I am loving the work I am doing

Hey everyone

What a week it has been. I am kind of jealous that you guys are probably going to have a white Christmas. It is so weird to be in the heat. But I guess I am getting used to it.

Tuesday night all of the missionaries arrived. In the zone we got 12  new missionaries and so it was kind of nuts. My companion is from El Salvador and his name is Elder Flores. He only has like 4 months in the mission and so I am senior companion. It is kind of different leading everything but I am enjoying it. So now I feel like the numbers are really on my back. I am working so hard, and I have really found myself a lot happier as I have worked hard.   Elder Flores and I get along very well and work even harder. Our numbers this past week were really good. Last week at church we only had 1 investigator attend church. So this past week we really got focused in inviting them to church. We had 8 investigators attend. As well as our ward, they gave us 11 families to re activate and a lot of them showed up. I am also starting to contact more. When I got to Peru I always hated to contact and we didn't really do it because in Arizona we aren't allowed to knock doors because it doesn't work. So when I came here, I came in with the mindset to not knock doors. Well this past week we have contacted a ton. I have really noticed something though. Elder Flores and I are entering in about 80 percent of the homes we contact. We have also found many more people to contact so it is really cool. Whenever we are going to an appointment, we knock doors. And we are going to the members so that they can help us. I have really changed who I am thus far on my mission and my testimony is as strong as ever. The Lord really has been blessing me in Spanish, he has helped me to teach with the spirit and listen and understand the investigators. My companion and I get along very well and he is really cool. I would just ask to pray for me because I am leading the area and it is kind of rough. I would say that I am about fluent in Spanish, but I have some days that are hard, it is weird. But I really am talking a whole bunch more since everyone in our ward knows me. I am loving the work I am doing. I feel like I can go far in my mission if I can keep working like I am doing.

Ruth was able to be baptized on Saturday. This past Wednesday we went over to her house to ask her about her baptism and she told us that she still didn't feel quite ready. At the end of the lesson we invited her to pray to Heavenly Father and ask him when and if you should be baptized. So Thursday night we went over to her house and asked her if she prayed. She told us yes and that Heavenly Father answered her prayers. She told us she knew the church was true from the beginning she was just scared and a little shy. Friday night we went and got permission from her dad. He said that it is her decision. Also Saturday night her dad came to her baptism and it was really special because afterward Ruth bore her testimony and it was so strong. She is going to be so strong in the church. I was able to baptize her.

Something that I really love about Peru is the kids. While on my mission I have counted my blessings that Heavenly Father blessed me with a bunch of little cousins growing up. I just get along so well with the little kids. Oh...Mom I found the little girls that got baptized in Jaen yesterday at the Christmas devotional and I was able to give her a ctr ring and she loved it and gave me a big hug. I just love being around them. Also yesterday we had like 20 minutes of free time so we went to the park to play with the kids, mainly members and recent converts were all there. And we swung, went down the slide and everything.

I am also so grateful for the priesthood. It is so essential to this church. I can't imagine having a church without the priesthood. I have really used the priesthood this past week. I dedicated a house and gave 3 blessings. I could really use a blessing though right now as I start being a leader. So thanks for reminding me.

I am really loving my mission. I miss Elder Rich a lot and it is weird that he is home and not here with my 24/7 haha but how crazy that he saw all of you guys. I am glad you got all your presents. I hope you like them. I got one of your packages this past week. I just opened the big envelope but didn't open the presents from Jordan, Allison, and Emily. But I love the glow sticks. I told Elder Flores this morning that we are going to use them in lessons this coming week. If it is night, I am going to ask the investigator to turn the lights off. I am going to break the bracelet a little bit at a time, so we see how it increases until the bar is fully light up. I am going to use that like a testimony, how it takes a little time for our testimonies to be very strong. Because almost every one of our investigators feel like they should be baptized, but they feel like they should have stronger testimonies. So we shall see how that works.

Well I love you all. He loves you. Talk to you in 2 and a half weeks

Elder Smith