MERRY CHRISTMAS FAMILY

December 25, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS FAMILY!! They gave us 30 minutes today to email and we didn’t know until today! Man, this has been the craziest Christmas ever! Definitely not like any I’ve had before! So I’ll start at last night when I was up until late with security and President Brown trying to hunt down the lost package for Elder Meidl haha! He was sick all day and hadn’t got that package from his parents yet and it came in way late and I just felt so bad that he had had such a crappy Christmas so far and hadn’t gotten much at all and I was bound and determined to get him that package! But don’t even fret, I got it all ironed out! estabien!

Haha! The first night I haven’t been to bed on time here, but don’t worry, I had special permission from President haha! Well, last night we had a program and then watched A Christmas Carol and it was so good!!! Then we had story time and I read the Moose book Mom sent and everyone loved it! I’ll send pics! But then we just chatted and hung out and I opened my new PJ’s! THANK YOU I LOVE THEM! Then we had the crazy package hunt and then it was off to bed. We woke up early to open up our presents... THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING! I loved it all! Please tell everyone thank you for me! Then it was off to breakfast and my meetings! Great morning! And then was the Christmas devotional and ELDER BEDNAR came and rocked my socks off! What a power house! Man, it was just the best! And then we got a little breakfast and are here emailing! It’s too bad cause like my whole district is sick and we are all just dragging along because we all feel so crappy haha! Two of our Elders had to go to the hospital yesterday which was no bueno pero. We got it all ironed out and we are all surviving!! So I am so excited to hear about your day! I hope the kids had a great morning and everyone is healthy and happy! I wanna hear some serious details and stories and updates in some dear elders tomorrow!

Man family..I miss you a lot. I hope you know how much I love all of you. I had a serious reality check about 11 o’clock last night as I stood in the big empty hallway of the big main office building in my pajamas waiting for that package. I was looking at the big paintings of Christ and all the sudden it hit me, and I was like, “holy cow! It’s Christmas Eve!” The first Christmas Eve that I’ve been away from all of you and I had that missionary reality check where I was like oh man I’m REALLY here! Im a missionary! HAHA Sometimes those checks hit ya hard but it’s always good because there’s no where I’s rather be. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to be a missionary. I am so grateful for all of you. I love you all sooo much and miss ya like crazy! And Mom and Dad, I want you to know that I am so happy and healthy, and I love you both a bunch. And thank you so much for being so great! I am so grateful for the Gospel in our lives and the way it has blessed us. And I’m grateful for our Savior and for this wonderful day we have to remember and give thanks for him. Family have a wonderful day! Know that I’m thinking about you and praying for you. Merry Christmas family!

Love, Elder Smith

BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN MUCH, I TOO MUST GIVE

December 22, 2011

Hey family!! Man what a great week! First off, thank you so much for all the packages and letters! Mom I got the package! Thank you soooo much! And thank you everyone else, too who has sent stuff. I won’t have time to write you right now but thank you!! And Mom and Dad thank you for the suit, I love it!  So family I hope you got my Christmas package. I know it’s not much, but I hope you enjoy the letters! Oh and I loved the pics you sent me!! That Frank Price Santa picture never gets old! Oh and I’m glad Chan in hanging with Kenzie and Michele!!!

So this week was crazy! On Sunday I got called as our new District Leader, so I have had meetings during every bit of my spare time haha! It’s kinda stressful, but it’s good. I am definitely learning a lot! I went from worrying about keeping myself afloat to now I have to keep my district up. But it’s easy because they are all great! I’m pretty sure they help me more than I help them!  I have meetings during all my free time on Christmas day though haha. So that will be a new experience!! But I’m still super excited! But we get Christmas movies, Christmas Eve and day and also get to hear the MOTAB for both and get a general authority for Sacrament on Sunday and word on the street is it’s Elder Holland, so fingers crossed! But I want you to know I am gonna have the best Smith Christmas I can here in Provo.

Well, I wanted to spend the rest of my time talking about Christmas. And you can read this to any of the family on Christmas Eve if you want, it’s up to you!!!

