I was thinking about just writing a few words like "See you in 3 days"
or "I'm coming home" then closing the letter there, but that's no fun
right? :) Man your letters have made me tear up and it has been very
hard getting through them. Thank you all for your love and support.
There are so many times out here that I have found strength from you
all. So many times I came to the library and saw an email that I
needed to hear to help me with my struggles. So thank you for being in
tune with the Spirit. I love you guys so much and I can't wait to see
you!!
This week has been an emotional roller coaster. It all started on
Friday. Since it was my last Friday and so on until today. I don't
like "last" anythings. It has been so hard to say goodbye to the
people I love. But the best part about it all is I just remind myself
that I have my family back home that I get to see!! i can not wait to
see you all. It is going to be great! But we did a lot of fun things
this week! I have been fed every night for the past 2 weeks! i love
it, but it has been hard to work out more than i eat haha. Sister
Becnel made me my favorite dessert. It was a chocolate Lava Cake!! It
put flemings to shame.. haha. It has been fun seeing everyone and
being able to bare my testimony. That is the goal I set for this last
week is to bare my testimony to everyone I meet. My testimony is so
simple, yet so complicated. I think you all know what I mean with
that. It has been fun taking pictures and talking about what i will be
doing. It has been amazing the strength I have received from the
Atonement this week with helping me stay focused and motivated to do
the work. I haven't been trunky.. but I have been soooooooooo
excited!!
Then on Sunday I was able to give my talk. I found out I was giving it
with our high councilor. I was sooo excited about this because our
high councilor is Brother Johnson! He is the former baptist preacher
and member of the black panthers. He is so awesome!! My talk i felt
went really well. I really prepared hard and prayed hard to have the
Spirit with me. It is funny that I spoke the very first sunday out
here and now the very last sunday out here. It was cool. Right when
sacrament meeting started I looked towards the back and a less active
member that hadn't come in a little over a year walked in and sat in
the back. I was sooo happy! I have been able to work with him a few
times. I was happy he was able to hear the talks that were given. I
feel the Spirit led me to say what I said since he came. It was
awesome!!
Yesterday we had a great day! I ran down to New Orleans and bought 24
pralines so we can enjoy them when I get back. I am also going to run
down there and get some things. Any requests?? Then last night we were
able to have dinner at our ward mission leaders house. Then since the
one less active guy came to church our mission leader invited him over
for dinner at his house as well. It was great!! We had a good lesson
and now he has a solid friend in the church,. I know he is going to be
active again. I am thankful i have been able to be apart of that in a
little way.
I said goodbye to all of our investigators that I have gotten really
close to. I took a ton of pictures. I have everyones numbers so I can
stay in touch. And that is pretty much my week! Oh and last night I
Packed!!!!! It hit me for real last night that I am going home. Then
this morning we went early and played tennis with brother Becnel.
Jacque and Jane you two better watch out... Your uncle nick is coming
back!! haha.
I know this letter is a little scattered, but if you all could get
just one thing from this letter it is that I love my mission. I know
this Gospel is true because of it. I know it. I am so excited to see
you all and be able to tell you all of the little stories that have
happened. I am thankful for you all and the love you have for me. I
miss you guys and I am ready to be home. I can't believe the 2 years
is up. I have loved it!! Well I love you all so much! and I will be
giving you all a bunch of hugs in 3 days! I love ya!
Love Elder Smith
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
I Got To Do My Favorite Thing In The World - Twice!! 7/6/15
Hey guys! Man I could watch those videos all day of the 4th party. It
looked like a ton of fun! I am excited to get back into the action of
our family parties again. Mom thank you for all of the videos! It is
really fun to see everyone doing so well and getting all grown up.
(Well the little kids anyway haha.) It is awesome all of our family is
doing so well. We truly are blessed that our family is so close. There
are so many people out here that don't have that. So I have been very
grateful for our family. Thanks yall for being so awesome!! It is the
best.
Mom and Dad the house is looking incredible! I am excited to see it
all done. Just think it is almost done and no more worries or
stresses. It is awesome also you guys were able to go to the Temple.
