10 years ago

10 years ago I was still a teenager. I was living with my aunt and cousins in the Big Apple; I was still trying to figure out life. I was lonely and homesick a lot. 10 years ago I   didn’t know if I was going to make it or not.  I had to figure out a way of putting myself through college. I had to fill out immigration papers every 3 months and beg them to let me stay just a little bit longer.

10 years ago, a decade ago, it feels like it happened so long ago and yet I can still remember the smell of N.Y, the sounds of sirens everywhere around me, the freezing cold winter weather they had.

On September 9^th I was baptized into the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints and little did I know this decision was going to change my life forever.

I loved Sister Age from my Bushwick branch. If you ever saw her you would think you were next to Woopi Goldberg.  That branch was made out of 20 people most of them were under the age of 20, teenagers like me. I remember I didn’t have money for the bus on Sundays so I had to walk for about 45 minutes until I got there. I wore jeans, but then again so did everyone else.
 I had my brothers, those boys who I looked up to. Elder Mickelsen was my big brother. He is the Elder that found me and invited me to church. Elder Evert was my little brother.

There were also Elders that were good friends like elder Day, Elder Beecroft, Elder Schaucher, Elder DeGomez, Elder Smith(from the Spanish branch).

One night as I was walking out my work and I saw another Elder, Russell Thomlinson. I will never forget his name mainly because all his conversations were about sheep.

As I start to walk towards my bus stop I realize that I am going to have to talk to him because he is standing on the same direction where I need to go.  I was in no mood for sheep talk that night. I was extremely tired.

I start making another route where I can walk by and avoid him completely.
As I am beginning to cross the street something stops me. I begin to feel bad for thinking that way about this boy who has done nothing wrong to me. 

I turned around and walked straight towards him and I started the conversation this time. As I predicted we quickly started talking about sheep but for some reason I don’t mind anymore.

It was a cold October night; I don’t remember the date exactly after all it was supposed to be another ordinary day. I am certain though that it was before the 20^th and after my Cousin Sally’s birthday. It was around 7 p.m

I was standing on the corner of Myrtle Avenue freezing to death when all of the sudden another Elder approached me. His name was Elder Smith. He had a red nose his hands were in his pockets. He had one of  the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen. He introduced himself and I remember saying to him: so you are the mean Elder Smith that kept throwing the pillow at my cousin the other night.
 I don’t remember what his reply was. The only other thing that I remember is looking into his blue-green eyes and thinking to myself how gorgeous they were.

I had no intention of falling in love, I wasn’t looking but I guess it was meant to be.  He was my best friend. He helped me read the book of Mormon, he help me go to church.

His area for tracking and getting people happened to be outside my work. I remember rushing to get work done so that I could go out and see him. He gave me a warm feeling, you know the kind of feeling you get when is cold outside and you walk inside your warm home.

I was broken hearted when his mission finished. My best friend was gone forever!. I am so glad that I was not the only one who felt this way. I am so glad that he loved me and that he came back for me and rescued me.

That October night was truly magical. Spencer remembers every bit of it too. Out of all the places where we could have met it had to be just one of the biggest cities in the world.

 Happy Anniversary my love, forever started 10 years ago