Week 23: The tan lines are getting worse!
Hey guys! This week has been pretty good! We have been putting many fechas bautismales (baptism dates) this week which has been awesome. We had Hermana Manuela, Hermana Francisca y su hijo at church this Sunday. All of them have fechas bautismals (baptism dates) and I hope that I will be here to see them be baptized. It is a pretty good chance that I will leave this area and go to another but I am very happy that we have people preparing to be baptized. La familia Flores is una familia that I found when I was with Elder Sosa but we hadn't taught them for a long time. One day, Elder Graus and I were riding on the bus and we saw her there. She asked us if we could visit her and that she was thinking of us. We have been teaching her and her family for a couple weeks now. Now, she has accepted to be baptized and her children too! Her son is very interested in the church and is SUPER into saying prayers. Its pretty amazing to see. Hermana Francisca has told us that he wants to be a missionary like us to help other people. That was so cool to hear. I have really enjoyed teaching them and they are pretty awesome. One crazy that happened this week was when we were waiting for the bus and the guy came up and started talking to me like a foot away from my face. He was speaking some hard core spanglish and was definitley drinking a ton of grandpas old cough medicine. He was saying ERES GRINGO Y CONOZCO TU FATHER DONALD TRUMP. I cannot tell you guys how much I have heard about our President jajaja. After that when he was walking away he told me GRINGO TE VOY A MATAR (I am going to kill you gringo) which was a pleasant experience. That makes 2 times when people have said that they wanted to kill me jajaja. Other than that it was a pretty normal week. We are continuing to teach many people and preparing people for baptism. I AM SORRY GUYS I DONT HAVE ANY PICTURES THIS WEEK
Espero que podemos tener una semana muy buena y quiero decirles que les quiero mucho! No necesitan preocuparse porque estoy vivo todavia jaja. Espero que ustedes pueden encontrar mucha ayuda de mis cartas cada semana y que yo puedo ser el misionero que Dios quiere. Quiero llegar a ser como Jesucristo cada dia. Yo se que el nos ama y nos confia. Les invito a hacer las cosas sencillas (el libro de mormon y oraciones) para encontrar la paz que necesitamos en esta vida. Tengan una buena semana y hasta luego ciao
(I hope that you all have a good week and I wanted to tell you I love you a lot! You don't need to worry about me because I am still alive haha. I hope that you can find help from my letters each week and that I can be the missionary God wants me to be. I want to become like Jesus Christ each day. I know that he loves us and believes in us. I invite you to do the simple things ( like reading the book of mormon and praying) to find peace in this life. Have a great week..until later! Ciao!)
¡Giddy up!
Elder Smith
June 11, 2018
Week 22: Estoy vivo todavia
YOOOOOOO EVERYONE HOW ARE YOU ALLLLLLLL. This week has been really great. I have some wonderful experiences to share and some funny ones too (shocker). I think the funniest experience was when Elder Grans and I were in an appointment. He was teaching a family a trick you can do with an egg. He told everyone that he was going to squeeze the egg a certain way and it wouldnt break (some fancy science stuff who know's). While he was demontrating the trick (RIGHT OVER ME I DONT KNOW WHY) it CRACKED AND SPILLED OVER MY PANTS IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. Everyone was dying laughing. Meanwhile, I was looking at Elder Graus with my "Bro we have 4 more appointments after this and I am going to sit with wet egg pants the whole night" face because I was so mad jajaja. AND THEN, one of the kids tried to do it and splattered egg (huevos Jugosos-juicy eggs) on me AGAIN. I was the clown. Also, something crazy that happens (I dont know if I have said this yet) is I do magic occasionally, but not a lot because there isn't time and LITERALLY EVERY NIÑO (kid) IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD KNOWS. Every time I pass by a park like 476 kids Yell "¡ HEY GUERO UN TRUKO DE MAGIA PUES!" (do a magic trick) or "HEY GRINGO UN TRUKO CON UNA MONEDA PUES"(do a trick with coins). I don't how everyone knows.
