Hey!!
Man, it sounds like it has been a crazy week!! I can't believe the news about Jayson Ralph's Mom! That kid has always had such a good spirit! That’s so crazy to me! I was in the MTC with him! It sounds like he has grown a lot. It’s hard to hear things like that because I know their family will be ok, but I wish there was something I could do to help!! Please keep me updated on how they are doing!!
It’s also crazy news about Bishop Russell!! He is such a great man!! I wrote him a short email, but I feel bad because I haven’t written him like at all, my whole mission!! Tell him I love him and I’m so grateful for all that he does!! As far as guesses on who will be the new bishop, I don’t even remember who all is in our ward! haha um... ya, I don’t know. I’ll look forward to the news next week!
I DO know the Roldans, they are in the Waverly Ward! They are a great family and I have eaten in their home before! Great food!
Sounds like A-rod is still an all star and I think we all knew that him growing up dealing with Payt and Dad, he would end up with a sense of humor! haha I expect some homers out of him this year and some big plays in the field!
Payt Heather Hill said she saw you at the party the other night.... she said you’re like me except I’m funnier! haha That made me happy, mostly the part about how you’re like me! I love and miss ya a ton buddy, and I think we all know you are funnier. But she wasn’t gonna go so far as to say I’m better looking! hahaha YOU take the cake on both!For sure! I’m so excited about you working on your papers! That’s such an exciting thing!! Just make sure that you don’t leave before we hangout for a while! Well thanks for the update! You guys are so great!!
Mom, I wanted to ask you a favor? It’s Edilyn’s birthday soon and I was wondering if you could get that lotion for her? Also, Elder Woods comes from a family where no one has gone to college. He wants to go, but he doesn’t know how and his family doesn’t know anything about it. I can tell he’s a little stressed and we would love to room together at Utah State, or wherever. It’s forever away, but he didn’t take the ACT, but he did have like a 3.8 GPA in high school. He’s a super smart kid and I was just wondering if you could do some research and see if he could even get in anywhere with out the ACT, and see what he would have to do. I don’t think it’s a rush, but I was wondering if you could just check it out. He’s such a good kid and I don’t want him getting home and getting stuck in his little town, if there’s a way out. Sorry, I feel like a lot of my email is just asking you to do stuff. Some things never change! haha You’re amazing Mom!!
Well this week was great! First off, I went on an exchange with another Elder Smith. It was great! I’d knock on a door and say, "Hi, I’m Elder Smith and this is Elder Smith...” We had interviews and Zone Conference this week and so we got out early to go and get stuff set up, and we got a flat tire! So we had to put on a spare. Let me just say, if you wanna bad tire off and a spare on, in under 3 hours, Elder Lovelace and I are the guys to call! hahaha Just kidding! It wasn’t quite that bad, but man, it was a pain! We were in our nicer suits out in the mud, trying to get to interviews. Luckily, Elders Leonard and Woods bailed us out, got everything set up, and it all went smooth. It was a funny morning for sure!
We are working with so many great people right now! Like they are all such golden investigators who sincerely want to know the truth!! Laury is now in Mosiah 8!! It’s crazy! I think she knows it’s true, but she is just nervous to pull the trigger and she wants to finish the book first. Ronald is so good, but his family didn’t come to church this week, so he didn’t either! aaahhh! So frustrating! The Spirit is always so strong when we teach him! He has to know it’s true!! We will see what happens this week! Bruce is doing so good! He is supposed to have an interview this week, but he is still struggling with coffee, so we will see what happens. Karla is good, but she is living with her boyfriend, who is a member, and who doesn’t want to move out. Teaching the Law of Chastity to people that you love (one of which is a member and already knows it’s wrong) is super .....hard, interesting, and frustrating! I have such a testimony of the Law of Chastity though!!! Man it make so much sense!! JUST LIVE IT!! aaahhh!! So that lesson didn’t go too great and so hopefully we can make a recovery with them this week!!
We also are teaching this Baptist/Menanite family and all I have to say is, WOW! They are so good!! They know the bible so good, but they listen to us!! They read the Book of Mormon. He even came to Conference. Their names are Nathan and Maria!! If they get Baptized they with be the next Chris and Rocky Baronins! Like wow, they are so great! They are so kind to us and they feed us homemade pastries every time we go over. Man, it’s crazy how many great people we have to teach!
I did have a question for everybody this week for the entire fam, Jay, G-pa, G-ma, Papa and Grammy, Aunts, Uncles and cousins included. What are some ideas to bring the Spirit into the lesson and help these people get answers to their prayers? I know that’s a super broad question, and one that I’m sure we would all like the perfect answer for, but I just wanted to hear your ideas? I really would just love to try any ideas you have so that the Spirit can play a bigger role in our teaching!
I’m so grateful to be here though, and I’m so grateful for all that you all do for me!! I am so blessed!! So I had a really neat experience a couple days ago that really topped off the week. It started out with bad news. The bad news is that Amie and Godwin are moving soon to BC. The good news is that they threw a going away party. haha We got there and it is Elder Woods, Leonard, Lovelace and me, Edilyn, Amie, Godwin, and Brother Lord! It was sooo much fun!! Great food, great Christian-African music, that I didn’t understand and great company! haha Elder Woods leaned over to me and said, "Man, did you ever think this would happen!?” haha Then he said, “This is like the last scene in a movie!" haha He cracks me up! But it’s so true! It was so neat! I love these people sooo much and it’s such a neat thing to see the Gospel change them!! I’m so grateful to be a missionary! There are a lot of frustrating things, but the blessing out weigh the hard times 1,000,000 to 1!! I’m so grateful for how blessed I am!! I’m so grateful for the gospel!! Time’s going way too fast!! I’m sooo grateful to be here!! I love you all so much! Have a great week! Love Elder Smith
