"I know the Savior did for us what we cannot do for ourselves."

Date: Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:15 PM

Thanks Mom,

Sounds fun, seems like alot of missionaries are coming and going about this time. When do the Del Toro's move? How is Nat's soccer going? Is she still on the same team?

I played soccer today with real Brazilians! We played at the church, they have like a cement court for basketball and soccer and volleyball, but I think people only play soccer there. Some young men came and played. They don't even wear shoes when they play! My feet would get torn up so bad, it was pretty awesome though, I felt a little more immersed in the culture. There are always kids playing soccer in the streets here. I wish I would've brought a Sounder's Jersey, everyone has their team here! 

I have been playing piano at Church, it's going well! Not sure if I told you abou tthis yet but for some reason the first time I played I was playing and I guess they didn't sing the second verse, so when I went to play the third and final verse, no one was really singing. The song just ended akwardly, but that's okay! Since then things have been pretty good. It is good practice for me and helps me keep it up. 

Transfers were this week, the other companionship left and so we have two new Elders in the house. Elder Orr (American from Salt Lake) and Elder Da Rosa (Brazilian). Both are cool, we slept outside on our patio a couple nights ago, it was kinda loud with all the street noise (even louder than normal!), but felt nice!

We had a confirmation Sunday, a young woman named Luana. She was baptized a few weeks ago but the week after had to take of her sister and the week after her cousins that usually go with her weren't there and she didn't want to go without them. But she came this week and looked happier than ever! It was great.

We had investigators at Sacrament meeting so that was fun. And we have a young man (reference) we are meeting with tonight. We have a family night with the Bishop and we are bringing some investigators. I'm pretty excited to see how it works out with all these people! It is so cool to be able to not have to worry about much but other people's happiness. Feels pretty good! 

Not much too crazy has happened since last Thursday. We are hoping for some Baptisms this weekend, We have one man 20 years old and another young man who is 13. The young man is already attending seminary! And the 20 year old has been progressing very well. I am excited for them both. The members are great here and very willing to help us with the work. I am grateful for that!

Well I hope you all have a great week! I think this will be a pretty busy one for us. I love you and miss you all! I know the Savior did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He paid the price we could not and can not pay. We must show Him our gratitude for that sacrifice through our keeping the commandments and trying to follow his perfect example. Thanks for being such a great family, I don't know why but I was given the best! Love you and miss you all!

Love,

Your Favorite Son!

P.S. Dad I really liked the talk and Andreas story. It was nice to get some enlightenment on Mother's because I didn't understand the talks on Mother's Day perfectly in Portuguese! The joke at the beginning was awesome! And I agree, Mom and Grandma Backstein and Grandma Smith are amazing!

The Lord will truly help those who want to change

Date: Wed, May 16, 2012 at 11:44 AM


Thanks Dad, This is awesome!

I didn't read what Andrea wrote yet but I will print it out and read later. Looked like alot of fun over there one Mother's Day! Mom I hope you had an awesome Mother's Day! The best Mom deserves the best Mother's Day! I felt like I was just looking through a window, it's so cool. It was really nice to talk to you all and see you, felt too short! But I'm still grateful for it. Were you able to find my area on the map?

Well we have some really cool investigators right now. 2 young men and two Elder's quorum age young men. One young man named Junior is awesome, we found him contacting Saturday. And then received advice from a member to go visit a boy named Junior on Sunday, we had already contacted him! He came to Church and had a great time. We gave him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read and pray. Tuesday we went with a young member to pick him up for seminary (Seminary is at 7PM here). Someone said he was playing soccer. So the young man and a recent convert went on to seminary without. We checked on another appointment then came to check on him and he had already left for the church. We taught him a lesson. He has already read and prayed. He says he wants to be baptized. We will continue teaching him. He is awesome.

Another young man we have taught 2 lessons to. We taught him the Restauration yesterday. He freely accepted to say the closing prayer and prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true, if we have a Prophet, if we have 12 Apostles. SO cool. I asked him to pray later about this (I think) but he prayed then, who knows maybe I asked to pray then, sometimes my tenses get mixed up, but I think not! I'm very excited for him too. 

