Hey family!
Payton, it sounds like you had the hookups for the Taylor Swift concert!! Is there another one!? I wanna be your date!! haha It looks like you guys had a blast!! So fun! It also looks like the cabin has a lot of new toys, and kids that in my memory aren’t old enough to be playing with those kinds of toys! haha I can’t believe how big Alex is! He is looking fit to! I bet the ladies are all over him!! 16 is still a couple years away buddy!! haha Well, thank you so much for the b day package! I got it a couple days ago and I was like man this is probably the only chance I will get to open my b day present early and have it be ok! haha so I had Reeses for conference (: thank you so much! You guys are the best!! President Vahovick gave me a big apple pie today too! He is so great!! Well I honestly can’t believe where the time has gone!!
This last week has been so hard and stressful for me!! Elder Pacis, a brand knew missionary this transfer that was in my district, went home because of homesickness! It was a terrible thing! He was a recent convert of only a couple years! I had a lot of chats with him before he finally made the decision! He would talk about it and change his mind and he kept going back and forth for like a week and then he finally did it! So he was in Kenora so this whole week we were driving back and forth in a threesome trying to juggle 2 areas! With that and all of the going home prep with making calls and people dropping us in our area and all sorts of other garbage, it was a mess of a week! haha My hair is definitely falling out more rapidly! I’ve just accepted that I will look like Dad, but not as handsome! haha It’s all good though I just gotta tell people that I’m Payton’s brother and I’ll get a wife for sure! ha ha It really has been a mess of stress, but man I have some great stuff planned for when you guys come! I have a lunch and supper apt for us for almost every day you are here! I wasn’t really planning on that, at all, but everyone wants to feed us! So you guys will get to try some Canadian, African and Filipino food! It should be really fun! Hopefully that’s ok for you guys? And hopefully Elder Woods parents are as fun as he is! hahaha But I really just don’t have time to see everyone so I guess we will just kind of have to see what happens. I think I will probably get time to call you next week though, so I was wondering what your cell #s are now? Just fill me in (: but before I forget, I have the funny quote for the week! Something bad happened to someone and Elder Mcdanel said, “Oh man he’s SOL.” I was like, “Come on man, you can’t say that.” And he got all mad and he’s like, “What? All it means is save our lives.” ha ha ha I died laughing! It was funny stuff! It was so fun calling people this week though! I’m not done yet because I’ve just found a little time to make calls but it is so fun to talk to everybody again!! It really feels so good! It was so great to call Belatu though! I told her about our get together at the fireside and I wanted her to come and she was game, but I could tell she was uneasy about it and I didn’t know why, so I was like is that ok? Will that work? And she is like, “Ya, it will but I really wanted to have your family over for supper, I have something for your Mom and Dad.” She is such a wonderful lady! It sounds like she is doing so good! I’m so excited for you guys to meet everyone though! It will be a lot of fun!
This week was very interesting with everything that happened! Conference made me bawl like a little girl!~ especially the Priesthood session! I loved all the talks but I love the one where he talked about his mission being "Sacred Ground" It hit me pretty hard! I couldn’t stop sobbing, so it was kind of awkward with the 2 Priesthood holders in the branch and the 3 missionaries. John and Pres Vahovick weren’t there. But it was so good!! With conference, Elder Pacis going home, and my mission coming close to the end, it made me think a lot about what all has happened in two years. I look a little different...I have more zits, hemorrhoids, and less hair! haha But I wouldn't trade the last 2 years for anything! I think about Elder Pacis and it just makes me soooooo sick! it is such a sad deal because missions ARE such Sacred Ground! I have met so many amazing people and I have had so many wonderful experiences!! I have been sooo blessed in my life with an amazing family that supports me 100% and I have seen sooo many miracles out here! I just can’t show my gratitude enough for the wonderful blessings in my life!! I know that God lives and love us! I know that he hears and answers prayers! I know that I was supposed to come to the CWM! I am sooooo grateful to be here!! Missions are so hard and frustrating, but they are the best!! I’m so excited and happy for Payton!! SOOO PROUD! haha But thank you so much for all that you all do! All is well and I’ll talk to ya next p day! (: This week should be a good stressful one (: we have Zone Conference, 2 areas to juggle that are two hours apart, and John’s receiving the Priesthood on Sunday! (: The church is soooo true! I love you guys all a bunch! Love Elder Smith
