Roller coaster favorite ride...

Portales, Vitarte, Lima, Peru. I got transferred. My new man is named Elder Soto. He is from Bolivia. 21 years old, and has just over 1 year in the mission. He is humble, and smart, we are going to destroy the place together. My new zone is called Vitarte, and we live with two other elders. One being from my group, from my district in the MTC. Elder Clyde. I was more than thrilled to hear I would be listening to my long lost friend again.

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster, on Tuesday I learned that my favorite members from my first area, my first rescue had been attacked. While holding his precious 9 month old girl, three people, tazer and bats in had attacked him and his 90 year old dad. His dad is rich, and they wanted his money. 

Thursday I received a letter from my sister, who inside had an announcement card, that in October, there will be 14 grand-kids in my family, later that day we visited a mom with three daughters, one daughter has a baby, the husband is gone, they don't have work, and the mom is more than discouraged. We taught a powerful lesson, and as we laid our hands on the moms head and gave her a blessing, the importance of families has never hit me harder. Throughout the week I couldn't get it out of my head. 

A lot has happened, and my emotions have been all over the place, overall at peace, but I'm coming up blank what else I was going to say. Overall, hug your family. Cherish them, and help them. Ya aint gettin eternal life without them so you might as well go ahead and do all you can. Have a good week, I love and miss all of you. 

1. The last supper 

2. We played a lot of monopoly

3. The butt doe

4. The new man. I'm just knocking out countries of companions.

5. We are the best types of friends

6. He didn't know I was telling Elder Clyde what cards he had.. haha

7. Welcome to the third world country part of Lima

8. My new area

9. But even in the ugliest of places, you can find beautiful things

10. Elder Clydes new companion wanted to be in my picture of our study room.

 

If you're having number problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a dunk ain't one.

This week, was a good week. Rosa got baptized on Saturday, and confirmed a member on Sunday. The subject line is funny, because I don't know what happened, but we only had 1. and I repeat, 1. lesson with investigators. I have no idea what happened. I guess when your ward has 320 members and only about 80 coming every week the work on less actives is the same with non members. So that wasn't that great... but nonetheless we dunked Rosa, she's a convert so I'm happy.

We are getting the transfers after internet, so I don't know what's gonna happen, my president likes transfers so I think I'm off. This transfer I learned a lot from my little companion from ecuador. here is a story... So there we were, in church and a bunch of white guys in there 30s and 40s walked in. They were here for work, they're from utah, (Of course) Two of them didn't speak Spanish, so I was asked to translate the talks in sacrament. Now I can speak decently, and I understand almost all, but have you ever tried to translate? It's hurts my head more than anything. Then the speaker. started to talk about Mathew 13, that's when I said, "Man we got the BOM why is this guy talking about parabols I don't understand" The white guy then laughed, pretty loud. I didn't mean to say it outloud, but my head hurt. It was funny.  

In our ward there are a lot of members with non member spouses, or kids. this week I found myself thinking deeply of the importance of family, and how hard satan is attacking them. As we teach the part member family, or talk about them in our ward meetings, I hear the words, "We've tried so many times" "We've done this, and done that, he won't come." To them, and to you, I beg you. Believe. Believe in your husband. Believe in your son. Believe in your brothers and sisters. Believe one day, they will read the Bom. Just believe in them, love them, and be patient. Don't act like you're perfect. Please? :)

That's all I got, I'm hoping to go to the promised land where Sisters don't exist. I will let you know how it goes.

Have a great week, and like always. Read the BOM! :)

 1. I had divisions with this guy. He's from the Jungle. missionaries from the jungle are great!

2. My ward mission leader gave me these...haha

3. This is a plant in a less active members house, probably my favorite plant on this earth.

4. And my favorite house in our area. its a buisness, but still a house.

5. So uhh.. I haven't thought much about apostasying in my mission much, but Katy Perry is coming to Peru, on September 22, in my mission. September is birthday month. haha. man. That would be pushin it.

