Back Home...

So unfortunately I won't be having any "West Indies Adventures" for a little while... I have been forced to come back home for knee surgery and so now I'm going to be on the "Journey back to the West Indies". So we probably won't have very many posts on here for the next little bit. Thanks for all the prayers and support. It means a lot. Love ya all!

-Elder Smith

One Week More! (Parody of Les Miserables "One Day More")‏

So this week was an interesting yet good week. First off guess who the ENTIRE Montoute Family (That's like 8 people so it must be true) said I looked like? Brad Freakin Pitt. So obviously I was very excited about that. Because I currently have a buzzed head and they said that is what has brought the Brad Pitt'ness out. However there is a backstory to all of this. So you know in Love's Labours Lost when it gets all serious at the end because the Princess' Father died. Well I would always tell everyone that that's when I go from bringing out the James Roday'ness to bringing the Brad Pitt'ness. And they all laughed and told me that I could never be like Brad Pitt. (Despite my obvious resemblence to him when it comes to looks.) So to all of those doubters I would like to quote from a Phil Collins song. "Take a look at me now." (Pretty sure that's Phil Collins) Ha so that's about it. It made my week though. :)

So my knee isn't doing the best but I have kept going. I have received a lot of strength and just hope to Keep on Trucking! (That's a great image for someone my size. I like it.) But one of our investigators, Tony, has been super concerned about it. He wants to keep me taken care of. He is an awesome guy. 

The most spiritual experience came from a blessing I received from Elder Hatch. As i have already expressed I have so much respect for him. He is my Hero! He came over on Tuesday night and gave me a blessing. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. It was a real blessing of comfort. I know that the Spirit guided that blessing. I don't remember much that he said but I will never forget the way I felt. The Spirit was so strong and brought so much comfort during a hard time. I am so grateful for the Priesthood and all the blessings I have recieved over the years. It really is so powerful. 

Once again I know that our Heavenly Father is mindful of us. And as the Lord told Samuel, He looks upon the heart. So we must all have the desire to go about doing good! I miss you all so much but I am glad that I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve here. Keep it real! Love ya!

-Elder Smith

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!!

So this week in Trinidad we had an earthquake! It was big enough to notice and be cool but not bring any damage. So that was sweet! Also this week has just been an eventful one. 

I have had my left knee giving me some trouble lately so I had to go and talk to our mission doctor, also  named Elder Smith. (That's why it's important to put Elder Randon Smith on my letters. There are like 8 Elder Smith's here. Ha but anyway...) He told me that he doesn't think there are any tears or anything serious but there is major inflammation so my LCL and MCL are super sore and tender. However being in a walking area it makes it rather tough to just let the inflammation go down. Plus there are hills all over our area. Like monstrous ones! So he basically gave me the Mike Burgraff treatment. "Ice and Ibuprofen!" Ha so that's the plan. I just keep pushing through and hopefully it will start to get better! He also said to keep losing weight. I don't really see that as a problem! :)

Next thing is we started teaching this homeless guy last week. He seemed really interested and yesterday he even came to church! However he left before it started to "go get some water..." He never came back. So we thought... Last night when we were walking home we say that there was a light on in the Chapel. So we were like "Ok, that's kinda weird..." So we went to turn it off and we see this homeless man just passed out on one of the benches! So obviously I was like "Jeepers Creepers! What do we do?!" Also this is a big guy. Like 6'7", 250 lbs. So we basically weigh the same. (Ha due to my West Indies weight loss program) But anyway we called the Bishop and let him take care of him. I am so glad he didn't wake up because with how out of it he was I am pretty sure he was on something. Ha he loved the church so much he didn't want to leave. Ha but yeah it was super crazy!

So to be one hundred percent honest this was kind of a tough week for me. It was just tough with all of the knee issues and some homesickness and things. Also there are just times when you wonder why am I here? Am I just wasting my time? Or am I doing well enough? Just things like that. Then last night I got a call from our zone leader, Elder Hatch. And you have to understand that Elder Hatch is like my hero. I look up to him so much! He basically told me that he was impressed and that I was doing a great job. He asked me how I like my mission and I told him it's super hard yet rewarding. Also that I miss back home a little bit and just some of the thoughts I mentioned earlier. He then told me that he remembers going through that stage and just told me once again that he was super impressed with me and as I continue to work those things will become easier. I really needed that. Then finding out today in my email that Mom was fasting for me to know that Heavenly Father was pleased with my work. Jeepers creepers, I know that Elder Hatch's call was an answer to that fasting and praying. Thank you Mom! It helped me so much.

