Friends and Family,
Payt, it sounds like it has been a really hard week. I’m so sorry to hear the news (about Michelle Mickelson)! Please let her know that she is in my prayers! Payton, I am so proud of you and your strong testimony! YOU ARE SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE TO ME! Please keep me updated and know that I love and miss you a bunch!
Mom and Dad, thanks a ton for your emails, you are the best! Mom, I got your package! Thank you so much! Akon’s letter made me super nervous, sad and Agnes homesick!! She is such a great lady! Thank you so much for the package! You are the greatest!!
So this week was really tiresome! I hate drugs, tobacco and alcohol!! I wish I would have been more rebellious in high school so I could know what these people are going through! haha Well I won’t go that far, but comparing their addictions with my fly fishing and cookie addictions just doesn’t work! It’s so good that the Savior knows what they are going through, but it’s hard to have the confidence to teach them when I really don’t know what they are going through! Kimberly quit coffee and tea but she is really struggling with smoking! All of her friends smoke and they aren’t being supportive at all! It’s so frustrating! She is so ready and we helped her start the quit smoking program but her friends came and tore down all the no smoking signs and they got her to smoke! I hate agency steelers!! haha And there are so many of them here! It’s soooo true that misery loves company! Kimberly knows that this is right and true but it’s so hard for her to break out of her culture! That is the hardest thing for people here, it seems like! They feel the Spirit and they know it’s right, but it’s so hard to be different and break out of what they have just always known! It’s so sad because we have so many people that are so close! Three of the people we teach would be baptized tomorrow if it wasn’t for Word of Wisdom problems! It’s so hard, but I know that they all can break it! They know that it’s right!! Hopefully things work out there!
Good news is that Chris finally got work off! He’s been Word of Wisdom problem free for over a month now, and he has a baptism date for the third of next month!! Karl is doing great but he got pulled over by the cops the other day and there was alcohol that was open in his car. He hasn’t drank since we taught him Word of Wisdom, but he has dumb friends and he doesn’t always think things through! The weird part is that his court appearance is Aug. 6th and his baptism date is Aug 7th! It’s ridiculous how good Satan is at what he does! Then again, if Karl would have thought things through, he wouldn’t have been in this predicament! We are going to try and move his date up because he is ready for baptism but I don’t know what to do, really! We are talking to President about it tonight to see what we should do! Once again, Word of Wisdom problems are killing me!!
After tracting this last Saturday where every single person that we talked to had a beer, I about lost it! It’s so ridiculous! But we had a lot out to church again this week and things are going great other than Word of Wisdom problems!!
Thank you so much for all of your love and support! The packages, mail , and emails are so great! You guys are the best! I love and miss you all so much!! Payt, you are such a champ and I love and miss ya a bunch! Keep being a great kid and keep me updated on everything!
Sorry I’m not saying too much lately. We are in a rush to get going, but I love you all so much!! Stay safe and smart and tell all the newlyweds congrats!! (Bruce & JaNell, Stuart & Katherine) they all look great!!
Mom don’t stress about sending the 100% Deet at all! If everyone here can survive without it, I can! haha I was gonna ask you if you could get me the EFY 2008 CD and any other good church CD’s. We drive a lot, so it’s nice to have some other stuff! Don’t stress it, but if ya have a little time that’d be great! Keep me updated on Akon and if you get the stuff she was gonna send you!!
You guys are all the greatest and I love you all so much!! Stay safe and good luck with everything!! Last thing, I was just wondering if you could all give me a little input on anything to better understand the Atonement and helping people with addictions. I’ve been studying it a lot, but if there is anything that you have that can help me relate better or understand better, that would be great!
Dad, I loved the stuff you said this week! I needed to hear it! Payton, your letter also helped me a ton! Mom you are the greatest! haha You guys are all so amazing! Love you a ton!
Love Elder Smith!!
