Monday, March 30, 2015

DEAR MOM, I'M FINE. BOYS.

Tell everyone the hospitals are just a bed with sheets that dont stay on and an iv.  Nothing else haha it was cool.  I only sent this cuz i think everyone asked.  Love you
 
There was no time to write this week cuz myldsmail wasnt working but ya i wrote the big email before in word and ya i only have a few minutes to send to everyone.  But mom everything was fine in the hospital.  Everything is going well here.  I Love you so much mom thankyou for caring so much
Your Son Elder Smith 

EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT

Wow this week rocked/stinked.  I got a parasite in my stomache and  that caused a bunch of Little red dots to appear on my legs and arms.  Also i got probably the worst headache ive ever had.  Seriously the night before i went into the hospital i didnt sleep for one minute cuz my head was just pounding.  It was awful and after I was in the hospital on an iv for 2 days.  I hate hospitals.  It was so uncomfortable.  And im super bummed because i missed the training from our presidnent cuz i was in the hospital.  But him and his wife came and visited me which i did not want. Ugh it was scary but ya she burned me for drinking the drinks that members and investigators have given me and not asking for boiled wáter.  But ya now im drinking boiled wáter and its kinda gross.  It tastes burnt haha i dunno.  But ya the sickness made me super tired after and i was almost sleeping in all of our lessons.  I was dying while we were walking from house to house but it was cool because between the prayers, or in the actual lessons, i didnt feel tired and teaching was normal.  I know the Lord helped me because i was praying like crazy that he would.  I know the Lord provides the portion necesary.  Its cool he gives you exactly what you need and when you need it.  You may not know when you need it but he knows when and he might test your patience a Little bit before he gives it.  This week in Principios del Evangelio (Sunday School) we learned about dones del Espiritu Santo (gifts of the Spirit).  I love what moroni says about miracles and gifts of the spirit.  If these things arent evident in our lives its not the fault of the Lord or that the Lord ceased to work these things in our days.  Only that there is a lack of faith.  The Lord Works according to our faith and i know that he will provide what ever we need if we have enough faith and patience to receive it.  I love you guys and hope everyone has a good week.
Always
Elder Smith

ALWAYS THAT ONE EXPERIENCE

Bishop and Jackie:

I just received this regarding Sam.  I don't know anything else right now. 

Let me know if you wish to discuss.  We will add Sam to those we specifically pray for. 

Sterling A. Brennan
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Perú Iquitos Mission <1986570@ldschurch.org>
Date: March 25, 2015 at 4:20:22 PM PDT
To: "sbrennan@mabr.com" <sbrennan@mabr.com>
Subject: health Information- Elder Smith

Dear President Sterling:

We are pleased to greet you, receive the most cordial greetings of President Gomez.

This is to inform you that Elder Smith, a missionary  of your stake, was having some health problems, severe stomach pains; today the doctor checked him and ran some analysis and it was detected that he has a strong infection in the stomach that was produced by a GASTROENTEROFOLITIS ACUTE and also was diagnosed having a DIARDIASIS parasite and the doctor recommended that he will be hospitalized for his improvement. We wish that you and family Smith know that Elder Smith is well and  he is being treated in the best way possible

If you have any questions just let me know.

Sincerely.

ELDER Pacheco
Secretario de Suministros
Misión Perú Iquitos
Cel: (#) 985409710
Oficina: 065-232881
 

Monday, March 23, 2015

WHERE THERE IS SMOKE, THERE ARE BOYS WITH AN ADRENALINE RUSH

Ok esta semana...  We married and baptized Jorge y Maribel last Saturday.  The wedding was awesome.  Jorge was stoked on the tie i let him borrow for the wedding.  Shout out to Aunty Kristen for sending me the black and greenish tie.  That was the tie that Jorge loved so much and wore for his wedding.  Anyways so ya we married them at 10am in the stake center and there baptism was at three in the stake center as well.  So we finshed up the wedding around one, ate lunch and then came back to prepare for the baptism.  When we got back the gates were all locked and no body was inside but the alarm was going off and there was smoke coming out of the roof.  So we called the hermanas who had the keys and they came and opened it up.  When we walked in it kinda smelled like burning plastic or something so we went upstairs and opened up the capilla and it was filled with smoke.  O my gosh. it was a sweet adrenaline rush.  we started army crawling through all the stake center, opening all the windows and looking for fire.  The stake president came too and he was helping us for like 10 minutes and then he got a phone call and aparently with this hot gas they were trying to kill all the bugs that were in the building and there was no fire....bummer.  haha but ya basically my comp and i ran into a burning building or at least we thought we did.  ay ay ay but ya the smoke all cleared and the baptism went fine after that.  It was so great the testimony of hermana maribel.  After she got baptised she stood up and said "I know trials are going to come, but im going to perservere.  And my husband is too.  Were going to get to the temple"  Seriously she has such an amazing testimony and im so happy i had the oportunity to teach this family.  Well ya those were the highlights of the week.  Our mission president is coming to pucallpa this week and im stoked.  Its always so good to hear from him.  Ill let yall know how it goes.  Jessie and steve both emailed me something about their ward conference that i think all should hear.  Sometimes we think weve got a good plan for our life and were doing what we should only to find out the Lords got a competly different plan for us.  Always look for what the Lord has planned.  He will always plan for what is best for you.  Seeking, Finding, and Submitting to the Lords will is the way to go.  I know hes got a plan for every one of us and loves us more than we can imagine.  I love el Evangelio de Jesucristo
Always,
Elder Smith