One of the coolest things that happened this week was when we had a lesson about the restoration with Hermano Luis. When we entered his house, I instantly felt the spirit so strong. He had read the entire pamphlet that we gave him and had questions. We said a prayer, and after he told us that he felt something very different and beautiful. We explained to him that we were all feeling the Holy Ghost. I feel the spirit strong sometimes with investigators but, not as strong as when we were with him. I think he was very grateful for the message and felt something that he had never felt in his entire life. I am so grateful that we have been able to teach him and he has been able to feel that peace. Later this week, he was at church! We taught him about the atonement which is probably my favorite topic in all the doctrine of the gospel. We all felt a deep spirit of gratitude for Jesus Christ and his atonement. My closing thoughts, when my companion and I were teaching the class, were very spiritual for me and I would love to share them with you. We all wrote on the board how the atonement could help us in our lives and we all wrote different things. I bore my testimony in spanish more or less in these words: "One thing that I think is very interesting in this activity is that we all have written different things down on the board. It makes sense because we are all different. But the thing that is so amazing is that the most amazing act of love that has ever been given on this earth can bless every single person, even though we are all so different. It is applicable to every single person. I am going to be thankful my whole life for the sacrifice he gave for us. I know this is true and I know he loves us. I know he lives and understands us perfectly. He is willing to bless us only if we let him." This is the testimony that I wanted to share with you guys and I hope that it is spiritually uplifting in some way. UNFORTUNATLEY I DON'T HAVE PICTURES because I have a virus on my drive so I need to buy another one for my camera or try to fix the one I have hahaha. But this was the stuff I wanted to share with you guys this week I hope all is well and GIDDY UP
Elder Smith
YOOOOOOO EVERYONE HOW ARE YOU ALLLLLLLL. This week has been really great. I have some wonderful experiences to share and some funny ones too (shocker). I think the funniest experience was when Elder Grans and I were in an appointment. He was teaching a family a trick you can do with an egg. He told everyone that he was going to squeeze the egg a certain way and it wouldnt break (some fancy science stuff who know's). While he was demontrating the trick (RIGHT OVER ME I DONT KNOW WHY) it CRACKED AND SPILLED OVER MY PANTS IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. Everyone was dying laughing. Meanwhile, I was looking at Elder Graus with my "Bro we have 4 more appointments after this and I am going to sit with wet egg pants the whole night" face because I was so mad jajaja. AND THEN, one of the kids tried to do it and splattered egg (huevos Jugosos-juicy eggs) on me AGAIN. I was the clown. Also, something crazy that happens (I dont know if I have said this yet) is I do magic occasionally, but not a lot because there isn't time and LITERALLY EVERY NIÑO (kid) IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD KNOWS. Every time I pass by a park like 476 kids Yell "¡ HEY GUERO UN TRUKO DE MAGIA PUES!" (do a magic trick) or "HEY GRINGO UN TRUKO CON UNA MONEDA PUES"(do a trick with coins). I don't how everyone knows.
One of the coolest things that happened this week was when we had a lesson about the restoration with Hermano Luis. When we entered his house, I instantly felt the spirit so strong. He had read the entire pamphlet that we gave him and had questions. We said a prayer, and after he told us that he felt something very different and beautiful. We explained to him that we were all feeling the Holy Ghost. I feel the spirit strong sometimes with investigators but, not as strong as when we were with him. I think he was very grateful for the message and felt something that he had never felt in his entire life. I am so grateful that we have been able to teach him and he has been able to feel that peace. Later this week, he was at church! We taught him about the atonement which is probably my favorite topic in all the doctrine of the gospel. We all felt a deep spirit of gratitude for Jesus Christ and his atonement. My closing thoughts, when my companion and I were teaching the class, were very spiritual for me and I would love to share them with you. We all wrote on the board how the atonement could help us in our lives and we all wrote different things. I bore my testimony in spanish more or less in these words: "One thing that I think is very interesting in this activity is that we all have written different things down on the board. It makes sense because we are all different. But the thing that is so amazing is that the most amazing act of love that has ever been given on this earth can bless every single person, even though we are all so different. It is applicable to every single person. I am going to be thankful my whole life for the sacrifice he gave for us. I know this is true and I know he loves us. I know he lives and understands us perfectly. He is willing to bless us only if we let him." This is the testimony that I wanted to share with you guys and I hope that it is spiritually uplifting in some way. UNFORTUNATLEY I DON'T HAVE PICTURES because I have a virus on my drive so I need to buy another one for my camera or try to fix the one I have hahaha. But this was the stuff I wanted to share with you guys this week I hope all is well and GIDDY UP
Elder Smith
May 28, 2018
Week 20: Una semana llena de milagros
FROM CD OBREGONNNNN
Hey everyone!
