"I love seeing people progress in the gospel"

Date: Mar 18, 2013 7:16 AM


Hello Family!

Thanks for all the cool pictures, looks like a pretty cool house Abe and Andrea have there! And yes I have already met Elder Shumate, he is an awesome guy and lives close by to us! And the news about the pope is pretty big here. There are so many catholics but it seems like life really has just continued as normal. That's cool to hear about how Quinn and Johanna spoke. I can just see Quinn with that huge smile. I am very happy for Johanna aswell.

Well this week was very busy. It seems to just get busier and busier around here. We have been working very hard and had quite a few people at church as well this sunday. It was a true miracle. I love seeing people at church. It makes you feel like all the work you do is really helping thses people change.

Funny story real quick, this week we were at a zone conference and they give out letters at our zone conferences. Everyone had grabbed their letters and then my mission president just had mine and my companions. As I apporached him to see my leters he pulled out a postcard Laurel had made of me with a 80's style rock mullet wig and my guitar and a muscle shirt when I was like 14 years old with my tongue hanging out. He asked, '' Elder Smith who is this?!'' I responded, ''that's me President''. It was pretty hilarious. I thought maybe I would feel embarrased but I just felt proud that I have such a cool sister that makes stuff like that. Many missionaries enjoyed the picture. 

This week also, when we were knocking on doors, we found a cool family and started talking to them. One of the first questions I asked to the husband was, oh and is this your wife? He responded, no. Turned out to be his 15 year old daughter! I was very surprised. Luckily we all just laughed it off and they let us in. His daughter actually went to church sunday so I am guessing they forgave me quite easily. My companion still makes fun of me for this one.

Well this week we saw some great miracles. We have an investigator who we have been working with for quite a while. When we first found him, I saw him listening to us while we were doing a contact with his neighbor and I felt we should go talk to him. He was smoking but told us of his desire to change. He has changed so much in these last few weeks. He has been really trying to stop smoking but it has been hard for him to get enough courage to make the change. We fasted for him this sunday. My testimony of fasting has grown so much! After church, we broke our fast and he came to talk to me and asked, while close to the baptismal font, is this where I will be baptized this weekend? I said yes, this is where we hold the baptisms. I then added, but you need to quit smoking if you want to be baptized! He then told me, oh yesterday was the the last day. I will never smoke again. This was the first time he had told this to us. I was so happy. I can't even explain the feelings I had. It was such a miracle. I knew that our Heavenly Father was conscious of our investigators needs and really touched his heart. I have seen so many changes in this man. He doesn't know how to read, but to make up for that he likes to grab the Book of Mormon and a journal and copy down the letters. I love seeing people progress in the gospel.

Yesterday I felt pretty tired, but I like feeling tired because it makes me depend more on our Heavenly Father's help. I am really enjoying my companion and we are having some great experiences. I really am seeing ways that I can imporve and I love taking advantages of these oppurtunities. I want to be the best missionary and best person I can be.

I have been thinking alot about Christ this week and sunday I had the oppurtunity to teach the gospel principles class about the life of Christ. He was so perfect and loved so much. Everything we do needs to be centered on Him and we need to always show our love for him by following His gospel. That is the only thing he asks of us. Whenever we have questions about how to be better we need to study His life. When we want to know how to love more, we should study how He loved. When we want ot know how to be better leaders, we should study how He led. When we want to know how we can use our time more wisely, we should study how He used His time. We can find so many answers just by studying His life.

Well I love you all! I hope you have an awesome weeks! Thanks for all the updates and the letters. You guys are the best and it means so much to me! I am grateful to have such a great family. I don't know how I got so lucky!

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Smith