Hey family!
It looks like you guys all had a blast this week!! Fun stuff!! Man Greyden must be fast ehh?! That’s crazy! haha Dad, just by seeing that picture, I saw you limping for the next week! haha It gave me a great chuckle! Props for being the only adult to race! That’s super respectable!! Man, I miss you! (: Oh, tell Adrienne, she’s definitely my favorite cousin!! Tell the other cousins they are tied for last!
So this week was hilarious, long, crazy, wonderful and miraculous!! First off, before I left Saskatoon, some members had us over for supper. Now when these members pray before supper they put both hands on the table with the back of their hand against the table and they hold hands with one of their hands. It’s kind of unique, but whatever. Just so you have the background, they are great people but the husband is a super manly man! So when they do this about to pray, for some reason Elder Duncan reached up and grabbed the guy’s hand that is laying on the table! hahaha I folded my arms and tried soooooo hard not to loose it laughing! Oh man it was so funny! After when I made fun of Elder Duncan, he was like, “Man I thought they were doing one of those ‘circle hold hands prayers’ and once I committed it was to late to back out!” hahah Man it was so funny!!
But I had a good finish there and we got to teach a lot before I left. Mom, hopefully the whole Acutane thing is ok. Sorry it cost a ton!! Bishop knew I was leaving, so he hooked me up with 2 months worth. He’s a great man!! But the drugs are good and working and all is well!
So we made the forever drive to Winnipeg. winnipeg was a lot of fun! We slept in the office with the assistants the greenies and the missionaries that were going home! We played football for our workout in the morning and it was fun! I got the greenie I wanted! haha He fishes, hunts, and played all sports in high school and he is ready to work! He is from Preston, Idaho and his name is Elder McDanel. Which is super hard for me to remember and pronounce! haha So President filled me in on the branch; they have about 16 people out to church every week and only 3 priesthood holders. I think all of which are converts, and the one that was their branch president moves this month, so they will just have 2 priesthood holders! Crazy!! So we loaded up the pickup with beds and foldy chairs and some pans and stuff and our luggage and took off Thursday afternoon for Dryden! President had already put everything else in the apartment that we needed and so 4 hours later we got there and ran everything up. We got everything in and the ac set up (because it was so hot and on the third floor!) In about 30 mins. President was nervous about it all, haha so he kept calling us to check up! Right when we were about to leave, the new branch president (President Vahovic) knocked on our door! He had us follow him to the church where the branch had a ton of food for us! President Vahovic is so great and so excited to have us! He then told us that the branch was throwing a party for us and having a BBQ on Friday. We asked if we could invite investigators and he was all game so we went out and tracted the rest of the night! We invited everyone because I knew if we got people there, they would be so excited about it! We got a man named Joe and a couple and their two kids out to it and the branch was trippen out!! The party was a blast and a huge success! haha They were amazed!! We worked so hard on Friday and Saturday and we were soooooo blessed! We found a ton of new investigators! It was a week full of miracles! The couple (Tara and Trent) ended up setting baptismal dates and Trent had to work, but Tara came to church with her son. We taught Joe before church and he set a date and came to church! And a man named Gerald came to church with his daughter!! The branch didn’t know what to do! hahahaha They were running around like chickens with there heads cut off!! They tried to change their talks for the investigators. The talks were on the temple! hahahha I was pretty laid back and stress free, but the branch president was soooooo stressed! He kept shooting me apologetic stressed out glances. His face was all red and he kept running his hand through his hair. He came up after sacrament meeting and apologized to me about the talks. I could tell he was stressed so I was like, well let me teach the plan of salvation the second hour and I’ll tie everything in! He looked so relieved! haha So all the investigators came in with us and the president and we had a wonderful lesson! It was perfect!! Tara loved it!!! Joe did too!! It was sooo wonderful!! It was just such a great week!! They have an average attendance of 16, and on Sunday there were 26 people there! It was such a miracle week!!!!! In a ward you feel loved but a lot less needed. In a branch we are like ROCK STARS!! haha Like it is the best!! The members are all so stalwart and so grateful!! This area is like untouched ground!! People are so nice and a lot haven’t heard much about the church!! It is so wonderful!!! Missions are the best!! I love you all a ton! Thanks so much for all that you do!! Have a great week!! Love Elder Smith!!!
