Elder Jacob F Smith: May 31, 2016

This was a good week.

I don’t know if I’ve told you guys but as a mission we have the goal of 200 baptisms every month. We have not gotten even close (within 50) since the month I entered the mission, November 2014. But this month was different! We baptized 201 and in the Zona Chimaltenango we baptized 7, finishing the month with 14 people having entered into the waters of baptism. We haven’t seen a result like that in more than 6 months. It was so awesome.

We baptized Edgar this weekend. One of the top 5 biggest miracles of my whole mission. 50 plus people attended his baptismal service. 45 people attended the branch that day. I will tell you about him and his story in a few months (ahh!) but he was one of the most stubborn investigators I’ve ever had. 6 months straight going to church and we just got nowhere with him for the 4 months I’ve been teaching him. But then one lesson where the holy ghost prompted us to say what he needed to hear, a lesson with President Markham and boom....to the font. He asked me to baptize him and I was honored.

RENE. I think I’ve told you all about him. He’s been to church for more than 2 months. Goes to institute every Saturday, lives the gospel, etc. But like Edgar, when it came to baptism.... let’s change the subject. The 22 of May we decided to give him some time to think. We didn’t visit him for 5 days, something I’ve never done with any investigator. On Friday night we paid him a visit, without a plan, just the spirit. We verified a few commandments and then just asked him ''So Rene, what have you been thinking?'' He went on to tell us that on Thursday morning he woke up with the desire to get baptized. He went and told his mom ''Mom, I’m going to get baptized'' ''What are you waiting for?'' Elder Garcia and I ''stood all amazed'' as he told us what he felt. As a zone we fasted on Wednesday to Thursday for all the people that were to be baptized. GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS. Every righteous effort we put forward is worth it to him. We left that lesson on cloud 9. He will be baptized on the 10th of June, the day his grandmother was born.

I have been so blessed on my mission. Elder Garcia and I feel like God has opened the windows of heaven. He really has. Its a blessing to be a part of it. Matthew, I can’t wait for you to feel like I feel. There is so much joy in this work.

Love you guys. Thanks for always praying for me and thinking about me. Glad to be a Smith. And a Throckmorton.

Love,

Elder Smith