The Church is True!

Hola Hola!

What happened this week? Jaja, sometimes I get to the computer and I really can't remember ANYTHING! But then poco a poco it all comes back. I feel like I give you guys the wrong representation of what really happens in the mission, because you just hear about all the cool things, all the baptisms, all the crazy stories! In reality, it's a ton of work. I work so hard! I spend HOURS in the streets, walking all over the place, knocking on doors, trying to figure out what it is these people need to hear. It's not easy. It's a grind sometimes. But it's so worth it. And it's helped me change a whole lot!

That being said, there were some pretty cool things that happened this week too. We painted a house BRIGHT yellow, jaja, it is such a brilliant color! All the houses here are super bright!  Green, pink, yellow, you name it. It was super fun! Then we painted our faces the colors of our countries! And ate pizza!

This morning we all wrote our testimonies and letters of encouragement. Found a box made out of wood, and put them, and other little things into the box, along with El Libro De Mormón. Then we climbed a mountain in our area and dug a hole. We covered the hole with a GIANT rock, and said a prayer over the rock! It was like Moroni with the plates of gold.  It was a really spiritual experience!

We also went to the temple with our investigators today. That always rocks! We had a family come, Laura y Sabino. I have a lot of faith in them! If you guys could pray for them that would be great! We also have a baptism planned for this Saturday, a guy named Cesar. He is awesome! But he is going to need some prayers too. The people you pray for get baptized! So will you please add them to your list?

That's all from me this week. Be good! The church is true!

-Elder Smith

P.S.: Honduras is beautiful!

One Year

Hola Hola!

Wow! It's been a whole year. That was fast! I can't even believe how fast the time has gone. If this next year goes by this fast again I'm going to be really sad! Don't get me wrong, I want to see you guys. I love and miss you so much. But I have so much more work to do down here. And I haven't changed enough... I'm not the person God needs me to be yet. I now know how short a year really is. Wow, jaja, major reflection in just a couple lines!

This week we had some house problems. Thursday morning our dueño showed up with some guys to spray for bugs, and we were like, "Ok, no problem, we'll just shut all the windows and stay inside for about half an hour until you are finished." But he was like, "No, we are going to spray INSIDE the house, you guys gotta leave for an hour." Our house still stinks like poison! It's terrible! Plus, because we had about three minutes to prepare, a lot of things were left out, like my corn flakes! My liahona, my red and white pajama pants, and a lot of other things!! It has been frustrating! And then yesterday we ran out of water! Here in Honduras there isn't a water supply system underground. So to have water you have to pay these giant trucks that drive around with water in tanks to fill up your cisterna. So we are without water right now... There are some times that I really miss the States! jaja

But on a good note, we had another baptism! A 15-year-old girl named Vivian. She has been coming to church with us for about three months, but her mom isn't really a big supporter of religion. But this week we finally convinced her that Vivian was ready to make this choice for herself. When her mom told us that, we had to fight to NOT cheer and run around locos! Then at her baptism there wasn't enough water in the church... for the same problem... we ended up filling up buckets and carrying them up the stairs to the baptismal font. And she had to be baptized sitting down so she could get completely under the water. But it worked out, and yesterday she was confirmed! Another miracle.

I really like what Maggie wrote about Grandpa Smith. I feel the same way about him, he died when I was really young and I didn't know him well. But I have felt him helping me out a few times… before the mission mostly.  Him specifically, I don't know how I knew it was him, but he is a big reason for why I am here. I can't wait to give him a big hug someday.

Sounds like you guys are enjoying your summer to the fullest! Congrats to Chris and his new wife! And I wish I could have seen you guys flip over in the canoe! That's so funny! And ATTA BOY CALEB!! I'm so happy for you man!! Latin America is the best place in the world. You are going to learn so much out here. Good luck!

Well, that's all from me today. I love you guys! I hope this next year brings more success and more change. When God is in control change is good! And right now change is good. 

-Elder Smith

It Always Works Out

Hola Hola!

