Monday, March 14, 2011

UNCLE DOUG IS SO LUCKY - FOR ONCE!


Hey!!


First off, tell Uncle Doug that if BYU gets into the big game I’m sure President will let me leave for a couple days and it’s only right that Uncle Doug invites his favorite nephew to go with him!! That’s crazy that he won! Man, Uncle Doug does have some good luck come his way, every once in awhile!! Man I miss him and his fam!! Tell them I love and miss um! It looks like you had a fun week cleaning! Dad and his new toys gave me a good chuckle! Don’t burn your eye out! haha And sounds like Jimmer is crazy good!! It’s too bad he plays for BYU because they will get your hopes up and loose the second game of the tourney! haha At least they are consistent! I can’t wait to hear the news! Payt and Dad why aren’t you going to the tourney? Or are you!? We need to keep that tradition going! And Mom and Dad, don’t stress!! I’m doing great!! My nose just hasn’t stopped running all week!! Edilyn shot me up with some homemade lemonade and I’m feeling great!! I have been so blessed to stay healthy on my mission! Hopefully it stays that way! I really am doing great! DON’T WORRY!!!


So this week was really weird! I lost another comp to the office. haha Elder Woods and Elder Leonard are the Assistants and they will do sooo great!!! It’s crazy because when I got to this area, Elder Woods had just became a district leader! I’VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME!! I love this ward and the people here and I’m super grateful to be staying another one! I had such a great time with Elder Woods and I had a feeling he’d be headed for the office! He is such a great missionary and I’m super glad I got to serve with him!! We have big plans for a road trip back up here after the mission! We will have to see what happens. There are so many great missionaries here!! Missions are the best!!


This week was great, but crazy! We had exchanges and then Elder Woods had to go to the office so I was with Elder Felix for a day which was a lot of fun and then I got my new comp Elder Lovelace! Elder Lovelace is a champ! He only has 3 months left!! He is a humble giant and a ton of fun!! He was a LaCross star back home so I’m gonna come home one! haha We were messen around with his sticks today for p-day and it was a blast! I’m sad I never played!! He’s had a crazy mission! He was a district leader like 6 months ago, but then the last 6 months he’s just been a normal missionary, put with some of the missionaries with issues!! He is so patient and humble!! I’m super excited to work with him and he will be a great zone leader!! He’s a champ and it should be a great transfer!! I have been so blessed with great companions!!! Oh, get this! Elder Platt is the other new zone leader this transfer! haha He’s a champ!


So this week was weird but sooo great!! Ronald is gold!! I’m sooo excited for him! We taught him another couple times last week and he is doing so good!! He came to church this week and his sister, that he is living with, spoke! It was a great talk and I’m so excited for him! We are hoping to set a date with him tonight! Hopefully all goes well!! Church went great except for priesthood meeting! haha I love the ward, but there are some crazies and they got into an argument about what all is included in the Word of Wisdom!! Man it was hilarious and terrible! It’s funny because the missionaries here play such a different role! haha Like back home, they are the bystanders, but here we are the referee and the ones that stop the false doctrine. haha It was a combined Elders and High Priests for the class and the argument didn’t end until I spoke up and set everybody straight! It’s soooo crazy!! Hopefully it didn’t set Ronald back too much!! The church is still true!


Laury came this week too and she had a great time! We talked to a member before and she fellow shipped her so good! We hope to set a date with her this week, too!! Ronald and Laury are kingdom builders for sure! Keep them in your prayers and hopefully all goes well!! Bill made it again this week too but he has a lot going against him right now! He wants to get baptized, but he’s going through some crazy stuff right now! We have been so blessed in this area!! I love it so much and I’m super excited for another 6 weeks!!


It’s sooo crazy that Riley is home and time is going so fast!! It’s all so crazy how much some people have progressed while I’ve been here! I got an update on the Waverly Ward this week!! All the recent converts are doing great! Tim Jackson’s girlfriend is baptized and they are a cute super hilarious couple! haha Obengs are doing so good! Akoth spoke in church a couple weeks ago and I guess it was great! Belatu doesn’t miss a week! They all are doing so great! And get this!!! Pious is the 2nd counselor in the Elders Quorum! It’s so great! I love him so much! Just over a year ago he wasn’t active and after the Obeng family, he is one of the most solid members in the ward! He is so wonderful!! This week he gave a talk and I guess the speakers to the satellite thing got turned on, so the speakers in the chapel were saying ENGLISH in the funny computer ladies voice. haha They eventually fixed it but when he was speaking and it said it in his African accent, he said “Oh, I must be really good at english.” haha I guess the ward lost it laughing! He is such a funny guy and a spiritual powerhouse! I love and miss that ward a bunch! I’m super jealous that Elder Woods gets to go to the Waverly Ward! But I can’t complain, I was there a long time! There are so many wonderful people here and I have gotten to see so many miracles!! And I’m sure there are many to come!! I’m so nervous and excited for Laury and Ronald! I hope all goes well! I will keep you posted!! It should be another great week!!


I love you all so much and I’m so grateful for all that you do! I did have a question for all of you! I feel bad because I really haven’t used you enough for advise and help!! I’m gonna try and ask for more help and advice from now on but this transfer Elder Lovelace and I really want to work on being more charitable and we want our investigators and missionaries in our zone to know that we really love them and care about them? So I was wondering if you have any advice on things to do to gain people’s trust and help them to know that we really love them and want the best for them! Sorry I know that’s kind of a hard question, but I’m sure you will have some wonderful advice! haha No pressure. But I love you all so much and I am doing so great!! The church is sooo true and missions are the best!! I love all of you a bunch!! Have a great week!!! Love Elder Smith