Thanks for making a connection through Carolynn.
Paul Riding
Friends and Family!
Thanks a ton for the emails Mom, Dad and Payt! You are the best! Grandpa, Happy Birthday!! I wrote you a letter but it didn’t say anything about your b-day! haha But its got some pics! Hopefully that works! Grandpa you are the best! Make sure that you out live me!! I have no doubt that you will be able too!! I am so sad that I missed the unveiling of the bike, but keep it in good shape so we can take some good rides when I get home, preferably to a fishing hole somewhere!
Mom, I haven’t got your package yet but don’t stress it! It will get here soon enough, I’m sure! Thank you so much!! Did you get Akon’s package or any news from her? I’m worried about her and I feel bad because she was so excited to get you that package!
Dad, I loved your email! And yes, I miss clean water!! I heard there is some great lakes for streamers up north a ways! We might have to take a trip and see the polar bears in Churchill and fish some lakes up there! Check it out and let me know the details on fishing up that way! I love knowing what I’m talking about when I talk to people. Mom, thanks a ton for the picture! Is Alex wearing my pants!? haha That kid is growing like crazy!! How is baseball going for him? Tell him and Addi I love them and they need to write me more!
As for your trip, be careful and Payt be smart at the Utah State Camp!! That’s messed up way to many senior years! Be smart and careful! Same with 2 a days!! Don’t work too hard and stay healthy!! You are definitely a gamer!! haha Love ya kid!!
So this week was crazy!! It rained non stop forever!!! I couldn’t get dry! haha Which is bad news because they say mosquitoes are going to be horrible!! So hopefully you are allowed to mail me some 100% Deet. But this week went really good and crazy otherwise! We taught Ben the Word of Wisdom and I was super nervous, but he took it great and all he has to get over is coffee, tea, and beer! NO SMOKING! I was happy to hear that! I’m yet to meet anyone in Canada that hasn’t at one point had Word of Wisdom problems! And Ben’s a stud, so he will do great!
This Sunday was insane!!! It was Stake Conference so we had to drive in to Winnipeg to watch! Which meant that we had to find rides for all of the investigators to go! A ton bailed last minute because of flooded basements and other stuff but Kimberly’s family made it and a kid named Dillion made it. Ben, Chris, Karl and Velma all couldn’t make it! Kimberly’s family did though and it was insane!!! We get there and her kids are going crazy!! They’re running all over and yelling and crying and screaming! Conference starts and because of the the storm outside, the connection kept cutting out so every couple minutes the video was going off and on! So I’m juggling kids, there’s food and toys going everywhere, I’m in and out every couple minutes because one wants a drink or needs to go to the washroom. It was so crazy and I didn’t get one thing out of conference! Except when President Uchdorf spoke I was able to hear a 5 min portion of it that was so powerful and I felt the Spirit so strong I had tears in my eyes! Now this might be because I was already on the verge of tears because of all of the madness! I’m convinced I’ll come home a much more patient kid! Or I won’t make it home at all! ha ha One or the other has to happen!
But then after conference the kids were all over in the gym, but it was over so we just let them go. I got to talk to Kimberly and she was stressed about the kids too, but she really enjoyed the conference! It’s funny because 30 mins into conference it felt like I’d been there for days and I legitimately thought the world was coming to an end! haha It’s funny how it doesn’t matter what happens with kids or weather or anything, the work still goes forward! It was funny because I was sitting close to Elder Willardson and he had a family with crazy kids too! He is such a great missionary but he looked like I did by the end of the day. It was fun to talk to him after because he can always make everything funny and he is so good at just making what comes, work! It’s so fun to be in his Zone!!
On Monday, we set up a Family Home Evening with Kimberly and her kids in the Holmes’ home. They are the best member family ever!! They help us out so much! And ya, it wasn’t a typo, haha their last name is Holmes! I didn’t have time to write any letters this week because all P-day we helped them paint. Then after painting, we hustled home and changed and then did the Family Home Evening with their family and Kimberly’s family! It went great!! The kids were crazy, but it really went well and Kimberly just keeps saying that this is really what she wants for her family!! I am super excited for her and she’s planning on getting baptized before the transfer is over!
Karl is doing great and getting closer to his date! It’s August 7th, but he’s ready now. We just have to get him over being nervous and move it up! haha Everything is going great!!
I love and miss all of you so much! Thank you so much for all that you do! Please be safe and smart! I did have just enough time to send you some pics this week. Sorry I didn’t have time to write a letter, but hopefully you enjoy the pics!! Love you a ton! Good luck with everything!! Love ya a ton!
Love Elder Smith!!
