tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66180142454610539242024-03-13T04:43:45.202-07:00Marvelous Mexican Missionary Moments The Marvelous Mexican Missionary Moments of Elder Christopher Joel SmalleyDebbie Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13389203271331818564noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-72595672384070037812015-10-21T22:32:00.003-07:002015-10-25T19:26:17.876-07:00See yall in a week!<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">October 19,2015</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hey there family!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXsb5AaXar0/Vih0MEGZreI/AAAAAAAAD6U/WlpEaQ-ZR1U/s1600/DSC01378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXsb5AaXar0/Vih0MEGZreI/AAAAAAAAD6U/WlpEaQ-ZR1U/s200/DSC01378.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 107%;">so on Monday we visited Cristina and her family.
She t</span><span class="aqj" style="font-family: inherit;">alked a</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">bout how</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 107%;"> <span style="background: white;">happy she was and how good she felt. We invited her<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="aqj"><span style="z-index: -1;"><span data-term="goog_579046565" style="z-index: 0;" tabindex="0">family t</span></span></span>o get</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">baptized again. Delia said that she still wasn't ready and then turned</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">to look at her other daughter Karla. Karla doesn't say
very much and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">is kinda shy.
Delia said that she didn't think Karla wanted to either</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">but Karla just looks up and said "<a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/ya%20me%20quiero%20bautizar" target="_blank">ya me quierobautizar</a>" WHAT! We were</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">all
a little bit<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="aqj" style="font-family: inherit;">surprise</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">d. She said that she felt that it was </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">something she should do. For the first time, she
agreed to pray in</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">front of
us! What an amazing experience!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pp_Y-tGP2Ak/Vih0JxueC7I/AAAAAAAAD6E/iCDMK8IRtPg/s1600/DSC01357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pp_Y-tGP2Ak/Vih0JxueC7I/AAAAAAAAD6E/iCDMK8IRtPg/s400/DSC01357.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">Tuesday
nothing really happened. Wednesday GRACIELA GOT MARRIED!!!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> T</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">hursday we did both interviews and I almost killed
Elder Huie because</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">I got lost
in sauzal at night and I had no idea where we were and then</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">I realized that we were in a cemetery. oops! F</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">riday
was the baptism and everything went well. A really great</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">service! We stayed the night in the zone leaders house.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">Saturday, oh my goodness, we woke up at 4 to get ready. At 6 the bus</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">was supposed to pass by the stake center. It finally
got there at 7.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> T</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">hen the
driver took us to the wrong part of Tijuana. Literally</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. We
finally showed</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">up. We walked
in literally seconds before Elder Holland walked in.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">S</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">peaking of, ELDER HOLLAND IS AMAZING! It was amazing! He is seriously</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">the funniest
person! He came down off the pulpit and said "I'm gonna</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">talk<span style="font-family: inherit;"> down here so I can be with you...and scare the
living daylights</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">out of
you!" as he grasped the face and neck of a sister in the front</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">row. haha! </span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">He started talking about how much he
loved his mission</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">and how
much he always talked about it. Then, in his voice of</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">thunder that only Elder Holland has, shouted "I
want you to talk about</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">your
mission for the rest of your life"! he went on saying that he</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">goes absolutely ballistic when he hears of returned
missionaries that</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">go
inactive. He said that on a mission there are lots of variables</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">that affect how many converts we have, but we need to
come home with</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">at least one:
ourselves. It was unreal. I actually got to hear his</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">voice! My prayers were answered perfectly with what he
said. I loved</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">every single
minute! </span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">On the way back to Ensenada, Elder Hesterman and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">I talked about all the good times we had in the MTC
and things that</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">exist in the
US that we had forgotten about, like dishwashers and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">chick-fil-a.</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LlM-JQxnpYg/Vih0LCZb4iI/AAAAAAAAD6A/nSMMA3dlGIE/s1600/DSC01359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LlM-JQxnpYg/Vih0LCZb4iI/AAAAAAAAD6A/nSMMA3dlGIE/s200/DSC01359.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">I cannot
even believe that this is the last email. It makes me sad to</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">think that such an amzing part of my life (the
greatest part of my</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">life) is
shortly going to be over. I truely love this work! it has</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: inherit;">been a great blessing!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">see yall in a week!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">mucho amor, Elder Smalley!</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-29973251297475199222015-10-18T22:27:00.001-07:002015-10-18T22:27:28.613-07:00What would have happened if I had just given up?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oct 12, 2015 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">Hello Family!</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It sure has been a fantastic week!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">First off, Cristina got baptized! I cannot eve
tell you how amazing she is. She is going to do great things! Her Mom and
sister have been</span> <span style="background: white;">super supportive,
but I am not really sure what else they need to join</span> <span style="background: white;">Cristina! Everyone keeps telling us that they are both
ready as well.</span> <span style="background: white;">So we are going to
keep working on that. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The baptism was going to be</span></span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">at 7 on Saturday, but these
darn rehearsals for the temple celebration</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">are </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2qAsFfoY9tI/ViR_AL6Mv0I/AAAAAAAAD3A/ttGuu-LFKio/s1600/DSCN6437%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2qAsFfoY9tI/ViR_AL6Mv0I/AAAAAAAAD3A/ttGuu-LFKio/s320/DSCN6437%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">getting in the way! The youth are practicing 10 hours a week. We</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">barely had time to even visit them! I was getting
worried that</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Cristina wasn’t going
to be baptized not because she wasn’t ready, but</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">because we couldn’t find a time! We finally decided it
would be</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Saturday at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="aqj">4:30</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>right before the rehearsal in the Valle
Dorado</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">building, which is on the
other side of the city. (I don’t know if</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I've mentioned it, but we don’t have a font in our building because it's</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">just a casa de oracion.) Well, the font leaked, and
when we got there</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">the font was less
than half way full and the water was freezing cold.</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">But everything turned out alright in the end because
all the youth from</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">the stake were
there to support her!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">This week has really just been such a blessing.
It has been incredible</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">how the
spirit has guided us to where we needed to be. I also had a really trying experience.
I got sick again. I was up all night</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">and
when morning came, I didn’t have ganas to do anything! I was so</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">tired and my whole body felt weak. My mind was begging
me to go back</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">to bed. I really
really really wanted to just lay down and do nothing</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">but I felt so strongly that I should not. All through
studies, I was SOO</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">tired. Then the
greatest miracle happened, we left the house and it</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">was like nothing had ever happened. I still felt weak,
but I had just</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">enough strength to
keep working! It was incredible. At the end of the</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">day, I thought about what would have happened if I had
just given up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Don’t worry mom, this time it was my fault for
getting sick. i really</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">need to check
the expiration dates before I eat things... haha! Well I think that is all I
can remember for right now. Hope you</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">have
a great week! Oh, guess what! This Saturday, ELDER HOLLAND is</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">coming to Tijuana! We are going to have a special
conference with him!</span><br />
<br />
</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Love you all! Elder Smalley</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-52739389696525343772015-10-18T22:27:00.000-07:002015-10-18T22:27:13.674-07:00I really tried to change that, and not complain<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oct 5, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">Hello Familia!</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">This had to have been the fastest week of my
life! So many just</span> <span style="background: white;">amazing things
have happened. Where to even start.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">So we have the greatest investigators ever, but
one of them is</span> <span style="background: white;">Graciela. She has
wanted to get baptized for so long and it looks like</span> <span style="background: white;">she is finally going to be able to get married this
week! I wish I</span> <span style="background: white;">could tell you just
how many small miracles we have seen on the way!</span> <span style="background: white;">Also This week Cristina is getting baptized. She is
Delia's daughter.</span> <span style="background: white;">We were a little
worried about her because she still seemed a little</span> <span style="background: white;">unsure. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">Well zone leaders asked us
to participate in a fast of all the</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"> <span style="background: white;">missionaries in Ensenada for our investigators. But
here's the thing,</span> <span style="background: white;">I really have not
been able to see the blessings of fasting because I</span> <span style="background: white;">will do it, but I just complain about how hungry I am
the whole time.</span> <span style="background: white;">Well this week I
really tried to change that, and not complain. What a</span> <span style="background: white;">drastic difference! I felt the spirit so strongly
during those 24</span> <span style="background: white;">hours! But the fast
was during a ward activity and</span> <span style="background: white;">there
was LOTS of food haha. At the activity, we talked with Cristina</span> <span style="background: white;">and she said she had come to know for herself that the
Book of Mormon was true and that Joseph Smith</span> <span style="background: white;">was a prophet of God and that she really wanted to get
baptized!! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">When</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"> <span style="background: white;">we went to visit them
yesterday her mom started explaining that she</span> <span style="background: white;">wanted to get baptized in the last church they went to
and she</span> <span style="background: white;">wouldn't let her. My heart
sunk. But then she said that if she wanted</span> <span style="background: white;">to get baptized, she would allow it! I know that Cristina's example</span> <span style="background: white;">will bless that whole family! They LOVED conference,
and Cristina and</span> <span style="background: white;">her Sister Karla go
to seminary every morning!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Friday was my last zone conference. It was super
spiritual. The two</span> <span style="background: white;">other Elders that
were there from my generation were Elder Hesterman</span> <span style="background: white;">and Elder Cerhde. It was super special because us
three were in the</span> <span style="background: white;">same zone
conference when we first arrived and shared our testimonies</span> <span style="background: white;">and now we are going to finish together!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Oh my goodness conference was amazing! i wrote a
very specific</span> <span style="background: white;">question down before
conference started, and it was just like every</span> <span style="background: white;">single person got up and gave their talk just to
answer Elder</span> <span style="background: white;">Smalley's question
specifically! The spirit was just so strong! I am</span> <span style="background: white;">so grateful for their inspired words! I just felt so
much peace and i</span> <span style="background: white;">felt the calm assurance
that Heavenly Father has given we everything I</span> <span style="background: white;">need to keep moving forward! I just really love this!
