May 20, 2019

From Sam - Break out the Sweat Pants, It's Cold Season

Hello Everyone,

This week has been amazing! I've been so busy with missionary work that I barely have time for anything else besides missionary work. We have been able to find someone really amazing, His name is Innocent Liambai. He's 53 years old, we knocked on his door and without barely any introduction he let us into his home. I was very skeptical about how fast he let us in and was worried he thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses. I checked and he knew exactly who we were and only heard of the Book of Mormon. We spent 20 minutes introducing the Book of Mormon and he seemed very satisfied. We left the Book of Mormon with him and set a return appointment. When we saw him again we found out that he went through the introduction to the testimony of Joseph Smith. He then explained the story of how Joseph Smith received the gold plates in detail. We barely did any teaching because he understood it so well. We then left the Restoration pamphlet with him and set another return appointment. When we saw him again we didn't do any teaching because he explained what he read in the exact way we were going to teach. When we extended a baptismal date he accepted it like he was already planning on being baptized. 

I have great hopes for him because of how fast and how well he learns.

Yesterday for church the last speaker was the former branch president, Brother Safeli, and he gave a very powerful talk. It was a talk about personal worth. Some of his quotes were: "Look at others the way our Heavenly Father looks at them." "Worthiness is obtained by obedience" and "Do we look at ourselves the way our Heavenly Father sees us?" It was a powerful talk. He talked about how, just like gold, we have the potential to be of great worth. Also, just like gold, when you find gold as an ore it looks like something very dirty and of no worth. The only way to get the precious metal from the ore is to forge and refine it. When we sin we allow ourselves to remain as dirty ore; When we are prideful we don't allow ourselves to be refined. It is only through the Atonement and with our permission, God can refine us to become pure gold. That also requires us to go through the forge or the furnace of affliction. For God to mold us and refine us we need to go through trials. "Trials make our faith grow stronger".  

It was a talk that stood out to me so much. A principle that has stood out to me this past week is about our comfort zone. A quote from Levi Stanford "There is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone" There is nothing wrong with being in our comfort zones, the problem comes when we stay in them too long. The miracles of life, the blessings, the greatest achievements, our greatest satisfaction comes from being in and staying in the growth zone.  Sometimes for us to grow we need to get the virus that is halting our progression out of our system. That may need us to repent. Sometimes of big things, but mostly it is the small things. Does the stone on the top of a mountain think it's more important than the stones that form the base?

We have a divine potential, we are children of God. Someone so powerful and mighty, and all he wants is our happiness. He is our Father.

Well... I think I'm done. Until next week.

Love,

Elder Smith

Pictures:

-My birthday breakfast

-My companion made homemade donuts for my birthday dinner

-My study desk with the snack of boiled ground nuts

-Elder Kane snapped a picture of me doing my district leading

-A spoon project

-Hungry Lion for today's lunch

Video

Zambia is on fire

From Dad: - May long week-end

Dear Sam,

I just realized that your missionary email had changed. We've been sending to your myldsmail account not realizing that it had been converted to missionary.org. 

It is quite incredible the changes that have happened as a result of a proclamation of a prophet encouraging us to use the proper name of the church and even I wondered at the possibility of changing our habits and changing all the infrastructure that has been built up around the other names we have used for the church. But here it is happening. The impossible is possible through determination, purpose and the help of the Lord.

This week-end it is just the girls and me (and Josh, but he's kind of his own creature these days, coming and going as he pleases :)) Mom is off with Ben on a choir trip to Kimberley:

They got to work with a specialist from Vancouver. Here's a clip: Choir Video

Ben's principal doing Karaoke: Karaoke Video

As usual, while she's gone, I try to get as much done as possible!

Contracted and completed a new roof on the Leduc house

Railing installed and stained:

Garden soil ordered and delivered:

Surprise strawberry beds installed for Mom

Next week-end is Ben's graduation commencement. It's always interesting that they have it before they actually graduate. In my High school the year I graduated, the teachers and school board felt so strongly about it being an issue that I had a fall Grad so that only those who actually graduated would receive their diploma's at the commencement ceremony. Ben chose not to do the banquet ($50/plate and he didn't feel strongly about getting a date) but is involved in the after grad party committee at the LRC afterwards. G&G Bruce are coming up so we'll do something as a family after instead.

The girls have been stealing my phone on a regular basis to video the pets and their dance moves (they are super into dancing these days).

Last week I got released from my 2 ward callings, Primary Teacher and SS teacher. I was kind of sad. I have really enjoyed these callings. I love my primary kids and teaching adult SS is my all time favorite calling. Today I got to teach for a final time and it was an amazing discussion. I love the parable of the laborers in Matthew 20. As part of the preparation, I read Elder Holland's talk "The Laborers in the Vineyard". What a wonderful talk about choosing to not be envious of others but to take joy in others successes and not be concerned that we are getting our fair share. There are so many blessings from living the gospel that we should never be mad or pout that others who don't come to the knowledge of the gospel till later can receive "all that the father hath". I especially like this part of the talk:

"Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those.

Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,”2 as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live."

I hope I can be more charitable and truly find joy in other's successes.

We truly do rejoice in your successes and pray for you always, Sam. 

Love you forever!

Dad.