Other investigator age 20 was drinking like 6 or 7 like bottles/thermos's of coffee a day, he really wants to change and repent. Yesterdy when he went by, hadn't dranken even 1! The Lord will truly help those who want to change and are willing to repent and come to him. 

Well this is a little update, we have another investigator but he is pretty new. We are starting to work with members more and it is really helping with the work. It really helps to have members in the lesson because they know the culture better than us. I can really tell as I begin to let go of myself a little, and care more about investigators and others, the work is going very well and we are becoming happier and happier. I am startng to leran to love the culture and people more and more each day. They are so great!

Well I love you all so much! I have P-Day Monday again after this, this we just for transfers. I am still with my trainers but we have a new companionship in the house, Elder Orr (American), and Elder Da Rosa (Brazilian) they are really nice. Thanks for the pictures Dad! I talk about you so much! I am so lucky for the family I have. I don't know why but to be raised in the family I was and with the Gospel, I feel like the luckiest man on Earth.

I loved the talk Dad, and I agree, Mom is the best! Eu amo vocês! Eu tem saldade para vocês!

Com muito Amor de Brasil,

Elder Smith

I farted for my first time during a lesson...

Oi!
 
Ya I am very excited to talk to you guys this week! I sent some instructions for Skype in another email. I think I will call you around 2:30 PM your time. I hope that works. I don't really know how else to tell you when I will call if that doesn't work. And I don't remember when church is. I know Dad has to speak so I am hoping if church is at 1 it will still work. I can try calling at 3 PM too if it would be better. Just keep skype on and keep your cell phones in case I need to call first. But if at possible, just have skype open at and I will call you. Use Dad's skype name if you can. If you need to make a new one, add me as a skype friend my name is smith.isaac29. If all else fails I can just call.


Sounds like some fun partying! Did you guys have some real mexican food at the Cinco De Mayo party? Was Dad speaking spanish with Ed? That'd be so cool if Kadyn lived with you guys! Sister Del Toro has called me Kadyn and had a conversation with me as if I was him before, I guess we look alot alike. So maybe he will help you not miss me as much. I can't believe the tree got cut down! Send a picture if you can, what do the neighbors think about it? Do you guys like it? And tell Nat to keep playing piano. It gets funner as you get better and I am so glad I can play for church here. I should've played more but I can get by and I know I will love t play for awhile. Piano is awesome because it is something you can do all your life. How is Preschool Mom? I miss those little whipper snappers running around. There awesome. Oh and hey tell Dad to use this line in his talk, '' Every Mothers Day it seems like we talk about how awesome moms and women are, but on Fathers Day we talk about how husbands and men can be better'' Dad said this once, it would be funny if he included it in his talk.


Some things that happened this week, I farted for my first time during a lesson. But he didn't hear so it was all good! I saw a dead flat cat on the road. And I got letters and my package! Thanks for the package, it was so awesome. I love the ties and tie rack (I think one of the ties and tie rack are from JDT?) and candy and food. It was like chirstmas. I am trying to pace myself on eating everything. I want it to last! And letters and everything were awesome too. Thanks!


We have some good investigators right now. One is a young man age 19. He is accepting our message and committing to live the commandments we taught. He couldn't come to church cause he had a test but hopefully this week he can! We are teaching two families right now. I hope everything works out with them, they didn't go to church (only the husbands of the two families said they would but they didn't go either) so we will contact them this week and see what's going on. 


Well I can't wait to talk to you this weekend. I hope everything works out! If the skype thing doesn't work we can just use the phone. Sorry I didn't really prepare much. I didn't really know what to do! So just try and stick to the plan I wrote earlier and it should all work out. 


I love you all! Thanks for everything and especially the package and letters. It was so awesome to recieve them. I'll hopefully see you this weekend and if not I will for sure talk to you this weekend! Tchau!


-Elder Smith


Picture 1: I guess here in Brasil you are supposed to put tomato suace in the fridge after you open it.


Picture 2: We had a P-Day with the zone. We walked to the middle of this huge bridge in Natal. Awesome view.


