Monday, September 29, 2014

That's What I Said!

What a week! We had a ton going on! We lost our car to the sisters again and are walking, we moved apartments and Roger and Grantley came to church and loved it! I was stoked! They will be getting baptized just now!
But anyway one thing at a time! So we don't have a car once again and are walking for good so that kinda stinks! But that brings us to our next point!
We have a new apartment that is so sweet! I feel like I checked into a hotel! it is sick! But we had to get that because our old one is not in our area and is terrible for the walking. So yeah this week we spent a lot of time moving!
Last but not least, Our boy Grantley came to church rocking his suit! IT was sweet! He loved it! So Grantley is this guy we contacted a while back but he wasn't super interested until this week. We went buy on monday night and he told us about how he has issues with dizziness and memory and so we felt prompted to give a blessing. We did and Grantley has since been feeling much better and it was a real faith building opportunity for him! He has been reading the Book of Mormon and knows it's true! He should be getting baptized on the 12th!
Now onto our boy Roger! He is great! We only got to see him once this week because of our schedule but he is doing great! He is reading lots and is just doing really well! He loved church and is ready to go for the 19th. I am so excited for him! He is doing so well! he is like our little brother! 
All is well in the Bados! I love it here! I am so lucky to be here and wouldn't rather be anywhere else! I am stoked for conference! Everybody better be watching! We will be watching at the church! I love you all! Have a great week!
Love, 
Elder Smith

 Sister Armstrong's food
 Happy to give the car back to the sisters!:)
 Turning the car keys over to the sisters
 Cliffs of St. Lucy





Sunday, September 28, 2014

Mini Zone Conference

9/22/14

So this week was really good! We were super busy but it was a great week! We met a lot of cool people and have had to move on with some of our other ones who are struggling... We haven't been able to meet with Adrian since church last sunday and so we're not sure what is going down there and so that's kinda sad but all in all it was a good week!
Roger is still doing super well so I am pumped about him! We just need to get his family more involved because it is hard for a 14 year old to just take this step on his own without family support. I mean just think about what would've happened if Joseph Smith's family wasn't supportive at all. That would have put a real damper on the Restoration! 
We met a cool lady on saturday in her early 20's and she has a one year old daughter and we shared with her how the Book of Mormon can bless her family and read 2 Nephi 25:26 with her and then she told us that she only has work off on sundays and so she asked us if we could come back that sunday. No one ever does that! Ha but unfortunately we weren't able to meet with her because we had a meeting on sunday with President and Sister Mehr come up. But we called her and she said she had already planned a time to really dive into the Book of Mormon! So I was pumped about that! The Book of Mormon is so powerful! 
The meeting with President and Sister Mehr was sweet! We talked a lot about the work in the Bados specifically and it was just great! I love meeting with them because President teaches Doctrine so well and he is just a great leader!  i look up to him so much! We talked a little bit about the atonement and how it had to be done. We also talked about how Christ wouldn't have just gotten off the cross if we didn't want to go through with it because well it was outside of His character! HE was the Savior because of His perfect obedience in the premortal life and so He couldn't just throw that all away when the pressure came and in a sense the "game was on the line"! We owe Him for that! He loved us so much that He went through that! Now pay him back for that by keeping His commandments! I know that my Savior lives and that He died for each one of us! Now it is up to us to step up to the plate. As President always says, "Exaltation is not cheap and it is not easy." But it is well worth it! Make the changes today and get on that road to exaltation! I love you all! 
Love,
Elder Smith

As we approach this holy week—Passover Thursday with its Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tomb—may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,”  for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone.
Jeffrey R Holland

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Zone Conference

So this week was sweet! We had a good week and Adrian came to church and loved it! So he should be good to go in a couple more weeks! I am really excited tor him!
We also met a 14 year old kid named Roger who is sweet! So a little back story on Roger is he is from Guyana and has lived here for most of his life but when he was 7 he actually was going to church with a member friend for a couple years and after a while his whole family was going to church. They progressed and were about to get baptized and then they went back to guyana for a little bit and didn't get baptized. So we are going to work with his whole family and see what we can do there! I am so excited! But anyway we taught him about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration on Thursday and he just dove in and started reading it! Then we went back on Sunday and he was like, I want to tell you guys something. So he goes on to tell us that he prayed about the Book of Mormon and it was raining (Like pouring!) while he was praying so he asked Heavenly Father, "If the Book of Mormon is true make it stop raining and if it's not then let it keep raining." He told us that as soon as he said that the rain just stopped completely. So then he was like, "I know this is true!" So that was sweet and he was just a real tender mercy!
So Zone Conference was great! Me and a couple other Elders sang, "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy" And it was really cool! Then having Elder Zivic there was great! I loved it! Something that he said that really stood out to me was, "For us to reach a new level, we must break our old mindset." I loved that! It applies in so many ways! If we want to reach a new level of joy, success, love towards one another, etc. then we have to break our old mindset! We are not going to get better by just doing the same thing! If we want more joy in life than we have to change something up so that we can be able to receive it! So that really hit me because I want to see more success here in Barbados so right now I am just focusing on what I can do better! I invite all of you to do the same! If you want something than make those changes necessary and allow the Lord to make a miracle happen in your life! I love you all! 
Love,
Elder Smith

