The aftershocks.

Ola Familia!

   Well this week has been full of a lot of settling down from last week. This week our work settled down to a normal pace after last weeks whirlwind. This week also saw the rise and fall of the craze of Pokemon Go as it released in Canada last Sunday, and it has been all that anyone on the street has been doing.  I never thought that 14 years of training to be a Pokemon master would ever help me on my mission.  I think the Lord has been preparing me from my youth.  Other than that it has been a good week.  We were able to meet with most of the investigators we found last week again and if we couldn't it is because they were grounded or we are meeting with them this week.  

   Other than that the only real concern has been trying not to melt in the heat up here.  It has been above 30 degrees Celsius every day for the past week and we have been doing a lot of walking and putting up flyers for our English classes.  It is okay though because I went and bought a Water Bottle a few weeks ago on a prompting and now it is my best friend.  

  Well there hasn't been much else this week so I guess on to questions. 

1. How was your week?

Busy and All over the place, the Hermana's car was in the shop this week so we were ferrying them around with us sometimes.  It is good though helps you get to know someone when there are five of you all in a car together.  Now we are all pretty good friends. 

2. Do they do any pioneer stuff  at church in Canada to celebrate our crazy holiday here in Utah? 

Nope.  Didn't even mention it.  We got one Happy Pioneer Day but it was from a member visiting from East Millcreek in Salt Lake.

3. What was the funniest thing that happened to you during the week?

Listening to Elder Davis try to breath after we went running.

4. What are you looking forward to in the coming week?

This week we have some good appointments set up as well one of the young couples is going to be feeding us because the inlaws are in town and we are excited for that one. 

5. What are you doing for exercise these days?

Running.  Elder Davis is severely out of shape.

6. What are your plans for pday?

We are hanging out with the Hermanas and playing frisbee and stuff. 

7. How are your investigators?

Doing well.  The Sq are really moving along and now the husband is trying to encourage his less active wife to go to her church as well as he is starting to gain a witness that the things that we are teaching are true. 

8. What is happening with your ESL classes?

We got two more new students this week so that is super cool. 

9. Are you keeping up your language skills?

I hope so. 

10.. What is the greatest memory or story you have from year one of your mission?

I can't choose one. I think the greatest thing about my mission so far is the ability that is there to learn and to grow.  I have felt how much the Lord loves his children and strive to live worthy to feel that love and to be the means of shining that into the lives of those we meet. 

  Well that is it 

Loves,

Elder Smith.

Editor's note: I asked for some photos, the attached three photos are what he sent.

Wedding bells and War!

Ola Familia!

  Well this week has been super interesting.  We have seen some ups and downs as  usual, however this week we have been greatly blessed by the lord.  It has strengthened my testimony immensly that as we are anxiously engaged in a good cause that the little miracles will happen and those will add up to making large differences.  

   This week just started out great with a visit to our recent converts.  There mother is in Russia right now working on some paperwork and getting some treatments done.  It was super cool though because we were able to teach not only them but also their brother who is not a member!  We are now working with the ward to get some more activities for the kids to get them out of the house and active in the day.

  In other news we also were able to go and meet our Mission President this week.  He was so cool and it was so inspiring to meet him.  I loved President Clayton and was quite shocked when he was called however, I know that President Shields is called of God.  He went through the war chapters of the book of mormon with us which are some of my favorites.  It got me so pumped and then in my interview it was so much fun to talk to him and to get his insights on how we can best work with the less active and active YSA in our unit and the blessings that he promised us for doing so. 

  As for the wedding it was happy however it is one of the weirdest experiences of my life.  It was the wedding of one of the returning members in our ward and his wife from Hamilton.  It was a very different experience than any other wedding I had been to.  Sufficeth to say that I am so thankful for the gospel and the ability we have to be sealed for time and all eternity and the spirituality that is present in even the simple things.  

   Questions.

1. What are your p day plans?
We did some shopping for our bake sale on Saturday and are going to go play pool soon.
2. How are your investigators?
Good. We found 5 new ones this week. Most in the Zone the Lord has truly been blessing us. 

3. What service did you complete this week?
We trimmed some trees and did some weeding for my Nona.
4. What's going on with your ESL assignment?
We are Kiling it we have a class of about 5 students and are working on bringing in even more of them.  
5. How is the weather? Did the a/c unit get fixed in your apartment?
Weather is in flux. had some cold days last week. 
6. What are you looking forward to this week?
We are set to meet with most of our investigators again as well as find around 5 more. 
7. Have you met the new president and his wife yet?
yes. 
8. What was the most interesting place you went this week?
Applebees
9. What is Elder Davis' favorite treat?
Chicken Fried Steak.  But he will accept butterfingers as well 
10. Have you had to speak or sing or teach anything in church lately?
Nope. 

Well thats All Folks!

Loves,

Elder Smith

A Clima Ta Doido Aqui!

 the Trees are in historic downtown Newmarket on like Queen Street I think

The bell is on Wellington in Aurora at the Go Station 

Oi familia Tudo Bem?