I know that our Heavenly Father is mindful of us and wants us to pray to him. I am so grateful for all of the comfort that has come from my prayers and others that have been said for me. He answers our prayers. I know it! Thanks once again for all of the support. I couldn't do this without it! Love you all!

-Elder Smith

*MAYBE WE COULD ALL PRAY A LITTLE EXTRA FOR ELDER SMITH THIS WEEK, IT SOUNDS LIKE HE NEEDS IT!  I wish I could hug him, my arms just aren't long enough....

Living to see another transfer

So we got our transfer calls on Saturday just before conference and I found out that me and Elder Jamison are going to be staying for another transfer in the port of spain! I am so happy about that!

Conference this week was great! We watched it at the church and it was so good! I loved how the theme was hastening the work! Especially on Saturday! It was kinda hard at the same time too though. Looking back some of my greatest memories is being able to watch conference with the fam. I really missed that! Especially the Priesthood session with Dad and everybody. Not going to lie, that was tough. I loved conference though! I didn't really have a favorite talk but I loved many of them. Elder Holland's was obviously one of my favorites once again. It was a different topic than I was expecting but I loved how he talked about how one day we would all be made perfect. How great will that day be? I also love Elder Ballard's talk on Saturday. Then Uncle Boyd came through once again with a great talk. Also we had an investigator named Norma come to all four sessions! It was so awesome! She is going to be baptized just now!

So this week my favorite experience came from working with a young girl named Jamalia. She is almost 9. We had been teaching her dad Tony for sometime now and he will be baptized once his divorce goes through. He is such an amazing humble man. But Jamalia has shown the desire to get baptized and should be on saturday. She is the most innocent, adorable, little girl and loves church! So on Friday we were teaching her about prayer and invited her to say a prayer on her own. She had never done this before. So we told her just to talk to her Heavenly Father. And she did! It was so simple yet so powerful. You could tell that she was having a conversation with her Heavenly Father. Tony was just beaming afterwards! That was probably one of my favorite experiences so far.

I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. He listens and cares about us individually. Thank you so much for all of the prayers that have been said for me. I truly notice their effects all the time. I could not do this if it wasn't for prayer and the blessings that come from it. 

I love you all and keep it real back home!

-Elder Smith

 Susan's Baptism

 I'm in the same district with Elder Beck here still! I love this kid!

 I was on a tradeoff with Elder Brown and this is him with our food! 

Not nearly as good as Brigham's... But you can't win them all! 

Baptism!

Baptism!
Sept. 30, 2013

So this was an absolutely amazing week! We had Susan's Baptism this week and it was such an amazing experience being able to baptize her! The coolest part was on Sunday though when she was confirmed and bore her testimony. On Sunday morning she kinda had a rough time with her husband I guess so she was pretty sad when she got to church. But when we went up to have Bishop confirm her it was the neatest thing ever. After he was done we all took our hands off of her head and she was bawling. She had so many tears running down her face. Then later on she got up and bore her testimony. She talked about her long journey to becoming a member of the church and then said "when I was given the Gift of the Holy Ghost I didn't feel 8 hands on my head, but I felt surrounded by 8 angels." I lost it! I started to leak profusely out of my eyes! The entire congregation was crying. That was the most spiritual experience I've had out here so far! She is so solid and it really shows that people are being prepared to live the gospel.

I love this area! It seriously is the best! We had 7 investigators at church on Sunday and we have some really solid ones! It's so exciting to see people progress and notice for themselves the blessings that are coming from following Christ!

Also guess what! I have lost 30 pounds in my first month here! It is so crazy! One of the senior missionaries described it as walking around in a sauna. Ha and it is kinda true!

Well that really is about it for this week. I am loving it even though it is super tough! Luvs!