Monday, March 16, 2015

MATRIMONIOS AND DRINKS ALL AROUND

Wow ok so were getting married next week!!! Matrimonios, i love matrimonios drinks all around!  i will send pics but im stoked for this week.  heres a weird little story that happened the other week i forgot to share.  so we went to parque natural or the zoo basically and saw all the animals in cages and ya it was cool.  But then at the end we tried to take a picture in front of the lake or pond thats in the middle of the park and it had all these lily paddies all over it so you couldnt really see the water.  But ya we were like 15 feet away from the water and im not even kidding you a crocodile jumped out of the lake at us.  hahah and we just ran for it and it just turned around and went back in the pond.  It wasnt like gigantic but it was a stinking crocodile.  im not even kidding.  It was awesome.  now i cant remember if i already wrote about this but whatever it was awesome so deserves to be written twice.   The work is amazing. I love the people of Peru.   didnt have much time to write cuz the internets not working.  love you

Monday, March 9, 2015

MURMUR OR GO AND DO

woo ya good week this week.  We got alot done but there were a couple of changes in mission rules which are going to be hard to keep track of.  Seriously the Lord is hastening the work.  Now to have a new investigator, we have to have taught them at least twice, at least once with a member, have taught them all the restauracion, and they have to had kept there commitments to read and pray and whatever else we commit them too.  Thats just one new investagator and were supposed to have 17 each week.  Also we have a new indicator called retenidos. or retained.  After rescuing a family or baptizing a family we have to stay with them for 4 months after.  They have to have received all the lessons again, attend church on time 12 of the following 16 weeks, started there family history, the men have to have blessed or passed the sacrament, they have to have a calling and we have to work with this other form in consejo de barrio.  And of course we have all the normal indicadores.  This isnt supposed to sound like "wo its hard to be a missionary."  Its just cool to see the Lord hastening the work. The Lord puts alot of trust in his missionaries.  Seriously its a lot to do and keep track of, but hey we can either murmur or go and do.  The Lord doesnt give us commandments that are impossible to fulfill.  He will always provide a way.  The missions cool like that.  You really feel the help of the Lord everyday.  Your held to a little bit higher standards but with that i believe we can receive more power.  More strength to perform his work.  This week we found a man who truly was prepared by God for our visit.  He dreamed of the Book of Mormon already and is asking deep questions with real intent to learn.  I love people that want to learn.  Its amazing what the Lord can do with people that are humble enough to seek divine knowledge.  We have another appointment with him this week and he commited to have all of his family present in this lesson.  Were praying that they are as prepared as he is.  Ahhh no hay mucho tiempo.  THE CHURCH IS TRUE.  The gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth through the profet Jose Smith.  I know the Lord Jesus Christ directs his church through the profet thomas s monson. I Love His gospel. I hope everyone has a good week!
Always
Elder Smith
Ps I got your valentines package mom! Thankyou i love you.  And alicia, the moss family and grandma thankyou for the cards! you guys are the best.  Brother Moss 7 sets of missionaries?!?! que pumas! haha im so happy that missionaries were diligent with moss family. 

Monday, March 2, 2015

WHITE SPOTS = SUNHAT = PIMPIN

ya heres another pic but no im not going to buy a camera.
all a camera does is make me take pictures for the people back home and for my own memories.  The mission isnt for either of those things.  Its for the people here.  I know thats rough and corny and weird but ya losing the camera has helped me focus on the people here and i love it.  So ya the white spots on my face are hongos and ya i have to take pills for a month and apply a cream every night for 4 months! geez my missions gonna be over by that time haha. chiste.  Anyway also i have to wear sunscreen on my face too and have have permiso to wear a sunhat!! can you say pimpin missionary or what?!?! haha im gonna go buy one today.  Anyways the work is going well.  We were much more efficient this week with the members who came with us to each lesson.  We really thought about whose testimony could bless our investigators and it payed off.  We had such a good lesson about tithing with the family were going to baptize on the 21 of march.  But it was all because of the testimony of hermana Flor.  She stinking brought down the house.  It was such a powerful testimony.  Members are the best way to do missionary work.  The work is for everybody.  hey something cool thats going on down here is Carnival.  where we live all these people put up huge trees with knew underwear sandals and clothes hanging from the branches.  Then everyone dances around in the rain and there all muddy and take turns with an ax chopping at the tree.  When in falls everyone tries to get some knew underwear or clothes or what ever haha but ya the person who is the last cut that chops the tree down is in charge of planting the tree for next year.  Cool little tradition that the charapas do down here in the selba. (charapa means someone from the Selba) Selba=Jungle haha hope all is well back home.  Be sincere in all you do
Always 
Elder Smith