I love the last sentence of your first paragraph, Mom! You wrote, "It was stressful, but we made it!" talking about running through the airport to catch your flight. I feel like that is my life right now. Every day we fight out here to get things done that seem impossible! We knock on a door, start talking and expect peoples lives to completely change... from the way they are living their family life, to the things they drink in the morning with breakfast. It is super stressful! But It always works out. I don't understand it. We can have a baptism planned, and EVERYTHING will go wrong, but about an hour later the person is baptized and it all just works out. That is one of the craziest things I have learned out here in the mission.

This week has been a really good one! Workwise it was a little down, but still a great week. On Tuesday we had interviews with the new mission president, President Bowler and his wife. He is a really impressive guy! And his wife is sooo loving. It was really easy to connect with them. I don't know if that is because they are American, or because they are here by revelation. Hermana Bowler doesn't speak Spanish at all! And Presidente is trying to pick it back up after forty years of not speaking it since he got back from his mission. But I'm really excited to see the direction that the mission goes this next year!

The day after that we went to the temple. Not with investigators, just to go in and do a session.  It was just my second time this year. It was amazing! I received some revelation and felt the spirit very strongly. I love that place!

And to top it all off, Lilliam was baptized! She didn't let her dad come...but It was a great service.

I love Lilliam so much! Her life was a MESS when we met her. But now she has her feet underneath her, and has been so blessed. We had asked her to be baptized about a hundred times and she always said no, jaja, it almost became an inside joke. But I will never forget when she quietly asked us if she could be baptized. She's awesome!

I am so glad to be here serving the Lord! I have grown so much out here. I was called to help these people out, but really they have helped me out a whole lot more. Weird how that works.

Love, Elder Smith

It was Elder Dalgo's birthday and some members invited us to eat!

Proud to Be An American

Hola Hola!

Happy 4th of July! It took me until the day before, but I remembered. I love the USA! We really do live in such a blessed country.  We had dinner with some members and before we started to eat I sang the National Anthem. It was a proud moment for me! I said, "I'm proud to be an American!" and my comp (from El Salvador) got mad at me. He said that ALL of North, Central and South America is "America"…we are ALL Americans! Jaja, we might be a little bit prideful in that aspect.

You guys are in Chicago! That's awesome! I am a little sad that I'm missing out on that.  But I hope you are all having a great time. Tell everyone that I say hi! I have always loved Smith family reunions. They are the best! Eat some deep dish pizza for me, jaja.

That story about the freezer is super funny! I can imagine dad opening the freezer door and shutting it super fast! Wanna know something funny? I don't think I've used a freezer in all my time here! I have never bought food that had to be frozen, and I don't think any of my comps have either. Freezers just aren't used that much, except to make these natural popsicles called charamuscas which are delicious!

 (Had to google them and post a picture...)

This week we are working with this lady named Lilian.  She is 33 years old and she is going to get baptized this Saturday. The thing is, she doesn't want us to tell anyone! Not even her dad who is a member.  So will you please say a few prayers for her?  Pray that she will open her heart to letting her father come and baptize her.

Today we are going to play volleyball in the training facility for Olympic athletes of Honduras. It is called Villa Olímpica. I'm super pumped, #1: because I love volleyball!  And #2: because this place is supposed to be awesome! Should be really fun!

Well, I love you all a whole lot. I miss you and hope you are having a great time at the reunion.  Keep running Stefanie! Keep reading the scriptures everybody! Read DyC:138. It's about the Spirit World and it's amazing.

Love, Elder Smith

God and I Are On Pretty Good Terms Right Now!

Hola Hola!

Stefanie writes the funniest letters ever, jaja! From her point of view it sounds like it was a great week.

I didn't have changes! I'm still here in Villa Vieja with Elder Dalgo. This is the first time I've been through three changes with the same companion. But I'm happy about it because he is a great comp to have. And this is my fourth change in Villa Vieja. The last time I stayed through my fourth change, Elder Arteaga and I baptized six people. We're going to beat that! And today our new president arrives. President Hernandez has finished his mission. I respect that guy a whole lot. Just the spirit that he has, it's impressive. And his wife too, they worked hard. But I am also excited to see in what direction our new president will take the mission in the next year. We're going to see some miracles!