Our whole Priesthood lesson was on the temple yesterday. We heard
stories from President Monson about families in foreign countries who
have to leave there families for 4 years to just save enough money to
go, where all we have to do is sacrifice a little bit of our time to
go. We are so blessed to have so many temples right by our house. And
we don't even have to walk there. We have cars to get us there. It was
an eye opener for me of how sometimes we take the temple for granted.
It made me want to be better. So mom and dad thanks for your examples
to me of always going to the temple. You guys are incredible! I can't
wait to go with you guys next! Hey it will only be in what? 3 Weeks??
Man that sounds good! Well I am happy you all had a great week and you
all are safe. I hope Jacques back starts feeling better. I bet with
all of the tennis on tv it is making her want to work even harder.
Thanks Dave for the update on your family. I love you guys! Ry and
Keelie, Dan and Brit i love you guys! I am excited to see you in a few
weeks. The rest of the fam I love you guys too!
Alrighty for me week it was a really good week! I got to do my
favorite thing in the world a few times. We were able to do some
service. Service just makes me feel so good. It really helps me not
worry about myself. All of missionary work does, but service is the
biggest one. We helped put in a new door and Trimmed some trees in our
investigators yard. It was pretty short, but it was awesome. This week
we also were able to do a lot of member work. Just helping them and
strengthening their testimonies. We saw 5 member families this week.
The members are so strong down here. They have to be. Everywhere you
look there is something to distract you, but they are able to keep
their testimonies of the Gospel because of their faith. I truly love
the members down here.
We also saw some of our investigators. We saw G. 2 times. Once with
the Killeen family. We taught her last week the Restoration. Then this
week we did the introduction to the Book of Mormon and read the first
chapter with her. Then last night at dinner at the Killeens we taught
her the Plan of Salvation. It was a really good lesson. Also G. came
to church! She is slowly progressing and has a lot to sacrifice before
Baptism. But I am just happy we are able to be there to bring her
closer to Christ. After all that is our job. Then we saw another
investigator named P. He is a huge tennis player and i have talked
about tennis with him a lot. I told him about Jacque and Jane and how
good they are. He was very impressed and then he asked who their coach
was and I told him their Dad. He thought that was awesome! So good job
Dave, Jacs, and Jane! But with him the key to get him to progress is
getting his family involved and teaching them as well. It is really
hard because of how busy they are. I have met his family once and they
loved us! So what our plan is, is to have a family home evening with
all of them. Just a quick 15 min one. He agreed, but now we have to
find a good time for them. He is such a great guy! We have gone and
played tennis with him 2 times and he really wants to take me golfing
before I go home. I hope we can! I know P. one day is going to find
his way into this Gospel.
Now for another investigator we have been teaching his name is J. This
guy is incredible! 3 months ago when we went over there he was a
complete alcoholic and was into some bad habits. He now has been sober
for 3 months! He just smokes now, but we are trying to help him stop.
This guy is awesome though. He has come a long way. It is cool to see
what the Atonement can do to someone. He still hasn't came to church
though.. Last week he said he was and we got him a ride and everything
and then an hour before church he called and bailed.. Agency....
Sometimes I don't like it haha. It just bothers me because I know how
much church would help him. But it's all good. Next time we go over he
wants us to teach about Jesus Christ. So it should be good!
Then we also were able to work with a few less-active members. They
were great lessons! The only problem was is they still didn't come to
church... They will come though I know it! So this week was a good
week on teaching. It is cool to look back and see how my teaching has
changed through out my mission. At first it was so robotic. Now I try
and shush up and let the Spirit do the talking. My testimony has
grown so much, but yet it is so simple.
Mom it is pretty cool that you bore your testimony yesterday because I
bore mine too. My last fast Sunday. One of the first things I said up
there was "i might get a little emotional. I get that from my mom"
haha It was really hard though. I never thought I would say that. I
have a little bit of mixed feelings of coming home. I will miss the
people and the cool experiences, but I am ready for the next chapter.
Serving this mission was the best choice I have ever made. I love it!
