Everyday, Everyday, Everyday!

I am behind a couple of weeks, sorry--Elder Smith's mom

Well this week was really good! We were able to see a ton of success and I am stoked about the area right now! It looks like I am going to have a great last month of my mission! We are looking real good right now!

We are meeting with Yuandia's sister, Hannah and she is also doing really well! We went through the restoration and Yuandia basically taught the whole thing! It was really good! Plus she brought another one of her friends to church! 

We are meeting with a couple, Terry and Victoria and they are crazy! Ha but we love them! They really want to get baptized but they have to get married first so we are working on that! They have already planned a ton of it and it's kinda funny! I hope it all works! I will send pics of them that just say it all!

We also are meeting with a man named Alfred! He is super humble and we have had so many spiritual experiences with him! When we first met him we had a really great spiritual lesson as we talked about the Savior and towards the end I asked him what he wanted right now in his life and he just said really quietly and with a ton of real intent, "I just want to get baptized." It was so neat. He is super sick and has to have surgery so we have to wait for that but then after that we are going to see what we can do to grant his wish. It was so cool to see how he simply just wants to come closer to the Savior. I just hope that we can do everything we need to so we can help him with that! Amazing experiences though!

Well things are going really well! I am loving it! I am also going to really miss all this! Time is going by fast! It is crazy! The last week I have been reflecting on how blessed I have been. I have grown a lot. The best thing though has just been making the Book of Mormon a big part of my life. It brings peace everytime! I love it! I know that really is where we find safety for the soul. IF you haven't read in a while, pick it up and give it a read. I promise that you will be able to feel the Lord's love for you and be able to come closer to Him! I love you all! Have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Smith

"If you are struggling, confused, or spiritually lost, I urge you to do the one thing I know will get you back on track. Begin again to prayerfully study the Book of Mormon and live its teachings every day, every day, every day! I testify of the profound power in the Book of Mormon that will change your life and strengthen your resolve to follow Christ."

Kevin W Pearson

DESCRIPTION OF PICS BELOW:

1. Zone Lunch

2. Chips Ahoy! I'm trying to diet while Elder Dixon is tempting me with Chunky!

3, 4 MLC With Elder Malyon and Dye!

5  I got to see Jarad while I was there!

6  Cheffette milkshakes with Elder Sackley and Savard. Elder Sackley and I had both already had ice cream and a huge meal when Elder Savard hadn't had anything to eat so we went to cheffette's in the bados and me and Sackley were super sick! So full! And Elder Savard goes and orders us large oreo shakes! We were dying! But we finished them! 

7  Me and the french missionaries before our flight together!

8,9 Beach Day with Elder  Moli and then Elder Dixon

10 Elder Dixon wore his boise state tie and I wore my BYU one on the day of the game! Great win Cougars! Gavin, you can't win them all!!

11 ME and Elder Cox 

12, 13 Terry and Victorias wedding invite

14 Rain storm PDay Eve

  

PINEAPPLE P-DAY

 Rainy Days! Thank you for the tip Mr. Burt! I hope it pays off one day!

 Terry and Victoria. This says it all!

 More of Terry and Victoria! Notice how Elder Dixon and I are doing our best to stay away from Victoria! Ha

To Bados and back!

This week was sweet! I got to go to Barbados for a couple of days to have a Mission Leadership Conference! It was awesome going back there! IT was kinda weird because I didn't know anybody because they were all young missionaries! Ha so that was kinda crazy but it was fun to meet new people! I got to be really good friends with Elder Sackley and Elder Savard. They are both on the french side so I have never really met them! But let's just say we limed! It was sweet! They crack me up and we became pretty good friends! I have a story to tell but I will send it with the pics because it will make more sense then!

The Conference was cool though because Elder Cornish of the Seventy was there! He is incredible! He taught us and it was a great experience! Then yesterday he was at our branch for church and then we had our Zone conference! It was wonderful! He taught us about member missionary work and he gave us a lot of great new ideas! It was so cool to have him there and it was neat because I got to work with him and Pres. Herrington as a ZL to help conduct and direct it. It was neat. I loved hearing him bare testimony of such simple truths! It was so neat to just see the emphasis that he put on the basics. In question and answer session someone asked a crazy deep doctrine question and he just kinda smiled and told us how he finds questions like that kinda humorous. He then went on to tell us that right now he is really just trying to understand faith. And then after that he will move on to repentance and hopefully be able to grasp that. Then if he has time in this life he hopes to be able to understand baptism. And then he said that if he's really lucky, one day he will understand the gift of the holy ghost. It was a really eye opening experience! I know I have sometimes gotten carried away in deep stuff that really doesn't matter a ton right now! But the fact of the matter is, the gospel is so simple! WE just need to remember that! Focus on the Savior and his Atonement and it will all work out! I know that. He loves us and He will take care of us. Don't worry so much about where heaven is or what color of skin the Savior has. (That's a common Carribean concern.) Ha but just remember that when questions arise don't make it more complicated then it needs to be. Simplify the gospel and live it. It will work. I love you all! Have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Smith

Possum Hunters!