6. I like writing these.

7. These pictures are awkward, because well.. We can't touch her.

8. Next we're gonna get permission to dunk her mom! haha

9. Our bishop dunked her. That's always the best.

10. My favorite graffiti in our area

I got the gospel in my bag,...and I ain't afraid to share it

Aye, after reading a lot of your emails, A lot of you had rough weeks, that's normal. Especially after conference. We all get this way high hopes, just to return to the world, and see... Wow. Just. Wow.

This week was good. President Boswell came to visit us in our room, we got an answer to what to do with Rosa. Our PRIME investigador who lives in a different mission. we taught a lot of families, because well, for some reason the familys in our ward are struggling! I don't know why, but they are.

This is the last week of the transfer, and just like all the others, I don't have much to say. Everything will change next week. haha when my president was leaving his wife said, "You guys live on one of the nicest streets in the mission" My president added with a big smirk on his face, "Yeah Elder Smith you better enjoy it while it lasts" I responded, "I'll go to the promised land where there isn't any sister missionaries! I ain't scared!" He laughed, shook his finger, and said, "I love you Elder Smith"

Later that day we recieved a text message. I've easily gotten over
20,000 messages, but not one of them made me as happy, as the one I got this Friday. (I'll link the picture)

Have a good week. Listen to the talks to conference again. Pray. Please pray. Read the book of mormon. I'm tellin ya, there's nothing that will change your life for the better like that book.

That's all. Pictures.

1. I can get pizza literally, a dolla a slice.

2. Elder Meik is a great guy

3. Lima, Lima, Lima. Why are you so prideful?

4. One of these days, I'm telling you it'll pay to have been my friend

5. My Presidents wife is so nice. She made us these. (It's the first time I've ate bacon in 8 months)

6. Doubt not.

7. Fear not.

8. One of the best members of the church I know lives in my area, he only has one tie. He's the humblest, nicest, most dedicated member I've seen in peru. I wrote him this note, and am going to give him this tie. I sure do love this tie, I like it a lot, but I think he will enjoy it.

9. She's getting baptized this Saturday. You know where I'll be at 4:30 :

Wow, wow, wow

I don't think there is anything I love more than general confernce. Holy cow it was awesome, and this week was awesome. I guess, I'll start Monday. We played Clue, that was fun. Tuesday through Friday we worked, but here they all think the whole week is a holiday, so no one worked, and since half of my area is just where people work, the lessons were rough.

But like I said, I was so excited for confernce, I didn't even care what happened. I prepared good. I found a rich member, and asked him for his laptop, I asked another member for some headphones, I got the permission to use it, and 8 of the 10 hours I listened to it in English! I understand Spanish, and I get the message, but in English, it's like. Revelation man.

Nothing in this world calms my doubts and fears like conference does. It brings me joy, I can't describe. This week, something amazing happened. A feeling came over me, that I can't describe, but I know, a mission is the best choice I've made in my entire life, and there is nothing better I could be doing. This is the truth, and I'm a preacher of it. One of you emailed me and asked, "Have you converted anyone yet" I responded, "I've converted myself, so yes, I guess you could say I've converted someone"

We put one man on date, named Angelo, his daddys in Prison, and his mom doesn't like us, but we teach with faith! and set next visits with faith! Rosa is doing great, she came to conference. We moved her date to the 25th because a few things happened, and our mission president has been a pretty busy guy. 

If you didn't watch conference, watch it. I'll end with some of my favorite quotes by them,

"The church is like a big hospital, and we are all sick in our own way"

"The things you can count, don't count, and the things you can't count, really do count"

Have a great week. Read, ponder, and pray. Everyday, everyday, everyday. 

1. Pizza is good

2. He wanted me to smile, take a bit, and look. It just, didn't turn out good

3. About five months ago I asked you guys to raise the bar....

4. You've done good. THANK YOU

5. Alma 38 was mentioned by 2 speakers this past weekend, 15 verses sure does have a great message. I would encourage each of you to read it. 

6. I know I'm fat and small, but I figured I better buy this T shirt anyway. maybe one day I will wear it respectfully.