Termites!

So this week was extremely eventful yet not eventful at all at the same time! Ha it was kinda sad! We had termites in our apartment way bad so they came and tore our apartment out and sprayed and basically remodeled our apartment! Ha it was nuts! To make it worse this all happened on our transfer day. So me and Elder Glade were together and we just had to sit in the Church while they took care of them! Ha It was terrible! But then Elder Day flew in at about four and we got to sit there until they were done working and so that was just a lot of fun... Ha I was so sick of just sitting there! 

We also had zone conference this week! And Mom guess what happened! So we were sitting there in the church on Friday night while we were waiting to meet the missionaries from St Vincent and the AP's walked in. They said "President Mehr wants a musical number." So immediately Elder Glade is like, "Elder Smith can sing real well!" So then one thing led to another and I sang a solo at zone conference. Jeepers Creepers I was so nervous! And I don't get nervous! But I sang the Michael McClean song, "It's Real". It went well and I feel like it brought the spirit. 

I loved zone conference though! It was so great! I also got to see Elder Hatch! That was so great to see him! President Mehr's main message was on Justice and Mercy! It was so powerful! He was really bold but really got the message across well! I love President and Sister Mehr! They are some of my favorite people ever!

So I have been thinking lately about one of the most disappointing things in missionary work. That is when people don't want to repent and truly change! It's so hard because we obviously can't do it for them! It honestly breaks my heart because Prince's mom, Desire just is not progressing. It is killing me! It's almost like she looks at repentance as a punishment. It's kinda tough because she was doing so well and now we might have to drop her. I just wish she would see the blessings that come from repentance and the love that her Heavenly Father has for her. I know how much He loves us and wants us to return to live with Him! He wants us to get on the road of exaltation and stay on it! I can also testify that if you have strayed that there is a way back! It may not be easy but it is possible! So if you're on that road, great job! Stay on it! But if you have strayed, I testify that there is a way back! Here the Savior's call and turn to Him! As you take the necessary steps, I can promise that He will welcome you with open arms! You will feel His love strongly and will find so much peace and happiness! I know that! I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Smith

"Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, each of us can become clean and the burden of our rebellion will be lifted. Remember, repentance is not punishment. It is the hope-filled path to a more glorious future."

-Richard G Scott

End of Transfer

So we got our transfer calls on saturday after the baptism and i found out that I am going to be leading the area because Elder Pierson is going to St. Vincent. I will be getting a new companion on wednesday named Elder Day. (I'm kinda curious if there is any relation to Mama Day) Ha but I actually came out with him originally and he is pretty cool! I am going to miss Elder Pierson but the Lord knows what is best!

So the biggest news from this week is obviously the Baptisms of O'Brian and Paul! It was so great! They were both just so excited! O'Brian and his fam have just come so far! They were all there on Saturday and it was so cool! Our family night with them last week was awesome! We had them act out when Nephi goes to get the plates and they all got super into it! Ha it was great!

The biggest downfall from this week was probably the fact that a lady we were teaching who was really progressing basically refuses to meet with us ever since we went over the Word of Wisdom with her. She is in like her 40's but just doesn't want to grow up I guess... It makes me sad to see things like that because she has three kids who could really use the gospel and the hope that it brings. So hopefully Desire will come around! Last night we had a really tender moment with her son, Prince. He is a nine year old kid who is awesome! He has a ton of energy and I really like him! But anyway we went by to try and see Desire and Prince comes out to tell us that she's not home. But then says, "But i'll meet with you guys!" Ha so we got to teach Prince about Baptism and his Heavenly Father. It was great! Towards the end he said, "Their is something that really hurts me, should I tell you guys about it or not?" We were just like"Umm if you want..." then he just said, "Well my dad.... he's in Jail. That really hurts me and sometimes I just cry." That just ripped at my heart. I almost started crying! I asked him if he prays and just talks to Heavenly Father. He then closed his eyes, and just sat there. So i wasn't sure what was going on so I asked him, "Do you Prince?" and he just is like, "Shhh! I'm talking to him!" Now I teared up then! I know that he answered that prayer! I testify that our Heavenly Father is constantly aware of us! He knows what we need and answers our prayers! He does that because He loves us! We are His children! I know that! As we draw closer to him we will be supported through whatever comes our way! I know that! I love you and I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Smith

May we ever strive to be close to our Heavenly Father. To do so, we must pray to Him and listen to Him every day. We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain. May His promise ever be our watchword: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

1. Walking out with O'Brian

2. Me and O'Brian

3. Me and Elder Fiame

Baptisms! Well...soon!!

