Week #63- Being a Trainer

Monday, November 4, 2013

Hey!

I have had a good week.

It has been such a blessing to train a new missionary. I forgot how much you learn. I am supposed to be the trainer, but at times I feel like I am the one getting trained. Elder Angell really helps me a lot. It is hard because a lot of the work load falls on you, and I think that is another reason you grow so much. He always wants to help, but there are things he can't say in Spanish, he doesn't always understand, and sometimes as a new missionary, you just don't know what to say in different situations. It really has made me come to appreciate my trainer and how much he did for me. We had a lesson this week with someone that was a little different, and it was funny to see Elder Angell. After the lesson, he kept telling me, "I am sorry I didn't say anything. I wanted to, I just didn't know what to say." I remember when I first started my mission and feeling that same way in awkward situations. I think I have hit my point in my mission where awkward moments are not awkward anymore. It's awesome! You really do grow a lot on a mission.

This week we were able to extend a couple of dates for December. If everything goes to plan, we will have a couple baptisms in December. Cross your fingers. There is this one lady who is so awesome! We started teaching her and after our first lesson she told us she had some addictions she wanted to stop. We set a plan with her, and she hasn't touched anything since. She stopped that day, and she hasn't even had withdrawls from stopping. It's amazing to see the joy that she has now. She reads and prays every day, and we know that always helps bring blessings. I know she is gaining a testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon and prayer in her life. It's been two weeks, and we are praying that she can keep enduring temptations. It's been an awesome testimony builder to me.

Love Elder Smith

Week #62- Meeting with Elder Sitati

Monday, October 28, 2013

Hey!

I have had an awesome, very spiritual week. Elder Sitati of the Quorum of the Seventy came for a full week, and he talked to our mission. I was also able to have a leadership meeting with him. It was so awesome! In the leadership meeting there was only like twenty of us. It was nice only having like twenty there because it was more like a discussion with him instead of him just talking to us. I learned so much in that meeting. I wish all the missionaries would have gotten the same opportunity to listen to him. We talked about how us as leaders can help encourage, lift, and motivate others more effectively. It was really good, and he said a lot of things I have never thought about. I guess that's why he is a member of the Seventy. We also had the meeting where he talked with the entire mission at the same time. He talked about our purpose as missionaries. He talked about what we need to think about when we are studying the gospel in our scriptures. For example, when we are studying the gospel, which is faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end, we need to have the questions WHY and HOW going through our head. I was able to put that into practice when I read 3rd Nephi 11. It gave me a greater understanding. I would definitely recommend trying it. Also while you study 3rd Nephi 11 think about the two action verbs to help and to invite and think WHY and HOW. I believe it will help us as members understand the role we have to invite and to help those that don't have the gospel. This can be applied to more scriptures. 

This week went really well. We got a lot of work, and we have a pretty good teaching pool. We have a lot  of investigators that are doing all that we ask and are really feeling the influence of the holy ghost in their lives. We should be having a couple baptisms in November and December. Cross your fingers. I am loving my time with Elder Angell, and yesterday, I found out that I will be spending another six weeks with him. It's going to be fun!

 

Love Elder Smith

Week #61- Meaningful Scriptures

Monday, October 21, 2013

Hey!

It is so hard to believe how fast the weeks are going by. I felt like I just had P-day. It is crazy how fast the mission is going, but it is nice to know that I can always be a missionary even after my two years of service. Like it says in the missionary section of Doctrine and Covenants section 4 verses 2 and 3.  "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work." It is so nice to know that I will always be called as a member missionary; I will always be called to this work. It is my responsibility as someone that has a desire to serve God to invite those that don't have this gospel in their life to a church activity, to listen to the missionaries, or to do service for them. Like it says in Mosiah 2:17, "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Our Heavenly Father doesn't ask too much of us. He asks us to be an example, to invite and to serve our friends and neighbors around us. He is just asking us to live the gospel. This is a gospel concept that I have been learning more and more on my mission, and I am still learning it. One thing I do know is the more I live the gospel the more I have a desire to serve those around me. There is a scripture that I have been trying to live my entire mission, and it's John 13:34-35,  "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." I know that as we live the gospel more fully and love those people we serve our Heavenly Father will be pleased with our desire to serve him. 

