Wednesday, July 31, 2013

First P-Day Letter - 7/31/13

HELLO FAMILY!!!! Today is finally my PDAY! I haven’t been able to write any letters or emails so today is the first day! I have been looking forward forever it seems like! hey really quickly though I leave tuesday morning at 2;30 AM… and i have a lay over in Dallas from 9-1 so I will give you all a call then! :) I already bought a calling card so dont worry about that. Well I have been GREAT!! I have been sleeping well again and been super busy! The first day here at the MTC was pretty tough, i must say, but it has all been so worth it! I have learned so much and have had so many great memories already! The Spirit is so strong here and I have been able to get such a stronger testimony. I am loving it! it has been great! My companion and I get along really well, but like I said.. he is really into theatre.. (HAHA) ;) we have 4 people to a room and the other two Elders are already some of my best friends! Elder Browning and Elder Southward. They both are very active and we have a lot of fun together!

The days here at the MTC are pretty tough and long, but at the same time they seem to fly by! It’s weird… My typical schedule consists of waking up at 6:29 then get ready and start personnal study. then it is breakfast. then we have personal study for about 4 hours.. then lunch then 6 hours of class time. then more Personal study, then bed. Sleep, wake up, then repeat! I have been soo tired it’s unreal! Today was nice though because we kind of got to sleep in until 7:30! It was great! The food has been good. I havent gained any weight yet so that is a plus! I need to save that for the mission! haha I have received all of your letters and care packages and it has been great! Thank you so much for all of the letters. They make my day! We are able to read letters every night, but we can only write on p days so that makes it pretty tough.. Oh well! It just gives me something to look forward to every week! Mom and dad dont worry about me out here. I am doing great and I am loving the work! Elder Holland quoted “Why should a mission be easy for us when it wasnt for our Savior.” That is so true. In our devotionals we have only had member of the 70 come so no apostles. We are hoping for Elder Holland on sunday! Well how is everyone doing back home? Hopefully all is well! I’m sorry about all the type-o’s, but I just dont have time to fix them all! I now know why missionarys write so badly! haha Well I leave tuesday so I do not know when I will be able to get back online next so until we meet again! I just want you all to know how great missionary work is! Once I put my name tag on I knew it is what I was supposed to do. I now am a servant of the lord. I represent him! It is great! my testimony has been strengthened so very much! I love the work! and I love you all soo much! I will try my best to write everyone that wrote me, but it is hard because I am so busy! Well i hope all is well! I love you all!!!!! The church is true, the book is blue, and I’ll see you in 2!!!

I love you all!
Love your Elder Smith

PS mom your cookies are amazing!, but they are making me fat! ;) I love you mom and dad and family!
PSS I cant figure our how to upload pictures so I will figure that out next time! :)

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

1st Letter from our Missionary! - 7/24/13


Dear Mom and Dad, and Family,

We did it!  It is so weird to think I am in the MTC right now…I’m loving it!  I won’t lie it has been pretty hard so far.  Right when we got here we hit the road running.  I have been doing well!  I’m a little homesick and I already miss you guys, but this is what I need to be doing right now.  I have felt the spirit today and I know Heavenly Father is helping me out.  I haven’t cried since I last saw you guys so that has been a prayer answered:!

My companions name is Elder ……  He is from Mesa Arizona.  I like him.  He is a good kid and we already are great friends!  He is a little shorter than me and he is a big theatre kid…OH BOY!  So far we have gotten along really well.  We got lost today and were a little late to one of our meetings!  It was funny!  The food was great tonight!  Chicken Cordon Blue!  Wasn’t anything like home though…Man, I can’t believe I am a Missionary!  It is a great feeling knowing I am a full time servant of the Lord.  And it is great to know that every missionary here is feeling the same thing that I am!  We all are in the same boat!  There is a scripture that I learned today.  It is Mark 5:36.  Be not AFRAID, only BELIEVE!  It really is hard to do that.  But I’m going to put my trust into the Lords hands.  I know he will bless me for it!  And our whole family!

Well I’m sorry this is short, but it is already lights out!  I love you all and of course I miss you!  I’m going to be okay!  I love you all!

The church is true, the Book is blue, and I’ll see you in 2!!!!!

Love Elder Smith

Dropping Nick Off at MTC - 7/24/13