Wednesday, October 21, 2015

October 20, 2015 - No more birthday surprises.....

Would like to start off thanking you guys for all you support for me this weekend. (His wallet was pick pocketed so his ATM card had to be canceled etc.) I promise that I wont let the wallet out of hands anymore! Matt, thanks for your suggestions for keeping the wallet safe.... I’ll go with the barbed wire idea I think. But yeah glad that’s over! Apparently a teenage kid went to the house of a member in an area like 20 minutes from mine and said ''Hey, do you know the gringos?'' and then showed her the wallet and asked for 120 quetzals for it. They convinced them to just hand it over and then that was that. How fun!

This weekend we had the baptisms of Alexia, Estuardo, and Jhonatón. I baptized Estuardo (funniest moment of the week) and had to pronounce his last name (Ixcomparixk). Try saying that 5 times fast... It was a wonderful service and the miracles just keep coming and coming. The Lord has blessed this area where Elder Guzman and I are working 15 baptisms in just 4 weeks. To put that into prospective, that is almost more than I baptized in an entire year. I am trying to humble myself (Alma 32) and not get settled into a routine. Its always time to progress and keep growing. I love the inspired questions from that Talk from conference ''What lack I yet?''. I ask it often. Sometimes its hard to answer. But when I find myself humbled and willing, the answers ALWAYS come. I testify that if we humble ourselves and have the true intention to change, the Holy Ghost will tell us in our minds and in our hearts what we should change. I have slowly (ever so slowly) been able to do that more easily and more frequently over the course of these 13 months.

I love the mission and being able to meet celestial friends. I love testifying of my Savior and challenging every person I teach to be baptized. I will give you an example of the first lesson we had with 15 year old Brandon just 2 days ago.

First we read Alma 5:12,14

''Brandon we testify that the changes you have made so far (he has been to church twice already without an invite from us) are made possible through Jesus Christ. He changes our hearts.''

Then we read Alma 5:62

''Brandon, we make the same invitation to you. Come unto Him and be baptized. When would you like to be clean from sin?''
''Hmm maybe on my birthday?''
''When is that?''
''The 16th of November.''
''Did you know that you can get baptized this Sunday?''  <--- this is now the favorite questions of Elder Guzman and Elder Smith
''I want to get baptized this Sunday.''

Ohhhh how the spirit was there and how we rejoiced in another soul that wants to come unto the waters of baptism, showing works meet for repentance. I live for those moments. Like Grandpa T would say, ''You can’t pay for these kinds of experiences!"

Thank you so much for the TWO packages. I got them both. And also a big big thank you to Aunt Kristin for the package and the life changing talk. Mom if you could ask her about the talk she sent me and then if you could send that to me next Tuesday in Spanish. This zone needs to read that talk. I loved the treats and the t-shirts and the handwritten cards that everyone wrote me from the reunions. Those are so fun to read.

Love you guys so much!!!!!
Elder Smith

PS-  KK I’m counting the number of times you don’t email me......those are the number of big kisses you will get when I come home!!!! 


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