I'm not in Utah anymore

Hello to the best family in the world!!!

Wow those pics look amazing and camping is one of my favorite memories that our family has! I bet it was a blast! How fun that you guys got to go on that hike to that waterfall! I love you guys and we better go camping when I get back (:

Not too much happened this week like last week. We have been stopping by to visit Annie and Daniel like every night teaching them so that they can be prepared for Saturday. Yesterday in church while we were in our class with the investigators and less active members, my companion announced the baptism for this Saturday and the Dad of Daniel got kind of mad and now is saying that he shouldn't get baptized yet. His dad is the young men's 1st counselor and his son is 13 years old and he won't let him get baptized! Both of the parents are members and they are just afraid that if he gets baptized young, he will go inactive later on in his life. They really don't understand. We have tried to explain about Joseph Smith and his revelation about getting baptized at 8 but they didn't care. We also taught about the importance of baptism but still, they didn't really care....The mom kind of wants him to get baptized this Saturday with his cousin, but the dad not as much. Annie will get baptized no matter what and her brother who got reactivated will baptize her! But Daniel, we aren't too sure. It's hard to find his dad and so we are gonna go by every night to find him and talk to him more. Daniel is really prepared and should have gotten baptized 5 years ago. He attends church every week and he learns really well!! We will see.

So my last companion who already finished his mission, Elder Santos, is coming up to Chiclayo for a few days and he is gonna stay with our pencionista and we live there as well! He is coming up Thursday to say hi to everyone before he goes to Utah in August because he is gonna go to BYU and so I will see him before I get back. He just needs to learn English haha but I'm excited to see him. Also this Wednesday is my companion's birthday and he turns 20 also. He has been a great companion so far and even though we argue sometimes, we always talk about what's bugging us and then we are like best friends again. So it's cool.

Well family, I have missed you guys this past week. I found myself saying the things that Dorothy used to say...I'm not in Utah anymore....

Yesterday was the worst. We went over to a less actives home whose name is Marietta. But she wasn't home but her 19 year old brother was across the street drinking with his friends. I have never met him before and he came up to us really drunk and explained that he was a member. He invited us into his home and we started to teach him a little and we got to know him a little bit more. The whole time I was just kind of nervous, looking out the door just in case his drunken friends came up to approach us, but they were across the street. We want to help him but he moves far away today. Anyway, during the lesson, just as I imagined, one of his friends walked up to the door and came into the lesson. This dude was about 20 years old and was waaayyy drunk and asked who we were and tried to take his friend away from the lesson. But less active said no. Then the drunken dude looked at me like he was gonna hit me and then left the house... After the lesson as we walked outside to leave...the same friend came up to us again but with a beer bottle in his hand and a cup in the other hand. He poured a glass and offered us it and told us to drink it. But politely we said no and so he got offended and threw the beer at us. But luckily he was too drunk to aim right and so it didn't hit us. Then we got away as soon as possible, so nothing happened haha. But that night as we were walking up, we passed about 20 parties. The parties here are all in the street and they always drink with loud music. Man I told my companion, I miss Utah. Things are a lot more dangerous here and it's pretty sketchy sometimes. I'm just thankful that we are protected and nothing ever happens. But yesterday night, I was super happy to get on my bed, safe and sound!

Well I love you guys. He loves you.

Elder Smith

Got a little dirty and cut up, spider bite, haka, and set 2 bapstism dates - all in a week's work!

Today we went to the beach as a zone and it was a lot of fun. We played a lot of little games and we ran around in the sand. Then we went to the pencionista of Pimentel and she made us chicken and potatoes. But the chicken was a little raw and so I hope I don't get too sick hahaha. 

I am so happy that your summer is going amazing and that you guys are doing the family history work. That is something that I want to get into to be honest when I get home and have more time to be able to see everything. I am so happy that you have temple work to do and I know that as a family we will be able to receive many blessings (: 

Well I have something to say that will make dad proud haha. So we have zone meetings every Tuesday after district meetings and we have decided to show a talent after each zone meeting and this week it was our turn to do it. My companion sang and I did not want to sing in front of everyone......so.....I DID THE HAKA!!!! Really I probably murdered it because I couldn't really remember the words so I just threw in some words at the parts I didn't really know but everyone was laughing so hard and they were like terrified at the same time! It was hilarious and a lot of fun. Now everyone wants me to keep doing it over and over again haha.

Also a funny story. This past Thursday night we were running late for an appointment and we really needed to hurry because we had a meeting with the mission president and the stake president and so we started to run to the appointment. I had this folder in my hand and to be funny I pretended that it was a gun and started to pretend to shoot my companion. I was a little turned to the side, looking at him, and running very fast...when...boom!! My foot tripped over a rock and I went falling down....hard!!! Hahaha I got dirt all over in my hair, on my shirt, pants and bag!!! It was pretty hilarious, even though it hurt! The worst thing was that I had a meeting with the presidents that night! I went a little dirty and cut up but we all just had a good laugh hahaha (:

Also another bad thing that happened to me, was that Friday morning I woke up with a huge spider bite on the right side of my bottom lip and it hurt so bad and it hurt to eat and talk but it's about gone now (: hahaha oh the mission.....

