NO EMPTY SEATS!

HOLY SMOKES FAMILY! 

I can’t believe you got a new dog, that’s SO exciting! I can’t believe you got away with that Dad! Well, I like the name, as well, and I think it is very fitting for him. Black Bart...I like it and I hope you can mail me some more pictures because it’s hard to see pictures on my email. First I saw that picture of Bart and Blake and I was freaking out in the library!! And then I saw that picture of Addi in her makeup, and I just started bawling! I can’t believe how old and pretty she looks and i just about died. I’m so proud of her and how great of a dancer she is. And more importantly, just how great of a girl she is. And Alex was looking handsome as always. And Chan, I absolutely loved your email and I hope you find “the girl”. She is out there somewhere. I pray for the success of your search every morning and night. (no joke) And Mom, I love you and hope you will let the dog stay. I want you to love that puppy to death because I’m not there to do it. I love to hear that you are all so happy and it just overwhelms me every time I hear from you and get to remember just how good I have it. I love you all so much!

So Mom, I did get that package from Jenny Brown, and I already sent a thank you letter. Tell them thank you and that I love them! Grandpa and Grandma and Papa and Grammy, I love you all so much!! And the Rammells and Ydes!! And everyone else! Thank you for everything.

So this was the first week of my second transfer! I can’t believe how fast the first one went! And so I thought it would be good to just tell you a little about the Texas Mcallen Mission. First off, ties are IT down here. There is tie “drug trafficking” at every meeting and even President participates. So our P-days are spent playing soccer, which I love now, and then cruising the podegas and shops, bargaining with the people for cheap packs of ties. Ted Bakers, Xmi’s, and Burberry’s. Its crazy how much of a disease it is down here! haha.  It’s pretty funny. This mission loves ties and it loves baptizing. 

And so that brings me to the investigator updates. We have this family set for April first. I think this is the family I told you about, Mom. They are coming to church every week and progressing and just doing so well. So if all goes well, they will be baptized them on the 1st. Such a great family!!! We are also pretty disappointed because we have so many great people, but we just can’t get them all the way to their date. Missionary work is so hard, but we’re getting better everyday and the Lord has blessed us.

But other than that, things are just great here. It’s getting super hot now and I can only imagine what it will be like this summer. Everyone just tells me I’m in for quite a cooking. But, bring it on! I’m stoked for this summer. We got a little taste of what it will be like last night as we walked down a street with smoke coming from both sides from carne asada, kids out in the street playing soccer, and beautiful warm weather. It’s weird to think how much different it is there! haha! 

I love these people. I love being here in Texas. I love their food and their sports and just everything. But nothing brings more joy than seeing them change their lives for Christ, and to watch them better themselves and choose the right. I can’t explain the way I feel when I see that look on their face when they get that first glimpse of heaven. And I want them there with us after this life. Like Aunt Nene told me, "We have to do everything to get there....We don’t want any empty seats." And I want these people there with me, and they will be one day. We all will be! 

I love you very much family and sometimes it feels like I’m so dang far away from you all. But this will seem like just a moment, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love you all, I hope you do everything you can to fill those seats. Have a great week, have fun, play hard, be safe, and love everyday!

Until next week,

Love elder Smith

BLESSED WITH A WHOLE FAMILY TO TEACH

Happy BIRTHDAY to my favorite guy in todo el mundo! Man buddy Alex, I loved the pictures and I loved the email!! I can’t believe how stinking old your getting and I’m sorry I missed it all, but I hope you got my letter and package with you and Addi’s gifts in it! I hope you had a fun time and just LOVED all of the attention because you deserve it!