 ME and Elder Barlow
 Saying goodbye to Viktoria
 With Elder Pierson, Bingham and Day at Zone Conference
Me and Elder Hatch



Rainy Days

Wow what a week! So this week we didn't have a car and our apartment
is not in our area so that leads to an awful lot of walking. Then it
decided to rain a ton this week! Ha it was crazy! I got so soaked! In
Barbados when it rains it pours! Holy smokes it was crazy! So lets
just say that I was thinking of Bro. Burts speech a ton this week!
We had a pretty good week this week none the less! We also got
transfer calls and I am staying with Elder Barlow for another one! I
am so excited because we have met some sweet people lately! Oh also
Elder Zivic of the seventy is coming to the Bados for a zone
conference next monday! So I won't email until tuesday but it is going
to be so cool!
We had a service project over at Sis. Lovells and guess what! Not only
did she come but her 18 year old son Matthew came as well! He hasn't
been in a while and he was just telling us that he got up on sunday
and told his mom "I'm coming to church with you today!" Sis. Lovell
was like, "For true?" Ha so as he was telling this story to me I just
said, "That's what I'm saying!" I was so pumped! Ha it was great! I am
so excited because we are going to really see if we can get Matthew on
a mission! That would be so cool!
Another really cool thing that happened was on the way to the service
project we were almost to Sis. Lovells and we had been walking for
like an hour and we walk past this house and I hear this little girl
go, "Mom, look! it's Jesus!" Now I'm not claiming to be that but it
was just adorable and it made me realize who we represent. As member's
of His church we should always represent him! Do we? It just got me
thinking a little bit! I love you all! Make yourselves a great week!
Love,
Elder Smith
This is me and Jamal. He is from St. Lucia and is going to georgia on his mish. He had to come here to get his visa so I got to see him!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Yes Family!

How are tings? So this week was sweet! We had some cool experiences and have been really blessed! One of the hardest things though has been seeing some of those people we are teaching not really progress... It is so tough! 
Do you remember Shondelle? Well we have been teaching her and her niece and they both like know that it's true but they just don't want to act on it because they don't want to leave things behind! It is so hard to see that! Because they know that it's true then they have to act on it or they are in all reality just rebelling! I think we all know how our Father in Heaven feels about that! It has been so hard to see that! So as of right now it looks like we are going to have to drop both of them... We also have not been able to get in contact with Adrian and it is just killing me! He is soo prepared but we cannot contact him. I have even gone down into his little area with his abandoned house several nights in the dark. I am not going to lie, it kinda reminds me of a horror movie as we are walking around down there with our little flashlight. The best was yesterday when we had Ricardo with us and we were going down there and Ricardo was just like, "I'm just waiting for something to jump out at me! Ha so that was kinda funny! But this week was just crazy.
A great part of our week this week was when we taught K'Lil about the priesthood and we talked to him about passing the Sacrament this sunday. He was so scared to do it becuase he doesn't like to be the center of attention but he did it! I was so proud of him! He is seriously one of my favorite people here! He is like a little brother to me and has just been doing so well! We were excited for him!
Another great part of the week was last night we met with Sister Cadet and her granddaughter and then some kids of a friend of hers. So sister Cadet is just this super sweet Haitian lady and is becoming one of my favorite people. She brings her Granddauter Jenica and 2 daughters of a friend, Rianna and Rebecca (They're 8 and 9) to church with her every week. And we found out that their Grandma who basically raised them passed away and they are having a hard time. So we asked if we could come over and share a little bit and play a game. So we went over last week and talked about the Plan of Salvation and how they would see their Grandma again. It was one of the most spiritual lessons I have had my entire mission. It was just so special to see the peace it brought these kids. I also got to see why Christ loved the Children so much. It was so powerful.
I know that as we do what we are supposed to we will be with our families forever! What a blessing! I know that is the way that our Heavenly Father planned it because of the love that he has for us! So please, don't miss the boat! Hop on and I know that we will see the blessings and eventually receive exaltation! I love you all!
Love,
Elder Smith

Ps let's not be like this,
"People know they should have their primary residence in Zion, but they still hope to keep a summer cottage in Babylon."
Neal A Maxwell 


 Lesson at Jalisa's with our boy renaldo and then teaching with Jarrad!




