So much to say, So little time

Hi hi!!

Life is funny. When I have all the time in the world to write, I have nothing to write about. But when I actually have things to talk about my time is limited. We are going on an adventure downtown to see the CN Tower (until recently the tallest freestanding structure in the world) so I don't have a ton of time to write. So let's get to it shall we?

First. Last P-Day we went and played football to celebrate American Thanksgiving and it was super fun. My flag football quarterback days came in handy and I threw for like six touchdowns. (be impressed) Also I am COMPLETELY out of shape and had a hard time keeping up with all the new missionaries. Sadly, no amount of exercise done for thirty minutes in a basement can keep you in football playing shape. It was rough. We ended up waddling around like old men for most of the week because we were so sore. Yay football!

Tuesday was sweet. We taught a high school student we found at the bus stop and he was really interested and wants to learn more. We're meeting with him again this week and hopefully we will have good news come next week.

Wednesday was also good. Not sure what happened. I never seem to be able to remember what happens on Wednesday. Its a problem.

Thursday was Car Fast again. Good day. Not anything too exciting. We celebrated Thanksgiving by saying how grateful we were to have a car on the other days. Haha. It was fun. Very tiring day.

Friday we got news that our area boundary was changed. It moved west two major streets. So now the church is in our area and we picked up a few exciting potential investigators. We had dinner with a member and I tried sardine paste on my pizza. It was....interesting. Worth trying once. Not sure if it is something I will keep doing. :)

Saturday was good. We went on exchanges again so I worked with my district leader.  It was fun. I also taught the English as a Second Language class that we offer as missionaries. Usually the West Elders teach it but since it is now our area we will be teaching. Its really fun and reminds me how little I know. The class is doing very well and had five new students in the past two weeks and they hadn't had any for months. Very exciting.

Sunday was a blur as usual. Chris came to church and is getting along very well in the ward. The problem is we can never teach him more than once a week because he is difficult to get a hold of. Ah missionary work. :)

Overall it was a very good week and the future of this area is very bright. We teaching a girl tonight that the West Elders found before the split that wants to be baptized! We'll see how it turns out. :) Pray for my investigators and pray that we'll find new ones! I love you and hope you are having a fantastic holiday season!! Do good things!

Love,

Elder E. Smith

Not Lame!!

Hello Family and Friends!!!

This week was totally not lame!!!! Last week went by super super fast and was lame so it was nice to have a normal, semi-productive week. So yeah. Lets get to it!

Monday night we had FHE with probably one of my favorite families in the ward. They are from Venezuela and are super awesome. They cooked us delicious food and then we had FHE and it was sweet. I love feeling like I have a family again. :)

Tuesday was SWEEEEEEET! We had leadership training for the first half of the day and it was incredible. I felt like it was made for me. There were three parts of the training and each one answered a question I had. Spooky. I loved it and it was a mission making experience. One thing we learned was how to street contact better and it was exactly what I needed. We went out that night and tried our new "moves" and it totally worked. Night and day difference from how I was doing it. I was just waiting for someone to teach me these things. Great day.

Wednesday....I don't remember it. I'm sure it was awesome. (Insert incredible experience here)

Thursday-Car Fast Day. Ladies and Gentlemen, if we didn't think President Scott was inspired before, we do now. Car Fast Day worked!! Kind of!! On Thursday we were out finding and we talked to a lady named Leslie. Good news-She wanted to meet with missionaries and came to church this Sunday. Bad news-She is Chinese. So the Chinese Elders are teaching her. She is sweet and is loving the gospel thus far. Hopefully she will be baptized. Hard not to get to teach her but what goes around comes around eh?

Friday-We spent the day helping Bro Scott rake a bajillion leaves in his backyard. I also laid down a bunch of paving stones. and just did winter prep stuff. I love serving others. Especially when he gives us food in payment. :) We also helped set up the ward craft day at the church. Yay service!!

Saturday-Exchanges. I don't know if I told you but our districts got realigned and so now we are in the Richmond Hill District. Its just us and the West Elders. Super fun. They are great. So I spent Saturday in Richmond Hill with Elder McMullin. He is sweet and it was fun. We had what I thought was a pretty successful night with 5 potentials found but came back to my area and Elder Hegemann and Elder Hunt had found 13.....good day for both areas. Lots of work to do for us. :):) Yay!

