September 30, 2013

Hola Mi Familia,

    

This week was really busy with meetings and such.  We had Zone Conference up in Las Cruces and that was good.  I went on splits with the Zone leaders and that was good as well.  It just seemed like a busy week, but that’s mission life, and I cannot complain.  It’s what I signed up for.  Zone Conference, like I said, was good.  It was good to be trained and stuff.  Our ZL's gave a really good training, and I enjoyed that a lot.  The theme of Zone Conference was "Remember This."  It is a subject at the very back of Preach My Gospel.  President Miller picked it, and it turned out to be a really good theme.  All the speakers picked bullet points on the topic and expounded on them.  President Miller of course delivered a great talk.  His wife reminds me a lot of you, Mom.  She is funny and always trying to laugh about something.  It is funny how the Lord works and he puts attributes into you President and his wife that are like your parents.  I love them both so much.  He talked about the story in the bible about Jesus healing the Roman Captain’s servant and talked about the faith behind the Roman Captain.  The funny thing was I just read that in Jesus the Christ and he expanded on it in Zone Conference.   He also said a quote that stuck with me.  He said, "Your chapter of high school is now over.  Your chapter now is a disciple of Jesus Christ."  It stuck with me because you have to mature a lot more lately.  You can't focus on your past life and what is out in the world.  You’re here to serve you Lord and not have fun.  You can have fun along the way, but you’re not just out here to just mess around.  Yesterday we were eating with a family, and the other Elders went somewhere else.  It was just me, my companion, and the father of the home.  They speak English so I could understand luckily.  We started talking about the new mission age and how 18 years olds need to be mature and not just come out.  My companion said something really nice about me.  He told the father of the home, “Elder Smith was ready.  He is mature, and he knows how to work.”  It’s funny how the companion who you don't work hard with you still love to death.  He turns into someone who you have fun with, and you just got to work through the problems.  I thought that was way nice of him to say that about me.   We have been talking a lot lately together that the missionaries that came out to this mission last transfer have been mostly 18 year olds, and they aren't ready, and you got to come out when you’re ready.  I liked a lot what President Miller staid about that.  But ya, that was Zone Conference for you. 

 

I went on exchanges with the ZL's as well.  I went over to their area which is called Sunland Park.  It is a pretty cool area.  You pretty much work in the area by the border.  You can see the patrol cars on the big mountains looking over to Mexico and the long black fence that goes along the border with Mexico.  You pretty much could walk up to the border and touch it.  It is super close.  I was with Elder Taylor, and he is an awesome missionary.  He works super hard, and he is a person who you can just love.  He played lacrosse for Davis High so that is sweet, and we get along.  I wouldn't be surprised if he goes AP next transfer.  On Friday we had no luck.  Every person we went by wasn't home or was too busy.  We had no success till really late at night when we stop by this lady’s house.  She lived in this shack kind of house.  I really don't know what it was.  We came in and it made you humble because of what you have.  See was white but could speak Spanish.  It was weird, and her dad was pure Mexican.  We got there, and her dad has been really sick lately and she has been trying to figure out ways to heal him.  We gave him a blessing so hopefully that will help.  But the way she told us to heal someone cracked me up.  She told us that the preacher told her to go up behind him, imagine Jesus and say, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," and they would heal.  I laughed really hard inside.  We left and it was an interesting lesson.  I found out later that she was a less-active member and has fallen into catholic traditions again.  It was a trip.

 

But other than those things not much has happen this week.  Our investigators are doing pretty well.  We found a new family, which is awesome.  They seem pretty solid. Cecilia is going through a really hard divorce, and we keep promising it will get easier.  She is such a stud and is an awesome lady.  We are going to have a baptism next Sunday, probably for Gina, and Gorge is going to do that.  Jesus is still kicking it, and he is awesome.  He is starting to warm up to us a lot.  He showed us his surgery scar on his side and, oh my goodness, it was huge.  He loves our visits and so do I.  I hope down the road he gets baptized.  If not, I have learned a lot from him.  Not much else has happened down here.  Transfer planning is the end of this week.  Elder Taylor and Elder Mason have mentioned that I might be training.  I don't know if I will but it will be fun if I do, and I think it might be good for me.  My Spanish stinks, but you just have to rely on the Lord a lot.  Without him I wouldn't be speaking Spanish nor be able to cope with the stress that comes with it.  I just always tell myself that it will come, and I just have to laugh about it when I can't speak that well.  But it is all good.  That was pretty much my week.