Picture 3: A cool hut we found while walking to the Aquarium on our P-Day with the zone.

Astonish the daylights out of those Brazilians!

Aloha!

Sounds like you had a good time in Hawaii! I feel bad for Nat, maybe you can take me and Nat in a couple years. Yes I was able to put the pictures on a card and develop them, thanks! But I brought my adapter thing this week and forgot the card! I will have to do it next week. I had an awesome picture for you though. I guess your not supposed to leave pizza sauce just out in a kinda sealed container. I will attach the picture next week. It's pretty nasty! This week was even a greater adventure with the shower, Dad you'll be extra proud.

Our water got shut off by the people living under us (they didn't know it controlled our water too) and we had to just fill a bucket and take a bath with that! I did well, I think I only used like 1-2 gallons.

Tell Mom thanks for the pizza recipe, I have been making them quite often, they are pretty good! We made a couple today for everyone. Thanks for forwarding those letters. I have a couple more coming in the next few weeks I think. I just don't have many addresses. Can you email me like JDT's address and Mel and Jake and Laurel? And any others you may have too. I think I will be receiving letters this week, I am very excited for that.

We had Elder Holland come speak to us this week! It was so awesome! There was a special conference for just like 6 zones in the mission. My Pesident and his wife, a Sventy and his wife, and Elder Holland and his wife all spoke, It was awesome. We got to shake his hand too. Elder Holland spoke about teaching with power and authority, about the most important convert on your mission is yourself, about how you can never fall away after your mission, about how we need to bring spirituality into people's lives because many people have only little or no spirituality in their lives, and how we should be the missionaries that our family or little sister or brother or cousin thinks we are. Some of my favorite quotes were:

-''Astonish the daylights out of those Brazilians!''

-''Melt their Adidas to the floor''

-''We say we have authority, we must act like it''

-''Go back home with dignity, power, and strength of an Elder in Israel''

-''Be the missionary your family, little brother, little sister, or little cousin thinks you are''

I think these are pretty close to his words. The last one is my favorite. I really want to make my family proud and I show pictures of you guys all the time. You are the greatest! Thanks for helping me learn the gospel and always being such awesome examples! Alot of people can tell you what to do but I think it's alot harder to show someone what to do. Some of the greatest lessons I have learned came from examples of you guys. You are all awesome!

Dad I like that story about Bobby Jones. Another thing Elder Holland talked about was if we want our investigators to pray with real intent, then maybe we need to pray with real intent. And if we want our investigators to repent a little, maybe we need to repent a little. An example of someone goes a lot farther than just words. Sounds like Bobby Jones was a pretty awesome guy.

Well I love you all! Can't wait to skype soon! I email my president Dad about the Skype thing or google, I will let you know what he says. All is well here in Brasil! I have noticed when I do my part, things seem to go great! Like when I have confidence and faith I speak great and understand great! But when I don't I am on my own. I know we should always trust the Lord and if we do our part he will do his.

Have a great week! Eat some American food for me, hopefully I get that package this week! Tchau!

Love,

Elder Isaac Teddy Smith

(Brazilians pronounce it ''Ewder Ezmeech'')

"the best two years and the hardest two years"

Aloha Mom! 


I hope your cruise is going well, sounds fun! How is Natalie feeling about missing out on another trip to Hawaii? Where is she staying at for the week? Can you send me Laurel's address and the other cousins in Idaho as well? I sent a letter to our house with some letters for those in Rexburg, can you forward them for me? Thanks! How long is your cruise? Can't wait to hear about and see pictures. I haven't gotten the Easter Box, I actually haven't gotten mail or anything for like 3 weeks or so. All our letters and stuff go to the mission office and then once a month we get them from the Zone Leaders cause they pick them up. So I think I will get the package and letters at the beginning of this next month. Thanks I am way excited! And for other recipes, not sure. I am just trying to try new things because what I make for my self is really the only variety I receive. I don't mind the food here at all but I like variety too. And ya I can email family members and my mission president. I have an hour each week to e-mail.


