I can do HARD THINGS!

Goodbye to Kitchener Portuguese... 

Barrie Zone Conference with President Clayton and his wife

Any guesses?

Elder Nathan Davis

Elder Nathan Davis and Elder Sam Smith at the Family History Center sending emails home

The back of Elder Davis

Oi Familia Beleza?

   It has been a wonderful week full of you guessed it hard things usually in the form of hard manual labor,(ie edging someone's yard by hand or using a pick ax to weed a garden that hasn't been touched in over a year) or trying new things (such as fried eggs and cheese cake)  however it has been wonderful.  We were blessed to see President Clayton as he once again appeared out of no where for our zone council in Barrie, (roughly 2 hours or more away from Brampton where he lives), as well as we had a wonderful opportunity to go on exchanges with the zone leaders!  I learned so much and the lord has helped strengthen my testimony even more that this is his work.  I am so greatful for all the opportunities that he gives us to help his children even if it is like our week this week where we spent 5 of the 6 days doing service for other people we were still able to find a way to find and teach new people.  

 One of the most spiritual experiences of my mission was as we were all together singing "I Believe in Christ" at Zone Council this week. The spirit was so strong and bore testimony to me that, " I believe in Christ; he is my King! With all my heart to him I'll sing."  It was so powerful and I was able to feel as my testimony became solidified that I know that Christ lives and is our redeemer.  I am so grateful for the wonderful musical family,(shout out to Grandma Smith) and friends that I have that have taught me to really appreciate music and the power it has to convey the spirit.  

  Now for what all of you will actually want to read Questions

Questions...

1. How was your week? What was the highlight?

Definitely Thursday which was Zone Council and Exchanges

2. Any new investigators this week?

One however he bombed our follow up appointment so we have to try and track him down.  

3. How is the ESL Building Manager, making a plan to implement in the new area?  Yeah we are working on Blitzing and also finding ways to get the members involved in inviting there friends to come or even some of the members who don't speak very good english.

4. Does Elder Davis speak a second language?

No.

5. What are you looking forward to this coming week?

So Much Dinner!!!!

6. What are your plans for pday?

We are going shopping then we are going to go play Billiards and have dinner with the Bishop.

7. What is your new area famous for? Any tourist attractions or museums or such?

Nothing really there isn't much to do here as much as far as entertainment it is mainly a commuter town and other than that you just go to the lakes or out to nature. Also the church does a nativity which new market is kind of known for.

8. What do you like best about your new companion?

That he has a quiet and gentle leadership and spirituallity.  

9. What do you like best about your new area?

The members and how green everything is.

10. Did you remember to take photos this week? We would all love to see you and your new digs, etc.

a few I should take more.  

Well loves and shout out to the Grads, and the Missionaries!

Have a great week

Love,

Elder Sam Smith

Here we go into the great blue yonder.

Ola Familia Tudo bom?

   Well it has been another wonderful week here in the Canada Toronto Mission full of new faces, new places, and new Languages.  It was a little strange to come up north but I have been loving it so far.  We are at the very farthest north part of Toronto which basically means some of the same streets and then nothing else is the same.  I am completely lost but it is still super fun and the people here are really good.  Our bishop is an emeritus Area Seventy and the ward is pretty missionary minded however just not quite to acting on it.  It is going to be great though I can feel the winds of change blowing and things are really going to pick up here.  I can feel it.  Any ways the area is beautiful and the members are great too.  My companion is really swell as well.  He is from Salem, Utah and is a techie.  Mainly did lights and light design.  Long story short things are doing great here.  I am once again building manager of a struggling ESL, however, at least I have once again escaped the opportunity to be the District Leader.  After some drama that resulted in a few emergency exchanges because of medical conditions Elder Davis was called about 12 hours before our district meeting as the District Leader and has been doing great at it.  Anyways that is about it for now So lets do Questions.

Questions...

1. How is the new area? 

Very different then what I am used too.  New Market is a very rich area and most of the people just tracting or on the street are not very receptive.  Luckily, there are some great members here and from referrals we get some great work done. 

