"WHAT I NEED IS DISCIPLES...FOREVER...SOMEONE TO DEFEND MY FAITH"

HELLO EVERYONE!!

So great to hear from you all and see pictures of the family!(and Kenzie) haha Looks like a blast up in Yellowstone! Glad you got to go up there and I’m glad Bart’s in hunting school. Now when are Dad and the boys gonna learn? haha jk! You can take the old Remington pump. She’s got the dried blood of some Osgood rabbits on her. It looks like the weather is really changing there and suprisingly, it is a little bit here too. The mornings are a little chillier and you can feel that change in the air. I’m just looking forward to Christmas so all the Mamas can break out tamales. I love tamales.

So, I haven’t asked in awhile how is Addi’s arm doing? How are Grandpa and Grandma and Papa and Grammy? Tell them thank you so much for the letters. As well, Uncle Paul and Aunt Nene. I hope they are doing well. And JAY as well! I hope he got the mowers winterized!!! haha So good to hear from all of you.

So I’ll write short so I can write Chan. Sorry if this is too short!!

This week has gone by way too fast. Yesterday Joey got confirmed and is on his way to the Priesthood at the end of this month. He is so great, I love his family. They are super country and Sister Montez always prides herself on being redneck. I LOVE THEM! Yesterday she leaned over and began to hassle me about bearing my testimony in Sacrament so I got up and took a  few minutes. She followed right after me and bore such a sweet testimony. At one point she said, "Since I was baptized, I have had the hardest year of my life, full of problems, sicknesses, and surgeries...but I would not take back this new life I have for anything!" She carries the whole family on her back and she is such a great mom. And I hope that even when things get really tough, we can be steadfast and immovable like Sister Montez. And I hope you meet them someday soon. And they’re like our only members that you can talk to because everyone else speaks Spanish haha!!

So Dulce is doing well. She got her interview put back because she still has some doubts, but we pray that she will be ready this Sunday. Please keep her in your prayers.

This week I’ve been thinking a lot on the talk that Elder Holland gave in conference. Hit me pretty hard and I hope you have been able to watch it again on the website. He spoke of the remaining 11 apostles after Christ’s death and resurrection. How after their time with the Savior during his ministry, after seeing all those miracles, and being a personal witness of Christ, they could return to their "former lives" and things of the world. And the question that Christ asks in Elder Holland’s words is "Did my life not touch you more deeply than this?" That’s the question I have had on my mind. Did his life not touch us more. Did the life he freely gave for us really CHANGE us? And I’ve thought of the changes he has made in my life and in the lives of our family. I know that the Savior has touched us deeply. And it does everyday. So i would echo the words of Elder Holland who echoed those of Christ: "WHAT I NEED IS DISCIPLES... FOREVER... SOMEONE TO DEFEND MY FAITH.” So I thank you all for showing me how to be a disciple of our Savior. And I would say, “Just keep on keepin’ on family:)”

I love you all so much and I miss you and enjoy hearing from you every week. I hope all is well and you have a wonderful week. Take care and be good!!!!

JOEY GETS BAPTIZED!

Hey everyone! 

So good to hear from you this week! I loved your emails and your pictures. Especially the one of Jake and Brit in their Halloween costumes. HAHA, made me laugh pretty good. I’m guessing that Jake came up with that?? haha.

So first off Chan, YOU GOTTA RISK IT TO GET THE BISCUIT BOY! Do not procrastinate the day of repentance or it will be TOO LATE! We are all praying for you here haha! So it sounds like Dad is adjusting well to his double life as Bishop Lawyer Smith. I knew you would Dad. Proud of you!  And I can’t believe you guys are going to Hawaii! That’s awesome!

So we had a pretty up and down week. BAPTISM weeks are always pretty crazy! So first off, this week we could not find a single soul to teach. We literally talked to soooo many people this week and taught not a single one. Pretty rough.

But the great news was that yesterday Joey was baptized. He was SOO ready and it meant the world to his Mom. The sad part is that the mission is really struggling right now. Not many baptisms at all. So we were VERY blessed to have been able to have taught Joey. My little boy, Elder Hobbs, got to get in the water for the first time and I was so proud of both of them. They did great. The thing that touched my heart was after the baptism our branch President got up (President Goodman) who is a STUD-MUFFIN, and started asking Joey questions in front of everyone. He said, “This is all great Joey, but WHY? What does this even mean??? Why did you do this?? What does all this even lead to?”