I can't believe that Elder Glassett is home now. I love that guy! He was the best trainer ever. We had good times, and we worked hard. He really has had a huge influence on me as a missionary. That is awesome that you got to go to his homecoming. And it's good to hear that you met Elder Lewis and he is getting better. I never met him, but maybe he will be able to get back out here someday and I will meet him.

What the heck!?!? Kelsey Hancock isn't marrying Alvaro? Jaja, just kidding, I'm really happy for her! And way to go Caleb Rodabough, turning in those mission papers! I hope you get called to Honduras, Tegucigalpa! Best mission in the world.

We had a baptism this week, this little girl named Kimberly. I love her so much! We found her family and they are members, just inactive. So we taught them all, reactivated her parents and she was baptized yesterday. She's eight years old so it didn't count for the mission, but I love them all so much that I don't even care. It was one of my favorites so far, and it counts in my heart.

Dang, I'm sad that I will miss the Smith family reunion... although it will probably suck without me and Maggie, jaja! I will pray for you to have a safe flight! God and I are on pretty good terms right now, he seems to be listening to me so don't worry!

Don't forget to read the scriptures while you're on your vacation! Sometimes little things like that can throw you off your habit for a long time. Don't let it!

The church is true! I love you guys! Thank you for your prayers.

Love,

Elder Smith

It's a Good Thing That the Church is True!

Hola Hola!

I didn't watch the USA game...but I heard about it from a bunch of members...Portugal scored a goal in the 94th minute. Lame! But it's okay, we still have a chance to advance! And I'm glad to hear that my family is at home supporting my country! I'm there in spirit! I was able to see the Honduras game...very sad...the whole country was disappointed...but it's okay, the world keeps on spinning!

This week was interesting. On Sunday at church this lady had her cell phone stolen out of her purse. So the bishop said that the bus wasn't going to leave until her phone was returned to her... he meant well... but it just ended in everyone accusing everyone else... and it got really ugly. One guy told this other lady that he KNEW that it was her son who stole the cell phone because he saw the kid running around outside when he should have been in Young Men. So the mom started swearing at him and screaming how she was never going to come back to church because he had just accused her. The lady whose phone was stolen was crying, everyone was mad because the bus didn't leave for like 45 minutes. It was just a really bad Sunday. The worst part was that we had investigators watching the whole thing. Our investigator Stacy didn't come to church...which now thinking about it might have been a blessing in disguise. We had another investigator get really mad because the teacher of the Gospel Principles class told her that her baptism wasn't done with correct priesthood authority. All in all it was just a mess. It helped me remember that the church is still very new here in Honduras. Still growing. We have a long way to go. It's a good thing that the church is true!!! haha

This week we have changes. I have been here for three changes, which isn't really a whole lot. But I have two with Elder Dalgo. This could be my second to last day here in Villa Vieja! Changes are always exciting!  I'll keep you posted about what happens. But don't hold your breath... I can't write till next Monday, haha!

I'm glad that you guys had a good week. Glad Stefanie had fun at Youth Conference!  I loved all my Youth Conferences. But the best ones were the ones with my sisters!!

You asked about my companion and my district...Elder Dalgo and I are really good friends. He's super obedient and we work hard. We have had good times together! The other companionships in my district have had their challenges but they are great people. I love them a lot!

Well, that's all for today, I love you guys! Thank you for your prayers, they are felt! Good luck with everything you do this week! And GO USA!!

-Elder Smith

World Cup

Hola Hola!

This week has been interesting! It has been awesome because the World Cup is here! Pretty much the whole country is spending all their time watching every game which is awesome because I love the World Cup!  But at the same time it's really dumb because we can't get much done! Usually our attendence at church is around 200, but this Sunday it was about half that, maybe less. Haha, I love this place!  

I COMPLETELY forgot about Fathers Day... haha, but happy Fathers Day, Dad! I hope you had a great day and that you know I love you! It sounds like you guys had a fun time together.

I would love it if you would send me that CD! I told you it was a good song! I'm sure there are other good songs on the album too! I'm glad you liked it!

