Hey, it’s me again!
Man I loved the pictures this week!! Marisa ehh!? haha That’s great! She is a ton of fun!! She hung out with Heather a lot and acts a lot like Heather, so I bet the dance was soooooo fun! haha Congrats on having another great week!! I hope you know that I taught you everything you know!! It’s not fair because we were always close to the same level, but you got 2 years longer to play than me! I hope you get fat and outa shape on your mission so i can take you when you get home! haha I wouldn’t touch you now though kid!! You’re huge!!! And looking super good!! Mom and Dad you’re amazing!! Dad, you deserve two Eagle Scout awards and you don’t even have one!! I think that’s pretty funny!
That’s so exciting that Justin’s gone and I am so happy that Conner is going!! Man, it’s so weird that it is fall again!! Crazy stuff!! Oh so what’s the deal with you resigning from the Booster club!?!? Fill me in!!
Well, this week was great, but kinda frustrating!! We had a 3-day training meeting because they made new stuff to add on to Preach My Gospel! It‘s really great stuff but loosing 3 days and sitting drove me crazy!! The stuff we learned is so great though!! it was all focused around relying on the Spirit more!! It is such good stuff and stuff that I’m sure will help me a ton on my mission and in life! I got a letter from Grandpa and Grandma again and tell them I love their letters but they have got to stop sending me so much money! They are amazing!! If you could please give me the update on them and Papa and Grammy and everybody else in the family!! I really don’t have time to write letters but I have plenty of time to read emails on p-day! I’d really like to here from Uncle Doug if he could sent me an email!! Thanks!
So this week was pretty good! It started out super rocky because we went to see Akon and she had a friend that was not nice at all! She was a born again and really anti! I was super nervous because Akon didn’t say much and I was worried where her testimony was! We left really down! I got home and I just wanted to call somebody and have them comfort me. But there was nobody to call so I called Akon. We had a great chat and she apologized for her friend and she still has a super solid testimony! It was so great!! I love her so much!! She made it to church for the first time in months and she and the kids looked amazing!! We have Family Home Evening with her and Belatus family tonight!! Akon is amazing and so is Belatu and their kids are so well behaved!! Their kids are like Aunt Jill’s kids, except even more obedient! haha If Akon or Belatu ask them to do anything, they don’t think twice!
This week should be a crazy one! Elder Willardson is our Zone Leader so we are gonna go on exchange and take it on like old times! haha We hope to set a date with Akon! And get this! Elder Willardson goes home on the 29th of this month!! Sooooo scary, sad and crazy!! I will miss him a ton!! You should totally hit his homecoming if you can! Also, Belatus’ interview is this next Saturday!! She is so ready, but I’m way nervous! It just seems so fast!! We found her my first week here and she gets interviewed next week!! It’s the first time I will have seen everything start to finish in one transfer! She is such an amazing woman and mother and she has a great testimony!! Hopefully all goes well! Keep her in your prayers, please! Even though I know you already do!
So as far as Gabriel and his referrals. . . . . He had to work all week! Even sunday! He is trying to quit his job, but he can’t find another one. He is still working as an undercover cop and it’s crazy!! We saw him the other day on the job in downtown! haha He had his pistol on his side and the phone in his ear. haha He is so funny and I love him to death!! We decided against teaching everyone together because some of them aren’t in our area, so we are just gonna teach one at a time!! It’s amazing how tight knit the Sudan community is here!!! They all know each other and everyone knows Akon or Gabriel! They are like the high ups in the community because they have been here the longest! It’s so crazy!!!
Because of all of the growth downtown, the bishop had a big 2 hour correlation meeting this week with the ward! They just can’t keep getting rides every week with the way that it’s being done now!! We are having to find 20+ rides to church every week. So Bishop has some great plans for downtown that I’m way excited about!! The Baronins are amazing! They have plans to rent a building downtown and do an outreach program for downtown!! They have all kinds of neat ideas and things to try and convince the Stake to set up a branch downtown!! It’s all very exciting!! haha The ward has a real love/hate relationship with the missionaries because there is so much good stuff happening. But it means a lot of work for the ward!! There are some amazing members here though and they just want ‘em to keep coming!! It’s so great! I just worry that people are being forgotten because of the fast growth!
Hopefully all goes well, but my times about up! I love you all so much!! Payt keep tearing it up!! Hopefully next week the goal posts will be blue and Belatu will be set for baptism!! I love you all so much!! Have a great week!! Love you a ton!!
Love Elder Smith!!!