 

It sounds like everything is going well at home.  I miss Beary and everyone.  It sounds like football is good.  I hope this week goes well for you guys.  Just know how much I love you guys and pray for you guys!  I miss you guys tons, and I love you guys a lot!  Have an awesome week!

 

Con mucho amor,

    -Elder Smith

September 23, 2013

Hola Familia!

 

It was way good to get all your emails and read them!  It sounds like everything is going good at home.  This week was an okay week.  Not much happened because my companion was sick with something.  We had to stay in the house for three days.  I thought he could have just manned up and taught some people, but he didn't.  He sounded like he only had a stuffy nose, but he kept saying he was feeling weak.  Sometimes you have to put your big boy pants on and work.  He also focuses more on himself than on investigators and people.  He worries about his needs more than theirs.  You got to forget yourself out here.  So ya that was most of my week, sitting in the house reading Jesus the Christ and D&C.  If you can believe it I almost have finished Jesus the Christ because of all the time my companion has been wasting.  He doesn't like to do companionship study so I pick it up and read until language study time, and when he doesn't want to work I pick it up and read it some more.  It is a really good book, and I enjoy reading it.  I am excited to get a new companion.  I kind of want to train because I want to do the 12 week packet again and so my Spanish can pick up.  But I am happy with anything that gets thrown my way. 

 

On Friday and Saturday we started teaching so people.  On Friday we stopped by Jesus and he is doing good.  He is slowly recovering and he enjoys our chats from the doorstep.  I hope through this trial his heart is going to soften and he will accept the gospel this time.  We didn't stop by Margarita because we kind of gave her the boot cuz she won’t do anything we tell her to do.  We also taught Jorge and Gina.  They are doing super good.  The got married on Saturday so we went to that.  It was a small wedding, and they didn't want to throw a big party because they want to wait till they get sealed in a year.  I think I will be able to attend that so I am excited.  But the wedding was good but long.  She is now cleared to get baptized in 2 weeks so I am excited for that.  Jorge is going to do it so that will be awesome to see.  Cecilia couldn't find time to meet with us this week but she came to church this week with her daughter.  We are going this Tuesday to teach her and the family.  She told us at church that the divorce keeps on getting worse and worse.  So that’s not good.  We are probably going to invite her to be baptized this Tuesday.  We went to the outlet mall, which is just up our street, and we were going to visit a less-active member who works there and see if we could talk to anyone else.  My companion also wanted to look a basketball shoes because he is obsessed with basketball and stuff.  So we started walking in, and this man stopped us.  He is a member from Sandy, Utah, and he just wanted to talk to us.  He also wanted to take us to lunch on Tuesday.  He is super nice.  He asked where I lived in Utah, and I told him where and gave the address to him.  So if he comes knocking on our door don't be alarmed - he is nice.  His name is Brother Clough and he is now taking us to lunch on Tuesday.  So hopefully that goes well.  But other than that, not much has happened down here.  It is starting to cool down here too, but it is still like 80 down here.  At night it gets super cold because we are in the desert, but my sheets and blanket fight off the cold just fine.  But other than that stuff I am doing good.

  

Hopefully everything at home is good this week, and Charlie doesn't bolt for Tyler’s room again in the night.  That made me laugh!  I hope Bear is doing good and give him a scratch for me!  I am bummed I can't see Breaking Bad.  It sounds super intense.  I hope you guys have a great week, football goes well this week, and the Pack get things turned around this BYE week!  You guys are always in my prayers and I miss you and love you guys tons!

 

Con mucho amor,

-Elder Smith

 

September 16, 2013

Hey Everyone! 

