Hello my wonderful family! How is everyone doing? I love all the emails and letters everyone sends me. It sounds like things are going good back home! That is really good to hear! Thanks for the package! We used the frog towels on Saturday and they helped keep us cool! We ended up going back to help finish building the shed. We still are not even close to being finished! I'll try to go to the store to get pictures, but it is so hard... We do not have that much time. I will go and do it this week though I promise!! :)
This week I have been sooo busy.. It has been pretty crazy! So once we left the library on Tuesday I went back to our apartment and packed my bags.. I went on exchanges again this week, but with elder Provost this time. We were working super hard! We had so many appointments set up, but most of them fell through so we started tracting. As we were tracting we just started talking to so many people and we passed out so many pass along cards. Elder Provost is a great missionary. He really listens to the spirit and he is not afraid to talk to anyone. We both match up pretty well!
So a cool experience.. Elder Provost and Elder Olsen had a recent baptism with a guy named ____. He was doing soo great and then they went over one night and he had been drinking a lot of alcohol and smoking a lot of cigarettes. They were so heart broken because he was doing so good and he was planning on going to the temple the next morning for baptisms. They were so sad so they helped him clean up and put him to bed. The next morning I was with Elder Provost so we went over and he had done the same thing... It was so sad because ____ says he tries so hard, but Satan always tempts him. We just read scriptures with him and watched mormon messages and we talked with him and he said he was going to stop and we committed him to live the word of wisdom from then on. The next day we went back over and the same thing had happened... he was drunk... It was a big eye- opener to me because I have never really been around that type of stuff so I didn't know the real effects of it. He was so sad and crying and praying that Heavenly Father would Help him. We comforted him and we read more scriptures and we just helped him know how much our Heavenly Father loves him. And then we left him with the commitment that whenever he had those thoughts to do those bad things, he would call us and we would come over and help him out. From that time on he has been doing so much better and he is going to be okay. So what I learned from all of this is that we as missionaries are here to help and rescue people from the evil things Satan wants us to do. So all of my nieces and nephews... LISTEN UP.... Whenever you are faced with a choice and someone wants you to try something you know is wrong, turn around and RUN! Make the choice now that you will never do those things. Alcohol and drugs ruin lives and families. It is so sad. But the most rewarding thing I saw out of this experience is the true power of the Atonement. The Atonement will help us with anything. We don't just use it when we make a mistake, but it is the power to get us through the day. I have realized this out here. The Atonement is the most amazing thing ever!
Well after the exchange ended on Friday morning we had a Zone training meeting. We learned how important Preach My Gospel is and how it is scripture. We always need to study it because it will help us out so much! Then after Zone training we went to lunch at this place called Canes Chicken! It is the bomb dot com! It was so good! Then we went home and fixed my bike... Oh yeah. I had 2 flats Thursday night... that was no bueno. So when we went to get the tubes to fix the bike we went to Dick's Sporting Goods. It just barely opened on Wednesday and guess what I was able to do.... They have an indoor driving range... SO I hit a couple of golf balls! :) It was so nice to swing a club again! And as I was doing that I met a guy that works there named _____. He is an older guy and he loves to golf so i got talking with him and then he asked me why I was out here when I could be home playing golf. I told him my reasons and I told him about the Gospel and I bore my testimony to him. I gave him a card and he really appreciated it. He wanted to learn more so hopefully he will turn into a new investigator! That would be so cool!! Then on Saturday we got up early and went up to Medory to continue on the shed building... We finished the bottom floor and the upstairs flooring so now all we need to do is put up the 2nd story walls and the roof! It is really cool and I love to help these people out. I love to give service! It always makes me feel so much better about myself. It helps me not think about home. I have had a really good week! I have not been as homesick so that was a big bonus!
Alright... Now I am to Sunday! We had the awesome opportunity to have President and Sister Wall come to our church and speak in sacrament meeting and then to have our interviews! They both gave great talks. President Wall talked about enjoying the journey of life. It is so true. We sometimes get so caught up in things when all we need to do is enjoy ourselves and our journey. He is such a great Mission President. Then in my interview we were just talking and I told him all of my worries and he made me a promise. He said he has never made this promise with anyone before. I told him about how I felt like we were not teaching as much. He made me the promise that I will be able to teach as much as I want to teach. He promised me that I will become a Master teacher. He told me I have the gift of discernment. He promised me that I will be able to teach anyone and help them out in their needs. It was so awesome! It was a very big compliment too. He said it is going to be hard, but he told me that he knows I am a hard worker. That was really cool! I promise I am not getting a big head though! It is still very humbling when I go and talk to someone and I look like a total idiot doing it haha! I am getting so much better though! And then Sunday night the Walker Family fed us again! It was pretty good!
So that was my week. I had a very good week and I felt like I worked my hardest. My testimony is growing so much and I am learning to recognize the promptings of the spirit. Missionary work is so amazing, but so tough at the same time. I am striving to be the best I can be and to be exactly obedient. After all obedience brings blessings! Well that is about it. I love you all so much! Jacque congrats on winning your tennis tournament! Keep up the good work and maybe you will be able to beat me when i get home! HaHa Jaycee good job in soccer! Everyone else keep up the good work and keep on smilin! :) Mom I love you and Dad I love you! Thanks for all you do! I miss you all so much, but I know it will get easier! I love you all!! Until we meet again!
Elder Smith!
Here are the answers to your latest questions:
1. We do not have a ward it is a branch. We don't have to many members out here. We meet in a church building that is about as big as the building in arizona. It is smaller though. It is like the church on combe road.
2. I will send pictures home this week! :)
3. The missionary that is new is awesome. He is very funny! His name is ElderAndrews. He is from Draper. We are really good buddies.
I love you all!!
ps tell Jill and Shaun thanks for the package they sent! It was very nice of them! :)
PSS I like how you printed off the letters for me. I can't really print them off because I am never at the church. Only the library.
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