April 22, 2013

I heard about the Boston explosions, which is crazy. I just thought about Jameson being at the marathons, but he knows to be careful. I didn't know about the fertilizer plant exploding, or that the guys were caught, that's knew information for me. Elder Harrer and I were just talking about how Satan is turning up the heat on the world, and how members need to step it up, or they will fall back into a bad routine. We are dealing with a lazy ward, and are trying to get them more active, and more engaged. Yesterday we had Elder Munns of the seventy speak at our ward about this exact thing, it helped a lot. We are also seeing some improvements. Things are picking up again, and I hope it continues to progress!

Not much happened with our investigators this week. Tracted a lot, and I wore sunscreen this time! I'm sorry but I didn't get a picture of the helmet strap on my face, but I still have the summer to get one!

We had an awesome experience last night. We got to go to a fireside with Marvin Goldstein, a famous piano player, and another famous singer who's name escapes me, Vanessa? But it was two hours long, and very uplifting. He is a funny guy! He was cracking jokes left and right, and it was real fun to be there. He talked about his conversion story from being a Jew to LDS. It took 4 years! He also told us he pushed a missionary into the pool, and he had his suit on! You can kind of see what kind of man this is, haha. He started playing the piano when he was 9, and 3 hours a day he practiced. He is now 60, so he is real good! There were several families from chipley there, and I got to catch up with them. It was really weird to see them. It was like seeing family.

We are still doing good though! President Jensen asked my thoughts on moving to Georgia Macon mission, and I told him wherever the Lord wants to send me I'll go! So who knows? I might be changing missions! I also learned that Javi is going to be absorbed in that mission, so that will be an interesting experience!

About Daniel, I think it's awesome that he is going with the Johnsons. They are a good family. It's going to help a lot having Daniel be around them, especially right after Gibson gets back.

I need to start running more if Jameson is going to recruit me for that...how many miles do they run again? Whew! :)

LOVE y'all and talk to you next week, I'm fixen to head out! :)

April 15, 2013

 Transfers were last week, and I'm still here! Next transfer is going to be the crazy one, we are getting over 23 new missionaries. There is probably going to be many changes.

 Yeah I agree last month went fast... and I only have 4 transfers left after this one, I could only have one area left! I think it's funny how I have never met Tati, yet she is such a big part of y'all's life now! Or OUR life now....:) I can't wait to meet her, another month and I will be able to see y'all. Can't wait!

 Work is good, many things are happening now. We have 98 BCDs, and we had 8 baptisms last week, including Muriah, who was baptized Thursday. That was an amazing experience! We had to scramble to get her program done. And luckily the Lord blessed us. We made a rough draft and was trying to find someone to make it look good on the computer, as so we tried to see a family who knows how to do that stuff. They weren't home, and after thinking, went to the library to do it ourselves. We got there and the mom was just leaving the library, and drove past us and said hi! We stopped her and talked and she volunteered to help! She did a great job too. The program ended up getting jammed in the copier... wasn't my fault. :) But we flattened it out and everything went fine, we also had her last lesson 15 minutes before we started. But the Spirit was there, and everyone was touched in the room. She bore her testimony after the baptism, and it was strong. It makes me happy to see somebody's life change and to know that they will stay strong.

 The weather is getting hotter now! We biked around 5 hours last saturday and I got burned, and Elder Harrer, being a darker shade, didn't... someone told me that rubbing on egg whites helps it heal faster right after the burn, and so I tried it. It felt like I had scales and it was like a thin cast on my arms, it was really weird. But I woke up the next day and my arms didn't hurt! Turns out they were right! I still had the helmet straps sun burnt into my face for all to see at church, but I took it as a sign of hard work! :)

 Nate is going to have a fun time in Africa! What language is he going to learn? Is Carson going to give him all his tips now?

 What is Ashton's date to move? And when will they visit after they leave? It is always good to prepare! Of course they will be back for my homecoming, right? I'm thinking too far ahead, I still have a third of my mission left! And you don't have to send me them, I find that I compare myself too much with them, so I think this would be best!

 

Still holding on the the truth!! :)

Love you lots also!!!!

 

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April 8, 2013

Did you forget to attach the picture? I didn't get one, but it's alright. :) I greatly enjoyed General Conference too. Lots of great talks and I took many notes. We have many more sisters now, lat transfer we only had like 5 new sisters, but this next transfer I think there are 24 coming in. That number, we've been told is going to stay constant for a while. Before they haven't had sisters in leadership positions, but they are now organizing a Zone Leader Conference where they are going to talk about implementing it. That is a big change.

I also love this gospel! I do not plan on wavering like many of the return missionaries. I put too much effort in becoming who I am to waste it all and destroy what I built up. I feel bad every time I think about that. I served with a missionary that was like that, was not fun.... I learned from it though. It seemed there was absolutely no progression on his part. But thank goodness God made a way for us to get work done.