Love Elder Smith. 

P.S. I don't think I received any money from Grandma.

Week #59- General Conference

Monday, October 7, 2013

Hey!

Conference weekend was awesome. President committed us all to go into conference with questions, and he said they would be answered. He was correct. All my questions I had were answered through what was said in conference or by my own feelings and thoughts. It's great to know that the Lord will always answer our questions. We just need to do our part. This week went well. We are working hard and staying obedient. Elder Angell is improving every day, and it really has been a joy to be with him. He still has some fear of talking with people. I might have found a conclusion to help him. This week we were on the bus and Elder Angell was sitting by someone. I kept giving him the nod to talk with her, and he didn't do it. He wanted to, he was just too afraid. So I walked over and told the lady that "my companion is learning Spanish and would love to share a message with you. Would you be willing to listen?" She accepted to listen and he did great. He just needed a little help to get started. Hopefully, this week we can get him to do it by himself. The area is progressing slowly but progressing none the less. We have the faith, we just need to keep acting. I know there are people that are ready to listen. Our area is doing well. We were not able to have our baptism this week but hopefully soon. She will get baptized there are just a couple bumps in the road. She still needs to talk to her husband and gain a testimony of President Monson. Conference, I am sure, helped a lot. We also have another person that is super close to baptism named Tony. He is probably the most humble person I have met. I love teaching him and he is progressing well. He has a strong desire to follow Christ. He has been prepared, and it is amazing to see the different ways our Heavenly Father prepares his children. Tony was in a horrible motor bike accident about a year ago and was in a coma for 8 days. He is still recovering, but he now knows the plan God has for him, and it was amazing to see how he reacted when we taught the Plan of Salvation. To see the hope in his eyes was a strong testimony builder to me. Hopefully in the next 3 to 4 weeks, he will take that step of baptism.   

 

The Lord stated in the D&C 68:3 "And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the WILL of the Lord, shall be the MIND of the Lord, shall be the WORD of the Lord, shall be the VOICE of the Lord, and the POWER of God unto salvation". Here are a few highlights and one liners from conference:

“May we show increased kindness toward one another, and may we ever be found doing the work of the Lord” Pres. Thomas S. Monson

“Each day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny” Elder Russell M Nelson

“How we preserve time for family is one of the most significant issues we face in most cultures” Elder Quentin L Cook

“There is joy guaranteed for the faithful” Pres. Henry B. Eyring

“Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we stand up dust ourselves off, and stride forward.” Pres. Uchtdorf

“It is impossible to fail when you do your best when you are on the Lord’s errand” Elder M. Russell Ballard

“Dear Sisters, we rely on the moral force you bring to the world, to marriage, to family, to the Church” Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“Just as chalk can be removed from a blackboard, with sincere repentance the effects of our transgression can be erased through the Atonement of Jesus Christ” Pres. Boyd K. Packer

“Spiritual illumination and perspective are poured out through the windows of heaven and into our lives as we honor the law of tithing” Elder David A. Bednar

“This is HIS general conference” Elder Robert D. Hales

“Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto him” Pres. Thomas S. Monson

“If we teach by Spirit and you listen be the Spirit, some one of us will touch your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith" Pres. Uchtdorf (This was one of my favorite quotes from conference.)

Well, Got to go! 

Love Elder Smith

Week #58- The Lord Provides

Monday, September 30, 2013

Hey!

