When an AP calls.......

So this week we got our transfer calls. So let me just explain to you what went down... So it was saturday at about 6 and we were at the church waiting for our Temple Fireside to start and we get a call from the Assistants. So Elder Bingham answered it and he talked for a little while and then with a sad look on his face he hands me the phone.. It's Elder Christensen (MTC Comp) We talk for a while about the good old days and then I told him to just tell me where I'm going and to just rip it off like a band aid. Then he proceeds to tell me that and I quote "Since you've been good and Elder Bingham says that you haven't tried to jump on to the top bunk. We're going to let you stay in Grenada!" I was so excited! So I am breaking the pattern and I get to stay for a next transfer! I'm going to have at least 4! I am so happy! Also we are going to the Bados for Zone conf in a couple weeks so I am stoked for that!

This week was so wonderful! We are still working with Lee and he is doing great! He has a baptism date for the 21st of March! He is really looking forward to it! We are stoked for him! 

We are still working with Dan's friend Shenard and he is doing great! He knows that everything is true and he really wants to be baptized! He is sweet! I can't wait until him and Dan are on missions! That will be so cool! 

We also had Ciel's Baptism! He was so excited and he bore his testimony! It was a really neat experience! His dad was so happy! That is so cool because now their whole family are members and so we are going to work with them and are going to try to get them to the temple! Families are truly ordained of God!

We had a really neat temple fireside this saturday and some of the Med students spoke! It was such a spiritual meeting! I also got to sing and that was cool to be able to take part in that! My favorite part was probably when the Deangelo's spoke on eternal marriage! It was so great to hear their story! I would type it up but that just wouldn't do it justice! It is a good one! But my favorite part was towards the end Bro. Deangelo had his wife come stand by him and she was holding their daughter and he said, "The fact that I can be with my girls for eternity makes me the happiest man in the world." That was so cool. They both spoke so well on that and it was just neat! It also got me thinking on what Bro Burt said at a fireside. He said, "Make sure you have a temple marriage and not just a temple wedding." The covenants are what make the difference and if we don't do everything to keep those then, quite frankly we miss the boat. I love you all! Have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Smith

"The noblest yearning of the human heart is for a marriage that can endure beyond death. Fidelity to a temple marriage does that. It allows families to be together forever."

Russell M Nelson

 DAN'S BAPTISM

PET LIZARD THAT LIMES (LIVES?) IN THE BATHROOM!:)

Wrong Roads

SO, I AM A WEEK BEHIND BECAUSE I WAS ON VACATION, SO I WILL POST 2 THIS WEEK!:)--Shanna Smith

This week was an interesting one and we learned a lot! It was a good week though!

We are teaching a super cool kid named CL! He is a members 9 year old son who is brilliant and he is getting baptized this Wednesday! So we are really excited about that! He is doing great!

We also have been getting fed by a lot of members lately and it has been so neat! These people are the salt of the earth! I have been so blessed just to get to know them!

So here is the learning experience. We had been focusing a lot of effort in finding in an area this transfer that hasn't led to much and we had some rough days there this week. We had found there on tuesday and we were able to meet some people and set up appointments for the next day. So we took Matthew Charles to teach with us on tuesday because he is a fantastic member missionary and we were teaching some people close to his age. So we thought it would be good! So we go to teach this guy in his 50's who was pretty cool the day before and we show up and he is so drunk! I mean he couldn't walk or speak! It was nuts! So we were just like, "We'll come back a next day." Then we go to see some other people and nothing! So I was just like, "You've got to be kidding me!" And so we decided to go to another area  and try there and immediately found success. So the Lord certainly spoke on that one! 

I am excited to continue to just work hard this week! I don't have much more to share this week but the Lord knows us and knows what we need! I know that He always puts us where we need to be! I love the Lord. I am going to do my best to help others find that peace that I have found! I love you all! Have a great week!

With Love, 

Elder Smith

"Sometimes in response to prayers, the Lord may guide us down what seems to be the wrong road—or at least a road we don’t understand—so, in due time, He can get us firmly and without question on the right road. Of course, He would never lead us down a path of sin, but He might lead us down a road of valuable experience. Sometimes in our journey through life we can get from point A to point C only by taking a short side road to point B. We had prayed that we could make it safely home that day, and we did."

Matthew Holland

Independence Week!