This week went great! We didn't get that many lessons in, but we did get 3 solid new investigators. We have lots of people to teach now. We have a for sure baptism this Thursday. And we are weeks away from having another baptism ready for a family we've been working with.

We had a funny experience. We were trying to find this hidden baseball field to tract around it, but couldn't find it for a while. We asked a few people, and there was a particular person we talked to on the corner of an intersection. His name was Brother Andrews, he was a lead minister of another church. Sounds bad right? We didn't argue, only discussed. We would've walked away after the first 30 minutes after we found he wasn't interested, but we felt the Spirit, so we stayed. He talked to us about many things, and he was a good teacher. He helped be to listed better, and to think in tense situations. He was kind enough to stop and listen to our points and was very reasonable. After about 50 minutes of talking, a younger lady pulled up and got out. I only saw the head motion of my comp as he looked at her. The conversation stopped as my comp asked her what she needed. I looked and noticed her standing next to me. She said, "Y'all are the missionaries right? I've been less-active and my husband isn't a member and we would like y'all to visit us. I saw you and had to stop and ask." You could imagine the look of the minister's face. I got the information from her and got to know her a little more, and she is way cool. My companion continued to speak with bro Andrews. I really think, besides learning from Bro Andrews, that we were prompted to stay there just so she could see us and stop to invite us. We ended up staying and talking to him a bit more. It all went well, he really taught us to study diligently and connect bridges. We are now doing so, and it's helping he was right, probably not to the effect he wanted though... :)

Many good things are happening, and we are being blessed. Our mission has 85 baptisms scheduled now, and hopefully they all will be followed through with. The stone continues to roll.

I love y'all, good to hear from you as always. I didn't tell you this previously, but I "out grew" the new suit you bought me.... But happy news! I fit in it again!! :D Miracles just continue to happen! haha

I'll talk to you next week!

March 25, 2013

Oh, I thought I did. Well it's

4141 15th street apt #323

Panama City FL, 32401

Good thing things are good! That's weird that Dallon got his call. Every time I hear his name I think of little dallon passing the sacrament! I heard from Dad that gretchen was a little bummed about staying in the states, but to be called to independance is awesome! That is a cool mission, she could be the one to influence the building of the temple, who knows?!

Things are still going well, still working on our investigators, moved back their dates again, but they are progressing still! I absolutely love the work, and now I understand the workings of the spirit like never before! So all those things I heard from everybody is true, but it makes a huge difference experiencing it. A big change, I don't know if I told y'all, but we can now email friends, priesthood leaders, and recent converts. But don't throw out that information to just anybody, I still don't have enough time to email all! :) But the church is true, and God still loves all his children. I found a new appreciation for our savior's sacrifice, and now that easter is coming up, it's going to be strengthened even more!

Love all y'all lots, and I'm continually praying for you. Stay safe!

April 1, 2013

No way! Brother Adams died? He was my favorite... Brother Wilson too, he was always one that I remember seeing go to church in his wheelchair... The ward isn't going to be the same without them. I said the same thing when the Willard's moved.

Well, I'm glad that Cade had a good birthday. I know it's late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY CADE ! ! Sorry I didn't send anything. What was the "coolest hat" like?

I think the Brazilians are trying to marry off one of their daughters to americans, and that's why they brought two of their other daughters!... :) haha. By the way, there is a Brazilian in our ward. What is "hello, good to see you" in portuguese?

There is a lot of excitement going on over there. Over here there is a lot too! We now know our investigator is finally ready to be baptized! They are awesome, now we just need to wait two weeks, and strengthen them! The family we are working with, not so much, but they are still great people. Progress! We are helping a guy who has been away from the gospel for years, and he is helping us out so much. He is going to introduce us to some rugby players on Air Force's national rugby team! I don't exactly know when yet. I will also have y'all know that I lost five pounds, and now am at a constant 215!

This past transfer has really been hard, but definitely worth it. I have made a lot of improvements, and really feel the Spirit working through us.

Quick story, we helped a single mom with 3 kids move, and we needed a truck. We called people a couple days prior, but no success. But the day before, I pondered who could help us. I thought of a less-active man, who is usually gone. But I had the strongest feeling that he would be there that morning before we needed help. I didn't worry, and I knew I had a confirmation. Sure enough we drove to the house he was staying at, and as we drove down the street (he stayed in the last house on the street) we saw a shirtless man walk across, and I was thinking, NO WAY! He was there, and we talked to him, but his truck already had stuff in it... But we ended up getting a call 10 minutes prior from a member asking if we still needed a truck, so it turned out to be a miracle anyway! God watches out for us! She was an investigator at one point and she was super thankful for the help, she said we saved her many tears!

The Church is still true! And I can't wait to hear what's going to happen in General Conference, so exciting!

Love you lots! And I'll talk to you later!

Elder Smith