This week was a really good week and I have a lot to talk about! I hope that I can get it all out! 

So this week we went over to Angies one night and as we are walking up her crazy steep hill that kills me every time, we see her husband Conroy just chucking rocks up in the air as his family is watching him. So I'm sitting there just thinking, "Conroy has officially lost it!" Ha but as we got closer we see that he is throwing these rocks at these possums that are climbing around on the electrical wires between the poles! Ha we obviously wanted in! So we went and killed some possums! It was kinda scary but we got the job done! Ha it was sweet though!

Also we were able to get Yuandia to church again and she brought her sister and she is pretty cool as well! We are really excited about their potential! We are still working though! She has some things to overcome.

We were able to teach Eve's friend Bernadette and we had an amazing lesson with her. It was crazy! We got talking with her about her family and we found out that her and her husband have been married for 24 years! It was crazy and to be honest it caught me off guard! People here really struggle with getting married! Let alone staying married! So we were able to share a little with her about forever families and she really liked it. We are working to meet with the whole fam so that we can teach them all about it. The doctrine of forever families is such a great teaching and it just makes sense and answers so many questions. I know that through temple marriage we can be with family for time and all eternity. That has brought so much peace to me to know that. I love my family and I know that no matter what happens, as long as we are faithful we will always be together! I love you all! I hope you have a great week!

With Love, 

Elder Smith

Oh Danny Boi!

So this week was a pretty crazy week! On thursday we got a call from the senior couple and Elder Horne told us to be ready because tropical storm Danny was heading our way. So we were like "Holy cow! This is crazy!" And the lucians were obviously the same way! So we are just bracing for the worst! Then later on in the day it was pouring! It was nuts! So we're thinking how this thing is for real! That storm will come into play later on. But anyway friday was nice weather, saturday was the same, and sunday was burning hot! So we are still waiting on Danny right now! But I don't think it will be coming because it is burning hot right now!

This week was good though! Even though we had so many appointments fall through! It was unreal! So we were just finding the entire week! But we got out and worked and we found some cool people! One of them was Eve. She is a Lucian but she has been in New York for 8 years and just moved back last month. But we were just walking down this crazy steep hill and we had a lot of doors slammed in our face but then Elder Dixon wanted to keep heading down! So we went down this road and talked to a lady who was pretty cool and was fairly interested. Then we start walking down the road some more and I see Eve making a run for her door! So I used the Elder Smith waving trick. What that is, is you wave super obnoxiously and say hello loud so the people can''t possibly act like they didn't see or hear you! So Eve is opening her door to go inside and I do the trick. She starts laughing and waves back and comes and talks to us. Turns out she thought we were salesman and just didn't want to talk to us. We joked with her quite a bit about how she was running from us but we found out that she recently stopped going to church because she just didn't feel lke her church was giving her the whole truth. She was really interested in the book of Mormon and also the restoration. She felt like it answered a lot of questions! It's amazing how the Lord works sometimes! We are really excited to work with her because she is super smart and really searching with real intent! But after this lesson is when it started pouring and so we took cover for a little bit but then decided we just needed to go for it! "Rainy Days!" Right? So we got so soaked as we ran up this hill back to our car! It was crazy but it was a super cool experience! 

Well elder Dixon is still killing me in the workouts! I have now vowed to eat healthier so I don't die everytime! Ha he is a great missionary and we have a ton of fun! He is growing a lot as well! 

Well fam things are going well here! We are going to keep finding, teaching and baptizing! I hope all is well back home! I love you guys!

With Love,

Elder Smith 

1 Goodbye picture with Odellia. Just in case I get transferred before she gets back from her trip!

2. Me and Colby Smith and his parents. They came to pick him up and came to visit our district meeting! I sure do love that guy!

3-6 I stepped on something funny and it ripped my already struggling shoes up. Mom i do not need another pair! I repeat: I do not need another pair. They are super glued beautifully! :)

7=8 Ocean

9 Me and Angie at her shop!

10-11 P day eve!

Out with the old, and in with the new!

Well Elder Beck rode off into the sunset this last week and is home and to be honest it was weird saying goodbye since I have been around him a lot of my mission! However he is very happy at home and doing well! I miss him though! 

My trainee came late wednesday night and he is a great missionary! i am loving serving with Elder Dixon! He is from Mapleton, Utah and he played football and Basketball. So we get along great! He works super hard and is kicking my butt in the morning workouts! I am still sore from my friday  ab workout! Ha and mom I went running! Like I ran! Ha I never do that but Elder Dixon is going to get me into shape! Ha training is going really well though! I am enjoying it!

Also Yuandia came to church! We have been trying to get her to church for so long! Ha so I decided to break out my art of negotiation! I told her that if she didn't come she would owe me and Elder Dixon a candy bar! (I can hear elder Beck in my head saying "NIce diet!") But anyway it worked she came! Now we owe her a candy bar but we did it! She enjoyed it and said she would come again! 

