98 Degrees:(..............

Here, it's the exact opposite. We have hit ninety eight the past couple of weeks. It's like hitting a wall of hot air as we walk outside. I'm so glad for air conditioned cars!! We have been saving up our miles, and finding rides from members, and it has been working out great! I'm so glad the members are awesome here! Hurricane season is upon us early this year. We barely saw the president' s message about a hurricane hitting the east side of our mission, and the warning to prepare. We are most likely going to get hit with heavy rainfall, and that's most likely it.

Right now, the most trouble I'm having is just talking to people who I don't know. I have to talk to strangers mom, the president said so.....:) I am studying and practicing and I'll let you know how it turns out! I have been learning the gospel very well now, thanks to my companion. I thought I had a solid knowledge of the gospel, I now realize that I still had a long ways to go!

That is a hilarious story of Dwight! (He rammed his head into Preston Ward at full speed!) I can't wait to see him when I get home. I think I'm going to tackle HIM! It's going to be one big collision. With the goatee, I'm putting all my money on Dad, he has the most experience, and plus his isn't nasty! But I'll pray for my brothers, they'll need it! Jameson should try rogaine on his face! :) I would like to see pictures of that!

Last Saturday, we had a cook off with a part-member family. They are totally awesome, and super nice. The only reason for their not taking lessons is the daughter doesn't want to. We have been gaining trust with them in hopes to help them with their lives. Their oldest daughter is the member. But we all made them our own family recipes. They made this AMAZING spaghetti, they were bragging about it for a month now, and they were ALL right! The dad made it, and I about cried it was so good! Elder Tialino made panipopo, which is rolls cooked in this coconut milk mix, that was really good. And of course I made your famous pizza recipe! The spinach alfredo, which was delicious! I took plenty of pictures so you don't have to worry. It was a good 'ol time, but the best was the spiritual message afterwards. We bore testimony of the work, and of families and they felt the spirit. The mother expressed her feelings of us, and the sacrifice we had to make, of our time, money, and family to be there with them. We are going to visit them more often and share more spiritual messages, in hopes that they will accept the lessons again.

Thanks y'all so much for the emails and the support! It definitely lifts me up hearing about all y'all.

Love you guys so much!

P.S. How's Eden doing? Or even better, tell her that she is supposed to write me! :) That is all.....haha

Hello, it should be Heaveno.................

It's all good about the skype situation. I know that I will see y'all again, and still be able to talk to y'all. That's awesome that they got to go to LA! It seems that that business is more than just a side job. It'll be exciting to see what it turns into in the future!

And your welcome for the letter! It was Sister Jensen's idea, she's awesome. I'm glad you like it, I have no idea what it looks like, but I did write the letter! :)

Ashton is a stud, one of the main things about our church is work. No dillydally when it comes to salvation. Ashton did the right thing when he was faced with that choice. (Ashton and another girl cleaned the whole church because no one else showed up!!) The church is where we worship, and makes it more comfortable for us. Just because he did that, God knows he can trust him, and now he will be faced with greater things, and grow even more! It's funny how that works, God just moves you from one hard thing to the next! But He knows what's best for us! So tell him not to shy away from what the Lord needs him to do, the more the Lord needs him, the more he will improve.

Everything continues to go great here. The family that was going to get baptized hit a few bumps. They are still willing and excited, but we needed to postpone it. The work continues to press forward! I had the opportunity to see how much my work, and Elder T's, affected our area. We heard about a message that a young man sent. In it it said, not using exact words, "I know I've done wrong. I followed the wrong crowd and have sinned. Now I have made a change. I have been praying again and the missionaries have been coming over. I can now feel the spirit in my life again!"

Isn't that awesome! It really uplifted me. We have been working with that family to get them active again, and I didn't realize how much they improved 'til now. I know that there are other people here that we have been working with as well that have the same testimony, that I can't see, but if I continue to work hard, the good from my efforts will be made manifest!

