October 15, 2018

From Dad - Thanksgiving and General Conference:

Hi Sam,

It’s been a great week here for us.

Started with General Conference, which by now, you know started off with a bang (i.e. 2 hour church) and got better from there. What was your impressions of GC? I’m looking forward to watching/reading them all again. Lots of emphasis on overcoming hard things by faith.

As you’ve likely read in Grandpa’s email by now, Grandma Smith’s brother Eugene passed away unexpectedly this last week, just before Thanksgiving. It was a real shock as he was hit by a train while driving a delivery truck. Life is tenuous and can change easily. I felt a strong gratitude this thanksgiving week-end for the plan of salvation and the hope it brings when we lose loved ones that we will see them again. I imagine in my mind Uncle Eugene engulfed in the arms of his parents, Grandma and Grandpa Torrie.  Attached are a few pictures from the funeral which I wasn’t able to attend, unfortunately. 

We did have a chance to go down south for Thanksgiving both to spend time at the Bruce’s making apple pies as well as go to Liz and Jeff’s on Monday and have a chance to mourn with and comfort Grandma and Grandpa Smith. I enjoyed the opportunity to pick up my brother Demond on the way through in Fort McLeod. I’ve been enjoying his company a lot more since we worked together on Grandpa’s roof.

 

This week I was able to finally finish off the soffit and fascia on the garage. That’ll wind up the outside work this year I think unless we get an influx of money soon. It felt great to get that part of the garage protected.

Mom and I have also enjoyed working on the back entrance together. I sure love your Mom. When she gets to work on things, things start moving. I think that’s why she only starts on things when she can see the end in sight. Then she goes great guns. Hoping to finish it in the next couple of weeks.

Here’s a quote from what is fast becoming one of my favorite church books (“Whatever Happened to Faith” By Robert Millet):

“Faith is not whimpering acquiescence, not timid and spineless hope for happiness. Faith is active. Faith is powerful. Faith is based on evidence, the kind of evidence that men and women acquire who search and pray and open themselves to the Infinite, who refuse to yield to cynicism or arrogance”

I love that description of faith. I hope that I and all of our family can strive for and have that kind of faith.  I love the power that comes from trust in the Savoir. I love that you are bringing this message to the people and families of Africa. Keep working hard and trusting the Lord and your faith will grow and accomplish miracles in your own life and in the lives of others.

BTW, We’d love to hear some more details of the conversion stories of the people being baptized in your pictures.

Have a fantastic week.

Love Dad.

From Sam - Zone Conference and Inspiration:

Hello all,

This week has been amazing! I've been teaching lots of good potential people, I'm getting caught in the one time rain in October and I had an amazing time at zone conference.

I honestly don't know what to say every week.I start to forget what everyone wants to hear. I'm still alive, I love Lilongwe and the missionaries I serve with, and I know my testimony has increased so much just in the time I've been on my mission. And I still have over a year to improve.

Sometimes I think how many people really miss me. How many people really appreciate me. But what I have really learned is how much Jesus Christ and God our father miss us, appreciate us and want us to follow them. I have really tried to imagine how much Jesus wants to be with us but knows that he can only help us if we except him and keep his commandments. 

One big thing I learned at Zone conference is the need for faith in everything we do and the importance of receiving revelation. And the one big thing I learned from my mission president is how I can be a better leader. The biggest thing that brings a leader down is his title and his pride. Being a leader is not about being better but about loving more. "The best leadership is servant-leadership." That's the way Christ did it. Pride destroys peace(Mosiah 27:4) The Gospel brings peace in this life and everlasting happiness in the life to come. For a leader to help and inspire he needs to be inspired, and he can't do that if there is pride in his life.

