A TALE OF TWO CITIES, NO, JUST ONE CITY...PUCALLPA

So this week we went to Pucallpa.  I got to go to my old house in Pucallpa.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  Some really good memories of that house and that area.  I went out to work with Elder Alvarez during the week because his companion was really sick and had to come to Iquitos to get to a better clinic. anyways it was really cool to get to know Elder Alvarez.  Hes very young.  he only got to the mission about 3 months ago.  He told me about his experience trying to get out on his mission.  The week before his reporting date his dad got super sick and no one could take care of him.  Elder Alvarez was going to stay home but then at the last minute one of his aunts said that she would take care of him until he got better.  He was so grateful for his Aunt. This last week Elder Alvarez got the news that his dad had finally recovered.  he had tuburculosis i think.  Elder Alvarez was super stoked.  It helped me realize that all the missionaries have stories.  That theres always something behind whats going on with the missionaries.  Its hard but the Lord is teaching me and giving the opportunity to see the missionaries as He does.  I really love the opportunity that the Lord has given me here in my mission.  Hopefully ill be able to take full advantage of it and grow and learn what He wants me to learn.  Hope all is well back home.

un abrazo

Elder Smith

SHE NAMED HER LITTLE BOY "SMITH"

These last two weeks have been loaded.  Weve been in Moyobamba, Rioja, NUEVA CAJAMARCA, Tarapoto and Yurimaguas.  in nueva cajamarca i got to see my pensionista.  She was pregnant with twins while I was there, but now they are born and already are like 5 months old.  Ones a boy and ones a girl.  And guess what she named the boy: SMITH! haha she was super stoked to tell me.  anyways weve been traveling to train all the leaders in the mission and inspect everyones houses.  Right now i am writing from a city called Nauta.  its like 2 hours from Iquitos in car. The work is progressing so fast here.  Today we`re going to go out with the two companionships that live here. its going to be rad.  As for the work in our area its been a little dificult but things are going super well.  The Lord just makes up for what we cant do.  Its amazing.  A guy named Carlos called us the other day and we totally thought it was a drunk guy but my comp decided to turn around and talk to him.  He had met missionaries about 10 years ago and wanted to join the church but the missiories traveled or something so they lost contact.  But he is super stoked and loves the book of mormon.  well see how things go with him in church tomoro.  Romer and Olivia are the bomb.  Olivia just found out she has a malignant tumor in her uterus.  Romer is worried but shes just an absolute rock.  The ward is also helping a ton to get hermana olivia healthy and help the family get married and baptized.  We are praying alot for her.  All will work out.  We are also teaching a young adult named Mauricio.  Hes one of few here in iquitos who doubts the existence of God.  Hes very inteligent and is studying in college.  He tries to explain all things scientifically.  Its pretty cool but we finally got to his doubt last night.  He was a little flustered and blurted out.  "if God exists why doesnt he just come down here and show everybody"  He says he really does desire to believe but just cant bring himself to do it.  Then he said if God were to come he would run straight to us and get baptized right away.  Haha were really excited to teach Mauricio about the Plan of Salvation.  Wulp im out of time.  Peru is the best.  The church is true.

Much love 

Elder Smith

A PROFOUND IMPACT

ok so things are going well.  about three weeks ago i got transfered from punchana and now im back in the heart of iquitos.  My ward is the ward Castañas... it borders the 28 de Julio ward that i was in about a year ago.  its been really cool to see a bunch of people. i saw Victor, a convert from 28 de julio ward, today in the mornng.  he was wearing the byu hat i gave him and he has now baptized 4 other people into the church with him.  he is a stud!  So ya my new companions name is elder Yauney.  he broke the streak because hes another gringo.  But he lives real close by back home.  Hes from Fullerton and went to Troy highschool.  Hes a monster.  An absolute rock in the gospel.  we live with 2 other missionaries.  Elder Higbee from arizona and elder Varner from las vegas.  We have a washing machine in our house so we have to do our own laundry.  its really hard... also we cook our own breakfast.  also hard... i will be acepting anysort of breakfast foods in packages from here on out. (thats a joke)  But ya life is good.  We are teaching a family whose kids were all baptized about a year ago by their mothers consent but the dad doesnt want anything.  Everyone told us theres no use but we went i found him one day sitting outside.  All we did was answer his questions about the book of mormon and read moronis promise.  he commited to read and pray.  we came back another day and told us he had a dream and knew the book of mormon is true.  I think ive written about this question i have before but it always astounds me how the Lord answers some people so quickly and others take time and a whole lot more effort.  Now this answer does not mean Romer has got it and can now just stop searching and be baptized and all is well.  But it has had a profound impact on him and has boosted his desire to read and obtain a real testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost.  It will be a joy to work more with him.  i wanted to leave a little thought about the training i gave this last week.  I talked about the word RECONOCER- recognize.  i showed a youtube video called "the awareness test" which says at the end "its easy to miss what you are not looking for"  We read a few scriptures in Proverbs 3:5-6,  Alma 26:12, and 1 cor 3:6-7.  i tried to explain the difference between recognize and acknowledge to the missionaries which was difficult considering that both words mean reconocer in spanish.  But we talked about acknowledging the Lords hand in every day of our work.  I commited the missionaries to take time to reflect and write in their journals every night.  As we do so the spirit will REMIND us of the ways he helped or touched our labor that day.  As i reflect each night i recognize things that i didnt recognize during the day and i feel my faith and gratitud grow for the Lords unceasing help in this glorious work.  I love this work and love Him who makes it all possible.

con mucho amor

Elder Smith

HOW FOOLISH IT IS TO TRUST IN OUR OWN SKILL

ok mom sorry i dont have my camera right now but i will send fotos soon.

