Back to School!!!!

Ola tudo bem Familia?   

It has been another great week here in the Kitchener area. Elder Martinez and I are learning more and more each day and we were truly blessed by the Lord this past week. We had a new Brazilian family move into the Stake on Sunday from Halifax. It is like we keep saying the gathering of Israel has commenced and we are seeing the miracles of it. As well as we were able to get in contact with another Brazilian family that just moved here from Sao Paulo and wants us to come over and talk to them about temples and why they are so important. Things are really taking off here and I am so Excited. Probably the best spiritual experience that I saw this week was with our new convert S. He is having a hard time with the Word of Wisdom and fell back into old habits shortly after his baptism. We keep visiting him though and are working with the ward to increase the general feelings of love and happiness that he needs in his life. It was great this week because after we walked in on him drinking and partying with his old friends I had a hard time. I truly just felt devastated that someone I have grown to love so much could do something that he knows he shouldn't. The next day we went over again to find out he had fallen down the stairs at his apartment the night before because he was drunk and he said the sweetest prayer. Since then he has read about half of the book of Alma and has been flying through the Addiction recovery book. His apartment is getting cleaner and he is really coming along well.

    We have also been meeting with A a lot recently in preparation for his baptism on the 17th of this month.  Our big goal is that we need to help him stop smoking this week so that he can be worthy for baptism.  It was so cool we were able to go through the baptismal interview questions with him last week and he passed with flying colors.  He has such a strong testimony and we came in and have been able to see the amazing difference between how he was three months ago to now. Other than that we ourselves went back to school this week.  As part of our English class we put up flyers around town to attract students to the classes and Elder Martinez and I had the great Idea to put them up around the Major universities in Waterloo.  Let us just say that I feel Orientation week is very different in Waterloo than back in Utah.  It was crazy up there, however, the campuses were beautiful and the people were super nice.  No Portuguese but that is okay.    

   Other than that it has been a lot of the same old missionary work. teaching lessons and talking to everyone.  Elder Martinez did his first Baptismal Interview today and afterward we went on the Indian Reservation. We have a member here who said she would teach us how to make moccasins if we got the fabric so now we have 18 square feet of cowhide in the back of our car.  We are pumped.  

Questions...

1. What was the highlight of the past week for you?

probably Sunday. We had two investigators at church and we met with the new Brazilian part member family. 

2. What are you preparing for with your ESL classes?

to get students.  

3. Do you and Elder Martinez have goals for the coming week for yourselves?

yeah we set goals every week to improve and to get better. A major one this week for me is to overcome my pride and to really own the phone.  Elder Martinez is working on Christ like attributes. 

4. What do you look forward to this week?

Elder Arnold of the Seventy is coming to visit on Friday

5. What is your favorite place in your new area?

Probably Kitchener but the Rez is pretty sweet. 

6. Who are you serving with this time in the District/Zone?

Sister Courtney Marie Johnson, Sister Nicole Seegmiller, Elder Matthew Charles Martinez, Elder Jaxon Fillmore, Elder Bryce Smith, Elder Todd Anderson, Elder Daniel Brown are the district and the rest of the zone is Sister Mikayla Monnie, Sister Nelli Vorimo, Elder Joshua McBride, Elder 吳浩賢(Elder Ng), Sister Krista Nicole Moody, Sister Savannah Skinner, Sister 陳佑瑄 (Sister Chen), Sister Hannah Smith, Sister Katie Tyler, Elder Adam James Brand, Elder Judd Earl Ward, Elder Seth Linden Callor, Elder Tyson Layton, Sister Jourdan Nabhan, and Sister Audrey D. Nelson

7. How are your investigators?

doing well 

8. What experience can you share where you were guided or protected by the Lord this week?

Well this week we were protected almost daily by the lord from Elder Martinez driving like a crazy Brazilian.  In all seriousness though we were guided this week as we went from an appointment that fell through we decided to go and to just follow the spirit and knock on some doors in the neighborhood.  Not every door just the ones that we felt we should.  Out of fifteen doors we found one new investigator, two potentials and we found the address of a place we have wanted to do service at and one of the head ladies that works there.  The Lord has blessed us truly. 

