June 30, 2015 -1012 and 3 Miracles

Wow...what a week! I never know where to start. Maybe with the best part. We had 3 baptisms this week to finish out this month of June together and these 3 were had in 3 different days with 3 different interviews on three separate days with 3 different baptismal services to plan. We had to organize our time so well because we knew that we had to complete our covenant and contact 1000 souls this week. As I commented we had to contact about 140 every day. Monday through Thursday was great, but then the end of the week started to get crazy with a Zone conference in my hometown of Santa Lucia and a bunch of baptismal interviews to do. Which left us needing 280 contacts on Sunday. Just to give you an idea of how much that is, the rule is that we need 35 contacts everyday; for every companionship. So it was a lot. But we spent 2 hours on Sunday night talking with EVERYONE near a bus stop in the middle of our area and reached our goal. We actually exceeded it with 1012 in total. Oh how I love to contact and preach the Gospel! It is so wonderful!

I think I will tell you about Katarin. She got baptized on Sunday. What a miracle she was! We met her the first time on the 21 of June and baptized her on the 28th of June. That never happens. First of all because its (..or was..) a rule that the investigators have to go to church 3 times before they get baptized and because there hardly is never enough time to teach them all the lessons in 4 days (like we did). I will tell you a little bit later about why the rule changed. But Katarin was so unbelievably prepared. We sacrificed our pday to teach her and by our 2nd visit, she had gotten her answer about the Book of Mormon. Her experience was quite unique and eye opening. She explained her answer in this way: ''Its like I am wearing new glasses and I can see everything so much clearer and more beautiful. I even love the dogs in the street!'' The Holy Spirit testifies of truth and are the ''new glasses'' that we wear when we are truly converted.

But anyways all through Thursday we had planned her service for the 5 of July like normal but on Friday we had a Zone Conference with Elder Alonso of the Seventy. What a powerful and spiritual giant. The first thing he said when he walked in was ''I am going to have everyone come up front and shake my hand one by one. I will look into your eyes and interview you through the Spirit. If there is anything wrong with any of you, I will tell President Markham and he will interview you afterwards.'' Woah. He changed a lot of things in the mission and we will be much more obedient. One thing he changed was the ''Next Level Baptismal Challenge''. We as missionaries have always set the baptism dates. But he explained to us that the next level is to have the investigator set their own date. And if that chosen date falls before the 3 church attendances, we must call President Markham to ask permission. How much powerful it was this week to challenge people in that way! The spirit not only guides us but guides the investigator. That is how we baptized three this week. 2 of them did not have the 3 attendances but the Spirit guided them into choosing a date that was right for THEM and not for us. He also taught us to be more specific in goal setting and planning and even in simple question-answering. He would ask a question and a missionary would answer using a primary/Sunday school answer or just a completely general/incorrect statement and Elder Alonso would not let them sit down until they answered right. It was awesome and a bunch of Elders were completely embarrassed. I think a lot of us are much to General in the Gospel. But the Spirit is very specific and when he prompts us to do something he doesn’t say ''be a good boy Jacob'', but rather he tells me ''Talk to that man that is 50 yards ahead of you on the other side of the street, he needs your help'' or ''say your sorry to your companion, you offended him and you didn’t know it''. And to invite the Spirit into our lives we must be specific as well. Loved that conference and learned so much from him.

Love you guys. I love that I have a mom and a dad that were sealed by someone with the priesthood of god. That makes life so much better. Love that I have 2 goofy siblings that I love and miss a ton but that are making me proud by living the gospel and being good. Listen to the Spirit. Be specific. Baptize your friends.

Love,

Elder Smith

June, 23, 2015 - 9 Months

Mi familia eterna,

So glad everyone had a wonderful time in So Cal and you were able to spend time with family and relax and Matt was able to carry on the Smith family legacy. So sweet that he will be doing that. Very proud of you Matt. Loved the talk that you summarized Dad from Aunt Pam, our district meetings for the next little while will be focused weekly on the Christ like Attributes from Chapter 6. Today we had one on Faith. I focused on the relation that exists between covenants and our faith.

