Hey Sam,
How was your week? This morning we woke up to gale force winds out here on the acreage. I went out before church to check on the house wrap on the garage and found it billowing everywhere! Every wind storm something else comes undone. So I ran around for 20 minutes in my shirt and tie cutting strapping strips of wood to pin it down. Almost got blown off the ladder in the process. A good reminder of the joys of acreage living! I can't wait to get the siding done this year.
This week we celebrated Abby's 14th birthday! Can you believe it? She's growing up so fast and is developing into a beautiful YW. She is also really enjoying going to dances, though last dance she was followed around by Michael Wright whom she's convinced has a crush on her!
We were able to get a fix for Joshua's car. We're not quite sure what we did, as we took off the fuel filling neck that attaches to the gas tank, then ran water through it. Didn't appear to be any obstructions, so we put it back on and it worked! We're glad we did that though as we had entertained the thought of putting a new gas tank on it and everything. In any case, Josh is back on the road and dangerous. Now he just needs to get back into the dating groove.
Mom came back from her cousin's funeral this week. She was very glad she followed the spirit and went. Lots of good family experiences were had, though she did come home and state that her family is certifiably crazy :)
We had Abby's traditional breakfast in bed. I found this on Facebook from 4 years ago:
We enjoyed studying John 1 for Come Follow Me this week. We weren't quite as diligent as a family, so we made a goal this week to do better, but I enjoyed preparing my primary lesson and was particularly struck with the way the word of the Savior spread from Andrew to Peter, then Phillip to Nathaniel. When we experience something wonderful, we want to share it. Just look at Facebook!! Made me ponder how much I love the Savior and if I'm willing to share that...
Ben wrote two diploma's this week with one more tomorrow. He thinks he got 84 on both :)
Life is great, we love you and hope you have a safe and successful week.
Love,
Dad.
From Sam - It's Rainy Season Again
Hello everyone!
I'ts been a year and i'm back to getting caught it the rain. There have been times when I knew it was hopeless to even try to stay dry and there have been other times where I prepared and got to shelter before the storm hit. But one thing is for sure, I do love the rain. The only thing that I don't want to get wet is my scriptures. Anything else can get wet but just not my scriptures, that's my only fear when it rains. If i'm wet I don't care because I know I can get dry, but if my scriptures get wet there are eternal consequences.
This week in the sense of missionary work has been really good. There was someone who I contacted on Thursday, Met again on Friday, Started teaching on
Saturday then so far have been teaching her Sunday and Today. And she told us of a dream she had last night of her somewhere with other people like us teaching about the Book of Mormon. She has no idea but me and my companion knew that God is preparing her to go on a mission. The cool thing is she used to be a Muslim but because of her mother she converted to Christianity in 2016. So everything we have been teaching her has been really exciting for her. We're planning on giving her a baptismal date tomorrow to prepare her for the rest of her life. Her name is Sakinah(Which I think is a cool name) and I found her while walking on the street. We where walking the same way and as I walked beside her she shouted to her friend across the street that she is going somewhere with her other friend. Just then I was walking beside her and I said "Are you talking about be?" She said yes and we became friends in 2 seconds. I'm really excited for her to progress. So far we haven't even taught about Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon yet and she has already come to church and has read the introduction, the testimonies and the first chapter in 1 Nephi. It's great.
Saturday then so far have been teaching her Sunday and Today. And she told us of a dream she had last night of her somewhere with other people like us teaching about the Book of Mormon. She has no idea but me and my companion knew that God is preparing her to go on a mission. The cool thing is she used to be a Muslim but because of her mother she converted to Christianity in 2016. So everything we have been teaching her has been really exciting for her. We're planning on giving her a baptismal date tomorrow to prepare her for the rest of her life. Her name is Sakinah(Which I think is a cool name) and I found her while walking on the street. We where walking the same way and as I walked beside her she shouted to her friend across the street that she is going somewhere with her other friend. Just then I was walking beside her and I said "Are you talking about be?" She said yes and we became friends in 2 seconds. I'm really excited for her to progress. So far we haven't even taught about Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon yet and she has already come to church and has read the introduction, the testimonies and the first chapter in 1 Nephi. It's great.
Something that made me think this week was two quotes that I wrote down and one that the spirit taught to me. The first one is this: "Don't blame anyone in life. Good people give you happiness, Bad people give you experience, Worst people give you lessons, and the Best people give you memories" The second one is "A good man doesn't love a million different girls, He loves one girls a million different ways" and The last one the spirit taught me is "Without change you cannot become better" That last one made me think about how when I get comfortable with a companion I don't want to change companions. But just when you are best friends you get moved to another companion you may not like very much. In this life we are not perfect, if we want to become perfect we need to change "Heaven isn't a place you go to, it's a person you become". If we want to go to heaven we need to change and that change is only possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In my mission I have had companions that I absolutely love and I've had companions that helped me see the pride in myself, I've have companions I didn't want to be with. But God knows how he wants me to be so he puts me in situations that I don't want to be in because I don't want to change. But through the power of prayer I have changed and I know that I don't want to be who I was but I want to be who I am as well as try to be humble enough to become who God needs me to become, and that means to change from who I am now so I can be who I need to be tomorrow, or next week, or next month or next year. But that is only possible through the small and simple changes that I make each day. I still have a lot to learn and I know that i'm not perfect. But I do know that with the power of prayer and a willingness to change, I can be who I couldn't have been without Gods help.
Perfection doesn't happen in a day, it happens in a lifetime day by day. We just have to be better then we were yesterday, even if it's in a small small thing.
Mission is hard but nothing worth having doesn't come easy. I love this gospel, it's fripping amazing! Stay awesome everybody. "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you"
-Elder Smith
Pictures:
-My anti-malaria medicine
-Squad dinner and snacks
-Investigator Lunch that was so so good.
-The investigator is also a tailor and makes some really awesome scriptures bags
-The other elders got stuck in the rain hardcore and needed Malawian tea to warm up
-Tac-tac
-Outside the Internet Cafe(Elder Funaki in the doorway)
-The inside of the internet cafe
-Us celebrating Madalitso's birthday(She is the one in the white dress)
There was cake, good food, cake in the face and a great time with a wonderful family