I love this</span> <span style="background: white;">sweet work!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Well I hope you all have an amazing week! Take
care! Love you all!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Elder Smalley!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">p.s. Mom I was amused with your story about cold
showers [while the hot water heater was being replace]. Haha, I don't think you
would appreciate living in Mexico.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-508148712869051292015-10-04T17:55:00.002-07:002015-10-04T17:57:13.246-07:00She felt the same peace in the temple<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Sept 28, 2015</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hello there Familia!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This week sure has been magnificent. This work just brings so much </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">joy! Last week I remember talking about how my personal testimony of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the Book of Mormon has grown, but this week, I got to see the power of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the Book of Mormon in other people's lives. It's amazing how that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">works, isn't it? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We are still working with Delia. She is hesitant to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">commit to being baptized, but her 16 year old </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">daughter has committed to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">a date and we really excited for her. She has been getting up every </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">day to go to seminary and the whole family is actively participating in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the church activities and programs. Well Delia has really started to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">read the Book of Mormon diligently and it shows! She is more receptive </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">and more excited to learn every time. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We had another interesting </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">experience with the Book of Mormon with Amparo. I'm not sure if I've </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">told you guys about her yet, but we found her in a really amazing way </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">and everything was going really well until she visited another church </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">and decided to go there. We decided to read the Book of Mormon with </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">her. I was hoping it would testify to her of the restoration. We read </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Alma 36. After we finished she said that no passage of scripture had </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ever impacted her as much as that. It was a really spiritual </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">experience. It didn't exactly end up how we wanted to, but it was just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">one more testimony for me of the power of the Book of Mormon. It </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">brought the spirit so strongly, but I guess it is still up to each one </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">of us and our agency.</span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUy8ryPk2dw/VhHKP7XjzdI/AAAAAAAAD0E/VXU8BTx_P0k/s1600/DSCN6390%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUy8ryPk2dw/VhHKP7XjzdI/AAAAAAAAD0E/VXU8BTx_P0k/s320/DSCN6390%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Oh yeah one more: we were teaching the familia Mar, just an amazing </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">family in the ward. We asked them about what they were learning in the B</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ook of Mormon and the both responded so profoundly, but i loved Hermano </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Mar's response. he said that as he was reading <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Nefi</a> again, he </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">realized just how "justified" Laman and Lemuel were in their </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">murmuring! They had to go through a lot, and they had to try again and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">again when it hadn't worked the first time. That's when i realized </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">that i am not that different from them. A pretty humbling thought!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">So this weekend Kimberly went to the temple in <a href="https://www.lds.org/church/temples/hermosillo-sonora-mexico?lang=eng" target="_blank">Hermosillo</a>! she was </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">asked to share her testimony in sacrament meeting and she said that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">she felt the same peace in the temple that she felt when she was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">baptized! it was perfect because of all the investigators that were </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">there! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Speaking of the temple, we have invitations that we are supposed </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">to give out for the open house. I have really enjoyed it. People get </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">really interested when we invite them and then we tell them it's in</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Tijuana and they either burst out laughing or just look at us strange. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Kinda a far trip but I like inviting everyone. It definately sparks </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">their interest!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We had interviews this week. Pretty good!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">well I love you all so much,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Elder Smalley</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-1095176987559835092015-10-04T17:53:00.000-07:002015-10-04T17:53:02.115-07:00The Lord put people in our path<div style="text-align: right;">
September 21, 2015</div>
Hello Family!<br />
<br />
wow this week has just been great, real great and I am so sorry I don't remember what I have done all week! I just feel like my testimony has been strengthened so much, in so many areas! First of all the Book of Mormon. I just cannot deny that that is an inspired book and Heavenly Father has given it to us to help us endure in these last days. The teachings are just priceless and exactly what we need!<br />
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Well Elder Hernandez [new companion] is really great. He is really good at talking to people and just a really good missionary for how much time he has! We have been able to meet some awesome people. And as always, i am just amazed at how the Lord put people in our path! Saturday night we met Miguel looking for another investigators and he came to church the next day! It was his first day living in Ensenada and he is just super cool! We have seen a lot of miracles and progress in all of our<br />
investigators it has just been really great!<br />
<br />
I really do love this work! I love the gospel! I heard a suggestion that before we take the sacrament we should review the baptismal interview questions to make sure we are ready to renew our covenants and question 3 struck me a lot. How amazing is it that we have an accurate understand of what true repentance is. It is not just a feeling it is an action. It made me think: have I really done everything I can to restitute my actions? hmm Sometimes I look at repentance as this hard and unfavorable process, but it really isnt that way at all! It is a joyful process! In fact, it is what brings us REAL joy!<br />
<br />
well I really apologize that this is short again! Just know that I love you all so much!<br />
<br />
Elder SmalleyJonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-63120759269074711612015-09-19T21:52:00.004-07:002015-09-19T21:52:56.031-07:00WHAT? NO, NO. NO!<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Sept 14, 2015</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello Familia!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The title of this was how I reacted Saturday </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">night when I got </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the call with the transfers. It wasn't the transfers, just the fact </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">that they had crawled up on me. I am officially on my last transfer. U</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">nreal. I think I just expected the mission to last forever. This is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">not even funny anymore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well Elder Argueta left to Mexicali and I am here with Elder Hernandez </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">from Veracruz. He has 4 months in the mission and is officially my </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">last companion, which reminds me. SISTER CAMPBELL THIS IS THE FINAL </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">COUNT! 17 transfers, 5 areas, and 9 companions. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Last monday the zone leaders took us to a place here in Ensenada where </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">they make the glass windows for the temples. There are currently </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">working on the Paris temple, and let me tell you, they are going ALL </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">OUT! pretty cool!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well I am just so happy! The Mexico City temple was rededicated </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">yesterday and the session was so spiritual! I have missed the temple </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">so much! I loved it! also the celebration was so good! It was really</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">amazing because Delia and her daughters came and it was centered </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">perfectly on faith and the <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng" target="_blank">Book of Mormon</a>!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Okay so in the bus station Elder Cerde saw me and said that I look </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">really skinny! What? Okay, its the whole Ensenada thing. My stomach </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">has been holding up like a tank my whole mission, but recently I have </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">been getting sick a lot. It is really teaching me to give everything I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">have.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I wish I could tell you more, but I just dont have time today! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley!</span></span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-87391043201189326992015-09-07T22:09:00.001-07:002015-09-07T22:09:02.313-07:00"You still work with lots of animo"<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello there family!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I would like to start of with a quote of the week. A new bishop was </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">just barely called and I was talking to him while waiting to get my </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">special recommend for the temple dedication. I told him that I was </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">going home next month and he said something like "really? I would have </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">never guessed that you are about to finish your mission. I wouldn't </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">give you more than a year" I was kinda hurt and offended until he </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">explained further. "because you still work with lots of animo" umm </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I think that was a compliment, but I'm not sure haha. [animo = valor, courage, zest]</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This week sure has been such a blessing. We talked as a district </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">about how we need to change because of Elder Pipers visit. Here's the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">thing, in the last year we have baptized enough to have 2 new stakes, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">yet the attendance every week is barely increasing. We really need to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">make sure that we are not just getting people to the waters of </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">baptism, but really teaching in a way that these sons and daughters of </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">God will be converted! We have really tried to adapt our teaching </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">method, to really let the spirit be the teacher and not to impose our </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">will on them when we invite commitments. It really has worked really </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">well! One thing that Elder Piper said that really impacted me is that </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">we should only speak when the spirit AUTHORIZES us to speak. haha i am </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">learning to do a lot less of the talking.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I have also learned a pretty profound lesson this week. This whole </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">transfer, I have been trying to help my companion the best I can. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Every morning, we had been studying a part of chapter 10 of <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service?lang=eng" target="_blank">PMG</a> and</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">practicing and re-practicing and I was just not seeing improvement. I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">was starting to really wonder what else I could do to help him out.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well this week i was able to realize that before going to chapter 10, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">we need to go back and spend a little bit more time on chapter 3. So I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">learned a profound lesson this week - to not be so stuck on doing things </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"my way"! I had a similar experience a few weeks ago. As missionaries </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">we use the formal "<a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/usted" target="_blank">usted</a>" form instead of speaking in the familiar "tu" form. Well he was </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">always speaking in tu and i kept reminding him to speak in usted but </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">he just kept speaking in tu all the time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnCm3xWLM48/Ve5tF44zBLI/AAAAAAAADrc/DZQfz28OaAQ/s1600/DSCN6257%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnCm3xWLM48/Ve5tF44zBLI/AAAAAAAADrc/DZQfz28OaAQ/s320/DSCN6257%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I finally found out that he </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">never even learned that </span><span style="color: #222222;">conjugation</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">! So there I was getting </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">frustrated over something I didn't need to be. Now that i understand </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">the real problem and am able to help, we are seeing some real progress </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">:)</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Kimberly got baptized! What a great service! I love this ward! they </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">are so supportive! A</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">lso a Hermana bought me a new pair of shoes. She noticed how </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">worn out my mr. mac ones are that dad and I bought 3 years ago. they </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">are the only ones that have held up, but i was starting to get </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">worried. haha a nice thought. They are size 11.5 though haha so they are </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">huge, but very needed! </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">love you all! have a great week!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley</span></span><br />
Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-2415301076849505222015-08-31T21:04:00.001-07:002015-08-31T21:10:19.888-07:00needless to say many prayers on her behalf have been answered<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello family!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well I sure did have a great week! I dont even know where to start!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">On Friday Elder Piper of the seventy and Mexico Area Presidency came to E</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">nsenada on a mission tour. It was amazing! That morning, I was feel a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">little frustrated because of everything that was going on and I hoped </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">and prayed that what I learned would be able to help me...and it sure </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">has! Our leaders are such inspired men! One of my favorite things he </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">said is that we need to change the way we do things now that the work </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">is hastening if we don't want to only achieve the same results! I loved</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">it! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">That day all the missionary leaders had to be at another meeting </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">with him at 7 so I spent the day on special exchanges with Elder </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Sowards. He is from my generation but I haven't really gotten to know</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">him until know but we had a lot of fun! One of Elder Piper's main </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">focuses is letting the spirit be the real teacher and letting people </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">be the agents. It was amazing how he was able to teach us in such a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">powerful way! I hope that I can apply it all! Overall, my testimony of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Christ's restored church has been strengthened this week.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well yesterday in church I sang, gave a talk, and taught 3rd hour!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> They asked me to speak about how we can be better members, which</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> is a pretty wide subject. After thinking about it, I decided to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">base it on the Apostle Paul's teaching in Romans, because it really teaches </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">how we as saints should be! I focused on <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/rom/15.1?lang=eng" target="_blank">Romanos 15:1</a>. It is so </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">important that we find a way to help others became strong in the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">gospel instead of letting them fall away. If we notice that somebody </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">needs help, we need to HELP them! haha Not sure I got my point across, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">but I enjoyed studying it. Also, I sang. Yikes. Can I just say that my </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">whole mission, some force has been trying to make me not sing. in the MTC</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, after begging my whole district for 5 weeks, someone finally </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">agreed to come with me to be in the choir. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Too many people had shown </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">up and we were dismissed. then last Christmas I got put in the mission</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Christmas choir and then got transferred to Mexicali so i couldn't be in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">it. hmm. so I don't know. One last thing. You can let Georgia know that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I am signed up again for when I get home because I have gotten pretty </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">horrible. haha.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We met a really cool new investigator named Amparo. She had a a really </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">deep question the first time we went with her and we were able to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">answer it simply with the doctrine of the plan of salvation. It was </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">an amazing experience for all 3 of us . We saw her hope in Christ increase </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">immediately! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ALSO Kimberly got permission to get baptized this week! I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">am so proud of her! She stood up to her dad and told him that she was </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">going to get baptized this Saturday. Amazing! And to think that when I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">was her age, my parents were still dragging me...needless to say many </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">prayers on her behalf have been answered.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Oh! We actually had water this week after almost 2 weeks without it! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Thank goodness that summer is almost over and all the american </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">tourists are finally starting to leave and letting us have the water. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It comes and goes every day. W</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ell I'm gonna go. Love you all so much! Hope you have an amazing week!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley!</span></span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-63665593454531250972015-08-25T06:00:00.000-07:002015-08-25T06:00:02.591-07:00The future is still looking pretty bright<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">August 24, 2015</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hello there Familia!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Wow, literally everything has changed in just one week! But it has all </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">been a joy. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">On Tuesday, t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">hey announced a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">mission fast this week for all the baptismal dates of August, because </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">if all those who have set dates are baptized, we as a mission will break the record. So </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">we have all been really excited about it. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3YXcbE8BOyM/Vdv7CcU79xI/AAAAAAAADoI/3t1aJ-49hyY/s1600/DSCN6159%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3YXcbE8BOyM/Vdv7CcU79xI/AAAAAAAADoI/3t1aJ-49hyY/s320/DSCN6159%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Everything was going really </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">well until Thursday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Esteban passed the </span>interview<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">we were filling out his baptismal record and then ... he </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">refused to sign it! What? It was the strangest thing. We tried to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">explain the purpose to it, but he wouldn't even listen, and refused to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">sign it. I was extremely confused. Well the zone leaders said that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">they wanted to come and talk to him the next day.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We prayed all </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">morning that it would go well. I was reminded of Hermana Smalley's </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">super awesome baptism story and I knew that we would be able to know </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">what to do and say and then .... it went awful. It could not have gone </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">any worse. We tied to peacefully explain the purpose of the church </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">having records and he wouldn't have it. He started yelling promising </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">that he would never sign the paper and just saying the craziest stuff </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ever. okay. so that was that. I was super confused. Why did that just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">happen? I didn't even know what to think. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I felt the strongest </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">impression that I shouldn't let it get me down and that I should just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">keep working, which we did. Then next morning, I read <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/8?lang=eng" target="_blank">Alma 8</a>. Can I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">just say that Alma 8 is like seriously the best chapter ever? Alma is, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">has been, and will always be my hero, but when I read <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/8.10?lang=eng#9" target="_blank">verse 10</a>, I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">remembered that Alma did everything he could to help the people, but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ultimately, it was up to them. That doesn't mean that he was a failure. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">In that moment I realized that it wasn't anything that I had done, or </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">that God wasn't punishing me. I honestly still don't know what to think </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">of it all, but I hope and pray that I can be like Alma, and respond immediately </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">when the Lord calls me back to work. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PpG66cdPtLs/Vdv68_SafgI/AAAAAAAADoA/m4Fl28X1nn4/s1600/DSCN6165%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PpG66cdPtLs/Vdv68_SafgI/AAAAAAAADoA/m4Fl28X1nn4/s320/DSCN6165%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">O</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">kay, now that i have that one out of the way, Kimberly isn't </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">getting baptized this month either. Her dad said it was too soon, so </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">we are still waiting to see with that one. Even with all this, I still </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">just feel so happy. Working hard is so hard, but it is so fulfilling, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">and it just makes me so happy. I have no idea how, but 9 investigators </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">came to church yesterday, including Delia and her daughters so the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">future is still looking pretty bright.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh! I got my new temple </span>recommend<span style="font-family: inherit;"> this week! Yep, pretty exciting! W</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ell I just feel so blessed. Every day I feel a deeper understanding </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">of God's love for his children. I know that this work is not easy, but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">it brings so much joy! Yesterday I had a major breakdown when I was </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">talking to the zone leaders on the phone. I realized how much time I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">have left. Oh how I wish I had more time but I guess I'll have to make </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the most of it because they won't let me extend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">LOVE YOU ALL! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">PS. last night a family brought us a cake! members are awesome!</span></span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-54491264575660419432015-08-23T21:09:00.002-07:002015-08-23T21:18:28.924-07:00If you want different results, do not do the same<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">August 17, 2015</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hello Familia!