I forgot to tell you a few things that happened at the CTM. One morning I woke up and tried to open my glasses to put them on and they snapped in the middle! I put some tape around them and looked like Harry Potter, which was awesome, but it didn't work so well so I am just using my back up pair. I tried to take them to get fixed but they said they couldn't do it. I think because they are a special metal or something so they couldn't solder them. It's all good though! Also I lost like 10 pounds at the CTM. So put that down for my weight in the Losers program. I was about 182 when I left I think!


This week we had a baptism! My first baptism ever and it was in Portuguese! She was a young primary aged girl named Beatriz. She reminds me of Nat a little cause sometimes she is shy and doesn't talk but sometimes she is not. One time we went over there with the primary president and her and her other young cousins (One is baptized) had set out chairs in a circle and were reading the Book of Mormon and waiting for us. So cool! They seem very excited about the gospel and her cousin wants to get baptized too. We are going to try and work with their families too because although they have each other, family is very important in growing in the gospel. It is so cool to see people interested in the church, accept your message and be baptized!


We are working a lot with another lady to try and help her quit smoking. We brought the Bishop to a lesson with us and he talked about his conversion. Our Bishop is awesome. 4 years ago he used to smoke and drink and everything under the sun. He is now a Bishop sealed to his family and his children are active in the Church. It was nice to have him there and share stories of his experience and conversion. The lady we are teaching has continued to smoke but I think she is doing better. We are going over there tonight to see how everything is going and see how we can help. She has two sons that were recently baptized. They are really awesome. We are trying to work with the whole family. It is ideal if they whole family can become engaged and help each other grow in the Gospel.


Other than that we have been doing a lot of street contacts. We have a few refferals we have this week which is great. The young men in the ward are helpful and I am beginning to understand more about what is going on! We are going to try to start an English class. We hear it works very well in finding people to teach and so we are going to try and organize something this week.


On Saturday while we were setting up for the Baptism, I helped bring a wagon over some hedges. The Relief Society brought a wagon into the cultural hall for an activity! To get it in there they had to turn it on it's side and scoot it through the doors, through the chapel, and into the cultural hall! It was pretty crazy! I was laughing though. Pretty cool. People are relaxed here and they like to have fun and smile.


Well I am still trying to figure a lot out but I am beginning to see how a mission is the best two years and the hardest two years. I felt so happy for Beatriz to be baptized. I know the gospel will bless her life so much because it has with mine. I can tell the joy she had even from before her baptism til after she was baptized and received the Holy Ghost. I also know that it is hard to see people who won't accept our message. Because I know it will help them so much but they choose not to and we can't do much about it. It is hard when this happens but I know I must not get discouraged but find those who will receive our message and help them change their lives and enjoy the blessings of the Gospel. No one is beyond the reach of the Gospel if they will but have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. The gospel is simple. It is the way for happiness in this life and forever. I am grateful for the knowledge of the Gospel that I have. The knowledge that I know it is true. Thanks for everything! I hope you all are having fun! Can't wait to hear about your trip! 


I love you and miss you all! We get to skype May 13th!


Your favorite son,


Elder Isaac Theodore-able Smith

"this week has been a culture shock!"

Thanks Dad! 

I have been wanting new pictures! They are awesome! I am going to try and put them on my SD card and make prints for my photo album. I use my photo album when I talk about families to investigators. I think one of the greatest blessings of the Gospel is how the Gospel blesses families. I noticed that especially this conference there was alot of talk about families, I know the family is definitely ordained of God and is the best way to learn life lessons, attributes, and the Gospel. 

Well this week has been a culture shock! My area is different from São Paulo and way different than America! I learned some key lessons this week. In Brasil you don't flush your toilet paper, you throw it in the trash! No one told me this for a few days, we are lucky to not have had a clog! Also you would be proud of me Dad, the shower drain doesn't drain that fast so they key is to turn it on, soak yourself, then apply soap, then turn it on again and rinse. I am learning to conserve water! Sometimes there are these VW vans (pickles) that drive around with like 10 subwoofers on the roof of the vans and blast music. And some other places that just play music so loud. I have seen horses and donkeys pulling carts and almost all the roads in my area are either cobblestone or dirt! Dad, search for Nova Republica, that's my area. Not sure of any specific address but if that doesn't work I will try to find a more specific one this week.