Normally you have Independence Day as a holiday to celebrate your Independence! But here I think they legitimately have Independence week! It was just partying like crazy the entire week! It was crazy! But anyway this week we had a really good week!

So we were able to work with Dan this week and we are now teaching his boxing training partner, Shenard! He is a boss! He is going to be baptized on the 7th of March! He has such amazing desires and it is so great to teach him! Dan is doing great as well! One of my favorite parts of this week was when he told us that the main reason he got baptized was because of his older brother Matthew. He talked about how he saw a change in him and that he wanted to follow his example. It was so cool to hear that! Now it's really neat to see Shenard want to follow Dan's example. It is incredible!

We are also meeting and working a lot with Janice (Our Less Active) and guess what, she referred us to her friend, Sharon! How about that! One Grandma referring us to the other. But anyway I just thought that was funny! We have met alot of cool people by working with Janice! We just need to get her activated again since she could be just as powerful as Dan and Matthew!

I must say though that the most heart warming moment of my entire week came from some med students, the Deangelo's. (I hope that was spelled right) But anyway we were talking with Sister Deangelo one night and she asked us how much we get fed and if we needed food and we were like, "No we're doing alright." She then told us that if we ever needed any then we needed to let her know. So we said we would and thanked her and that was it. Then a couple days later we ran into Brother Deangelo and he was like, "My wife wants to feed you guys once a week. Even if we just drop it off at your apartment she wants to do it once a week." We were speechless and didn't know what to say! He told us to pick a day and that they would do it. So we chose tuesday and so last tuesday night at 9 o'clock at night right before we were going to head in the Deangelo's pulled up and gave us dinner. Now keep in mind that they also have a daughter who is only a couple of months old. They gave us the food and I was almost in tears because they cared enough to give their time to serve us. I was so humbled. But people like the Deangelos are the salt of the earth. And thankfully I have lots of them in my life. But I just wanted to share that with you. It touched me alot. And always remember that you never know how much the smallest act of kindness will effect those people. I love you all! Continue to love and serve and the Lord will bless you! Don't let the salt lose it's savor!

With Love,

Elder Smith

"The Lord hears their cries and feels your deep compassion for them, He has from the beginning of time provided ways for His disciples to help. He has invited His children to consecrate their time, their means, and themselves to join with Him in serving others."

Henry B Eyring

Dan/Don got baptized!

We had a pretty good week this week and we were able to see a lot of miracles. We were able to baptize Matthew Charles brother, Dan and he is amazing! So first off we were told that his name was Don, so that's we called him. That's what everyone called him! Even Matthew! (Crazy Caribbean accent) But then we get to the baptism on saturday and then they tell us that his name is actually Dan. So yeah, that was weird. But anyway the sisters were teaching him and passed him off to us and had told him he could get baptized this week and so it was now our job to get it done. So we went to meet with him and realized he was super prepared but he hadn't been taught much. So over the next couple of days we taught him just about everything. It was so cool to see the spirit work on him as we taught him a ton and he was able to take it all in! We also got to be there when he prayed to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. That was so neat! The spirit was so strong! The baptism was neat because Matthew baptized him. He was just so prepared! We were able to take him teaching yesterday and he is fantastic and really converted! He is like a quiet version of Matthew! He will make a great missionary someday!

The Members are doing great! They are super supportive and yesterday, President Stewart challenged everyone to give us at least one referral. The members are really catching the Missionary spirit! We are excited!

So yesterday was area conference for the whole Caribbean and we got to hear from President Packer, along with Elder Holland and some others. It was so neat! My favorite part was seeing how in tune they were with what the people need here! Now I don't know when the last time Uncle Boyd came to the Caribbean was but it was really cool to see that through the spirit he was able to deliver a message that was perfect for the needs here! It was also just great to see him. He looks like he is slowing down a little which is sad but it was still great to hear him give a powerful witness of Christ. It's always my favorite part of his talks.

Well I don't have much time but something I have been thinking about a lot is how incredible it is that we have Prophets and Apostles. Men who are called of God to guide us! I sometimes wonder if we sometimes don't fully grasp that! As we told people about the area conference I went around asking people, "Have you heard of Peter, James and John? Well on Sunday you can hear from people just like them!" That is tremendous! I hope we all realize how great that is! I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and that ever since that time we have had someone on the earth with the keys to guide that church here. But the beauty of it all is that I know that just as in times of old Jesus Christ is at the head of His church. I love you! Please follow the Prophet!

With Love,

Elder Smith