Sunday was stressful. Leslie came to our ward so we had to figure that out and we had 6 investigators there between the two companionships. Awesome. That was pretty stressful plus the speaker was a little crazy and the Sunday school lesson was on Signs of the Second Coming. Lots of "damage control" to do this week.:)

Overall it was a great week and a good return to "normal." I love being a missionary. It is so fulfilling and seriously the greatest decision I've ever made. Have a good week, pray tons, do good things!

Love,

Elder E. Smith

P.S. Congratulations to anyone who has received mission calls! Tell me where you are going!! 

P.P.S.  Happy Thanksgiving! We're having a missionary Turkey Bowl today and I'm super excited. I haven't played sports in AGES!!!

Canada Fact: Can't think of anything.....Sorry. Maybe next week.

Missionary Work Isn't All Hard

Uhhhhhhh yeah

Are we sure it has been a week? It feels like two days. Seriously. I also have about two days worth of updating to do. This letter should be awesome. :)

Nothing happend this week. Well, I shouldn't say nothing but pretty close to nothing. We did a ton of street contacting and tracting. No one wants to listen to us. Not even our investigators. We called and called and called and no one would set an appointment with us. GRRR. We had a bunch of "I'm not sure what my schedule is like. Call me tomorrow. I'll know then." Then when we call they don't answer. Its super fun. So we didn't teach at all this week. We did, however, find some people who were interested in meeting with missionaries. The sad part is that they all live out of our area. Sigh...city work.....I'll get over it. We have found investigators for every area around us but can't seem to find one for ourselves. We found a few less interested people that we are going to follow up with this week. Cross your fingers!! I really want to teach consistently. Someday. :) I love how Liam always closes his emails with "pray for my investigators." I am going to start closing with "pray that we'll have investigators."

So that is about all that happened this week. President Scott has instituted a "Car Fast" every Thursday. The idea is to get us out of the car and out finding people. We don't schedule appointments for that day and we either walk or ride the bus so that we can talk to as many people as we can. Its a great idea and is aimed toward the missionaries who teach a ton and just drive from appointment to appointment. That obviously is not a problem for us really and it just means we walk to where we tract and street contact. It was pretty fun and I am looking forward to when its snowing on a Thursday. :)  

It hasn't really snowed here yet....disappointing. We had a day last week when there were a couple tiny tiny flakes for like two minutes and that was it. Hopefully we'll get some soon and I won't regret saying this. I just love winter and snow=winter.

That really is all. Slow week makes for short email. I love you all. I hope you are having a wonderful day/week and that the odds will be ever in your favor. Or whatever :)  Read, Pray, Do good things!

Love,

Elder E. Smith

P.S. I thought of something else I want for Christmas. Scarves.

P.P.S. Pray that we'll have investigators! ;)

Canada Fact: I am kind of running out. there just aren't enough things. Did I already use the milk in bags thing? I think so. That one is really, really weird. Yesterday was "Remembrance Day" and everyone wears red poppies to support the veterans. It is a neat tradition for sure. That's not really weird but it is fact nonetheless.  

Luvs!!

Merry Christmas

Hey!

Last weeks letter was bad. I remembered like 12 things I wanted to share right as we left the library. DOH!!!! So here are a few from last week.

My misssion was made last week when I walked past a Primary class and one of the kids yelled "ELDER SMITH!!!" and ran out to give me a high five and talk to me. I loved it. I love the Richmond Hill Ward. I was walking around church yesterday and I couldn't help but smile. It is crazy how much I can love a bunch of people I hardly know.

Now on to other things. Mom had a ton of questions so I will answer them here.

Bro Scott picture story. So Bro Scott is a member in the ward that we are super close with. He has MS so once a week we go to his house and help him with stuff. He feeds us and he is awesome. We are also teaching his step-son so we spend a lot of time at the Scott house. Last night we went there for dinner and a lesson and it was good. His daughter is super funny and I mess with her like I would Emma or Mariah. Its so fun to have a sister again. So she was goofing around and putting things on my head. Hence the bird in the nest on my head. It was mildly amusing to me but everyone else thought it was hilarious. Sis Scott almost died laughing. Good times.

On the super storm front. From my perspective the storm was "Meh." We got lots of rain and some high winds one night but really nothing bad. We are very lucky. We have just heard bits and pieces of what happened elsewhere and it sounds awful. Keep those affected in your prayers for sure!  