Well that about wraps up this week. Mom you would be happy to know
they recruited me to give a talk my last Sunday here... So I spoke the
very first Sunday of the mission and now the very last! haha. Hey
speaking of that will you find out the topic I am going to have for my
homecoming? I would like to prepare that before I get home. Thanks!
And with all the pictures have you had Dan and Ryan look at getting
them off your computer? If not I have all of the pics and I'll just
bring them home with me in 2 weeks. If that is alright. just let me
know. Thanks for your 4th of July package! I loved it! Well family
keep up the great job! You all are awesome! I love you!
Love Elder Smith
looked like a ton of fun! I am excited to get back into the action of
our family parties again. Mom thank you for all of the videos! It is
really fun to see everyone doing so well and getting all grown up.
(Well the little kids anyway haha.) It is awesome all of our family is
doing so well. We truly are blessed that our family is so close. There
are so many people out here that don't have that. So I have been very
grateful for our family. Thanks yall for being so awesome!! It is the
best.
Mom and Dad the house is looking incredible! I am excited to see it
all done. Just think it is almost done and no more worries or
stresses. It is awesome also you guys were able to go to the Temple.
Our whole Priesthood lesson was on the temple yesterday. We heard
stories from President Monson about families in foreign countries who
have to leave there families for 4 years to just save enough money to
go, where all we have to do is sacrifice a little bit of our time to
go. We are so blessed to have so many temples right by our house. And
we don't even have to walk there. We have cars to get us there. It was
an eye opener for me of how sometimes we take the temple for granted.
It made me want to be better. So mom and dad thanks for your examples
to me of always going to the temple. You guys are incredible! I can't
wait to go with you guys next! Hey it will only be in what? 3 Weeks??
Man that sounds good! Well I am happy you all had a great week and you
all are safe. I hope Jacques back starts feeling better. I bet with
all of the tennis on tv it is making her want to work even harder.
Thanks Dave for the update on your family. I love you guys! Ry and
Keelie, Dan and Brit i love you guys! I am excited to see you in a few
weeks. The rest of the fam I love you guys too!
Alrighty for me week it was a really good week! I got to do my
favorite thing in the world a few times. We were able to do some
service. Service just makes me feel so good. It really helps me not
worry about myself. All of missionary work does, but service is the
biggest one. We helped put in a new door and Trimmed some trees in our
investigators yard. It was pretty short, but it was awesome. This week
we also were able to do a lot of member work. Just helping them and
strengthening their testimonies. We saw 5 member families this week.
The members are so strong down here. They have to be. Everywhere you
look there is something to distract you, but they are able to keep
their testimonies of the Gospel because of their faith. I truly love
the members down here.
We also saw some of our investigators. We saw G. 2 times. Once with
the Killeen family. We taught her last week the Restoration. Then this
week we did the introduction to the Book of Mormon and read the first
chapter with her. Then last night at dinner at the Killeens we taught
her the Plan of Salvation. It was a really good lesson. Also G. came
to church! She is slowly progressing and has a lot to sacrifice before
Baptism. But I am just happy we are able to be there to bring her
closer to Christ. After all that is our job. Then we saw another
investigator named P. He is a huge tennis player and i have talked
about tennis with him a lot. I told him about Jacque and Jane and how
good they are. He was very impressed and then he asked who their coach
was and I told him their Dad. He thought that was awesome! So good job
Dave, Jacs, and Jane! But with him the key to get him to progress is
getting his family involved and teaching them as well. It is really
hard because of how busy they are. I have met his family once and they
loved us! So what our plan is, is to have a family home evening with
all of them. Just a quick 15 min one. He agreed, but now we have to
find a good time for them. He is such a great guy! We have gone and
played tennis with him 2 times and he really wants to take me golfing
before I go home. I hope we can! I know P. one day is going to find
his way into this Gospel.
Now for another investigator we have been teaching his name is J. This
guy is incredible! 3 months ago when we went over there he was a
complete alcoholic and was into some bad habits. He now has been sober
for 3 months! He just smokes now, but we are trying to help him stop.
