"I was almost kissed yesterday!"

Date: Mon, Jul 2, 2012 at 10:53 AM


Ola família!

Well thanks for sending that Mom and thanks to Laurel too for the package and card! I am pretty excited. Sounds like a great reunion, thanks for the pictures Dad they are great! Tell Nolan I hope he feels better too! I hope you all have a great 4th of July, there have been some fireworks (bombs basically) here lately because of some holidays, seems like every day is a Holiday here, so hopefully we will get some fireworks for the fourth of July aswell. 

Well My new companion Elder Paiva is great. He is a great teacher of Gospel principles, he teaches very clearly and with alot of power, I'm pretty excited learn from him because I am not a very good teacher yet and I think I could learn alot from him. He is cool though, he knows English pretty well but we mainly just speak portuguese because I need to learn better, it's really nice because I can ask him words I don't know and he usually knows. He also is really great with people and with using ward members in the work. We made a plan for missionary work for the ward and also worked with the Ward Counsel Sunday to help us in our work and to involve more of the ward in our work. Things are going well and there is alot of work, but it is really fun and I am loving it!

One funny story, I was almost kissed yesterday! A lady went to shake my hand and then she leaned in for my cheek and I kind of froze and kind of leaned forward cause I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to offend her. Thankfully she like just made the sound but no contact. My heart was beating so fast. 

Yesterday was a great day. Church was awesome and we had a great sacrament meeting. Something cool here is that even though there aren't many people, I am yet to sit through one of the akward silences where no one goes up to bear their testimony. There is always people just waiting to bear their testimonies, and everyone's testimony is so strong. The members here are smaller in number but they seem to really believe in this Gospel. Also they love the missionaries. They talk about how greatful they are to have us. I don't feel wothy of their praise but it is well welcomed! I love our ward.

I got asked to accompany the relief society in a musical number for ward council and also to accompany a young woman aswell. It's pretty funny because the piano is so out of tune I sometimes wonder if it would be better if I just didn't play! But it seems like they like it and I am able to practice and use my talent so I am liking it.

Well I love you all very much! Thanks for the letters you have been sending they keep me going! I am so grateful for you all in my life and for the Gospel aswell. I am so blessed and I am glad to be here serving those who are in much need of the blessings which I have freely recieved. I know that the Gospel is true and that Christ is the center of our Heavenly Father's plan.

Have an awesome week! Life's a sponge, soak it up!

Elder Isaac Theodore Smith

P.S. If we have a picture of my baptism can you send it to me next week?

P.S.S. Can you tell Uncle Russ I got the five dollars and tell him thank you and that I am sending a letter for him Wednesday?

P.S.S.S. My companion and another Elder made a ping-pong table in our house and we had a tourney! I lost pretty bad