Thanks for your letters. I really loved them this week. I look forward to your letters every week. It just makes me smile! Well no one got transferred this transfer here in the Westbank. We all think that president didn't want to move the missionaries around until after Christmas! So that is really good. There were only 3 transfers in all of the New Orleans zone (which is my zone). So nothing too big has happened! I am super excited though that I get to stay here in Algiers. And I am really excited to serve with Elder Willis for another transfer! I am really hoping for more success this next transfer especially because it is the Christmas time of year. This past transfer was a pretty tough transfer! We had a lot of little successes of sharing the Gospel, but none of them have lead us to the next step yet. I am really hoping that it will happen this next transfer. I know it will. The Lord is just testing us and our faith. We need to stay strong so that the work can progress through us. I may not have seen the big successes, but I have seen the little successes and it has added up to be a big success. I think one of the biggest successes I have seen is in myself. I am becoming more and more converted every day. I love this Gospel and all of the blessings it brings to me in my life. I have liked having hard times because it is making me stronger. Yes during them it is really hard, but that is when you turn to the Lord and he pours out his blessings upon us. I love that.
Well mom and dad that is sooo cool about your new calling as ward missionaries! That is really kind of funny that you both would be called especially since you have been thinking about serving a mission. Now you are! That is so cool. I think your both going to be the best missionaries ever! You are going to blow me out of the water! Haha Mom that missionary experience on the airplane is so cool. He sounded like a really cool guy. Keep working on him! Be persistent! Haha. That is really cool. That is a really cool experience on how you went and said a prayer and then when you came back it opened up an opportunity to share the Book of Mormon with him. That has got to strengthen your testimony a lot. Hey it is true. When you open your mouth it will be filled with words. The Holy Ghost is so cool that way. Good job mom and dad. You both are my heroes! I look up to you both so much! I love you guys!
Well this past week was really slow... One of the slowest weeks probably.. Haha So many people were gone and to top it off it was the last week of the transfer and it seemed to drag on forever. So guess what we did to make it better?? SERVICE!! I had 22 hours of service this week. Sister W. asked if we would come over and help her and her husband out with laying tile on their whole bottom floor. It took us 2 days! Lets just say I am pro at laying tile now! It is going to be a skill I will be able to use for the rest of my life. Elder A. and I did the whole thing pretty much because we were the only 2 that would get dirty and do some work! Elder W. and Elder V. didn't do too much haha. Oh well. We had so much fun doing it! They were very appreciative and bought us some poy boys which are pretty much like sandwiches. They were calamari! Soooo good. Then Yesterday they bought us all our own pizzas. They are such a great family.
We only had a few lessons and a couple spiritual thoughts this past week. We didn't see any of our less active members. We did see Sister M. and she had a great trip up to Tennessee! Then when we left she said that she was going to come to church and guess what!!!! She did not..... :( She hasn't been for 5 weeks now.. It is soo sad. She is not committing to her commitments. So we are just praying our hardest to show love towards her and for her to soften her heart and come to church. None of our investigators came to church this week. Lets just say the work is very slow right now. I don't know why, but it is. I am excited though to get out this week and work hard and get people to start coming again! Last night Elder Andrews and I went on exchanges to a family that is super less active. It went really well and we all felt the Spirit soo strongly. Mom I had a little moment like you had on the airplane. We were talking about Lehi's dream. We were going over the topics and helping them understand how important the rod of iron is. Then all of a sudden I felt like I should say something that had to do with something totally different. So I acted and it turns out that the mom had been wondering about a question that she had and I addressed it. We ended up talking about it for a while and she said how that had been something on her mind for awhile. It was so cool to be an instrument in the Lords hands. I have had so many cool experiences out here. Missions are so much fun. I really love just being around all of the other missionaries. It is nice to know I am not the only one who has left their family. That has been super nice.
Well I am sorry this letter has kind of jumped all around the place, but not much happened this week. Oh yes I did receive your Christmas package! Thank you sooo much for it! I have been decorating it this week. Those little missionaries ornaments riding their bikes were pretty awesome! That looks just like us because we do not have the car anymore... Sad day! Haha. Oh one thing the weather at the beginning of this week was 90 degrees!! But today it is about 40 with humidity! It is sooooooooooo cold!!!!! :) I think it feels like 9 degrees! Haha. It is starting to feel more like Christmas. I love this time of year. So do the people down here. So many people have "Happy Birthday Jesus" posters on their houses. It is pretty cool. I love being out here because it has taught me the true meaning of Christmas. I have seen how it is not about the presents and the hustle and bustle, but about Christ. It is about Families being together. That is going to be pretty tough! Not going to lie. I am going to be missin y'all very much! But at least we get to talk!!
Well tell everyone hello for me. Tell all of the little kids I love them. Mom I love you so Much! Dad I love you so much! Thank you both for all you do for me. I miss you guys like crazy, but this is where I am suppose to be. Have a great week and let me know if there is anything you want to know. I love you guys!
Love Elder Smith
PS. We are going to be able to Skype for Christmas! I am not sure what time or where yet, but I will let y'all know. Thanks you guys and I love you!! Have a great week!
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