Friday, April 26, 2013

THE BEST SUNDAY MY WHOLE MISSION. . . . and Many Sad Goodbyes


Hey Guys,

Long time no see haha! Sorry about monday i just didn't really feel like emailing you all...!  Haha just kidding! Man I’ve got alot to tell y'all!!!

So, lets start with last week! Last Thursday we had interviews with President Trayner in the Robstown chapel. We were all there and we were able to get Mikey interviewed during the interviews, for his baptism on the 28th. HE PASSED! I was stoked enough, but then President called me in for my interview. It was weird because he brought Sister Trayner in too and I was kinda weirded out! Haha He sat me down and told me that he wanted me to serve as his next Assistant. He told me that I was gonna be one of the assistants that sent him home and welcomed in our new president, President Maluenda. They just told me that alot was expected and that he would be passing all responsibilities to us including transfers, trainings, conferences and all that because President Maluenda won’t know how. Haha crap!! I will be with Elder Munsey, who is 2 transfers ahead of me and will die as an A.P. so it’s looking like that will be my last area.....yikes. So, I was excited but a bit overwhelmed. It will be good though.

So I started saying my goodbyes, but we knew that we had to have a BOSS Sunday before I left so we got over to Mikey’s and the Abregos, and Natalie’s and a new family we found Wednesday. We got them all prepped for church and Sunday was the best Sunday my whole mission. Sacrament meeting had started and the Abregos family came late. But all 10 of them came!!! They took up a WHOLE bench. We had 14 people at church and they all did great! I just felt so grateful and blessed. The hard part was saying goodbye to those investigators, but they are ready for baptism and I’m so excited for them.

Sunday after church we packed up my stuff and drove down to Mcallen “The Mothership”. I got there and met my new comp Elder Munsey from Colorado and the other assistant who would be with us until Wednesday (Elder Wilson NV). I love them! When I got there, things got crazy right away because of transfers. That next morning we were in the office early until 2 o'clock and then we went to the airport to pick up 21 new missionaries. The largest group since President Trayner has been here. It was CRAZY! We then took them to the LaVista Chapel (mission office) for their first day orientation. . .the same one I did my first day! haha Then we took them to the Trayner’s house for dinner!!! Dinner was great and afterwards we had a testimony meeting and told stories to the “Green Ones”.

We took some back to our house to stay with us and had to get up real early to get to the Trayner’s for breakfast and giving them the calls for their first areas. We talked about each of their trainers and then got them to the chapel for the transfer madness!!! It was NUTS! After the transfer madness, President Trayner took the 3 of us out to our favorite taco restaurant, Taco Pelenqui. We got some grub and then we went to the Trayner’s again to help prepare dinner for the going away missionaries. Man, I’m gonna get real fat here! We had the Goodbye Testimony Meeting for them and once again got home real late. Then the next morning we took them to the airport and wiped their tears as they got on the plane. I sent home a few of the Sisters that came out with me....Weird!  So after that craziness we had a big training for the sister missionaries that afternoon and finally by yesterday we got to get out to our area. It was sooooooooo good to finally teach people. I was missing it. But I love still being a normal missionary! I feel the same, but get treated different...we get really spoiled...I donno how much I like it, but oh well.

I’m soo grateful to be here in this mission. It is the greatest in the world!  And we are gonna baptize.....a lot!

I love you all so much and pray that you are all safe this week. Take care!!

Love, Elder Smith

Oh yeah 2 p.s's. I bought new shoes today...hope that’s ok, and my P-days are Fridays now! Love you!!