Glad Tidings of Great Joy

All who have ears let him hear,

When we were told that no one outside of family was to send us emails, I'll be honest it was a real trial to be obedient. But we did it because obedience brings blessings and it did. The happenings of this day have brought me great joy.

Notice

To: General Authorities, Area Seventies, and Mission Presidents

From: Missionary Department

Subject: Adjusted Missionary Email Policy

Missionaries are to write to their families each week and are also authorized to communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders, and new converts. Mission presidents should allow sufficient time on preparation day for missionaries to write emails and letters. While in the mission field, missionaries should receive authorization from the mission president before entering into communication, including via email, with converts and others of the opposite gender within the mission boundaries (see Missionary Handbook, 36–37).

 :D

You can imagine the excitement with which we received the above notice. Literal shouts of joy rang out when we saw it. There are a lot of very excited missionaries.

So now we can email whomever we want! Yes.

Anyway. Back to real life.

It has been a very good week. Lots of work to do and people to see. I feel so incredibly blessed to be serving in Windsor. It is such a blessed land. My testimony, especially that the Lord is preparing people for us, has been strengthened so much here. Probably my favorite area. Probably because I have served here the longest. :)

Tuesday was fun. Lots of bus riding and getting doors slammed in our face. I love it. I feel like I almost rejoice in opposition. It just makes me laugh. We met with Al and he is doing awesome since his baptism. What a good guy.:)

Wednesday was long. We had a training meeting in London (Ontario not England. :)) that was super great but took almost all day. Got back, had dinner and then taught a lesson with Mark and Linda. They are still planning on marriage...we'll see. Pray that they will get married. 

Thursday was more of the same. Buses and crazy Windsor people. I love it. We found two new investigators. Alana and Ashley, catholic high school students. Hahaha. I'm convinces they just think Elder Binford is cute but we'll see. :) They are pretty cool and are willing to learn. 

Friday was more of more of the same. Haha. All the days are the same. Ride the bus downtown. Talk with people. Walk to U of W. Talk with people. Maybe teach someone. Its great. I love being a missionary for sure. 

Saturday we taught Jim (Chinese UofW student from like January) and it was sweet. He really wants to learn he is just really busy. We were on exchanges with the new Windsor South Elders which was fun. I was with Elder Tsai. He is from Taiwan/BC. Great missionary. We had fun and he was there to speak Mandarin with our investigators which was nice. I am working on my chinese. Mostly I just know slang for "sweet" or "good looking" hahaha. I'll get it. 

Sunday was sweet. Al got confirmed and is doing very well. He just fits in with the ward now and is so happy. We got him a big quad with his name embossed and he was very excited. Cedric brought a friend to church and we met with her after and she wants to come again and learn more. It was a great day at church. Afterwards we dropped by some less active families downtown and talked with the always amusing downtown crowd. Sunday afternoons are especially entertaining. I love Windsor. Then while we were riding the bus home we got a text from South that they had just met with a guy from Ghana at UofW that wants to be baptized and he lives in our area! We keep trading investigators and numbers because we are working so close to each other. The work is really moving forward here. Yay.

I am absolutely in love with missionary work. I am so happy I have plenty of time left and I don't want to miss a second of it. I love this gospel and this church. 

Keep on keeping on everyone and do good things!!

Love,

Elder Smith