    

So as for T, it seems like no matter where I go I can’t get away from her! haha So THANKS ALOT for the bummer news!! haha nah just playing, I think Tim Tebow’s a pretty good guy! I hope you enjoyed the movie though! And Dad, thank you for the email, I loved the quote like always. I have most of them written up on my wall. You’re the best!!! And Mom, I love and miss you. Today at the store some guy comes up to me while I was looking at the cookie dough section and he said, “Do you miss your momma’s cooking?” I like teared up haha! Miss you Mom! And Chan, don’t turn all those girls away man, or there isn’t gonna be a single one left in Rexburg in two years that hasn’t gotten her heart broken by my older brother! Sounds like you’re doing awesome! I’ll have a letter coming your way sometime soon. And Addi, I love and miss you and wish you the best of luck at your competition!!! Make me proud hunny. You always do!

Ok so this week was awesome! We have just been having more and more success every week. I can’t even believe it. We are being so blessed with new people to teach, that we are just all over the place. And this week we finally got a whole family that wants to be baptized and they are the best! They are a Spanish family and they live in probably the biggest house in our area. They are, no kidding, more wealthy than every other investigator put together. It’s pretty sad how poor of an area it is here. But these people live in a mansion, yet they are so humble and prepared. We love them!

We also found a new guy names Sergio and we aren’t sure how strong his desires are but he’s our craziest story teller! He told us how a few years back he had a litter scuffle with his dad. And let’s just say that with drugs, alcohol and a gun, bad stuff happens. Luckily, he didn’t kill anyone, but he really wants to change, so we will see. We just meet the craziest people with the wildest stories. But I love them all and they all, to some extent, just want help. And luckily we know where they can get it. Seeing these people has strengthened my testimony even more that our Savior Jesus Christ understands all of us so perfectly. And that our Heavenly Father loves all of them just as much as his other children.

I love this gospel and we are So blessed to HAVE  IT! To be able to live it. I don’t know where we would be without it, but I can see where these people are, and I know Heavenly Father’s heart just aches that they haven’t found it yet. I pray that we can remember how blessed we are. We’ve got it good, family. I’ve got it good to have all of you!!! Every night I ride home in the dark, all sweaty and tired, I just smile and think how good life really is. How lucky I am to be where I am. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!!

I’m sorry for the short email but things are pretty crazy and we never have much email time!!! But I love and miss you all soooo much and I hope you all have a wonderful week! Be safe, Be happy, and love everyday!!! Until next week family.

Love, Elder Smith

OH LAREDO!

So first off, Addi, you looked stinkin' beautiful! Sounds like a fun week with skiing and all! And I love the joke Mom and Dad! Haha And Chan you are nuts! I was laughing out loud in the library and everyone was looking at me! And Alex I hope you are tearing it up on the hill and I know you got a b-day coming up!!!! Next week I’ll have an email just for you!!

So this week was tough...on Tuesday night me and Elder Stevens got back to our apartment at 9 and Elder Papa our senior missionary was there waiting. He told Elder Stevens that his father had passed away that night and to call President. He spent some time on the phone with President and then I talked to him for a few minutes. My heart was just aching for him. That night he asked me to give him a blessing, which was pretty amazing.... The next morning we had some french toast and eggs to cheer him up. He is absolutely the most amazing Elder. That morning he woke up with a smile on his face and just knew that he was going back to work. The famous Elder Steven’s quote is, "Everything happens for a reason."  And so that’s all he said and we got back to work and had the best week ever! We exceeded all our goals and found tons of new people to teach and set a bunch of B.D.s!  I just love that kid!

So everyone says Laredo is the most evil place in the mission. Satan has a pretty good grip over these people and it’s pretty sad how much sleeze and temptation is all around. It’s hard to work through all of that but its amazing that the Lord can still soften and prepare the hearts of these people for this gospel. We still haven’t had a baptism, but we know we are going to baptize. We have a lot of B.D.’s set we just need to keep them progressing! These people are hard to get keeping commitments!!! But it’s funny because my first week it was all about numbers to me but now it doesn’t even matter because I just want to see these people changed and coming to Christ. And I want to see them in the waters. And I have faith that it will happen soon.

Just a quick example, one of our investigators Angel (Spanish) has a smoking problem so we had a fast with him. Angel’s only 22 so he’s pretty young but he has shown so much faith and since our fast he hasn’t even had the desire to smoke. It has been such a miracle.