This guy is awesome though. He has come a long way. It is cool to see
what the Atonement can do to someone. He still hasn't came to church
though.. Last week he said he was and we got him a ride and everything
and then an hour before church he called and bailed.. Agency....
Sometimes I don't like it haha. It just bothers me because I know how
much church would help him. But it's all good. Next time we go over he
wants us to teach about Jesus Christ. So it should be good!
Then we also were able to work with a few less-active members. They
were great lessons! The only problem was is they still didn't come to
church... They will come though I know it! So this week was a good
week on teaching. It is cool to look back and see how my teaching has
changed through out my mission. At first it was so robotic. Now I try
and shush up and let the Spirit do the talking. My testimony has
grown so much, but yet it is so simple.
Mom it is pretty cool that you bore your testimony yesterday because I
bore mine too. My last fast Sunday. One of the first things I said up
there was "i might get a little emotional. I get that from my mom"
haha It was really hard though. I never thought I would say that. I
have a little bit of mixed feelings of coming home. I will miss the
people and the cool experiences, but I am ready for the next chapter.
Serving this mission was the best choice I have ever made. I love it!
Well that about wraps up this week. Mom you would be happy to know
they recruited me to give a talk my last Sunday here... So I spoke the
very first Sunday of the mission and now the very last! haha. Hey
speaking of that will you find out the topic I am going to have for my
homecoming? I would like to prepare that before I get home. Thanks!
And with all the pictures have you had Dan and Ryan look at getting
them off your computer? If not I have all of the pics and I'll just
bring them home with me in 2 weeks. If that is alright. just let me
know. Thanks for your 4th of July package! I loved it! Well family
keep up the great job! You all are awesome! I love you!
Love Elder Smith
Monday, July 6, 2015
Service Makes Me Happy! - 7/5/15
Hey guys! Man I could watch those videos all day of the 4th party. It
looked like a ton of fun! I am excited to get back into the action of
our family parties again. Mom thank you for all of the videos! It is
really fun to see everyone doing so well and getting all grown up.
(Well the little kids anyway haha.) It is awesome all of our family is
doing so well. We truly are blessed that our family is so close. There
are so many people out here that don't have that. So I have been very
grateful for our family. Thanks yall for being so awesome!! It is the
best.
Mom and Dad the house is looking incredible! I am excited to see it
all done. Just think it is almost done and no more worries or
stresses. It is awesome also you guys were able to go to the Temple.
Our whole Priesthood lesson was on the temple yesterday. We heard
stories from President Monson about families in foreign countries who
have to leave there families for 4 years to just save enough money to
go, where all we have to do is sacrifice a little bit of our time to
go. We are so blessed to have so many temples right by our house. And
we don't even have to walk there. We have cars to get us there. It was
an eye opener for me of how sometimes we take the temple for granted.
It made me want to be better. So mom and dad thanks for your examples
to me of always going to the temple. You guys are incredible! I can't
wait to go with you guys next! Hey it will only be in what? 3 Weeks??
Man that sounds good! Well I am happy you all had a great week and you
all are safe. I hope Jacques back starts feeling better. I bet with
all of the tennis on tv it is making her want to work even harder.
Thanks Dave for the update on your family. I love you guys! Ry and
Keelie, Dan and Brit i love you guys! I am excited to see you in a few
weeks. The rest of the fam I love you guys too!
Alrighty for me week it was a really good week! I got to do my
favorite thing in the world a few times. We were able to do some
service. Service just makes me feel so good. It really helps me not
worry about myself. All of missionary work does, but service is the
biggest one. We helped put in a new door and Trimmed some trees in our
investigators yard. It was pretty short, but it was awesome. This week
we also were able to do a lot of member work. Just helping them and
strengthening their testimonies. We saw 5 member families this week.
The members are so strong down here. They have to be. Everywhere you
look there is something to distract you, but they are able to keep
their testimonies of the Gospel because of their faith. I truly love
the members down here.
