A Drop of Golden Sun...

25-07-12

Well today is transfers! I'm receiving a new companion today that is from Argentina. He has 4 months on the mission so he probably still has a strong Spanish accent. It will be interesting... He hasn't arrived yet. Right now I’m making a division with our zone leader, Elder Cânepa. He is really cool, but my new companion will probably not arrive until probably 8 o´clock tonight. His name is Elder Atencio, I heard it on the telephone, but it was too difficult for me to say. Even though I'm a little nervous, I'm really excited at the same time. It was a little difficult to get good work done with Elder Szpikula. Now it’s time to re-lace my shoes and get back to work! 

Happy Birthday Heidi!!! I'll be wishing you some Brazilian love on your birthday!! May all your wildest dreams come true on this day.

I would really like to have Tiffy´s new address. I would like to send some letters to them but I don't know how to get the letters to them. Also, how is the new batman movie? Has anyone seen it yet? I heard a story here that someone killed twelve people in the movie theater on opening night? He thought that he was the Riddler? Or something crazy like that? Let me know more about that, sounds crazy. 

As I've been reading "The Miracle of Forgiveness" I've noticed some of dad’s inspired notes that he made in the book while serving as Bishop. It’s really neat to know Dad’s thoughts on some of the matters talked about in the book. I do have one question though. In one part in the book it’s talking about a prisoner that is faced with the penalties that he brought upon himself. On the side margin, Dad just noted "my experience as a Bishop, visiting a girl in prison, hand on glass". If dad can remember this story, I would like to hear it. It would be awesome if he could explain the story in full for me, and the feelings that were felt. Thanks.

This past week I taught a “Killer” man. A murderer! We found a new investigator, but she is not married, and we can’t baptize couples that are living together without being married legally. For this reason we wanted to talk to the man. As we were teaching him, we asked some inspired questions, found out more about him, found out that he drinks, uses drugs, and has killed in the past. When we asked if he has killed more than one person he said yes, and that he could not even tell us how many people he has killed because he said it’s more than he can count... At that point in the lesson I needed a change of underwear…. He said that his wife didn't know any of this, and he was trusting in us to keep a secret. We tried to help him, but he seemed to have no desire to change his life, no matter what we did. Maybe someday in the future he will find peace... But my gosh, it will be one difficult task!

Well, thank you for the emails, I love you guys so very much! Have a great week!

God Speed!

Elder Smidt X

Little bit of growth...

18-07-12

Well hello Family!

I would first like to give a big shout out to the man who will be making it to the Double Digits! KJ! It’s crazy to think about how much he has changed over the years. I have no doubt that he will be an awesome missionary. I still have memories of KJ wearing diapers. Soon I’ll be the one wearing diapers; will it be because of my age? No, it will be because diapers make life easier when you don't want to get up. No more having to worry about missing a key part in a movie! 

I'm glad that you saw our Facebook page for our mission. I wish I could see what it looks like, but yeah. Our Mission president’s wife is REALLY animated. :) As for packages, I sent a letter home last week explaining my thoughts on packages. Mostly, packages kinda make me trunky. They bring back so many memories that truly are awesome, but that is the problem. 

Mom, I have some good information to share with you. Remember when I mentioned last week that we still needed interviews with our mission president? Well, later that day, our mission president showed up unexpected at our house! I was in the kitchen eating a hot dog, and I had ketchup and mayonnaise all over my lips, wearing nothing but my under garments. I was able to quickly throw on shorts and a shirt before he saw me. But the interview that I had with him was awesome! He is so loving and he makes you feel so important. During part of the interview he told me that he was extremely grateful for the opportunity that he had to serve with a great missionary as me. I'm sure he says that to every missionary. When he told me this I kinda chuckled and said that I didn't think I deserved such a compliment. Then he kinda got stern with me. He looked me directly in the eyes and said the following: "Next week when you write your mom, I want you to tell her the following: 'Thank you so much for sending your son on a mission and allowing him to come to Belo Horizonte, I am so thankful for the way you raised him…. So thankful for all that you did to help him become the great missionary he is right now. I need good worthy missionaries and I know that you sent me one. I love you for that reason, and I love your son.’" He then said to me, "words cannot express my gratitude for you and your mother, Elder Smidt, but make sure, make sure that you tell her thank you. The Smidt Family should be proud." I wrote down those words IMMEDIATELY after the interview, so they are true.

As for my growth, my major growing moments took place in my first four months in the mission. But every day, I make a little bit more of a progressive step. I have literally found my love for the scriptures, I have literally discovered the power of Prayer, and I have literally enjoyed the greatest blessing of all, feeling the love of Jesus and Heavenly Father for me as I search for my own eternal Salvation. I will never be the same person, I will be at least 100 times better off. I know that these are miracles, and I know that miracles happen in our time. I have learned that if we want miracles to happen in our lives, we can’t just sit around waiting for them, we need to do our part!!!! PRAY! READ THE SCRIPTURES! AND ATTEND CHURCH! Three things that, in reality, are incredibly simple, and yet we can’t find 10 minutes in our day to open the Bible, we can’t devote a few hours on Sunday to show our love and respect for our creator and Savior, we can’t even humble ourselves to get on our knees and ask the Supreme Being for a little help? This laziness makes me sad! I am being 100% serious right now, "by small and simple things, are great things brought to pass". Get off the couch and make a difference in your eternal life!!   

I love you!

God Speed!

Elder Smidt X

New Mission President

11-07-2012

Well hello family! 