Some of you have been wondering about the last baptism I had. Her name is Dalitso and she was found by Elder Kennedy and Elder Williams(My current companion), She has a daughter and is a single mother. When she first met the missionaries she had no interest but wanted to be polite and let them in. By doing that she was able to learn more about the gospel and pretty soon she let the spirit enter into her life and really changed it. I really loved teaching her because she really wanted to learn the truth. I find that people who really read the Book of Mormon really gain a testimony. I have told some recent converts, "If you don't read the Book of Mormon you will lose your testimony" I know the Book of Mormon brings the power of the spirit into your life.

I love you all, Stay awesome,

-Elder Smith

P.S.

Who would win? Captain Moroni or Teancum? Why?

Pictures:

-My 40 something bug bites

-Zone conference pictures

-Beautiful sunset

-Having fun with a members little brother(Lyon)

-Lyon being a missionary

-Handshake pictures

-Getting caught in the rain

-Getting fed "missionary tea" (Hot water, sugar and milk)

-Kawale squad 

-My lunch everyday

Videos:

Story time

 MVI_0380.MOV

Fun with Lyon

 MVI_0274.MOV

October 8, 2018

From Mom - Gratitude Attitude

Dear Sam,

Happy Thanksgiving, my boy! We’re in Sparwood making pies and wishing for ear plugs. It seems to be getting louder every year but we love it. Today we went around the circle and stated what we were thankful for and the general consensus was gratitude for the Saviour, for family relationships and home. Both Auntie Nancy (a convert of only a few years) got teary-eyed expressing her gratitude for the Atonement and so did Steven, who’s really only been re-baptized for a few years, too. My mom couldn’t talk for the emotions of family love she was feeling. The rest was all banter and a general good feeling of love and acceptance.

Grandpa said the evening prayer and prayed for your continued safety and success. Everyone is asking about you and wishing you happy.

Conference hit us with a few changes and a truth bomb or two but we loved this fall session so much. In January church meetings will be minimized to 2 hours instead of 3. .... Boom. Happiness reigns supreme since the emphasis is more on family teaching vs. church teaching. Boom again. Looove it! Pres. Nelson issued some challenges to the women including a 10-day social media fast and to read the Book of Mormon before the year is up. No problem. 😉

I’m hoping Dad took a few pictures since I’ve got nada except these ...

From Sam - burned Skin and Bedbug Bites

Hello everyone,

From the title you all probably think I'm suffering in "Africa" and dying, and you will probably never see me again because I will be performing this work on the other side. But, to calm your fears, I'm not dying and i'm not planning to. I am also loving Malawi and Lilongwe. The people are great and stubborn, the landscape is amazing and the sun is hot and my bed has bedbugs. I can't ask for a better experience that no one at home understands.

You know how some missionaries have a testimony crises part way through their mission? I didn't have one of those so don't worry. I know I have a testimony and I know this gospel is true. But I did have a two day conversion crises. Dad always says that "Desire always beats Discipline". And I was thinking, "Do I really desire missionary work or am I just doing it out of discipline?" Then I started thinking about if God gave me a trial of my faith, would I fail because I don't have desire or would I pass because I have desire I just don't know it. I did a lot if deep conscious thinking. What I decided to do was study the life of Jesus Christ in-depth. I got a hold of a student manual of the Life and Teachings of Jesus and his Apostles. It is so intense. I studied it one morning for like, two and a half hours.  After 2-3 days of this "Deep thinking" I'm satisfied with where I am with my conversion. I've taken the counsel of John 7:17. And with Ether 12: 6 and 27 I understand that before I face the "trials of my faith" I have to deal with the ones I already have. I love Jesus Christ. I'm so happy to be his missionary.

I you all,

-Elder Smith

Pictures:

-Swamp bridge

-Landscape

-Secret Government mind-control device

-Shot from inside the truck

-The great and spacious building in the far back

-As a hen gathers its chickens(I was thinking when I took this picture that we are the little chicks and Christ is the chicken and how small we are compared to him and how much we rely on him)

-Road shot(Everywhere I serve in not just bush)

-Tree shots

-The bush shot

-Canada to Malawi

-Me in front of the church.