 Oh man pressures on.

Joey just looked at him and said, "I did it to be cleansed of my sins and get the Holy Ghost."

Phew!

Then Pres. Goodman asks again, “WHERE DOES THAT LEAD?”

Again I was trying to remember if we had gotten that far with him haha!

“TO THE PRIESTHOOD.” Joey says.

2 FOR 2!!

“And then what?” President Goodman asks.

And Joey looks at him and says without hesitation, "I’m going to be a missionary!"

TOUCHDOWN!! haha!

And I realized really how great his faith really is. And how he's willing to follow God the rest of his life. I hope we can have the faith of Joey to let the gospel change our lives. . I know it has and is changing mine. 

I am so blessed to be here and so happy to finally break that “Sanny B - Baptism Barrier” that I’ve been facing since I’ve been here. The Lord really blessed us with Joey. And we are so blessed to have witnessed the Spirit work in his life and to have been a part of the change that the Lord is making in him.

Well that’s all the time I have for today. Sorry for the short email but I hope you all know how much I love you!! You’re the best!!! And I pray that you have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! We will be studying Spanish and handing out candy on Wednesday night! I’ll think of all of you!! BYE!!!!

ALL IS WELL IN THE SLUMS OF SAN BENITO

Man, thank you for all your emails. So good. Sounds like a great week for everyone. . . except Bart, haha. I remembered my favorite line from Marley and Me. I’ll let you decide which part it is haha! Sounds like an amazing week for all of you. Dad, I’m super proud of you and so grateful for your example. You are going to do so well. Those kids are super lucky to have you as their Bishop. Man those pictures you sent of me are out of control! That one of my wisdom teeth brought back a lot of memories. haha Super funny. As well, some evidence of all the times I goofed around while Dad did all the work. I’m sorry Dad haha!

So first off, Rose and Addi need to stop growing up! That picture makes me sick haha! I can’t even believe how old they look. And Chan, I hope you can land one of these girls. I feel as if you’ve been doing the old "Uncle Kelvin touch and go" haha! Whether it’s on purpose or the landing just didn’t feel quite right, we no not. But keep trying!! haha!

So this was a pretty crazy week! It went by way too fast. I feel like I just emailed yesterday and my fingers haven’t even recuperated. We had a great week here. I feel like we are on that up hill after a downhill of trials. J. Montez passed his baptismal interview and will be baptized this Sunday!! I’m so proud of that kid. He is soo excited. It really has touched me because his Mom was the only one that joined the church and the dad was soo mad. He didn't support her at all and when the first kid wanted to get baptized the dad wouldn't let him. But Sister Montez just stayed active and kept praying and finally her husband softened his heart. So Joey will be her second son of age to be baptized. Now there’s just one more!! But it’s amazing to see her loving prayers for her family being answered. She is sooooo happy.

As well, to update on Dulce, she is coming to church and still progressing for the 11th. But had a little bit of a bad experience at church. Someone had said something inappropriate (one of the teenagers) and she was really offended and at the end of church she ask me a question that just broke my heart. She said, "Don’t they teach the children here how to respect their parents?" It really hurt me. I thought of all the times that I haven't respected my parents. Even though I knew that I should. But it really made me sad to know that someone felt that way at church. It really made me realize how careful we need to be with the things we say. People expect a lot from even the least of us. But we have a FHE with her tonight, so hopefully all will be well.

I feel the Lord is really blessing us and I am so grateful for those blessing. My Verdecito is doing great. He is getting better at the Spanish and I’ve been trying to help him talk more. I’ve developed the bad habit of talking a lot. That’s kinda how people are down here, haha, but for some reason in Spanish I just talk way too much. But I’m working on it and he's doing great. He's a great missionary and I’ve got high hopes for him. He comes from great stock haha! (Elder Stevens) But all is well here in the slums of San Benito. We are happy, healthy, and very blessed and I love you all so much. Take care and have a great week!!!

