what an AWESOME weekend

Hello family!

Oh what an AWESOME weekend we had!!! Let me tell you why. Okay first of all I’m an idiot and realized I didnt tell you.. like a month ago during our Christmas Mission Conference they announced the visit of an apostle, Elder M. Russell Ballard. Weeks passed by where I forgot to tell you about it, and it happened on Saturday!! It was totally awesome. Elder Ballard came with Elder Jay Jensen of the Seventy and our Area President, Elder Don Clark. They came to visit our mission and the Honduras, Tegucigalpa Mission. We traveled to Tegucigalpa on Saturday at 5 in the morning for the conference at 9. (yes, we’re only an hour away, but i’m glad we got there on time!) Anyway it was so beautiful and the Spirit helped me learned some things that I know will make these last 6 months of my mission the best. I’m so grateful for the inspiration of that servant of God and for the chance I had to see him in person. (and on the second row, no less!) It was definitely a spiritual feast and gave me a great new energy to keep working.

Something that he said i wanted to share with you... he said, ´´As long as I can remember we’ve been telling the members to do member missionary work. We keep saying it and saying it but it just doesnt seem to sink in. But based on the scriptures we know that dying can’t even get you away from your responsibility!¨ (then he goes on to cite scriptures about preaching in the spirit world, etc. ) anyway that is a VERYYYY summarized version of what he said... (just made it up really and put quotes).. but the idea he gave. I really liked it. Its so true though, lets break that thought all the general authorities have of the members and DO the member missionary work. Please! Get involved by leaving with the missionaries, giving away Ensigns, give away pamphlets and give service to get involved with neighbors! I know its hard, but its so essential.. its part of the baptismal covenant we made. Every little thing helps (Alma 37:6 and Hebrews 10: 6... i think. ) haha. Okay that’s my soap box...

Funnies

1. The other day we were teaching a lesson and in the middle of our sentence the lady stands up to do something... she stood up, reached over my head and pushed a chicken down from the cupboard so that it wouldnt fall on my head when i wasn’t watching. Hahahaha only here. MLIAIH

2. So i dont say this to scare any of you (mom...) but seeing a drunk guy here is NOT uncommon. Including we went to the house of this lady who just got baptized (more on that in 2 seconds). I asked the kid where his mom was.. wasnt there. Then i looked in the house and noticed this guy sleeping on a chair. I asked who it was and he goes ¨oh, just some drunk guy.¨ like it was no big deal. Turns out it was somebody they knew, but she still just left her 3 kids in the house by themselves.. with a drunk man. Hahaha not because she’s irresponsible but because they knew it was normal. And i dont think he’d be a danger because he was so wasted that 2 seconds later he fell of the chair, on top of a bike, and didnt even wake up. Hahahahah it was so funny i’m still laughing about it. Haha. MLIAIH

So back to the spiritual.. we had 2 baptisms this weekend. Vanessa, and her son Alex. She is the most amazing person ever. I actually found her in October and started teaching her once in a while, but it was hard to find her. Then when Hermana Cutler came we taught her a few more times but she wasn’t really progressing that much. But then one time we found her and taught her a lesson about love that she really needed to hear (after a few inspired questions) and she opened up a lot and we found out how to help her. Then next week we went by, thinking that just MAYBE she would have read her Book of Mormon. When we got there she was SO excited to see us. We asked her how it went and she just had this HUGE grin, and practically started laughing. She told us that she read it, prayed, and from that moment couldnt stop thinking about the church... she was SO excited to go that Sunday. (now that i think about it i may have told you this before... sorry,) anyway ever since then she’s gained a huge testimony of the truth and really repented and made her baptism a huge chance for her. She is so incredible. I have SO many stories about her, but no time. Anyway just one more thing.. during her son’s confirmation yesterday he was blessed to prepare to go a on a mission and she was so touched when I looked up she was crying. I just know it was a special moment for her. She’s so awesome.

Anyway, well time just ran out fast. But i love you all so much! Thanks for the support, always! Keep praying hard!

Love, Hermana Smith