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVdKBCrX90Y/VdqRNm_CEgI/AAAAAAAADl8/GFQocVVzF5k/s1600/DSCN6129%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVdKBCrX90Y/VdqRNm_CEgI/AAAAAAAADl8/GFQocVVzF5k/s200/DSCN6129%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What a marvelous week it has been! Okay so last week I reported </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">probably the worst numbers I have ever reported </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">on my mission, and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">this week has been a complete change! Time has just flown by!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Well on Tuesday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">we had a zone meeting and we decided to put new </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">baptismal goals for <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/agosto%20y%20spetiembre" target="_blank">agosto y spetiembre</a>. An investigator has to go to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">church 5 times before he can get baptised, and we basically had nobody </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">to get baptized this month in Universidad so I was wondering how we </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">were ever going to be able to help the zone out. Well directly after </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">that I went to the zone leaders area on exchanges, and I learned a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ton! I was reminded of how faith and diligence work together to make </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">miracles happen! Well so after that, Elder Argueta and i left Wednesday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">morning and came back that night with 6 new baptismal dates, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">two of them being for August! It was crazy! we just saw miracles all </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">day long! The first one</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MgMO6CJS4Io/VdqQ9ppR48I/AAAAAAAADlk/-9DJtBxAr8o/s1600/DSCN6115%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MgMO6CJS4Io/VdqQ9ppR48I/AAAAAAAADlk/-9DJtBxAr8o/s200/DSCN6115%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">was with kimberly. She is 15 and has gone to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">church with her mom all her life. Her dad wouldn't let her get </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">baptized. Well this week her dad finally gave her permission! Then </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">there was Esteban. He was going to get baptized a while back, but he </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">was going to need to d have to repent of a couple things first and he </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">wasn't willing to go through the process, so he just kept going to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">church. Well we went and talked with him. He finally agreed to do what </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">was necessary and then we realized that he hadn't actually done what </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">they thought he had done! Not sure to call that a miracle or what but </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">the Lord is definitely putting the way for us to meet our zone goal! So </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">they both have <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/fechas" target="_blank">fechas </a>for this month.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">the amazing ensenada food</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We also met a woman named Delia. We were looking for someone else, but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">when she saw us she told us to come and teach her. wow. we met her and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">her two teenage daughters and they are awesome. they came to church</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">yesterday. You wanna know the best part? Delia is a baptized <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/TESTIGO%20DE%20JEHOVA" target="_blank">TESTIGO </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/TESTIGO%20DE%20JEHOVA" target="_blank">DE JEHOVA</a>! That is SO cool! She knows the bible like extremely well </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">which is awesome but has really been challenging. She says that she is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">looking for a church that goes exactly along with what the bible says, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">which makes me really grateful that this is the true church! I am </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">seeing the promises of Doctrine and Covenants come to life as we teach </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">her. Just when I think I'm stumped with one of her questions, I </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">remember something I learned in seminary or something and we are able</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YAPb79FnFgE/VdqRN5DrH-I/AAAAAAAADmA/G815J6_IveQ/s1600/DSCN6126%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YAPb79FnFgE/VdqRN5DrH-I/AAAAAAAADmA/G815J6_IveQ/s200/DSCN6126%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">to answer it! We promised her that we are more than willing to help </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">her answer all her bible questions, but more importantly, she needs to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">receive an answer from the holy ghost that the message of the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/restauracion" target="_blank">restauracion </a>is true. That was a pretty powerful moment. She just sat </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">there thinking for a while.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It was a really great week. Every day, we talked about what we </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">can do better, and looked for ways to be more obedient. but Saturday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">was a long day. we had appointments for every hour, and every single </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">one of them fell through. I was so tired, and getting baked in the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> at seven o'clock, we had to climb up this mountain to get to the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">middle of nowhere, and the man wasn't there. At that point, I sat down </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">on a rock, just really confused. Why wasn't my diligence paying off? We </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">were right outside someones house and there was a man feeding ducks.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UC9qvLjJYNM/VdqQ9dWGd3I/AAAAAAAADlo/a_p5Vfwxfe0/s1600/DSCN6107%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UC9qvLjJYNM/VdqQ9dWGd3I/AAAAAAAADlo/a_p5Vfwxfe0/s200/DSCN6107%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Argueta said "lets go contact him" ugh, fine. Well we went to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">talk to him, and we barely said a word, before he motioned for us to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">come over and teach his family. His name is Jose, and he had been </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">investigating a few months ago and wasn't sure why the missionaries had </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">stopped coming. He and his family easily accepted a fecha! crazy how </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">the Lord lead us to him!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">So I realized that I haven't told you anything about my district. It is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">all hermanas. two from Mexico, one from Honduras, and one from the </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">Dominican Republic. It is interesting, and I have the </span><a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/lider%20capacitadora" style="color: #222222;" target="_blank">lider </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/lider%20capacitadora" target="_blank">capacitadora</a> in my district, so that has been nice.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">well I hope you all enjoy these random fotos! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">C</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">ongrats Hermana Smalley on your first transfer!</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">look! Rocha, like Hermana Rocha!</span></td></tr>
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Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-42860175862671270362015-08-23T20:33:00.000-07:002015-08-23T20:33:05.690-07:00It breaks my heart to see these living conditions<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">August 10, 2015</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hey there Fam!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Last week as we were walking out of the internet, I </span><span style="color: #222222;">received</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> a call </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">that literally made me burst into tears. It was Elder Morgan. He was </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">calling about a few questions about the weekly totals. Then he told me </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">that Elder Hadley was the new district leader! and TRAINING!!! I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">honestly couldn't help myself. When we first became companions, he had </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">just barely finished his 12 weeks of training, but his trainer really </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">hadn't taught him very much, nor given him very much time to study. It </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">has been a privilegio to watch him grow these last couple of months. I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">really tried hard to teach him everything I have learned, but it was </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">easy because he was always so eager to learn!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbnSiG8DeV4/VcqSvrq-1QI/AAAAAAAADhI/DDx1NtmWSgc/s1600/DSCN6003%255B1%255D%2B-%2BCopy%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbnSiG8DeV4/VcqSvrq-1QI/AAAAAAAADhI/DDx1NtmWSgc/s320/DSCN6003%255B1%255D%2B-%2BCopy%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbnSiG8DeV4/VcqSvrq-1QI/AAAAAAAADhI/DDx1NtmWSgc/s1600/DSCN6003%255B1%255D%2B-%2BCopy%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I </span><span style="color: #222222;">seriously</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> miss him so much! I know I talked about it last week, but </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">he literally changed my life! A few months ago I was discouraged </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">because I was afraid I wasn't really changing! What I didn't realize is </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">that God put us together so that I could learn from him, and his </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">selfless love. Now, God has given me the </span><span style="color: #222222;">opportunity</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> to put what I have </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">learned into practice. Let me explain. Transfers are always really </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">hard, but this one </span><span style="color: #222222;">especially</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> has been pretty tough. Its been a rough </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">week. I tried to stay really positive the whole time, but I kept </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">finding myself wishing that things could go back to the way they were </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">before. You all know how I get, I freak out and dont allow myself to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">be receptive to the spirit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well Sunday I was able to come down and </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">feel the peace of the Holy Ghost come back to me. I felt </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4W6waaI2BEw/Vdn8GhvamCI/AAAAAAAADko/wcr9aAuJHBA/s1600/DSCN6071%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4W6waaI2BEw/Vdn8GhvamCI/AAAAAAAADko/wcr9aAuJHBA/s320/DSCN6071%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">such a warm </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">sense of God's love and awareness, but it was different than what I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">expected. Maybe I was waiting for some kind of sympathy or something, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I don't know. But what I felt what a little "tough love" haha. I was </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">gently reminded that it is not about me! I know that while God has a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">plan for me, and that plan includes me being here right now, what is </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">more important is that God has a plan for his sons and daughters that </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">are here in Universidad. He is preparing them to receive his gospel. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">THAT is what is important! Very apropriatly, I studied el Rey </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Benjamin's sermon today. I LOVED <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/4.21?lang=eng#20" target="_blank">4:21</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. How is it possible that I can be </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">content unless I focus on serving others. It is not. I liked your email M</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">om, about studying the </span><span style="color: #222222;">scriptures</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">. Most of the time, I don't learn too </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">many new doctrines in the </span><span style="color: #222222;">scriptures</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">, but more often I have things </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">brought to my </span><span style="color: #222222;">remembrance</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">. I feel like the adversary works so hard to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">make us forget sometimes. One of my MTC teachers pointed out to me </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">once that the <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng" target="_blank">Book of Mormon</a> uses the word <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/remember?lang=eng&letter=r" target="_blank">REMEMBER</a>. Interesting, eh?