This week was a great week that just flew by! We met with some people that made us really excited but also ones that really disappointed us...The lady that I talked about that had attended church a long time ago that I thought was really prepared is kinda struggling... We went over and taught her the restoration and at the end she is just like "I know what you're sharing is true and I know that this book (The Book of Mormon) is true but your church asks a lot and I don't know if I'm ready for that.) So I was just like Jeepers Creepers lady! I was so upset! She basically described the curse of the world we live in! "I know I should do this, but it is hard..." Well flip! Of course it is! This life is a test! And if you don't change you will fail! My goodness! I was so upset! We are going to see her tonight and I think I will break out Hank's "Armour of God". Because our standards aren't convenient or comfortable! That's the way it is! They're not there to make us comfy! They're there to protect us! And the sooner we realize that the better offf we will be! Anyway on a more positive note! Paul, our one-legged man is getting baptized on Saturday! I am so excited for him! He is so solid and is just doing so well! Also O'Brian, the one who we almost dropped, is getting baptized! He is a crazy and odd man but I love him! He is so excited for his baptism and in his own words, "to give my life to da fada!" Ha that's how he says it! He also has a brother who is getting baptized on early april! So we are going over to do a family night with them and their mom and their kids! They have come so far! Their Mom's name is Dorothy and she is old and kinda losing it and she has a smoking problem. So we invite her to quit and she says "Yeah I'll do it!" but then she forgets that she was going to try and quit! Ha so I'm not exactly sure how to handle that situation... Ha so we'll see! Also Granny still makes me sing but I love it! I have Savior, Redeemer of My Soul memorized now! Ha so I sing that a lot!

One of my favorite things that happened this week is we went to a new area called "Entrepot". We had never been there so we just started going house to house and calling in! We met some super cool people and taught like 7 lessons in like 2 and a half hours! It was great! I can't wait to go back! But probably one of my favorite lessons was with a slighltly mentally handicapped middle aged lady. We started talking with her and she told us that her mom just died. And you could just see the hurt that she had. Now she wasn't all there so I kinda taught a simplified a Plan of Salvation lesson real quick but my favorite part was the end! I got to promise her that she would see her Mom again! I told her about how Grandpa died and how I really miss him but I know I will see him again! And that I know that she will be able to see her Mom again! I asked her how that would make her feel and she just smiled and said really softly, "Happy". That lesson has changed my life! I testify that we will see our loved ones again! I know that families can be together forever! I find a lot of peace from that! I am so grateful that my family now will be a forever family as well as my future family! It just has to be! Because it wouldn't be heaven without them! I am so grateful for that! I love you all and I am so grateful for each of you! Continue to find peace from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! You won't find it anywhere else! I know that!

-Elder Smith

" I testify of the holy Resurrection, that unspeakable cornerstone gift in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ! With the Apostle Paul, I testify that that which was sown in corruption will one day be raised in incorruption and that which was sown in weakness will ultimately be raised in power. 11 I bear witness of that day when loved ones whom we knew to have disabilities in mortality will stand before us glorified and grand, breathtakingly perfect in body and mind. What a thrilling moment that will be! I do not know whether we will be happier for ourselves that we have witnessed such a miracle or happier for them that they are fully perfect and finally “free at last.” 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

This is Granny who Elder Smith sings for all of the time!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

So this week was amazing but super disappointing at the same time! So In St lucia the way that people work is if it rains, they don't go anywhere! So when it rains on sunday morning it really messes with our sacrament meeting numbers... Jeepers creepers I was so disappointed when I saw it was raining yesterday morning! But anyway we were supposed to have 2 baptisms this saturday but since they didn't come to church we have to move it back. One of them is named Paul. Now Paul actually got sick on saturday so that's why he didn't come, but let me tell you about Paul. He is a Boss! He only has one leg becuase it ended up getting amputated about 2 months ago. He loves the Lord though! He is super excited to become a member of the church! It is so amazing! I love his faith because he doesn't go out unless it's for church. Because like he said, "It's for God so it's what's important!" The next is O'Brian. He is the one that we started to drop last weekend and then started to make arrangements for church. He is so excited for Baptism! It really has been super inspiring! There is a light in there home that just was not there before! We found out on wednesday that he has a slight smoking problem and so we invited him to quit. So he did! We went by on friday and he was so excited to tell us that he hasn't even thought about smoking! It is so great to see these people progress! I love it! 

So the word has been spreading that I sing, so i now sing ALL the time! Ha it is crazy! Granny doesn't let Elder Pierson sing for her anymore! Ha she says that he ruins it! Ha but she makes me sing her like 3 songs before I can leave! Ha I love granny! She is super funny! I also told her about Kaitlyn and showed her a picture of us and she told me, "Tell Kaitlyn that I love her!" Ha oh granny....I like her!

The work is really progressing so that is neat! I am also picking up some great slang that I can use when I get home! Like Iry, pronounce eye-ree! Ha that means alright! And then we are teahing a super cool guy who always says, "Which is right" Ha so we'll just be like, "I know that if you read this book you will get closer to Heavenly Father" and then he'll just be like "Which is right, which is right!" Ha I love it! I am totally using that when I get back! 

