8 August 2016

It feels like I just wrote yesterday, time flies like crazy here. Since Wednesday we've been rocking life. Emanuel decided to postpone his baptism one week since his oldest brother will then be in town so that will be fantastic! Now his mom is officially active again:) I'm super excited for this upcoming week. Tomorrow I travel to Sonoya for some exchanges it's an hour North of Peñasco. As a zone we have decided to make this week a week of legends. We want to crush it. All the vibes are top notch right now. 

This week was full of great moments. I really love a thing we've started doing here. At 5 pm Sunday a bunch of members meet up at the church and we all head out to visit as many people as we can until 9pm. We went and visited a less active family Hermano Martinez felt impressed to visit and we arrived at a really good moment. We were able to give words of comfort and guidance in the exact moment they needed it. That is one of the best feelings in life. I'll never forget one of the most important lessons my mother always teaches. That receiving and acting upon personal revelation is of utmost importance in this life. We can never let a good idea slip away. Responding to the whispers of the Spirit is how miracles are brought to pass. 

I'd love to attach tons of pics but I've been infected once again by a mad virus on the sd card so I'm trying to figure that out but I've attached some my comp has taken.

I love you all and hope you can take advantage of every moment this week and do lots of great things! Keep the vibes strong and remember the Lord is always there.

Love,

Elder Smith

8 August 2016

It feels like I just wrote yesterday, time flies like crazy here. Since Wednesday we've been rocking life. Emanuel decided to postpone his baptism one week since his oldest brother will then be in town so that will be fantastic! Now his mom is officially active again:) I'm super excited for this upcoming week. Tomorrow I travel to Sonoya for some exchanges it's an hour North of Peñasco. As a zone we have decided to make this week a week of legends. We want to crush it. All the vibes are top notch right now. 

This week was full of great moments. I really love a thing we've started doing here. At 5 pm Sunday a bunch of members meet up at the church and we all head out to visit as many people as we can until 9pm. We went and visited a less active family Hermano Martinez felt impressed to visit and we arrived at a really good moment. We were able to give words of comfort and guidance in the exact moment they needed it. That is one of the best feelings in life. I'll never forget one of the most important lessons my mother always teaches. That receiving and acting upon personal revelation is of utmost importance in this life. We can never let a good idea slip away. Responding to the whispers of the Spirit is how miracles are brought to pass. 

I'd love to attach tons of pics but I've been infected once again by a mad virus on the sd card so I'm trying to figure that out but I've attached some my comp has taken.

I love you all and hope you can take advantage of every moment this week and do lots of great things! Keep the vibes strong and remember the Lord is always there.

Love,

Elder Smith

4 August 2016

What an awesome week! I'm short on time but I'll try to express the most important parts. We had a really good week. as a zone we lead the mission goals that was really exciting. We've put some high goals and I'm excited to meet them. We should have a baptism this Saturday too! Emanuel is the son of a reactivated member. He is super excited about everything. He knows so much and is so ready. I just hope he can be a really good example for his older sister that doesn't really want anything to do with church or God etc. 

Monday we traveled all day to get to Hermosillo where we had a fantastic meeting with the mission president. I wish I could explain everything but there's just not time. Read and study Doctrine and Covenants 88:120-126 and send me your insights! I really liked a game plan that was presented at the meeting about miracles in our life, Especially in the mission. 

1. Believe you can- we have to believe we can do it and with faith we have to act

2. Look to the Savior- we can't do everything ourselves, the Lord will make up for what we can't do. He is the only way to truly succeed and reach potential.

3. Make the sacrifice- once again we have to put our part in, but more than minimum effort. We have to make a sacrifice of our time energy plans etc. #goodbetterbest

4. Wait for the miracle- wait and hope in Spanish have the same root so it could also say hope for the miracle. It may not be immediate but the Lord will help us in our just desires.

5. Receive the miracle with humility- we cannot "boast in our own strength" we have to be humble as we watch the Lord work wonders among us.

There's so much more I'd love to share but for now that'll have to suffice. 

God truly loves all of His children. He worries about his family, each and every one of us. He wants us to succeed. So how about we do exactly that. Let us be obedient and loving and we will see miracles. I love you all and hope for the best week of all!

