didn´t get to do anything today. You can go site seeing and stuff, so hopefully I can do that soon! I´ll try and send a letter in the next few weeks - there is just so little time to do anything around here, and I don´t know how to get mailing stuff, but I will get a letter out to you guys for sure! Love you, mom! :)

Anna and Ethan - I love you guys! It´s so fun to see pictures of you guys that dad sends - you both look like you´re growing so much! It´s really weird! My only difference is some more beard hair, which is just annoying... haha It´s crazy. I´m sorry that friends have been a problem, anna - I pray for the whole family every night, so I´ll make sure to pray for you with friends. :) Besides that, I just really love you guys! Thanks for being good siblings and good kids! :)

Okay! Well, I hope I answered some questions, and  I´ll get pictures next week for sure... maybe. Haha oh man. Time flies here! But that´s a good thing! 7 more three monthers left! Love you guys! Bye!

Love, Elder Valentine!

Portugal Week #2: Group Email

Spencer's second email from Portugal!

Dear Everyone,

Ola! Portugal has been so amazing! It has been raining a lot here, the storms get pretty crazy! But it´s so good!!! Sorry again for any mistakes in my emails - portuguese computers think all english words are spelled wrong so spellcheck isn´t a thing for me. 

Anyways! This week has been so good! Elder LeBaron and the other AP Elder McGhee have comp studies with President Amorim twice a week, but since they have companions, I get to go and have studies with him too! It has been a huge blessing to see President teach the missionaries how to be better, even if I don´t understand very much. Haha! We have 6 progressing investigators right now, and I don´t remember who I have talked about, so sorry for any repeats. 

Anibal and Conceção are set for baptism on the 22nd of November! They have been working so hard to get over smoking and to get married so that they can be baptized - it´s just so awesome! Conceção loves that I can´t speak very well, and she tells everyone that comes to her house about the elder who can´t speak. haha! They are so awesome. They started investigating because their son was baptized and it created a HUGE change in their home, so they decided to meet with us, and now they are going to be baptized! Boo Yeah! WE also have Paula and Angela, a mother and a daughter, who both have really loved coming to church and learning especially about the plan of salvation. The spirit has been so strong in our lessons and I love it! Maria Deceu (fun portuguese fact: probably half of the women here are named Maria, so they shorten it to Mª and have their second name with it so it becomes Mª Deceu) has been progressing SO well - she is the only one that I have started with, the other ones were already being taught before I got here, so it has been so cool to see how the gospel changes someone! She talks about how happy she is and she invited her brother to take lessons with her so we are working with him and everyone I´ve talked about has accepted baptismal dates and the gospel is just so awesome!!!!! I love being a missionary! My favorite thing in the whole world is seeing someone change and find the happiness that this gospel brings. And I have the best opportunity to help! I LOVE it. 

Portugal is beautiful. We live right in porto, and there are these big catholic churches all over the place, and pastry shops, and lots of rain, and cobblestone/paralalapipido, and it´s just great. Best country ever. Only problem is having seven elders in one apartment sharing a little portuguese bathroom... Especially when Elder McGhee makes spicy food. Oh, man. 

So this week I have been reading a lot about the plan of salvation and we have had some pretty cool deep doctrine conversations in the house about eternal life and God and lots of stuff - let me just say, I am so happy that we have the true gospel, and that God is in charge. There is so much that we don´t know or can´t comprehend about God and our eternal lives, but the most important thing is that through God´s plan and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can live forever with our familes! Paula and Angela started crying when we asked them if they wanted to be together forever, and it was so sweet to see the spirit testify that God´s plan is perfect, and is all about our happiness. Christ Atoned for our sins and died so that we could live again. All He asks in return is that we desire to be like Him and partake of the ordinances of the gospel. I love this church! It´s so perfect, because God really is in charge. 

Well, that´s about all for this week. I love it here on my mission! Thanks everyone!

-Elder Valentine!

Portugal Week 1: Family Email

First family email from Portugal! We were SO RELIEVED when Spencer finally emailed us! He's alive! He's healthy! He's happy! Wahoo!!

Hi Family!