9. What are your pday plans?

cleaning and then making moccasins

10. Is the apartment ready for your big inspection?

it isn't too bad but we do have some work to do.  One of the Brazilian members came and dropped off a dresser at our house and his wife made us move all the furniture. now it looks a lot better.

Well that is about it for this week. I hope that the Lord watches over you and happy birthday to Uncle Dave and happy anniversary to Mom and Dad!

Loves

Elder Smith 

Woodstalked!

Thanks to the members that take such good care of Elder Smith, and for this photo of Elder Martinez' birthday lunch at Korean BBQ

OI tudo bem familia!
   Well it has been another great week here in the mission field. A lot of interesting things happened and we were able to see one of out investigators come to church this week as well for his second time. He had a wonderful experience and is growing a lot in his testimony. As well as one of our new converts has made huge leaps forward in working on quitting smoking and working on being worthy again to continue progressing towards his next saving ordinances and going to the temple. It was so moving to just see the spirit really working with the both of them as they are continuing to improve. Other than that it has been a really good week full of different miracles and a very large amount of birthday's here in the Kitchener Stake. We spent a lot of time with birthday related commitments from members, investigators, all kinds of things it was so much fun. Well as for the area we are doing well we were able to re-find two investigators from last time elder Martinez and I were here and pick them back up. We are all in all super excited. 

   This week we also had some great experiences on exchanges.  We went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders on Tuesday through Wednesday.  Our Zone Leaders are currently Elder Smith and Elder Fillmore and they are down in Brantford.  It was a lot of fun.  I stayed with Elder Fillmore in our area and had a blast.  Then later we went down to the Woodstock Area. It was a lot of fun when I was down there with Elder Anderson.  He was a great companion for the day the only problem was that neither of us can drive.  Made it a lot of fun seeing as we had to walk everywhere. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot!

As for this week's questions...

1. What is your favorite restaurant in Kitchener?

I am a big fan of that Korean Barbecue or Eclipse.

2. What do you usually do for lunch?

Usually we eat at home or have an appointment.

3 How is the ESL effort going?

good we got a new student last week.  It was pretty cool. 

4. How have the lessons you learned from President Ballard helped you this week?

Yeah it is pretty great.  We are working on it a lot and I have been thinking about it almost every day. 

5. What are you looking forward to this week?

We are setting up a dinner with the investigators we met again last night for this Tuesday with the other members up in Kitchener. 

6. How are your investigators doing?

They are doing great.  

7. What are your pday plans? I assume still cleaning for the upcoming apartment check but hopefully something fun as well.

Well we are thinking about going hiking but I don't know we haven't really been doing all that much today just relaxing and moving things around the apartment. 

8. Where do you usually do your shopping in the Cambridge/Kitchener area?

Walmart

9. Do you do a lot of cooking in your apartment?

Not really.  maybe two meals a day but I don't know. 

10.What have the members done this week to help the missionaries?

We went and Ate a lot of food and we are also working with one of our new converts to invite her friends to come and meet with us as well. 

Well that is about it this week.  I love you so much

Loves

Elder Smith

Heavenly Messengers!

Photos of the Aurora/Newmarket area apartment

Elder Davis in the Aurora/Newmarket apartment

Transfer day reunion Elder Martinez, Elder Madrigal, Elder Smith

Elder Martinez and Vader, the cat

Elder Smith, Elder Martinez, twinning with Vader the cat

Elder Smith and Vader, the cat

Sign on one of the local churches

Thanks to Rod Destro for feeding these boys and sending this mama photos!

Dinner with the Destro family

Oi tudo bem familia?