I miss running! I am glad that you guys are keeping that alive in the family! Stefanie, way to go!! But don't give up! That's the hardest part at times, and one thing I've learned in the misión. There are a lot of things that take persistence. Every person we meet tells us that they already belong to a church, or they were already baptized. But with a little work and some help from the spirit, sometimes they change their mind! Keep going even when it gets hard!

This week we also had Zone Conference. It was the last one with Presidente Hernández. It was really spiritual! He shared with us his conversión story and a lot of stuff about his past. It was really interesting to hear all the things that have brought him to where he is today. All of the zones prepared musical numbers and we were singing and people were playing instruments. It was a really cool conference!! It will be sad to see him go. I also got to see Elder Glassett for maybe the last time before he goes home. Crazy!

Apart from that it was a pretty normal week. We worked hard, found a lady that got baptized a long time ago and now has two kids. Stacy, her daughter, is twelve-years-old and wants to get baptized! If you could please pray for her it would help us a lot.

Ok, well I hope you have a great week. Enjoy watching all the games...I am jealous, haha! I will be working hard out here so send an extra prayer or two my way. (:

-Elder Smith

I Love My Mission

Hola Hola!!

This week was STRESSFUL! Setting up a wedding is a lot of work! But it all turned out perfectly. They were married on Friday, the next day Glenda was baptized, and on Sunday she was confirmed! As soon as we sat down after the confirmation I realized how much I really love them. And while we were up there on the stand on Sunday with our hands on Glenda's head, I had about two minutes of pure happiness. I love my mission! I am so grateful to be here.

We also got a cell phone this week! It's one of those brick phones that are ancient in the states now, but to us it's like advanced technology from outer space! Haha, it's crazy to be able to call someone on top of the mountain before walking all the way up there to see if they are home. But we forget it at the house about every other day, we're still getting used to it! I am actually kinda bummed about it. I really liked just leaving the house and having no worries except who we were going to teach until we got home. But it's a good thing to have! 

We have zone conference tomorrow, the last one with Presidente Hernandez. That's crazy! I remember getting here and talking with Elder Glassett about how weird it was going to be for me when he went home and when we got a new president and thinking, "That day will never come." And now here it is! That scares me. Because that's exactly what I think about the day my mission will end. I don't want it to come too fast.

I love you guys, I am glad you had a good week too! Keep me posted about all the fun things you do this summer! Dad, listen to the song "The Work". I bet it will bring back some memories of the mission for you!

Love,
Elder Smith

Picacho

Hola Hola!

This week was really boring compared to last week. No gun shots, no car crashes, just a lot of work. But that's ok, it's better that way! This morning on p-day we actually had to go to work! We went with Glenda and Fernando, her esposo, to get their papers for their wedding that is going to be this Friday!! It's going to happen, everything is set and ready. I am super happy! Thanks for all your prayers! Just a little longer!

Other than that, today we went to this place called Picacho, It is a giant statue of Jesus, kinda like in Brazil, just in Honduras…and it was really cool!  There is also a zoo there and zip lines and just a whole bunch of fun stuff to do. It was a fun p-day!

I can't believe that it's already summer. Holy cow, time goes by so fast! I hope you guys all have the best summer ever! Dang it, I'm sad I am going to miss all the fun stuff that you are going to do on your list this summer. But this is the only summer that I will completely miss! So that's not too bad at all. We are actually just starting winter time here. That means that it is going to rain every day for the next six months! Which is cool because its not quite as hot all the time, but at the same time it sucks because we are wet all the time! And even when it's not raining it's HUMID!!!! So you still feel wet from all the sweat... haha, but it's all good. Elder Glassett goes home this month too! That's going to be weird to see my trainer go home!

The World Cup has taken over down here. It is all anyone talks about, all anyone thinks about. It is on every billboard, in every newspaper, on every t-shirt, it's crazy!!! There is so much excitement going around! It is pretty much going to be impossible to avoid it...although my desire to avoid it isn't super strong… haha.  I am really excited! Plus it's pretty easy to start a conversation with anyone in the streets now…

"Hey, what's your name?"
"Jose."
"Cool, who is going to win the World Cup?"

