August 23, 2010

Hey family,

Wow, time is going fast. It is insane how fast it is going. I really noticed it in church. But that is how it is. Well it sounds like you all had a good week. Sounds like you all had fun doing yardwork and being in the heat. Sounds like fun.

So everyone has started school again. Is Brady going to go to school? I can imagine that it is pretty hard. That is horrible. I still can´t believe he broke his femer. Poor kid. Well I guess he wont be doing much when I get home.

That is retarded that those kids screwed up the front of the church. Kids do stupid things everywhere not just there. The good thing is that there people are scared of the cops. Here no one is scared to get caught because the police doesn´t do anything. I have seen kids doing grafiti when a police man drove by. It is crazy but true. Lets just hope it doesn´t happen again.

That is awesome that a General Authority is coming to our stake. I get home right in time for it. I am excited to see who it is. If I had a choice I would hope that Elder Holland came. He is so awesome, he talks so well. We´ll just have to see. It looks like I will have a little time to prepare my talk now. By the way has anyone told you on what I need to talk about? I´ll figure something out.

That is sweet that Bryce is the ward representative. Hopefully he does a good job. We´ll help him get into shape. I have to get into a workout routine anyways when I get home. I´ll have some time to go running and maybe go to a gym. I want to lose some more weight. 30 pounds is good but I want to loose a little bit more. You´ll have to help me out.

I really respect President Ostler. I finally got the letter from him. He really seems like he cares for the RM´s and wants to help us out. He told me some of the things that I am going to have to do when I get home. A lot of what he said President Lindahl told us just an hour before I opened the letter. President wants a copy of it. But it was a very nice letter.

Well, I guess now a little about my week. We had a really good week this week. A lot happened. On Friday we had zone conference. My last one and I am willing to say the best ones that I had. President talked about doing the little things in like good so that you can have a good life. He talked a lot about how he became so rich. (sounds weird). But he told us all the little things he did to help him out. All the little things he learned in his mission. He really wants us to have a good succesful life. He told me that he might buy a house in Gilbert and said we can drink some orange juice out on porch after the mission. He is a great guy. Sister lindahl had a great talk about how Satan messes with our minds. It was really a good confernce. Just a shame that it was my last. This week has been good but also I have really relized that my mission is about done. It is really sad. I look at all the things I am doing right now and I am going to miss it so much. It is a really weird feeling. It is kind of the feeling when I was getting ready to go on a mission. Sad I was leaving the life I had, scared for what was coming, excited for what was coming and having no idea what I was going to be doing. Well It is the same now. I am sad I am leaving the mission life, argentina, the people i have come to love behind. But at the same time I am excited and scared for the life I will be having. It is a happy/sad feeling. Just have to try my hardest. I have 3 weeks to give it all I have before I go home.

This week we had 2 baptisms. Matilde and Soledad Recabarren. They are a really cool mom and daughter. They had to fight for it too. The husband at first did not like us at all. But with time and showing him the blessings from the church he let them get baptized. It was one of the best baptismal services I have had. The water was nice and warm, there were a couple of members but most importantly they and us felt the spirit. It was wonderful. It really hit me that night, the sad part of leaving behind the people I love and the missionary work. I hope it is not my last baptism but it might be. We have some people but they have to get married. I am going to miss the work a lot.

We ate lunch with the stake presdient. President Noriega. He is so awesome. He always has the spirit so strongly and he helps us out a ton. I want to live my life so that I can be someone like the leaders I have now. President Lindahl, Noriega and Ostler. They are such great examples and I need to strive to be a good person like them.

We really had such a great week. A lot of people went to church and it was a great meeting.

I love you all so much.

Have a good week.

Love Elder Smith


ps. mom, i got my flight plans and you should have gotten them too. if not tell me next week and i will send them to you. Could you just put some extra money of my card for when i am traveling and if i need to buy some more stuff to take home. i dont know what to buy, but I want to buy some stuff that i want to remember argentina with. thanks mom, i love you. time is coming down to the wire. I got to get one things. love you, elder smith