Wow! I'm in portugal! I don't understand a thing that goes on! Haha it's so great here! This letter will probably be all over the place, so bear with me. I'm doing great! It's all really confusing so far. I never really know what's going on and it's SO different from america, but I haven't even been here for a week, so it's all good! I'll just kind of try to answer some questions that you guys have asked and I hope that that will be okay!

Dad - Food. So for breakfast the first day in the mission home, we had this bread with meat and cheese and fruit, and I've had some spaghetti type foods, and I had a françesinha or something along those lines, which was a sandwhich with a lot of meats and an egg with this yummy sauce, and some yummy pastries, and american food! Haha it's so funny - there is so much american stuff here! Food, songs, clothing lines, whatever! It's really interesting to see the american influence on such a different country! The language has been a struggle! Portuguese is very shushy if that makes any sense. every 's' is a 'sh' and it is a very used letter, so that's confusing, and everyone talks 100 miles an hour, and they use all of these phrases and sayings that I don't understand... but it is all good! I'm learning a lot and I'll get better in no time! (Oh P.S. it's like 5 in the afternoon (or 17h) here so it's like a 7 hour difference.) Culture - well, everyone smokes, which is like the biggest thing. A lot of people don't have work also - apparently the government covers for a lot here! People don't like pleasantries - talking is very to the point without any fluff. it kind of depends on where you are in the city, but lot's of people walk around, which makes contacting very nice! Oh yeah! I'm right in the middle of Porto! Dang! I forgot my camera - today has been crazy - so im sorry, but ill send pictures next week for sure! ANyway, i'm in the Porto 2º ward, which is the ward that the AP's attend. Why do I go there? Because my companion Elder LeBaron is not only the AP, but he's our district leader, zone leader, 

AND he is training TWO elders, which I don't know if that has ever happened. So he's super awesome. He is like the best contacter, best teacher of lessons, best people person, which all makes him an amazing missionary!  I'm SO grateful to have him as my trainer! Our apartment is on the second floor of this weird apartment building on a super long stretch of building on a one way cobblestone street. By the way, cobblestone in portuguese is paralalapipido (probably spelled that wrong, but whatever), which is my favorite word! We drive because the AP is with us, so we have a car. Portugal drivers are insane. Enough said. President Amorim is amazing and keeps his missionaries in line and effective, which is awesome. The flight was SO LONG! Everyone was watching movies around me so I just read scriptures like the whole time, which was nice! They had little mini food trays and hot towels and stuff which was cool! I am SO happy to be here. I am really confused a lot and am struggling with the language, but that will all pass in time, so I'm totally okay!

Mom - When I got to germany, it was crazy. The airport was SO HUGE. I walked for like twenty minutes to get to my gate but I was all confused because I was alone and didn't know what i was doing! haha! I had another flight to portugal from germany for about 2 hours. President Amorim and his wife picked us up (I met some elders in the germany airport who were coming from the MTC and are in my mission!) so that was cool! I have never really been scared here, but I have definitely been nervous. 

I'm so sorry - I have to go, but I love you guys! Talk to you next week! 

Love, Elder Valentine!

Portugal Week 1: Group Email

Here's Elder Valentine's first group email from Portugal!

Dear everyone,

So, sorry i didn't write last week, I just so happened to be on a plane for Portugal!!!!!! For anyone who didn't know, I got my visa, and am currently sitting in a little room upstairs from a shop on the busiest city street I've ever seen! (sorry if i mess up with any of this email, portuguese computers are not made for people who speak english.) Anyway, Portugal is SOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!! I'm just a little excited. haha! So I don't really have a lot of time today, it's been kind of crazy but we had to take the metro and a taxi to get here like a half hour late, but it's all good! 

