The Lord is with me every step of the way

Hi everyone (:

Wow how exciting that is to hear about the boys soccer team!! (: (: way to go LEHI!!!!!!

Way to go dad on your biking! I wanna bike a little bit when I get back! I have grown to love biking in my last area! Keep it up and go Miami Heat! I hope they win because I hate the Spurs! That's really cool about Allison and her summer plans! I am very excited for her to go to California and all of her stuff that she will be doing!

This past week was quite awesome. On P-Day, after getting haircuts from our zone leader and shopping, we went to a membe'rs house for our zone activity and the house was huge! We had a barbecue with a lot of food and snacks! We also watched 17 miracles in their movie theater room and it was so relaxing and awesome!

Tuesday, I had the chance to go to the Temple again because this zone didn't go yet (we go once a change as a zone). After, one of our investigators cancelled on us...again. Her name is Abigail and she always forgets but she promised us that she would come to church with us. That night we went to dinner at a member's house but the food wasn't ready, so we helped and made amazing shrimp tacos, with beans, rice, salsa, guacamole, and homemade strawberry juice (delicious). Also that family is from Guatemala so I felt at home! Then that night we taught a man named Carlos and he is super nice and always gives us food and snacks and he listens very intently! So we were very excited about him!!

Eating a grasshopper, it was disgusting by the way~

Wednesday, we played ultimate frisbee as a zone in the morning and it was a lot of fun! Then that afternoon we talked with some crazy teens who were drunk haha so they aren't interested at all but it was still kinda funny because they were so out of it! Something that's also funny here is the Chihuahuas and small dogs that are always in the trailer parks! They always bark so loud and chase after us but we always just freak out at them and they just run away and it's a lot of fun to mess with them!

Thursday we had District Meeting. Elder Eskeets is the District Leader and it was very special and it made me want to work even harder because we talked about things that could help us improve in the mission. Later that night, we talked to Carlos again about the Restoration. I was able to teach him a lot and I understood mostly everything! The spirit was so strong and I knew he was interested so I asked him to be baptized and guess what!!! He said yes and we have a date set for him on the 15th of June!! What a huge blessing that is for us (: he's about Early 30's and is just the nicest guy ever! He's from Mexico and we are going to have dinner with him tomorrow because he invited us (:

Friday, we played basketball as a zone in the morning and it was a lot of fun! I made a lot of 3's and we won! Then we had a set up visitor center appointment with an investigator and his family (Abraham and Judith with their 3 kids who are young). Well, when we went to go pick them up, Abraham was on a call with a job interview so we waited outside their trailer in 103 degree weather for like an hour! Finally, Abraham came out and said his family is too tired to go but he still wanted to come, so we went with just him. it was very spiritual and we watched the Joseph smith movie. but I have a hard time reading him. He mainly only believes in his church and the bible so we'll see what happens this week.

Saturday we planned for this week and then had dinner. A member took us out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant and it was very yummy! Then that night, we taught Carlos the Plan of Salvation. Again, I was able to say what I needed to. It was so awesome and such a blessing. He said he knows it's true. We have a visitor center trip with him tomorrow after dinner! I'm so excited! Then we had transfer calls and I'm staying here in apache junction. So soon to be still the Mesa Mission. So, if my visa doesn't come, I'll be able to stay for Carlos's Baptism and maybe even baptize him (: Elder Eskeets is going though to another area that will soon be in the Scottsdale mission. I'm getting a new companion on wed. Elder Duff, I heard he's really cool so I'm excited! However, I'll be in charge mainly this week and it'll be hard because I hardly know the area like where people live, and the investigators are placed in my hands, and my Spanish will be put to the test so please pray for me! But I know the lord will provide a way (:

Yesterday during church we had 3 investigators come to church!! Carlos, Abigail, as she promised, and Jose Lopez. It was very cool and I understood mostly all of church. I can understand church things very well, but I can't really understand real world talk. I also have a hard time speaking it. I know a lot of words, they're just hard to use sometimes but I'll get it one day (;

This past week has been such a blessing for me. Elder Eskeets and I were blessed very much this past week. One of the blessings we had was that we missed being in a huge car accident. We had a feeling that we should just talk to one more person before we left to head home. So we did and it took about 15 minutes. during those minutes we heard a huge bang. On our way home, we saw a huge accident that had happened. without us listening to the spirit, that could have been us. I am so grateful that he is watching out for us missionaries.

HOME SWEET HOME!

Mom I love you and miss you so much. Thanks so much for your thoughts and suggestions and I will use that for sure! I can't even explain my love for you. Thanks for everything mom. I was thinking of you all on Memorial Day and those cute little punk cousins of mine just playing with legos! I hope you all had a blast! Noah is just the best. I get a letter from him like once a week with all these different scriptures and he helps me so much! He has such a strong testimony.

The bachelorette sounds intense and I wish I could be there to see it because Dez is the bomb! but that's really cool that Paige came over to see it with you guys! haha you all are the best (:

The hoarders house was exactly like those shows you used to watch Mom! The food was all over and the bugs were running everywhere! Not to mention it was in the trailer with hardly any air conditioning! 

Having a car is nice! Especially now that it's starting to get even hotter here! I do miss riding a bike though but I should be grateful!! We mainly park the car in a neighborhood and walk to our lesson, while talking to people that are outside on the way. so it's still pretty miserable but we always have water!!

I just hope I'm here to get your package because if I get my visa, they'll send me off to Peru the next day ! so we shall see! but okay that sounds like a good plan (: thanks mom!

I'm off to another week in the field. Please pray for me, as I will mainly be in charge for a few days. I don't really know the area or the language so I'm kind of stressing, but the Lord is with me every step of the way so it will all work out. Be safe, be happy, remember I love you and I'm here for you guys! Thank you so much for your prayers and support! Have a fantastic week and remember who you represent!

I love you. He loves you.

Elder Smith