Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Mario was baptized!

Well this last week was so full of a lot of things we had to do because we were preparing our investigator Mario to be baptized. He got baptized on Easter Sunday and man it was such a special feeling. I know that God prepares the way for all his children and really if we trust Him and let Him guide us in this dark world we wont have regrets. I love you all!!! Take care and take the time to read this because well it's what happened with Mario. 

Con mucho Amor, 

Elder Smith

Bueno,

           Hace dos meses y medio atrás nosotros hicimos una actividad de zona y una de las referencias que recibimos, encontramos Hermano Mario, su esposa Yemesi en cual es miembro de la iglesia hace muchos años y se bautizó cuando era joven, su hija Romina y su hijo Tomás. La primera vez que nosotros pasamos a visitarles, nos aceptaron en su casa y nosotros empezamos a conocerles. Al empezar a enseñarles invitamos a toda la familia escucharnos, pero solo Mario quería y ni siquiera sabíamos que su señora era miembro de la iglesia, porque no compartió mucho con nosotros cuando estábamos en su casa o no estaría cuando pasábamos. No supimos hasta más adelante que era miembro. Pero en esta ejemplo Dios nos muestra que prepara las personas y que realmente nosotros somos las herramientas en sus manos. Entonces empezamos a compartir el Evangelio de Jesucristo con él. Después la segunda o tercera visita nosotros llevamos un miembro para ayudarnos hermanar y compartir su testimonio. En esta visita le ayudamos a Mario entender y comprender la importancia de la oración en la conversión y le invitamos esta noche a orar para saber si esta es la iglesia correcta, si José Smith es un Profeta de Dios y si él restauró el Evangelio de Jesucristo aquí en la tierra de nuevo, y si el Libro de Mormón es la palabra de Dios. Después de dejarle esta noche, Le dijimos que íbamos a pasar el día siguiente para verificar como le fuera.
          Llegamos el próximo día y el nos dijo que sí había recibido la respuesta y que esta era el camino correcto. De esta momento y adelante empezamos a ver mucho progreso, pero sabíamos que no estaban casados. En nuestra planificación semanal nosotros decidimos que sí o sí le íbamos a enseñar la ley de castidad el más pronto posible. Cuando nosotros le íbamos a pasar el folleto de la ley de castidad, él nos contó que se iban a casar. Esta fue tan genial para nosotros porque ni siquiera habíamos dicho algo a ellos de la ley de castidad. Y el día cinco de marzo se casaron.
          En todo el proceso de la conversión de Mario nosotros vimos mucho progreso y había muchas veces cuando él nos compartió experiencias cuando sintió el espíritu. Él es realmente un hombre de Dios muy especial, cada lección que tenemos con él, el espíritu es muy presente y siempre tiene algo bueno para compartir o una pregunta para que pueda entender aun más de las cosas de Dios.  Y por fin, después de dos meses y medio Mario pudo bautizarse el 27 de marzo y ahora él y su familia pueden prepararse a ir al templo para llegar a ser una familia eterna.


(Translated version)

Bueno,

           Two months and a half ago we did an activity in our area and one of the references we found was Brother Mario, his wife Yemesi she had been a member of the church for many years and was baptized when she was young, her daughter Romina and her son Thomas. The first time we had to visit them, they accepted us into their home and we begin to know them. To start teaching  and to invite the whole family to listen, but only Mario wanted and did not even know that his wife was a member of the church because she did not share much with us when we were at home or would not as we passed. We did not know until later that she was a member. But this example shows us that God prepares people and we are really tools in their hands. Then we began to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him. After the second or third visit we took a member to help Hermana and share their testimony. On this visit we helped Mario understand and understand the importance of prayer in the conversion and invited him tonight to pray to know if this is the right church, if Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and if he restored the gospel of Jesus Christ here on earth again, and if the Book of Mormon is the word of God. After leaving that night, I said we would stop the next day to check how it was.
          We arrived the next day and he said yes he had received the answer and that this was the right way. From this time forward we began to see a lot of progress, but we knew they were not married. In our weekly schedule we decided that yes we were going to teach the law of chastity the soonest possible. When we were going to talk about the booklet Law of Chastity, he told us that they were getting married. This was so great for us because we had not even said anything to them about the law of chastity. And on March 5 they married.
          Throughout the process of conversion of Mario we saw a lot of progress and there were many times when he shared with us experiences when he felt the spirit. He really is a very special man of God, every lesson we have with him, the spirit is very present and always has something good to share or a question so that you understand even more of the things of God. And finally, after two and a half months Mario was baptized on March 27 and now he and his family can prepare to go to the temple to become an eternal family.







Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Be Patient!

This last week was super good. We were able to work hard but I was also able to learn more about suffering with Joy as our President always says to us. 

Bueno I have been learning about how almost anyone that we learn about in the scriptures and the prophets all had to suffer or they had a lot of afflictions at one point. And for one example it talks about in Alma with Ammon and his brothers and the others that the Lord said to them to have patience because they were going to suffer but he said to them to go because they were going to bring a lot into the kingdom of God. 

I feel as if that is what God says to us, "Be patient my little one and you will learn from your afflictions and also will bless others". I think that being a disciple of Christ was easy to say yes to but I think that it’s a lot harder to continue to be one every day. We have to be better every day and every second. Sometime life gets hard and we think that we can’t get up, but all we have to do is have faith in God and use the strength we have to lift ourselves and God will help us the rest of the way. I know that is true because I have felt that way so much and I recently felt that this last week. I know that God loves us and I am so thankful for everything that he has put in my way to teach me, even though it’s hard. But, I am even more grateful for those that he has put in my life to help me get around the obstacles of life. I know that God loves us all but I do know that his idea is that we can act for ourselves and that we can do what we want. He doesn’t want to force someone to have life eternal. He wants us to look for it and go search until we find it. 

Soooo this last week also we were able to teach our friend Mario. We were able to talk about his baptism because he was going to get baptized last week but because of some things we decided to move it to this week. He is so ready to make covenants with Heavenly Father and I am so happy for him because he understands the spirit so good and knows where to look for his answers. 

I know that this is the work God wants us all to do! I know that this is the true church and this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ and that this is where we find true happiness. 


Elder Smith

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

When life gets hard don't give up!

This last week was great. We were able to work hard to see lots of fruits from our faith and action, trusting that God was going to bless us. 

On Wednesday, we were able to learn about conversion. I taught a class on conversion and did a lot of studying to prepare.  This helped me to understand so much and really get a lot out of the class. We talked about how conversion really isn’t just one instant or one time. It’s through our whole life. We have to constantly be converted and continue to be more converted every day. It was super good!

Later on in the week, I think it was the day Thursday. We had a lesson with a lady and her family. Her name is Angelica, she and her family are blessings that have come into our lives. We were a little late on our way over and she called us to see where we were. I told her that we were in front of her house (because we were). Then we went in and we started talking about what she had read about the restoration of the gospel. Then her husband came in and we had the whole family there. It was amazing to talk and converse about the gospel because well it was almost like we didn’t have to teach, it was like the spirit was there just teaching the whole time and we just laid back and talked a little. It was so cool to see how words we had said touched her heart! We had talked about how families can be together forever even after death. Not thinking too much about it we kept talking and later in the lesson she said, "I have never thought about that before, having a family forever and what happens after this life." 
The spirit was so strong and really it was so amazing to see this family and just be with them while the spirit entered into their hearts. 

We also had a special transmission on Sunday for all of Chile. It was really good there were 4 speakers and the last one was Elder Nelson. It was so good to hear and see the concern that the leaders of the church have for all of the world. 

To end I want to share that when life gets hard don’t give up. So many of us have those hard times and really one of the first things we want to do is give up. I know that is NOT what God expects of us. He wants us to be strong and to "suffer with JOY". He wants us to trust in him and know that everything is going to be okay. I know that this is true, because it has happened to me many times and the only thing that I have in my head sometimes are the words "just keep going and everything will be okay”!

