"I love having a name-tag with the Saviors name..."

Date: Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 7:20 AM

Como é que vocês estão?

Well this week I met our new mission president! He is so great. He was the manager of church maintanence or something here in Brasil and Sister Soares is a psychaiatrist. (wow my spelling skill has taken a turn for the worst) They are super nice people and I can tell they really have a love for us and for missionary work. They both are a little lost because they just got here and hardly know anything about our mission. But I am excited. We now have to do 140 contacts everyweek while reaching the other standard of excellence goals we had. It is exhausting but fun and I love working!

This last week we saw miracles. We have an investigator who literally let go of all the things he was doing wrong and had a strong desire to be better. We taught him the word of wisdom and the law of chastity on monday and that was the last day he had problems with any of those things. I was him becoming happier and happier each day that he was living the gospel of Jesus Christ more fully and I am excited to see the rest of his progress. 

Sadly we had quite a few investigators who got sick this last sunday and so not too many investigators went ot church. Our musicians we are teaching had to play in two shows saturday night and didn't get home until like 7 in the morning and so things didn't work out well. But we are excited for this upcoming week. We can't let distractoins get us down because this is the Lord's work and we need to always be ready to be His instruents here in Sousa! The work of the Lord is truly hastening. I can feel it so much as a missionary. The memebrs are getting more excited and I feel a greater urgency to talk to everyone I see about the restored Gospel I love having a name-tag with the Saviors name and being able to share my testimony that He lives and His church is here on the earth today. I feel like all we have to do as missionaries is be good examples of Christ and speak the truth. Sure people will mock you and say things but that's okay. At least we are doing our part! 

Well I love you all! Have a great week! 

Sorry I ran out of time and didn't even realize!

MIss you all!

-Elder Smith

My new address is:

Missão Brasil Natal

Ave. Interventor Mario Camara No. 2066
Dix-Sept Rosado
Natal, RN
59062-600

Happy fourth of July week!

Date: Mon, Jul 1, 2013 at 7:31 AM

Happy fourth of July week!

Thanks for all the letters. The picture of Kadyn and Mary was really cool. It sounds like they are at the MTC at a pretty exciting time! Our new mission president got here saturday and tommorrow Me and my companion are going to Natal to meet himand his wife! I am way excited. I am sure they are just filled with ''fire in the bones'' after their trainings with the apostles this last week. It is truly a great time to be a missionary.

We have seen some amazing miracles in our area this week. We really didn't get to spend a full day of work in our area until thursday because of companion exchanges and showing new areas to new missionaries but still we were able to get alot of work done. One less-active introduced us to a few of his friends who are really awesome. They are both musicians and they play in a band It was so cool because on sunday, we have a goal to always have at least 3 investigators at sacrament meeting. We were frantically trying to get people to go to  church and it just seemed like no one would go. We walked with a guy named adriano to church and then we contniued to search for people! Well Sacrament meeting started and I was pretty sad. fter I played the sacrament hymn though I looked in the congregation and these two musicians had gotten to church and were there in the congregation. I got so happy! Really I never thought I could feel so happy to see people at church! They are really awesome and we are going to continue working with them and their families.

We are teaching a guy about 28 years old and we went to his house and had a mini-lesson with him. We talked to him about hte Book of Mormon and it was really cool to see his desire to read and learn more. Then my companion asked if he had read and he said yes. Then he asked, did you ask if it was true? and he said yes. Then my companion asked, and what was the answer, and he said, ''the answer was yes''. I felt so good inside. He went to church sunday and has a baptismal date for this sunday.

I am really lovng my area, companion, and everything else about the mission. My companion and I get along really well and it really helps in the work! It1sjust too bad he will be leaving at the end of this month! But I have gained a really strong testimony that everything that happens to us is for our personal growth and well-being.

Our mission is split now! I am no longer a missionary in the João Pessoa mission. I am excited and I know that many great experiences still lie ahead. 

Today for P-Day our district is going to do a fourth of july picnic at the chapel and play some frisbee. I'm sureit won't be as fancy as the picnic's back home but that's alright! The fireworks have already started! although they don't have fireworks specially for the fourth of july, last night Brasil beat Spain 3-0 and the was sure a good number of fireworks going on. It was pretty funny because like right after the sacrament meeting we heard,  ''goooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!'' and a few fireworks went off. It is crazy how when Brasil is playing, there is hardly anyone on the roads. Everyone is at home watching the game! I love the Brazilian culture. 

Well I love you all and miss you lots. Sounds like alot is going back home and I am excited for you all. Natalie will love EFY. I really am happy I went. She is growing up just way too fast!

Well I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Smith

"I have a strong testimony about the elect."

Date: Jun 25, 2013 10:34 AM

Hello family,

Yes there has been lots of riots lately in Brasil. They thought it would just stay in the big cities but incredibly we see a little here too but it is not nearly as bad as it is in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Here it is just like a few people on the streets with pickit signs. It is pretty sad sometimes to hear about these things, but I hope it will clear up soon. 

I am really liking my new area. We are very very busy but I really like being busy. I feel like many good things are happening and I am glad to be a part of it. Tell Mel Happy Birthday! I can't believe she is 30. It's weird to think I have a sister so old. I feel like time is moving back home but my life isn't changing much! I will be 21 this year though and that is pretty weird to think about as well.

This last week I was working with another Elder in the city and we starting talking to a guy that was sitting in like a park thing. After talking a little I realized he was drunk. He told us about his desire to stop drinking and started crying with us. This actually happens alot with us so it wasn't anything new. But I felt that we should get his address and go to his house when he was sober. So later in the week we went there and he accepted us really well. He hadn't forgotten much from the time we contacted him on the street and we set some goals with him including a baptismal date. He is excited and we are too. Sadly we switched areas this week with the sisters and so I won't continue working with him but I am excited to see him progress and I know he will succeed in trying to overcome his drinking habits. The Lord is preparing His children to hear the message of the Restoration. I have a strong testimony about the elect. I know they exist and they are truly being prepared by our Heavenly Father.

Well I hope you all have an awesome week. Thanks for the letters and everything. Thanks for the video Dad! I miss you all alot and I hope everything is going well.

love,

Elder Smith

P.S. Hey if you want anything from Brasil let me know because my companion is heading back at the beginning of August and so if you want anything (bracelets, rings, brazilian flavored juice packets) i can send them with him in a box and it will be very cheap to send.