This has been a good week, and I am excited to see how next week will go. We are close to something. We have a couple solid investigators that really seem to be seekers of truth, and hopefully, we will be able to pick up this family we were able to talk to this week. We didn't get to talk to them for too long, but the mom really wants this for her kids and her husband is a less active member. It's a great little family. I have loved not having a car, and it has been so much fun talking with people. We are finding so many people and planting so many seeds.  Something that I have learned is that when I had a car, I wasted too much time with investigators that weren't going anywhere. It's nice because I can't do that anymore. We can't waste our time on those people that are not going to progress. We were able to plant the seed and with time the Lord will prepare them for other missionaries. I have found myself working really hard on our investigators that are progressing, and my desire to find those that are ready has gone up too. I always had a desire to find, but there is a different mindset when you are looking for those people the Lord has prepared. Like I said, we are working with a few investigators that are really seekers of truth. We can really see the light of Christ working within them. We have this one investigator named Mayra that I have been working on since I have been in El Molino. She is awesome and she has done everything we have asked her. Her baptism is set for the 5th of October, and we are praying that she will make this date. She has a strong testimony, but she said she doesn't feel ready yet. We are fasting with her, hoping it will help her feel ready. It's crazy! I know she is going to be baptized soon; she just stresses me out sometimes. Everything happens for a reason. We asked her to read Alma 36 during her fast and to put her name in the place of Helaman. I have always known about that scripture, but for some reason that is the scripture the Lord wanted her to read. I always start my personal study by reading a quick chapter in the Book of Mormon. Alma 36 just happened to be the scripture I was on that day, and that scripture talked about everything she needed. It was a strong testimony builder for me on the power of the Book of Mormon, and the Lord always provides if you put your trust in Him. We were not sure what we wanted to share with her, but it was pretty clear we needed to talk about that chapter after I read it. Haha! Our church is so true.

Elder Smith

Week #57- Training a New Companion

Monday, September 23, 2013

Hey!

This week I probably endured my hardest trial of my mission. It was so crazy. My companion and I were on the bus, and I started to contact a guy on the bus. He was wearing a UCLA shirt so I naturally started a conversation with him about college football. As we kept talking he informed me that he was headed to the UCLA football game in the Rose bowl stadium, and he invited me and my companion to go. He informed me that since he was a student he could get one extra person in for free and then one of his friends would get my companion in for free. The stadium is in our area so it would have been really easy to go, but I said no. President has informed us that we are not able to go to a game unless it is on a P day. Haha! They were even giving out free shirts and everything. It wasn't that hard to say no but it would have been a lot of fun to go. That was my trial of the week. My new companion is Elder Angell and he is a really good guy. He is my third companion that has red hair and he is another companion that is taller than me. Could have guessed that one. Elder Angell is very smart. He is from Georgia, and he reminds me a lot of Aaron Whittier. This week we were blessed to find a lot of people to teach and Elder Angell was able to invite someone to be baptized. He said yes, and he seems very interested. He loved what we taught and he has connections into the church which is always better. We will see what happens with him. We were also blessed to have a lot of meetings this week. It is always a blessing to hear from President. He always has a training day for the new missionaries and since I am his companion I was able to go. He talked a lot about the doctrine of Christ and our role as missionaries. I am glad I got to go. We also had an extra hour and a half of studies for the 12 week program. It's weird not leaving the apartment at 10:30. It will take a little getting used to. I am getting used to the bus and train and I am loving it. I love talking with people; it is so much fun. Once you break the ice, it is really easy. You just need to get them to laugh once and then you have them. It is so awesome to be on a mission and see how the Lord works. The only problem with that is you get to see how the devil works, and I am learning it's through dogs and headphones. They both make things very hard for missionaries. Well, got to go.

Love Elder Smith 

Week #56- Learning the Bus

Monday, September 16, 2013

Hey!

I have had a pretty crazy week. It is transfer week and I was informed that I will be training. I am super excited. I am not sure who it will be or what he is like. I am picking him up tomorrow so it will be a pretty crazy week. This week we also got rid of all the cars in the entire mission. So I have been bussing a lot. It's a little stressful. They don't want the new missionaries to know that we had a car, so I feel like I need to be perfect at using the bus so he feels like I know what I am doing. I have only been using the bus for two days so at times I am lost. It will be an adventure. As for the bus, I love it. It's so much fun talking with people, and you see a lot of crazy things. I have already seen some success from doing it, and I am excited to see what will come from it. Our area is growing. We have an investigator that should be getting baptized in a couple weeks. She is awesome and she already has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. We also found another family in our area that already has member support. They seem solid. It's fun to see all the changes that have been happening and to see all the miracles that come with change. Time is going by faster and faster every week. I can't believe how fast it goes. I love my mission.

