Nov 29,2017

HELLO EVERYONE! It’s been an amazing week! It’s been such a spiritually uplifting week. I’ve been growing immensely on a spiritual level, and I find my self discovering spiritual gifts that I didn’t know I had. I’ve been reading in the Book of Mormon like crazy. We were given several challenges involving the Book of Mormon. On thanksgiving Elder Bednar came to speak to us and he did a q and a with all the mtc’s involved. It was super cool. He told us to get a cheap copy of the Book of Mormon with one specific question in mind. Then to go through and read it, while highlighting any answers or insights I find in the book, then when I get to the end, write a summary. Then repeat it for that topic. Several members of the district have been doing it, and I am as well and it’s been a super cool experience. The other great advice that my branch president gave to me was that every moment of free time I get, that I should read the Book of Mormon. I have such a firm testimony of that book. During gym time, we get to watch the Joseph Smith movie while we work out and that man was a prophet of God. There’s no doubt in my mind or heart. He was called by God to restore the true and everlasting gospel to this earth, and I am eternally grateful to him. Our lessons have been pretty iffy. Both my comps are trying to learn Spanish logically, and it’s not making sense to them. Because the gift of tongues isn’t about logic, it’s about having the spirit teach you all that you need to be an effective teacher of the lord. So the majority of our lessons have been me talking and translating and helping them through the language. Elder Christensen has been getting better, and while elder Clark is too he’s been having some issues at home and has been having some health issues. It’s sometimes hard to get him to focus and I’ve been worried about him. I love hi, and I don’t want another comp to go home. It is such a sad thing to see an elder struggle. But we as a district and specifically me have been counseling with the lord as well as with leaders on what we can do to help and have been taking many steps. I pray he might be okay. Spanish is coming along steadily. I’ve kind of stopped learning vocabulary and have just been focusing on how to conjugate, and my teachers help me 1 on 1 with it, so I’ve been able to learn the flow and rhythm of the language. I’ll learn more vocab as I go, but I’m more confident in my ability to speak with natives. One of my teachers went to mexico and him and I get along really well. He’s been helping me with all my questions. He’s majoring in international business and is taking Spanish classes at UVU, so his Spanish is really dang good, he def sounds native. I can’t believe how cold it is here. It’s not even snowing, but I’m always shivering whenever I go outside. Mankind was not meant to see his own breath. It’s gonna be a rough month weather wise because it’s only getting colder. Something that’s been super cool is the fact that my patriarchal blessing is coming to past in my life. The lord is opening my eyes to things in my future. Im pretty dang excited. I apologize for the shorter letters, but there’s not much to write about here. The mtc is fantastic but it’s similar stuff, I’m trying to not give a play by play of my days though. But I’m absolutely loving my time here! All the Hermanas in my districts are giving me a hard time about not taking/sending pictures so I’ll try to better, I only have one to send at the moment. But I’ll take some when we go to the temple later today and I’ll send those. I love you guys and pray that the lord will bless you in all your endeavors. I know that as you do what he commands, he is bound to his word and will bless you in all aspects of you life. I leave the testimony with love. I’ll write some more later! Love, Elder Smith