-Elder Smith

I Believe

(He sent pics!  Yay!  They are at the bottom after the letter)

So this has been such a hard yet fantastic week. Susan wasn't able to get baptized because something came up but she will be this week! Also on saturday some of our investigators, Rondell and Simone were married and it was a super humble wedding but they were so happy! So that was neat. Simone gave me this huge hug and it was kinda awkward... But she was happy i guess! 

One thing that I wanted to really focus on was coming out of my shell around new people better. Now that it's happened I'm not necessarily sure it was for the best... Because now more people just get to see me be out of control and see the "Shawn-ness". So it might actually not be the best thing... Ha so i might not be mature and know how to bring in my sarcasm when i get back. Ha but it's made it more enjoyable for me! I have really started to love the people and the area here! It has been really great!

I sweat so much though! People tell me all the time that I look like I just got out of the shower. And I'm just like "yes I know I sweat like Kevin Garnett. Sue me!" But jeepers creepers I am just used to being wet constantly now! It is absolutely unbelievable!

So as far as the Indies weight loss program goes I am still losing a lot and my clothes are starting to become ginormous! So because of the size of my clothes it makes it really hard to see the ripped beast that I am becoming :).  So even though it might be tough to see it in the pics it is very much happening. :)

Something else that I noticed is how in the baptismal interview questions it keeps asking "Do you believe..." So that got me thinking about Elder Hollands talk in the last conference "Lord, I Believe" it talks about how even the smallest amount of faith can work miracles. So stay true to that faith! Elder Holland says:

"When facing the challenge of faith, the father asserts his strength first and only then acknowledges his limitation. His initial declaration is affirmative and without hesitation: “Lord, I believe.” I would say to all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy’s affliction or this parent’s desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. It was of this very incident, this specific miracle, that Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know."

I realized how important that is this week. I may not know it all and may only be 18 years old but I do know know that The Book of Mormon is true and it blesses and changes lives! And because of that knowledge I know that Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that he was called by God to restore Christ's church in it's fullness. And I know that through Jesus Christ's atonement people can change, And the only way we can return to live with our Heavenly Father is through him. I love ya and miss ya! Keep it real!

-Elder Smith

The Beach!

The Wedding. They really were happy. I promise!

We got 2 emails today!  And some pics!  Enjoy! Yay!

Me and Elder Beck with Bro Lester at the MTC! I'll send more next week! :) Luvs!!! 

Me and Elder Jamison, Elder Hatch and Elder Brown at a member's house,

So you know how I told you about the Montoutes and how the mother (Susan) would be baptized if she had her husband's consent? Well she got it and now she is going to be baptized on Saturday! And her husband is going to even come to her baptism! This is certainly a miracle from the Lord! 

Also something else really cool that happened for me was on Friday when one of the AP's came out with us! His name is Elder Boyer and he makes me laugh quite a bit. But anyway when we were teaching he just kind of gave me this look that was like "Go get 'em!" Ha so I did! It was so neat because I really was able to build my confidence in teaching through that experience! I definitely needed that. That really is about the just of it as far as our week goes. We weren't really able to go out very much this last week because Elder Jamison was sick... So I'm not going to lie, staying in our apartment all week really wasn't very fun at all. I read so many scriptures and watched so many district videos this week! Ha I feel all studied out! All in all it was a dang good week! I kinda had my whole weight loss program put on hold though because if you're not walking you're not losing in the Indies! So that was kind of a disappointment.

I have received a lot of questions about food here though so I will talk about it. It's one of my favorite things to talk about! :) But anyway the food here is good, really spicy, and messes with your bowels in the morning... I know that's really blunt but that really is the way it is! You asked so I told you! Ha but it is a lot of rice, beans and chicken when we eat at members houses. They love their chicken around here! 

I also realized that I haven't really talked about Pres. and Sister Mehr very much. So here it goes! I love the Mehr's! They seriously are the best people ever! President Mehr reminds me of Coach Mecham a ton! But he actually has a lot of hair... Ha so if Coach Mecham wasn't bald he would be exactly like him! Ha he has this loving boldness about him when he talks. He is very smart and relates the gospel really well to things. Sister Mehr is one of the nicest people I have ever met! She is so great! So basically they are the power couple of the Indies! I love them!

Well it's been real but I gotta get going! Do the little things and you will be blessed! Luvs!!!

-Elder Smith