Love Elder Smith

HOPE I CAN STAY HERE IN LITTLE MEXICO A LOT LONGER!

Man, Jay is so right! We do have blessed lives. I was so happy to see all those pictures! Especially those of my little playboy brother (haha, just kidding Chan)! It sounds like things are going so great. That picture of the dogs made me smile as well. I’m so happy to see that Blake is doing well and Bart, tambien. I love that girl haha and it looks like she’s already got her winter fat thing going on. That’s my girl! How is Addi girl’s arm? I’ve been worried about her. It looks like things are cooling off up there. The only thing that changes here is the decorations, haha. It’s still pretty hot. But you can just feel it in the air. Such a pretty time of year. I wanted to say hello to all the family, the grandparents and Jay. And as well, thank the Jones again for the package. I’ve got a letter headed their way.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I would talk about this week. Not too much happened. Joey is looking super great for the 28. He is LOVING the Book of Mormon! We set up his army guys to play out the story of Nephi and Laban, haha. Got a little too into it and tore of the head of the bazooka guy. But we are super proud of him. Minerva and Ramiro talked to our Branch President this week and found out they won’t be able to get married without serious problems. So it’s not looking too good for them. At least not while I’m here. It’s hard sometimes when the Lord sends you to these people and you just fall in love with them. And then the world can be such a road block. But my perspective really changed with this family. Before I would get so frustrated because I would only think of myself but now I just want them to make it..someday. I feel super strongly that this family will be to the temple someday. Some of the strongest testimonies and biggest changes I’ve seen on my mission. They are really great. And they have super cute but crazy kids, too haha. Then Sister Dulce still has a date for November 11th and she is doing super well. We are still very excited about her. So keep her in your prayers. These people mean so much to me,.

Things have been pretty crazy since Elder Hobbs got here. Our area is pretty much all Spanish and so it’s been a test for him. And for me! I’ve had to really show faith and give him the opportunity to talk and teach and testify. But he is learning a lot.  I always say I wish we were in Mexico. haha I get super frustrated when people speak English to us. It’s weird, but I get pretty intimidated by English speakers after teaching in all Spanish. So hopefully I can stay here in Little Mexico for a lot longer. I really do love it. 

But I am also so grateful for the trials that the Lord gives us to help us grow.

So, Mom about your question, I am feeling totally fine:) We are all happy and are seeing a lot more success now. We feel as if we are finally getting out of the slump we’ve had and it’s such a blessing to have these great people to teach. All is well.

I’m kinda at a short of words today, but I just want all you to know how grateful I am to be here. I’ve been reflecting a lot because of how fast the time is going. I’m not a young missionary anymore and it makes me sick as the days fly by. This really has changed my life. I would not take it back for anything. But I want you all to know, and especially Alex, because I think about him a lot, that I could never thank the Lord enough for this mission. And I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful family you are. I love you all so much and pray you have a wonderful week.  Love you all! Elder 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM TEXAS ROSE! LOVE YA!

HEISMAN TROPHY FOR THE DALLAS COWBOYS!

Thank for your emails! Sorry it took so long to email this week! We had a lot going on haha! Sounds like you guys had a great week and Chan had a good birthday. So glad to hear it. I loved the pictures as well. Looks like Chan has a great group of friends. And I love the cast Addi! Good choice on the color. And alex I’m glad to hear you are doing well! You’re a stud!

So I don’t want any of you to worry. I am fine! I got to take a fun little road trip up to Mcallen to see the Trayners, but it was fine. I didn't want to go to the hospital, but she made me talk to the mission doctor and he said that I should go. But the weird thing is, they don’t know how it happened. They said it was a "deep contusion on my chest wall and ribs" haha Which is just a fancy way to say you got a big bruise on your insides. But the weird things is it was causing a lot of other problems. But everything is figured out and fine. I just don’t know how it just came up because we don’t do anything that could have caused it.  But I sleep sitting up so I can sleep and it reminds me of the old broken arm days and that old red chair I wrecked. haha Sorry Mom! So the funny thing was they gave me a shot of pain medication and I immediately couldn't breath. Me and President Trayner were sitting in there talking about football and all the sudden I was completely out and I remember barely seeing President Trayner sprint out of the room to get the doctor haha! So funny. When we left he said, "I figured the drugs had gotten the best of you when you started telling me how you won the Heisman with the Dallas Cowboys." haha! But we ended up in Walgreens late that night and we contacted this couple with President Trayner and I decided I’m more fearless on pain meds, haha! But ALL IS WELL! I PROMISE!  WE are doing great and I only had to miss like 2 hours of work Sunday night. I haven't had to miss anything else, so we are back to work and healthy.

