Monday, April 2, 2012

HELLO FROM SUNNY LAREDO!

4/2/12
Hey family! 
Man your emails were so great! I loved the stories and the pictures, too! I always love to see everyone in pictures, because it doesn’t make me feel so far away! So first things first! I am sooooooooo EXCITED for Logan! You have to call him and tell him right now that he will love it there and that I am super excited for him! And Dad, I did get my bike and it has been the biggest blessing! Man, it has lightened the load a lot, so thank you SO MUCH for helping me get that figured out! Oh and before I forget, I want to send a shout out and an “I love you to JAY!!! And the Sister HART, if you could call her! I miss them and hope they know that they are in my prayers! And I haven’t got my package yet but I should get it Friday when the zone leaders bring the mail from Mcallen! THANK YOU!

So it sounds like you all had a great week at the cabin and watching conference. How lucky we are to have a LIVING Prophet on the earth. One we can hear from so often! I absolutely ate up conference this weekend. I’ve got about 20 things I want to do better and questions that I got answered! There were sooo many great talks that I can’t even pick one that was my favorite. I really really enjoyed Elder Holland’s though. I love how he is just blunt and in your face! I always learn a lot from him.  And as well, as conference came to a close I really loved President Monson’s testimony. Man I was in tears thinking that I had to wait 6 more months to hear from him again! And I was in tears because I have been missing so much by not listening to every word of conference before my mission! Man what a great weekend! We were fed well in between sessions, too, by the Spanish members, of course. They always take care of us.

But we have had a pretty crazy week this week! We had some incredible thunder and lightning storms! And we got hailed on that night pretty bad! And then believe it or not the next day it was 97 degrees! But that lightning storm made me think of that night we spent on the Rammell’s patio watching the storm. It seems like only a moment ago. But as for the heat, it’s getting pretty intense. Everyone always makes fun of how dark I am already and it’s only gonna get darker!! But I love it and I’m pretty used to just being sweaty haha!

So as for our investigators here, they sure are great.  Always keeping us on our toes and like to take us as high as they can before we hit the down drop. Like Brother Mercado who had a date for last month but couldn’t get married. But he reset his date and wants to get baptized on the 15th so he can do it just in case Elder Stevens leaves. I’ve got faith in him.  We are going with them to get the marriage license tomorrow! So keep him in your prayers. The Lord has definitely humbled me, but we will just keep working hard and it’ll come together!

Well family, that’s all the time I have for today! I always love sitting down and having a few minutes to tell you EVERYTHING that I can about what’s going on, but still I feel that it’s not even a part of it. But really what I want you all to know is I love you, and I’m working as hard as I can. I pray for all of you and for your safety and happiness. And hope you have a wonderful week. I’m pretty dang lucky to have such a great family behind me. :) Take care! Until next week!

Love, Elder Payton Clark Smith