So my last funny story! We got in kind of a sketchy situation with this guy and let’s just say he didn’t have a very good spirit about him. And he was short and had a pretty creepy smile! haha And he had a beer in one hand and we could tell he was wasted. And so he walks up to us like he is gonna do something and stops when he gets to us and just smiles and says in a raspy voice,  "Are you Christians?"  Us: "Well yes, we believe in Christ."  Him: "Can a Christian kill another Christian?” And then he takes a step towards us and we’re both like, WOW! haha So I like hop off by bike and step back...and the first answer that came to my mind was,  "Wwwelll, they probably shouldn’t!" haha

But it’s all good in the Dirty South! I’m safe, happy, and I miss you all a heck of a lot! Well my dear family, that’s all for this week! I hope you know how much a love you!

Until next Monday,

les amo, Elder Smith

ANOTHER WEEK IN THE "DIRTY SOUTH"

So family it sounds like all is well! I loved all your emails! Sounds like a fun weekend skiing and staying at the Bin! Hope you all had a blast and Mom and Dad, I hope you had a blast at Lady A! And I can’t believe you heard Darius Rucker! He is way good!!! But tell all the family hello and that I’m missing all of them and all of you! First thing, I want to check how Grandma is doing with her leg and how Grandpa is recovering? I’ve been worried about them, so please update and let them know they are in my prayers. And same for Papa and Grammy, I hope they are doing well and tell them all that I will write asap. And thank everyone that has written me and I’ll try to get you written back!!!(Aunt Nene and Uncle Paul, Ydes...and everyone else! Love Ya) 

So this week was super good! Definately a different Valentines day then ive ever had! We went down to Mcallen for V day for First comp training and it was a blast. Me and Elder Stevens drove down a whole van of missionaries and had a way sweet day. And mom it was a miracles that i got that package. It got there just seconds before i left to head back to laredo! Thank you so much i loved it! Your the best valentine! I hope you got my card a sent!

So this week was really great, but also really hard. Bad news first, Julio. The day before his interview to get baptized, this Sunday, he backed out. And just wasn’t ready and it broke my heart. I thought getting dumped by a girl hurt. I was in the pits the whole night but the next day we went to work and set 4 new B.D.s. The Lord really blessed us with those so we will see how they progress. I love finding humble people and they are all pretty prepared.

We have a lot of great investigators right now and my very favorites are the Cantera family I’ve told you about. But the bad news from them this week is they can’t get his divorce done and get married for 3 years because of some "Stuff" and so they are stuck in limbo and it’s so hard. They have changed so much and are so ready, but they have a big trial in front of them. But I love their kids but they are soooooo out of control! So we had a little obedience lesson last night with them and la familia Orozco. Brother Orozco is like the craziest guy I’ve ever met.  And let me tell you it’s hard to control a lesson with Spanish people who just LOVE to talk! So me and Elder Stevens put together a game. It was that primary game "don’t eat pete", or in Laredo terms, "no comas a Pedro".  Man, they went nuts for that game, especially the parents! Haha Everyone was screaming and laughing and we had a blast. Afterwards we tied it in with obedience and it was super good. And me and Elder Stevens totally controlled the lesson, it was great!

But as far as the Spanish, I LOVE IT! I love learning and studying and speaking with people. I’ve been leading a lot of lessons and learning so much. I feel like people know I have a personality now because I can actually talk to them. I’ve been making a lot of the phone calls in Spanish, which were a nightmare at first! But it’s just super fun and such a humbling experience.  I think the talk in sacrament was really good to get me out of my Spanish shell because now I just love talking to everyone!

As far as the food, EVERY Spanish Mama wants to feed us and they make us eat a lot! But I’m ok with that because I LOVE the food. We eat at like every appointment, even when it’s not a dinner appointment. Haha But the people are just awesome and they take good care of us.

