Foreshadowing much?

Elder Smith and Elder Hanks

Oi familia Tudo Bem?

   It has been another Blessed week in the CTM and it is so much fun serving up here among our brothers and sisters to the north.  This week was busy with Exchanges, Doctors Appointments, Interviews with president, and as well as splits on Sunday it was a busy week.  We made it through though, rain, shine, and Snow!  Another Crazy but fun week here up north.  

  To begin we had a wonderful Wednesday with interviews with our president.  We talked about a lot of important things and it has prompted a lot of reflection and thought for which I am grateful.  It also was the same day that I got to go on Exchanges with Elder Hanks.  He is from Draper Utah most recently but his family is moving up to Bountiful next month.  He is probably a familiar face from ICANDO as well as he was a scholarship dancer at Ballet West Acadamy for two years.  He is a wonderful missionary that is very humble and willing to learn.  He hasn't been out on a mission for very long but he has a desire to learn and is very aware of what he needs to improve.  One of those skills is contacting and learning to talk to everyone so that is what we did the entire day. To start off we dropped by a former and they weren't home. So we decided to contact fifteen people in the area before we went to our dinner appointment. It was a lot of fun and we ended up talking to more people than I have in a while. Most of them were not interested and we handed out lots of cards and then the last person we talked to was interested and we were able to set up a return appointment. It was super cool to just see the success of our labors and we had so much fun. It has got me thinking a lot about doing the Lord's will and really just being diligent and doing all that you can so that things can happen even in Portuguese.

   Other than that the past couple of days have been pretty uneventful for me.  Friday we spent like four hours at the Clinic for Elder Gomez, and then Sunday I spent all day basically on splits with different members.  We decided to try and go to two different wards in the same time slot so I went to the Cambridge Ward with our ward mission leader Brother Winlow and my companions went and ate cake and taught our investigator down in Brantford.  After they got back they picked me up and rushed off to drop me off with another member to help do his home teaching.  So in total I spent about 9 hours with out my companions.  We were finally reunited at dinner with our bishop and then a great Stake Priesthood meeting.  That is about it for this week though.  It was weird though Saturday was probably the day that I felt most just like a regular member of the ward not a missionary which I don't know if that is a bad thing.  

   Anywhom on to questions. 

1. What was the funnest thing you did this week?

It was an appointment with our new convert that I missed because of exchanges. 

2. What was the best thing you ate this week?

probably Spaghetti on Monday. 

3. Did you meet anyone new and/or interesting this week?

I met some pretty cool people on Wednesday when we were contacting.  I met a Muslim guy that is starting a vape and pot smoking accessory store and trying to relate it to his religion.  That was fun. 

4. What are your pday plans?

We are going bowling and then playing soccer. 

5. How have you worked together with your companions to further your goals?

We have been talking about the things we are going to try to change to make it so that we can hit our goals and break out of the cycles that we are in. 

6. How are your investigators?

They are doing well.

7. What tender mercies did you witness this week?

We were fed almost every day and there are always conveniently located Tim Horton's Locations. 

8. What have you been studying lately?

Repentance and the Sacrament as a way to purification.  As well as repentance as a fundamental principle.  I also am studying about patience. 

9. How was your interview with President Shields?

It was good.  We talked about how we needed new Portuguese Elders and that was about it.  Pretty short. 

10. What are you looking forward to this week?

It is supposed to be warm as well as we are going to hopefully have two baptismal Interviews for our investigators to get baptized next week. 

Well Love you all!

Loves,

Elder Smith

On the Road Again

Kitchener and London Zone Conference Feb 2017

Kitchener Zone Feb 2017

Singing at Zone Conference, photos from Canada Toronto Mission fb page

Oi Familia Tudo Bem?
   It has been another crazy week on the mission.  Our investigator quit smoking,  we drove to London, and drove back from Hamilton.  Needless to say we spent a ton of time in the car this week and in meetings.  We still managed to get a lot done and to meet with our progressing investigators.  We have been making lots of plans about finding new and about getting involved in the community.  Weather has turned around and I have been wearing short sleeves the past couple of days and probably will be wearing them for a few more.  It has been up to around 12 or 13 degrees the past couple of days. Things are getting exciting around here,  It is a good time to be in Kitchener. 
   So like I said above, we have an investigator that has been taught by the missionaries since before I was transferred here the first time in April of last year. He has always progressed at different levels and extents and I personally have set him with about three baptismal dates with him usually to no avail because of his smoking problem. However, today marks a week since his last cigarette and he is going strong. He is excited for his Baptismal date on the 11th of March and we are helping him learn more and more about repentance and the importance of relying on his Savior. It is a cool miracle to watch him change his life. We have another investigator that we are working on getting baptized on the same date as well down in Brantford so that keeps us busy. 