As far as my new son, his name is Elder Hobbs and he's from Ogden, Utah. Great kid and a lot of fun. Straight from Utah though haha! He is really hard working and a great help and addition to San Benito. Doesn’t speak to much Spanish, but is improving really fast! We also have another greeny in our 4 man district, so we are pretty young but doing great.

This last week was a little rough because the family we have been working with is doing SO Well!! They have such strong testimonies already and have been to church and came to conference and loved it. I love their family so much but we found out they won’t be able to get married, even though they really want to. Down here there is just always problems with that stuff. It’s been kind of a heart breaker, again. But we’ve got the branch Presidency on the case and hopefully there will be something they can do. It seems the Lord has blessed us with a lot of great people. Some of the best, and for one reason or another they just can’t do it. It’s tough on them but it’s definitely a trial of their faith.

And as well, the part member boy we are teaching is doing great and will be baptized the 28! We are super excited for him. His name is Joey Montez and he is a stud. We are super excited for him.

Other then that there is not much to say. I love you all so much and thank you so much for your emails and support and love. Everything is perfectly fine here, so no worries whatsoever! I love you all and I’ll talk to you again real soon!

Love Elder Smith

CROCKETT SISTERS GET BAPTIZED & 2ND BABY BOY ON THE WAY!

Hello family,

Wow, I am so heartbroken to hear about Ethan. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad thing to say about Ethan. He was such a great kid and I really feel for his family and the Moss family. I really love that kid. Please, if you talk to his family or the Moss family, make sure they know how highly I think of him. I’ll keep them in my prayers.

AND HUNNY!!! Be careful!!!! I freaked out when I saw that picture! Man I hope you’re doing ok! Sounds like a pretty cool break story though. A zip line, eh? I Hope you’re feeling better hunny, I love you. And I hope you’re milking it too! Mom and Dad will do anything for their broken bone children, haha! 

So, I wanted to say thank you to the Jones family for the package I got and as well Grandpa and Grandma and Papa and Grammy for the letters. You guys do too much. Thank you!

So this week was incredible. So many miracles. But I will start with my favorite. Remember I told you A. Crocket was getting baptized yesterday. And the younger one Kayla decided not to. She was the one that just killed me when I was there because she knew the b.o.m. was true. But I got a call on Saturday from Elder Hill and he said Kayla got interviewed as well, and was going to be baptized on Sunday! And she had asked if I could baptize her. Man, I was so excited and grateful and super humbled. So I got permission from President and made it down to Brownsville with some members from San Benito.

So when I got there Elder Hill was outside talking to a member and it didn’t look like a nice talk. When I got over I kinda got into the conversation cause I knew the member and he knew the Crockett girls. He’s kind of an apostate guy and had taken Kayla out during class and told her she wasn’t ready for baptism. And just fed her a ton of doubts and just freaked her out. And he’s an active member! So, she was super confused and sad and we found out and just tore into this guy. Then the Zone leaders tore into him. It was pretty ugly. So, we went in to see the girls and found out she had doubts about the Plan of Salvation, because she had gone to the Jehovah Witness church before. And she said "I want to learn it right now and pray about it." So like 30 minutes before her baptism, Elder Hill and Nino went in a room and taught them both. And I was dying!!! Haha I wanted to go in and teach them so bad but they weren’t my investigators anymore and so i just sat outside and waited. And they taught for like 45 minutes and the baptismal service had already started and everything. Finally, they came out.

She had received an answer in the room. AND she had the biggest smile on her face. So, we got in our whites real fast as they stalled for us. Snapped some pictures, and we got in and they were both baptized.