   Well it has been an interesting week for sure around here with transfers and lots of other just crazy experiences.  Earlier this week we were talking alot about our situation with little success and few investigators and we decide that one thing we needed to work on was the Language of Faith. it has made quite the difference as we have been seeing hearts soften out here in new market.  No major progress yet bu t it is changing.  

  In other news got a new slightly bad confirmation of how god answers prayers.  We were joking  one night about how awesome it would be if a huge spiritual meteor hit Ontario with our District leaders one night.  One of the biggest problems in most of the mission is that people are so focused on themselves and blinded by pride and complacency that they are afraid to change or even try to think about something or someone else.  Therefore we thought a spiritual meteor would be sufficient to humble the people to help them see that others exist.  So we all decided to pray about it and lo and behold this friday there were Tornadoes in Brampton and Warnings in Midland.  Moral of the story don't tempt God, tornadoes happen. 

  Other than that this week was kind of slow.  Talking to a lot of people about the gospel, them saying they aren't interested, us asking if they know anyone who is, them saying guys you are in the wrong town for this line of work.  You know the usual things.  We have found a couple of people that have some potential and we are going to work on building up to actually meeting with them.  One of my favorites this week was when we talked to Rihanna.  She was one lady that we contacted while we were working in the area of some potential investigators.  She was super nice sadly she is a witch though and said she was not interested in learning more with us. She did accept a copy of the Book of Mormon which was good however she didn't really want to mix with Christianity.  All in all a pretty interesting week. 

  Questions.

1. How was your week in New Market?

pretty slow as usual.  Started journaling again after a 5 month hiatus so I have been doing a lot of that.  Helps me find the little fun experiences from the week. 

 2. How are the ESL classes coming?

Good.  We had three new spanish students come this week it was really interesting. 

3. Still working with your 3 investigators? Did you find anyone  new?

We are trying most of them are avoiding us or we can't get in contact and we don't have any new this week. 

4. What was your most memorable experience this week?

Probably the Baptism on Saturday.  Past missionaries came back and it was really exciting. 

5. What are you looking forward to in the coming days?

We have a couple of appointments set up with some solid potential investigators we have been working on meeting with for over a transfer that are finally happening. 

6. What type of service did you participate in this past week?

We helped the bishop move that was about it though.  

7. What are some of your favorite things, people, places in the New Market area?

Mainly people.  The Newmarket ward is awesome and full of just some really quirky and awesome people. 

8. How has the weather been?

It is either death by fire or death by water it is pretty bad however we are surviving.  Went and bought a water bottle so that I can stay hydrated better. 

9. What are your pday plans?

Elder Davis needs a haircut and I need pants.  I split three pairs of mine and now I only have like one left.  I am getting them repaired by the personal seamstress of three different queens of England however I want to be better prepared should this happen again in the future.  

10. What is your favorite Pokemon?

Mega-Sableye

  Well that is all I guess. 

Loves,

Elder Smith

PS

 The old British seamstress was lecturing Elder Davis about how he is making it so that I am losing muscle and gaining fat so it is his fault.  Baptism of RK he was one of the sister's investigators.  Yeah tornadoes at least that is what we were told.  

Round 2

OI Familia!

   Well it is that time of the month again.  And we got our transfer news last night.  We are staying together but Elder davis is once again no longer a District leader.  So it seems I will be weathering another transfer in English work but apparently there are still things for us to do I Newmarket.  I look forward to the miracles that we will be seeing as we partner with the members.  It reminds me of the scripture where you see the miracles only after the trial of your faith.  Well hopefully we have had our trial and we will now see the miracles.  

    Anywho It has been a pretty normal week we found one new investigator and we moved four different families for 5 days of the week.  It is crazy the amount of service that we do here in Newmarket.  It is a lot of fun though and it is great to see all of the people's faces as we are able to help them with these things that can be so stressful at times.  It also almost always results in alot of food as well so that is pretty awesome.  

     AS for Questions. 

So on to questions...

1. Transfers any predictions or news?

Staying

2. Have you met President and Sister Shields?

No

3.What did you do for Canada Day?

Sat inside and made calls and worked on a dot map of our area because it rained all day and was very unpatriotic weather. 

4. Any big independence day plans?

We are having a Zone Barbecue and journal signing.  

5.What was your best experience this week?

We went contacting with the Bishop and it was a lot of fun.  He is such an amazing man and it was so cool to be able to work with him in meeting his neighbors and the needs of the ward.  

6. What are you looking forward to in the coming week?

Well not much really that is what comes with rebuilding an area is we don't have a lot to look forward too. 

7. What are the plans for your ESL group, did you have graduation already?

No graduation is probably this week and then we are going to see.  I still have to meet the new teachers and have a little meeting.  

8. What are you doing to try and meet new people in your area?

What ever we can.  Usually we just try to talk to everyone that we can we have been seeing more success lately with talking about family history. 

9. How are your investigators, do you still have two of them?

Nope now we have three and none of them are talking to us.  

10. What is your favorite Independence Day tradition, food, or memory?

I always just liked that we were all together and that we would meet for a bunch of just good family bonding time.  It always reminded me that family is the most important and that we will be happy if we can just remember that.  

 Well loves,

Elder Sam Smith