   Other than that it has been a lot of driving.  I have been keeping myself occupied with either letter writing or studying in the car.  Generally just trying to find things to be productive during otherwise down moments in the car. It has been a great change and I have been learning so much.  Lately I have been studying about repentance and the sacrament because of the Missionary Broadcast and the Zone Conference that we had last week.  I have been thinking a lot about repentance and the importance that it plays in everything and most importantly in bringing us closer to Christ and helping us become more like him.  I know that I have been working on that and I have felt the spirit so much more and I invite all of you to do the same.  

  Well question time

1. What did you learn at zone conference?

I learned a lot more about the nature and the necessity for repentance as well as the relationship between faith, diligence, and Patience in achieving success and reaching our goals. 

2. Did your valentine from home ever arrive?

Miracle of Tuesday P-day is that I can say yes.  We came home last night and a week late I got my Valentine present. 

3. What was the most awesome thing that happened this week?

Probably our investigator quit smoking.

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

Interviews with President Shields. 

5 How are your investigators doing?

They are doing well we are just working on finding more of them. 

6. What did you do to support the members this week? How did they support you?

We didn't do much this week.  We mainly saw members for meals.  We try our hardest to bring the spirit into their homes and to uplift them that way and hopefully that makes a difference. I know the food helps us out a lot. 

7. Did you meet anyone new and interesting this week?

Not really some new elders down in london but mainly just old friends that reconnected.

8. Did you travel much this week?

lots.  I am a little done. 

9. How are your companions doing? Tell them hello from us!

they are doing well.

10. What did you do for Family Day?

We went and did everything we would normally do on Tuesday because today is P-day!

Well that is all for this week.  I love you all so much.

Loves,

Elder Smith

Happy Valentines Day! (Empty Chairs at Empty Tables)

Elder Smith and Elder Gomez 

Oi Familia Tudo Bem?

   It has been an interesting week this week leading up to Valentines day.  There have been some great times and some lows but it has definitely been one for the memories.  Elder Gomez, Elder Nelson and I have had a busy week.  We set two of our investigators with a baptismal date for the same day in two different wards and now we are working as hard as we can to help them reach that goal.  It is great to see the progress that they are making and the different steps that they are taking to find for themselves that this gospel is true.  It means a lot of work on our end and we have been busier than ever before but it is totally worth it. We have also begun to extend our borders and that results in road trips like yesterday through Hamilton until we arrived in Oakville.  We had a wonderful weekend here with the members and we were able to find a new part member family. It is exhilarating to see the potential for growth and the opportunities that come as we put our faith and push the boundaries of our understanding to find the people the lord needs us to find. 

    In other news though there have been a lot of major things go down in the past week.  Starting on Monday I got my new glasses.  Hopefully pictures coming today.  We will see how the Oakville library wifi works with that one. In less happy news one of my good friends had to go home from his mission early this week for medical reasons.  My prayers go out to him and I wish him all the best in the strange world of YSA.  He lived great and died great and he is going places.  Then Saturday we had some other strange events.  During lunch that day we were having a great discussion after sharing a spiritual message from the 25 chapter of Second Nephi.  One of the members visiting from Brazil then turned to Elder Gomez and asked him when he was going to lose weight.  It was the funniest thing ever.  Totally unexpected and Elder Gomez was frankly quite offended.  It was super funny to watch not just his reaction but the other members as well.  Sadly though that night we also had to say goodbye to another one of our ranks.  One of the other missionaries in our district went home this weekend and we were very sad to see him go.  He was a great elder with a lot of potential however he is going to do great things back at home now.  Prayers go out to both of them. That is how life goes though.  We have our peaks and our valleys the trick is just to learn to trust in the Lord that all will go right and learn to enjoy the ride.   