</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kg_YJAuvzw0/VcqSv5i6oYI/AAAAAAAADhQ/mEQ8fj5mYZw/s1600/DSCN6022%255B1%255D%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kg_YJAuvzw0/VcqSv5i6oYI/AAAAAAAADhQ/mEQ8fj5mYZw/s320/DSCN6022%255B1%255D%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well so our ward is called Universidad. Where we live is close to the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">shore, but we walk WAY back up into the mountain. It is all dirt roads </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">and the humblest of homes. It breaks my heart to see these living </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">conditions. Oh yeah, another thing, en Ensenada, there is no water. In </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the last week, we haven't had water 4 days. Our apartment is covers in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">giant plastic bottle that we hurry and fill up every time the water </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">comes back. I am getting pretty good at taking conservative bucket </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">showers.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Last week Elder Coutiño, Elder Torres and Elder Lier returned home. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">They are my first ex compañeros to have finished. weird to think they </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">are gone.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I love you all so much! Wish you all a very happy week!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-10400171461836997732015-08-23T20:32:00.000-07:002015-08-23T20:32:44.992-07:00guess where I am! ENSENADA!!!<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">August 3, 2015</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello there family!</span></span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8l9MuPQEJHg/VcqPe1zCb5I/AAAAAAAADgw/batQXea5HLU/s1600/DSCN6066%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8l9MuPQEJHg/VcqPe1zCb5I/AAAAAAAADgw/batQXea5HLU/s320/DSCN6066%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well today are transfers and guess where I am! ENSENADA!!! yes haha I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">am so excited. I am in the north zone, so its not anywhere near Estero B</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">each, but still. I love this place already, even if it isn't my sweet </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">home TJ. Where I live is called Pedregal Playitas, in case you want to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">look it up. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is way different here. In </span>Tijuana<span style="font-family: inherit;">, there are house </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">literally piled up onto each other, but here everything is very spread </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">out. I haven't seen any paved roads yet, just a lot of dirt! </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The drive from TJ to Ensenada is absolutely beautiful! I probably </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">should have gotten some sleep, but I just couldn't stop looking. Also, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I am really glad that this is my last time having to pack. I hate it. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It is so stressful. haha Elder Hadley helped me get rid of my </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">hoarding issues and throw away things that i really don't need or use,</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">so that made it easy. All I want to say is dad would have been proud </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">if he could see how I fit everything in my suitcase! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnAP442_2Pw/VcqPe6qLfzI/AAAAAAAADg0/OUIUVvCAp1c/s1600/DSCN6079%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnAP442_2Pw/VcqPe6qLfzI/AAAAAAAADg0/OUIUVvCAp1c/s320/DSCN6079%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnAP442_2Pw/VcqPe6qLfzI/AAAAAAAADg0/OUIUVvCAp1c/s1600/DSCN6079%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">My companero is </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Aguete. He is from Puebla, but he was raised most of his life in </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dallas, so </span>English<span style="font-family: inherit;"> is actually his first language. He seems like the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">nicest person ever and I am really excited! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ELBA GOT </span>BAPTIZED<span style="font-family: inherit;">! after 30 years of investigating, it was finally </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">just the right time! Her and her daughters were very emotional during </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">the service. One of them was giving a talk, and then she just burst </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">into tears and said that her prayers have been answered. She is </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">leaving on a mission in September! It was seriously the greatest </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">baptismal service ever! she has changed so much! 4 months ago, when </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Hadley and i first met her, she told us that we could try all we </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">want, but she would never get </span>baptized<span style="font-family: inherit;">. it has been such an honor to </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">see the changes that have </span>occurred<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in her over the </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qRE1F0SKuYw/VdqP41wNzzI/AAAAAAAADlM/53VO9SvHT78/s1600/DSCN6025%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qRE1F0SKuYw/VdqP41wNzzI/AAAAAAAADlM/53VO9SvHT78/s320/DSCN6025%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">last month and a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">half. I remember mom wrote me once, and said she knew that she was </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">going to be </span>baptized<span style="font-family: inherit;">. When I read it, I was </span>seriously<span style="font-family: inherit;"> doubting it but </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">it has all really been a testament of faith to me. Not of my faith,</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">but of the faith of others. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am </span>seriously<span style="font-family: inherit;"> going to miss Elder Hadley. Him and I are like exact </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">opposites<span style="font-family: inherit;">, in every single way. He is always so positive and has a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">heart of pure gold. I have no doubt that the I was put with him for a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">reason. I have only been here for a few hours, but I am already </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">starting to see why. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Anyways, over the last few weeks, I have been thinking a lot about </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Grandma Smalley. At first it didn't hit me that hard. I got Dad's letter </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">last week. I loved how positive it was! I love how the gospel can do </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">that for us! </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well that is all I got this week! love you all so much!!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">p.s. I can't see any pictures from icloud or online albums, I can only </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">see them if they are sent in a message! Thanks! I give the same </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">challenge that Hermana Smalley gave!</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">...and for sister Campbell, this is 16 transfers, 5 areas and 8 companions.</span></span><br />
<br />Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-54738751821434606202015-08-03T07:09:00.003-07:002015-08-11T16:53:27.718-07:00I deserve nothing<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">July 27, 2015</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Hey there!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wow, this week has been crazy. I have learned a lot, and am full of
gratitude. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byr24gq-hBw/Vb7HZXGLSqI/AAAAAAAADeY/6Z6xOe_fJi8/s1600/DSC05653%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byr24gq-hBw/Vb7HZXGLSqI/AAAAAAAADeY/6Z6xOe_fJi8/s200/DSC05653%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">To start off,
you all know I am pretty bummed that I won’t be here for the temple dedication,
but I just heard that the Mexico city temple is getting rededicated in September
and is being broadcasted though all Mexico!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This week I have had a lot of spiritual moments. My favorite was during
the district meeting. I talked about accountability, which is just an amazing
topic to begin with, but we analyzed Mateo 25:14-30. As we analyzed it, one of
the Elders raised his hand and commented that with the servant who had 10, and
the servant who had 4, the answer was the same. How cool is that! It really
doesn't matter the quantity of our results, but the quality of our work! I LOVE
that insight!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DW54LGgoao4/Vb7HQwy6KQI/AAAAAAAADeI/obwfXjq98Fg/s1600/DSCN5698%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DW54LGgoao4/Vb7HQwy6KQI/AAAAAAAADeI/obwfXjq98Fg/s200/DSCN5698%255B1%255D.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Wednesday I started to get a really bad headache, I couldn't stand it
anymore, so I called the mission, and they told me to take migraine pills. Well
that night I couldn’t sleep at all. Just 8 hours of complete restlessness. It
was horrible. Then the same thing happened the next night and the next night. I
obviously stopped taking the pills but I just couldn’t sleep. Well turns out
that the pills had caffeine in them, which makes a lot of sense why my body
freaked out. Well it has been so hard this week to just keep going on because I
have been sooooo tired, and in a lot of pain, but it has been a good lesson
about perseverancia!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KDjxF7sMcZM/Vb7HYD_hvZI/AAAAAAAADeQ/gsavnZAhzCw/s1600/DSC05639%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KDjxF7sMcZM/Vb7HYD_hvZI/AAAAAAAADeQ/gsavnZAhzCw/s200/DSC05639%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yesterday in priesthood we talked about President Uchtdorf’s talk on
grace. I just love it! I learned that I need to get rid of the mentality that I
work to EARN blessings. That is just ridiculous. I deserve nothing. We need to work
out of love for our Heavenly Father. I have seen so many miracles, but it has
not been anything I've done, or earned, it has been Heavenly Father preparing
these people! I don’t know how we as human beings can find ways to be prideful
but we really do. Okay, I’ll just speak for myself... haha <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">LOVE YOU SO MUCH,</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">ELDER SMALLEY!!!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-12411469199066259012015-07-20T18:20:00.003-07:002015-07-20T18:20:52.300-07:00She has just developed a habit of saying no<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello Familia!</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This week has been really hot! and it just rained so it's really </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">humid. It was 32 degrees [</span><span style="color: #222222;">Celsius</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">] and raining! yikes.</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Well this week was <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/mas%20o%20menos" target="_blank">mas o menos</a>. It kinda just flew by too fast for me. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I don't even know why it seemed to go by so fast. Anyway, we weren't </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">really able to come close to reaching our goals, so that was </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">disappointing</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Yesterday in church, I just felt the greatest peace come </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">over me even though the week was kinda tough. I am so </span><span style="color: #222222;">grateful</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> for </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the powerful blessing of an effective </span><span style="color: #222222;">Sabbath</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> day observance! The Area</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Presidency of Mexico has asked us to teach the doctrine of the </span><span style="color: #222222;">Sabbath</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">day to the families in the ward, because they are worried that we are </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">getting a little bit too relaxed with it.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Anyway, Elva is doing alright for her July 30th </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">baptism, but we still </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">have some work to go. I think that over the years, she has just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">developed a habit of saying no to everything the missionaries invite</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">her to do - haha. Her daughter opened her mission call on Monday, she is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">going to Mexico City! I think that has helped a lot. We have kinda </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">lost contact with Luis. I'm kinda worried about it. He was so excited </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">to meet with us the first couple of weeks and I don't really know what </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">happened... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">anyway like i said this week has gone by really fast.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">So reading Hermana Smalley's emails had made me remember how I felt </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">when I first got to Mexico! You all really just don't even understand </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the struggle it is to find good milk outside of the USA haha...</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Love you all!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Elder Smalley</span><br />
Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-38253152401362000382015-07-14T21:12:00.003-07:002015-07-14T21:12:59.913-07:00"I am watching you"<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">July 13, 2015</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello Family!</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Yesterday we were sitting in <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/la%20escuela%20dominical" target="_blank">la escuela dominical</a> and I received a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">text from Presidente Gracia that said (in </span>English<span style="font-family: inherit;">) "I am watching </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">you". I turned around to see him and his wife sitting in the back. H</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">aha oh man, I love them. he showed me the picture of Bishop Peterson! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Small world...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aQJplOs8WI0/VaXEj6P8VtI/AAAAAAAADYY/unsCwRinl_o/s1600/IMG_0005%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aQJplOs8WI0/VaXEj6P8VtI/AAAAAAAADYY/unsCwRinl_o/s320/IMG_0005%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Well what can I say, this week has been fantastic! Oh my goodness I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">have literally loved every minute. I don't even know where to start.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well so last </span>Monday<span style="font-family: inherit;"> we didn't have any baptisms planned for this </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">month. Well we baptized</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> Saturday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">! Surprise! It was two <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/jovenes" target="_blank">jovenes </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">that we have been teaching. They live with their uncle who was a less </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">active member but their mother, wouldn't let them get baptized. They </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">have had such a hard life. Well this week we went again to talk to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">their mom and she said yes! Right before we were praying for the Lord </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">to soften her heart and He did! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We also had a way cool </span>experience<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">yesterday. We had a way cool </span>experience<span style="font-family: inherit;"> with Elva, and she said that </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">she wants to get baptized and it is seriously a miracle!!!! Having </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">faith is so much fun! Okay okay I have to go now but thank you so much </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">for your advice last week. You were all just so right. The key is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">humility and service! I just love worrying about others, instead of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">worrying about myself! So great!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">LOVE YOU ALL!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Elder Smalley!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">PS. I don't know why I never have any time to write anything!!!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">oh and </span>shout-out<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to the ex Hermana Lance for writing me!!</span></span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-84285329745589248512015-07-14T21:05:00.000-07:002015-07-14T21:05:11.808-07:00I didn't want to let these distracciones keep me away<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">July 6, 2015</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hello family!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your responses! It is so glad to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">hear that you all still exist! Haha, sorry for being sarcastic. I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">haven't read them all yet but I wanted to make sure that i had time to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">write this week. Well it sure has been a fantastic week, a very long </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">one, but quite fantastic. I don't know where to even begin.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I was thinking alot abut what Mom sent me last week, that we were are </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">faithful and obedient in the preexistecia so why not now? I was </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">thinking a lot about that, and why it is so hard. Well there is</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">obviously a difference between back then and now. We have a physical </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">body. Having a body means new trials and temptations, such as sickness </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">or tiredness. It made me think of that talk from Sister Dalton when </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">she said that all the temptations we have have to do with the body, or </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">something like that. I really hope that i am not going into false </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">doctrine here or anything but it sure was an interesting point for me </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">to think about. I read my patriarchal blessing and was able to be </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">remembered of certain goals that I have, and realized that I didn't </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">want to let these distracciones keep me away from the things that The </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Lord needs me to </span><span style="color: #222222;">achieve</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">. It really was <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/impactante" target="_blank">impactante</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Well I also had a huge realization this week. I decided that i need to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">start working in faith. Perhaps I need to put a little more trust in </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Gods miracles and trust that he will help me </span><span style="color: #222222;">achieve</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> my goals. That it </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">is actually possible. So I am working on it. This week we had 2 new </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">families in church and they both seem really promising! It is just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">nice to remember that what I do next to nothing, it is GOD that</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">touches the lives of these people, that prepares them to </span>accept<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">gospel. I feel like I have finally been able to attack the problem at </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">the root of the source!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Well I am out of time again. Darn.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Love you all! Please send me letters. Today we went to the mission</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">offices and I got a whole buch of letters from Grampa Erb, and no one</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">else! They do get here!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">MUCHO AMOR,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Elder Smalley</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">SO EXCITED FOR YOU HERMANA SMALLEY</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">......and for Sister Campbell, my count is 15 transfers, 4 areas, and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">7 compañeros</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-20009698478833644542015-07-14T20:53:00.004-07:002015-07-14T20:55:50.253-07:00every time we ask her to pray, she ...<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">June 29, 2015 </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hey there Family.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This week has been a huge roller coaster. I do not even know where to begin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Everyone has been talking a whole lot about this 4th missionary </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">talk. I remember that presidente did a zone conferencia about once, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">but its been a while so I decided to look it up. I printed it out, but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">only half of it because it is super long and they were charging me two </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">pesos for every page. Well it really was good and helped me remember a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">lot of important thing. I'm gonna have to print out the second one this </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">week because it it stoped right where it was getting good.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well I started the week asking myself, "how can I give my heart?" It </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">really helped me to change my perspective and we started seeing a lot </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">of progress and new investigators this week. It was actually way </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">awesome, and I was getting really excited. There is this mother of two </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">recent converts who is not a member and every time we go with her and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ask her to pray, she always prays that we will find lots of people to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">baptize and that she won't be one of them! (haha) But this week she </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">said a way awesome prayer and asked God to make her know if this was </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">right or not!!! Also Sergio finally started to read the LDM (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng" target="_blank">El Libro de Mormon</a>) by himself </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">and is really excited, but still won't accept a </span><a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/fecha" target="_blank">fecha </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">and we don't know </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">why. We will have to keep digging. We met some pretty cool families </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">this week. Then came Sunday. Sergio was the only one to come to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">church. That morning nobody answered the phone or came out when we </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">passed by.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This will be a good opportunity to learn lots of patience. I really </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">worked hard this week, but I guess I am going to have to work harder </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">and wait patiently to see the fruit. It's hard. The adversary is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">trying really hard to get me down and I am trying really hard to not </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">listen. So I am going to ask a question like Hermana Smalley. How can </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I keep myself from getting discouraged so easily? I thought i already </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">knew the answer but I would really like to hear your ideas. thanks.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">well it's time for me to go.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">love you all!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Elder Smalley!</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-52528359568557068052015-06-28T21:23:00.000-07:002015-06-29T08:25:02.043-07:00He is full of real charity for everyone<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">June 22, 2015</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">HEY THERE!</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sOrMrbZna3A/VY9DF4RBmjI/AAAAAAAADQU/Se_lG95Nz_Q/s1600/DSC05653%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sOrMrbZna3A/VY9DF4RBmjI/AAAAAAAADQU/Se_lG95Nz_Q/s200/DSC05653%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Okay I understand that I have to make up for last week so I will try </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">to tell you everything that happened but then I realized that I can't </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">even remember what I did the whole week except sweat a whole lot haha. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It has finally started to get hot.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RxbaTYwliL4/VY9C5TIOGkI/AAAAAAAADP8/dLE51iW-0LM/s1600/DSCN5698%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RxbaTYwliL4/VY9C5TIOGkI/AAAAAAAADP8/dLE51iW-0LM/s200/DSCN5698%255B1%255D.JPG" width="150" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well last week was stake conference and President Garcia came and gave </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">the funniest talk ever! He told a bunch of stories about all the bad </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">things that have happened to missionaries while tracting and then </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">exhorted the members to give more referrals. haha pretty nice tactic if </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">you ask me. Also that weekend the x Elder George came back to TJ with </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">his family and it was way fun to see him again! His sister just got </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">her call and said that she knew Erinn because they were in the same </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">missionary prep class.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GDcFiqFczFA/VY9C_VE-RUI/AAAAAAAADQE/uOQWdENeTkw/s1600/IMG_1286%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GDcFiqFczFA/VY9C_VE-RUI/AAAAAAAADQE/uOQWdENeTkw/s200/IMG_1286%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Camilo officially has one year baptized!!! Can you believe it? I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">can't! That day I was on exchanges with Elder Morgan and we had a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">really fun time. Well the work is still going a little slow here but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">yesterday we had a new family of 4 in church so that was good! I just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">really don't know how to help the ward. I want it to be like the Short </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hills ward, where it was a WARD effort and not just a MISSIONARY </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">effort. I have fond memories of playing with investigators kids, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">having investigators taught in our home, and just the members being </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">involved with the process. I will keep trying with them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Oh, today are transfers, but we are staying the same again! I am </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">seriously grateful for my companion.