To Nauvoo as Elder and Sister Spradlin

Again we put our nametags on as Elder and Sister Spradlin.  This time we will be serving in Historic Nauvoo.  So excited to be in a place of such history and testimony.  I feel we have much to learn while there, and look forward to the opportunities to share.  Because it is a new mission, and so very different from our lives in Guatemala I have again started a new blog...  You are invited to join us in our Journey to Nauvoo.  Much more than a place on the map.

New Blog

For those of you who have followed our blog I have started a new chapter with a new Blog.
http://choicesanchange.blogspot.com/

Hopefully one that will be fun and uplifting for all who wish to follow our adventures here in "the real world"
Susan

Heading Home

The last of the bread was toasted up and eaten with honey. Licuado's made with the last of the bananas and pineapple we had kept frozen. We shared our last meal in Senau with two of our favorite young girls and Bro. Benjamin, one of our amazing brothers who showed up to invite us to a farewell in his home. He did not realize we were leaving in just a couple of hours, for our journey stateside. It was difficult leaving our beloved Polochic and our many friends and family here.

Last week we had a surprise birthday party for Elder Spradlin on Monday with all of the Elders and a few young people. He was so surprised when he came in from going up to the pueblo and they all came out from their hiding places. I had gotten up early and made a cake while he slept, before I fixed him a Birthday Breakfast. It was great having our Elders in the home.

On our way to one of our family's homes on Friday evening the children from another family across the path came out and were singing “I am like a Star Shining Brightly” in Kekchi that we had taught them a few weeks ago. It made our day! Later we sang with them from the Children's songbook and felt supremely blessed.

We were able to spend our last weekend listening to General Conference over satellite and visiting with members. Saturday noon Caldo and farewells, then Sunday we had all of the missionaries over for lunch, ate up the last of ingredients in the house! Starting with one package of tomato paste and 3 packages of spaghetti and turning it all into a feast for 20. Spaghetti sauce had all sorts of crazy ingredie thrown into it, first the normal stuff like spices, a few tomatoes and an onion we had left, then came the remains of a little cheese sauce, ground pumpkin seeds, Incaparina, chicken boullion, ketchup, vinegar. The final shock is that it tasted great and there was exactly enough for all!, but I prayed a lot while making it, then while serving it because it definitely did not look like enough! One Elder brought cucumbers, one brought apples, all were sliced and shared. One of the Elders was supposed to bring rolls, but hadn't had a chance to get them on Saturday, so I got brave. The garlic butter was already all made up waiting, we got to the house before the elders and mixed up rolls, used yeast and 2 teaspoons of baking powder, made up the dough and rolled them in the melted butter. Stuck them in to bake and they turned out wonderful which was also a small miracle, since my rolls take a few hours to rise normally.

Monday when we left the Polochic we stopped in Coban to spend the evening and have dinner with our Mission President and Sister Curtiss and the Kirks- our other Senior Couple in Coban. Tonight we will be able to be with President and Sister Watts here in the capitol after we turn in our car. Not every couple has the opportunity to come to know and work with two great mission presidents and their wives during their mission. We have been blessed to learn from great leaders during our time here in Guatemala. We are also extremely excited that a new couple will be coming to take our place in the Polochic the end of the month. The last senior missionaries to serve in the Polochic before us was 25 years ago!

We have grown and gained so much from the privilege we have had serving a mission. We had no idea when we started this journey the places it would take us, nor the people we would come to love. A little nervous about going back to the real world and wondering how we will apply the lessons we have learned here. Not knowing where we will live, what job I will be able to get, what ways we will continue to serve makes this another great adventure, one that we will continue to walk in faith and With the Lord's Help.