November 19, 2019

From Sam - The Start of Mango Season

Hello Everyone,

This week has come and gone. Every week goes by faster and faster.

Mango season is starting and the mango's are delicious. I wish I could take all the fresh fruit with me when I go home, but sadly you can't take fruit on the airplane and nothing grows in Canada. So I'll enjoy every minute of it.

This week has been a week of God blessing us. Almost everything we did for finding, teaching, church attendance and baptisms were not because of us. Sure, we were the ones doing the work but we all know who is really steering the ship. We were able to baptize David this week. He is someone who has been prepared by the Lord in everything. We barely taught him anything but because of his own reading he already knows almost everything. It was a great baptism.

This week I also started back on my quest to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelations. I was stuck in the middle of Deuteronomy and with the power of the spirit, from Friday to today I am now starting the book of Joshua. Don't disregard the bible. I know it's hard to read but it is still the word of God. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are like our legs. If we just have the Bible, we're playing the Soccer with only one leg, the same if we only use the Book of Mormon, you are still playing with one leg. But when you read both and understand both, you play the game with two legs. 

This week is mostly a report that I'm still alive and loving it.

I love you all,

Elder Smith  

Pictures:

-Baptism Pictures

-Quick view of the area

-Lunch with Elder Hansen during exchanges

-Avengers!!!

-My companion having a missionary swimming session

-Irish potatoes

 

-First try of my first fresh mangoes

-King Willie and his body guard Funaki

-King Willie knighting the new squire, Smith

Video:

From Dad

We're excited for David. I'm sure Mom's totally jealous about the mangos. Here favorite fruit.

This week has been a good one. Grandma and Grandpa Bruce came up on the week-end overnight to go to the Farmer's market with Abby and Mia. Abby sold some wood crafts and Mia played her Ukelele again. Both got some spending money for St. George this week. 

The girls are about to go off on an adventure to fly to Las Vegas to spend a week with Steph and Tyler. We had a bit of a scare and are still praying everything goes well with getting them on the plane as unaccompanied minors. Some mixed messaging on the website had us worried they wouldn't be able to go, but we'll see how it goes today.

This week was YW in Excellence and Abby sang a solo as well as receiving her Faith ribbon.

I was blessed to be able to teach SS this week. Interestingly enough, I taught from Jeremiah. Jeremiah didn't have an easy road and was a great example of faith amidst persecution. My favorite vs. in the reading was Jeremiah 31:30

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

As we write the Lord's law and commands on our hearts,  it becomes so much easier to be obedient and our whole motivation changes from duty and command to love and commitment. We live in an amazing time in the history of the world. The girls often walk around the house singing the Skyler sisters song about the revolution from "Hamilton", and the part that strikes me is the vs. that says. "Look around, Look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now". I feel that way too. As Oliver Cowdry put it, "These are days never to be forgotten...". 

Have a great week, Sam. Stay "All in".

Love  you lots.

Dad.