HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!
I’m sooooooo sorry that I didn’t get a gift to you in time! I bought you a cheesy little gift, weeks ago, but I kept putting off your letter!! I am going to try and send it today! I’m so sorry that I am so far behind! I might just send it with the Christmas stuff! I found some neat stuff the last couple P-days, but it’s gonna cost an arm and a leg to send home! I hope that all is well there so I can afford to send it! haha. Please let me know if my account is getting low!! I’m living a pretty high roller life here in Canada, so I can always cut back, if needs be! haha Dad, I love and miss you so much!! I can’t believe that you are 45! Right? haha That’s insane!! That like looks close to 50!! You’re SO old! Now you aren’t allowed to use the “mid-life crisis excuse” anymore!! haha No more Harleys or house changes or helicopters or nothin! Dad, I am soooooo grateful for you and the amazing example that you are to me!! I love and miss you so much and I’m so grateful for you and all that you do!! I’ve got the best Dad ever!! Have a great day and week!! Oh, and get this! I begged and pleaded to call you on your birthday and they said I could, but just a couple weeks late! I did it that way because I wanted your gift to get there before. hahaha Love you dad! Thank you so much for all that you do!! I loved your joke! Hey, please tell Grandma thank you for the Christmas stuff! Those chocolates are so good! I only opened what wasn’t wrapped! And Mom, thank you for the syrup!! I’ve eaten waffles for supper two days in a row! You are all amazing!!
So this week was crazy!! We taught a ton and even taught a couple rich families! We also had zone conference!! It’s so crazy how things change!! Last year I was depressed out of my mind for the Christmas Zone Conference! It made me so homesick and it was way hard. It was funny this year because we were just stressed! haha It was a Bi-zone conference and we had to get everything ready and put together for both zones! It was a great relief to have it go smooth and it was a blast! We watched “It’s A Wonderful Life” and it was the best! We also did Sister Paulson’s Christmas bells and it was so fun. She loves those things and it’s so funny to watch President roll his eyes at the whole idea! It was just so fun!! This month will be a blast! It’s such a great time of year!! It’s just funny to think how last year I could find the negative things about being on a mission for Christmas, but man it is the best!!!!
Shopping, however, has not been fun! I spent some of the last 2 P-days looking for Christmas stuff and it has been a pain! There just isn’t enough time! But I got some stuff. Hopefully you like it! I don’t have any details on the call yet but I will give them to you next week!
So this week was interesting because we taught a ton, but everyone bailed for church! Amie and Godwin are still doing ok, but they won’t make their date and they are moving very slow! Jamie moved out but now he isn’t in our ward and we’ve had troubles staying in contact with him. Hopefully things will work out there. We found an amazing African family that is way good and they should be to church next week! And we taught like 3 different rich families this week! It was crazy. Like I’m talking big houses! It was sad though, because one of them we taught everyone but the dad and it was a great lesson with a member and everything! The Spirit was really strong, but then the dad called and cancelled the next appointment! He’s loaded and owns 2 pizza places in town!! They all said they would get baptized on the first lesson and now we can’t even teach them!! We taught another wealthy family that said they know they should listen to us and come out to church, but they are too busy and another family we taught the whole family the first lesson and they were great but they stood us up for the second one!! It’s intimidating teaching rich people, but it’s neat because they generally are full families with both parents there and the kids. So it’s really fun to teach! The finding is slow in rich areas though! Any ideas on helping rich people progress!?
Also, we are teaching some loaded people who are “Seek”? It’s some weird religion that has only been around for like 300 years and they have like 12 gods or something? Do you think you could check it out and let me know what it’s all about and any helpful approaches because there are lots of rich “Seek” people! It’s a religion from India!
But things are going good!! It has been freezing here! A couple days ago it was -40 with wind chill!! That’s when Fareinheit and Celcius are the same. Sorry I can’t spell it I just know either way it was cold! We threw boiling water out the door and it all turned into steam and disappeared! haha It was pretty neat. It’s funny to tract because my mind moves faster then my lips in the cold so some funny stuff comes out! hahaha It’s been fun! Especially on exchanges with newer missionaries who haven’t seen a winter here before! Transfers are this week too and so we will see what happens! This is definitely the hardest area I have ever served in, but I have learned a ton and if I end up staying, I know there is a ton more to be done here!
Elder O'driscoll is a blast!! I have learned a ton from him and gotten a lot more patient and I don’t stress as much. I still do a lot, but it’s hard to be stressed when you’re around someone who is never stressed! He’s really helped me to look and learn from others strengths, rather than dwelling on a couple weaknesses! He’s a great missionary and I’d love to go another transfer with him!
Things here are great and I’m excited to talk to you on Christmas! We have some fun stuff planned with members and other missionaries, so I’ll let ya know what’s going on soon!! Dad Happy Birthday!! I love ya so much!! Thank you for all that you do for me!! Have a great week!! Payt thanks a ton for your emails! I love them! Sounds like you are doing great!! I’m so grateful for you and the great example that you are to me!! I love and look up to you more than you know!! Keep having a blast with life and keep being such a great kid!! I love all of you so much! Tell A-rod he is huge and he needs to buy a bat to keep the ladies off! haha Tell Addi I love her and that she is beautiful!! I love you all a ton! Have a great week! Love Elder Smith
