May 21, 2015 -Baptism!

Surprise! Writing on Monday like a regular missionary! Zona Amatitlan decided to switch it up a little bit and go to the Safari in Escuintla tomorrow, so we had district meeting and Internet today. It’s weird stuff to write on Monday so we will see how this goes. My mind and body says its p-day and time to rest a little bit but that’s not the case today!

This week was awesome. Everything is sunny when there is a baptism at the end of the week. Makes everything so worth it. There is something about being able to see someone take that huge step through the door of baptism that never gets old. I wish everyone could feel that. I think if the members caught a better vision of that, we would WANT and even thirst to invite our friends and family that are not members. It is a beautiful thing. I read an article titled the ''Challenging and Testifying Missionary'' that was written like 50 years ago and the theme was to basically be the kind of missionary (or member) that invites everyone to be baptized and testifies of the truth of the message in such a way that the Spirit helps them make the decision. I am at a point (or maybe I’ve done it so many times) that there is absolutely no fear in inviting someone to be baptized on a specific date. Even if it is in a first lesson talking to someone through a window in their door. So many miracles have come from doing that, one of them including an increase in my own faith. Well anyways the guy that got baptized is hermano Mario. He is the little brother of the kid I baptized 2 weeks ago. He has tons of family that are members so he has the support system and everything to be able to live this Gospel.

This has been a fun change. I love the area, the members, the awesome investigators, and my companion. Elder Duran is incredible, so humble and obedient and quick to learn. For being a new missionary, he can do so many things that I couldn’t do when I started. For one of them is speak Spanish, but he’s Latino and that doesn’t count. He is super sensitive to the spirit and helps people with their needs. It seems like all of our investigators have some kind of addiction to overcome or some major challenge, so he came at the perfect time. Just a testament that the Lord knows who he wants in a certain place and he puts them there at the perfect time. Wherever we are or with any calling, we can be certain that we are where we are supposed to be to learn what we need to learn in that specific time...even though its hard. Mom I remember when you became the teacher of Gospel Doctrine and you being worried and nervous but then just developing all your talents and being the #1 Gospel Doctrine teacher in all the world. I love that example.

Well I don’t know what else to write now. Other than that it is raining a bunch here. And it is rain like I have never seen before. And lightning too. The lightning storms here are terrific. It turns into daytime. But I use the coat and everything’s perfect. Maybe if you could look for one of those jackets that can fold into its own zipper? Like a super lightweight one. That’d be sweet. And the district is doing well too. We have baptized every week since April and things are rolling. This Sunday we have something that’s called a Dia Blanco where all the people that will be baptized in the whole stake go to the stake center to be baptized. Like the waters of Mormon! We are expecting something like 40 baptisms this Sunday so that will be quite the picture! That is going to be awesome. And tomorrow we will be going to a safari. Our zone leaders have something with the animals because last change we went to the zoo...someone just wants to pet a lion. Well sorry I couldn’t tell you guys I would be writing today so you could’ve written me yesterday.

Love you guys so much! Hope you enjoyed Santa Cruz! Was thinking about that a little bit!

Love,

Elder Smith

Elder Jacob Smith with Elder Ryan Mcfadyen - friend from home serving in the Guatemala City South Mission - Picture from March 2015

Hermanito Roberto's baptism May 10, 2015

May 23, 2015

Hermano Mario's baptism - May 24, 2015 

May 19, 2015 -No baptisms....

We didn’t baptize on Sunday. I felt empty and cold inside without one! Mostly because it was raining but still, it was sad to see the streak come to an end. I know that’s not what its all about but to see success for 4 weeks in a row has been quite rewarding. We have two planned for this upcoming week and 3 for the final domingo del mes. Lots and lots of miracles in Linda Vista!

Really sorry about losing the credit card. I wrote dad this but we had to wake up at 3 in the morning yesterday to go to Guate so that Elder Duran could sign some stuff and not get deported. So we were both kind of out it and I lost the card. I was super bummed about that and don’t like to cause problems. But things happen for a reason! And maybe its so that I wouldn’t buy pizza this Thursday and get sick. The Lord has a plan!

This week was pretty crazy. We had to wake up at 5 or earlier the whole week and I feel it! The Lord always blesses us with extra energy from his Spirit to work like crazies and teach His word. Besides that, my companion also lost the only key to our house on Saturday. It was raining Guatemalan style and it got lost in the rush. He didn’t tell me until we had to enter the house at the assigned hour and yada yada yada we ending sleeping at another elders house about 20 minutes away in car. He felt really really bad about it. I had to use every single ounce of Jacob Smith patience that I have in my being in order to help the situation. He asked me the next day at church why I didn’t get mad and I just told him ''it’s because I love you enough''. That is one thing I have learned over and over again in these last 8 months. In order to truly love someone (and love as in the Christ like pure love), you must be ready to and must suffer for them to some degree. ''You can do hard things'' takes on a whole other meaning when you must suffer for another person, and do it out of love. The next day I sat him down after Church (he was really down on himself) and read him a couple verses from Alma 17 and 26 where it speaks of Aaron and Ammon and their bros being about to go back, but the Lord said unto them ''Be ye comforted.'' and they were comforted. I told him that things happen. But after things happen, the only thing we can do is keep the faith and the smile on our face. The trials will always always be present. Sometimes we can change 2 NE 2:25 to ''Adam fell that man might be, and man is that he might have trials.'' But in the end its not the amount or type of the trial, but the way we respond. I could see his countenance change as he read the scriptures and now everything is back to normal.

