Sleeping bags and suffering!

Well this last week was good. We were able to start working more with the members and we even received some references. Well man as the mission starts to end I think that it really is a battle and I think that is why so many missionaries, at least in our mission kind of end lowly. I have been able to experience a good amount of challenges and well to be honest I think that really is just part of life. I remember one time when my dad and some of us, went to Moab and I remember asking my dad what sleeping bag he wanted to take before we headed out. Well it was a bit of a mix up and I took a summer bag for him and a nicer bag for me. When we got there in the night I remember him telling me that he said it was okay if “I” brought the summer bag and well I think it was a bit mixed up because he was on the phone. But when he told me that he was willing to take the summer bag and I could have the other bag. I told him and I quote, "there is a lot of suffering in life and I might as well suffer now." Well, something like that. I think this has stuck with me a lot because we all suffer and some more than others but the most important thing is that we never take our eyes off of Jesus Christ. Even though life is hard and we feel like we can’t do something, we have to keep trying and pushing because our potential is much more than we know. 

Now in our sector we are working hard and man it’s rough sometimes but I can feel the help from God and Jesus Christ in those  moments. I testify of the love God has for us and all that he offers us if we just turn to Him and follow His son Jesus Christ. If we fall of the slack line, what do we do, we get back up and keep going until we get to the other side. I know that this is the true church and the road that we need to take. I love this gospel and am so thankful for Gods plan and for the atonement of our savior Jesus Christ. HE knows what we need and will always help us, so when life gets rough keep going because it’s only for a time and we will also grow closer to God and Jesus Christ through our suffering. 

I love you all!!

Con mucho Amor!

Elder Smith

Hike up Cerro Manquehue

The Andes in the background!  So Amazing!

Rain, Rain and more Rain!

Well this last week he have been trying to work hard and find more people and to work hard with the members. Well we only had sacrament meeting this last week because of all the rain. It was a little crazy because of that and we didn't have water for a good couple days but its fine we were ready. Also Mario our friend that just got baptized a couple weeks received  the priesthood this last week and also will be working with the young men and it will be awesome. Well I love you all and hope that all are doing good. 

Con mucho amor Elder Smith

(Note from mom:  Elder Smiths companion shared more of their week and I wanted to include his thoughts....From Elder Birrell

So, this was a bit of a crazy week and most of that was due to the weather. There were a couple earthquakes this week, one was at 5 AM and shook our bed pretty bad and knocked my watch of the ledge of my bed but neither earthquake was too bad. Here they have two names for earthquakes- Terremotos and Temblores. Terremotos are the serious earthquakes like they just had in Ecuador and Japan. We just had a couple temblores which actually happens all the time here. That wasn't the crazy part of the weather this week, the crazy part was the rain. In rained hard for about four days straight and flooded a lot of Santiago. It also made the water source contaminated, so they cut our water from Saturday until Monday morning. We had some leaking into our house, but it wasn't anything dangerous. A couple Elders from our mission had their fridge blow up, so we're thankful that didn't happen to us. Saturday it rained especially bad, but when we went out to work it looked fine, so we just wore sweaters and didn't take umbrellas. After about an hour of working, the skies opened and we started getting DUMPED on. Within a few minutes we went from being completely dry to completely soaked and we were about to walk to a house all the way across the sector for an appointment. Just then, a stranger pulled up and asked us if we wanted a ride to where we were going. Rides from strangers isn't something we normally do, but it was pouring and we were super grateful. I think this gesture of kindness had an affect on us as two hours later  (still raining) we found a very intoxicated man laying down on the grass in a puddle. We passed by him without really thinking, but then realized that that man really needed help. We then picked him up and carried him 45 minutes to his house. While the rain maybe wasn't ideal, I think sometimes we need these circumstances. Both to receive service and to give it and we were super thankful for both.

 

Birthdays in Chile are Chill!

Well we are doing good. We have an investigator that just doesn't want to accept a date for baptism but really is a member. We are working more with the ward and it's been great. I think it has helped me to think back to how the sector was when I first got here and man I'm not perfect but through this whole process I can see how the ups and down have brought the sector to a better place even though I had to suffer a little bit. We had a zone conference and it was good I was able to give my testimony and say good bye to everyone, that was weird but I am thankful that I got to do that. We are doing super good and loving the work. We are finishing strong. I haven't been able to go to the temple this week because  I am waiting to get my new one because mine is expired so I am waiting. 

Thank you for todo

Elder Smith

Just finishing emails and then heading to play ping pong!  Birthday Celebration!

Conference!

Well this last week was good. We were so excited for conference. My companion turned to me at one point and told me that this had turned into something like a big football game or something crazy. It really has become to be one of the highlights of the year for me. Hearing the words from the living prophet and apostles is so amazing and really it makes me feel so good to hear and find answers to that I have asked to know. . I have grown to love the gospel in so many ways that I didn't think possible and really it gives me so much happiness even though I feel down because I'm not perfect.. but as we know we wont be perfect in this life. I really love learning about the talks that the people give and really I never knew that it was possible to have joy from sitting down for 10 hours watching people talk. I really loved what the Prophet said in his talk he gave in priesthood about standing in holy places. It made me think about how I just want to come home and progress and do what is right and not be engulfed in the world. It helped me to think about more of the importance of the priesthood and really what I do. It has helped me realize also what he said in the Sunday morning talk about choosing to take the harder right than the easier wrong. I think that this conference has helped me understand that I need to work hard and finish stronger than ever and everything will be okay after. 

This last week was a little crazy, we were working hard and man it seems like the days are getting shorter and we have less time because we are not finding enough to do all that we want and need to do. 

We have been teaching a boy named Andony from Peru. He is amazing. Ever since we found him he has come to church and is even attending mutual with the youth and seminary. He is progressing and doing well but his initial doubt that he had was that he had already been baptized before and he didn't know if he could be baptized again. We helped explain to him that he could be baptized again. But he just wouldn't hear us and put it together. But in these last 6 weeks that we have been working with him he has slowly started to progress and the other day we had a good lesson with him. About half way through the lesson the spirit just came over us and it was such a nice good, warm feeling that confirmed that Andony was progressing and that everything would be okay. 

It's been so amazing to me to see how God works. Like we read in Alma he works through small and simple things and really that's how things work. I know that Gods loves us and is here to help us if we first are humble and look for him and then are willing to do what he wants and expects of us. I know that Jesus is the Christ and and he paid for our sins and for our hard times and everything that has, is, or will happen in our lives. He knows what we need because he has felt the same thing. That is what he does. I know that the Holy Ghost is here to lead and guide us and to help us gain and strengthen us so that we can grow closer with God and his son. I know that Joseph Smith restored this gospel and that he is a prophet even the prophet that restored the priesthood power to this earth again. This is the path of never ending happiness and if we let God into our lives he will never lead us astray. 

Con mucho Amor,

Elder Smith