Elder Ryan Smith

Week #55- Branch Fireside

Monday, September 9, 2013

Hey!

Sorry I don't have much time this week to write. I had a long letter to President and it took a lot of my time. Everything here is good in the little branch. Today, we are in charge of a fireside for the branch and I am a little nervous. It will be the first time in my whole mission that I have been in charge of something like this. The district leader is always in charge of things like this. It's a little stressful. I have a great district that helps me a lot and takes away a lot of stress. The theme is the Book of Mormon and the importance of reading it as a family. We are going to start with two testimonies from converts and their conversion through the Book of Mormon. After that there will be a discussion by our ward mission leader on the importance of reading the Book of Mormon as a family, and then our district will role play and show them how to read with a family. We are going to end by splitting into groups and reading a chapter out of the Book of Mormon. Oh, yeah. After that the president of the branch is going to stand and commit them to read as a family every night. I hope it turns out good.

This last week was really good. We have some investigators that are really progressing well and it is fun to see.  We are also really struggling to find people to teach. This week we knocked an apartment complex and it was full of Asians and white people. It was a little tough. I am used to every one that you walk by speaks Spanish, but in this area that is not the case. I know there are more people that are ready to listen, we just need to keep working hard and we will find them. 

Love Elder Smith

Week #54- Hastening the Work

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Hey!

We had another good week. We were able to teach a lot and our branch had two baptisms. A wife and a husband were baptized, and their daughter should be getting baptized in a couple of weeks. They are a really good family. I was able to interview them, and they were super ready to be baptized. They had been investigating the church for a pretty long time and they just needed to commit. Everyone commits at different times, and I know that this was the time they needed to be baptized. I love baptisms. Today we are taking one of our investigators to the visitors' center at the temple. I hope she gets an answer today. She is super awesome, she reads, she prays, she goes to church, but she says she hasn't received an answer still. It's hard when they don't recognize the answer that they have received. We have been trying to help her recognize it,  but we haven't been super successful. Hopefully, the temple can do a better job than us. We have another investigator that is progressing really well with smoking. He gets better every day. It's amazing to see his faith grow in the Lord. It was hard for him at first, but now he is on a roll, and he knows he is getting help from above. This last week we had a  zone conference and president told us that for the pilot program the church is having our mission do we will all be losing our cars. The only people that will have transportation are the APs and president. It started out that only a few areas  were going to do it, but now it is every area. I am really excited for it. I love talking with people on the bus, and I am going to try learning some basic Chinese so I can try getting an address or something. In our area we have so many different cultures, and I don't want the language barrier to stop me from talking with them. We will see how it goes. It is really exciting to be out on a mission at this time with all these changes. The Lord is really hastening his work and it's fun to see.

Love Elder Smith   

Week #53- Great Member Support

Monday, August 26, 2013

Hey!

We had a really good week. We were blessed to teach a lot this week and to stay busy. We have a lot of good investigators that are progressing really well and have a desire to be better. It's been fun to get to know them and see them progress. Our ward did a really good job at making our investigators feel welcome at church this week. One of our investigators named Juan told me, "I feel like I am getting assaulted by people." He really liked it. It made him feel loved and important. It was really cool to see how he would react to people coming up to him. He would tell them, "I want to be baptized, but I have to stop smoking first," and the members would share experiences with him how they stopped smoking, or they would just pump him up. It was cool to see the support from the members. That extra support is really going to help him stop. We also have a lady named Myra who is awesome! She brought 5 kids to church on the bus this week, and she isn't even a member. She acts like she is already a member. She should be getting baptized some time this month, but she says she hasn't received an answer yet. Hopefully, we can help her get her answer or help her recognize it. It was definitely a week full of excitement!