We also saw some of our investigators. We saw G. 2 times. Once with
the Killeen family. We taught her last week the Restoration. Then this
week we did the introduction to the Book of Mormon and read the first
chapter with her. Then last night at dinner at the Killeens we taught
her the Plan of Salvation. It was a really good lesson. Also G. came
to church! She is slowly progressing and has a lot to sacrifice before
Baptism. But I am just happy we are able to be there to bring her
closer to Christ. After all that is our job. Then we saw another
investigator named P. He is a huge tennis player and i have talked
about tennis with him a lot. I told him about Jacque and Jane and how
good they are. He was very impressed and then he asked who their coach
was and I told him their Dad. He thought that was awesome! So good job
Dave, Jacs, and Jane! But with him the key to get him to progress is
getting his family involved and teaching them as well. It is really
hard because of how busy they are. I have met his family once and they
loved us! So what our plan is, is to have a family home evening with
all of them. Just a quick 15 min one. He agreed, but now we have to
find a good time for them. He is such a great guy! We have gone and
played tennis with him 2 times and he really wants to take me golfing
before I go home. I hope we can! I know P. one day is going to find
his way into this Gospel.
Now for another investigator we have been teaching his name is J. This
guy is incredible! 3 months ago when we went over there he was a
complete alcoholic and was into some bad habits. He now has been sober
for 3 months! He just smokes now, but we are trying to help him stop.
This guy is awesome though. He has come a long way. It is cool to see
what the Atonement can do to someone. He still hasn't came to church
though.. Last week he said he was and we got him a ride and everything
and then an hour before church he called and bailed.. Agency....
Sometimes I don't like it haha. It just bothers me because I know how
much church would help him. But it's all good. Next time we go over he
wants us to teach about Jesus Christ. So it should be good!
Then we also were able to work with a few less-active members. They
were great lessons! The only problem was is they still didn't come to
church... They will come though I know it! So this week was a good
week on teaching. It is cool to look back and see how my teaching has
changed through out my mission. At first it was so robotic. Now I try
and shush up and let the Spirit do the talking. My testimony has
grown so much, but yet it is so simple.
Mom it is pretty cool that you bore your testimony yesterday because I
bore mine too. My last fast Sunday. One of the first things I said up
there was "i might get a little emotional. I get that from my mom"
haha It was really hard though. I never thought I would say that. I
have a little bit of mixed feelings of coming home. I will miss the
people and the cool experiences, but I am ready for the next chapter.
Serving this mission was the best choice I have ever made. I love it!
Well that about wraps up this week. Mom you would be happy to know
they recruited me to give a talk my last Sunday here... So I spoke the
very first Sunday of the mission and now the very last! haha. Hey
speaking of that will you find out the topic I am going to have for my
homecoming? I would like to prepare that before I get home. Thanks!
And with all the pictures have you had Dan and Ryan look at getting
them off your computer? If not I have all of the pics and I'll just
bring them home with me in 2 weeks. If that is alright. just let me
know. Thanks for your 4th of July package! I loved it! Well family
keep up the great job! You all are awesome! I love you!
Love Elder Smith
looked like a ton of fun! I am excited to get back into the action of
our family parties again. Mom thank you for all of the videos! It is
really fun to see everyone doing so well and getting all grown up.
(Well the little kids anyway haha.) It is awesome all of our family is
doing so well. We truly are blessed that our family is so close. There
are so many people out here that don't have that. So I have been very
grateful for our family. Thanks yall for being so awesome!! It is the
best.
Mom and Dad the house is looking incredible! I am excited to see it
all done. Just think it is almost done and no more worries or
stresses. It is awesome also you guys were able to go to the Temple.
Our whole Priesthood lesson was on the temple yesterday. We heard
stories from President Monson about families in foreign countries who
have to leave there families for 4 years to just save enough money to
go, where all we have to do is sacrifice a little bit of our time to
go. We are so blessed to have so many temples right by our house. And
we don't even have to walk there. We have cars to get us there. It was
an eye opener for me of how sometimes we take the temple for granted.
It made me want to be better. So mom and dad thanks for your examples
to me of always going to the temple. You guys are incredible! I can't
wait to go with you guys next! Hey it will only be in what? 3 Weeks??