I know that this is the true church and that God and his Son live and love us. I know that they appeared to a 14 year old boy that needed help that was looking for the truth and that he got an answer to his prayers and that he, Joseph Smith was able to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this earth so that we can find never-ending happiness. 

I love you all!! 

Con harto Amor, 


Elder Smith

Me and my companion after we cleaned our apartment!


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The Book of Mormon has changed my life!

Our investigator Jorge. He got sick and is in his bed a lot and every time that we have gone to just say hi or share something small, his wife tells us to leave. So that was pretty sad for us because he was doing so good and getting ready for his baptism and then he got sick.
We also were able to share with our other investigator Mario, We got to take a member of the ward with us and we shared and taught about the Word of Wisdom. It was a good lesson and it was very interesting to see that he understood why these things are important not to take. It was also good because the member asked him a question about what has caught his attention the most about what we share. He said the Book of Mormon. This caught my attention because he has told us that he believes that the Book of Mormon is true and that it is the word of God. He is progressing and soon will make the baptismal covenant with our father in heaven.

I know that we are all here to learn and to complete a mission and I know that part of that mission is to keep progressing and learn and help others come to Christ and to be changed in him.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I know that it changes lives because it has changed mine. I know that God loves us and also Jesus Christ loves us too. I know that we can feel this love, but only if we choose to go to them.

I love you all!

Con mucho Amor,


 Elder Smith
The hill we climbed last week. Cerro Renca





Tuesday, March 1, 2016

FAITH

Well this last week was super good. We were able to work a lot and to teach a lot more than we have. We have been able to really start progressing and it is amazing to see what we can do with just a little bit of FE!!!! (Faith) 

So for our area down here in South America we had a special conference with Elder Bednar. It was super special because we learned together. While he was talking it really came to me that he was talking to us in our own language. Because us being young we do talk different and he didn’t treat us like older people that just understand. I could really feel the spirit testify that he is one of the special witnesses of Jesus Christ our Savior. I could really see it in his face. He asked us many questions and taught us and also answered the questions that we asked him. I am so thankful because we as missionaries are really learning how to do the work of God. 

We had a lesson with some guy that thinks and he is the last prophet of God. He told us that he talks with God and angels and stuff. Well His house was full of an evil feeling and when we started sharing I could not feel the spirit. While we were there I was testifying of Christ and the priesthood and the guy interrupted me and asked my name and then said "someone wants to talk to you". Well then I stopped talking and was super confused and he sat up all straight and looked at me like something else was in his body and said "Elder Smith, I am God and I have called Mauricio to be a prophet" Then it started saying a lot more crap that well I was just freaked out and kind of wanted to stand up and command that thing out of the house.. But I doubted in faith you could say and didn’t do it. But I kindly asked if I could talk to Mauricio again. Haha then we popped back into himself and was all happy and weird. It was a weird experience and we felt weird the rest of the day. 

We also were contacted by a Jehovah witness. Well that was interesting he told us that he would invite us into his house but we had to go in with an open heart and mind so that he could convince us. We then explained that we are willing to converse about God but we want to make sure that the Holy Ghost is there so HE, the holy Ghost could teach and convert us.

So our investigator named Mario got back from his vacations and we had a lesson with him yesterday and he told us that he feels that he wants to be baptized and that he wants to shoot for the 13th of March which was the date that we had put with him. He has grown so much and every time we share with him the spirit is so strong and I think that it’s not only because what we are sharing but because he is accepting it into his heart. On top of that he will be getting married this Saturday so we are super happy for him because, well sometimes that’s a hard step here. 

I know that God loves us all and that if we are humble enough he will give us what we need and what we ask. I know that Jesus lives and that he is our Savior. I love him and want to serve him always. I know that this is the only Church/Gospel that takes us to eternal life. Joseph Smith, a little boy full of faith, asked God and He got his answer. I know that God prepared him to establish the church of Christ again and I know that Christ leads it today through Thomas S. Monson. This is happiness and we all can have it. 

I love you all!!! Remember to be happy and positive. 

Con harto Amor,


Elder Smith






An elder Chase has trained and Elder Birrell who he is training now.