This week has been a fantastic and tiring week. I have some awesome tender mercies that happened during the week that I would love to share. The first experience that we had was with a lady named Hillary. Hillary is about 20 years old and and is inactive member of our church. She was a reference that we recieved when I arrived in Obregon. We knocked on her door 3 times in the past and she NEVER answered. The other day, a ward member suggested that we go by her house to visit her. I thought, there is no way that she is going to answer us. But, when we were there, she opened the door! I was amazed. When we met with her she was telling us all the reasons why she doesnt go to church and the gossip she hears. She shared an experience of how some of the members treated her because of some of her imperfections. I felt terrible for her. After many comments, I felt the spirit prompt me to bear my testimony. I told her (in spanish more or less in these words): Hermana (Sister), I want to tell you something very special to me. Maybe it might seem a little strange, but I want to you think for a second what I am about to tell you. I have a testimony that we are imperfect. Hermana (Sister) I want you to think about that for a second. We make many mistakes. But the one that never made a mistake is Jesus Christ. We wear his name on our name tags and we walk the streets everyday because we want to share his gospel with everyone. Its his church and his gospel. We are imperfect but his church is perfect because he is perfect. Thats why I walk every day in the hot sun walking miles a day to share his gospel and the happiness and peace that it brings us. When I am in church, taking the sacrament, I feel a peace that the world doesn't give me. Thats why I am here." When I said this, I started to get a little emotional. The mood of the room had changed from something judgemental and tense to peaceful. Even though she still has some doubts about church, we are completely invited into her home which is a miracle. Her negative atitude of the church had changed a little bit and for a second, I think she remembered how important going to church is. She was super friendly with us from then on. She walked us to the door with a smile and was more relaxed. I could not believe what had happened. It was litterally a miracle for me but something rather small or not important for some people.
The second experience was when my companion and I said a prayer to know where to contact. After we prayed, I felt like we needed to walk down a street. We were knocking on doors and no one answered. Suddenly a man just appeared out of no where behind us and asked us "Could you explain some of your beliefs to me?" We were completely shocked. When we shared a little about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he got a little emotional. He said he had been praying for God to send him an answer and we arrived on his street. He was literally an answer to our prayers and we were an answer to his. His name is Luis. Hopefully we will be able to teach him soon this week.
The last experience was the same day ( I think jjajaja I have a terrible memory here) and we were contacting. I felt like I needed to knock on a door and out came a young man about 16 years old. I was trying to explain to him about the Book of Mormon but literally 3467 buses passed by and every single flippin perro (dog) on the block started barking (shocking). He later had to go inside and a older man (35ish years old) came out and started talking to us. I thought the guy wasn't going to be interested because he was kind of rough looking but he later told us that he is a member. His name is Francisco. He told us that when he got married he became inactive because of his wife. He then told us that he has been having a lot of problems with her and they are now seperated. We had a beautiful lesson about the atonement and felt the spirit very strong. I testified to him that Jesus Christ paid for the sadnesses (not just our sins) that we will all feel in this life. He began to get a little bit emotional. I am so glad that I was prompted to find these people and that we were able to help them. Heavenly Father is aware of all of us because we are his children. He knows our name, where we live, where we work, what makes us happy, what we worry about, and what we are grateful for, everything. I am grateful that I was able to have these experiences because they have strengthened my testimony.
The last thing that I would like to share is about the experience with Hermana Hillary. I am very sad that she was affected so severely in her childhood from the gossip and the judgements that people made of her. I would ask you, please, with all my heart that we can be good examples and good friends to the members in our ward. Unfortunatley, this is happening in many parts of the world. We do not have the right to judge others. Only Heavenly Father has that power. I would ask you that we should (or continue to be because a lot of you are already doing this) be good examples and loving members in the wards that we are in. I am FOR SURE not saying that I am perfect at this but I don't wish these terrible things on members of our wards that are sincerely struggling and doing all they can to do their best. We are different. We all have different plans in this life. Please always remember that and how special it is that we are different and that God has something different prepared for every single one of us. This is what I wanted to share this week and I am so glad that I have so much support from so many people .
Giddy up...
Elder Smith
¡Boliche una vez más! (Bowling one more time!)
¡Foto intensa! (intense photo)
¡Nuestra Zona! (Our zone)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)