So those are just some updates. But other than that, its just WORK!  It’s such a blessing to be a missionary. I have learned so much already and I learn more everyday. It’s not easy to be away from you all and I hope you know how much I miss you, and love you. But this will be but a small moment in what we have to come. And there’s so many of these people that need the same blessing that we have. I hope you keep them all in your prayers. You are all in mine. I love you all and pray that you have a wonderful week. Be safe and take care. Until next week.

Les quiero,

Elder Smith

CARNE ASADA, GRASSHOPPERS, & FIESTAS

Ok, so last week I felt so bad that my email was so short and I spent all my time talking about investigators and I didn’t even get a fraction of that typed. So this week I’m gonna talk a little more about just the stand-out moments of the week and comment on your emails!

So, first off I loved all your emails! I’m glad Dad finished the tile and I’m so glad I’m gonna get some of you and Nae’s cookies, Mom! And I am sooo stoked for you to go to the Lady A concert! Take some pics for me! And sounds like my girl T did well (at the Grammys)! The other day I went to help move furniture because of a flood in a member’s house and we went into the daughter’s room to move stuff and it was packed with T Swift posters and I was going crazy! Satan was throwing his best at me, haha! And Addi I’m so happy you have a dance competition. You are going to do great! Alex I’m glad you’re loving school buddy and I hope you are loving every minute. And Chan, holy smokes boy, you are going crazy with this whole dating thing!! I loved your email and I am writing you a letter today, but keep the details coming. I want a part in the decisions! HA AH They all look like they’ve got great testimonies:)

So this week had so many ups and downs! We started the week last Monday night with my first carne asada and holy smokes it was amazing!!! And for the appetizer, Salsa baked grasshoppers! They eat those things like candy and it’s just a plastic bag of brown grasshoppers...legs and all. And apparently mine wasn’t cooked enough because I got a little squeeze of guts when I bit into it!! But they all thought it was just so funny haha!! I’ll send pics!

But this week has been so rainy and cold and I had to borrow a rain jacket, but I have to go buy one today at Walmart. I hope that’s ok! I feel bad spending money, believe it or not! Big change haha! But that night we had carne asada, the first counselor asked if I could give a talk this Sunday... In SPANISH! haha I was kinda like, "Are you sure??" Haha But I thought it would be a good way to introduce myself to everyone that doesn’t know me...Lets just say, they all know me now!:) There are like 75-100 people in the Spanish Branch so it’s pretty good sized! So my topic was the Spirit and I studied a few days to prepare a 6 minute talk. That’s all, just 6 minutes, no big deal. So I got there yesterday and I was the 3rd speaker. First one goes, takes 3 minutes (youth speaker) 2nd one goes...TAKES 5 STINKING MINUTES! And he was the other adult speaker! So now it’s my turn. Mr. Gringo, who has been in the field 3 weeks and I have to talk for 24 minutes!! Haha the counselor leaned over and said in Spanish, “Try to make it long.” HAHA!  So let’s just say I nailed it as best as I could. Haha It was definitely a good experience for me and I guess you could say that everyone knows me now. Whether it’s in a good way or a bad one, I don’t know. But they know me, nonetheless.

  

So on Saturday we had a FIESTA and it was in the chapel! There was a Spanish DJ and dancing and food and it was awesome! We had a bunch of investigators there and they had a blast. I can’t tell you how much I LOVE just walking around and trying to talk to these people and have them teach me and laugh when I try to talk. They are all so fun and love that I try so hard, but fail haha! I LOVE the Spanish people though. I feel like I’m their little 2 year old that’s learning to speak and they just baby me haha! And all the Spanish mommas like force me to eat and when I don’t, they get mad! At the fiesta they are like, "NO MORE TALKING! EAT!" in their assertive momma Spanish! Haha I love it!

Other than that family, all is well! I love getting chased by dogs and riding home in the cold rain, knowing that all is well. I love the food and I love the people. My legs and buns are looking nice and fit from the killer bike riding and I love my comp. Everything is just perfect.. This week will be tough, however. My comp Elder Stevens’ father has cancer and will probably pass in the next few days, so he got to call to say his goodbyes. I have never met a stronger kid. Everyday he puts on a smile and goes to work, not ever thinking about himself. I love the kid to death and hope you will keep him and his family in your prayers. I don’t think I could handle it like he is. It makes me grateful everyday for all of you. I think and pray about you everyday and am so so grateful for you. I hope you know I love you all so much and I hope that all is well, con la familia Smith. Take care, be safe, have a wonderful week and always know that I love you all. 