And there you have it. Jose is now your best friend and you can come to his house whenever you want to eat beans and rice and talk about soccer...and the church! It rocks!!

Well, that's really all for this week. Enjoy your first days of summer! Sleep in, go swimming, watch a movie, stay out late! Just make sure you don't take a vacation from reading the scriptures and saying your prayers!

Love Elder Smith

God's Presence Was There

Hola Hola!

Happy Memorial Day! That's not a holiday in Honduras... but I hope you guys have a great day off!  What's the point of a day off three days before of the end of the school year? I can't believe that it has already been a year since I graduated from high school. That was fast! And the soccer State Championship just ended too. Another great memory! It's crazy how fast things change!

Family news...first of all, FELICIDADES Tami and Brady!!! Paige Hofmann, welcome to the family! I am seeing the other side of my relationship with my cousin Brian now.  I'm so old, haha! Second, my cousin Maggie is the best!! I am so proud of her for going on a mision! I know she's going to be the best hermana ever! Good luck out there! (:

OK, this week was CRAZY!! I know that you don't like crazy Mom... so... don't read this part! (:

On Tuesday we were walking back from a super good lesson. We taught the Word of Wisdom and both of the ladies said they were going to stop drinking coffee. So we were super pumped!  Then we came around the corner and there were these two young guys waiting there with shirts tied around their faces and hats pulled low. They saw us and we knew it was too late... we were going to get robbed. So they came up to us and started demanding our valuables, but because we are poor missionaries we didn't have anything, of course. We told them that, but they didn't trust us. They searched our pockets and backpacks and found out that we really didn't have anything. They took my comp's watch, apologized, shook our hands, and left.  The funny thing is that I felt so calm and protected the whole time. I was thinking about how I could help them to realize that they needed to change. It was an interesting feeling. A really good experience.

The next day we went to the temple with our investigators. Glenda came, and she is planning on getting married on the 7th of June so we talked about temple marriage and how her family could be eternal. It was a really spiritual experience for her!! We had some other investigators come too. And right before the bus left they told me that they needed to go to the bathroom so we went, but then we saw the bus pass by the window... haha we had to run it down! I was having flashbacks to elementary school. But we made it!

The next day we found out about the two Elders who were in the car crash... I didn't know either of them but it was still so sad! I hope their families are doing ok! I can only imagine how hard it must be to know that they won't be coming home... but that is the beauty of the Plan of Salvation. They will be waiting for their family to really come home with them.

Lastly, Sunday after church we were walking all of our investigators back to their houses just like normal. So we walked down a little hill and around a corner and we saw a car flipped over in a little ditch thing, and two people on the ground bleeding a lot! Elder Dalgo looked at me and said "Listo??" (Are you ready?) I nodded.  And we ran over to them and pulled out our oil. He gave the first blessing to the guy in the worst shape. His name was Jeffery. He couldn't breathe and had a pretty big gash on his arm. Then we ran over to the girl, her name was Rixi. She was bleeding a lot from her head and her arm was broken. I gave her the blessing. I blessed her that she was going to be fine, and that she was going to have a great life with her future family. Once again I just felt calm even though it was such a crazy moment. God's presence was there. We waited until the ambulance came and then walked the investigators the rest of the way home. It wasn't until we got to the house of our cocinera (cook lady) that I realized that my hands were covered in blood.

That was my crazy week.  But we still managed to work super hard!  We have a couple of people who are really positive! Please pray for Glenda and Fernando this week! They need a couple of miracles to get their wedding finalized. And also for Lillian, and Vivian. They are both coming to church and doing everything we ask. They just need answers to their prayers. Your prayers WORK!  Por favor!

I hope that everything is going well for all of you. I hope you enjoy your first little bit of summer! I love and miss you all!

Love, Elder Smith

Zone Villa Vieja

Letter To My Little Sister

Hola Chica!

Stefanie! Thanks for writing me a letter...by command of Mom! It really warms my heart, haha. It was pretty cool talking to you on Mother's Day too!

Are you serious!! Lehi lost in the first round? Dang it...so much for our dynasty.  If I had been there we would have won, haha!  