</span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_IvCYAyU2o/VY9DEYkVwdI/AAAAAAAADQM/XKd79lyZUmc/s1600/DSC05639%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_IvCYAyU2o/VY9DEYkVwdI/AAAAAAAADQM/XKd79lyZUmc/s200/DSC05639%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">He is full of real charity for </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">everyone, something that I am not. We met this man named Pedro this </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">week who has serious drinking problem. While we were teaching him h</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">e just leaned to the side and started throwing up in front of us. I </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">thought it was absolutely disgusting and maybe even a little funny. I </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">looked over at Elder Hadley to see his face of genuine concern for </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">this man. That is just one of the many ways that he is teaching me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Happy Fathers Day dad!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Love you all!</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-24325744769750240912015-06-13T05:51:00.000-07:002015-06-13T05:51:26.650-07:00I read exactly what I needed to learn in that moment<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">June 8, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hello!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well It is finally starting to warm up a little bit here so that's </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">good. My keyboard is really weird today just so you all know haha.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This week has been pretty tough as well. As far as investigaotrs, it </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">has been really slow, but we have tried to stay busy, and to my </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">amazement, 3 different familias menosactivos that we visited this week</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">came to church! I was so happy!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">My companion has decided he is going to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">help me prepare to enter into the real world (even though I STILL have </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">a LOT left) and is now letting me know of everything that i do that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">will bother my future wife. After about 5 minutes of that, I came to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">realize that I have no hope of getting married. His response was that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">anyone can get married, but that my problem will be STAYING married. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">haha thanks Elder.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This week in our district meeting I talked about diligence. I was </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">super excited about it! We </span><span style="color: #222222;">analyzed</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> The New Testament teachings of the S</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">avior. My favorites were the Savior's profound warning in <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/17.32-33?lang=eng#31" target="_blank">Lucas </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/17.32-33?lang=eng#31" target="_blank">17:32-33</a> and the example of the poor widow in <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/21.1-4?lang=eng#0" target="_blank">Lucas 21:1-4</a>. That is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">just so important. There are so many things out there trying to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">distract us from our real purpose. It is so important that we don't </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">just give a lot of time and talent, but all of it! I am just so </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">grateful for the scriptures. Every time I open <a href="http://beta.mormon.org/beliefs/the-book-of-mormon.php?gclid=CJWNrtHSjMYCFQqOaQodvT0AuA&cid=99115497&s_kwcid=AL!3737!3!68394807495!e!!g!!the%20book%20of%20mormon&ef_id=VXY4fQAAARckaSC5:20150613121421:s" target="_blank">El Libro de Mormon</a> I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">read exactly what I needed to learn in that moment. That is so cool!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Oops I'm out of time again. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">LOVE YOU!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Elder Smalley</span><br />
Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-89193663515475141392015-06-06T14:46:00.004-07:002015-06-06T14:46:30.283-07:00All hope is NOT lost!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">June 1, 2015</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week was super hard and frustrating so mom's email was <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">perfect. Thanks a ton for that simple reminder because right no</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">w I am </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">just really freaking out. </span></span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeyOIn0_4cI/VXNpzypbblI/AAAAAAAADN0/pDphFmJlR_s/s1600/DSC05632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeyOIn0_4cI/VXNpzypbblI/AAAAAAAADN0/pDphFmJlR_s/s200/DSC05632.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Last week we had a lot of promising </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">baptismal dates and now almost all of them have fallen. gah! I am not </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">going to pretend that i don't know why, there is SO much more i can and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">should be doing! I am really grateful for personal revelation. How </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">real it is. I am glad that the impressions we receive from the spirit </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">and turn seemingly complicated things into simple ones. It teaches </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">truth, whereas the adversary teaches lies that are so easy to believe </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">sometimes. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q6Mai_2nO8/VXNpAY2FIZI/AAAAAAAADNs/8GzixEyv2ec/s1600/DSC05609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q6Mai_2nO8/VXNpAY2FIZI/AAAAAAAADNs/8GzixEyv2ec/s320/DSC05609.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">All hope is NOT lost! we are just going to have to keep on! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I love this. I really do! We just really need to find new </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">investigators. It has been hard, because we are no longer allowed to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">knock doors anymore. LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of street contacting, yay!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">hmmm what else. Oh I spoke in church yesterday. Yes, I cried once </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">again. I would really like to not be known in at least one ward for </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">the Elder who cries all the time....</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V1V-1Rao0H0/VXNmRcOEScI/AAAAAAAADNk/pfflqICdvqc/s1600/DSC05621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V1V-1Rao0H0/VXNmRcOEScI/AAAAAAAADNk/pfflqICdvqc/s200/DSC05621.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">I usually don't participate in mission <br />traditions such as this, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">but my companion <br />has 6 months now so we did a <br />fire celebration ...huck </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">fin style</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">HUGE shoutout to Shannon! I got three letters from her all at once!! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Made me so happy! Where are the rest of you? I still get dad and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">grandpa's letters as well. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">So sorry, next week I promise a long letter!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-73686428899251561522015-05-25T21:29:00.001-07:002015-05-25T21:29:19.720-07:00"I am just so distracted"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Hello there fam!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Wow, so it has really happened. My little sister is on her way to the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">CCM in Madrid! It has definatley not sunken in yet. By the way I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">really don't even know what her email address is so if this is not it </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">then please let me know!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">We had a pretty alright week! I'm sorry for the short ones but this </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">week I am just so distracted by all the good news and just so excited </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">for Hermana Smalley! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I think i learned something very important this </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">week. I have really struggled my whole life with not getting </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">discouraged so easily. Well we had a leadership meeting this week with </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the president and he showed us this video and that's when it all </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">clicked! If I try, if I go outside of my comfort zone and try my best </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and things still don't work out the way I thought they would, I can </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">come back, analyze what i did wrong, what tools I can use more fully, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">seek advise and help, and set out again until I have success.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Sometimes i just go looking for this big complicated answer that i can </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">never figure out to solve all my problems but, the gospel really is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">just so SIMPLE! It amazes me! Well if you are reading this and just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">thinking "well DUH!" just know that so am I, haha.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Like I said, the week was pretty alright! The best part was the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">intercambios that i did with Elder Morgan. haha old times....</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I love you all!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Elder Smalley</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">p.s. I never did get those easter letters. they arrived to the mission </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">office, so I heard, but they somehow got lost. Of course, the one time </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">my family writes me....haha I am going to tear all of Baja California </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">apart until I find them.</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-65233681204301509232015-05-18T20:21:00.001-07:002015-05-18T20:21:21.572-07:00Gatos y Perros were beating down on us all morning<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Hello there!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Alright it is way too cold to be May. I have no </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">idea what is going on. Maybe it is because we are close to the Ocean </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">or I don't know but I am shivering...it was not like this last May!</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnUpCEF7tbM/VVqduTuEhsI/AAAAAAAADGU/PJL-PEbHw7Q/s1600/DSC05548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnUpCEF7tbM/VVqduTuEhsI/AAAAAAAADGU/PJL-PEbHw7Q/s320/DSC05548.JPG" width="240" /></a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This was another hard week. We were able to find lots of new </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">investigators, but nobody really wanted to progress. I was actually </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">really stressing out. We are basically starting all over because we </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">lost so much time last week for random reasons. Well finally on S</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">aturday we met someone who was pretty awesome and she came to church </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">the next day and said that she was going to bring her family next </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">week. Yesterday a family invited a friend over when we ate with them. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">It was such a good visit! The friend seemed really interested. I am </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">excited about it.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Like I said it has been very cold. Extremely cold, and rainy all week. Friday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">was the worst day. <a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/Gatos%20y%20Perros" target="_blank">Gatos y Perros</a> were just beating down on </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">us all morning. I thought that at any minute the zone leaders were </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">going to give us the call to go inside, but it never came, haha, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">because the president and all the zone leaders had a meeting that day. </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BnhvPw01r8Q/VVqqSL2-mEI/AAAAAAAADHE/9XFBZefhxaw/s1600/DSC05525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BnhvPw01r8Q/VVqqSL2-mEI/AAAAAAAADHE/9XFBZefhxaw/s200/DSC05525.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">Probably the funniest fake bill I have ever <br />seen. Elder Lier </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">pulled it out of an ATM!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Well It was fun. Nobody let us in. Literally nobody. We had an </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">appointment and the investigator told us that she was going to able to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">receive us in that moment, as we were standing outside her door in the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">pouring rain. That's alright. Did i mention that I had misplaced my </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">raincoat that day? haha I can't complain because maybe the Lord was </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">trying to teach me something about perseverance <a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/hasta%20el%20fin!" target="_blank">hasta el fin</a>! Maybe </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">it was a blessing! maybe.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Well I am just so proud of you Erinn! It is such a privilege to hold </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">this sacred calling. I have learned that there are lots of things that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Joel Smalley is afraid to do, but I am not Joel Smalley anymore. Being </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">a missionary and a representative of Jesus Christ has really taught me </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">how to put my fears and will everything else aside and serve my God. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I see the hand of God in my life and other's lives every day. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I am </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">going to stop because I am getting teardrops on the keyboard, but I am </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">so excited for you to experience</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> these things! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I LOVE YOU!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Elder Smalley</span><br />
