Hello
Family Eternal!
Well we
had changes down here in the blessed land of Escuintla and Elder Smith received
the first gringo of his whole mission! His name is Elder Wilkes. He’s from Utah
and he’s one of my best friends from my mission. He is a stud. When I was in
Linda Vista he was the district leader in Alamedas, the area right next to mine
and he went to the same chapel as me for 3 months. We would hang out there on
pdays and go to Walmart there. We were both training in that time. It is going
to be a blast with him and we are going to baptize so many Chapines here in the
time we have together. He has been in the mountains/capital his whole mission
so the heat has been a little different here. Seriously it gets unbelievably
hot here! But I’m used to it now and my sweat glands are accustomed.
Had a
heartbreaker this past Saturday! We had EVERYTHING ready for the marriage of
the Familia Caceres at 5 o’clock (room decorated, the marriage papers paid for
and taken out, the lawyer, members there to support). And we waited. And we
waited. And we waited. And they didn’t show up. I went on divisions with a
member who has a car to go look for them (they live super far away) and I found
the Hermana Sandra walking up the road with her 2 kids. She said that she was
going to the marriage without her husband (as far as I know that’s impossible...)
and that he had no intention of going. So we all climbed into the car and went
to their house. I had a good 20 minute conversation with Charlie. Probably the
most depressing 20 minutes of my entire life. He and she have had some problems
recently and he didn’t feel he could make that step. It was sooo sad because I felt
that he couldn’t listen to the Spirit and much less to me. I felt like one of
my own kids had run away from home. But I saw him today working in Puerto and I’ll
be seeing him tonight too so let’s see what happens! I know I’ll baptize them
before I leave this place!
We had 12
people in church on Sunday. We brought a family there that Elder Wilkes and I
found on our first day together on Friday. Lets just say that the 50-year-old
man and the 3-year-old girl both brought a sippy cup full of coffee to
sacrament meeting so we have a long long way to go there. We also had 5 people
come that Elder Guzman and I had found last week. Good good people. Elder Wilkes
and I will be baptizing Hermana Stacy this Thursday. She has been a dry miembro
all her life (even graduated from seminary) and she is the one that Elder Guzman
and I married to her husband 2 weeks ago. She is awesome and the husband is
really turning around too. He has worked on Sundays all his life but just
suddenly last week quit his job to come to church this Sunday. That is awesome
to see!!! Love to see the changes in people. The atonement in action folks.
Well
family, save some waves for me down in southern California and give all my
crazy rowdy cousins there a big virtual hug! Don’t get security called again!
Love,
Elder Smith
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