Dear Family,
How was everyone's week? Mine was another excellent week. Since we had so many people at church last Sunday we had our work cut out for us. We were really blessed with some great people to teach and I'm really looking forward to seeing them progress and grow their own testimonies. On Thursday we were able to go to the temple and had our interviews with President Judd. The temple was awesome as usual! I really love the temple. Missionary work is probably the most stressful thing that I have done in my life but I love how the temple can relieve so much of that stress and help me to see the eternal perspective. After we finished at the temple we went to the mission home to receive instruction and do our interviews. My interview was really good, I love President Judd. He really listens and understands the different concerns and questions. The last interview he asked me how I liked my area and I told him that I liked it but it wasn't my favorite and then he just said that he bets we could make it my favorite. I didn't think much of it and in my interview with him this last Thursday I explained how he was right it is my favorite area. I love it here in La. I hoping that President will allow me to stay here for quite a while longer, I'm not ready to leave to a new place yet. Konongo and Nkawkaw pretty soon will no longer be in the mission which makes me quite sad. I won't be able to go back for a long time. Well on Saturday I had a very difficult evening. We were out proselytizing with Brother Ben when he received a phone call that a member’s father had unexpectedly passed away on Saturday. So we went to see the family and the wife was just distraught. All of the children are strong members in the church but neither of the parents were members. We (my companion. Brother Ben, and Brother Obeng, second counselor in the bishopric) were sitting around with the wife and her brothers. While we were sitting there they were all conversing in Gah and somehow Brother Obeng and Brother Ben had left and it was just us there. Then some guy comes around and sits with us and then turns to me and tells me that I need to preach to her. I was a bit taken back and to be honest had no idea what to tell this lady. My companion kept extremely quiet and I mustered all the courage I had to talk with this family and bear testimony of the Plan of Salvation. I tried as best I could not to use my own words but to let the spirit dictate the things I was to teach. Miraculously, the words began to comfort her and when we eventually had to go she shook my hand and looked into my eyes with a smile on her face, and thanked me for coming to her. I am so grateful that I was able to help this lady in a most trying time of her life. Another really neat experience happened the next day after church when some of the ward approximately 150 members all together went to console the family. It was really cool to see the church in action, "lifting up the hands which hang down, and strengthening the feeble knees." I know that the church is true and that true everlasting joy only comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love,
Elder Smith
How was everyone's week? Mine was another excellent week. Since we had so many people at church last Sunday we had our work cut out for us. We were really blessed with some great people to teach and I'm really looking forward to seeing them progress and grow their own testimonies. On Thursday we were able to go to the temple and had our interviews with President Judd. The temple was awesome as usual! I really love the temple. Missionary work is probably the most stressful thing that I have done in my life but I love how the temple can relieve so much of that stress and help me to see the eternal perspective. After we finished at the temple we went to the mission home to receive instruction and do our interviews. My interview was really good, I love President Judd. He really listens and understands the different concerns and questions. The last interview he asked me how I liked my area and I told him that I liked it but it wasn't my favorite and then he just said that he bets we could make it my favorite. I didn't think much of it and in my interview with him this last Thursday I explained how he was right it is my favorite area. I love it here in La. I hoping that President will allow me to stay here for quite a while longer, I'm not ready to leave to a new place yet. Konongo and Nkawkaw pretty soon will no longer be in the mission which makes me quite sad. I won't be able to go back for a long time. Well on Saturday I had a very difficult evening. We were out proselytizing with Brother Ben when he received a phone call that a member’s father had unexpectedly passed away on Saturday. So we went to see the family and the wife was just distraught. All of the children are strong members in the church but neither of the parents were members. We (my companion. Brother Ben, and Brother Obeng, second counselor in the bishopric) were sitting around with the wife and her brothers. While we were sitting there they were all conversing in Gah and somehow Brother Obeng and Brother Ben had left and it was just us there. Then some guy comes around and sits with us and then turns to me and tells me that I need to preach to her. I was a bit taken back and to be honest had no idea what to tell this lady. My companion kept extremely quiet and I mustered all the courage I had to talk with this family and bear testimony of the Plan of Salvation. I tried as best I could not to use my own words but to let the spirit dictate the things I was to teach. Miraculously, the words began to comfort her and when we eventually had to go she shook my hand and looked into my eyes with a smile on her face, and thanked me for coming to her. I am so grateful that I was able to help this lady in a most trying time of her life. Another really neat experience happened the next day after church when some of the ward approximately 150 members all together went to console the family. It was really cool to see the church in action, "lifting up the hands which hang down, and strengthening the feeble knees." I know that the church is true and that true everlasting joy only comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love,
Elder Smith
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