She felt the espiritu

July 21, 2014

Hey Guys!

So I just want to start this one off with a big shoutout to my cousin Shauna, who officially writes me more than any of my siblings, minus Mckay. Haha just teasing. Well this week has been another fast one, but oh my goodness so much has happened and I'm absolutely sure that I am going to forget something but oh well. ni modo. 

So remember when I said that our investigator said that she felt ready? We went to see her last monday and she said that during our last lesson she felt the espiritu and she knew that the restoration was true!!!! She has so much real intent and she waited so darn long for her answer and it came and she acted right away! On Tuesday we proposed a new baptismal date for Thursday and she accepted! So amazing! We had two days to plan a baptismal service. Well everything came together beautifully. It was such a spiritual service! The crazy thing is that her whole extended family was staying with her because her nephew got "baptized" on saturday. She was really nervous about it, but she knew she needed to do it! 

 After the service she shared her testimony. She said she knew that she didn't need to know everything, but that her faith will help her and now she can live with her Padre Celestial one day. It was so beautiful!!!! 

What else even happened. oh yeah! Today is transfers and guess what I'M STAYING!!!! I'm so happy. I didn't want to leave I feel like I have more work to do here. It is such a blessing!

Mucho amor,

Elder Smalley
p.s. my life is ruined. my companion has finally figured out where I am ticklish. pray for me please

Happy Happy Happy

I'm going to warn you all! This letter is probably going to be really short because this week really just got away from me. Time is going by SO DARN FAST I can't even tell you. Can you believe that a year ago I opened my call!

I am really happy today... just really happy! Despite a bunch of silly stuff, for example. Germany must have won the world cup, because everybody yesterday kept asking me if I was German. They keep congratulating me - AND investigator of ours kept calling me campeón (champion), instead of my real name. 

Then this morning my companion thought he'd get some more fun out of this, and made a german-stache with a pencil and scotch tape and chased me around the house for companionship study, haha. 

So, getting back to happy! I'm super happy because yesterday the ward finally gave callings or assignments to two of our recent converts. They other thing that happened yesterday day is that our investigator that's 18 finally said she feels ready! Only now she's scared about what her extended catholic family will say.  

I don't even know what else happened this week. it just went by really fast. and our numbers really don't look that good either. We just really need to find! So sorry that's about all that I got this week. Next week are transfers. I really hope I stay here!

Mucho amor!!!
Elder Smalley!

a perfect ending to a really hard week

Hola Familia!

Wow, did I say it was hot last week? Because that was nothing. I think people are letting us into their houses because they feel sorry for us, haha. This week has actually been super tough. I guess we just need to get better at finding more people to teach. That whole agency thing just kills me sometimes haha. 

The whole week, I have kept myself excited because we have one investigator that is really progressing. She's 18, and has SO MUCH real intent it is just so great. Well on Saturday she said she wanted to delay her baptismal date which was for the 12th. Things like that are tough, but the Lord gives me plenty of reasons to stay happy! We really didn't reach our goals, so there must be something that we need to change. Not sure what it is yet. 

On a better note, Sunday was AWESOME! I don't even know where to start. Our ward has really progressed since I got here. In our reunion de corelacion misional, we told our lider misional what we need the ward to do, and he took care of everything! Our recent convert received the priesthood yesterday without us having to get on their backs. He made sure the YSL representative (JAS in spanish) met our new investigator, and the rest of our investigators had a really good experience and felt really well received. 

Also, our new convert bore his testimony in priesthood and told of his conversion story. IT WAS SO POWERFUL! He said that the Book of Mormon was key, and he invited everyone that was investigating the church to read the Book of Mormon. IT WAS PERFECT. So there it was, a perfect ending to a really hard week. Also, we met a really awesome old man. he was a referral of a referral and he is like the greatest person ever. 

We had our first zone conference with the new mission president on the 4th of July! It was awesome, His words were perfect! It amazes me that he has been here for only a week and he already knew EXACTLY what to say. he really is an inspired man! good stuff!

I took only one picture this week. Mineve Campbell's family sent me Swedish fish so here's a big shout-out to the Campbell's!

Hyper Twins ... Like Joel???

Hey guys!
Wow this week has been a hot one. Very very hot ... so sure you're all tired of me saying that. haha. I was thinking about it. Exactly two years from today I tried out for MACS and Mckay totaled the car! haha. Also we went on youth conference that day.

Well I thought it was super cool to be in Mexico while the world cup is happening, until yesterday. When Mexico plays, there is no one in the streets, and you can hear the game from every house. and every time Mexico scores, you can hear the shouts from anywhere. Well Sunday was super tough because Mexico played Honduras at 9am so almost all of our investigators didn't want to come. We only had one investigator come to church yesterday. ONE. that's it. Mexico lost so they're out now and everybody was super sad. And that folks, is why we keep the Sabbath day holy!

I had a cool experience as we were riding the calafia back from a district meeting. One of the Hermanas [Sister Missionaries] wanted a picture of everyone in the calafia holding up one finger cause she just completed one month in the mission. She was to afraid so she asked me. I was afraid too but I did it anyway. I stood up, went to the front, and asked to take a picture of everyone. After that, I explained what we do as missionaries and shared my testimony of Jesus Christ and asked if there was anyone who wanted to know more. Nobody said yes but that's okay I guess.


So we got sick one night. I only got a little sick but my companion got it worse. We ate gorditas, but not just any gorditas. Gorditas de Chicharon. I'll let you look up what that is haha. lesson learned.


Saturday morning we, the hermanas, and the ward mission leader helped paint a members house. we had a super fun time. We laughed really hard at Elder Morgan's face in this picture hahahaha!

Well the Hermanas in our ward got the jackpot. they found two nine year old twins of a less active member. that's why it's a jackpot. I baptized one and the bishop baptized the other. they are super hyper - kinda like me as a nine year old, only two of them, haha! But it was a good service. 

well that just about wraps it up. Hope it's not too hot for you guys because I'm burning up right now.

love yall!
Elder Smalley