Until next week family, Love

Elder Smith

GREAT LESSON - STOLEN BIKE LIGHT!

Hey family! 

So before I get into my email, thank you for all the letters you sent me! It was so good to hear from all of you! I’m not as spoiled with letters here as I was in the MTC and a letter is such a tender mercy! haha! Thank you to Grandpa and Grandma and Papa and Grammy for your letters and the money. You always do too much for me! I’ll have letters headed your way as soon as I can! Oh and Alex I will have a birthday package coming your way. I bought your present the other day! Hope you like it! And Dad, I can’t wait to see the tile job! I know it wasn’t the same without me there to laugh at your tapestry of frustration, but I’m sure you didn’t get much help from Chan either, judging from the 24 pictures he sent me from all his dates! haha Man that kid’s just a lady killer! And sounds like Alex is growing into one, too! And Addi, I loved your letter hunny, thank you so much! I miss ya!

      

So this week I saw the all time highs and the all time lows. First off, this week we had training, so we missed out on so much work time, so a lot of our investigators had a hard time because we weren’t able to spend as much time with them. But It’s funny how every good thing gets matched with a bad. We go and have a bomb lesson with Julio and we are just floating, until we get back to our bikes and our lights are stolen haha! (Sorry mom that was that charge on my card). Or we are riding our bikes out in the cold rain, but some random lady gives us a mexican burger on the corner. That’s a tender mercy! But every time something goes wrong Heavenly Father just gives us a little something to keep us going! It’s definitely an exciting way to live. I’m am getting very comfortable with my bike. haha And she’s definitely getting a lot of use! I haven’t named her yet, mom, but this week I think she’ll have earned a name.

But first off is Julio. He is our most solid investigator right now. He is such a stellar kid and has come so far. His Baptism is on the 25th, which is coming right up and he is so excited and ready. He’s made some huge changes in his life and I’m so proud of him. He says he really wants to be a missionary when he turns 19, so that’s our next goal after baptism haha! I love this kid!

But the real let down this week was our lesson with Juan and Samantha. They just weren’t ready to make those leaps of faith and quit his job and get married. They just aren’t quite ready right now and it broke my heart. I love that family and they like begged to take us out to dinner still and to have us stop by everyday for a water, but their house is out of the way and we just had to tell them that we have to spend our time with people who are willing to progress and make changes. They had a hard time understanding why just because they couldn’t get married, we couldn’t come by anymore and it was tough for me too. But we have to be out looking for those that the Lord has prepared. I was so heartbroken for this family. I felt like I had just got dumped! haha It was rough. But I know that one day they will be ready. It’s funny because Juan was saying how he never thought he could have such a quick bond to "White Folks"  haha! It was pretty funny. But I just love all these people here and they are all so sweet and selfless. They are always giving, even when they don’t have anything. And it really makes me realized how blessed we all are.

But family, I better wrap up, I’m out of time! But I hope you feel like you’re a little filled in. The work here is really moving forward and it’s so awesome to be a part of. I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week! Hope to hear from you soon! Until next week. 

Love Elder Smith

"A LOT OF TIMES, THE ONLY WAY I COMMUNICATE IS WITH A SMILE!"

Family! 

Man I have sooooo much to tell you and not much email time! This is been, hands down, the craziest, absolute hardest, week of my life! But at the same time, it has been one of the happiest weeks of my life! I was called to the Laredo Rio Bravo Area, which is like ALL Spanish! It is crazy! Baptism my fire for sure! haha!  And the number one area for stolen bikes in the country! We actually do have a lot of investigators that speak English though, which isn’t very common. I can see Mexico from the front door of my apartment. We are like 2 streets from the river, haha. My apartment is pretty nice, too. All the missionaries say it’s by far the nicest one here! 