This week was pretty nuts.  It rained here four straight days.  It was crazy.  I'll tell you more about it later.  We also had a ward party this week to celebrate Mexico Independence that's today.  All I can say is that Mexicans go nuts.  They had a full-on DJ table, and they were dancing like there was no tomorrow.  They had good food at it too which was nice.  One of our investigators showed up, and we were happy.  It was Cecilia.  We were super happy she did.  I love her so much.  We were going to teach her yesterday but she had to cancel because she was at her mom’s.  We were super bummed because that's the only day we can really teach her because she is super busy with work and her son's football games.  I think we are going to stop by sometime this week and see how she is.  It is always a highlight of my week and a good way to end it, but it didn't happen this week.   We saw Jesus this week and that was good.  He is doing really well and he told us he just needs time and that he was ready to hear from us again.  He is a stud, and the Priesthood is so real.  I don't know what would have happened if we didn't stop by and give him a blessing.  I can tell that the blessing definitely helped.  I hope it softens his heart and that he is ready for baptism once he is in one piece again.  But we are going to continue on stopping by and helping him out.  Margarita is a head case as I have told you.  She is a nut but I love her for some odd reason.  It is always a trip to go over to her house.  She has this dog that will play with you and he tries to bite your hand when they are on your sides.  He gets such big air it makes me laugh every time and makes me miss Beary the bone eater.  But back to Margarita.  We are probably going to drop her this week because she isn't coming to church, and we think she might hide from us when we go over on Sunday to get her.  Yesterday we stopped by and before we even opened the gate her daughter came running out and said she wasn't there - but her car was definitely there.  So she probably was home, but she didn't want to talk with us.  She also isn't really praying and reading so she is going to get the boot real soon.  We didn't find any new investigators again this week.  I kept on telling my companion we need to, but he was too lazy to knock.  But on Thursday we tried getting new ones by doing service.  So from Wednesday to Saturday it rained, but Thursday was when the storm was at its prime.  It was seriously nuts down her because they don't have good draining methods so the rain just gets stuck in one area.  The rain was so bad that the main highway sections were closed off because there were straight up rivers going through it.  It was awesome.  We have a Chevy Cruze, and I was surprised it was making it through some of the things we were going through.  Before we set off on our adventure we thought maybe we could get new investigators by seeing if house were flooding or people needed help.  We first started by seeing if people in the ward needed help, and then we drove around looking for houses.  My companion was in sweats and a jacket.  I was rocking my rain coat, shorts, and flip flops.  When we stopped by a less-active house we had to go through ankle-deep water to get to the door.  It was epic.  But the bad thing about the whole situation was we didn't find any new investigators.  We were super bummed, but we had fun trying.  Our car pretty much went through a lake.  Water was up to the door but our car somehow managed to get through it.  We had to take back roads because everything was closed.  Even exits on the freeway were closed because there was a river going through the exit.  It was nuts.  I guess on that day a storm from the Gulf of Mexico hit us and another one from the other side hit us too.  We heard that there was a crazy storm in the Gulf of Mexico, and we got part of it.  Part of the church parking lot was flooded.  The rain stopped on Saturday, and I kind of miss it, but I am happy it is gone.  It was an adventure.  My companion situation is ok.  It is definitely hard, but you got to love him.  I am happy we get along and don’t just fight.  He is a really cool dude but just super lazy when it comes to missionary work.  I hope my next companion is good. 

It sounds like everyone is doing good.  That is awesome Tyler had a killer game, and I know Scott and Trent have coaching magic with them.  That’s a bummer that the Utes couldn't pull it off.  That’s good the Aggies won.  I am happy to hear my boy Aaron killed it on Sunday.  It sounds like they are a well-oiled machine when the have everything going good for them.  He is such a good QB.  I hope the Seahaaaaawks kicked the 49ers butts.  I hate them for some odd reason.  Thanks so much for the package.  It definitely lifted my spirits and had just about everything I love in it.  So thanks a million, you always save me.  You guys are not getting old you guys are still kicking it.  Don't worry about your age - you will always be the young parents I know.  You’re not old till you hit 80, and that's a far ways off.  So don't worry.  That’s not good about Holly and Marna.  Hopefully they have a better week this week.  Just know I love you guys tons and you’re always in my prayers! I miss you tons, and can you believe it’s almost October?  I find that crazy!  But I hope your week goes good this week and Football goes good too.  Oh is my lax jersey still in my closet?  I hope it is in there when I get back.  I love that thingy!  Keep it steazy for me! 

Love,

-Elder Smith                 

 

September 9, 2013

Hola Mi Familia!

This week was pretty good.  It wasn't the best, but you just try and work hard in the situation that you’re faced with.  It's hard at times but you just got to have a heart full of love.  You have to love them when they aren't the best companions.  You can't be frustrated or hold anger - it won't get you anywhere.  You have to love them and show them that you do.  I have definitely learned patience and that I can't sit there and be frustrated.  It's difficult, but you have to work through it. 

