letter from June 14

Mom,

Still haven't gotten the package yet so I bought boots because it has started to rain more and my feet are getting wet but the boots were really cheap! I wear a layer of thermals constantly (sleeping, exercising, being alive, etc.)

Transfers... I'm staying here in Santa Sabina for at least another Cambio with my hija Hermana Robertson. She is the best hija I have ever had. Seriously. She is like your best-friend roommate but she is my best-friend roommate. Your favorite elder is no longer my Zone Leader so your ability to stalk me will decrease.

Oscar came to church on Sunday! Love that kid. We had breakfast before and went together. Legit.

Eduardo didn't come because he slept in. :( But we have had some good lessons with him lately so I hope he can really take the initiative to find out for himself. Ironically enough he has a problem with the two things that sealed the deal for you. He told us yesterday that he didn't like/understand vicarious baptisms nor the sealing of families which really are, for me, some of the most beautiful parts of the gospel.

We aren't sure what happened with Patricio. We thing he had to work on Sunday in the end because he didn't come to church and then we couldn't get a hold of him later, which isn't like him at all.

We went to Eduardo's church because his parents invited us. It was a really good experience. It was a nice church, the people were happy and everything and I felt the Spirit there but overall the experience really strengthened my testimony of this church. For me it was a concrete experience that showed me that what I always say, that almost all the churches can help us be better people and reach a certain level of happiness here on earth, really is true. But it also made me understand a little better that what makes our church different, among other things, is the ability we have to make binding covenants with God and therefore have the chance to be faithful to those promises and progress. Basically we are working to help people enter the celestial kingdom which is only possible through making and keeping covenants with God. It really does make sense. He already has set and told us what we need to do to go where and so we just have to decide where we want to go and do the things He has established. A lot of times we make it a whole lot more complicated than that or than it has to be.

Mom, a big difference between you pre-conversion and a lot of people we talk to is the desire to search and to know.  have never taught anyone who really wanted to know who never found out or received an answer. I have taught a lot of people who never really had a desire to search out these things for themselves and so just kind of trickled of without every getting an answer but that was because they weren't looking, not because it wasn't there. So good work for searching, Mom. I'm really glad that you did. :)

love you all! (not just Mom)

Hermana Smith / Sami