 Love Elder Smith 

Week #52- One Year Down

Monday, August 19, 2013

Hey!

Time is flying by. I can't believe another week has already passed. Time really does fly when you are having fun! This was a really good week, and I can see the area progressing. We were blessed to find a family to teach last week, and all of the investigators we already had are progressing well. It's nice to be able to see the work you're putting in cause a change. I am still a little worried about how we are going to find consistently every week. There just aren't as many Latinos in this area. It is forcing me to be more creative in my finding and to rely on the Holy Ghost more. I love the area and I am thankful for the things I am learning about myself in this area. It's amazing what you learn in each area you serve.

I gave my first district meeting this last week, and I think it went well. There was a lot of participation from everyone in the district which was really nice. They really taught me way more than I could have taught them. The lesson was on humility. I based it off the talk by Marlin K Jensen of the 70. Haha! Look at that-Elder Smith's first district meeting was on humility-who would have guessed.

Well, got to go. I don't have much more time. 

Love Elder Smith

P.S. Paige is going to Virginia? I don't think I have received any emails from her, but I will check.

The church building we meet in is the South Pas. building.

Week #51- My New Area

Monday, August 12, 2013

Hey!

Things here are great! I love my new area. The members are awesome, and we are teaching a handful of people that are progressing. It's really exciting! I haven't got to see how the branch works very much because we had stake conference. There are a lot of things happening in the stake. It is splitting up into English and Spanish. It's still a Spanish stake, but the primary classes will all be in English and same with the youth classes. In Sacrament meeting if you are addressing the youth, you speak in English. There is going to be people called to be translators, probably missionaries. Another thing that is happening in the branch is that a missionary is going to be called to work with the young men. A lot of changes are happening and it's really cool to be able to see them all. I think it will work really well and will help the youth to get excited about the gospel. The area is really different. It's really rich and there aren't as many Latinos. It's a lot harder to find. In my last 2 areas 8 out of 10 people walking down the street spoke only Spanish, and now it's like 1 out of 10. It's different, but I am excited to learn how to find in more creative ways. I am going to learn a lot in this area, and this area is going to really push me to be better. I am super excited for the challenge. Sorry, got to go.

Love Elder Smith

Week #50- Happy Birthday!

Monday, August 5, 2013

Hey Everybody!

Thanks so much for the happy birthday massages. They were really nice! I did receive the package and thanks so much for all the candy and and stuff inside. That water bottle is super cool, it keeps the water really cold. Thanks for the gift. I would have to say the best gift was the baptism we had yesterday for Jaime. It was so awesome! He is going to be an awesome member. It was such a great baptism and a great way to leave Fletcher. Yes, I am leaving. I am serving in El Molino in Pasadina. It's a branch not a ward, and I was called as district leader. I'm a little nervous. It was a little hard to leave, but I had a great ending with the baptism, and we found a ton of people to teach. It was my time to go, and I am looking forward to my new area. A fun fact: if I am here until January I will be able to watch the Rose bowl parade. Not that the parade even matters, but it is kind of cool. My new companion is Elder Pickett. He is super awesome and I have been around him a lot in my mission. He was in my district for three transfers as a zone leader, and he is a super fun guy. I am excited to learn and work with him.

For my birthday last night we stopped at the familia Chun. Our whole district was there and they all sang to me and gave me a cake. They also pushed my head into the cake. Elder Christensen took some pictures so hopefully he will send them to me soon. It was a lot of fun! Today we stopped and ate at Arbys. El Molino is the only area in the mission that has an Arbys, I think. Best fast food place ever. Well, I got to go. Thanks for the gifts and everything.

Love Elder Smith

Week #49- Learning and Growing

Monday, July 29, 2013

Hey!