 

Today we actually got to play soccer!!! It was awesome, we always rent a little field to play on, and we played for two hours. And then we were getting ready to leave, and a bunch of the best players got a super good team together and said, "Hey, why don't you guys play against us one more time, a game to ten goals and whoever loses has to pay for the field." So some guys got on the field and asked me to change back into soccer clothes and play with them. So I did, but our team was crappy except for me and one other kid so the other team was expecting to kill us! But I played SOOOO GOOD, haha, I scored six goals and we ended up winning ten to six!!! It was awesome!!!! But then the other team started whining about having to pay for the field so we ended up splitting the cost anyway. But it was legit!

And that's real cool that Trevor got engaged. Good for him! But poor Maggie, she's going to miss the wedding! I guess things don't always work out as well as they did for us with Rachel and George's wedding. But I'm super excited and happy for him. I'm sure she's an awesome girl because Trevor is pretty much the coolest guy I have ever met! Haha, maybe I'll meet her someday!

Ana Rosa, the lady who I had asked you guys to pray for, got baptized this Saturday! I am so happy about this one, she is great! I am super sure that she is going to stay in the church her whole life. We had to fight for her a little bit, because the first time we tried to talk to her she hid from us! Haha, but with time she opened up. We really had some of the most spiritual experiences and lessons of my misión with her. I'm super happy about it! (:

This week was also "La Semana De La Familia" or Family Week. we had a ton of activities at the church: a talent show, workshops, talks, all focused on the family.  It was awesome! We saw a ton of miracles getting people to come! We were running late and thinking about not going because it wouldn't be worth it and then we had a private bus, which usually costs like 1000 limps to rent just stop on the side of the road and give us a free ride right to the church, which was way out of the way! It was such a blessing. God is aware of what we need. It was crazy. I'm pretty sure that happened because we're doing "Power Hour" again! 5:00-6:00 p.m. every day!!!  Please help us out with that, it works!!!! Just start with a prayer and pray for an added measure of the spirit for that hour in particular!

Well Stef, I love you! You rock! Don't go to prom next year! Go to school. and read the Book of Mormon!!! (:

Love, 

Your Big Brother,

Elder Smith

Alma Chapter Five

Hola Hola!

It was great to talk to you guys for Mother's Day!!! It always makes me way happy to talk to you but it sucks when we have to hang up!!

Like you said, there isn't a whole lot of news today since we just talked yesterday. So I'm going to leave you with a challenge: read Alma chapter 5 this week and talk about it as a family on Sunday.  It's probably one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon!

I love you guys and I'll write more next week!!

-Elder Smith

Consejo de Lideres (Council of Leaders)

Valle de Angeles

Hola Hola!

 Happy Cinco De Mayo!  They don't celebrate that here, or in Mexico. Haha, it's kinda an American thing...anyway, Mom and Dad, thanks for the letters this week!!! It sounds like you guys had a good time at Layton's birthday party! How the heck is he three already??? That's crazy! You both wrote about that so it must have been fun. You also both wrote about the BYU track meet. I'm glad to hear they are doing so good. And Stefanie, RUN CROSS COUNTRY!!! Stop thinking about it and just do it!

Don't worry about me, Mom! Haha, I'm perfectly fine. Maybe I will refrain from telling you stories like that from now on...I love you though!! I'm super excited to talk to you on Sunday!!! It will probably be at about 3:30 or 4:00ish! We still haven't figured out all the details. You guys should set up a Skype account and then email me the password so I won't have to stress about it this week.  

We have a couple of baptisms lined up for this month. Ana Cruz is going to be baptized on the 17th, and Glenda is going to be married and baptized on the 24th!  I'm really excited about her! But will you guys please pray for them these next couple of weeks so that everything will go smoothly? That would help a lot.

Today we went to this place called Valle de Angeles as a zone. It's a really touristy area, and really, really pretty. We went on a hike to a waterfall and it was incredible! Vines and moss growing everywhere. Trees and mist, birds and frogs and lizards. It was awesome! I will try to get someone to send me some pictures. But this country really is amazingly beautiful. I love it here!

