Back in the BIG City!

    Well we have survived the first week after the whitewash and what a week it has been. Elder Nelson and I came into the area and it was obvious the past zone leaders didn't expect to get whitewashed out. We cleaned up a lot though and set about visiting all the people we could that I remembered from last year when I was here. By Saturday we still hadn't been able to meet with any of our investigators though and we had difficulties finding new ones here. However on Saturday we had two people walk in to English classes from Brazil who had seen a flyer that we had posted the day before. They were the most prepared people ever. They had seen missionaries before in Brazil and when they saw the flyer they decided to go and research about our church on Mormon.org the night before. They recently moved within 5 minutes of the church and they are excited to learn more about our beliefs. Then the next day we had two other students from English class that weren't previously interested show up at church because the members and the other missionaries kept inviting them. It was a great week here and it is so great to be back.

   We have seen a lot of miracles here and I am getting a lot better at talking to people in the bus and in the streets.  We have been blessed to talk to some super prepared people and we are going to hopefully keep seeing success as we labor here.  Another huge miracle is that Our investigator J asked for me to baptize him this week.  After some arm twisting by Elder Gomez and a short phone call with President, Elder Nelson and I are driving back to Kitchener this week to go to his baptism.  I am so excited and honored to have this opportunity.   I have grown to love these people so much and I am so excited for this opportunity.  That is about it.  We are walking a lot and we still have a lot to do to try and meet all of our investigators and hopefully we can help them in their path to baptism as well.  Until then we will just keep giving it our all here in the 6.

Now questions,..

1. How was your first week back in Toronto?

It was windy.  Cold and exhausting.  Everything I remembered it being.  Things have changed quite a bit since I was here last though.  All of the companionship here are doing really well and we are all working together.  There are less people coming out to the group now but we did have some people move in and most of the ward still remembers me which is good.

2. Did you see anyone that remembered you?

Yeah pretty much everyone remembered who I was. The only one who didn't was Irmao V. who is the second counselor in the Bishopric and the leader of the Portuguese group.  He had no idea who I was until I took of my glasses. Other than that everyone just mentions how I look like I have grown a few inches and that I got fat.  They also say that my hair looks very different. 

3. What are your responsibilities? ESL Classes? etc.

Elder Nelson is the new District Leader and we are both the teachers for the basic English class.  So we get to hang out with all the cool people that speak absolutly no english.  

4. What cities does your new area include?

the other half of the mission.  So everything East of the Temple in Brampton.  Heck we might head back up to visit some friends up in the newmarket ward.  

5. What was your favorite thing about this past week?

Probably finding our new investigators at English Class. 

6. What are your pday plans?

I Have to go get my new watch fixed.  One of the other missionaries back in Kitchener broke it right before I left.  So I plan on gettting it fixed and if they charge me anything I will send him the bill. 

7. Who did you meet that left a lasting impression?

I don't know there were many.  The people we have met with that probably left the biggest imperessions where the new members that have moved in since I left.  It is amazing to see the way that the Lord gathers his elect for his purposes.  It is very interesting.  

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

Well hopefully a whole bunch of lessons. 

9. How are the members?

Great they are super excited I am back.  I had them all coming up to me this week asking when they could have us over for dinner this week.  The other missionaries were jealous. 

10. Any new investigators?

4.  I think that is more than I found in the last 7 months in Kitchener.  

11. What area are you living in?  

  It is the same apartment I lived in when I started my mission almost 20 months ago. 

It is always great to hear from you!

Loves,

Elder Smith

Return of the King

The Portuguese Trio...Elder Gomez, Elder Smith and Elder Nelson

Elder Hanks, Elder Gomez, Elder Perry, Elder Smith, Elder Nelson and company.... photo from Elder Perry's family

Oi familia Tudo bem?

