Monday, December 21, 2009

FROM THAILAND TO SUDAN!













































New Companion Elder Willardson


Hey Friends and Family!


Payton! Bud sounds like a rough week!! I would feel a lot more sorry for you if i didn’t know you were sitting in the warm comfortable leather couch playing video games! Just kidding, I’m worried about you! Be careful and get feeling better!!


(Payton had an emergency appendectomy on Thursday.)


Thank you to everyone again!! You’re the greatest! Thank you for all of the packages everyone! It’s killing me to not open them!! I’m way excited!! As for the call, I’ll call you around 10 or 11 in the morning! Don’t stress it though, you know me, haha I’ll make sure it gets made. I’m super excited to hear all of your voices!!


Ok, and now I’m gonna ask for permission/tell you that I’m about to spend some money on my investigators. ha ha I have too!! They are amazing and they all could use at least something. So watch my account, I’m gonna try and be thrifty!!


This week was absolutely amazing!! Me and my comp are both just giddy about everything that happens! haha We are very easily excited, and we do everything we can to have something to be excited about! We had one of the best weeks ever!! We had 13 people to church and the President and the Assistants called wondering what we were doing! The President said that we had more to church than an entire zone! There are only 5 zones in our mission! It was an amazing week and we are just more excited to do better! We see so many areas where we can improve!! It’s so exciting!! But wow, the people we are teaching are absolutely amazing!! Like I can’t even explain how much I love these people!!


The Sacapos family (the Thai family) are actually starting to progress and we got permission to teach an all Thai class at church so the word is spreading with the people from Thailand! Only three made it this week, but we are counting on a lot more next week, now that we have this class! They are so kind and they give everything they have! They gave me a Thailand bag/purse and I’ll send it as soon as I can for Addi’s birthday! Don’t tell her about it though! But please go shopping for this one family for me!! They are a family of four! Two boys that are 8 and 9 and then the parents. They are amazing!! But ya, this family is so good and so I was wondering if you could find some neat little toys for the kids and something American for the parents. Don’t go crazy, but just something neat, pretty please! That would be great!! haha


Alright, miracle story for the week, other then pretty much the whole week! haha We street contacted a lady named Akon. She is from Sudan and she wanted us to come back! We came to teach her and she has six kids that are all absolutely beautiful! They are black and I have never seen a cuter family, other then ours of course! haha We get there and they are all so well behaved and so fun!! The 10 year old (Deng) then tells us that he had prayed a couple days before, to know more about God and then we showed up! He said that at first it scared him because it was so crazy! It was so amazing and I love their family! We then taught them the first lesson and I don’t know if I have ever felt the Spirit so strong! The Mom kept saying how good she felt inside and how she felt warm inside and how she was so happy that we had found her family!! It was absolutely amazing! We got outside and we were jumping around and soooo excited! haha It was the best!! Then they showed up on Sunday and all of the boys had suits on (all of the kids are under 10) and all of the girls have dresses that would actually have a chance at competing with Addison! haha They looked sooooo good and church was absolutely amazing! The musical numbers were great and it went so good!! We meet with them Tuesday and we are hoping to set baptismal dates for the Mom and Deng, the 10 year old and Ian the 9 year old so I will let you know how that goes!!


We also have an appointment tonight with Maureen who as been sick but she’s doing better so hopefully, we can set a date for her and get her to church this week! We meet with Daniel tonight too! He was at church this week, but he was just by himself. He loved it and he is hoping to bring his kids next week!! We are also hoping to set a date with him tonight, as well!!


It is craziness, but I am loving it!! I’m stressed a lot, but especially the night before church and on Sunday! haha It’s gets crazy!! Lately we have had as many missionaries and investigators at church as we have had members! Well, not really, but it feels like it! I love this so much, but it is soo hard!! You get to love these people so much and it just becomes so stressful! You constantly see how inadequate you are! Everyone of the people that we are working with is truly a miracle!! We are being so blessed and I know it’s not because we are good. Everything that is happening is such a blessing!! I’m so grateful!!


Finally, I’m excited to talk to you! It will be 10 or 11-ish. It’s crazy because at Zone Conference, we got to watch Miracle on 34th Street!! I love that show! The attorney reminds me of Dad, except Dad’s a lot better than he is! haha But I realized that I’m in Canada and it’s Christmas! It just feels like a crazy dream!! I’ve looked forward to a mission my whole life and I’m in the middle of it right now!!! its soooo crazy! ha ha But know that I love you all so much and I’ll talk to ya on Christmas!! Payt, get feeling better! Love ya! Love Elder Smith