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