This week was a good week though! We worked super hard and have seen a lot of progress. I know that our Heavenly Father blesses us according to our faith! Something we learn in Moroni 7:33 is if we have faith in Christ we will have the power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in him. I know that is true! I have seen that so much this week! He loves us! Have faith, and act on it! That's the thing! Also like President Uchtdorf said, "Doubt your doubt, before you doubt your faith!" So keep the faith! This church is true! I know it! Love you! 

-Elder Smith

These are Pics of the Pitons!

1. With Elder Bechan

2. With Elder Glade`

3. With Elder Pierson

1 Month

Jeepers Creepers it is just crazy to think that I left a month ago! It is unbelievable! This week was full of miracles and many blessings! I just hope that I can fit them all into one email! So I guess first off remember how I talked about Granny last week? The crazy bedridden lady? Ha well we go by her every wednesday and sunday and on wednesday I told her that I would sing her a special song on sunday. So yesterday was the day! I decided to break out Dallyn Vail Bayles version of "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul" but I had to do it acapella! So I was obviously very nervous because I had never really sang it before and I was having to do it acapella! But I did it! And when I finished it I looked up and Granny was crying! I have never seen her cry before but she just had tears running down her cheeks! It really showed the power of music! I now have to sing for her everytime so I am taking recommendations! Ha but it was just so neat!

Also yesterday we fasted to meet more prepared people! We were just struggling because we had met a lot of people but no one was really acting on our message. But we broke our fast and went out yesterday and then we met some amazing people! We met a family who like offered to cook for us whenever and was super receptive! I am not sure which one I liked better! Ha but then we also met a lady who had been meeting with missionaries several times a week and coming to church but then got a job that caused her to work on sundays so she stopped coming and was eventually dropped... But she has a different job now and wants to start coming again! Can you say prepared?!? She will be baptized just now! Ha then we have been teaching a family who had been meeting with missionaries for like 4 and a half months but had only come to church once! Why haven't they been dropped? I do not know! But we decided we needed to drop them so we go in and talk for a while and then I start on the whole "When people don't keep commitments we can't help them thing" and they just start organizing plans to come to church! I couldn't even finish dropping them! Ha and they were all there on sunday and loved it! So they should be baptized just now too! IT is a great time to be a Castries missionary!

The thing I have been thinking a lot about is how the Lord always knows what we need! Last week I was kinda homesick and it was tough! But then on tuesday I got to go on a tradeoff with Elder Fiame! I love Elder Fiame! We just talked about everything! Things like family, friends, high school, life after the mission, you name it! We talked about it! It helped me so much to just tell him about things and have him boost my confidence! One thing he said was, "You could never get these experiences anywhere else!" That is so true! I have been so blessed to be able to come back out! I know that people are placed in our lives for a reason! It isn't an accident! I am so grateful for all of you that I have in my life and I wouldn't replace any of you! I love you!

-Elder Smith

You Are Good Enough

So this week has been a good one! It has been really hard as home sickness sets in again and things are just hard at times but all in all it's been good! This week me and Elder Pierson's teaching just improved a ton! It has been getting really fun to teach again! As we have worked at teaching together we have just seen so many blessings! We went from 3 progressing investigators to 9! It was so cool! We are really hoping to have a huge baptism day on the 29th of March! We have several people praying about that day and I think it will be good! 

We also have a recent convert named Sylvia and she is doing super well! She is our favorite! She got baptized about a month ago and now she is teaching the institute class here! She is super smart! Another awesome person is a lady named Sister Marius, or Granny. She tells us that she is all of the Elder's Granny. Ha she is old and bed-ridden so we go see her every week to take her the sacrament! She is kinda crazy but she is also pretty great! But yeah in our area we have three solid members. Sylvia, Granny and Brother Anthony! So we have a recent convert, a bed-ridden lady and a crazy old man! Ha so member lessons are kind of hard to come by. Ha but we sure try! 

As a missionary the hardest thing is discouragement. Many times you feel discouraged for different reasons. But probably the best advice I received came at the perfect time in a letter. It said, "Always remember that you're Heavenly Father loves you! Never forget that! Now go and teach other people about how much he loves them!" That helped so much! It is important that we always remember that we are Children of God! HE loves us! That truth and that advice has brought me so much peace when at times I haven't felt like I was good enough. But we are good enough! We all are! Like Hank Smith said, '"You are good enough! You were good enough when He walked into the Garden of Gethsemane!" I like that! Never lose hope! Never give up! He is always with you! I know that!

I love and miss you all so much but I am grateful that I get to be serving here in St. LUcia!

-Elder Smith

*I worried a lot about him being homesick again and going through this again, I know it will get better though.  Let's keep him in our prayers!--Mom