Amazing Week

This week was good we have worked hard with the family Zenteno and they came to church! It was amazing to teach them and help them this week and it feels like they are opening up to us. They told us that they are a little afraid to turn their back on the Catholic church but we helped them to understand the feelings of the spirit and how they have been feeling lately. They are noticing the differences. It's amazing to me how we can randomly talk to someone and then they let us in to their house and we teach and get to know them and in a couple of weeks they can be our friends and they can be doing things that they never thought possible.

We all have our own part to do in this work and something important is talking to everyone and sharing the blessings of the gospel that we have in our lives. I know that if we strive to share with others that don't have the gospel in their lives they will open up and start to find the path that God has for them.

I love you all!!!

Elder Smith

 

 

We are all missionaries!

We had a good week. We had an interchange on Wednesday and I was with an elder from Panama and he was awesome. He taught me a lot and we had a good time. We have taught a lot lately but we are still focused on this family that we have. They were supposed to come to church but didn't. That was a bummer. They are super good and have grown a lot and sometimes they say things and it's like they are members. We have plans to pass by tonight and teach them so it's going to be a good night. Also, we gave them a little book to do their family history and when we went to their house last Friday, the mom had filled out a lot of it and is super excited about that. Man, that made my day it was a great surprise! 

We also learned in our zone conference about how we really need to focus on our conversion so we can help others. They told us that if we aren't talking with everyone and opening our mouths we won't receive the blessings that God has for us and that it's so important to contact people. The whole mission has slacked off on contacting because they aren't asking for how many contacts we do weekly. My companion and I have been talking with so many and we have seen the blessings these last changes and we have really been finding new people to teach and to plant the seeds.

I know that if we are constantly giving this good example to everyone, people will be more receptive. We all need to do our part of the work as members. Someone in church said if all of us members did our part we wouldn't have missionaries. I thought that was super interesting because that's really true. Missionary work is for all of us. We are all missionaries and when we do our part it brings someone to the knowledge of the gospel.

I love you all and am thankful for all your help and the things you do.

Con Amor,

Elder Smith

One year and Mothers Day!

This week was such a good week. We went to the temple and just being in there was amazing I didn't have any desire to leave but I thought my president would come in and tell me to leave.  I felt something I had never felt before, it was so amazing!! I just felt so close to God. After leaving the temple it was like I felt just a little of what it feels like to leave Gods side when we come to earth. I had that lump in my throat walking to the metro to go back to my sector and I just want to cry because I had left the temple and I wanted to stay. But then I also realized that so many people walk by but they never will know what's inside and what they could feel if they just made these covenants with God. It gave me this strong feeling to just work even harder so that these people can have what I have.

We have been working with this family called the Zenteno and we passed by their house twice this week and they accepted us.  Our lessons have been super spiritual. On Saturday we talked about repentance and the steps of how we repent. It was good and they were all paying attention. After we were getting ready to leave to go to our house to have "once" or dinner because we have to and they invited us to take it with them so we stayed another hour and we ate and drank mate with them. The mom opened up to us and talked about how her mom had pased away and how her life could have gone so many ways and that she had always wanted a family that's eternal. I felt the spirit so strong and I  had so much to say but didn't say it.... Now I feel bad but I've made it my goal to just say what I feel when I feel it so I don't have regrets. 

 

Well yesterday was Mothers Day and I was able to talk to so many family members but it was so good to see my mom. Mom you are amazing and I am so thankful for all that you do for me... I know the mission would be 100 times harder if I didn't have you!! I love you so very much!! 

 

I hope you all wished your mom a happy Mothers Day and that we all realize the blessings we have in our lives like our moms and well the rest of our family. Because the family is eternal and so important. I love you all and wish the best for you all. 

 

Con mucho amor Elder SMITH

 

 

One Year Mark!!!

Well this week was a long week... I honestly thought that I was going to die. I had a lot of questions and doubts in my head and I really didn't know how to answer them. So I decided to pray, well more than normal, and I fasted twice. It was amazing for me to see the help I got. I could really feel Gods help and strength.

 

We have been finding a lot of new people and we have 5 people with baptismal dates. They haven't come to church yet but we are working with them. One is a family and I am super excited to work with them. They are very receptive and have talked to the missionaries before. It's been amazing to me how well they listen in our lessons. We have been having the spirit more and I have seen the effect that it has on the people and in the lessons. 

 

So we go to the temple this week on Thursday and also thats the day both me and my companion will complete one year in the mission. It's going to be a pretty amazing day.

 

Sorry my week was a little crazy and not too eventful. 

I love you all and I am so grateful for all that you do. Take care.

Con mucho Amor,

 

Elder Smith