July 8, 2019

Week 78: Super week

Hey guys! This email isnt going to be super long but I justed wanted to let you guys in on somethings that happened this week. My last week in Caborca was a great one. We baptized 4 people and confirmed 5 people on Sunday. It was truly a miracle. Last week I talked a little about Satan and his tactics that he uses. This week we say ALOT of that again with the baptisms. Our first convert that got baptized is named Ximena. For a long time her mom didnt give her permission to be baptized and finally her mom gave it too us after MONTHS of waiting. On the way to her baptism, a man almost hit us in his car on the way (I have it recorded) and at the other baptism with Esmeralda and Yolanda their sister came and she is crazy. She literally was making a huge deal of everything in the baptismal service and was acting like a little girl. However, we were able to have success. I am truly grateful for all that I have learned in Caborca. I am not going to lie it is a hot, dusty, and run down place but Heavenly Father was able to teach me a ton and humbled me a lot. I was able to make friendships that will last forever. I love Caborca. I truly feel satisfied for all that I could accomplish in Caborca. We ended up baptizing 16 people in this transfer! All of it was made possible thanks to our Heavenly Father.

July 1, 2019

Week 77: A week to never forget

This week was one of the hardest and most amazing of my entire life. Doing the Lords work here we truly see miracles and we feel the Spirit daily. It is truly an extremely hard experience but it is something so special that it is all worth it. This week I only want to share one experience that happened this week but it was one that really made me think and changed my point of view on many things. Every since I have been here in Caborca, I have known a youth named "Ramiro" that is 16 years old. Every since I have been here in Caborca, I saw him spending time with the youth in the branch and to be honest, we thought he was maybe a member. One sunday, we ate lunch with the Branch President and he was there with his friends (after we all went to church). After lunch, out of nowhere, we started talking about the mission and the experiences we have had. Ramiro heard every one of our 4 testimonies of the mission and the youth there got really excited about serving missions. Ramiro even got excited and said he wanted to serve a mission. Little by little, we started to teach him and we could see that his testimony was growing. We also saw how strong Satan started to attack him. Out of no where, he started to work every day except sundays. He would go to church but we could never teach him during the week for work. We taught him over the phone and thought of everything we could do. After that, out of no where, he had to work on sunday. He had never had to work on Sunday. He wanted to get baptized but he had so many things in his life that were holding him back. One day, we were super down. My companion and I had fasted, prayed, and tried to get in contact with Ramiro the entire week and nothing. One day at night we were going to go to an appointment but we felt the impression that we needed to go to Ramiros house. We got there and knocked and he had arrived from work. We could talk to him and explain that Satan was trying to do everything that he could so that he wouldnt be baptized. He agreed and also told us that his parents gave him permission to get baptized but that they werent going to support him. In spite of the conflict, we set up a day so he could be baptized. We all decided that Sunday would be a good day. That sunday, his boss WITHOUT notifying him beforehand told him that he had to work. Then we set up the baptism for wednesday because every day he has a lunch break and we were going to baptized him on his lunch break. Out of nowhere, he had to work longer that day. Finally at 9 at night, Ramiro was baptized. It was literally the hardest baptism I had had in my entire mission. Satan literally was attacking Ramiro the entire time and the ENTIRE day. I had never seen Satan work so hard so that a person wouldnt be baptized. That night when my companion and I got back to the house exhausted. We talked and we hadnt told eachother but both of us had been been tempted and tried in that day. I personally had a really difficult day for some reason and I felt like Satan was throwing lies at me the entire day like "you arent a good missionary..." "He wont get baptized..." "Why are you even trying?" I felt a spiritual burden the entire day and I was struggling. My companion experienced something similar. We realized how true it is that we are in Gods work and He is real but something even scarier. That satan is really real. He doesnt only want us to feel bad but he literally wants to destroy our souls. That night we discussed a scripture and that I had found a couple days before hand. Its is found in 3 Nep
hi 1:20-23

20 And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.

21 And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.

22 And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord.

23 And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among the people, and also many others, baptizing unto repentance, in the which there was a great remission of sins. And thus the people began again to have peace in the land.

Even though Satan is working hard, Satan will never have success. I want you all to know how important it is be shield against Satans attacks. Even though it sounds harsh and scary I promise and I say this of experience if you are not ready and those darts come and you are not ready and dont have a plan, you will fall. I promise you. You need to be built on the foundation of Christ (Helaman 5:12). The scriptures say that when man build on that foundation, they cannot fall. I know that to be true. This sunday, during Ramiro`s confirmation, President Jimenez said in the blessing, "I bless you that one day if it is the Lords will, that you will be able to serve a mission some day." Hearing those words, it was all worth it for me.

June 10, 2019

Week 74: What whilt thou have me do?-Paul

This week was one I will never forget. So many things happened and I have learned so much. I hope I can remember the most important things to tell you guys. This week we had our Zone Conference with all the missionaries of Caborca. President Myers told us that we could teach anything we wanted to the missionaries but something that would help them progress and have more success in the work. We decided this week to fast to be able to recieve revelation to know what to do. This fast that we did was one of the hardest I had ever done. It was super hot, we were thirsty, and sometimes we felt like we could have fainted but we needed the extra help. In fact, that night when we slept my companion and I both woke up super early in the morning really week and we couldnt move. We were super thirsty and we kind of started to panic. Luckily, we could relax again and we feel asleep again.

