Testimony of personal scripture study

Oh my huge news from home this week!! To be honest I am quite sad that I won't be returning to the same bishopric, but we kind of knew it all along. Thank you Bishop Estes, Brother Crabb, and Brother Blackham for helping me to be where I am today and for being amazing leaders and priesthood holders. But how wonderful that we still have an awesome bishopric! Here in Jaen the leaders haven't changed for years! The Stake President has been president for like 18 years because there isn't really anyone else. So how blessed we are that there are so many awesome leaders.

It is nuts that Christmas is just a month away! It honestly doesn't seem like it because it is hot and I want to see some snow! Are you guys wanting me to call or skype? I really haven't asked if anyone has a home phone or skype so let me know soon so that I can start asking and planning what is going to happen. Also I think Elder Rich is planning on driving up to our house to drop off the package. But I'll give him your number so that you can plan it out. He arrives the 2nd of Dec. 

Marcos got baptized today at 11 in the morning. We didn't really have an actual P day today, but it was a baptism (: It was so cool to see him finally get baptized, because like I said last week, his girlfriend is 21 and a member and they will for sure get married in the temple. He is going to be a strong member.

We havent made contact with Eva this past week because she is never home. But Ruth and Sonya are still looking strong for the 30th of November. Please pray for them and that goal.

Sometimes its hard to keep new members active. It is mainly us as missionaries that have to keep visiting them. There aren't any home teachers or anything. However the good news with our current investigators is that they have friends that are members that help them come to church every week. Yesterday we had 16 investigators come to church again (: It was awesome!

I really love the story of Grandma Angie and her conversion and that there have been so many people blessed because of her decision. Lately I have been sharing her story with a few investigators so that they know how blessed we can be because of this church and it really brings in the spirit to our lessons.

These past few weeks I have been reading in the New Testament and I really have gained a testimony of personal scripture study. It has been awesome to see how it really helps you everyday. Some investigators have asked us a few questions that I have been able to answer from the bible and I have been able to use the scriptures that I have recently read.

Funny but sad story: On Saturday we were eating lunch with a member and she wanted us to fix her fan so Elder Rich went to work and almost chopped off his middle finger! The lucky thing is that only a little chunk of skin came flying off. Haha that is the funny part. The sad part is that I ate the nastiest food that day (; The member gave us a huge thing of rice with menestra which are small beans that taste terrible. And dried meat. The dried meat here is raw and they just let it hang and hang and hang until it is dried and they eat it. It literally tasted like a dirty dog that hasn't bathed all his life. But yeah!

I love you all. He loves you
Elder Smith