Well now on to Questions...

1. How are the new glasses? Did it take some adjusting to get used to them?

They are Awesome and It was only three days of a constant Headache and now I am totally fine. 

2. What was the most unexpected thing that happened this week?

probably Elder Gomez getting called fat.  Came straight out of left field. 

3. What did you do for service this week?

We have been helping on of the members that the sisters have been working with pack her entire house into a shipping container to send her up to the middle of nowhere in Quebec.  She is from South Africa and her husband is from Germany and now they are planning to go live on a farm in the middle of francophone Quebec and be farmers.  

4. How are the investigators?

Progressing nicely.  We are working on some new ways to find some more investigators.  

5. What did you do with the members this week?

this week we had a huge dinner party in Oakville last night that was pretty cool.  The members out here love it when we come because it is the only time they get to speak their native language.  So when we come they make a big deal out of it.  

6. Have you had lots of snow shoveling opportunities?

nope not a one.  It did snow like 8 inches though. 

7. What are you looking forward to this week?

Zone conference should be interesting.

8. What is the best thing about being a missionary?

Feeling the Spirit and helping people make a difference in their lives.  

9. Do you have any upcoming opportunities to get to the temple?

we are currently planning a temple trip with our returning members.  Other than that the next missionary temple trip is in March. 

10. How are you adjusting to all of the new mission changes?

Well.  It is way nicer this way although it requires a lot more out of the missionaries. 

Well that is all this week.  Have a happy valentines day and I will talk to you all next tuesday!

Loves,

Elder Smith

The Dream Team

The Dream Team- Elder Gomez, Elder Smith and Elder Nelson

Oi Familia tudo bem?

    It has been a great week here in Kitchener and it has been legendary having Elder Gomez back on the squad.  We are having so much fun here and the new changes have made things even crazier.  I am super grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve with Elder Gomez again it is so cool to me to be able to look back over a year ago and see how much we have changed and grown. I have learned so much from him and in this past week that it is crazy.  I am super excited to see what the rest of the transfer brings.  

   This week we have done a lot of service between the weekly service at the food bank followed by the fact that two different people have decided to move.  one across town and another to the middle of nowhere in Quebec.  It is great to serve though and it means there has been a lot of days spent in our service clothes and moving heavy things.  Between that and Zone Council on Saturday we didn't have a ton of time to do things.  I learned a lot about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of applying it in our lives.  It leads to purification and the presence of the spirit in our lives that is so refreshing.  

   That came in handy later that night when we were teaching our investigator later that night.  We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited him to be baptized and he accepted.  It was so cool the spirit was so strong and we are looking to baptize him in a month. He is super prepared and he is more active in the ward he is attending then we are.  It is pretty funny.

Well that is about it I guess so on to some questions...

1. How was the eye doctor? New glasses on the way?

It was weird I have decided I will never go to the eye doctor in Canada again.  It was different than I remembered it and then he tried to make me pay extra for a picture of my eyes.  Anyways I get to go pick up my new glasses today. 

2. What was the highlight of the week?

I don't know probably our investigator accepting a baptismal date. 

3. How was the first week in your new tri-panionship? 

a blast.  Now that we plan in the morning the evening time in the apartment has turned into soccer in the apartment. 

4. What is going on with your ESL classes?

I am no longer the building manager.  The Zone Leaders and I are coordinating with the elders that are going now so that I am more of a consultant. 

5. What are the members up to this week?

It was sister Freitas birthday yesterday and other than that not much. 

6. How did you see the hand of the Lord in your service this week?

I think I saw it the most in our investigators progression as we were able to meet with them this week.  They are all coming along at their own pace but you can see how the lord is working with them. 

7. What are you looking forward to this week?

Setting some Baptismal dates!

8. Have you eaten anything unusual lately?

not really.  We had some curry on tuesday that was a little weird. 

9. What cities do you spend most of your time in these days?

still around Kitchener and Cambridge mostly. 

10. What type of sports do you usually play on pday? Any pday plans today?

We usually play kill ball.  Think dodgeball but no teams in a ruthless dog eat dog kind of world.  Today it is haircuts and picking up my glasses. 

Loves,

Elder Smith