Love,

Elder Smith

Pics of the zone Puerto Peñasco and the long ride to Hermosillo

PS - on the stuff I sent home ( first part of July)

The vanilla i knew would be a fav. that bottle costs about $2 so I will bring home plenty. Anything else you like let me know haha. 

One of the first things i want to do is climb a mountain. Maybe we could go camping somewhere.  I hate how soon that sounds. Life is just so good here. We had the best week ever. We had more than 30 lessons put 4 baptismal dates and 2 of them made it to church. We contacted over 100 different people like everything was gold this week. 

Then to top it off we've had a great p day. Well basically we had lots of time to play haha. We played soccer and basketball and capture the flag. My comp and I were on opposite teams and it got intense haha. He was chasing me down and we both end up face planting the fence at the church. He got a split lip and my arm is all bruised but it wasn't too bad at all. I'm actually getting better at soccer. Instead of being the worst on the field I'm useful haha.

Love you all:)

26 July 2016

Life is amazing here! Fear not. We are fed so well always. The people here are more open minded than anywhere else I've been. It's awesome. We had a bad week this week and only got about 23 lessons but this week is off 100% we had 6 Sunday afternoon before the assistants called for the numbers and all and hope to end the week with 40-50. Thanks for helping the missionaries back home so much. They appreciate it so much! Every once in a while we knock a door or talk to someone from the states and usually they are super closed and shove us away as fast as they can. It really makes me admire the testimony and strength of those who work with people like that every day. Here at least once a day we talk to some one and before we can even say we are missionaries they tell us to come in. I love working here and will keep it up for sure!

I'm super excited to go to the temple in a month or so. It'll probably be my last time in Mexico I can go.

PS, love the painting

Today at Flavios )the restaurant the less active owns) I had garlic octopus and shrimp quesadillas and a coconut encrusted shrimp. You'd love the food there I bet.

20 July 2016

Week one in Puerto Peñasco has been amazing. It feels very different from the rest of the places I've been. It's 100% more humid here. I sweat always but feel like I can breath again. There is lots of tourism here so a few times a day we end up talking to people in English not Spanish. And church feels a lot like home in some ways. It's super full here in the summer months because 100+ people are visiting from the states. The work has been great. We are basically starting from scratch because we have as of yet been unable to find any addresses the previous zone leaders had left us. But we are finding so many people. People here are really open. It's rare that someone straight up says "No I don't want to hear what you have to say". So good vibes all around. Hopefully for next week we can have some solid people in teaching.

One experience I enjoyed this week was when we knocked on a door and they were headed out but told us we could come back the next day. As we walked off we heard the guy's wife ask him why the heck he said we could come back. Nonetheless we stopped by the next day and his wife answered the door and invited us in and told us they had been waiting for us (we got there a titch late). She explained that she didn't originally want to talk to us because she had heard bad things about the church from friends of hers. We had a great lesson that cleared up doubts and confusion and we will continue teaching. She is actually in the search for the true church of Jesus Christ, I'm excited to keep teaching. A funny moment; She had been told by said friends that "Mormons" were a lot of rowdy drunks that partied all the time. That was unexpected to say the least. That's honestly the last thing most people think haha. We explained how it was that we didn't even drink alcohol. All in all, I continue to be amazed how the Lord leads and guides us. How He prepares people. I love it here and hope for a great few months here!

Go have the best of weeks and keep it real!
Love,
Elder Smith

pics,
so there's a less active member here that has a restaurant on the ocean and we can eat free there, it's great to say the least. I ordered a fish dish thinking it was a normal sized thing when to my surprise I'm given a tray loaded with goodness. I haven't eaten so much in ages.

12 July 2016

So I had the most wonderful time this past week and the past 6 really. Caborca has been one of my favorite areas so far. Sadly I have been transferred once again. I'm in Puerto Peñasco. It'll be a great place to finish off my last 3 months working harder than ever. I'm with Elder Borja.

This past week was so cool. Estela madeit to church again. She and her family are so ready. Im exited for Elder Larsen and his trainee that will be working that area now. I will truly miss Caborca.

I don't have too long to write but I want to finish with a great thought from the zone meeting we had today.

"And men are that they might have joy" The work of the lord is a work of joy! for both the laborers and recipients! 

Doctrine and Convenants 123

 17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

let us all work cheerfully and do everything we can for good! a tranquil mind and see as God places his hand in our lives.

I love you all and hope for a great week for all!!!

Elder Smith