As far as my companion, he is the BIGGEST stud! Elder Stevens is his name and he is from California. He has only been out 3 months, and just got done being trained and now he is training! But we are already way tight! He is the hardest worker and way funny and we have a ton of fun. Everyone calls us the "bebitos" or little babies haha! Because we are the youngest companionship in the mission! I’ll tell you a little more about all the success we had this week at the end! As far as Spanish...hard. A lot of times the only way I communicate is with a smile haha! I spend most dinner appointments getting laughed at and trying to learn and ask questions, but I LOVE IT! I already am sooo in love with some of these people! They think it’s so funny when I try to talk and say nice things because they speak a lot differently than people in the MTC. We always go to dinner and have AMAZING food, then just try to have a lesson, but it turns into Spanish class, haha, but I’m learning! 

So Laredo supposedly has the ONLY hill in Texas! Haha maybe a little exaggeration, but it’s pretty flat everywhere else! But everyday we have to truck up the hill on our bikes to get to appointments because we’re clear down at the bottom  of the hill in Santa Rita or "The Dirty South" so my buns and thighs are definitely feeling it! That one speed bike is really testing me and mis nalgas (butt cheeks). You can edit that mom :) But it’s great!!

So Church....Oh man pretty overwhelming. All the people that know me like to laugh at me and talk really fast to me to see that look on my face. But it gets us dinner dates because I give them a good laugh! But they all love when I have to introduce myself in church. But we have 6 hours of church, English Branch and Spanish. But after Spanish Branch my brain is ready to explode! But I sat by the Cantera family who I just love, so it was ok! I’ll talk about them next!

So about this week, first off this area has only had one baptism in the last 3 months. Since me and Elder Stevens have been here, we have set 6 baptismal dates!!! We can hardly believe that the Lord has blessed us with so much success already! Like everyday we have been lead to so many people who are so prepared! I don’t even know why we have been so blessed to be part of so many miracles, but i am sooo grateful!!!! Most of our baptismal dates have some serious problems to work through, but it can be done. Haha! Maybe I can talk about our Lesbian investigator in a letter sometime soon!! 

But the Cantera Family (who is my favorite and have a little girl Melanie that wants to meet Addi) are not married because he has to get a divorce across the border, then get married before baptism. But an awesome family. And the family that we have been really working with a lot is Samantha and Juan, who speak English. Samantha was a previous investigator, but the missionaries could never meet Juan because he was always at work. They are both about 20 or 22 and have a 2 year old. But one night we had an appointment and Elder Stevens was like I think we need to go stop by Samantha’s. So we rode up and JAUN was there!!!! Turns out that they were just talking about how he wanted to meet us and how that day he really wished we could come and there we were! By the end of that little meeting in there dirt driveway, out in front of the trailer, he had set a baptismal date, decided to quit his job so he could come to church, and decided that they would get married so they could be baptized. He kept saying to us "There’s something about you guys. You just bring a good feeling. How can I get this feeling more?" SOOO AMAZING! The Lord has blessed us so much. For a couple of greenies, we are pretty lucky to be able to be instruments of our Heavenly Father.

So family, there is so much more to tell and so much more on my mind, but I just don’t have enough time. But if nothing else, I just want you to know how much I love and miss you. Every time I have a different momma make my dinner, I think of MOM. Or when I see the Cantera kids, I think of Addi and Alex. Every time we have Brother Martinez cook us up some steak, I miss dad! And every time I think of the word GIRLS, I’m always thinking of Casanova, I mean Chan! Haha I’m so glad you all are doing so well! I hope the grandparents are well and tell Grandpa to get feeling better. I’m worried about him!!! Tell them all I love them and that I’ll send letters soon! 

Family, I’m so lucky to be apart of this work. It’s so hard. The hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I know that it is true. And I know the Lord wants me here in Laredo. I hope you all  have a wonderful week and always remember how much I love you! Until next week, Love

Elder Smith