    Well we received our Transfer news and Elder Nelson and I are going to Toronto.  We are whitewashing out the Zone Leaders in downtown together and Elder Martinez is coming back here.  It has been a good run here in Kitchener. I have learned so much and I have had so many great experiences and I am satisfied with what we have done. I know that I have given it my best and that I am leaving it in good hands. I will miss it however I am so excited to be back in Toronto in the thick of things. I am excited and a little nervous because so much has changed since the last time I was there however it will be a fun adventure and it feels like coming home.  It will be interesting to see all the changes and figure out how to get around everywhere.  But Elder Nelson and I are sticking together so that should be fun. Other than that we said our goodbyes this week and Our investigators are still looking good to get Baptized here in the next couple of weeks.  I will be sad that I will miss it however it will be great to see them enter into these covenants.  Well that is about it for this week so on to some questions. 

1. How was your week?

It was busy.  I kind of felt that I was getting transferred the entire time so that made it a little hard.  

2. What is your transfer news?

Whitewashing into Toronto. 

3. How are your investigators?

doing well. 

4. What are you looking forward to this week?

new adventures.  

5. What are your pday plans?

packing.  Lots of packing. 

6. Did you meet any interesting or exotic people this week?

Not to many. 

7. What will you take away from this past transfer?

Lots of things.  mainly doing the lords will. 

8. What tender mercies did you see this week?

J moved his baptism up that was cool.

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

We had Cafe Rio. 

10. How is your ankle healing?

It is all good.  

Well we got to go. 

Loves,

Elder Smith

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to All.

Hi All Well Familia? 

    Well it has been a wonderful week here in Portuguese work and I am so excited. It has taken to this point almost 20 months as a missionary and yet still new things happen. I have been working with these two investigators for a really long time and we had set them with a date to get baptized for next week. We have been working really hard to help them get ready to be baptized and to enter into these covenants with there father in heaven. However just like everyone else in my mission in this past week or so everything started going wrong. Our one investigator told us right before his Baptismal interview that he wanted to wait to get baptized, and the other one broke up with his Fiance who was his fellowshipper. I remember feeling devastated this week and feeling that things just weren't going right. I remember praying and thinking about both of them a lot this week and asking God to help them since there was nothing else we could do. Then this weekend as we went with faith to go and give our investigator the Baptismal interview he changed his mind and said that he wants to get baptized in two weeks. Then our other investigator came to church the next day to meet with us and said that after he broke up with his fiance he went and really prayed and read the scriptures. He received a confirmation that the gospel is true and that even if he and his girlfriend don't get married he wants to be baptized. It was a miracle and now both of them have dates for later this month. It was one of the coolest experiences that I have ever had on my mission.

    Needless to say we are super excited for next transfer.  Here is to all of us staying here instead of getting transferred. Other than that this week we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders and Elder Nelson and I got to stay in our area with Elder Certonio.  He is from Spanish Fork Utah and he is a super cool guy.  It was interesting being with another Utahan for the first time in a while.  It was pretty funny since we would be talking about things like locations and how far it is between the two cities that we live in.  In reality they are like an hour away from each other however that seems like an eternity in Utah.  Here that is nothing though we did that drive last night to get out here to Milton.

   That was about it though.  A pretty great week.  Well on to some questions. 

1. What is the most exciting thing that happened this past week?

Probably our lesson with JL yesterday. 

2. How is your exercise program coming along?

I mainly just do push ups.  I am apparently going to be doing a weight training regimine to get the strength necessary to baptize JL.  He is a lot bigger than I am.

3. What are your pday plans?

We have an appointment at 12 then we are going to get lunch and then zone sports here in Hamilton. 

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

Well first that JL and Sister A Broke up.  That was intense.  That was then surpassed by our lesson with him on Sunday. 

5. What are you looking forward to this week?

Well now I am looking forward to Sunday when we are going to teach Jose again. 

6. How are your soccer skills improving?

they are getting better.  We are mainly helping Elder Nelson to work on his.  I hurt my ankle at the beginning of the transfer playing Basketball so I am taking in a little easier. 

7. Did you do much traveling this week?

Yes.  A ton. I also caught Elder Gomez's Cold. 

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

In the coming week hopefully not getting transferred. Knock on Wood. 

9. What has your weather been like? Spring on it's way?

It has been a roller coaster up here.  We have days like today where it will be like 9 or 10 degrees and then snow on the weekend. 

10. How are your investigators this week?

Pretty great see above.  Only concern is we need to find more of them. 

Well I love you all!

Loves,

Elder Smith

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