So first off, President Amorim is like super sweet! He's definitely the most strict and stern man I've ever met. Before he was called he was somr crazy brazilian business man worth something around 2 billion dollars. So he knows how to get stuff done. He is very loving and supportive, but doesn't take kindly to laziness, which is totally fine for me! I have two companions, Elder LeBaron and Elder Johnson. Elder johnson was in the mtc with me, so Elder Lebaron is actually training both of us! We have 5 investigators right now, and I love them all! Although I don't understand any of them. Haha! If you've ever seen 'the best two years', It's like that. 'THis wasn't the language they taught me in the mtc, elder!' haha oh man. I don't understand ANYONE. We'll go up to people and I'll say 'Ola! tudo bem?' and then they will talk in portuguese for a bit and I'll say 'um, we have a message...' in portuguese of course, and one of my companions helps me out. Dang. It's crazy here. Also our investigators are super sweet. I think about 75 percent of the people here smoke, so that's a big issue, and it's a lot more expensive to be married than to just have a boyfriend or girlfriend, so no one gets married, and EVERYONE is catholic. Literally! Haha it's so funny here! The old people are all crazy, and the young people all make fun of my portuguese because a lot of the youth speak english. Anyway, we have this investigator Maria Deseu who read the first pamphlet and answered all of the questions in the back which no one does, and went to church, and we are going to invite her to be baptized tomorrow! Whoo! Portugal is a crazy place. I'm SO sorry that this email is all over the place. I've had a really crazy last two weeks and not a lot of time to talk ãbout them, so please forgive me.

Spiritual thought - I finished the book of mormon for the first time since I left on my mission, and man, can i just say, that that book is amazing. The book of mormon can answer EVERY question you have about just about anything you need help with. I love the book of Moroni - if you have time, read those 10 chapters, and be uplifited! The book of Mormon is the word of god. I don't doubt it in the slightest. If you want to be close to god, read it. If you need help with your family, read it. If you are sad, read it. If you want eternal salvation, read it. You can read it if you want the coolest action stories ever (the whole book of alma), you can, but that's just a bonus. I love the book of mormon! It is my rock out here. It helps me know that I am loved by an almighty being who, if I put my trust in him, I will be okay! I love having that comfort. I love the book of mormon! I testify that it was written for us, so I think that we should take the time to do what mormon intended, which was for us to find happiness in it. 

I love you guys! I'm so happy to be in Portugal! See you next week!

 - Elder Valentine! 

Elder Valentine Finally in Portugal!

It's finally happened! Spencer left California on October 12. We were able to talk to him in the airport for only a few minutes. We talked to him in Oakland for about 20 minutes, then for about 5 minutes when he arrived in Seattle. He loved his time in the Santa Rosa mission, but we could tell he was really relieved and excited to finally be headed to his mission! We are so excited for him!

As an update, Elder Valentine left on October 12 and arrived in Portugal on October 13. However, we didn't hear anything from him until October 19, his first P Day. We never heard anything from the Mission--didn't know if he arrived safely or had any problems along the way, nothing! It was very frustrating! But finally on the 19th we received the first email from him, so all is well. He is now in Porto, Portugal! We're so happy for him!

Elder Valentine with President and Sister Wright

We received this great picture from the Santa Rosa Mission. Here is Elder Valentine with his Mission President and Sister Wright!

Elder Valentine and Companions Enjoying General Conference

A nice senior missionary couple in Spencer's mission sent this photo of Elder Valentine watching conference. It's looks pretty uncomfortable on that couch with all those Elders! But we were really happy to get this picture!!

More Pictures from Santa Rosa Mission

Elder Achal and Elder Valentine on Exchanges

Elder Adamson Likes to Sleep! (This is Spencer's Caption!!)

Elder Valentine is going to Portugal!

We received the official word on Monday night that Spencer is finally headed to Portugal! He received his VISA and will be leaving for Portugal on Monday. This is such great news! We are so happy for Spencer! Here's the email he sent Monday October 5 at 4:52 PM:

Surprise!!!

Dear Family,

President Wright just called and I got my VISA!!!!!!!! I leave next Monday for Portugal!!! Woo hooo!!!! It's real this time!!!!! I go to seattle, then to frankfurt Germany, then to Portugal!!! I don't know any more than that, like the exact time or anything, but it's here! Yay! If you have a couple seconds write me any questions! I am truly grateful for my opportunity to serve here in California, and I know that the Lord called me here to help someone and to grow to be a better servant for Him. I am so happy! Love you all! 

Love, Elder Valentine!

Week 11 Family Letter

Hey family!