Scripture Power

So this week we had a really good week! We have been working really hard and sharing the Book of Mormon with everyone! That has been President Mehr's challenge to the mission is to flood the West Indies with the Book of Mormon. We have seen a lot of success come from that! 
We had a cool experience with a guy we're teaching named Adrian! He reminds me of O'Brian a ton! It is crazy! Ha but Adrian is just a guy who had things going in life and kinda just lost it all. He is working back up but right now he lives in this abandoned house that he just fixed up and he is just so humble. He has like two pairs of clothes because it rained and the house kinda flooded and got his clothes all moldy and stuff. He has nothing but he is a boss! He has a date for the 14th of Sept. and he loves the Book of Mormon. He had us meet with his friend Peter yesterday and we talked about the Book of Mormon and he just told his friend all about why we have the Book of Mormon and how it can bless our lives! His friend now wants to be baptized on the 14th as well! We are really excited about that! 
This week we also had a grandson of one of our investigators try to bash with us. He knew a lot about the bible but I refused to bash and just kinda answered his questions. He then told us that he was just trying to get us mad and stuff and was really just a real darrell! But we weren't confouded so that was kinda cool! He is really lost though...
This week really made me thankful for the Book of Mormon! I have just really come to love that book while on my mission! It is incredible! I love how everything we teach really relies on that book! Joseph Smith, the priesthood, the church! You name it! Everything relies on that! I know that it is true and if we honestly seek we can all gain that witness! It has brought me so much peace and has helped me come closer to my Savior! I love that book! If you're not reading it then you need to start! I love you guys!
Love,
Elder Smith

"Now, I did not sail with the brother of Jared in crossing an ocean, settling in a new world. I did not hear King Benjamin speak his angelically delivered sermon. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek nor witness the fiery death of innocent believers. I was not among the Nephite crowd who touched the wounds of the resurrected Lord, nor did I weep with Mormon and Moroni over the destruction of an entire civilization. But my testimony of this record and the peace it brings to the human heart is as binding and unequivocal as was theirs. Like them, “[I] give [my name] unto the world, to witness unto the world that which [I] have seen.” And like them, “[I] lie not, God bearing witness of it.”
I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my “last days,” but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days."
-Jeffrey R Holland

That's What I'm Saying!

What a week! We had some sweet experiences and it was just a really
good week! We got a lot of people to church and It was sweet!
We are teaching a lady named Victoria and she is super solid. The only
thing is she moves to England in a couple weeks! So it would be
basically pointless to baptize her right before she goes to England.
She came to church yesterday and then called us later that night to
tell us thank you for inviting her. It was sweet! She loved church and
said she is coming again next week!
Now I told you that story so that I could tell you this one! We are
teaching Victoria's neighbor Natasha who is also really solid. We
struggled to get her really progressing but she came to church
yesterday as well and seemed to enjoy it. She has now really started
into reading the Book of Mormon and is starting to find the answer
that she is looking for! It is sweet!
Shondelle is really struggling and it looks like we are going to have
to drop her so that is obviously a bummer but you can't win them all!
Adrian didn't come to church yesterday because he didn't get a
haircut. I was so upset! Now you all know how important my hair is to
me but a haircut has never kept me from going to church. So that was
obviously tough but at least he is reading and doing well with that!
Something that Pres and Sister Mehr have been telling us about is how
we should not baptize somebody if they are not reading the Book of
Mormon. They said that coming to church is good but being converted to
the church is not going to be good enough when a hard time comes or
maybe they get offended so they end up leaving. The Book of Mormon is
where the true testimony comes from. So that is the most important
thing is to make sure they know that it is true.
Something that happened recently that really made me think of this was
with a member Sis. Lovell. She was a solid member for years and then
something happened she got kind of offended. She stopped going to
church and so one day me and Elder Bechan had a talk with her. We
talked about how when we go away from the Church we need to remember
who we are really hurting. We're not really hurting those that
offended us but we are hurting ourselves and stopping OUR eternal
progression. It took a couple months but now Sister Lovell is back at
church and said that our talk really stood out to her. So that was
really cool!
I have really just grown to love the Book of Mormon. It is so powerful
and I love how everything else really does rely on the truthfulness of
that! If we want to be truly converted than it is key! Read it! I love
you all!
Love,
Elder Smith
Beach Day! I love this shirt as well and have big plans to rock it when I get home! :)