Yesterday we found three new sincere investigators, and a girl, who's interested in the gospel but is unable to take lessons, happened to be at a member's house just before we left. We had a great lesson with her, and it was awesome to finally talk to her after hearing so much about her. God is really blessing us, but we need to continue to work hard and continue to strive for celestial obedience!

It's good to hear that Kris and Terry got back safe! I bet they have amazing stories to tell! Elder T has a friend that was called to Africa, some place near them I believe, did they know any poly's or white missionaries there?

Y'all are awesome! Can't wait to hear from y'all again, Love you!!!

So Do Y'all!!!

It's alright that I didn't have that much time, and sorry that I wasted some of the time I had eating in front of y'all. But it was great, I loved seeing all y'all, and especially Casey's BIG TEETH! It's great to see that everyone's happy. I wish that I had given everyone individual time to talk, but I didn't think too far ahead to plan that! Well, I guess they'll all have to write me! :)

I'm not sure why our bishop has a gator farm, but I'll find out soon! It might just be a pond that he throws meat in... anyway he's a great guy, and I'm glad to be under him! About people marrying ten years older, it's not common, but I have seen it more than once, so don't think that that's how everybody's mindset is down here. Sis Sewell was standing behind the computer with a knife and asked, what did you say? It was funny, but I was scared... haha.

Well, I'm going to be more out there and get more pictures and do more things, last week was weird... but we are always going to strive to do better! Don't worry, I'll start chasing some animals so I'll get bit, maybe a rattlesnake... now THAT will be a good story! :) I'm kidding, but I need to be careful, cause they are starting to come out.

Hope you enjoyed the party yesterday, and I hope all is well with the extended fam! Tell everyone I love them!

PS. Did you get something from the mission office? Just wondering...

And Dad, thanks so much for that email, it really helped, and I love that quote, is that his real name? Zig Ziglar?

kckshh.........over...........

Hey y'all!
It's always good to hear from you guys. Yeah, I should be a good example for them! Jkjk. Everything is still going great. The baptism for the family is next week, and they are still doing great! We are also going to see another family that hopefully turns into more investigators. It's raining hot rain, on a 84 degree day..... yeah I know.... but I love it here! We have been singing, but I still need to get over my nervousness, but it's fun. I have only had to direct the music once, at the last baptism, but I have been able to avoid doing it....:) When they need me, then I'll step up. I am staying here for another transfer, we found out yesterday, I was worried cause I thought I was going to leave, and miss the baptism next week.

That's awesome that Carson is getting married! Now he won't kill himself doing something exotic! Actually, I take that back knowing Olivia, now he won't die alone! :) jk, that's kinda dark. It's very interesting to think that when I get back, the bachelors I once knew are going to have a wife hangin' around them...weird! Tell them I wish them the best, and that now they'll reach exaltation!

About the Jazz, I give up on them. I'm all about the Heat! Go Lebron! Naw jk, I don't know anymore, I'll have to find a cool team when I get back. Unless the Jazz get somebody good. Maybe we'll get Jimmer back! Anything can happen :)

The last letter you sent me, and I'm using my memory because I haven't looked at them recently, was Jameson and Brook flying kites. I'm pretty sure. But if I get two of the same, then I'll be fine, I'll just give it to Elder Tialino. The skateboarder, jk, he can't do much, I'm just a great photographer!

Now, how can you be partial to Jackie's dance partner last year when that was me?? You should be fully toward her partner last year! :) But I'll give Ryley props, he's a good guy. I hope she continues to do great, it's weird thinking that she only has less than three weeks left! I challenge her to get a cooler graduation picture than me, I don't think it's possible but she can try! :) (He texted me to get a picture of him on the jumbo tron and when he got to the spot where they took the picture, he pointed straight at it and winked and somehow I snapped it fast enough to get the picture!!) I'm glad she did well.

Well, about this Sunday, I will plan it out after I talk to more members. I'm thinking people are going to fight for having us at their house to skype. But I'm allowed to call you Saturday night, after six most likely. I'll talk to y'all then!

See y'all on the flip side!

Love Elder Smith