"I love being a missionary"

Date: Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 7:09 AM

Hello Family!

Thanks for the letter! Sounds like your rafting trip will be great! I was talking to a missinoary who lives with me about our rafting trips because he lives in central oregon. I loved those rafting trips! atalie will like it too. Speaking of Natalie, I feel like I don't even know who she is anymore! Laureal sent me a picture of the family this week and the picture started loading and before it got done I had to close it because I was so weirded out about how Natalie has changed! She is like Mel's height and super skinny! She is running cross country? I still remember when we would go on vacations and she would walk super slow because she said her legs were hurting and now she is running cross country! Wow what a change!

I am glad everything is going well though. I miss you all! 

This week was really great! We went to Natal to a meeting we had. It was really awesome. I love President and Sister Soares. They are very inspirational. President Soares talked about how we need to have more faith so that we can convert more people. He said we need to change our vision and open up our minds! I really noticed a change in our zone after that meeting and everyone seems to have fire in the bones now! I am very excited to be here at this time! Also, we had a couple of students from our english class get baptized so that was an amazing experience. One of the young men's mom that was baptized and who we are also teaching, spoke at his baptism. She said that her son had gotten to know the church through the english class and that the church has changed their lives so much. She basically bore her testimony about how she is so grateful for the church in their lives now. It was a very strong experience. I love being a missionary. 

We also had quite a few trials this week. But my companion Elder Paul is great and when times get tough we just kind of have fun and laugh abut the things that are happening. I have really learned that the few trials we hav e are nothing to compared to the happiness and good times we have on the missoin. Looking back o my mission I really don't remember much the hard times, just the good times! We are moving forward here in Sousa with a positive atitude and a strong desire to work!

I was studying alot about faith this week after the training that President Soares gave us. One scripture I really like is Moroni 7:37. I learned that if we aren't seeing miracles in our mission or our lives it is because we don't have enough faith. Another scripture that I love is 2 Nephi 24:24. What we think, will happen. If we are negative about our area or copmanion or the members, we will have negative results. ut if we are positive about our area, companion, etc. and keep working with a positive atitude, we have positive results and miracles happen! I have seen many miracles in my mission and every day my faith continues to grow.

Well I miss you alot! Everything is going good here in Sousa, things are starting to heat up (literally)! Winter is about to end (it almost seems wrong calling it winter) and summer is just around the corner! I am actually getting used to the heat! I felt weird when I turned off the air conditioning one day at the church, it was probably only like  60 degrees but it was super cold! 

As far as the backpack, I think I would really like it! My bag that I have now I have already had it sown  like two times and relined and everything with new cloth and it has a big whole in it again already. I would really appreciate a new bag! Other than that, I guess just some candies is always fun, if you have any more little Book of Mormons too they are really a hot item here. and maybe some ties! I have given a lot away and they are kind of winding down! 

Well I love you all so much and miss you tons! Let me know if ther eis anything you want me to put in letters that I am not doing or types of experiences you would like to hear! And yes I got a letter from you mom like a month or so ago, did you send another one?

Love,

Elder Smith

P.S. Hey noodles, stop growing so fast!

Pic 1- All of us with our cool english class shirts we made!

Pic 2- Our zone meeting this last week!