We are gonna have two baptisms for the 2nd of August! With a girl named Annie who is 11 years old. Her brother was less active but we were able to re activate him. Also with a boy named Daniel who is 13. The cool thing is that they are cousins and so they will be able to get baptized together (:

Dad, thanks for your thoughts about unselfishness being the key to all happy relationships. That is something I need to work on with my companions. It always helps just to be humble and serve them. Something I have learned is to love them no matter who they are. My comp and I get in some arguments here and there but I am really learning to be more humble with him and I try to help him. We really are working really hard and we try to be examples for the zone and we try to help them as much as possible. 

Dad!!! Happy Birthday!!!! I really wish that you have had an incredible day. You really deserve it. You have always been my number 1 hero and I look up to you a lot and I hope to be like you one day. Honestly. I have learned so much from you throughout my years and while I've been on my mission. I thank you for always providing for me and being by my side supporting me in everything. In sports, school, work, my life, and my mission. I really would love to call you so I could keep thanking you, but my time is short. Thank you for being an amazing example for our family and for always loving us no matter what. Heavenly Father will bless you. I love you Dad.

That is all. I love you! He loves you

Elder Smith

The gospel is true. I can feel it, I can see it, and I live it.

What a fantastic week to be honest.

 Man, Ryder has seriously grown so much! I am completely shocked! A pork salad from cafe rio sounds pretty good to me right now since we can't eat pork here. You are all lucky you got to eat that! I don't know if I ever told you but as missionaries we can't eat strawberries, pork, the water obviously, lettuce, and this raw fish dish that they have hear that is called ceviche. It's fish cooked in lime juice. 

That is sooo legit that Jordan was able to get that position as a coach. I bet he will soon work his way up to head coach, that would be really cool. He is really one of my role models in life and I am excited to see the Lord continuing to help him in his life!

What a fun summer that you guys are having! I'm pretty sure that it's hotter in Utah than it is over here because it's getting pretty cold, or I just forgot what cold is haha. I can't believe that BYU football is already starting again...I miss it sooo much. I'm kinda sick of playing and hearing about soccer, it's quite boring. I'm not that good at playing sports with my feet haha. I'm more hand-eye coordinated.

I wrote you guys just last Wednesday in the morning and a lot of amazing things happened since then. I can't even tell you the blessings that we have received here in our area. Wednesday in the afternoon we finally found the parents of Alexis to talk about him getting baptized since he is only 17 years old. At first we were kind of scared and nervous because his dad is kind of strict and intimidating. But we offered a prayer for guidance so that we could reach to his heart and explain about baptism and that it is a huge blessing for all of us to have. We talked to him all about the church and about a true baptism. We really taught with authority and I really felt that we were instruments in the hands of the Lord. At the end of the lesson, his dad really opened his heart to us and he gave permission so that Alexis could get baptized!!!!!!! He also wants us to come and teach him and his family. (:The family of Alexis came to his baptism and it was really amazing to see them there and they all gave him a big hug and we could see that they were really proud of them. I was happy that they supported him. I hope that we will be able to start working even more with them.

Right after that, we picked up Jenny to go to her baptism and she was seriously so happy. An Elder named Elder Noriega baptized her. He is the elder that I replaced because he got called to be an assistant and he found Jenny along with Elder Santos. It was really cool to have all of us there at her baptism to support her. Yesterday I had the opportunity to confirm her a member and give her the Holy Ghost. I have seriously learned so much and I have had so many spiritual experiences.

The family of Alexis came to his baptism on Saturday and it was really amazing to see them there and they all gave him a big hug and we could see that they were really proud of them. I was happy that they supported him. I hope that we will be able to start working even more with them.

I think that I forgot to mention that his best friend named Kevin baptized Alexis. It was pretty neat!

This past week as I went to the temple, I put the names of Alexis and Jenny in the temple. And Elder Chavez and I also fasted so that they could get baptized, and sure enough they both got baptized (: This area is so amazing and my companion and I get along great and we always teach and help each other. I have learned a lot from him.

We just got back from watching Ephraim's Rescue as a zone. Our zone is doing really well and Elder Chavez and I work really well as a companionship, we always try to focus on them and how we can help them. Even though we don't have as much time as we did as normal missionaries, we are still striving to work. The Lord has really helped us. I shared with the zone this past week that sometimes things don't go our way, and that we will meet people that will give up on the gospel, that will say that I don't want to listen anymore, but if we do our part as missionaries, the Lord will help us to meet other people. That is what happened to us with Flor. I thought she would get baptized for sure and suddenly she said that she wanted to go back to the catholic church. I was quite sad after that lesson, but I didn't let that get into my head and we kept working and suddenly, we had 2 baptisms. It was so amazing. My testimony of this gospel has grown so much. This past week I have contacted a lot of people that try to destroy my faith and that have said terrible things of Joseph Smith. But if they would just listen, not only to us, but the spirit more than anything, if they would only read the Book of Mormon, they would know it's true. I always say everyday, this gospel is true. It really is.

I am so thankful for our family. We always support each other in anything and we love each other, and we give counsel to each other because we understand each other. I feel that I have really grown up on my mission and my perspective of life has totally changed. I miss you all. The gospel is true. I can feel it, I can see it, and I live it. I love you, He loves you.

Elder Smith

P.S. Just a funny little note from my new mission president that made me feel good: "Great work, and keep it up. Many eyes are on you and your comp. you are a good man, and leader, you speak well, and know stuff! Thanks. President Wiliams