But this time of the year I really realize how much I love and miss all of you. I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season so far. I’m grateful to all of you for the letters and dear elders. I can feel all of your prayers for me, so thank you. I love this time of the year because we have to opportunity to celebrate our Savior’s birth and do it with all the people we love the most, which in our case, is our amazing family. My best Christmas memories are of Christmas Eves with our family and eating and watching movies and doing white elephant gifts and just building up the anticipation for Christmas morning. I have a lot of great memories of caroling with the Smiths and Christmas day dinners with the Clarks as well. But I have really realized how blessed we are to have such a tight knit family to spend this wonderful time with. We have been so blessed by our Heavenly Father. It’s sad because almost every missionary in my district has problems in their families. Some have parents who have passed away. Some have inactive families who don’t support them on their missions and send them anti emails every week. Some just aren’t close to their families at all. I have really realized how blessed the Smith family and Clark family are to have such great relationships with one another. I am so grateful for all of my blessing that my Heavenly Father has given me and I hope we all can recognize those blessing. Along with those blessing, I know he expects a lot out of us. My new favorite hymn since I have arrived here is #219 "Because I Have Been Given Much" and like the hymn says, “because I have been given much I too must give.” We have been dealt a pretty stacked deck. Our Heavenly Father has given us so very much because he knows that we have the ability to make a difference in the lives of others. I hope we can take what he has given us and be the answer to the prayers of another. I am so grateful to be a missionary and serve my Savior, especially during this wonderful time of year. I would not be out here if I didn’t know that this gospel is absolutely true. I have a testimony of this work. I have a testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father and their incredible love for each one of us, regardless of our circumstances. I love you all soo much and hope you know how grateful I am for all of you, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Love,

Elder Smith

ROUGH WEEK - DOWN ONE ELDER

December 8, 2011

Hey family! Ok before I start, Mom the scripture I wanted to use for my plaque is D&C 6:33-37. And there’s one other that I thought you might find funny. Isaiah 30:16 says, "No for we will flee upon horses....Therefore shall they that pursue you be SWIFT!” It was meant to be! haha just kiddin!

Well to start off thank you so much for everything!! Thank you for the letters and dear elders, they always help keep me going! My district calls me the dear elder king haha! Mostly because Chan is my biggest D.E. er! But Chan, I love the updates, so keep them coming! You are the best family ever!!!

So the other day I was walking through the devotional building M1 and the MOTAB song The First Noel came on and I could picture all of you sitting at home in the sun room listening to it. It really made me miss little things like that and I was hoping that you have had a chance to all sit together and listen to some good music for me!  They also sang it at the Christmas Devotional, which they let us watch and it was soooo good! It was cool to think that you were all watching the same thing! Man, that devotional hit me hard. These past few weeks my testimony of my Savior has never been so strong and for the first time, this Christmas Season, my focus is a little different than before. So I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season and you are having fun together. And I hope you have a great big Christmas tree up as well!! Just watch for squirrels!

Oh yeah and 2 other things, Mom thank you for your big letter, I got it and love it! And Dad, I just sent your Birthday letter today! I feel bad cause it’s not much. So quick Spanish update...IT’S HARD! But I can carry on a pretty good conversation with the natives at the TRC! As long as it’s about the church haha! But I’m just taking it a day at a time.

So this week was a way tough week. My roommate, Elder Loser chose to go home because of depression and homesick problems, because of his dad’s passing about 2 years ago. It was an ongoing thing and I had a lot of good talks with him but in the end he just couldn’t do it. The night before he left we sat on the staircase and tried to talk him out of it. We bore our testimonies and cried and gave hugs, but it just wasn’t enough. The next day he brought our whole district and our zone leaders into the room and broke the news to us. It wrecked our district. I loved Elder Loser and I was so heartsick that he was leaving. But before he left he asked if I would give him a blessing. I had never given a blessing before and I don’t know why he asked me. But as we all circled around this poor Elder and I put my hands on his head, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the Spirit. I have never felt it so strong in my entire life. As the blessing ended, he grabbed his bag and left and we all sat in the room pretty down. The thing that hurts the most is knowing that in making his decision, he was only thinking of himself. He never once stopped to think about those who are waiting in Texas for him...and he will never come.  His companion Elder Eggli was put in a threesome with me and my companion and just like that we were down an Elder. That night we had a lesson on prayer and our teacher (who is a stud) gave an incredible lesson and we studied and told stories of prayer and faith and that night was absolutely the best night I have had here so far. I had never known with such assurance that my Heavenly Father was there and listening. We kinda rededicated ourselves and decided that if Elder Loser wasn’t here then we would have to pick up the slack. haha So I can honestly say I have studied more in the last 3 weeks than I have in all my career as a high school student haha!  And believe it or not, I really enjoy it. I always thought studying wasn’t for me and I didn’t like to do it! But now we study for our investigators and I definitely like that a lot more! I am trying my hardest to work my tail off and I know that if I do my best that my Heavenly Father and the Savior will make up the rest!