   It has been a great week here in the mission field lots of things that are going on and many miracles that we have been able to see.  It was truly wonderful to be back in the blessed Kitchener Portuguese area and to truly see the hand of God in his work.  I have been able to notice a lot this week that things are not the same as we left them and that the area is just continuing to expand and grow.  In the past three months there have been two baptisms in the area and we are planning on another one in the next little bit, as well there has been another member family move in to the area and there will be at least three more that will have moved in by the end of the Year.  The lord is really gathering his Elect and they are flocking here to build up and Edify his Kingdom.

    A great part of that was the visit that we had this week from Elder Ballard and Elder Bennett.  They came and bore witness of Jesus Christ and Instructed on the importance of Counseling and to Open our mouths and proclaim this gospel unto all nations.  It was so cool to be able to meet an apostle and to just hear his testimony.  I learned so much and we have already seen miracles in our area from applying his inspired counsel.  

   As for us the area still has some problems and there are some difficulties still because the Elders before us didn't leave like any records but Elder Martinez and i will figure it out and it is going to be a wonderful transfer.

 On to some questions....

1. Are you back in the same apartment that you lived in last time you were in Kitchener?

Yeah we are however there is a lot more in the way of furnishings now and we are getting some more stuff donated this week so we are fixing it up well.  

2. How was your first week back?

It was a good first week.  The Families are still here and they were excited to see us back.  They have grown a lot in the desire to do missionary work and after the Instructions that  we received this week we are a lot better equipped to help them as well. 

3. Are you still involved in ESL? What are your responsibilities this time around?

I am once again Building Manager and am in charge of saving ESL.  If we don't get more students after this transfer they are going to be cutting the program.  Nothing has changed since last time that we were here and nothing has been accomplished.  So we are going to be hitting it hard now and see some result.

4. Do you have any investigators?

Yeah we have a couple of really solid english ones and we currently only have one Portuguese investigator however Elder Martinez and I are working on that now.  

5. How are the members?

Great and really wanting to be involved in the work.  I am so grateful for that. 

6. Are you attending Spanish or English wards? Or have they started any Portuguese classes at church on Sundays?

We are working towards getting the Portuguese classes started in the next few weeks which will be great as for the wards we attend it is usually a mix of an English ward and the YSA Branch. 

7. What are your plans for pday?

So much cleaning.  We have another General Authority coming to visit in three weeks who is doing apartment inspections and we have an apartment that looks like a small nuclear payload went off in it. 

8. What are you looking forward to this week?

We have some good appointments and one of our new converts is going to be bringing one of her friends to our lesson this week which is super exciting. 

9. What was your favorite moment with Elder Martinez in the past week?

We had a lot they were all pretty good.   We have some fun times with a cat named Vader recently. 

10. What did you learn from the meeting with Elder Ballard that left a lasting impact?

The importance of the simple little things and looking towards the Bretheren.  There are only two powers in this world and if we don't do the little things like read, pray, or go to church or have regular worship then we are giving the devil all the power.  That hit pretty hard.   

It has been a good week and I love you all.

Loves

Elder Smith

Deja Vu???? Que locura e isso???

Ola Familia!
   Tudo Bem familia!!! Well it is just proof that everyone is losing their minds.  We got transfer news last night and I am going back to Kitchener!!!!!!!!  Elder Martinez and I are going to be companions again.  It is the exact same as two transfers ago.  I am so excited to go back and see all the old gang as well as to return to Portuguese work.  It has been harder to practice out here, however, it has been great to see all the blessings that the Lord has been preparing with all of the members and investigators here in the Newmarket Area!  
   We were truly blessed with our investigators coming to church and developing a great desire to come and make covenants with the Lord. It was truly humbling as we were able to meet with our investigator C and invite her to be baptized. We were able to set her with a date and were able to set some goals to get her prepared to meet that date. We had such a powerful lesson with her on Sunday before church. We had one of the members of the Bishopric come and teach her with us. It was so great to hear at the end of the lesson as she was testifying to us about how she has felt the spirit touch her as she has come to learn about the gospel. It is so cool!!!!! As for everything else we are doing well here in our area. It is a little sad to be leaving because it has been so much fun to serve here and I have met so many great people here. It will be great to go back into Portuguese work though.