2. Where do you email from each week?

The family History center at the church. 

3. How is Elder Davis? Tell us about him.

good.  He answered in a confused voice so I don't think he was expecting the question.  See above for a better description. 

4. What is your apartment like?

small but bearable.  It is a little bit bigger than the last one but really not as nice.  What can I say I was spoiled.

5. What ward(s) do you attend?

The Newmarket Ward

6. How are the members? Do they feed you much?

amazing.  Last week not so much because things just haven't worked out but usually every day.  We also do service and get a lot of free food.  

7. How are your investigators?

Good I haven't met some of them but the others are pretty interesting and we are working to meet with them more.  

8. How hard have you looked for Portuguese speakers? (Betting you are missing hearing that language every day)

Not at all.  I found the old bishop of the Christie ward from Sao Paulo this week he lives in the stake and I got to talk to him other than that I am usually speaking spanish. 

9.Are you still allowed language study time during the week so you can stay up on your skills?

Yes.  

10. What are you looking forward to this week?

Exchanges I am going on exchanges this week with one of the zone leaders that just washed into the area and so we are going to be so lost it is going to be fabulous.  

Well the church is true and that is that.  

Loves,

Elder Smith

Thanks to Rod Destro and his family for sending me these photos of Elder Sam Smith and Elder Martinez.

Kitchener members took such great care of Elder Smith.

IT is the End of the World as we Know it!!!!

Ola tudo bem familia?

    Beleza?   I have some pretty crazy things to talk about so we are going through this one day at a time hold on and get ready for a wild ride.  

  Monday.  After emailing all of you it was really nice we went and we ate dinner and then we went and taught our recent convert Asdrubal.  Afterwards it started raining and we ended up biking through a vertical lake.  I have never been more drenched in my life.  For all you that were there when I fell in the river trying to push the boat in.  I was wetter and probably yelled oh crap all the way across Cambridge as we were riding in like hurricane like rain storm.  It was awesome.  

  Tuesday

   We had apartment inspection and despite four ours of cleaning we failed apartment inspection again.  They made a comment about the sink that made elder Martinez kind of mad.  He spent over an hour scrubbing the kitchen sink and they still were not impressed.  We walked all the way around Kitchener for like 3 hours trying to find this persons house after district meeting.  Miracle of the day is that we ended up getting a call from Elder Erickson that we were getting a car againon Wednesday.  It was pretty great and other than that the only other interesting thing was when we ate Geleia de mocoto which is interesting.  The English elders tried it later and were severely disgusted.  

  Wednesday

Got our car and had dinner with the Da Silva's also we had an impromptu ESL meeting where once again I was made Building manager.  

  Thursday we had last minute exchanges which means I was given five minutes notice that instead of staying in my area I was going to K2 for the night.  It was good though we had a fun time with me and Elder McBride going all over kitchener.  Four appointments and a dinner in two hours.  Challenge completed.

  Friday

This is where things get interesting and devastating.  Because of Victoria Day on Monday we received Transfer calls last night.  So after 6 weeks and meeting and befriending some of the coolest Brazilian members that i know I am getting transferred to New Market South.  Because the Assistants found out that there are two sisters that speak Portuguese they have decided that i am now obsolete and are sending me into English work and Elder Paul to go be a french Zone leader.  So as of Tuesday I am no longer a Portuguese missionary.  As you can all imagine I was devastated.  However it has to be for a reason so I guess I have to go find out why.  

   Well I guess it is time for questions.  

1. How are you and Elder Martinez doing this week?

Sad because we are getting separated.

2. What was the most interesting thing you discovered while on bikes this week?

How wet you can possibly get.

3. Do you think either of you will be transferred on Tuesday?

Sadly yes. 

4. How are your investigators doing?

Awesome.  One of them just accepted a baptismal date and we are helping another one to come back to church.   

5. What are your pday plans?

Journal signing and haircuts.  

6. What was your most awesome experience this week?

Probably when we were at a baptism and all the brazilian members complained to president about my transfer.  that was like fifteen minutes ago.