Canada is awesome. Because we have Thanksgiving at the beginning of November, after Halloween Christmas starts. I am already singing Christmas songs. :) Hohoho! I don't have any Christmas music. Send some soon. The rules are the same for Christmas music as far as I know. Music that is uplifting, contains no romantic lyrics or overtones, and that directs thoughts to the Savior. So find some and send it. Get as much Harry Connick Jr. as you can. It won't be Christmas without my Harry :) As for things I want for Christmas there are only two. Money to dry clean my suits and sweaters. If I think of something else I will let you know.

On to the weekly update.

This week was great. I had dinner in Mexico, Columbia and lunch in China. Dinner with members is like serving a mini mission in another country. Phillipines, Venezuela, Scotland. People in this ward are from EVERYWHERE! I love it. The Chinese lunch was a resturant that had a grill in the middle of the table and you grill your own food. It was sweet and suuuuuper good. I love being a missionary.

Due to daylight savings we got to sleep in yesterday and it was heavenly. We set our alarms for 7:30 and then just set them back when we got up. I felt like a new man. Hahaha. I can't wait till Christmas because we get to sleep in then too. :)

This week I have really seen the Spirit take over. When I just do what I am supposed to and let the Holy Spirit guide, things just work out. Two examples. On Saturday night we went street contacting at the only place where there are enough people to talk to but that night it was dead. DEAD. There was one man at the bus stop and he didn't speak a lick of english. I was bummed. We had worked hard all day and we were trying to do our part but no one was there to talk to. I said a silent little prayer to ask for help and a reason to be there that night. I got the prompting to walk to the other corner and walk down the street. So I did. As we walked down that street the bus came and a man got out and I jokingly said to Elder Hegemann "There he is. That is the reason we are here." So I went up to talk to him and he shut me DOWN. Normally I would leave it and not bother him but I got another prompting to just keep talking to him. We talked a little more as we waited for the light to change and then as we walked across the street. By the time we reached the other side his attitude had completely changed. He was warm, friendly and told us that he would be calling us. He wanted to give us his number but he had just moved to Markham and didn't know it yet so he saifd he would call us. It was awesome and I was so glad that I listened to the Spirit. 

Then last night we were teaching a lesson that admittedly, we were not super prepared for. I said another silent prayer that things would go well and I got this assurance not to worry and everything would work out. As we started the lesson, I wasn't sure how it was going to go. We had never practiced this lesson and I have only taught it two other times, neither of them very well. I just went with the plan and suddenly the Spirit took over. Scriptures to share and questions to ask were popping into my head and  everthing went smoothly from subject to subject. I can't believe how well the lesson went and I was so glad that I trusted in the Spirit and followed the promptings. I am so grateful for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and for the chance that I have to use it everyday. What a wonderful blessing. What a wonderful week!

Tomorrow marks 5 months to the day that I left on my mission. 5 months!! It has been the longest and the shortest 5 months of my life. I am so glad that I chose to come on a misson and I am so grateful for the chance that I have to be serving the Lord for two years. I love being a missionary.

I love you all and I am so grateful for your love and support. Keep working, keep smiling, keep reading your scriptures and pray always! Do good things!

Elder E. Smith

P.S. Pictures will be coming next week via letter. My best attempts to send them have amounted to nothing so snail mail it is. :)

Canada Fact: I can't think of anything.....Oh! Ketchup Chips! They love them here. Nasty!

Luvs

Transf....TRANSFERS!?!?

Holy Jumpins!

We just started!!! I honestly can not believe that it has been six weeks. My first six weeks felt like six months. My second felt like six weeks and this past transfer felt like six days. Seriously. Where has the time gone? Wow. More on that later.

