HELLO
Family and especially My wonderful mother!
I love you all so much it's not even funny. True story. I want to start off today's email by reminding you all that God is your Heavenly FATHER. He created you and he knows you sooooooo well. So well. He knows how you feel and what you think and the way you specific mind works. He uses that knowledge and His infinite love for you to bless you in ways sometimes only you can understand. Example #1: When I arrived in Canada the weather was unusually cool. This was a blessing for me because heat and I don't really get along. the random spurt of nice weather continued until I felt comfortable with being on a mission and then it started to heat up, when I could deal with that without dealing with missing home or thoughts of inadequacy. Such a blessing for me but it might have been just a coincidence for someone else. Example #2: This one has two parts. Last Sunday we went to church and Sis. Kinsman's daughter and granddaughter were there. Neither of them are members but both had a great experience. On the Fourth of July Elder Kenning and I went to the Kinsman's for a dinner appointment and they were there with Sis K and we got the opportunity to talk with them and teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By the end of the lesson they were in tears and agreed to be baptized on the 22nd. They are so excited to be baptized and learn more and it is so awesome. Denise (Sis K's daughter) shared with us this experience: Four or five years ago her life had taken a turn for the worst. In the tumult and stress of everything she developed a ganglion (?) cyst on her hand. She told us how it had always reminded her of the sadness and depression she experience at the time but hadn't gotten it removed. After church on Sunday she went to the hospital with her daughter for a routine check up and the doctor offered to remove it right then and there. She told us this was a blessing in her life because as she found this gospel and the happiness it brings and how baptism can wash away the sins and sorrows of our past, this constant reminder of these things was removed. She now feels clean and able to move on with her life and be baptized. Such a cool thing. God blessed her in a way that only made sense to her. In that same way God gave me a miraculous day on the Fourth of July. On a day when I could have been sad and mopey about missing my family, He gave me a miracle to take my thoughts away from home and focus on the work. That was such a blessing for me and tells me how much my Father in Heaven cares. My testimony of this gospel and the blessings it brings grows everyday. Helping others come unto Christ brings me closer to him as well. I know that you can have this feeling too as you help those around you and teach by example. Thank God everyday for the blessings you have because of this gospel.
I love you all so much it's not even funny. True story. I want to start off today's email by reminding you all that God is your Heavenly FATHER. He created you and he knows you sooooooo well. So well. He knows how you feel and what you think and the way you specific mind works. He uses that knowledge and His infinite love for you to bless you in ways sometimes only you can understand. Example #1: When I arrived in Canada the weather was unusually cool. This was a blessing for me because heat and I don't really get along. the random spurt of nice weather continued until I felt comfortable with being on a mission and then it started to heat up, when I could deal with that without dealing with missing home or thoughts of inadequacy. Such a blessing for me but it might have been just a coincidence for someone else. Example #2: This one has two parts. Last Sunday we went to church and Sis. Kinsman's daughter and granddaughter were there. Neither of them are members but both had a great experience. On the Fourth of July Elder Kenning and I went to the Kinsman's for a dinner appointment and they were there with Sis K and we got the opportunity to talk with them and teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By the end of the lesson they were in tears and agreed to be baptized on the 22nd. They are so excited to be baptized and learn more and it is so awesome. Denise (Sis K's daughter) shared with us this experience: Four or five years ago her life had taken a turn for the worst. In the tumult and stress of everything she developed a ganglion (?) cyst on her hand. She told us how it had always reminded her of the sadness and depression she experience at the time but hadn't gotten it removed. After church on Sunday she went to the hospital with her daughter for a routine check up and the doctor offered to remove it right then and there. She told us this was a blessing in her life because as she found this gospel and the happiness it brings and how baptism can wash away the sins and sorrows of our past, this constant reminder of these things was removed. She now feels clean and able to move on with her life and be baptized. Such a cool thing. God blessed her in a way that only made sense to her. In that same way God gave me a miraculous day on the Fourth of July. On a day when I could have been sad and mopey about missing my family, He gave me a miracle to take my thoughts away from home and focus on the work. That was such a blessing for me and tells me how much my Father in Heaven cares. My testimony of this gospel and the blessings it brings grows everyday. Helping others come unto Christ brings me closer to him as well. I know that you can have this feeling too as you help those around you and teach by example. Thank God everyday for the blessings you have because of this gospel.
Suggestions for things
to read: Our Search for Happiness. Seriously my new favorite book. This Year
it's a Weed, Pull It. From the last page of the July 2011 Ensign. The Ensign! I
kick myself in the pants everyday for not taking advantage of that precious resource.
I am inspired every time I pick it up. Do so often.
Introducing: Weekly
Nuggets of Canadian Stuff! This segment of the letter will tell you about
Canadians and how weird things are. Here in Canada, Smarties are called Rockets
and what they call Smarties are weird Nestle M&Ms. Ha. Canadians.
I love you all. Do
good things!
Elder Smith
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