That is crazy that Jared is home. It goes by so fast. I think it goes by so fast because you are learning and growing so much. I'm glad to hear that Jared has grown. I hope when I get home people will be able to say Elder Smith has grown so much and has a powerful testimony of the Savior and His love. I am super thankful for this opportunity I have to serve the Lord, to learn, and to grow closer to my Savior. Something I have been studying a lot is the Atonement. As I have learned more about this my love for the Savior has grown. A talk on the Atonement that I love is a talk titled "Atonement All for All" http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/04/the-atonement-all-for-all?lang=eng. If you want to copy and paste that in the search bar it will take you straight to the talk. President Becerra referred me to this talk. I've only been able to read it once, but I am excited for this week so I can actually study it.

I am really excited for this week. We have a lot of set lessons, we are planning on giving out a lot of baptismal dates, and Jaime, someone I have been teaching for the past 5 months, will probably be getting baptized on the 4th. I hope it all works out. I really have grown a great love for Jaime, and he is a great example to me of enduring. It is so awesome to see how much he has grown and to see him at this point. He is going to be an awesome member.

I can't believe it is almost August. Kids here will be starting school in a week. It stinks they have such a short vacation. Will you send me Brayden's e-mail? I need to tell him that the more hot things you eat the faster you will learn Spanish. Haha! That's what Latinos tell all the white people. It will get easier for him. It's always hard at first but it gets easier. Please tell Grandma thank you for the card, and yes, I got it. Tell Derek good luck with two-a-days and that I am cheering for him.

Love Elder Smith

Week #48- Testimony of Prayer

Monday, July 22, 2013

Hey!

It sounds like there is a lot of exciting things happening at home: new cars, swimming lessons, tests, and it's getting about time for 2-a-days right? August is going to be a fun month for you all.

 

I can't believe it's almost football season already. Two years is not that long. One question: Is Derek going to be the one driving the brand new car?

 

We had areally good week. A lot is happening here in our area. We are finding, teaching, and always laughing. I feel like we are super close to seeing our area explode! There are a few things we still need to fix and get settled, but we are getting closer every week. This week someone we have been teaching and has been progressing really well's wife went into the hospital, and we haven't been able to talk to him since. She has been there all week. His wife has super bad diabetes, and it has caused her to lose almost all of her vision. I hope she gets better and that he keeps progressing. It's in times like this that the gospel and prayer will bring the most comfort. Knowing that I always have somebody to talk and turn to has been a great blessing for me. My faith and testimony has increased so much on the power of prayer, and I am so thankful for prayer in my life. It is a great comfort to me in hard times knowing that He is there for me, and it is a blessing to know that I can pray for others, and it can bring them comfort in hard times. We truly have a loving Heavenly Father.  

 

Love Elder Smith

Week #47- Summer Mission Party

Monday, July 15, 2013

Hey!

We have had a good week, and we have been busy. This last week we were able to have a mission party for the summer. We played water games, there was a bbq, talking, and a three point shootout. It wasn't very organized, so I don't know who won. It was lot of fun to see all of my past companions and past districts. We only have two parties a year-the Christmas party and this summer party. President said something funny right before the bbq. He said, "There is wisdom in working hard and playing hard." He was correct. We played hard, and after worked even harder. This last week was awesome. We taught and we found. I felt like we gave some really good first lessons this week. Hopefully, they can turn into being some seconds and thirds. We are teaching a family that is progressing pretty well. They are going to church, praying, and reading. It's awesome to see this family progress. We have others that are on the boarder line, doing some things but not all. Hopefully, we can discern what they need and teach accordingly so that they can take that step closer. I am loving my area and there is a lot of work to do in it. The area is moving pretty well. We are just going to keep working hard so we can take that next step with our area. Well, got to go.

Love Elder Smith

Week #46- Change is Good

Monday, July 8, 2013

Hey!

Everything here in L.A. is going good. We had another great week, and I can see the work really moving. A couple weeks ago a family was baptized that I was privileged enough to teach in Pomona. I wasn't able to go, but it was so great to hear that they were finally baptized. They had been getting taught for a pretty long time, and they could never get baptized because of a weird situation. They always wanted to be baptized so it was nice to see that the Lord helps to work out those situations. I have a strong testimony that our Heavenly Father has his hands in this work and that this work is starting to move. It's an amazing blessing that I have to be able to see the Lord work and to see people change. 