Man that sounds good! Well I am happy you all had a great week and you
all are safe. I hope Jacques back starts feeling better. I bet with
all of the tennis on tv it is making her want to work even harder.
Thanks Dave for the update on your family. I love you guys! Ry and
Keelie, Dan and Brit i love you guys! I am excited to see you in a few
weeks. The rest of the fam I love you guys too!
Alrighty for me week it was a really good week! I got to do my
favorite thing in the world a few times. We were able to do some
service. Service just makes me feel so good. It really helps me not
worry about myself. All of missionary work does, but service is the
biggest one. We helped put in a new door and Trimmed some trees in our
investigators yard. It was pretty short, but it was awesome. This week
we also were able to do a lot of member work. Just helping them and
strengthening their testimonies. We saw 5 member families this week.
The members are so strong down here. They have to be. Everywhere you
look there is something to distract you, but they are able to keep
their testimonies of the Gospel because of their faith. I truly love
the members down here.
We also saw some of our investigators. We saw G. 2 times. Once with
the Killeen family. We taught her last week the Restoration. Then this
week we did the introduction to the Book of Mormon and read the first
chapter with her. Then last night at dinner at the Killeens we taught
her the Plan of Salvation. It was a really good lesson. Also G. came
to church! She is slowly progressing and has a lot to sacrifice before
Baptism. But I am just happy we are able to be there to bring her
closer to Christ. After all that is our job. Then we saw another
investigator named P. He is a huge tennis player and i have talked
about tennis with him a lot. I told him about Jacque and Jane and how
good they are. He was very impressed and then he asked who their coach
was and I told him their Dad. He thought that was awesome! So good job
Dave, Jacs, and Jane! But with him the key to get him to progress is
getting his family involved and teaching them as well. It is really
hard because of how busy they are. I have met his family once and they
loved us! So what our plan is, is to have a family home evening with
all of them. Just a quick 15 min one. He agreed, but now we have to
find a good time for them. He is such a great guy! We have gone and
played tennis with him 2 times and he really wants to take me golfing
before I go home. I hope we can! I know P. one day is going to find
his way into this Gospel.
Now for another investigator we have been teaching his name is J. This
guy is incredible! 3 months ago when we went over there he was a
complete alcoholic and was into some bad habits. He now has been sober
for 3 months! He just smokes now, but we are trying to help him stop.
This guy is awesome though. He has come a long way. It is cool to see
what the Atonement can do to someone. He still hasn't came to church
though.. Last week he said he was and we got him a ride and everything
and then an hour before church he called and bailed.. Agency....
Sometimes I don't like it haha. It just bothers me because I know how
much church would help him. But it's all good. Next time we go over he
wants us to teach about Jesus Christ. So it should be good!
Then we also were able to work with a few less-active members. They
were great lessons! The only problem was is they still didn't come to
church... They will come though I know it! So this week was a good
week on teaching. It is cool to look back and see how my teaching has
changed through out my mission. At first it was so robotic. Now I try
and shush up and let the Spirit do the talking. My testimony has
grown so much, but yet it is so simple.
Mom it is pretty cool that you bore your testimony yesterday because I
bore mine too. My last fast Sunday. One of the first things I said up
there was "i might get a little emotional. I get that from my mom"
haha It was really hard though. I never thought I would say that. I
have a little bit of mixed feelings of coming home. I will miss the
people and the cool experiences, but I am ready for the next chapter.
Serving this mission was the best choice I have ever made. I love it!
Well that about wraps up this week. Mom you would be happy to know
they recruited me to give a talk my last Sunday here... So I spoke the
very first Sunday of the mission and now the very last! haha. Hey
speaking of that will you find out the topic I am going to have for my
homecoming? I would like to prepare that before I get home. Thanks!
And with all the pictures have you had Dan and Ryan look at getting
them off your computer? If not I have all of the pics and I'll just
bring them home with me in 2 weeks. If that is alright. just let me
know. Thanks for your 4th of July package! I loved it! Well family
keep up the great job! You all are awesome! I love you!
Love Elder Smith
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