   Other than that it has been great.  This week we were going through the Ward list and found a Brazilian family as well it was great!!! Sadly we are leaving them all behind.  But that is how it happens. 

On to some questions...

1. What was the most exciting even of your past week?

Finding the Brazilians

2. What happened this week in your ESL classes?

Not much. 

3. How are the members in your area?

Awesome.  I love the Newmarket Ward. 

4. Did you go on exchanges this past week? If yes, Who? Where?

Yes like I said Elder Shepherd and Midland.

5. How are the investigators this week?

Absolutely fantabulous. 

6. What are you planning to do for your pday?

Journal signing and a lot of Packing. 

7. Transfers? 

See above. 

8. What was church like for you on Sunday?

Exciting and Sad at the same time.  I will miss the ward a lot. 

9. Have you had much use for your non English language skills lately?

Yeah quite a bit. 

10. What are you looking forward to this week in your mission?

Exchanges and a visit from Elder Ballard. 

Loves,

Elder Smith

Erguer-se e brilhar!

Ola familia tudo bem?

Como ta indo familía? Tudo Joia com vocês?  It has been another great week here in Newmarket and it is crazy how fast time flies.  It is already week twelve here and I can't figure out where the time has gone.  This week has been super good with the amount of new investigators that we are finding and the fact that we are actually seeing our investigators come to church and preparing themselves to walk the covenant pathway and to be baptized.  It is an exciting time to be here and it has been great to see the blessings that have been pouring down from on high.  

   This week we were able to see C come to church.  She is an investigator that we met last week and invited to church but she couldn't come.  She is going through so many trials and the adversary is working with her and she suffers from a lot of physical and mental ailments.  She knows the gospel is true though and has a desire to be baptized.  She is so sweet and we are so happy to be able to help her progress forward to making covenants with the father and receiving all of the blessings He has in store for her. 

   Other than that it was just a week full of hard work and full of the spirit.  It was great.  This week we had our monthly Zone council.  This month the main instruction was on the Book of Mormon and the importance that it has in our lives and in the lives of all those that we work with and that we are able to help learn more about their relationship to their Savior Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon.  I know that I wasn't the best about reading it or really appreciating it.  I know that I cannot live with out reading the book of Mormon. I know that it is true for I have read it.  I have prayed and it has been given to me to know that it is the word of God. I know that you can take any question or doubt into this book and the spirit will reveal all things unto you.  It was electrifying to be in that meeting and I am so grateful for the testimony that I have. 

On to some questions...

1. How was your week?

It was pretty great.  No complaints

2. What did you do in your ESL classes this week?

Well we didn't have as many students but this week they studied how to take public transit. 

3.. How are things with your investigators? Anyone at church this week?

Yeah C and the Investigators are doing great!!

4. What are you going to do for pday?

Bake cookies and then we are painting a deck.  It is C's Birthday so we are going to give her the cookies. 

5. What are you looking forward to this week?

We have food!!!!!!

6.Who did you do exchanges with last week, and what area did you spend the day in?

We ended up not doing them but we are going to this week.  It is with Elder Shepherd, most recently from Spanish Fork, and we will be in Midland. 

7. What new scenic gems or historic sites, or lovely restaurants have you discovered while serving in Newmarket?

Not much really.  There is just a lot of fun stuff to do at like members houses or things like that. 

8. What are you studying this week that you may like to share with us?

Well this week I finished the Book of Mormon on the topic of Faith it was great.  I was able to renew my testimony of the Book of Mormon and I am so glad for all of the blessings that I have seen it bring to my life as well as the lives of all the people that I have met out here. 

9. Back to school time is coming, what is your favorite thing about back to school time of year?  

Going back to school.  Reconnecting with friends and just the crazy things that would happen through out the school year.