We are also going to be saying goodbye to Odellia tonight because she is going to be going to New York for a month! But guess what she is going with... A temple recommend! She is going to be going to do baptisms for the dead! She is really excited and so that is going to be really cool! She also has referred us to her neighbor named ALMA! Yeah how about that! Ha so she is doing great!

My favorite part about this week and training though has been seeing Elder Dixon come in and notice so many things that I as an old missionary, don't pick up on. He sees things that really are pretty incredible that I don't simply because I am used to them and so they aren't that wonderful to me anymore. This happens a lot in missionary work but it also happens a lot in the gospel as well. To often as seasoned members we get used to things and they don't mean as much as they once did. So my challenge to each of you is to ask yourself, is this still wonderful to me? And then pay attention to the little things and try to notice them! The gospel is always wonderful and amazing. Think about it! I know that as we remember things we will be blessed and will love the gospel even more! I know that it is true and that blessings are waiting for us! I love you all! Have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Smith

"To marvel at the wonders of the gospel is a sign of faith. It is to recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives and in everything around us. Our amazement also produces spiritual strength. It gives us the energy to remain anchored in our faith and to engage ourselves in the work of salvation."

Gérald Caussé

 Here is the last time I saw Gavin and Colby

 Me and Elder Dixon

 I tried on my suit and this is a pic of our role play for elder Dixon! Gotta give him as close to the real thing as possible! ;)

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (Transfer Week)

Well it has come to an end. The Beck and Smith team is breaking up in St. Lucia since Elder Beck will be announcing his retirement on wednesday! I can't believe it! I would never admit it to him but I am going to miss that guy! Ha he has become one of my very best friends and I am really glad that I was able to get to know him! I can't wait for our adventures and rooftop limes when we are home!

So I know that you are now wondering what is going to happen to Elder Smith. Well I am going to be training my last two transfers! President is making sure that I finish strong! His name is Elder Dixon! That's all I know about him right now! But stay tuned for next week! I'll have more! I am also now the lone zone leader on the island so I am the big dog! Ha I am excited though! 

I don't have much to say this week other than Odellia's talk was really good! It was on enduring to the end and she prepared it all by her self and it was great! She is doing really well!

Well that is about it for this week! Have a great week and I will talk to you all next week!

With Love,

Elder Smith

 Beautiful!  Oh and the handsome missionary there too!:)

 The celebration before the parting!

 Ok, this seriously makes me cry!  Good bye Elder Beck, it's obvious you will be greatly missed!

Carnival!

I'm not sure how I forgot to post this one, but sorry!  Silly mom!  This is from 7/22/15

So this week was a really good one and we were able to see some success! We also were able to have a good lime for carnival! It was fun! So let me tell you a little bit about carnival! So in ST. Lucia each year they have this Celebration and they dress up in things that aren't appropriate and party for a couple of days... So in other words we can't be out. So we all get together and we lime! (Hang out) And so that's what we did! We had movie nights (approved movies of course), domino and phase 10 tourneys, Elder Tupou's birthday party and lots of snacks! So it was a lot of fun and some good bonding! 

We had a good week of missionary work though! We are working with a girl named Yuandia and she is really starting to like the Book of Mormon and is doing great! We are excited about that!

We also met a guy named Shalan and when we met him he was just there, (possibly high)... But when we went back he was really cool! WE have taught him about 3 times now and he is reading and doing really well! That just proves that you never know who the Lord is preparing!

Odellia is still doing great! She loves the gospel and she loves the Lord! It has been really cool to see how so many of her questions have been answered by restored truth! It's amazing! One of the coolest things though is how she describes taking the sacrament and her experience with that. Now keep in mind that this is just an eighteen year old but I remember when we went by her the day after she came to church for the first time and we asked her how she felt when she took the sacrament. She told us about how she felt a huge burden lifted off her shoulders and how she felt the spirit so strong. She doesn't even have covenants to renew yet and it still is a super spiritual experience for her! The coolest part though is that when we went by last week and asked about the sacrament and she still had the same feelings! She said it is a jump start to her week! She loves it! Odellia is super prepared and is really excited for her baptism on the first!

This experience really got me thinking though. If I had a dollar for every time I just went through the motions as I took the sacrament I would be very rich. I have missed out on so many spiritual opportunities! So many sanctifying experiences simply because I forgot how important it was and it wasn't wonderful to me anymore. I have changed that now and if you want a boost I want to challenge you to as well! I know that as we take the sacrament and we prepare for it we can have our burdens lifted off and we can receive a "Jump start to our week". I love you all! Have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Smith

"Prepare to have a spiritual experience when partaking of the sacrament.  Focus needs to begin a long time before we walk into the building and before the Priests start preparing the sacrament.  Remember it is an ordinance, a very personal ordinance, the only one that we repeat for ourselves."

Jeffrey R Holland

Here are some pics of the carnival lime since we were stuck in for a couple of days and also some pics after a teaching appointment with Odellia. She is the one in the white and Brittany is in pink and Silas is the Lucian in the Shirt and tie!