Dad, thank you so much for telling me about my visa! President Wright called on Saturday and said he would call the travel office about my visa, so hopefully I will hear from him soon about it, but as of right now, it's still up in the air. But I was SO happy to hear that it was there. It made me so happy! Also, I'm quite jealous of you all for going to a Styx concert. I was pretty salty about it. But I am glad that you enjoyed Elder Scott's funeral. I loved how Elder Bednar testified of all of the amazing men that he has seen pass away as prophets and apostles and it was so powerful to hear him talk about each one, including Elder Scott. I loved it! I haven't got your package yet, but I'll hopefully get it today or tomorrow. You all look so happy at home and I'm so glad!

Mom - Hey mom! I hope you got that picture of the elders watching conference from sister nordfelt! We watched Conference at their house for the Sunday Morning session and had breakfast and it was super nice! On saturday we watched it with some other elders and a members house, and then we watched the last session at the church. How are you doing? Have you been able to get a lot of things done? How is Melissa and her baby? Anything exciting happen recently? I haven't heard from you in a while, which is fine, but I want you to know that I love you and that I'm doing great!

Kimber - thanks for your email! haha I love to see you guys and your little family! I'm surprised that you gutted the fish! I honestly don't know if I would have done that! And Lincoln looks like he's getting so big! I can't believe it has only been 2 months since I've seen you guys - Both lincoln and porter are growing so fast! 

Kevin - Ola Irmao! Primeiro, desculpe para meu mal portugues - I nao tenho muitas opportunidades por practicar, entao estou perdendo todas meus palavras! Mas, obrigado por escrevendo-me! I vou lembrar escrever-ti quando eu preciso ajuda em meu trabalho. I espero esta mesagem e bom a ler. Ler? Nao sei! Anyways, I really appreciated your letter. I'll for sure write you more later, but thanks for now!

Anna-I'm so glad you are enjoying school! You look like you're having so much fun! and Ethan, you too! You wore my tie to the priesthood session. I hope you enjoyed it. Haha! I love you guys! 

Well that's about it! I'm sorry there isn't anything exciting this week, but I could possibly be going to portugal by this time next week, so that's SUPER exciting! I'll talk to you guys later! Bye! Love ya!

Love, Elder Valentine!

Week 11 -- General Conference, Baby!

Dear Everyone,

Holy cow!!! General Conference was SO AMAZING!!! I loved every minute of it! Super super powerful! But I'll talk about that in a bit. 

We had some really neat opportunities to teach a few members lessons about Sabbath day observance, based off of President Nelsons talk from last conference. We taught this lady Sister Brown who is paralyzed from the neck down and her roommate who has been through like three marriages and lived in countries like afghan and crazy places, and it was really cool to see how the gospel and it's principles (in this case sabbath day observance) apply and can bless every person, no matter what their conditions are! We all go through such different trials, and I am SO grateful that the Savior knows us so well that he can bless us with what we need in the moment that we need it. I love our Savior!

It rained! Hallelujah! It's been over 100 degrees for like the whole time here in California and I am so happy that it rained! I was on exchanges with an Elder Schaefer and we were knocking doors for a while all in the rain. Very nice. I felt bad for the homeless people - oh yeah, here in Fairfield, there are a ton of homeless people. They all have shopping carts that are just LOADED with all of their stuff, like, 7 feet high, not even kidding. Again, it has been really interesting to see different walks of life here, and I am so grateful to be a member of God's church. We are truly blessed with the knowledge that we have and the blessings that we receive - I really hope that you all know that! 

Alright. So conference was amazing. Unfortunately I can't write it all here, but I really liked Elder Nelsons talk about mothers and women in the church - I just felt like it was very inspired and powerful, and President Eyerings talk on the Holy Ghost, and there seemed to be a big emphasis on faith and the other basic principles of the gospel and I really loved it! I also really loved Elder Bednars talk on our church leaders. The spirit of his talk really strengthened my testimony about our prophets and apostles and it was soo powerful! 

Well, it has been an awesome week with conference, although I don't have anything super exciting to share. But I'm loving it out here! I'm so thankful for my opportunity to serve God's children and help them feel the love of our Savior! I hope you all have a good week! Bye!

-Elder Valentine!