Baptism...It's like having a smile that never fades!!!

Bueno,

The last two weeks have been crazy. I have been learning a lot about taking the initiative in working  a lot because my companion is still getting used to everything and it's been a good time!! Two baptisms last Sunday, Kevin (the son of Ana Maria that got baptized a couple weeks before), got baptized and it was super awesome he is so good and really he loves the church and wants to serve a mission so it makes me happy to see him progressing in the ward. We just have to help him watch his mouth because he still is trying to leave the bad words behind. He also has 13 years, he got confirmed yesterday and will get the priesthood this Sunday if it all works out fine. Yesterday, the parents of the Zenteno family were baptized and their kids and some friends came so that was way exciting for us. After they got bapized we went back into the sacrament room and sat down and I overheard (Note: their names are Jose and Maria) Maria say to Jose "It's like having a smile that never fades"! Man I was so excited for them because God has been able to help them through two imperfect missionaries. I remember praying and fasting for a family, that we could find and help and after two weeks we found one, and after four we found another and now both of these families are all starting to make covenants with their Heavenly Father. 

 

I also had to do a baptismal interview and it was my first one.. I was nervous and sick on top of that. It was a 14 year old kid and I thought awesome a piece of cake. Man this was a different experience I will never forget. HE is the SMARTEST 14 year old I have ever met. It felt like he read my soul. That may sound weird, but he literarly was looking at my eyes the whole time and was reading me. It was like he was flipping through a book and finding everything out about me. Well it was super cool and man I felt a little weird after because I've never had that happen. 

 

I'm still learning a lot about patience and enduring the hard times but even though I feel like it gets harder, every time something presents itself, I know and feel that I am stronger after and I know that I can do it for the next time. It's been really hard to get happy this last week being sick and all, but I know I could not give a bad example to my companion, so I kept going even though it took all my power. 

 

I know that God lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ and I know that he suffered every little thing for us. This is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Con amor y mucho cariño 

Elder Smith

 

 

Letter to Dad!

I had something telling me for a while now that I was going to train and it got stronger and stronger the last change. I have thought a lot about my mission and it's going to end so fast. I really just want to give it more and more every day. It's been a little rough just because training is something new for me and I have to lead and teach. My companion is from California and is a big football player... it's funny because people thought that I was big and now they don't know what to think. 

 

It amazes me to think that all the younger boys in our ward  are all priests now and I feel so old thinking that. I'm excited to see them and their progress since I have been gone. I really have learned so much about the gospel and it is so necessary to have so be can be happy. It hurts my heart when I talk to someone that is just so stubborn they don't want to listen to us and see what message we have to offer. Like today, a lady that is a Jehovah witness attacked us and before she could try and make me mad I just asked her what she was trying to do. It really is sad that some people are so prideful and don't want to let God into their lives. 

 

I  just want to be the best companion for my "kid" in the mission and I always tell him that he needs to tell me when I am doing something he doesn't like so I can change because I never liked it when my companions did certain things. It worry's me that I will bug him and I don't want that. But, we are going to have a good time together and it's been a good first week!

 

I love you Dad thanks for everything. 

 

New Change...district leader and trainer!

Well this week started off really rough. I ended up getting sick on Tuesday and I really thought I was going to die. It was something that I have never had before and I don't want it again.

With that happening, I ended up staying with a member while my companion left and worked with a member and that was good but during that time he had passed by the people that were going to get bapitzed this last Sunday and they had been drinking tea so they have to wait a little bit. We have been working really hard with them and it's been super good to help and see them change. They really have taken these things and they believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a little hard to see my companion leave because we have learned a lot in how to work together these last 3 changes and we really have become like brothers.
 

So with this change,  I am now going to train a new missionary and I am so excited because I know I will learn so much from him and the things we have to do. They wife of the president told us that we will be starting the mission over again and learning the things we never learned and that made me super happy because I don't feel like I learned all that I could have in the beginning.
 

Well, I dont have much to say but that I love the mission and am so very grateful to give my time to the Lord and help others, so that He can shape me how He wants. I know that God lives and loves us. I know that because of his Son we will all have the chance to be saved and find the path that we must follow. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, and that he was called to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth so that we can have this everlasting happiness. I know that God blesses us when we are obedient and when we follow Him even though we don't know why we need to sometimes.
 

I love you all! 

Elder Smith

Change and start over!

Chase didn't have much to say this week but we did pull this out of the letter he sent to his Dad....


Well I think the most significant thing I have learned about is the Atonement! Really, it has changed me and I have learned so much about what it is and how we use it. I think that it used to scare me to repent or just to think that I was a failure but learning more about it has changed me and really opened my eyes to God's plan and really what a blessing it is to have the opportunity to change and start over!

It's really awesome to hear about what's going on back home I really don't know what to think about it all because time is flying and really I'm just trying to work and take advantage of this time that I have left to really change and to convert myself and help others so they can convert themselves unto Christ. 

 

It caught my attention to think about service because we really are trying to serve others here but in Preach My Gospel it talks about how we need to be seeking out service opportunities always and I think that I have been lacking in that and really that helps to find and help others open their hearts to use the the message that we are sharing. 

Elder Smith