Letters from June 7 - to us and to President Chavez

Letter from June 7
Hey Family,

Here are some photos I forgot to send last time from when we went to the beach. It was awesome. We had to hike down from pretty high and there is an abandoned train tunnel and we tried to take cool jumping pictures inside because it is pitch black but...it turns out I can´t jump so that was a downer. Literally. jajaja.

jajaja = hahaha

Anyway, this week was pretty good. Hermana Robertson and I get along so well that is actually blows my mind a little. We have some really awesome people that we are teaching. It´s nice that we get along so well because we can focus in the work and not in getting along (sometimes that happens...)

We are still working with Eduardo. He came to church for the 4th time this Sunday but he says he still hasn´t felt that Spirit. He has only stayed for all three hours twice. He is a really good joven and has a lot of knowledge, especially about the Scriptures but he doesn´t really feel it. At least is doesn´t seem like he does. We are trying to help him feel the Spirit, or maybe recognize it because I think he has probably already felt it but he doesn´t know what it is. Mom, maybe you could share with me how it was when you were trying to fell and recognize the Spirit. It might help me to help him by having another perspective to share.

We also have Patricio. He is really prepared and has a lot of desire to get baptized but he is working with the Word od Wisdom. He is having some financial problems right now and has a lot of stress so he took a step back and drank one night to try to forget but he feels so bad for it. He felt the Spirit reallyt strongly the first time he came to church and because of that he was able to give up smoking and drinking almost completely. We are trying to help him be more positive and feel prepared to be baptized the 20th of this month. He is kind of the opposite of Eduardo in the sense that he doesn´t have a lot of knowledge but he can feel the Spirit and he has the desire to learn and because of his knowledge, Eduardo closes off a little more easily.

Then we have Oscar. This kid cracks me up. He was going to come to church Sunday until he went to bed at 9am that morning. He is a little bit of a partier. That is an understatement, by the way. But he felt the Spirit when he prayed and we are working with him to help him recognize his answer so he can have the strength of will to change a few things. His house always smells a little funny when we share with him :) Working on that...

And Mariane. She is the wife of a member and super awesome. She prays and reads every day and is getting baptized the 20th of this month. She has a lot of support which I think REALLY helps in the conversion process.

Sooooo... Basically I still love being a missionary even though it is hard sometimes because I love seeing people accept the Gospel and have the Holy Ghost help them make changes that bring them more happiness. So cool.

That is all for now. No package. :(

But there is always NEXT monday....

love,
HERMANA SAMI SMITH

Letter to President Chavez – June 7
Presidente Chávez,

Este semana me di cuenta que la Hermana Robertson y yo podríamos tener mucho más éxito juntas porque nos caimos tan bien que podemos concentrarnos completemente en la obra. Solo necesitamos ayudar a una al otra a tener el ánimo suficiente. Si hay algo que nos falta aveces, es el ánimo. Bueno, otra cosa que me siento que me falta ahora es la Visión porque siento que he dejado que el temor de los hombres tiene más poder en mi corazón. Estoy trabajando para sacar eso y aplicar la Visión mucho mejor. Tenemos una meta que es bien pequeña peor algo que puede ayudarnos a tener la Visión de invitar a una persona a bautizarse cada una cada día. Yo sé que no es mucho pero siento la necesidad de empezar con leche antes de carne y linea por linea vamos a ver milagros. Tenemos algunas personas que solo les falta poquito para bautizarse en este mez y trabajaremos por esa meta para cad uno. He pensando estes días en Éter 12:6 donde dice que el testimonio viene despues de la prueba de nuestra fe. Estoy queriendo un testimonio de la Visión y la única manera de lograr uno es ejercer mi fe en eso y hacerlo hasta que pueda yo sentirlo con fuerza y certeza. Hazlo no más.

Hermana Smith

A translation thanks to google translate & some creative license on my part.
President Chavez

This week I realized that Sister Robertson and I could be far more successful together because we get along so well that we can fully concentrate on the work. We just need to help one another have enough courage. If there is something we sometimes lack, it is the spirit. Well, another thing I feel I need now is the Vision because I feel like I let the fear of man have more power in my heart. I'm working to get that and better implement the Vision. We have a goal that is very small: something thing that can help us have the vision is to invite a person to be baptized every one every day. I know it's not much but I feel the need to start with meat and milk before going line by line to see miracles. We have some people who just lack a little to be ready to be baptized so we will work for that goal for a while. In Ether 12:6 it says that testimony comes after the test of our faith. I want a testament to the Vision and the only way to achieve one is to exercise my faith in that and I will do that until I can feel it strongly and with certainty.

Sister Smith