On that topic, my companion and I have begun to make various covenants with our Father in Heaven. One of them that we are in the midst of is to contact 1000 people in this week. That’s 142.5 every day. Yesterday we ran like crazy and in 4 hours of working (and amidst family nights and lessons) we contacted 150 people. Never done that in my whole mission. It was fun and we came home exhausted but with a bunch of addresses to visit and lots of faith. Covenants are so powerful. A two-way promise is what we always say. We expect something from God? Make covenants. Hay de hacerlo.

The Amatitlan Stake had stake conference this last Sunday. Elder Sam Galvez from the Area Seventy came and spoke. He was awesome! One example and teaching he gave the stake on Saturday was really powerful. He had a pair of missionaries from a certain ward come up and ask them who was their investigator that was closest to baptism. They said ''Allen''. Then he said ''Allen will be inactive in 2 years.'' The sisters started to protest as anyone would but he continued and said ''No, it doesn’t matter, he will become inactive.” He then proceeded to state some statistics about he retention of converts in the stake and it was true. Based on probability, Allen in 2 years or less would become inactive. Then he said ‘‘would you like the change the story?'' Of course we would. ''If so, from now on, you are forbidden to teach Allen in the house of Allen.'' And then he challenged the missionaries to never teach their investigators in their houses. It is so true. I love the members that offer us their houses. I love the members who I more or less force to let our investigators be taught in their houses. There is so much more power in a lesson with the support and spirit of the faithful member home.

Mom, yesterday for pday we woke up, studied, taught a lesson at 9 to a girl that will be baptized on the 5th of June, and then ate ice cream, bought our groceries, and then bought fried chicken to bring back to the house. We brought out 2 chairs and a table to the side of our street in front of our house and had a nice lunch of fried chicken (the stomach is stronger than the mind!) and then played soccer in the street. It was a blast. Then at 5 we left the start of another wonderful week in the Work of Salvation. Lovin it.

 Hope everyone has a good week and can remember Christ always,

Love,

Elder Smith

June 16, 2015 - Baptism!

We baptized this week again here in Linda Vista. Her name is Wendy and it was a whole district effort to get her baptized. She lives in our area but the Sisters helped teach her too because she is young and about their age. With 4 servants of the Lord working as a team, the Lord worked a miracle in the life of this young girl. It is so awe inspiring and fulfulling to see someone change EVERYTHING to follow Jesus. She left vices and bad friends and her old life behind. It never gets old!

I think I am in the best district ever. As a district we have baptized every week now for 9 weeks. We have a ton of fun together and there is a strong bridge between us that helps us tremendously. We have 4 baptisms planned for this weekend, which is stake conference weekend for the Estaca Amatitlan. We have a rythym going that is just going to keep going and going! Loving it right now.  

Dad I loved what you wrote me about the Holy Ghost. He is everything in this work. We are but vehicles that have agency to work by the power of His spirit. In the mission right now we are focusing a lot on that. We are teaching and challenging completely by the spirit right now because in every first visit we put a baptismal date with the investigators within the first 5 minutes. Oh how I love doing that! A lot of people get scared and their eyes get real big and basically reject us, but the Lord's elected accept and we help them keep this commitment until the day of their baptism. Every time we do it, the Spirit is made manifest and when He is present, the people want to do it. It is really different than how we used to do it, before we just taught the first lesson every time, about Joseph Smith and the first vision and all that. Now it is purely on the spirit. Based on what the spirit indicates, we share whatever lesson based on their need. One time my companion felt prompted to share the Law of Chastity all of a sudden and it was awesome because the spirit was there the whole time. I wish I had worked this way my whole mission because we feel like we are walking on water.

Mom, tell Kristin that Sister Corneilson is in my zone. She is in the district bordering mine and comes to the same building as me for church. She seems like a really excellent missionary. We talked a little about the kimballs and mitch going home soon and all that. small world

I love you guys and want to wish matt a good time in his training. go save some lives. happy birthday to you mom. dad thank you for your unending support. kk good work doing good deeds 24/7!!