7. What are you looking foward to for the coming week?

no idea what to expect. 

8. Where do you email from usually?

the Family history center in cambridge.

9. Have you and Elder Martinez done much singing?

yeah usually in the car or for studies.  

10. IF you had to pick which tie is your favorite right now? Why?

My Mint green striped one.  It is matching with Elder Madrigal and looks cool.

 Well that is it I think for today 

Loves,

Elder Smith

Tour de Cambridge here we come!

Oi tudo bem, todos

   Well it has been an interesting week to say the least full of fun new adventures like trying to catch a bus that is rarer than most legendary pokemon, crossing a river and finding so many random trails that it is crazy.  However this week might as well be noted as the week post car accident and as such we had to find other modes of transit.  They did the evaluation and it is going to be expensive so it is confirmed I am never driving again on my mission.  That leads to the quest for new modes of transportation.  This resulted in us spending 84 dollars, (got reimbursed don't worry) and stuck at a community college in the middle of no where instead of home on Tuesday night.  We ended up just staying at the K2 Elders apartment again.  After that we finally got to Cambridge on Wednesday and after exactly one day of walking everywhere we ended up having the member that was fixing our crap bikes buy us new ones!  YAYYYYY!   So now we are biking everywhere it is fun!  Also my legs have never been more sore.  We still are having a really good time we met with a new investigator this week and also were blessed to have stake conference which is always super revelatory.  Had dinner appointments almost every day and so we didn't have to cook and have all of this week pretty much taken care of as well.  It has all in all been a slower week but that is because we are not moving as fast and got lost a little.  Anywho it has been great.  

   Side note look over the May ensign it is awesome

Back to Questions.

1. Did you hear any more from SL about your accident?

no have to call them today.  Been trying to mail a letter to brampton since thursday they won't pick it up though. 

2. Is your car back? Or are you  still staying in Kitchener?

no we are just busing and biking everywhere.  Members also give us rides.

3. What are your pday plans?

we cleaned all day.  We have take two on apartment inspection tomorrow with the old german couple.  

4. How are things progressing with S?  We have been praying for him.

He is going well not going to be baptized still not there yet but we are working with him

5. How the ESL classes, are you getting that all up and running yet?

nope we can't really get there anymore

6. What are you looking forward to this week?

No idea it is all pretty great this week.

7. What have you learned this week in your mission?

The importance of studying the words of the living prophets and the difference that it makes in our lives. 

8. Have you found any new investigators this week?

we found one last week and we are fasting for the district all to find a family this week. 

9. How has your weather been in Cambridge/Kitchener/Waterloo?

great except yesterday.  Yesterday it was snowing. 

10. Have you been cooking much?

no usually we either eat out or have a meal appointment.  

   Well this has been lovely but I am going to have to wrap it up there.  I love you all and will see you again next week.

Loves,

Elder Smith

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!! This week I took a trip through a time warp...

In Elder Smith's skype call he informed us that he had rear ended a car on Saturday, May 7. The time warp---reliving the accident he had here when he totaled his dad's subaru....


Oi familia,

   Well sorry I didn't email last week so this will have to do.  It is okay though because I think my mom recorded the skype so you can talk to her about it. I will just do the questions.

Questions...

1. Did you get injured at all in your accident? How bad was the damage to the car? When do you think you will get it back?

 Me maybe.  My back kinda hurts but that could be a side effect to the sudden increase in weight I am carrying now without a car. 

2. What are your pday plans?

We cleaned all day. 

3. Did you get new pday sneaks? I know you needed them a while back and I forgot to ask about that.

Yeah like a while ago.

4. How are your investigators doing this week? ( I know we talked a bit about this, but for your fans that don't skype give a quick update)

pretty good.  They were all doing well and we got two new that just showed up to church it was awesome.

5. Are there any zoos, aquariums, museums, etc in your new area?

I know of a couple of museums and hear tell of a lion safari

6. Michael wants to know - What is your favorite thing that you do everyday? 

Teaching it is super fun.  

