Friends and Family!
Mom, Dad, and Payt, I loved the emails! You are the greatest!! Tell Uncle Kellan, I’m super worried about him and that he is in my prayers and tell Grandpa I love him a lot, and I’m sorry to hear about Uncle Reed.
This week was surprisingly pretty normal! No cars towed and only a couple drunk natives that said they wanted to knock me out! None of them even took swings at me or nothin! haha I’m hoping I’ll get hit, so I can have the story. haha just kidding.
New news for my companion! His parents have been called to be Mission Presidents in the St. George Mission, which I guess is a new mission that they are opening! So he will be going home to no family! If I were him I think I’d be a little down, but he seems pretty excited!! My comp is amazing! He is the most loving, patient missionary I have met! At first I was mad that I had to do everything, but I realized it was because I was doing everything! hahaa I love teaching and doing everything, so he just lets me! I’m trying really hard to let him do more and teach more! It’s just so hard because I love the people and the work so much! It was hard for me to realize that I was being a bad companion because I was just taking charge!! He is a great teacher, if I let him teach! haha It is soooo hard though!! It feels like playing half of a football game! But if I were in his shoes I’d be mad! It’s funny because he wouldn’t have said a word all transfer about it! I just had to finally be humble enough to see that I was messing up!! This has been so hard!! I’ve really got to the point were I think I’m pretty good and its soooo BAD! Humility is tough out here because it has a different definition, it seems like!! I’ve turned into a bit of a ball hog and I’m working on getting better! haha It’s been a great transfer though! It’s going so fast! Every transfer seems 2 times as fast as the previous!! It’s such a blast being a missionary!! It’s hard to share the love with a companion, haha
Akon is amazing and it was so fun to have her tell me all about her call to you! haha She was so excited to call me and tell me everything! I wish you could meet her kids! They are amazing!! Next time she calls, have Addison talk to Nyandeng. She is so cute and fun!! Akon gets her to leave school by lieing to her and telling her that Elder Smith will be at home. hahaha They are the best!! Her husband still won’t talk to us though! It is so frustrating!!
As for Open’s family, they are doing so good! We reactivated Pious, who is now the most amazing member ever!! He has school and work and so he gets a couple hours of sleep in the day and he gives up some of that to go translate for us!! He is an amazing teacher and he hasn’t missed a day of church in months now! I love him so much and he says after my mission he wants to come visit me in the states!! haha I told him he can stay as long as he wants! We took him out to lunch this week and I introduced him to Mexican food!! haha I love Pious so much! He is amazing! As for Open’s family, they are great and I think that by this week we will have set dates with them! Last lesson was the best and Pious threw down a baptismal invitation in Arabic! It was so neat because I can kinda follow what’s going on by their body language and some of the words. We teach the kids and then Pious translates what we say to the parents! If there are questions Pious usually just answers them! He has such a strong testimony!
Barnaba’s family is coming along great too! Barnaba read all of First Nephi and he’s booken’ through 2nd Nephi! He said he prayed about it and he wants to be baptized! Now he’s trying to convince his wife! It’s so neat because he speaks Swahili, which is actually what the language is on The Llion King! haha Simba is lion and Rafiki is friend! haha and hakuna matata is no worries! He loves teaching us Swahili! I’ve learned a lot just from listening! I’m so glad that I didn’t have to learn a language! It was neat though because I shared a scripture that talked about how no unclean thing can dwell with God and he said, “hakuna matata” haha But their family is great and we are hoping for a family baptism there soon! We found a Muslim man that is amazing, but we had to turn him over to YSA (Young Single Adults)! That was sad, but we have found a lot of new solid single people, but no more families. Which is sad, but how can I complain, we are working with 3 amazing families!
We have gone through the less active records and taken like a ton of people off the list! Some people are on the list that moved away over 5 years ago! Church percentage attendance has gone way up though, and we have a lot of people that want to start coming again, but they have no ride! Because of the shortage on rides and all of the people coming to church lately, the ward members talked to the Stake President about a downtown branch or a church bus! haha I don’t think either will happen, but I totally wish there was a bus! I can see myself driving it yelling out the window, "Come on everybody! Hop on the Church Bus! It’s for freeee and it’s lots of fun! Salvation is just a 30 minute bus ride away!" haha If only that dream could come true!
I love it that Payt loves skiing!! Tell him to be carful and tell him to go to school for a year so we can be ski bums together when I get home!!
I’m pretty nervous that I’m gone next transfer! haha But President told me that if I keep up the good work he might have to leave me here one more. haha But it would be amazing to spent 6 months in Agnes!!
Please tell Jay to write me and tell him I miss and love him! I love you all a ton!! Keep up the great work with everything and please be safe!! Love you a bunch! You are the best!
Elder Smith