I wish you could have seen them after the baptism. haha They were walking to the car, spinning circles saying "I feel sooooooo goood!" Nobody can tell me that those girls weren’t ready for that because I had never seen them so happy. haha Man they are the best. Definitely a big heartache, haha but worth it! Such a great family, and one of the best days of my mission. And it was good to be there with my first born again, Elder Hill.

On Saturday I also got the news that I’ve got a new baby boy on the way, fresh from the MTC. He gets here on Wednesday. I kept thinking of your birthday letter Mom, when you said when I was born, "I don’t know how I could love another as much as the first one!" So we will see if I can. But I am super excited and humbled to get the chance to mess up another one:) haha

Things are just crazy here, but the last of my good news is that we found a great family and got them to church this week, all 7 of them. Lots of little kids, but a great family. A lot of hurdles to jump, but after the Sunday we had I feel like we are getting better and better at making it over them.

I love being a missionary and I thank my Lord everyday for the life I get to live right now. What a blessing. I love you family. Take care!

Love Elder Smith

MOLE & CHOCO FLAN CAKE FOR MY 20TH BIRTHDAY!

How are you family? Thank you for your great emails today and all the great thoughts and pictures. It looks like you partied a lot harder there, than we did here haha! So glad you had a  great week! Thank you so much for the wonderful birthday packages, Mom and Dad and Grandpa and Grandma too! I loved the fudge and the wonderful uplifting cards I received haha:) You guys are the best! As well, I got Sister Hart’s birthday card on Saturday night and it made the birthday. She is the best! I hope you gave her a big hug for me. And I hope everyone is doing well. I feel super bad because I just got back from the mail and I bought a watch.... haha but I will take it back when I get Chan’s gift. Love you Chan! And tell Monty and his wife congrats! Sounds like a great day.

So this week was kinda crazy. haha Unfortunately not the most amazing week I’ve had out here. My district struggled a little bit and had some baptisms fall through on Sunday. So we were a little down, but we went to the Leal family’s house for a birthday dinner before we went out to work. They didn’t make menudo, unfortunately. They made Mole, which is super good as well. And a choco flan cake, which was great. I was gonna send a picture, but I lost my camera cord. haha ooops! But then we went out to work. We met with Gaston and found out he won’t be able to get divorced, so we won’t be able to teach him anymore. It’s really hard when you love someone so much and they are doing all they can, but it just can’t get done right now. He has a great testimony and one day will get things done. So we’ve got some rebuilding to do this week, but we are all feeling good today.

So this week went pretty well, besides a couple end of the week let downs. We were able to leave our area to go visit our branch president and start trying to win him over. He’s a tough cookie, but we are working on him. We also had a Zone Conference on Friday and Brownsville came up as well, so I got to see Elder Hill and it was great.There’s something special about a missionary you train. You feel so proud of them, but have that nervous feeling about them being out on there own without you, haha! But he had some good news as well... A. Crocket is getting baptized next Sunday!!!  IT’S CRAZY! I was so excited. I got permission from President to go down so we will see what happens. Those girls do like to mess with the missionaries haha! But I love them and she has been interviewed and is ready to go! It will be so good to see her baptized. I feel like I’ve loved too many people and seen too many people ready, for the amount of baptisms I’ve actually seen. Which sometimes can be a little discouraging but I am so happy that they are making that choice. I’ve thought a lot about things like that and I think it’s so amazing how the Lord gives us our own mission. And it’s different than every one else’s. We serve in the places we serve and we meet the people he wants us to meet, and have our own unique experiences. And sometimes we are tested and tried so we can grow. So, I feel like we’ve been growing big and strong here in San Benito, but we know that the Lord’s got someone waiting for us. He just leaves it up to us to work for them. 

I’m so grateful to be here right now :) But I feel like it’s slaughtering my Spanish. San Benito speaks some dirty tex mex! haha.

 But family, I wanted to say thank you again for everything. I love you all so much and am so grateful for the support. I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful family and friends and I hope you all know that. The last thing I wanted to ask is that you tell Colter Happy Birthday for me. I wrote a letter, but lost his address. I love that kid and I’m pretty sure he’s on the 19th? haha! I love you all so much and I hope you have a wonderful week! Take care! With much Carino :)

Elder Smith