Hey family! Sounds like another great week back home! It seems like
just yesterday we were emailing and now it is here again! The house
sure is looking good. I am excited to see it. Jacs great job in your
tennis! That is so cool you were able to play on a court that the pros
play on. It wont be too long until you are always playing on those
courts! ;) Keep up the good work. Mom it sounds like you have been
travelin like crazy as usual. Tell Jason good job in his AAU
tournament. I am excited to see him play his senior year! Sounds like
Jane is doing awesome. She is in for a treat with her mission. Dad I
am glad you have been able to hang out in AZ for a week or so. You
always do such a great job on keeping those houses looking great. I am
excited to see them when I get home. Well everyone else I hope you all
are doing great! I love you all so much!
This week has been another busy week as usual. I will just give you a
brief overview of this week. Monday was P-day. Tuesday was District
meeting then after we went out and saw some people. We found a new
investigator this day. Wednesday we drove up to Natchitoches to go to
their district meeting and have an exchange. I stayed up there.
Thursday we drove home early in the morning to a Zone Conference where
President Hansen came up and taught us some things. We had to give an
instruction/ do a role play of the restoration and Book of Mormon.
Then that night we had to go on an emergency exchange with Oakdale so
I went there for the rest of that night. Friday it was a normal day of
missionary work then that night we had Meet the Mormons movie night at
the church. Saturday we had to do our weekly planning and then we went
to a baptism. Then Sunday we had church and then another meeting with
all of our missionaries in the zone with all the ward mission leaders
with our stake president down here in Alexandria at the stake center.
So we had to coordinate that whole meeting. Then that night we went
out and had a member present a lesson with an investigator. Then we
came home and did call-ins with all the district leaders and reported
to the AP's. So as you can see this week was crazy busy.. And the
weird thing is I wasn't stressed out really so that is a huge blessing
in itself. Life of a Zone Leader is pretty crazy, but very rewarding
and fun. I love the missionaries here in this zone. We have the best
zone. I hate to see them struggle.
So this week my letter is going to be a little shorter. I just want to
tell you a few little stories that happened to me this week. First one
is on Tuesday we went over to this less-actives house. She is very old
and doesn't have the best health so that is part of the reason she
doesn't come to church. Well she is a very friendly lady. When we got
there one of her sons was there who I hadn't met. So we started
talking and we found out he was an awesome guy! Well while we were
there they asked us if we were hungry. I hate saying yes, but we said
a little bit. So they were like alright we are going to order you some
pizza. So they order us 2 extra large pizzas and we drove with him to
go get them since we can't be in a house with just a single sister.
While we were there we stayed in the car and he went in to grab them.
When he came back out he was talking about a girl in there that had
just a great spirit about her and a light in her eye. She was just
super friendly and super happy. He told us we should go back after we
had the lesson with him and his mom and talk to her about the gospel.
So we finished the lesson with them. He is excited to be back close to
the church so we are going to work with him. So afterward we go back
and walk in and have no idea what to say so we just go up and start
talking to her. We told her that the guy who had come in to buy the 2
large pizzas said she had a light about her. So we ended up talking to
her and she is very interested. We got her info and invited her to the
Meet the Mormons night. It was awesome! So member missionary work
Works!!!
The next story is when I was up in Natchitoches. We were at their
apartment after District Meeting and there was a guy who randomly
walked behind their house and went down and sat on the dock. There is
a huge canal behind their place. It is way cool! So I grabbed one of
the elders that were there and said alright lets go talk to him. I
also had in my hand a golf club and some chocolate eggs. So we went
down on the dock and started talking to this guy and invited him if he
wanted to hit some of these eggs into the water from the dock. It was
way fun! He didn't want to though so instead we just went over and
started talking to him. Turns out he had been struggling a lot with
some health things and just feeling alone. We ended up teaching him
the whole restoration and he wants to learn more. He said he felt Gods
love for him because he thinks God sent us to go and talk to him at
that moment. I know that was true. See it is cool little stories like
this that I love being a missionary. Just being able to see the Lord
work through us to help his children. Is this guy ever going to come
to church and be baptized? I don't know, but the thing that matters
most is he felt Gods love. And our job as missionaries and as members
of this church is to help others come closer to Christ. That can be
something as simple as showing them a mormon message. I know it is the
small things we all do by being examples that the Lord is going to be
able to hasten his work. He works through us to answer peoples
prayers. That is why it is so important that we always always always
live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And what is that Gospel? It is having
Faith in Jesus Christ, Repenting, Going to church every single week
and renew our covenants with God through the Sacrament, Following the
Holy Ghost and enduring to the End meaning repeating the steps I have
just listed. The Gospel is so simple. I know we all can do this. And
when we do this I know we are blessed and we are promised that no
matter what comes our way we will be able to overcome it. That is
because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
If I have only been able to learn one thing on my mission thus far it
is that the Atonement is real. I know that we can be forgiven of our
sins and our mistakes. I know that our weaknesses can become strengths
through the enabling side of the Atonement. Peace is found when we use
the Atonement. No matter how far we may feel. No matter what we have
done. All can be made right because of what our Savior Jesus Christ
has done. This gift is free to all who wants to use it. He has already
died and atoned for us. Now it is up to us to use it so my advise is
USE IT!! How do we use it? Get down on your knees and pray, then get
up on your feet and serve others. I know without a doubt in my heart
that the Atonement is real.
Well family I love you all so much! this letter was a little different
from my other ones, but I want you all to know how important this
Gospel is. We have to prepare for the eternities.
I am doing great! I am excited for this next week. I have a doctors
appointment tomorrow so I will let you know how it goes. I love you
all so much! I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is
true. I love you all again! Have a great week!
Love Elder Smith
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