Well I sure love you guys. And don’t worry, I have stopped crying from a couple Sundays ago when we skyped. Matt, that is incredible that we won sections. So pumped for you and your times. Kathryn, sorry I couldn’t write you a little note last week. But Know that I love you so much and want you to read your scriptures every day. And keep up the good work in swim; I know you will grow into a butterflyer no matter what Matt says to you. Thank you mom and dad for your support. Thank you for helping me develop into who I am today. And I know that I am not done developing, that’s why I’m on a mission, but thank you for giving me a head start. I love you guys so much. Eternal families are so cool. Glad to be a part of one.

LOVE,

Elder Smith

May 11, 2015 - Baptism!

Family!

It was so great to see and talk with you guys on Sunday. I think I cried more than the sisters in the zone.... but that’s OK! I don’t know why I do that, I think I forget about you guys sometimes and when I see everyone there all my emotions for you 4 come back and I can’t help but shed a tear. All the elders came and gave me a huge hug after trying to console me... IM FINE IM FINE! It’s all good though and I’m back to normal and baptizing.

The baptism went well. I was able to perform the ordinance for hermanito Roberto. He is a special little guy and I love him. He reminds me of Matt when he was younger.  He was a little miracle in and of himself. We have now baptized for 4 weeks in a row and we're not about to stop now! We are hoping for a miracle this week the 17th and we have 4 ready to go for the 24th. That will be a good day!!!

We are seeing so many miracles in Linda Vista and I know it is because we have the Spirit with us and we are being obedient. Elder Duran is unbelievable in this regard. For example, yesterday it poured and poured here and for a straight hour and a half we got rejected. After an hour I began to get real frustrated because I can typically get in the majority of houses. Just be patient the lord told me. And I was. We knocked the last door we had time for until we had to go to a family night and they finally.....rejected us once again. Until a young man walked by and the woman at the door said, ''no wait don’t leave, this youngin needs God.'' she said it semi jokingly but that is always an opportunity to swoop in and teach. And we did. And we found 7 people to be baptized the 7th of June. Then we ran up the hill to a family night where we found two to be baptized the 24th of May and the 31 of May. So many miracles upon miracles! I love it!

I am doing great. Calling you guys just pumped me up to another level and I want to walk even faster and consecrate myself even more. Pray for Wendy, Roberto, Mario, and Rodrigo. Thank you -love you sosososo much!

Luv ya

Elder Smith

May 5, 2015 - Baptism!

Wooohoo! We baptized for our 3rd week in a row here in the most Linda Vista (translation ~ beautiful view). Elder Duran is my new companion from.....Honduras! My fourth Honduran companion. I love them all! He is from San Pedro Sula or something like that and is a really excellent missionary already. He is really serious compared to my last few companions but I love him a ton already! He came very prepared spiritually and is ready to be obedient and diligent which was what I was praying for. I know we will be seeing many many more miracles. Elder Duran was able to perform the ordinance of baptism on his first Sunday of his mission, which was sweet for him. He was as happy as a clam. I had to say goodbye to Elder Hernandez last Wednesday,  which was harder than I thought it would be. I learned to love that guy! But now Elder Duran and I are companions and ready to hit the ground running or however that expression goes.

Skype. 4:40 PM Guatemala time. Be there or be square! These 5 months since Christmas have passed by so fast and I can’t believe we are calling again. 

This week was great. As a district we have half of the baptisms of the zone so far in May, and we are the smallest district in Amatitlan. We are seeing a ton of miracles and loving life right now. We had 7 people come to church this week and everything is going well. As a mission currently we are focusing on becoming more 'challenging missionaries' and we are putting that into practice by setting a baptismal date in every first lesson taught to investigators. I love doing that, and putting our objective right out on the table in the first lesson. There is an art and a skill to doing it too, which has been fun to develop so that my brothers and sisters in Guatemala can accept and take this step. Heavenly Father knows who he wants in this Church and he is preparing the hearts of the people, just like that family that was baptized (referencing a family in our ward).  All we have to do is be ready to be there with the invitation in hand. If they are prepared, the Lord will touch their hearts. 

We are going for our 4th week in a row in baptizing EVERY WEEK! It is so possible and if you guys could include that in your prayers that would be awesome. We have two investigator brothers currently, Roberto and Brayan. They are both in their 20s and so eager to change their lives. We have taught a lot about the atonement and it has increased my testimony even further. We have been teaching them in the house of members - two 90 year olds, which has been funny and frustrating and spiritual all at once. I love those two guys a lot and am so grateful that I have the chance to teach them.

Well....I shall see you all on Sunday! That’ll be weird! Just kidding, I love you guys so much! 

Love,

Elder Smith

Elder Smith and Elder Hernandez with Hermana Juanita at her baptism 

Elder Smith and Elder Hernandez and sisters in their district

Elder Hernandez (old companion), Elder Smith and Elder Duran (new companion)

 at the change meeting

Elder Duran and Elder Smith at Elder Durans first baptism as a missionary

Elder Smith pictured with Elder Palma - his companion from a few months ago