7. What did you sing in church for mother's day? That part did't come through very well, and who did you sing with? You should use your voice recorder and send me a sample...

Love is spoken here and no more voice recorder.  Got stolen. 

8. Did you have any questions for any of us you didn't remember to ask yesterday?

not that I can remember

9. Do you know if Elder Martinez family is on fb? It would be fun to be friends with them too...

Yes they are.

10. So we received an email from the CTM office that you will have pday on May 21 due to Victoria day and transfers the following Mon-Tues, do you know what that holiday is about and what the country does to celebrate?

It is queen Victoria's birthday and so they just be lazy and don't go to work. 

Photos from our Mother's Day Skype call! And tiny email...

Monday, May 9, 2016

SO SORRY! It took me all P-day to try and get access to a computer and I apoligize so much.  I will write twice next week.  Please don't be too mad and Know that I love you so much.  

Loves,

Elder Smith

Going Back to School!

Oi Familia!

  Como ta indo?  It has been a wonderful week here in the mission field full of great memories and cool experiences.  We had some great times as we kept going and finding the people that the lord keeps preparing for us.  We had the awesome opportunity to go and teach a Grade 11 World Religions Class at the Catholic High School next door to the Cambridge chapel that was one of the highlights this week.  The world religions teacher invited us to come and teach her two world religion classes and It was amazing. I felt the spirit very strong as it supported us as we taught them the doctrine in response to their questions and It was made even better because one of our potential investigators was there and she is super pumped to meet with us again. That was one of the greatest miracles that we had in our area this week and it was a great experience.  It was also super fun because Elder Martinez got to have his first ever experience at high school.  It was actually kind of funny to see.  Other than that this week we spent most of our time helping the people we are teaching.  WE are currently working with S to help him quit smoking as well as with A to help him to gain more self confidence. AS well as continually trying to meet with as many of our potentials and Members as possible.  We actually had a wonderful experience the past couple days where have been having so much food.  We crashed the Spanish branches party on accident on Saturday and they gave us tons of food and then we went to a dinner appointment with so many hamburgers.  As well as yesterday where we had two different Brazilian families feed us and the both made us Churrasco.  It is Brazilian Barbecue which is for some reason so much better than barbecue back home.  We also have invitations to go to another one next week as well for Mother's day.  So we will be skyping from a huge Brazilian Barbecue on Sunday.  

   Questions

1. How was your week?

Awesome.  See above.  

2. What is your go to place to eat in Cambridge or the surrounding area? (No more Albion's I assume, unless that is a chain)

Nope sadly no Albions.  My favorite so far is Eclipse it is like 10 dollars for all you can eat Chinese buffet, however, the best is that if we ever don't have money or a dinner appointment all of the Portuguese members have said to just call and let them know and that we are always welcome.  That is how we went from 2 to 7 dinner appointments this week. 

3. How is your ESL group, any students this week?

One but we are still trying to put everything together.  

4. What was your favorite or most memorable or most infamous experience this week?

Most memorable probably teaching High School.  Infamous was getting dating advice from half the Female Brazilian members at our huge lunch appointment yesterday.  

5. How are your navigation skills improving? Getting lost any less?

I pretty much know my way around now so I haven't gotten lost in about a week.  Still have some hard times because the roads in Kitchener are basically just a big huge pile of noodles that are all under construction.  

6. What are your pday plans?

Man I have no Idea...

7. Have you been teaching lots of lessons this week?

Yeah we average around 25 or 26 a week and they are all pretty regularly scheduled.  It actually makes finding new investigators really hard. 

8. Are the members in your area active in the missionary efforts?

Very, the Brazilian members are trying to start a weekly Culture and integration night to unite all of the Portuguese members in the stake and bring in some of the thousands of Brazilians and Tens of thousands of Portuguese in the area.  

9. What is Elder Martinez' favorite food/treat?

Feijoada / Tostito's with Queso dip.

10. What are you looking forward to this week?

Man So much fun and FOOD!!!!

Well I will see you all on Sunday so I guess Ate Ja!

Loves,

Elder Smith