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