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Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-3416096659113459662015-05-12T10:59:00.002-07:002015-05-12T10:59:56.779-07:00Next time we have this call, I will be at home & Erinn will be in the field!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Well I am not sure if I have very much more to say because i just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">barely talked to you for Mother's day. I'm sorry that i was all over the place. You were</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> so blurry I really didn't get to see your faces, but I saw Mckay </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and Shannon! haha it was great talking to you!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Literally nothing has happened. We have had almost no time to work, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">which really stresses me out, but we are gonna make the best of it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Alejandros baptism was super good! he bore his testimony at the end </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">and it was perfect! he said how much he wanted to raise a family in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the gospel and how he wanted to share it with other people as well. L</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">ike I said, he has just been the perfect investigator.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuv6B9g1X80/VVGNs8k2s7I/AAAAAAAADCM/DYluBsPytBg/s1600/DSC05537%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuv6B9g1X80/VVGNs8k2s7I/AAAAAAAADCM/DYluBsPytBg/s320/DSC05537%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Look what I found ... Utah!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It has been rainy. i love it because it reminds me of Jersey, but at </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">the same time it is gonna make it that much hotter when the sun comes </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">out. Speaking of, my companion (Elder Hadley) was super bummed because he wanted to hear </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">some Jersey accents! Maybe I do talk like a Mexican, but mom officially </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">talks like a Utahan haha!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">love you all! take care!!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Elder Smalley</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> </span><br />
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Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-82064129325775803502015-05-11T21:59:00.002-07:002015-05-11T21:59:10.104-07:00Craziest Week Ever!<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">May 4, 2015</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hey there fam!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This week has been AMAZING!!! but super</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">crazy, but I really like crazy weeks! I don't remember if I told you </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">guys last week but Elder Hadley went home for a surgery on Thursday. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">He should be back this Wednesday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">. It's been crazy because </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I am just tagging along with other missionaries while still </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">trying to get the work going in my own area. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">On Monday I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> found an old copy of <a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era?lang=eng" target="_blank">New Era</a>, which I thought was odd to find </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">in Mexico, it was an issue from </span><a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/2013/10?lang=eng" target="_blank">October</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/2013/10?lang=eng" target="_blank"> 2013</a>. In it I found a quote from <a href="https://www.lds.org/church/leader/jeffrey-r-holland?lang=eng" target="_blank">Elder H</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/church/leader/jeffrey-r-holland?lang=eng" target="_blank">olland</a> that really stuck with me: <a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/2013/10/missionary-preparation/mission-life?lang=eng" target="_blank">“I frequently say to missionaries </a></span><a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/2013/10/missionary-preparation/mission-life?lang=eng" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">in the field, ‘You make or break your mission every morning of your </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">life. You tell me how those morning hours go from </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_58106622" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">6:30</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> a.m.until you </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">are on the street in your mission, what ever time it is; you tell me how </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">those hours go, and I will tell you how your day will go, I will tell </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">you how your month will go, I will tell you how your year will go and </span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/2013/10/missionary-preparation/mission-life?lang=eng" target="_blank">how your mission and your life will go.’”</a> Wow. I showed it to Elder </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Hadley and we both agreed that we could use the time to prepare more </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">wisely. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We also had an amazing zone conference and I learned a lot </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">about really living up to the </span>covenants<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I've made, and about putting </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">everything else aside. Putting these things into practice, we really </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">started to see some awesome miracles. People just started letting us </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">in! It was so cool! Our district surpassed our goal for new </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">investigators, which is super awesome! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Then Elder Hadley left and it was just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">hectic trying to figure out how I was going to help all these new </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">investigators progress while being shuffled around in trios. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Thankfully, Elder Jimenez, one of the secretaries, came and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">stayed the whole weekend. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Remember that <a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/Ateo" target="_blank">Ateo </a>that I mentioned last </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">week. Yeah well he is awesome and his family is awesome. We were </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">tracting on Saturday,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> and a TESTIGO DE JEHOVA let us in and accepted to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">come to church. That was cool! She didn't come :(. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Alejandro is going to get baptized this Saturday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">. He really is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">prepared. I am so happy for him. Also Sergio has really started </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">progressing as well. Right now I'm in a tri with the zone leaders and I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> don't know how much time I will get to work in my area before Elder H</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">adley comes back but I really hope it all goes well. O</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">h yeah, I had my interview with the President. he is the greatest. I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">am just so happy. Overwhelmed, but happy!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">LOVE YOU ALL!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Elder Smalley</span>Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6618014245461053924.post-43007458083802238152015-04-28T22:43:00.001-07:002015-04-28T22:43:06.750-07:00He accepted to hear more!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hey Fam!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This might be a short one today because I'm really pressed fro time but </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">that's okay because not very much happened....</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It has been a really tough week but rig</span><span style="background-color: white;">ht now I a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">m super happy because </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">yesterday I saw some members from Reforma and they told me how the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ward is doing! They are really doing great! The best news is that </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Marina (my convert from the last week I was there) is being endowed </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">on May 15th!!! I am so proud of her! Also Gabriel's family is going to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">church and his mom has a calling! And he is still passing the S</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">acrament every week! So happy to hear!</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">Check out my view</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: start;">of San Diego!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We have an awesome inve</span><span style="background-color: white;">stigato</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">r named Alejandro. Seriously I have never met a </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">more prepared person. He is just so GREAT! His baptism is scheduled </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">for the 9th of May! He is the same age as us and has a very busy </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">schedule but we have been able to make it work out. We are also </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">working with that husband of the active convert. He didn't come to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">church. I talked to his daughter and she said he read something on the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">internet that he didn't like. My heart sunk. We went with him last </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">night and were able to clear that up, but we are still really worried </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">about him. We have a <a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/noche%20de%20hogar" target="_blank">noche de hogar</a> with them tonight. Hope it goes </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">well. Also yesterday we talked to this teenager that said he was <a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/ateo" target="_blank">ateo</a>. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We tried as best as we could to explain our purpose to him and he </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">accepted to hear more! We are also going with him today. Excited. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">They cut the water in almost the whole <a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/cuidad" target="_blank">cuidad</a>. We knew about it but we </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">didn't know when it was going to happen. Worst 2 days ever...</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In our district meeting we talked about the role of the Holy Ghost. I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">focused the <a href="https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/capacitaci%C3%B3n" target="_blank">capacitación </a>en a quote from Elder Packer in <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service?lang=eng" target="_blank">PMG </a>that </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">explains how an investigator, misionero, and member need to feel to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/how-do-i-recognize-and-understand-the-spirit?lang=eng" target="_blank">experience conversion</a>. That is so important to me so we took time to </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">analyze the 3 points. I think it went really well! I hope so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I think that is all. Love you all!</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Elder Smalley</span></span><br />
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Jonathan Smalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00641411480500147958noreply@blogger.com0