Monday, November 30, 2015

THANKSGIVING IN LIMA

Ok i have no time to write.  But just to let you know they sent me to lima this week to get my new carnet de extranjeria (immigration card).  I was in lima on thanksgiving and ate in the restraunt of a 4 star hotel.  Ya thats whats up.  There was no turkey but you know i was munchin on those mashed potatos!!  Also they sent me there with elder sheppard.  He is so rad.  We are for sure gonna be hommies when we get home.  We took a pic in front of the temple.  He hasnt sent it to me yet but maybe you could ask sister sheppard for it.  Shoot all is well mom sorry i have no time.  Anyways i love you mom!!
Elder Smith

A RAINY BAPTISM

heres some sweet fotos of the rainy baptism




Monday, November 16, 2015

FRIDAY THE 13TH BRINGS BLESSINGS AND TESTIMONY


Update on life:  So im still in Nueva Cajamarca.  My companions name is Elder Castro from Lima.  ( my first peruvian companion)  Hes straight from MTC.  I love training the newbes.  Its the best assignment there is in the mission.  Weve been having a lot of success in our area largely due to the amazing branch that we attend.  The members of our branch rock!  Seriously missionary work is so amazing when its not only the missionaries working.  This branch is exemplary and were seeing lots of fruits because of it.  Its very fun working in nueva cajamarca because its been completly dominated by adventists.  Haha every door you knock people ask you what the 4th commandment is and ask you if you love God and therefore keep His commandments.  And then try to tell you that you dont love God because you worship Him on Sunday and not on Saturday.  But weve got plastered on our wall right now "siervos de Dios no son contenciosos" (servants of God are not contentious) so ya we just love em and ask if we can share with them the restored gospel.  Our Branch president is presidente Claudio.  He is a G.  Hes a huge help for everyone and all the other branches in moyobamba and tarapoto are always asking him what is it that he does to have such a strong branch.  My pensionista is Mama Ana.  Shes pregnant with twins. like 7 months i think.  Shes big.. and by big i mean BIG.  two babies in one women.  Pretty crazy.  But shes serioulsy the best cook ever.  And she always gives us a ton of fruit.  Here in Nueva there is a ton of fruit.  The other day we went to the chacra of one of our recient converts and just walked around picking the fruits off the trees and eating them.  It was like heaven.  Just chewing sugar cain, eating mangos, oranges, cocos, limas(sweet lemons) and more. As for my birthday, no one knew.  i didnt tell anybody and we just worked normal.  But then aparently they lost my peruvian ID in iquitos and i had to go denounce it.  Ugh and there i had to say my birthday and my comp found out.  But i told him just not to say anything and he was cool about it.  Actually the day of my birthday kinda stunk.  i was kindof expecting something awesome to happen and ya nothing did.  It was actually a super dificult day where the Lord tested us a bunch.  but after the trial of faith comes the blessings and testimony.  Friday the 13th, a day latter, we went out to Naranjillos: about thirty minutes further out from Nueva.  Only one member lives out there but she comes to church every sunday.  we went because she wanted us to visit a women who had reciently lost her 3 yr old child in a motorcycle accident.  We went and taught the plan of salvation.  We read how the atonement of Jesus Christ already paid for the sins of those who sinned in ignorance and how we must repent of our sins because we dont commit them in ignorance as adults.  Her face lit up and the spirit filled the room when she realized her son was clean and that she would see him again one day.  She was with one of her friends who was holding her 4 year old child who was crippled from birth.  After the lesson they both asked if we could bless the child.  it was another very spiritual experience and they both came to church this sunday.  Were very excited to keep teaching these two new familys. No time left but ya hope all is well at home.  Lots of love down here from Peru
Always
Elder Smith

Monday, November 9, 2015

PADRINO IT IS





these two kids think im there padrino. (godfather) haha there so rad.  my new comp baptized there mom and another elder in my district baptized there brother.  this family is rad



 pictures take forever to upload and i can only send 2 at a time cuz this camera is so legit the fotos take up a lot of space.  but ya heres the whole crew


and my new comp elder castro from lima.  and the other is elder llamoquita.  hes so cool i love these guys

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER SAM

so ya 19 was the mistery year... let me fill you in about the goals i had for the year and how they went

goal-learn to love fish
result-mission accomplished.  whats up i eat all fishes now
goal- dominate the food of peru
result-ive had diahrea for over a year now
goal-learn how to play soccer
result-i still havnt scored one goal
goal-be 185 pounds
result- i accompished 180 in like a month of being in the field... then came the infections and parasytes.  back to 165...
goal- love to read
result-nailed it. 
goal- chest hair
result-smoother than a babies bottom
goal-be able to grow a sweet beard
result-lets just say i still use the razor i used in the mtc... and ive used it like 6 times
goal-remain better looking than spencer
result- dang that kids a dime.  id put myself at like a 4 now a days
ya you could say i have learned to dominate my goals.  
 
o ya and apparently we all get to pick something that everyone has to do on our birthdays.  best tradition ever.  next week i want videos of everyone nailing a fieldgoal from the 10 yard line... at least.  
sweet. peace out family.  i love you guys

Monday, November 2, 2015

BUT WE PRAYED...O YA THE RAIN STOPPED

here are some fotos...






 I tried to take the cool pic but it didnt work out all that well because we were above the clouds.  maybe well try again later.

 




This weeek we kicked booty.  The Lord helped us so much to be able to marry and baptize this family.  It was so much fun.  Im gonna send pics of saturday ( halloween!! the wedding and the baptism) it was an awesome halloween and ill try to narrarate the day with the pics. (They had to go to Pueblo Libre to marry this couple and return to Nueva Cajamarca for the baptism all on Halloween day. The following is his narration of the Marriage and Baptism of Donald and Maria.)


first: waiting in the paradero (bus stop) for the birth certificate of donald to arrive before we could go to pueblo libre  look at our halloween ties
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
second: Boarding the mini van to go to pueblo libre
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
third: the alcalde (mayor)  didnt show up and we waited in some guys motokar for like 2 hours haha the guy came and kicked us out of his moto after a while and we had to go sit on a curb. 













fourth: the wedding
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
fifth: the whole crew that went out to pueblo libre














sixth: going out to pueblo libre
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
seventh: coming back from pueblo libre.  And we baptize in a river so ya if it rains the river flows and you cant baptize.  But we prayed
(This is out of order, but he is contrasting the weather when they left for the marriage ceremony in Pueblo Libre to the weather when they returned for the baptism that cannot be done in the rain.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
eighth:The fam walking to there baptism.  O ya the rain stopped
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ninth:  the whole crew at the baptism
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
tenth: my comp baptized donald
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
eleventh: helping maria into the water
 
 














twelfth: then we danced a little haha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
lastly: and she got baptized (I think he forgot to upload this picture! hopefully next week.)
 
twas a great halloween
theres a bunch more pics but i thought these ones were cool 
Mom i love you i got to go but just know always i love you and im happy