S sorry for the short email, but I hope you know how much I love you all! I am so so so grateful to be a missionary. I am so grateful for my wonderful wonderful family. I love you all so much and hope you know I pray for every single one of you by name, every morning and night. I am so so blessed to have such great support. I hope you all have a wonderful wonderful week and everyday I hope you recognize just how blessed we are. I have a testimony of this work and I am so in debt to my Heavenly Father and my Savior for them allowing me to be part of it. I love you family! Don’t forget it!

Until next week

Love, Elder Smith

"Oh, The Places You Will Go"

December 5, 2011

WOW! Already December! I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone!Sounds like you all had a blast in Mexico. I LOVED all the pictures and I’m glad you are all home safe! I’ve been here over two weeks and I already feel like an old pro. We got some new missionaries in yesterday and watched some of them get dropped off and it made me sick, haha poor saps! But as often as I can, I give them some encouragement cause I know how bad my first day was. Well anyways, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the package! You guys really over did it but that package has just made my week! You are the absolute best. I don’t know why I get to be so lucky to have such an awesome family! And thank you so much for the dear elders! HOLY COW! I got like a million! haha Thank you Chan for your little dear elder campaign, you are such a stud! I didn’t stop smiling that whole day. And I beat the zone record haha! Too bad they were all from my brother’s girlfriends!!!!haha! But thank you all for the dear elders they really do help keep you going everyday. Chan your my most faithful! But Dad, thank you for yours and all the great quotes and advice. It has helped so much! And mom, you are my favorite to get letters from! THANK YOU! And thank you everyone else. You are all so great and I hope I keep hearing from you a lot! And thank you to the YDES for the update on Colter! What a stud! I know he’s just tearing it up in Alaska. Oh, and real fast, Mom I sent a letter of some things I need. I feel bad asking for all of it, but just get what you can. Thank you so much! And there are some letters on your way family, so watch for them!

Ok, so this week was absolutely incredible. . . and incredibly stressful! We have been teaching our progressing investigators (P.I.) which are some teachers that play the role of an investigator, who is a real person they know. The lessons are great and the Spanish is really coming along. But I thought that was stressful until yesterday we went to the TRC (Training resource Center) which is where you go to teach real people. I taught 2 lessons and both of the people were natives from Mexico. I would have never thought I could teach a 20 minute lesson to a native in Spanish, after only 2 weeks. But there is no doubt in my mind that without the Lord’s help I wouldn’t be able to. I have been SO blessed I can’t even tell you. It really is an amazing place here. As far as Spanish class, they basically teach you all day until you are just overflowing with information. My teachers dont speak a lick of Spanish and they talk faster and faster everyday. But for the most part, if they are talking about church related stuff, I know what they are saying. The bad news is, in Texas, when someone tries to talk about something other than church, I will not know what the heck is going on haha! Which may be a good thing if that person is talking garbage on us! But I’m so excited and blessed to be learning this language and I know that as long as I rely on the Lord and stay humble, it will continue to get better.  But that’s about it for the class and Spanish report!

My district is awesome! We have a lot of fun and get along really well. Last night we had a story time and I read Oh The Places You Will Go, By Dr. Suess to them. It was a lot of fun, haha I have some pictures to send you of it and I’ll get those sent out asap. And speaking of pictures, today after laundry I am gonna get my pictures put on a CD and send them home, so expect those pretty soon.

So today is the first P-DAY that I get to go to the temple and I am so excited!! That is the one thing that has been hard is I haven’t been for over 2 weeks and I’m so excited to go! The temple is such a blessing. Well, sorry for the scatter brained email. I’m slowly getting used to this timed email stuff. But family I want you to know how grateful I am for all of you. Grandpa and Grandma and Papa and Grammy, I miss and love you! Alex, I love you buddy and hope you know that! And thanks for the Jeep in my package! I love it! You are the man! Addi, you are a stinkin' Cutie and I love ya! Don’t forget who your favorite brother is! (hint: It’s NOT Chan or Alex) even though they are pretty great!. Chan, Sounds like your back to your old self. Dating 3 girls a day haha! Just don’t settle on any of them until I get home haha! But buddy thank you for all the dear elders. I hope you know how much they have helped and how much they mean. MOM AND DAD, I miss you like crazy. I am so so so grateful for you and wish everyday that I had been more grateful because I have been so blessed with a great family and great parents. I love you both so much!! Thank you for everything.

