November 30, 2010

HELLLOOOH!

time is flying by so fast! its so crazy how fast it is going all the days seem like one! each week just keeps getting better and better its fun i love it!

so sunday i was planning out our day and i kept thinking of this one street we need to go to but weve tracted it like 15 times  but all week i have been thinking about it. so i decided we should go there. and So last night i was kinda in a bad mood cause of my foot it was hurting and we had been tracting all day and had no success and elder eames was his normal self all happy and stuff so i wasnt to happy to be tracting again but one of the coolest things happend wehen we were tracting that street and it was one of the rich streets in Ladera and were like lets find a new investigator tonight and it was like 630 pm dark and so we had like 2 hours to find one and the first door we knock a 15 yr old boy answears and hes like you guys the mormon missionarires? and was so exited!! hes like come in come in and was like in a panic. hes like i have been waiting for you guys to come to me ive been praying for you guys. hes like i almost got baptized a year ago but i got scared and ive just been thinking i want to come back and then you guys showed up. he was about to cry and we shared a lesson with him and he started to tear up and was like what time is church sunday what time can you come back what can i do to come back i want to be a mormon i bleive everything the book of mormon says i love it. he was so exited to see us and learn it was amazing the spirit was so strong! and i kinda relised this mission isnt about me or anything and that i was taking my mission for grantie so it really streanghted my testimony and my purpose of a missionary. then we went to a part memember family that one family that we gave a blessing to a couple weeks ago and they let us in right away and talked with them and shared a message and the dad started to tear up and hes the one thats a member but his wife isnt and it was a great spirit and the wife loves us and wants to come back more and more its great. so many miracles!

we had a good thanksgiving we visted members and shared a message with them then the Sheppard family fed us at 2 they are the funniest family ever they just make fun of each other and joke non stop it reminded me of home it was so cool how they opend their home to us and treated us like family and they are so willing to make sure we are happy. then another family the Fliipazzos fed us later and there just an older couple but had there kids over he is an ex CIA agent 9kinda like chuck judge and bre) but better he would go in and kidnap missionaries out of countries to get them to sfaty and stuff and he worked for Pres Hinkley so he told us all these awesome stories and then his wife has a bad back so she asked for a blessing.so that was a really good experince then we just visted familes the rest of the night and ate tons of pie!!

there is a japanesse ;ady in our ward that cooked for us athentic japannesse food it was so good it was like tofu and all this stuff and bamboo shoot it was really good!

Oh yeah we met a farcee lady she doesnt speak english just farcee but were going to teach here some how we gave her books in farcee about the church and wanted to read them so this should be fun to see if we will be able to teach her haha its fun.

We have been having so many mircles just everyday things its the greatest experince to see them daily. i wish i could tell you all them. i hope all is well back home! i love you all so much and thanks for all you! i got that package yesterday thank you so much! i loved it and the chirstmas card and calender it looks really good! i will writre letters today so you will get them soon love you all thanks for the prays and support!

Love

Elder Taylor Smith

November 23, 2010

Hey so i went to the dr yesterday and i got another shot of cortezon he could barley give me the shot cause the needle wouldnt go in cause there is so much scar tissue in there and that could be causing alot of the pain but he wants me to get physical therapy and maybe this thing called topaz oblation look it up its topazinfo.com or net but it has a 80 percent chance of working and he has really high succes rate so im working with sister cook right now we have been talking and she is trying to figure out what to do. so yeah,

But other than that this week has been really good! last week for p-day we went to Darin and beths house a member and played catch phrase and made supcakes it was really fun. We have alot of investigators but no baptism dates anymore its really sad the adversary is working on them big time. but last night we picked up a new investogator his name is Fronz. he is from South Africa hes like 25 and super into the gospel he came to church with us and everthing. The family that was going to be baptised were just letting them cool down and just giving them time before we try to teach them again. The lady Gina were still working on she is getting closer to baptism her daughter joined us for pray the other night so that was a big thing. it was really cool to see. The little girl Emma is getting really close to baptism were going to try to set a date soon with her.

Its been raining so bad latley its so cold here well im cold all the time its been like in the 50's but rain and humity cold so yeah.

so that Marine guy kevin we went by him this week and of course he fed us tacos he tries to hate us but he cant. he looks like Kevin James from king of queens but a little skinner hes crazy but his wife is getting us christmas presents haha,

The other night tracting we had a lot of cool things happen the spirt was strong we got let in by one guy that Elder Eames was prompted to go by and then we were walking to another street and i could get this one house off of my mind so i said we need to go knock it and we did and this guy answeared and invited us back. Its amazing what the spirit can do for us when we listen.

WE have a dinner on thanksgiving just one so far but were trying to set up alot so we dont have to go tracting haha cause tracting on holiday is a bad idea haha. it will be a good day though hope you guys will have a good one.

Im going on a exchange with Elder Price tonight im exited then next week is Zone Conference and the 21st of dec we get to go the NEwport temple that will be amazing im really exited for that.! well i hope all well and take care love you guys so much!

Love

Elder Smith

 

thanks for all the letter and support and love!!!

November 16, 2010

Helloooh

This week was transfers we got transfer calls saturday night and im staying the the area im in now and ssame with my companion. He actualy got made district Leader so thats really cool. Transfers are every 6 weeks so im here in Las Flores for 6 more weeks at least. The past 2 weeks have been so crazy busy! We have 8 investigators well 7 now we had to drop one cause he just doesnt want to change and is content in life where he is at. But a little drama with the family that was going to get baptized this week. They cant get baptized anymore cause of some family reasons but havent shut the door on us yet they love the gospel and just cant enough but the family issue is a big one and they want to get baptized so hopeully soon they will be. were working on it. One of our investigators Gina had us over for thankgiving dinner they had it early and invited us to come with all there cousins and stuff it was really fun and was a good experince. We have basically taught her everything there is to teach her she is just i dont know why she wont get baptized already she loves the gospel and the Spirit is so so strong when we teach her its incredible its just a matter of time.

the primary progam was sunday and that is always the best sacrament and one of our new investigators  came to it cause here kids were in it and she stayed all 3 hours we got her as an investigator on thursday right after the the family said they cant be baptized its so amazing how the lord works we lost investgators but didnt get sad about it and the lord put this lady into our path and now were teaching her its amazing all the tender mercies you see as a missionary. When they told us they cant get baptized i was talking on the phone with them and my heart ached and i felt so bad cause you grow to love these people and want the best for them all want them to have the same happiness we have,

We have been so busy the ward here is amazing they love us here and help us out so much. they are starting to refere there friends and familes to us and everything cause we have built that trust with them. i feel like there are my normal ward family now. ive grown really close to them and stuff.

We hung christmas lights for that Marine guy it was alot of fun he is so hard headed but is actually a softy we just joke the whole time with that he needs to baptized and stuff she just says ive already been baptized but his wife wants him to come to church and i think she wants to come to she always cooks for us and stuff. its fun.

well everything is going good and i now know why the call this the Best 2 years. cause the past 2months have been the best times of my life and espeacily the past 4 weeks never been happiers. i love you all and will talk to you later

Love

Elder Smith