Love

Elder Smith

June 9, 2015- And another change gone...

Mi familia eterna,

How is everyone? Enjoying the heat of summer in good old Granite Bay, CA? I am here under the rain everyday...in June!

They called me yesterday to tell me my changes...and I will be staying in Linda Vista for another change! With Elder Duran! If I could choose one companion to be with for 2 changes it would be him. He will be my first companion to be with me for more than one change. I know that I wont get sick of him because he is incredible. Miracles every single day because we have the Spirit with us. I am loving it. We have so much fun together and I have baptized every week but one with him and we have much much more planned in June! Miracles and miracles and miracles. And it hasn’t been all roses and marshmallows because Heavenly Father has tried our faith a ton in this past change and Satan has attacked us as well (the difference? Moroni 7.) But we have weathered the storm and have come out stronger and stronger. I love this point in my mission and I am just living it and loving it. It gets better and better.

We baptized the cousin of a member this past Sunday. Members are the key to everything! There is so much power in member references. Tracting is half as fun and not even nearly as effective as member references. I am just starting to learn that... 8 months too late! For example 2 Sundays ago we saw this 80 year old man that has been a member for forever sitting on his porch doing nothing. I said ''Hermano Lisandro, do you have any references for us?'' ''What is a reference?'' ''Show us your neighbors!'' So he obediently did and now we have 2 baptisms for the 21st and a family for the 28th of June. Maybe it wasn’t the most tactful way to receive referrals but it worked. The Spirit always guides us....

Dad I’ll try to answer some of your questions. We do buy food for ourselves. I try to split the essentials with my companions because it is more economical. We cook everyday. This past week we had instant mashed potatoes 3 times in 4 days. It was awesome. But I have learned to cook good things too, don’t worry mother. Those were indeed chocolate covered bananas. We are not allowed to eat them from the street or from members so...we took matters into our own hands and made them ourselves. We made them again yesterday and brought them to the zone training today. Lets just say they were eaten. We visit the bishop every Saturday. We have a good bridge between us and he is an excellent leader and helps us a ton. We attend ward council. They only have it the 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month.

Love you guys and keep being pilas,

Elder Smith

Homemade chocolate dipped bannans

Lake Amatitlan   - June 1, 2015

June 2, 2015 - Baptism!

Hey I’m gonna make this one a little short because I have a bunch of pictures I want to send!

I’ll start with the highlight. We had a Dia Blanco (White Day) on Sunday. Basically the whole zone got together and baptized everyone in the same meeting. So sweet. President Markham said to me there ''Elder Smith, remember the taste.'' and I could never forget it. In total 19 people were baptized. It was awesome to participate in that. It was a wonderful way to end the craziest Sunday of my whole mission (I’ll tell that story when I come home) and makes everything we do in the week worth it times 2.

Taught a man in English this week. He got deported 2 years ago from New York and it was one of the most spiritual lessons I have ever had. I contacted him in a bus like 3 weeks ago and I finally found him. We taught him in an English/Spanish mix and I don’t know...it was so strange to hear my voice testifying in my native tongue. Something so special in that. He is another broken and battered man I have found here in Linda Vista. The Lord leads us to those that need help and that are ready for His Atonement.  That is why we contact buses!

Changes are next week. I believe I will be staying here with Elder Duran for another change. It has been a pleasure to work with and train him. He is such a stud and we have worked miracle after miracle together and he will be my first companion to stay with me for more than one change if everything happens like I think it will. I love this guy and will be my brother for life.

The Safari was sweet. The zone leader that I did the Heimlich on a couple weeks ago got sick from it (the safari) and the day he got sick we did divisions. We only had two lessons and he was absolutely dead. Great example of working through the pain. We walked like two geezers walking through the park all day.  It was quite different from the pace I’ve been on for these past few months. But I love doing divisions and he managed to teach me something.

We went to Lake Amatitlan yesterday. It is no Folsom lake but it was awesome. It’s basically a big sewer of Guate City. There was a lifeguard stand there and I was reminded of the good times there. We had a little picnic there as a district and it was a good time.

Love you guys!

Elder Smith