Hi Sam,
The subject basically sums up our week. Monday we packed up the girls and took them to the Church to go to girls camp at Camp Impesa (same place as Heleman’s encampment) and then Mom, Ben and I packed up the tent trailer and headed to Kocanusa. Swimming, boating, wake boarding (Ben tried for the first time and got up after 3 tries) fishing, reading, sleeping etc. We had to replace another tire on the tent trailer. Seems to be par for the course at Kocanusa to replace a tire. Lots of fun around the camp fire including “Joke Offs” where people told jokes to each other, trying not to laugh or smile. Gain a point if you do, lowest points wins. I convinced Ben to try wake boarding. Took 5 tries but he got up for a bit. See video link below.
Here are a few links to videos I made with my new GoPro I got from work for 20 years at GE. I'm still learning how to use the head set and chest versions, but pretty fun for a first time.
Here's a few photos:
Ben, Cody, Ellie and Ethan chilling on the hammock
Uncle Mark enjoying the young kid years at the beach
Three way birthday cake: Benson, Cody, Shannon
Grandpa passing his lover of fishing to the next generation.
Ben and Cody teaching the cousins D&D… you starting something before you left!
I had a great time cuddling with Holly. She thinks I’m her second Dad I think.
New Kocanusa game – “Spike Ball”
Fishing of course
Uncle Todd is the “Dock Master” with a new improved version this year!
One nice thing about vacation is the chance to catch up on some reading. Lately I've been reading a book Mom ordered called "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan B Peterson. He is a psychologist with some interesting insights into ways we can improve our lives. The first rule is "Stand up Straight with your Shoulders back". Here's a couple of quotes
"To stand up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility of life , with eyes wide open. It means deciding to voluntarily transform the chaos of potential into the realities of habitable order…willingly undertaking the sacrifices necessary to generate a productive and meaningful reality.
To stand up straight with your shoulders back means building the ark that protects the world from the flood, guiding your people through the desert after they have escaped tyranny, making your way away from comfortable home and country, and speaking the prophetic word to those who ignore the widow and children. It means shouldering the cross that marks the X, the place where you and Being intersect so terribly. It means casting dead, rigid and too tyrannical order back into the chaos in which it was generated; it means withstanding the ensuing uncertainty, and establishing, in consequence, a better, more meaningful and productive order."
Serving a mission is one great way to stand up straight with your shoulders back..
It's only a month to LYR. I'm preparing to be one of the presenters and I'm nervous but mostly super excited. Mom is busy organizing and confirming counselors. Kylan is going to be one and he's excited about it. Ben and the girls are reading their books and it should be another amazing LYR experience.
Last week Bro. Bonnell came over with his chainsaw and helped me clean up a big tree top that blew off one of the tree house trees and crashed into the tree house. Minor damage luckily.
I hope you saw my email this week about “Gospel Essentialism”. I’ve received some feedback from my sister and Kurri (I think you were included on her email). Here’s a quote from Auntie Liz:
When I was struggling at one point in my life, the spirit taught me that it was all about the Plan of Happiness. With that as an outline, everything else falls into place and provides a Why for our actions. It gives us the big picture, and helps us to just hang on even if we are tempted by same gender attraction, or worldly ideals, or we just feel tired of the struggle to do what’s right in the confusing world. I do think, in teaching my own children under my own roof, that there are standards which are in the for the strength of youth that were given by the prophet that may be practices, but are about following the revelation given to the prophets. Even then though there is the spirit of the law to be taught.
In talking to Jeff about this, he said that teaching the core principles is so important, so that if someone just has a testimony of not wearing short shorts, that when they reject that they reject everything else, because the testimony was not based on the core doctrine. He also said he taught his priests on Scout camp that understanding the core helps us to keep trying, even when we don’t understand the current counsel, or we are tired of serving in our calling when others seem to be having so much fun. I think it helps us to consistently keep doing the small and simple things. It was good to think about all of these things, and would be a good family home evening lesson to have.
Hope your having a great week. Love you lots and wouldn’t have you anywhere else. Pray for us and we’ll pray for you and we’ll all move forward following this amazing plan of salvation together.
Dad.
From Sam - Ask and you shall Receive:
Hey everyone. Here is Zambia the temperature is averaging out to be perfect. But I know that it will only last a week or so.
Yesterday we baptized an investigator named Aaron. He was introduced to the gospel by our recent convert Noah, and because he was introduced by Noah he excepted the gospel, he ate up the doctrine as we taught it. He is 17 and is so excited to prepare for a mission. He was also baptized by his friend. It was a good experience for both of them.
This week I was on foot almost everyday and our investigators are spread out in a way where if I don't plan well, I'm walking for about an hour. So naturally I'm really hungry all the time. So, being a missionary, I likened the scriptures unto myself. I asked, and I received. When I visit a member I ask for food. And sometimes when we visit an investigator I ask for food, and I receive.
Don't take it that i'm getting greedy, but I'm being just like the apostles.
One time, when we were knocking on gates, an old SDA Lady welcomed us in. We had a very short lesson with her but I noticed she had a lemon tree, so naturally I asked if I could have some. She said yes and got here worker to start picking while we finished up teaching. When the worker came back, he had picked a whole bags worth and I don't know what I'm going to do with all the lemons I have.
If you haven't tried Shwarma before, I suggest you try it. It's what I have almost everyday for just 15 kwacha(1$50c) it's super cheap here and it tastes awesome.
The best part of my week was when I went on exchanges. We went to visit a member and she has been a member for just over a year. And she is known for here deep doctrinal questions. And the other missionaries were always nervous about her questions because they don't always have an answer. But she asked a question regarding the temple and I had an answer and I talked about other "Deep Doctrine". It was really nice to teach some of the deeper doctrines to someone who wants to learn. I love those kind of talks and I wouldn't have received this knowledge if I didn't go on a mission. The best part of the visit was she fed us fried rice and chicken. It was so good.
I love you all, Stay awesome,
Elder Smith
Pictures:
-Shwarma and Mountain Dew
-Baptism(We are pointing to the one who is getting baptized) of Aaron
-Food that an investigator cooked for us. It tastes lots like breakfast muffins that Grandma Smith makes.
-Me sitting on a hand chair.
-Dinner before the exchange
-All the lemons that lady gave us
-Not enough water pressure. Bucket Shower!
Video:
With Aaron before he got baptized.
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