Well that's all for this week! I will talk to you guys in a few days! I hope you all have a great week! Do some cool stuff to tell me about on Sunday! (:

Love, Elder Smith

Last week we went to the temple with some investigators from the zone.  Here are a couple of photos!

The Lord Is Protecting Us

Hola Hola! 

This week was an interesting one! We had interviews with President and I was ready to get shaved (that's missionary for lectured) for eating last week at Plaza Mira Flores. He did address it, but overall he pretty much let it go. He told me that I should remember this moment and let it be something that I would remember for the rest of my life about obedience...maybe he's right, I don't know. But at least he's not mad. 

It sounds like a good time to be in Utah right now. I remember spring! We are about to enter wintertime here. That means in about two weeks it is going to start raining like crazy! I'm expecting one or two GIANT rainstorms every day! haha It's awesome! Winter also means that we will be able to talk on the phone again!!!!! (Or skype or whatever...) I'm pumped!!! We still haven't figured out all the details, we will probably do that this week. I'll keep you posted!

I can´t believe that high school soccer playoffs are about to start already!!! Second place in region isn't half bad! I remember this time last year vividly! I can't believe that it has already been a year! You will have to keep me updated on what happens in the playoffs. 

OK, I'm going to tell you an awesome story, just don't freak out! On Friday we were teaching a lesson to one of our investigators. We were talking about marriage and baptism. Then all of a sudden we hear BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG! Eight gunshots from just like fifty yards away! Five teenagers run in the house and slam the door screaming that their buddy just got shot! We turned off the lights and everyone got down and we were quiet for about ten minutes. Then we went outside to see what had happened, and to see if anyone needed a blessing, but we couldn't find anyone bleeding or anything. So we decided it was better if we just left that part of the area for the day. We have seen people running around with guns all week. It has been crazy! But we are fine and really I still feel safe in my area. People respect us as missionaries! Plus the Lord is protecting us! (: 

Love you guys! I hope you have a great week! 

-Elder Smith

One Hundred Degrees Every Day

Hola hola!

Happy Easter! Easter here is called Semana Santa, I actually kinda forgot that the American equivalent is Easter! It's the hottest week of the year, so everyone just goes to the beach or to a river to swim. The only real tradition is that there isn't a whole lot of work for the missionaries! Haha, just kidding, we kept ourselves busy. But it has been HOT! One hundred degrees or high nineties every day, with a ton of humidity too! But it's good.

Mom, I think you were inspired for sharing that article from the Ensign with me, because something stupid happened this week. The assistants came to our district meeting, so we had it on Wednesday instead of Thursday. And always after district meetings we go to eat as a zone at this place called Plaza Mira Flores. But this time the ZLs had to go do some work with the APs. So we went without them and we were eating just like normal, and then President Hernandez and his wife showed up to eat with some zone Leaders from a different zone. They accused us of being disobedient because we were outside of the area of our zone, and because it was Wednesday and we were supposed to be in our zone working... We explained why we were there, and that we didn't know it was a rule that we had to be in our zone because we always eat there, every week. So we apologized and left. Then today we saw those ZLs and they told us that President and his wife were SUPER mad at us, and because we are District Leaders they put our names on the "Black List" for our next president to see. I guess we were technically breaking a rule, but it was a rule that I didn't even know existed. But I just feel slapped in the face. Because I have been really obedient my whole mission, and I have worked really hard...but maybe this is just my opportunity to show to the Lord and myself that I can keep working hard and being obedient. Sorry if it seems like I'm complaining.

Whatever, crap happens sometimes I guess, right? I'm glad to hear that you are all doing good. I miss running! I can't wait to be able to go for a run again! Keep it up Dad, and go for the marathon!  Stefanie, write me an email!! Rachel, thank you for the letter!!! You rock! And Mom, please tell Grandma Smith that I get her letters, and that I love her very much! I just don't have a ton of time to write back!! But I'm working on it!

Please keep praying for Hermano Leonel! He is reading the Book of Mormon and really wants to know the truth about it.  It's amazing! Miracles happen and you guys are helping!  I love you all. Have a great week!!

-Elder Smith