The members here are very cool. There is a young man about 15 that went tracting with us this week and helped us pick up members for church. He is very cool. We have lunch with members every day except P-Day. They are very nice, there is one couple that reminds me of Andrea and Abe, or Jake and Mel. Mainly because the guy likes to tease me and his wife just laughs and helps me out. Just makes me feel at home! Church this week was awesome. This whole week has been such a culture shock and a big change but when we went to church, I felt at home! I felt the same Spirit I feel wherever I go to church. It is so cool that the church is the same everywhere and that whereever we go, the same principles are being taught and the same spirit is present. It is a testimony builder to me. I offered to play the piano because I guess they have NO one to play! The bishop seemed pretty excited and so next week I will play. I don't play all the hymns perfectly but I think I'll be able to get by! Ideally I could pick the hymns, but we'll see what happens. Oh and we also two converts confirmed this Sunday so that was cool!

The language is coming along, I don't speak to well but I am begginning to understand better. They use alot fo slang and shortcuts so I have to learn those but alot of what they say I learned in the CTM. It would be super helpful if when everyone spoke there were subtitles in my mind because I have a hard time just knowing what word that say, not necessarily what it means! Tell the young men in the world that along with studying and living the gospel to prepare for a mission, get really good at charades!

Well I don't have too much time because I want to get those pictures onto my SD card but thanks for the e-mail! Letters and e-mails on the mission are like presents on Christmas! I hope everything is well back home. I miss you all very much. I love you all very much too! Give the sobrinhos a hug and kiss for me. 

Much Love from Brasil,
Your favorite Son,

Elder Isaac Thedore Smith

Finally Here in the Real World of Brasil!

Hey Family! 

Thanks for the letter Mom, it is so nice to hear from you all! It has been crazy getting here to my area, I left yesterday morning and had two plane rides, then we met the Mission President and His wife and had an orientation thing at the chapel. Then we went to the Presdient's apartment and had dinner and açai and a brief testimony meeting and took some pictures. I slept over at the AP's apartment with some other missionaries and we left this morning on a bus to Natal, that's the name of the city! My area is called Nova Republica and my trainer's name is Elder Jensen. He is from draper Utah and he's an awesome guy, everyone keeps telling, me how lucky I am. We live with two other missionaries, one is American and the other Brazilian. The American's name is Elder Stutz and he is from Puyallup. I guess he knows Jo Jo and I think he knows Uncle Al aswell. 


So I am finally here in the real world of Brasil! I definitely feel like I am in a different country now. So much Portuguese. It doesn't feel so much like a movie set like it did before when I would walk around the CTM in São Paulo. I don't know much about my area because all I've done so far is arrive, eat lunch, unpack a little, went to a store and came here to e-mail. Today is our P-day but I think the rest of the day I will unpack more, meet the bishop and maybe some other people in the ward, and go tracting. It is crazy to believe it is finally  starting. I will be able to tell you more about the area next week. 


Sounds like everything is going great! I'm sad I missed Easter! Some of the wifes of the branch presidency's at the CTM made us cupcakes so that was pretty awesome. My district leader also made some paper eggs with candy and we did a little Easter egg hunt sunday night. I missed all you alot though! 


We went Proseliding monday in downtown São Paulo! It was way fun, at first I was hesitant to open my mouth and also to bring up religion, but I was able to do both and after a whille I was really enjoying it! Alot of the people we talked to were very open and willing to listen to us. Since we aren't the actual missionaries in the area we just gave them a Book of Mormon with the number for the missionaries there. I hope they call! It feels so cool to share your beleifs with others. It is hard sometimes for me to just randomly talk to people father than oi or boa tarde, but I know if they accept this message it will bless their lives so much as it has mine. And that part of my testimony helps me to share what I know! 


Well I love you! I hope to have some more stories to share with you next week! I will let you know how my first week in my first area goes! I am excited and ready to start getting in the swing of things. It will be nice! I love you all and miss you so much! Please send pictures when you can! You are the best!


Love, Elder Smith