This week was a pretty good week.  We didn't have great numbers so that was a bummer.  The Anthony Elder's kicked our butt this week and that made me upset because we usually turn out to have better numbers than them.  On Tuesday, Elder Barnes got a new greenie who came from Mexico.  His other companion went up North.  He has a girlfriend.  It’s nuts.  He also has come out and stated that he never wants to be companion with me.  We were driving and all having fun, and I was just being myself and he just came out and said that.  Right now he is being super loud in this library because his parents have the password to his email and they are seeing all the love notes he is sending to his girlfriend.  He is yelling about it in the library as we write.  Elder Mason and I are laughing so hard.  It’s nuts. 

On Wednesday we got done with our nightly runs and got home around 9:00.  We started to relax and just chill till 10:15 when we got ready for bed.  I was on the couch, and my companion was on his bed.  He got a text from one of our less-active families that asked if we would pray for the family right then because her sister was yelling and screaming and going nuts in their house right then.  We immediately got down a said a prayer.  We got up and we hoped that everything was alright.  We later got a text asking if we could come over and give a blessing.  They don't like getting help from the ward people so we have to help them out with everything.  We said “yes,” and we called President Miller to see if we could go.  But he didn't answer.  We then called the AP's, and they didn't answer.  We then called the Zone Leaders because no one was answering.  They normally can't give permission to do things after 9:30, but in this situation they could.  They told us to go and send them a text when we returned home.  We set off in the dark in our car to their home, which is a trailer.  We pulled up, and it seriously could have been a scene out of a horror film.  We took this long walk up to the trailer, and all we could hear was screaming.  We knocked on the door, they opened it, and all we heard was screaming, and it was nuts.  We just sat outside because we were like, “What do we do?”  Do we go in or what?  Soon the mom came out, and she walked us away from the trailer.  We talked to her about everything that was going on.  It was all in Spanish so I couldn't pick up a lot of what they were saying.  I picked up that the girl had popped different pain meds, and she was pretty much tripping out in the trailer.  She wanted to trip, so she popped them.  We realized we couldn't give her a blessing because she was being super aggressive, so we said a prayer with the mom and left.  We got home around 10:20, and we were like, “What was going on in that house?”  It was crazy, and the girl who was tripping was my age.  It was nuts.  We later learned she fell asleep around 1 am.  That was an adventure. 
  

Margarita didn't show up to church again this week.  She told us on Sunday that she isn't ready to be baptized and that her date is coming too soon.  We were going to drop her because she isn't putting forth enough effort, but we held on to her for another week.  She doesn't know if Joseph Smith was a prophet and everything so we asked if she would pray, and she said “yes.”  So hopefully she does and still progresses to baptism.  We couldn't get in contact with Jesus this week.  Every time we would go over he wasn't there.  So hopefully this week he is home when we go by.  Cecilia, the lady who is going through a divorce, had an eventful week.  We have been trying to get in contact with her this week to see if we could come over.  She kept telling us she was busy.  We didn't know if she didn’t want us to come over and stuff.  We were trying to figure her out.  On Sunday we got a text that said she was coming to church and hopefully her kids would come too.  We were stoked when we read that text.  We showed up to church, and she didn't come.  We asked her if she was close, and she told us she had to deal with her kids and future ex-husband.  We asked if we could go to her house around 7:30 and she said sure.  So last night we stopped by, and it was such a good lesson.  Elder Mason shared Joseph Smith’s vision experience, and he told her to pay attention to her feelings.  I felt the spirit so strong.  It’s crazy how just a paragraph telling that experience can bring the spirit in.  We continued with the lesson, and she stopped us and asked if she could share what she felt.  We didn't think to ask her and just thought we should carry on with it.  She told us she felt like she was hugged from the back and felt a warming sensation in her arms.  It showed to me that this church is true and the Holy Ghost is truly there.  It was such an awesome experience.  She also told her friends at work that she was sent two angels, and that was us.  She is such a good investigator.  I hope she gets baptized.   It’s awesome.  But that was our week with our investigators.

Oh, I have one more funny story.  On Saturday we were out in the boondocks where all the farms are.  We had to get back to the house of the President of our branch for a party.  We plugged in his address, and we were going where the GPS told us.  It soon told us to go down this dirt road.  We went down it, and at the end of it there was a gate that was locked.  So we were like, “What do we do?”  We were kind of lost, and the GPS wasn't helping.  We soon went off-roading in a Toyota Corolla.  It was epic.  I was laughing my head off.  Elder Barnes, Elder Mason, and I were having so much fun.  We were driving on roads that were nuts, and we were not in a car that could handle it.  The new Elder was tripping and was like, “We should head back!”, but nope, we kept on going.  We were going through farm fields that were empty, driving through small dirt roads, and we even almost had to rally an empty river.  We finally got there, we saved miles on the car, and it was so epic.  It was a lot of fun. 