10.What type of Pokemon is Flareon most likely to defeat? (Michael wants to know)  Any weaker Grass type. Flareon can do work against other mons that aren't as fast as him.  HE is also better as a physical attacker so might not be the best Idea to try and take down any bulky steel types.  

Well loves,

Elder Smith

Milagres São Reais Quando se Crer

Ola Familia Tudo Bem?

   Well it has been another great week although a little warm. It has been great up here in Newmarket and we have seen some pretty cool miracles this week. We were able to finally teach a media referral that we received over 6 months ago. She is super prepared! She asked us what she had to do to become a member of our church because that is what she wants and then she just has tons of questions about things she has read and heard on LDS.org and from all of her Mormon friends. The spirit was so strong when we were teaching her. She has some struggles that she will need to overcome but so far she is doing really well. This week we also were blessed to have an investigator at church. We haven't been able to get in contact with this investigators since we met her and delivered her Book of Mormon she requested and then on our way to Ward Council Sunday Morning she called us and asked if she could come to church. She still has a while to go to understand a lot of things but she has a sincere desire to learn and to seek truth so that is excellent.

  As for us, Elder Davis and I are doing well still doing a lot of finding and a lot of walking around but it is good. Keeps us in shape eh? It is all good though reminds me of the Toronto and Kitchener days where we walked everywhere. Other than that we are just going around talking to everyone we meet more often then not about pokemon and then trying to find people that want to talk about God and not Pokemon all in all it is a vicious cycle but we are finding those that are prepared which is great.  

As for Questions.

1. Who is currently serving in your district with you? Also what about your zone?

Our district is Elder Shepherd, Elder McDougal, Elder Davis, Myself, Sister Osman, Sister Allred, Elder Taylor, Elder Tuahivaatatonahiti, and the Fenske's.  The zone also includes; Hermanas Meyer, Rowley, and Pereira, Sisters Leishman, and Cliften, Sisters Johnson and Nabhan, Elders Bliss and Godfrey, Elders Ryan and Olson, and Sister Gilles and Stutler. 

2. How are your investigators doing this week?

Very well

3. Is your exercise program getting any easier for you or Elder Davis?

Yes now we are moving heavy things in the morning and rearranging the apartment. 

4. How is ESL going?

Pretty well we are up to 12 students enrolled in the program.

5. What are your plans for pday?

picking up chinese food.  Buying sunglasses and then going to a members house. 

6 What did you do to celebrate August Long weekend, Monday holiday yesterday? 

We walked all over the place and went to Buffalo Wild Wings. 

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

Meeting with our progressing investigators and going on exchanges. 

8. What are you currently studying?

I finished the Book of Mormon in the Book of Mormon today as I am going through studying Faith as a priniciple of power.  Lots of good things in there it is all part of a bigger study of Christlike attributes and how living the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings us closer to him. 

9. Did you have anything embarrassing or funny happen last week?

Always however I can't really remember specifics.  There are just too many,  We always have something to laugh about between my impeccable ability to lose my balance or to just be hilarious it is easy.  Also a lot of the members here are pretty funny as well. 

10. How has being a Pokemon master helped you in your mission? (You mentioned this last week, and several people asked me for more info...)

Well with the release of Pokemon Go there has been a significant increase in the amount of people outside and this has lead to an increase in the amount of people we talk to however most of them want nothing to do with God but will talk for hours about Pokemon.  

Yeah that is about it.  I wish you all good luck in life and want to testify to you that I know that Miracles are real and they happen everyday.  I have learned to appreciate even the smallest miracles for what they are.  It is not always something grandiose but it is the little things.  The way that you can brighten someone's day.  When some one calls and says hey I have a cake for you and even though you hate cake you haven't eaten all day and that cake is the only food you have and so it becomes dinner.  Our Heavenly Father Loves and cares for all of us and will always take care of you.  

Loves,

Elder Smith

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.