This week was a return to the real world. Haha. I spent so long having nothing to do and no one to work with and this week was a shock to my system. Going so long without an investigator made me forget how difficult it is to juggle schedules and members and GAH! Stress. We had a great week lined up with appointments and teaching and it was supposed to be awesome. I guess it kinda was but we just got bombed a lot. So much. (For those of you who are wondering, "bombed" is when you have an appointment and the investigator doesn't show up. ie: "Andy bombed", "We got bombed", etc.) So yeah. Disappointments galore. Worst news first. Andy bombed. He rescheduled twice then told us that he would call us when he wasn't so busy......which is basically the nice way to say "Not interested." Sigh. We win some, we lose some. I'm still praying that he will call us but probably not. Super bummer. Bad news next. We only taught two lessons this week depite our ten ish planned. :( Good news. We taught two lessons this week!!! So so so so much better than teaching zero. So much better. Great news. Chris came to church!!! Chris is the guy we met at Tim Horton's and he is doing well. He has had a really tough life and so the gospel is just changing everything. He loved church and he wants to come again and meet with us during the week! So exciting. I love having work to do. :)

Other great news! For the first time ever things are not changing at the transfer. I am staying in Richmond Hill and so is Elder Hegemann. I am very happy about this because I really feel like I just got here. Elder H and I get along great and we are becoming better missionaries everyday. I am so glad I get to finish his training and that we get to work together for another transfer. Super great!

Thats about it. Not a very eventfull week. I love you all and I am so grateful for the support and the love from all of you. Keep on keeping on and love every minute of this life. Choose to be happy now. Do good things!

Love,

Elder E. Smith

P.S. I got two packages this week and the apartment is now very festively and very poorly (...I'm not good at decorating) decorated for Halloween. Also I am fat from all that candy. Thanks a lot. Also on Halloween we have to be in our apartment by 6 pm. Exciting.

Canada Fact: They say "Pardon?" instead of "What?" or whatever else we say when we don't understand something. Its awesome. I love Canada.

Luvs!

YAY!

Dear family and friends!

To use missionary language, this week was flippin' fantastic! SO so so good. Where to start....OH! The beginning would be good. Tuesday: Skills and Interviews. Where we get together with our zone and learn skills while President Scott does interviews. Its the best. I love it. In my interviews with Pres. Scott we talked about my struggling area and what we have been trying and how we could see success. We talked and I got some great ideas and it was awesome. President also said that we had been laying the foundation for a great work and that it had been lain and that the time was soon that we would see the blessings. He is crazy inspired folks. The rest of the day went well and I remember none of it. :)

Wednesday: I don't know if I mentioned this but one of the members gave a a referral a while back and all we knew was what he looked like and that he hangs out at a particular Timmy's. So after weeks of camping out and trying to find him....WE DID!! We met him and his friend and both are interested and want to come to church to check things out! Two new investigators! Such a miracle. Great day.

Thursday: This day was good. We had two return appointments with people tracted into during the week and one bombed but the other went through. :D! But he just wanted to know what we believe and "wasn't interested in changing" :< Oh well. Still a good day.

Friday: Unforgettable. Seriously. I went on exchanges with the Farsi Elders and they cover the entire mission (technically the world) and I went to their area. It. Was. Awesome. We rode the subway to downtown Toronto. Skyscrapers, tons of people, the whole nine yards. We went and talked with people at University downtown and ate lunch in Dundas Square, which is essentially Toronto's Time's Square. So cool! So many people and so much fun. I was very overwhelmed but had a wonderful time. People are nice there. Weird. The rest of the day was spent going around and talking to people. They are everywhere down there. Every corner has someone to talk to. I'm so jealous. It was a super great day.

Saturday: Elder Hegemann was sick this day so the morning was spent helping him feel better. It was weird to not be out and going but it was needed. Once he was feeling better we went out tracting and found someone!! That never happens! Usually they say comeback and then bomb or aren't really interested but he said come in! His name is Andy and he is really awesome. He is from Trinidad and is looking for a church and accepted the invitation to be baptized!!!!! You can not imagine the weight that has been lifted off my shoulders. It makes all the difference to have really strong investigators. It gives you something to be excited about. I am so happy. We'll see how things go this week. The work has really picked up and things are getting exciting. Just in time for transfers. Next week. Already. Time goes so so so fast. It blows my mind. Hopefully because I am training I won't leave. I'm very much hoping to be in this area with Elder Hegemann for at least another transfer. Crossing my fingers. :)

Sunday: Uneventful but good. Ate dinner at a member's whose son is serving in the same mission as Scott Call. Small world.

I'm out of time. I love you all. Do good things!

Love,

Elder E. Smith

Canada Fact: They love green olives here. They are at subway and all the restaurants. You have to ask for black olives because they default reach for green. Interesting.

Luvs