REALLY REALLY BUT REALLY

mom are you seated? maybe it would be good to drink a hot chocolate or something before continuing... seriously go drink a hot coco.

well the other day we were doing the transfers with president Li, we had already picked the new assistant and done almost all of the transfers, and then all of the sudden president shouted "wait your going to stay until november right?"... It was as if he had seen a ghost when it dawned on him.  i told him no and that we had already spoken about this but he got really really but really worried. (thats how us latinos speak).  it was super strange and he is now doing all he can to have me stay. i told him if he felt that strongly about it he could go ahead.  as you know the flight has already been bought (you have the itinerary) but hes calling salt lake tomoro to see what he can do.  So ya i dont know how its going to turn out im really confused, but put things on pause for now.  However it goes i will make the best of it.  Im sorry for the inconvenience.  Hope the hot coco was good.  Love you mom

Elder Smith


its been nuts but yes i am coming home in october.  tomoro i will write about the week but before that could you send me a bunch of pics of before the mission.  like as a child, sports, high school, and the fam.  that would be rad.

love you

MAKE EVERY ONE COUNT - CONSECRATED PERFORMANCE

Last friday night a huge storm came to Iquitos.  I havnt read official reports but the people we teach have told me it got up to 80 mph winds(now that i think about it probably kmh).  Anyways roofs went flying.  Not all of them but a good amount.  So we went out in the morning with our pata de cabra(not sure what that is in english but its a tool used to pull out nails.  like the back side of a hammer but bigger) and hammers.  First we went to the Del Castillo family´s house to take apart the roof that fell and get all the branches of the trees that broke off the part that hadnt fallen.  As we did, i noticed a man watching us and i felt like i should talk to him.  But i looked at the top of his house and his roof looked fine so i just kept working.  At the end he was still there so i went to talk with him.  His eyes watered a little when i ask if we could help him in any way.  His house was very narrow but really long.  i had only seen the front part. The back had flown up but was still barely attached by a few nails.  Me and one of my comps, Elder Huari, got up on the roof and pulled it down into place.  (Just to understand it a little more, roofs here are made of metal sheets called calamina that are nailed into a wooden structure below.)  anyways after bending it back into place we needed to nail it down.  But no body had nails.  So we found all the old ones we could.  Lets just say we needed to make every one count.  It sounds a little rediculous but right before i would hammer in a nail i would ask the Lord to "consecrate my performance"  Usually i mess up and bend all the nails, but this time the Lord just made it happen.  i didnt mess up a single one.  We literally had the perfect amount of nails to get the job done.  Not one to spare, but it all worked out. It may sound crazy but i know the Lord helped us out.  After we got down we went to another house.  This one didnt take much discerning to see if the guy needed help because his roof was literally caved in.  We took it apart and built a little structure in the back so him and his daughter could sleep that night.  It was such a pleasure to serve all day.  Last night we went back to the houses of some of the people we helped.  They received us gladly and have now heard the glorious message of the Restoration.  It was an amazing weekend.  Also we had stake conference here and an area seventy, Elder Espinoza, came to preside.  He talked about the culture in the church and the culture of the world.  Now matter how bad the culture in the world gets, the culture in the church does not change.  I really liked that.  Hope all is well at home

un abrazo

Elder Smith

FAMILY NIGHT - AN ANSWER TO PRAYER

heres a foto (i took it) with pdte Li and Hna in the house of the family i wrote you about.  It was a huge blessing to do a family night with them and pdte li.  it really was an answer to prayer and it encouraged this family a ton.  Now we are teaching them with their sister in law who is not a member but is very interested now in the church(they gave us the reference).  The work is amazing. My comp didnt get the picture that i was in off of sister lis camera so this one is all i have for now.  But there are more to see all in due time.  Mom i love you

EFECTO GALLETA CHOCOCHIP - DELICIOUS IN ANY LANGUAGE

This last week we were in Pucallpa.  I got the opportunity to work with Elder Jimenez (one of my old companions) in his new area.  He just become a zone leader this last transfer and he has become an excellent teacher and missionary.  It was really special to see his growth in this last year.  While we were in Pucallpa we also trained all of the leaders.  I was to train about verifying commitments and was sitting meditating before the training trying to think of a good way to start off and an old memory came to my head.  Im not sure if it was road show or stake youth conference but in one testimony meeting with all of the youth a women from our ward, not sure what her name was i think she moved (she had redish hair and was a crazy good singer, like profesional i think)  Anyways she mentioned how after a big activity in the church, like stake conference or road show, we all are on a "spiritual high."  She compared it to pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven:  Right when you pull them out they are hot and soft and super delicious but with time the cookies turn into hocky pucks.  She called it the "chocolate chip cookie effect"  So i spoke about the "efecto galleta chocochip" It was a funny little way to start and it was cool because everyone who trained after me related their training to that little analogy as well.  Yesterday  Elder Lezano, an area seventy here in Peru, came and trained all of the members of ward council here in iquitos.  He talked about how to govern, direct, and control the church. (thats translation from spanish, not sure if thats what the scripture says in english) but it was super cool.  The church is so perfectly organized.  All of the authorities who come to answer questions of the members and leaders here have such a sound understanding of the doctrine and organization of the church.  They take these BIG questions that the members have and make it seem as if a child could have figured out the answer.  This coming week should be really good.  We are not traveling so we will be focused here in our area.  We are currently teaching a really cool new family: Liderson and Maria.  and also another guy: marvin whos the security guy here in the office.  Bueno, twas a good week and there are more to come, hope all is well back home

Elder Smith

ELDER BEAS - A NEW COMPANION

Bam theres two!  The truth is that i lent my camera for the last few months to another missionary who doesnt have one and wanted to take pictures.  But he is going to return it on monday.  Anyways everything is fully documented of the last few months because hermana Li takes her tablet everywhere and takes SO MANY PICTURES. i will get them from her and we will all see them together one day.  For now these are two pics of Elder Beas, Me, Presidente Li, and Elder Yauney.  Elder Yauney goes home on monday and Elder Beas is my new comp.  Hes from Lima and is super rad.  Hes going to help me out a lot.   Elder beas finishes his mission in December. 

Elder Smith

THE GARDENER

This week was Leadership Council.  It was fun.  We trained about how the Lord chastens and rebukes the ones he loves.  Elder Christofferson gives a really good talk about it when he tells the Hugh B. Brown story about the gardener.  Anyways the training went really well.  Also this week we are working on the changes with President Li.  Its been pretty nuts. and really time consuming.  But transfers are a very spiritual experience.  Its been super uplifting.  President Li already chose my new companion but i wont be with him for like another 2 weeks.  Its kind of weird knowing. Sorry thats all ive got for now. Until next week.

un abrazo

Elder Smith

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT

well i sat down with president li again.  I told him a few reasons maybe why i shouldnt extend.  He looked me in the eye and said "in all seriousness i need you stay. i need your support"  So there you have it.  ill be home at the end of november.  Love you guys

mom sorry just a quick thing.  it looks like my request to extend my mission got denied by salt lake.