So the new Spider Man movie was actually good? That’s good to hear. I definitely had my doubts, because from the pictures that I saw before my mission, his suit looked kinda gay. But now I am happy and I will wait excitedly to see it. DAD, that idea you had was awesome!! That would be so cool if you rented a projector for when I get home to watch all the movies I missed. Also, this Long board stuff is good stuff. Keep it up family.

CONGRATULATIONS BRYAN!!!!!!! That is so awesome that my brother from another mother (literally brother) is getting married! Let me in on the deets of how he popped the big question. Also, when is the latest I can send the picture? Because my hair is pretty short right now. But I will send a picture whenever. I AM HONORED!! I can’t explain how honored and happy I feel to be included in the line especially since I am here in Brazil right now. So freakin’ cool.

So this week we had a zone conference with our new president. He sounds awesome, funny and really nice. We left Monday night, in the middle of the night and boarded our bus for Belo Horizonte at about 12:30 am. We arrived at about 6:30 am. It took about two hours less than usual. So I probably got about 4 hours of sleep since it was difficult to sleep on the bus. Then we got to hear from our president and his family from about 10-12am. Then from 1 pm to 5 pm we had training! I’m not going to lie, it was so hard only because of how tired I was. But during the practices I at least made a good tired and lazy investigator. Then we left back for the bus station, boarded our bus again at 7pm and arrived back here in Montes Claros at 2 am this morning. I am officially dead right now, don’t feel like joking around at all. At least today is P-day and I will be able to sleep a little. I’m not sure when I will have an Interview with the president but it will be another time of no sleep and many hours on a bus. The good thing is, this time I told them that I didn’t have any money left, so the mission paid for the travel expenses this time. So don’t worry about that factor mom.

My companion is from Curitiba (Koo-dee-Chee-buh) and he is hilarious. We are already great friends. He tried to say something to you guys in English on my tape but it didn’t really make sense. :) He is short and pretty chunky, but it almost makes him more funny. I will try to take a picture soon with him. We will work well together.

This week I will live off of a loaf of Bread and milk since I am out of money. :) Can’t wait for the day to dig my hands into a bag of Doritos again!

God Speed!

Elder Smidt X

Montes Claros

5-07-12

Well hello there!

Happy Fourth of July everybody!!! I hope all of you are able to stuff yourselves with BBQ and Root beer! I will have to eat some Churrasco (BBQ) today as well. I will definitely miss the fireworks that we had in our neighborhood. Probably my favorite part about our neighborhood. I remember that about this time last year I was buying fireworks with Bryan and later that night Dad, Bryan, and me were shooting roman candles at each other. I love being an idiot.

Happy Birthday to Tiffany and Dad!!!! I will send out letters today for you guys. I totally forgot about you guy's birthdays, but yesterday when I unpacked my calendar, I was reminded. I'm sorry! Don't get too old while I'm gone!

By the way I got my fourth of July package and I loved it. I thought that it was funny that for the description you put "missionary supplies" on the package, but it was just filled with food. :) I guess in all reality, there is no better definition for missionary supplies than food. The beef jerky was to die for, and as for the Chicken crackers? I was on a plane of enlightenment.

My new companion is awesome! I was wrong, he doesn't have a year and a half, only a year. But it still makes it a little awkward for me to be senhor. I guess he and his companion made a mistake (probably watched a little TV in a members home) and they are both Junior companions now.

Montes Claros is good, but I liked Paraiso more, there was a lot more potential there. The LDS church has a horrible rap here in Montes Claros. Some people think that the missionaries have children's heads in our backpacks. It’s hard to find a person here that doesn't hate the church. I'm not sure what happened here to create such a bad atmosphere for the missionaries. But it will definitely be harder to find people to teach. Here in Montes Claros, it’s a LOT dryer than B.H. There are no hills. There is the city, the center of Montes Claros, then the outskirts. The city is nice, looks like a U.S. city, but the area outside of the city is soooooo poor. With the dusty roads and the old brick buildings, it looks like the setting in which Nacho Libre took place. I've seen a lot of weird things in the outskirts. Sunday when we went to pick up a recent convert, I saw someone on the sidewalk going number two, totally bare bottom, with no shame. Geeze.

Will batman really be released this month? I can’t believe it!!! That will be the first movie that I will watch after the mission. I’m including photos of my buzz cut for you guys. A family in Paraiso all buzzed their hair and I gave into temptation and buzzed my hair with them. My companion in those photos is Elder G. Almeida. I was not able to take a photo with Elder De Almeida during the time that we were together. 

By the way, you asked if my baptism with Ataidi was my second baptism? I'm sorry I haven't been talking more about my baptisms, but as of right now I have 13. If you want I will start mentioning them more, but I figure that every missionary talks about baptisms so I never really thought it to be of importance for you guys. I am a little frustrated with myself because I haven't had a baptism in over a month now. And it’s not like when the Zone Leader calls and I explain to him what’s going on that he just says "It’s alright Elder, the Lord knows you're trying and sooner or later he will bless you for your efforts." As much as I would like to hear things like that, what I really hear is "Where is your faith Elder!?!? It’s clear that miracles happen through faith, and this mission is full of miracles! Get to work and hope that the Lord will help your faith!" You may think I'm joking or exaggerating, but this happens. 

Well, that's about it for now. I love you all and hope that you have a good 4th of July. Tell John I'm still waiting for his letter! 

God Speed

Elder Smidt X