I wanted to tell about a work visit i did this week. (i went to someone elses area to see how there work is going)  One of the Elders i worked with was Elder Belone.  Elder Belone is a native american.  he lives on the reservation that owns the 4 corners. (Utah,New mexico, arizona and colorado) i think...  Anyways he speaks navajo and english and is doing his best to learn spanish. I dont know if there is anything mentally off with him but he is very slow; in whichever of the 3 languages he speaks.  But he is the happiest missionary i have ever seen.  We had the opportunity to teach a few lessons together and he was great.  Even though he couldnt always communicate exactly what he wanted to say he was confident in what he did.  The members we visited have a deep love for him as well.  It was very special to see the effect he had on them.  In one lesson is particular he did the best he could to tell the story of Joseph Smith as a boy and then cited the first vision to perfection.  The spirit lit up the faces of those we were teaching and there testimonies were strengthened.  Because of my visit with Elder Belone i understand a whole lot more how foolish it is to trust in our own skill and experience.  The Lords is capable of anything and magnifies our callings beyond belief when we our obedient and put forth our effort.  I love this work and know it is of God.  

Elder Smith

I WASN'T THERE FOR THE WEEDS

sorry for writing early mom but ya ill get your letter next week.  Anyways things are going very well.  This week we were in Tarapoto.  I went out with one of the zone leaders in Tarapoto; his names elder Thackeray.  I had met him once before here in iquitos but i never really knew him.  When i got to work with him i discovered what a consecrated missionary really is.  The spirit is with him at all times.  Just being around him made me perfect myself.  His untiring desire to be exactly obedient shows his love for the Lord.  He has a very deep comprehension of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  And i believe that is his drive to do so much good in his area and for his zone.  I dont know what else to say but clearly this had a big impression on me because it is what im writting home about.  Its made me ponder about my receint studies and i think i have lacked a focus on the saviors atonement and have worried a little too much about all the different appendages of the atonement.  Anyways i will be studying the atonemnent much more.

I wanted to write about a talk i studied called Waiting upon the Lord by Henry B. Eyring while he was in the presiding bishopric.  He tells a story when his father, also named henry, asigned himself to weed an onion patch on the ward welfare farm.  His father at the time was almost 80 and had cancer in his bones.  After a short while of work the pain became so great in his legs and in his hips that he could not kneel down or bend over.  So he laid down on his stomach and dragged himself by his elbows along a row of onions pulling out all of the weeds. (president eyring was not there at the time but said he was told this story by all who were present)  they said he laughed, smiled and talked happily with those who weeded beside him.  When Henry got home he told his son (president eyring) that they had weeded the patch all day and then while they were all close by resting after the long day of work a man came up and said "O no you guys didnt weed that onion patch.  We sprayed it two days ago and it was all going to die anyway"  When Henry told his son that he said he erupted, roaring in laughter like it was the funniest thing that had ever happened.  President eyring, knowing how dificult the work must have been for his father did not laugh and asked "dad how could you take this as a joke? how can you take this so pleasantly?"  Henry then taight his son a lesson that i believe none of us should ever forget. he said "hal, i wasnt there for the weeds"  Sometimes we too find ourselves in the onion patches of life and sometimes what we do doesnt seem like there is a big result or benefit for anyone, this truth that president eyrings father taught should always be in mind.  We didnt come for the weeds.  we are here for the Lord.  Maybe we will wait upon him for a short or long while but the reward for waiting upon the Lord is far greater than any benefit or recognition we receive in this life.  This talk made me think of a thought aunt kimmey shared with me a year ago.  She taught me when we are in the service of our fellow man, we are ONLY in the service of our God.  I love the Lord.  Serve for Him!

Elder Smith

SMIILE

This week i did a few things suggested in the last general conference.  First i came to the Lord in seach of help asking "what do i lack?" and you know what i received...  Smile smith!! weird huh... i then found a scripture in 3 nef 19:25 and have ponderized it.  Yes Christ did smile.  Im not perfect but i have been smiling a lot more.  It has made me happier and people are much more accepting.  The spirit is so simple, honest and direct.  im grateful for this small experience with the spirit and excited to find out what more i lack.  I love the Living Christ

Elder Smith

ANYONE WHO ASKS

So this week weve been working really hard with a couple named Teddy and Maria.  They super goofy but the wife is very sincere.  They read very diligently the pamphlet of the restoration and understood the priesthood super well.  Weve prayed with them a few times asking the Lord together to know if the message of the restoration is true but they havnt felt a solid answer.  They now have the Book of Mormon and we will see how they reading went tonite.  Its very encouraging to find people who desire to receive an answer from God and not from a book or pastor.  And even more encouraging knowing the we have the truth and that God will answer.  I know the Book of Mormon is true and that moronis promise is as valid as ever.  ANYONE who asks sincerily, with faith, and desiring to act accordingly will receive an answer.

Elder smith