I knew that coming into the mission that I would have to sacrifice everything for the Lord!

Okay so I am sorry to EVERYONE! The address is 2525 N. 32nd St. Mesa, AZ 85213. Sorry I sent you the wrong one. Please let everyone know the correct one ASAP! Thanks!

Well, it sounds like you all had an amazing week and you did so many fun things! I am so happy that you had such a fun day at Ed's house on Sunday.  I was thinking about you guys! I hope Dad's birthday was a great one! We are so blessed to have him in our lives because I have really noticed how important it is to have a dad who supports you and does everything for you because a lot of kids do not have that out here! But I am glad you loved your tie Dad! To be honest, it was hard to send it away to you because I wanted to keep it for myself! But I love ya Pops and you deserve a good looking tie! Your birthday sounded pretty sweet! I want to go to a RSL game when I get back so maybe we can do a double date! You and Mom, me and Paige!  But we can worry about that later haha! But the fireworks sounded amazing! I started laughing so hard when I read what happened with the car speakers in Jordan's car! Hahaha I bet Allison's and Paige's ears were bleeding!  I am really happy you had a good one though because I was praying that you would!

PHIIIILLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!! Freak yes!!! Finally! Gosh he is such a stud! Man I can't wait to come back and just relax on the couch with you Dad and watch golf! It is so much fun! Dagen emailed me and said he is going to a country club golf course in South Carolina with a member today so that sounds legit!

That biking trip sounds way fun! Dad you seriously have lost sooo much weight and you are looking like a stud so congrats on that! Sorry about your ribs though! I hope it didn't affect your breathing too bad! But yeah, I ate it on my bike this week as well but it was just a little one because I was just goofing around, trying to balance on the curb and I fell! haha but it sucks being on bike because it is sooo hot here and we have the biggest bike area in the mission haha so please pray for me, that my companion and I will have energy!

Well this week was sort of a long week. Tuesday we had a cool lesson with a lady named Elba from Puerto. We went over with a 16 year old recent convert, Jonathon. He shared a really strong testimony and said he was actually in a gang at 14 years of age and did drugs and drank.  He said he didn't even care if someone was killed. But the missionaries came over and helped him out a lot and when he was baptized at 15, his life changed for the better. It was crazy to hear that and I think it started a fire in Elba.  Well I hope so because she so far doesn't have the biggest desire to be baptized.

Wednesday, we went to the end of transfer meetings to drop off our car...yeah...it stinks...the mission has a shortage of cars and a lot more missionaries are coming in. So the sister missionaries that came into our branch received a brand new truck and we gave our car to some missionaries in Mesa. So there is good news and bad news about all of this. The good news is that they split up the area so it isn't as big and also we still get to keep all of our good investigators. The bad news is that we still have the biggest bike area in the mission and it is July/August, the worst part of summer!! So we have to be on bikes! But I knew that coming into the mission that I would have to sacrifice everything for the Lord! That  night we split up the area book with the sisters and they are both from Utah so it is pretty cool talking to them about Utah! Oh and also, Elder Seymour got his visa 3 weeks ago...So I am officially the only visa waiter in Arizona waiting to go to Peru now.

Thursday we went to Elba's house again and we taught her about faith and it was really good! They only thing is that she doesn't want to be baptized because she doesn't want to give up smoking but we will keep working with her.

Friday during studies we received a text from Jose (the dad that wouldn't allow his daughter to be baptized). He told us that he had a talk with her and he found out that she knew a lot more than he thought about baptism. So he told us that he wanted me to baptize her! So that night we went over to confirm what time we would do the baptism and everything! But he still hasn't gained a testimony of his own but it was so amazing to see how his mind has changed and I think he is getting a fire built inside him as well (:

The Baptism of Jenna Torres - July 20, 2013

Saturday I had the privilege to baptize Jenna and it was so very special because there were 6 other kids getting baptized as well! I felt bad though because they all had their dads baptizing them and she didn't have hers.  But I felt so humbled to be able to baptize her. The first time we did it, her knee came up and she was a little mad haha but the second time it was good! Just to be able to do that, for the 1st time was so special for me. I felt the spirit so strong and we are so blessed that our church has the authority to do baptisms and I am so grateful that I have the true church in my life.

Sunday we lost 4 of our baptismal dates because an investigator needs to attend church twice before they can be eligible to be baptized. But neither Natalie, Felipe, his wife Joanna, or their daughter attended so it was such a bummer but we will visit them this week to see what happened and help them out! Then that night, we went to a Spanish fire side with José  and he liked it a lot! It was cool because our mission president was there and he presided! But it was about recent converts and their testimonies so the spirit was definitely felt (: But we just found out that he isn't married! I want to set a baptismal date with him this week!

That is really awesome that you guys are starting to read the New Testament now. I wish that I could know the bible more since everybody here loves it so much. So that is something that I will start doing in my studies. I know it is so important to read the scriptures as a family and I am glad we read the Book of Mormon together because it builds the family's testimony, as well as their strength, and love for each other. So keep it up (:

Well I love you all so very much and you all mean the world to me! I always like to lay down at night and just think of all the prayers that I have been receiving on my mission and it really is such a blessing to know of all the support that I have.

I love you. He loves you.

Love, Elder Smith