Sorry for all the landscape pictures but I hope you enjoy

I'm also going to send the rest of the pictures in another email.

Dalitso Baptism

Videos:

October 1, 2018

From Sam - A Week of Learning and Humility

Hello all,

This week has been a rush of learning and revelation. These past two weeks I don't think I have had the same lesson or conversation. I'm really loving the spirit and all of it's guidance. My companion, Elder Williams, is a genius when it comes to following the spirit. I've learned so much from him. 

Something my companion says to the people we teach is that his 3 favorite things of the week are 3. Bedtime. 2. Lunchtime. 1. The Sacrament. It's kind of funny but it's also true. I love sleep, I love food and I love the Gospel. I can say my testimony has grown so much in just a small time. I have also faced lots of trials as well. I read that Satin puts lots more effort in missionaries because we are directly opposing his work. I also read that if we try to live the Gospel without offending Satin, Then you are being hypocritical. You can't serve two masters. If you live the gospel you have to sometimes literally fight against Satin and his Angels. It's a conscious battle. There can be no passiveness.

One thing my companion taught me is if you wake up before the sun, you are more prone to receive revelation. Just as long as your bodies and minds are invigorated(D&C 88:124) I've been waking up at 5:30am everyday and at first it has been hard but now i'm in the habit and It's pretty awesome. 

One funny thing about Malawi is there are so many people who have the L/R Syndrome. Meaning the switch their R's and L's around. Making this last sentence say: One funny thing about Marawi is thele ale so many peopre who have the L/R Syndlome. Meaning the switch their R's and L's alound. I would ask if someone prays often and they will say "I play all the time". I just have an inside laugh going on inside me.

One thing my companion and I have been talking about is strict obedience. There are so many blessings that come from strict obedience but the thing is, Sometimes the blessing don't come right away and if we give up we will never now those blessings ever. If we are sort of obedient we sort of get blessing and if we are strictly obedient and get specific blessing(Miracles) But if we aren't strictly obedient, we will never understand or now of those blessing. The only way to know if God can do miracles directly in your life is to be strictly obedient. "The difference between a great missionary and an outstanding missionary is in the details."  

I love you all. Stay awesome,

-Elder Smith

Pictures:

-Me and Lyon. Member's brother

-Tree

-Area picture

-Running errands 

-Elder Ellsworth took apart my Rubiks cube and we're putting it back together

-Obama gum

-Missionary swim time.(Just the legs)

 

-Testing out the toaster 

-African sunset

-Zambia Lusaka Mission pin

-Amazing brownie recipe

-Some more area pictures

Video

-The Elder Ellsworth kill cam

From Dad - Busy Week

Dear Sam,

It's been a busy week around our place. On Sunday, I left for Albany NY on a business trip to attend and present a workshop at a "Edge Control's Symposium". Essentially it is a conference where different businesses include GE  businesses get together and demonstrate, discuss and look forward to advancement in the machines that interface with the real world. Includes things like auto-piloting drones to inspect pipelines, advancing robotics and automation to help pilots fly planes more safely, security etc. I really enjoyed it and was over my head in some of the talks and classes. If you ever feel like people never use math in real life, you need to attend a conference like this one.

I also really enjoyed opportunities to make new relationships and strengthen existing ones. On the plane to New York, I sat by a Christian Reformed minister who consults Churches on how to revitalize their congregations and deal with the dwindling numbers of people attending church. We had a great conversation and he was intensely interested in how our church managed to run without a payed clergy. I really enjoyed that conversation. During the conference, I spent most of my time with a colleague, Doug Stewart. We were able to get to know each other very well as we worked together, ,presented together and attended the various activities the conference put on we were able to talk at a personal level. He asked me about the recent emphasis on the Church's name and it opened up a great conversation about my beliefs and importance of families. He also invited me out to his Acreage for dinner the night before I left and I was able to wear a bee suit and crack open a bee hive. Enjoyed meeting his wife Susan and we had a great conversation over home made pizza.