I am so grateful to be here and to be a missionary. It is such a blessing. I am so grateful for all of your support. I LOVE this gospel and can’t wait to share it with others. I hope all is well and I hope you know how much I love you and how hard I pray for all of you. Be safe and take care and I’ll talk to you next week!

Love Elder Smith

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

November 24, 2011

Hey FAMILY!!!

Sounds like Mexico is a blast! I hope you are all having fun and being safe! No sting ray stings or broken bones!! So I have a bunch of thank you’s and I hope I don’t forget anyone!! Thank you Clark family for the package, it was awesome!!! And thank you for all the letters inside, it is SO good to hear from you and I love you all and hope all is well! Thank you Rammell family for the cocoa bean cupcakes for Thanksgiving. They were absolutely delicious! Thank you my family for the big package I have been snacking every night. Eating junk food always makes things better! Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for the letters! Thank you to the Ydes and their ‘dear elders’ and updates about Colter. Thank you for all the ‘dear elders’ they are the best and I hope you keep them coming! Maybe instead of emails just send big ‘dear elders’ every week so I can have more time to read them and more time to email you!!! But little emails are fine!!!

So Spanish class is what takes up most of my days. Spanish and then personal study. Spanish is so hard but they just force you into situations where you just gotta know it! We taught Brandon 3 times and got a baptismal commitment (fake investigator) and now are teaching a man named Roberto. We teach almost every day and I can speak quite a bit of crappy American Spanish, but there’s just a long ways to go. I love praying and bearing my testimony in Spanish. I’m convinced Heavenly Father listens a little closer when it’s in Spanish!!HAHA! 

So my district is great. I have some amazing new friends. Elder Miedle is a convert of 2 years and a little bit of a rebel, but we are working on him. He’s from Nashville and has been to Kieth Urban’s house!! Elder Buys is from Texas and used to live in Mcallen and is a great kid and we get along really well. He is going to BYUI after the mish, as well. Elder Jones is from Missouri and is a ton of fun. Elder Wilde is from Kaysville UT and is like twins with Kevin Meek. Those 4 are going to Colorado. My companion is Elder Hernandez. He is a great kid! Tons of fun, but he definitely tests my patience, every single day. He makes us late for everything and sometimes I have to get after him, but it’s good for me! And I really enjoy working with him and he has a great Spirit about him. Elder Eggli and Elder Loser are the other 2 going to Mcallen and they are unique, but I love ‘em!They are both from Utah and are great examples to me. 

This week we got to hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Nelson and it was great! We got great seats because I sang in the choir, believe it or not! haha So there’s just a run down on what’s been going on. I hope I don’t forget too much, but this timed email thing stresses me out!

But seeing as it is Thanksgiving, I want to focus on what I’m thankful for. Sometimes I wonder why Heavenly Father has blessed me so much, when a lot of times I don’t deserve it at all. It’s hard for me to think about because 2 years ago Elder Loser lost his dad to cancer, and when Elder Jones was 6 he was in a car accident and lost his mom and older brother. His dad is in the Navy, so was overseas for that and when he got his call and came to the MTC. My companion has turretts and a hard time with a lot of things. Elder Wilde has a heart condition, so he can’t workout or play sports (even tho he is a studly kid). And Elder Miedle is a convert and his family doesn’t support his mission at all. He came out here with no support. Everyone in my district has such hard lives and such hard trials, yet everyone has the strongest testimonies, and SO much faith to leave their families to serve a mission. Then I think of my wonderful family. All of you so close, so happy and healthy and so supportive of me. I have been so blessed and sometimes I question what I have done to deserve it. So I want you all to know that today and everyday...I am so grateful for you. For the impact you have had on my life. For all your love and support. I love you all so much. I pray for you all every night and I can feel all of your prayers. So today, don’t miss me or feel bad I’m not there. GO HAVE FUN! Eat some extra turkey for me. But I’m supposed to be out here. I have never made a better decision in all my life. I have become so close to my Heavenly Father and if it weren’t for Him, I couldn’t do this. I know without a doubt in my mind that this church is true. This work is so important and I am so lucky to be part of it. Family, our Heavenly Father answers our prayers. I have experienced it. He is their always. I am so grateful for Him and how He has blessed me. I’m grateful for all of you and love you all so much.