Can you tell Jason and Hailey that I'm sorry I haven't written them. I have a list of people that I am trying to write but P-days seem to go too fast. I will try to make more time to write letters on my P-days. I have a lot of catching up to do. :) I read every e-mail you send, and I am super happy that dad found a job. It's a great blessing. Tell me when you find a house in Twin Falls. Are you going to stay with grandma if you sell the house before the school year? What is Grandma going to do? Is Dad still the Bishop? I just want to let you and dad know that I support any decision you guys make and that it's not where you live that makes it feel like home it's the people. Salmon was a great place to grow up, and I love it there, but I am excited for all of you and the change that is happening. I'm fine and don't worry too much about me. Everything is great here.

Love Elder Smith  

Week #45- God's Love

Monday, July 1, 2013

Hey!

We have had a pretty crazy week. We have had a lot of different things happen that have made me think a lot. This week a lady in our ward's best friend got hit by a car right in front of her. It was really sad that she had to witness that. The person that was driving didn't stop and just kept driving. It's a sad situation, but she is doing good, and we were able to give her a blessing. She talked about the plan of salvation a lot, and she knows that she is going to see her friend again one day. We are so blessed as members to know that God has a plan for us and to know that we will be able to see those closest to us again after this life. Just having a knowledge of this plan brought peace to this member's soul, and I know that it brings peace to all of our souls. I am so thankful for the peace and comfort that this plan gives to me, and I am so thankful for our Heavenly Father's love. I have been able to see and feel his love more in this time of my life than ever before, and I have a testimony that we have a loving Heavenly Father that cares for us and wants the best for us. I wish I could have recognized how much he loves us a long time ago.  

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

I know that God loved us so much that he sent his son to die for us so that this plan would work. I know that the plan of salvation is set up perfectly for our benefit, and I know that everything starts with God's love.

Love Elder Smith

Week #44- Leave Our Comfort Zones

Monday, June 24, 2013

Hey!

How is everything going? How is everyone enjoying their summer? I cannot believe how hot it is here. I am getting used to it, but I am a little worried about when the temperature hits in the 100's and I am biking. That is too hot! I am definitely an Idaho Boy. Besides the weather getting super hot super fast, everything here is great! I found out this weekend I will be staying another six weeks in Fletcher. I am super excited for that. I love this ward and I love the people we are teaching. After this six weeks I will have spent six months of my mission in one area. I love it when you spend a long time in one area. I don't ever remember missionaries staying that long at home. Were you able to watch the broadcast? It was super good. I loved how they talked about missionaries and members working together in missionary work. After the broadcast President talked to us all about how we need to get out of our comfort zone and go into the deep waters because that's where we will catch the fish. This is something I have thought about my whole mission-about how I need to get out of my comfort zone. I know the comfort zone is in the shallow waters, and I know that I can't spend my time thinking about going into the deep end. I just need to dive and trust that the Lord will give me the strength to keep swimming and not sink! President got this example from Luke chapter 5 if anyone would like to check it out. I know that fear is a big cause of this, and I know as members and as missionaries we need to dive and be not afraid.

Love Elder Smith    

Week #43- True Happiness

Monday, June 17, 2013

Hey!

Well, things are good here and we are staying really busy. The Lord's work is moving every day, and I am blessed to have a little part in it. We were able to give one of the people we baptized the holy ghost this last Sunday, and the other family was out of town so this coming Sunday, she will be blessed to receive the holy ghost. It was so cool to go back to their houses and teach them after their baptisms. They were both glowing, and they were both so happy. This gospel really does bring true happiness. That's a question that I have always been asked, "Why are you so happy?" I know that the reason people always ask us why we are so happy is because we know the plan our Heavenly Father has for us, we know where we are going, and best of all we know what we need to do to return to him. We should be the happiest people in the world. We are super blessed to have this gospel, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to share the plan of happiness with everyone I can find.

Love Elder Smith