I had an amazing experience that morning when we woke up. Before that point, we didnt really have an idea what to teach the missionaries and I was started to get stressed out. That morning, the alarm went off, and as soon I opened my eyes, I immediatley started thinking of the apostle Paul. I started to think in his life as a missionary and everything he went through. In my bed I turned my eyes to my night stand and saw my book "Jesus the Christ" by James Talmage (one of my favorite books) and I right away started to study the section that talks about Paul. I jotted down ideas and studied that morning about his life. I told my companion what had happened and we decided to teach the missionaries about Pauls conversion story and how our investigators can have a conversion. In the zone conference, we taught about the Pauls beautiful conversion story and life. I was truly grateful to be able learn of him and will always be an example to me. In some sense, I feel that Paul and I have went through similar experiences (except being in jail jaja) and we both have the same goal to be faithful servants our Heavenly Father.

This week as well with the fast that we did we were able to see many miracles. This week two of our investigators told us that they recieved an answer that the church is true. They said "When I said my prayer, I waited for an answer and I felt something and I started to cry but I dont know why." We were so amazed and explained that it was an answer from God. Those 2 people will be baptized the 29th of this month.

The last experience that I want to share happened this week as well. On saturday, we decided to say a prayer to be able to find a family that we could teach and be baptized. In the street, we said a prayer and as soon as we finished, we saw some kids outside a house and we went to go to talk with them. We started to teach them and soon their mom came out and presented herself and said her name was Merarith. She told us a little about herself and told us that she has had many problems in her life. We taught her a little and explained that if she would go to church that her life would be better and she could trust in the Lord. We invited her to church and said she would go. We told her the address and everything. Honestly I didnt think much about it. The next morning, we recieved a text message that said "Hi its Merarith I am getting ready to go!" She went! Even her kids. I am excited to see what is in store for her because we believe it was the family we have been searching for.

I love you all

Giddy Up

Elder Smith

1. Marieath and her family at church
2. Leon Bridges style
3. Caborca Zone in Rocky Point Zone Conference
4. The Dorks
5. Coming home from Rocky Point with Sister Myers
6-8. Dumb bike crash from getting chased by 4 dogs

June 3, 2019

Week 73: Caborca

This week was pretty cool. We recieved transfers and I found out that I will be staying Caborca again. Wow. That means that when I leave Caborca, I will have probably been here for 6 months. I love Caborca and honestly I wouldn't like to leave but, there isn't much here hahaha. Its ok because it just motivates us to preach the Gospel more. We say "well there's nothing to do, might as well just knock doors or teach." I had some really special experiences this week that I would like to share. This week we found an older man named Trinidad that went to church. We found him outside his house and he was delighted to see us. We took him to church and as soon as he saw our Branch President Panchito Jimenez, he got so happy and almost cried. They both gave each other a big hug and said "How have you been?" Its was truly a special sight. Small world (small Caborca). We have many people we are teaching and we have two people with baptismal dates for the 15th of this month. This week we also went to Hermosillo to have a Mission Counsel and it was pretty awesome. We feel super excited for this transfer! We had a really cool lesson with a young man named Ramiro. He is 16 and wants to go on a mission. We taught him about the Restoration and it was pretty awesome. He is going to be baptized on the 15th of this month! Something really special that happened this week, happened yesterday. There is a man in our ward named Tito Sotelo. He is 84 years old and since I came to Caborca he has been a special person to me. He has been a worker, cowboy, and faithful member of the church since he was young. I look up to him as a humble person, a faithful priesthood holder, and one who keeps his temple covenants. This Sunday, he asked if we could give him a blessing because he wasnt feeling very well. After church, we went to his house and there he was waiting with his wife. He greeted us in and sat down so we could give him the blessing. My companion annointed his head with oil and the spirit became strong. As I sealed the blessing, I felt a small portion of the love that the Lord had for Tito. The spirit I felt was something strong and sweet. My blessing was simple but I felt every word spoken. We finished the blessing, expressed our love and friendship for the Sotelo Family. As we left, I reflected on Gods kindness for all his children but especially his faithful children that live their covenants. I will look at Tito Sotelo as an example of that in my life. I love you all I thank all of you that do your best to stay true to the covenants you have made our Heavenly Father.

May 27, 2019

Week 72: Una Semana de Milagros

This week we were able to see many miracles. We had a super cool experience in our area after leaving an appointment. We left and a lady in the house in front of the house we were in said hi to us and said "Hola Elderes" and we turned to each other and said "She knows us or what?" We decided to go back and the sister let us in. Her name is Dina. She told us that she had been baptized with her family and they were inactive. We walked in to her house and we sang her favorite hymn. After the hymn, we asked her how she felt and she burst in to tears. She told us that she wanted to come back to church and that she missed it. We comforted her and talked for a little bit and we asked her when her husband would be there and she told us the next day. We went back the next day, sang a hymn, said a prayer and after, the spirit was very, very strong. We could all realize without saying anything that the spirit was strong. I asked "Sister Dina, can you feel something special in this moment?" we all agreed that we felt the spirit. We then explained that in John 16:13 it says:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

I love that phrase. That the Spirit never speaks for himself. The Spirit is only a messenger from God.

Everything he tells us is exactly what God wants us to know. So we explained that to her and then we asked "What is God trying to tell you through his Holy Spirit?" She said "That I should go to church" and we were able to teach a powerful, beautiful lesson by the Spirit. The Spirit is the most important element in this work. The prophets and apostles have taught, that if you dont have the Spirit, you will never have success no matter the talent you have. That is why Pablo said that his "speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

The role of the Holy Spirit in this work is essencial. I know this work to be true. When people become to understand this things in their heart is when people change. I am grateful for the spirit. Plead for the spirit in your lives because he will let you know exactly what God wants you to do and will guide you to be able to do it "for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)

I love you all.

Giddy Up.

Elder Smith