Mom and Dad, Thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for me, and everything you have given me. You are my heroes. I love you both so much and hope you have an absolutely great day!

Until next week,

Love, Elder Smith

FIRST THREE DAYS IN THE MTC

November 19, 2011

Hola familia!!

So first off, I miss you like crazy!! The letters just save the whole day so keep them coming, as well as the dear elders! So, Spanish is crazy, my teachers never say one word of English and we had our first discussion with an "investigator" yesterday and have our second lesson with him today. And he doesn’t speak English! They have a lot of faith in us to learn the language fast. I only pray in Spanish now and it really is coming so fast because of the help Heavenly Father has given me. And I love to study!! 

So, my comp is from Highland Utah and is a great kid! He likes breakdancing and parquor and stuff like that..I will tell you more about him in my letter, but the other Elders are so great! There are 4 Elders going to Mcallen including me. Elder Hernandez (My comp) Elder Loser (great great kid from Alpine, Utah, he knows the Mickelsen girls) and Elder Eggli (who is definitely unique, but keeps us all on track). But the other four Elders in our district are great and I get along with them the best. They are going to Colorado Springs, Spanish speaking and are all great kids. Elder Buys, Jones, Wilde, and Miedl. They are all so great and Elder Buys has been called as our district leader! Elder Meidl is a convert of almost 2 years and definitely keeps us on our toes, but I love him! 

So some info that I want to say before I forget....Make sure everyone has my address and they mail me so I can have their addresses! My P-Day will be next Thursday and every Thursday after that, so expect emails then! Hopefully I can send one on Thanksgiving!! I LOOOVVEEE ‘Dear Elders’ and they are soooo great to get!! So Keep them coming!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGES, I JUST GOT THEM TODAY! THANK YOU CLARK FAMILY AND THANK YOU MY FAMILY!!! I haven’t opened them yet, but I can hardly wait. 

So far everything is going well. I feel that I am finally settled in and am not feeling so homesick anymore. The first couple nights I was up for hours and hours, just praying and thinking. I stay up at least 30 minutes every night going through my prayers in Spanish and it’s great. I have truly felt comforted at those times that seem soo hard. But I’ve been alright! I’ve seen Nielle and Nathan Hargis a lot! Nielle is actually here emailing with me, but she isn’t in my district. But other than that there’s not much to say. These past few days have tested me more then I’ve ever been tested before. It truly has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I KNOW that it is the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s hard work, and I know it won’t be easy, but I know that Heavenly Father needs me to serve and those families in Texas are waiting to hear the gospel and I will prepare as best as I can to be ready for them.

CHAN-KEEP DATING! I’ve got a letter coming your way! But thank you so much for the dear elders! Keep them coming!

ADDI- I miss you so much hunny and I want you to keep listening to T-SWIFT for me!

ALEX-STOP GROWING! I’ll always be able to beat you up! I love you bud and will have a letter heading your way! Love ya!!!

Mom-I miss you and have realized how stinking much you do for me. There’s a letter headed your way!

DAD- Miss ya! Love ya! Missions are crazy and it’s always good to get your letters!

Kort and Clark family- Thank you for the email and the package, I love it!!!! Things are good!!

SO I sent some letters to Crezee’s house, so hopefully Uncle Scotty or someone can bring them to Mexico!

Well sorry for the scattered, short email. It’s been the craziest day, but have fun! Be safe, I miss you all so much!!! The church is true and I love being part of this work!!!

Until Thursday

Love, Elder Smith

ADIOS FOR NOW - HELLO MTC

Payton entered the Missionary Training Center on November 16th. Curtis, Kris and Chandler drove him to Provo for the dreaded goodbye. An invisible vacuum sucked him and his luggage from the car and spit him out on a conveyer belt of new Elders. God be with you Elder Smith.

THE CALL!

It was a hot summer day on Thursday, August 18th, and Payton was certain his mission call would come! So certain that he set up lawn chairs in the front yard and waited for the mailman to come. The mailman arrived each day like clockwork, around 12:20 PM. But not today! By 3 PM Payt and his Mom were driving around in the Jeep looking for him. They called the post office and found out he had gone home sick and that other carriers were splitting up his route. Finally at 5:30, the mail truck drove by our house and stopped. The substitute had been told by our mailman to go directly to our home and drop off an important envelop that had finally come. He called the family and friends together and opened it on the patio. MCALLEN TEXAS - SPANISH SPEAKING!

Let the Adventure begin!