But that is my week for you.  I haven't received the one package you sent yet, but I got the one that was at the mission home.  We had zone training this week, and they brought all the mail down.  So you timed that right.  I am bummed the Packers lost, but guess what?   I caught a glimpse of the game at our dinner appointment, so I was happy about that.  Mexico plays USA this week, so that is going to be nuts down here.  The Narrows hike sounded so much fun, and I am jealous.  I am going to get the other package today, so thanks for sending it.  You guys are awesome!  Have an awesome week, and just know you guys are always in my prayers!  I can't wait to hear from you again!  Love you tons and miss you!

Con mucho amor,

-Elder Smith  

 

September 3, 2013

Hola Familia!!

 

Sorry I didn't write you a letter yesterday.  No libaries were opened because of Labor Day.  So sorry about that.  It sounds like you’re all doing good at home.  I am jealous you’re all hiking the Narrows together.  Mom, that’s ok you had to use my backpack.  I don't mind, and it’s of no use to me right now.  I had an ok week.  It was stressful, and I have been learning a great deal of patience and how to keep from bursting.  It’s crazy how you learn a lot of life skills on your mission.  You’re going to have people in life like your companion who is lazy and won't do things, and you just have to work around it.  My companion is officially on cruise mode till the end of his mission.  He just wants to go home, and I just want to work my butt off.  My companion is taking up tanning, so he can be bronze when he goes home.  He also bought tanning oil.  I thought only girls really bought that stuff but nope, my companion did.  So I am trying to deal with this situation.  I am just trying to not lose it with him.  I can't wait for a new companion in 6 weeks.  It will be like getting a sweet present on Christmas

 

This week we didn't teach much.  We taught Margieta.  She is always a treat to go talk to because she has something going on.  She didn't show up to church this week again because her son was over.  My companion told her she has to sacrifice for the Lord and he will bless you.  She liked that.  Here 30 year old boyfriend took off to Mexico, and I hope he doesn't come back.  I don't think I told you but Margieta is like 60 and her boyfriend is like 30.  It’s like Flori hooking up with a 30 year old.  She told us they have Bible study time and I was like, “my butt.”  She is an adventure.  So hopefully she comes to church this week so she can get baptized on the 17th of September.  We are still pushing for that.  Jesus is back!!  I was so happy to see him.  We pulled up to his house, and there he was sitting outside with one of his sons.  He told us he just got back and his surgery went well.  We told him we would stop by this week to see him.  I love him to death.  Our other investigator, Sessial, who is going through a divorce, had a really hard week.  She told us at church last week she would call us.  We waited this whole week for a phone call but we got nothing.  We were wondering what was up.  We stopped by on the way to church, and she told us her soon to be ex-husband broke in and stole everything out of there trailer, including toilet paper. She is going to court on Wednesday for everything and hopefully she gets a lot out of it.  She told us she would come to church with her 4 kids and was planning on coming this whole week.  She didn't show up.  We had 0 investigators at church this week.  It’s crazy how hard week pays off and then when you don't work hard nothing goes for you.  That was pretty much my week.  I had some wacky soup this week.  You know that you’re eating some Mexican soup when you pull out a backbone and another bone and the meat is sticking on some fatty substance.  You just got to eat it. I haven't messed my pants yet, so that’s a good sign. 

 

That was my week for you.  I was dealing with companion trouble and investigator adventures.  I love it here in Texas.  It’s hot, but you love it.  I am in my own world down here and I am meant to be here.  You get the Mexican-American feel down here, and I love it.  I hope all is good at home this week.  Hopefully you get some more blowouts in football.  I hope the Narrows were great, and I wish I was there with you guys.  Just know I love you guys a lot.  I can't believe its September, and it has been almost 3 months since I saw you guys.  My summer wasn't a summer.  They felt like months and not the summer you would always look forward to in school.  I miss school also for some odd reason.  I don't need much just a good jump rope and a journal sometime.  They are not needed immediately but in the future.  I love you guys, and I hope you have an awesome week!  I can't wait to hear about it! 

 

Con Mucho Amor,

-Elder Smith