Another great week filled with loving, serving, and teaching! - 3/17/14

What's up Y’all?  Happy Green Day! Thanks for that awesome green package mom. I am going to put all of that stuff on tonight and then I will take a picture and send it home when I can. I am glad your week was great. Sounds like it was full of a lot of card playing. That sounds like a blast. Thanks for all of the pictures! I can't believe how everyone is looking so different already. It is just crazy. Mom I am glad you are feeling better. A lot of prayers were sent to you from good ol Louisiana that is for sure! I can tell you are feeling better because you bought all of the kids’ books haha. Including me! Thanks, but I don't think I want to read that book for a few more years! I am not expecting any kids any time soon haha. :)

Well this week has been very interesting. It started out pretty slow, but then just picked up steam as it went on. It was another great week filled with loving, serving, and teaching. We had a lot of teaching to do this week. The most we have had together thus far. We are killing everyone in our district on lessons. We had 18 this week!! Not too shabby! We made it a huge point this week to see our less-active members. We really want to rescue as many people as we can because our branch is about to get a lot smaller. Down here about half of the members are in the military and about 5 of our strongest families are going to be moving this summer. It is just their time to get new orders and to move somewhere else. It is going to be rough on the branch. We are already hurting for membership. I think President Wall is informed with the situation because this past transfers we received another set of Missionaries for the branch. We now have 17 missionaries in the Westbank. There are so many of us. Without the missionaries in this branch it probably wouldn't be able to run. So that is nice for us to have such a huge role in the church down here.
Well Brother R. came to church again with us. He started this week out not very well, but finished really strongly. So at the beginning of this week we went over and saw him and we talked more about repentance which leads to baptism. He got a little upset with us while we were teaching him that. He said he feels like we are pushing him a lot, but both Elder Jenson and I feel like we aren't pushing him into baptism at all. We are just there trying to explain the doctrine more to him. So at the end of our lesson Brother R.  could tell both Elder Jenson and I were frustrated so he tried to make it all better by saying well I for sure have the 2 best teachers  the church could give me. I won't lie, but I was so frustrated. He says now he wants to wait to be baptized when he can walk. He said he would be able to walk like 2 weeks ago, but he still is not even close. So this week we are going to try and help him pick a good baptism day. I know he will be baptized, but it is just a matter of time now. But then yesterday at church we had a lesson with him while we were waiting for our ride home. We read Chapter 5 of the Book of Mormon because he was confused about it. As we were reading he understood it completely and he committed to read chapter 6 by Thursday. It is a small little commitment, but we both felt like it is the right one right now. He has not smoked since we had our talk. He is really doing well. Hopefully this week will be even better. I am staying positive and don't worry mom I will stay persistent! Haha

(Knocking So Many Doors) 

So in your package you asked me to tell y’all what kind of a trainer I am. Well I wanted to train Elder Jenson how I wanted to be trained. I wanted to do some things different than Elder S. So I try to be the best example I can and it works because Elder Jenson just does the same thing. I love to have fun too. So if we are not having a great day I will say hey lets go to the gas station and grab a soda and some peach rings. I also really think it is important that Elder Jenson learns how to make decisions so a lot of the time I ask him what he wants to do. This I think is good because it makes him feel important too and that he can have an influence on this area too. I have surprisingly been very dedicated to the training program called the first 12 weeks. We have completed every check mark thus far. I feel like I am doing a pretty good job. I know for me the first part of the mission was tough so I try and make it so it is not as difficult while having fun and working hard.
Well that is about it for this week. Church was great yesterday. We talked a lot about the sacrament. I am so thankful for the Sacrament.

PS I was supposed to go play golf today with the zone leaders, but it was too cold... Darn weather!! haha Love y’all!!
PS I was supposed to go play golf today with the zone leaders, but it was too cold... Darn weather!! haha Love y’all!!

Alright so this week we were able to go out with a member and see a bunch of people. His name is Brother S. He is a great guy. He is super smart. Before we went out to see people he wanted to take us somewhere. So we drove to the park and he told us to look up in the trees. So we did and we saw a huge nest and next to it was a Bald Eagle! So there are 2 of them down here. He said he has been documenting them as they are having a chick right now. So that was pretty cool. Then we went out and saw some people. We went into this ladies house and man..... She was a hoarder. Her little house was just full of nasty stuff. She had 2 dogs that looked like rats and they just went to the bathroom wherever they wanted. There was crap all over the place. Both Elder Jenson and I stepped in dog poop. You've got to love these southern Louisiana people! It was nasty!

Then on our service day we went to Sister M. house and mowed her lawn. Yes that is right. We are already starting to mow again. This week was like a perfect temp. It was about 70. So we rolled up to her house and I look and guess who is mowing her lawn? She was! So I stopped her and took over for her. She is such a sweet lady. We then went on a walk with her dogs. She came with us and we just talked. Mom she is so excited for when y’all to come down here. She wants us to come back during Mardi Gras. It is pretty funny. She is doing a lot better.

Dad you are going to have to keep me posted on march madness. There is a member down here that has been giving us some updates haha. I am happy out here and I am striving to be the best I can be. My testimony is growing every day and I am loving the work. I love y’all and I hope you have a great week!! :) PS check the mailbox this week momma! 

Love y’all!

Elder Smith