Miracles...

Family,

This week has been excellent. I really tried to continue doing EVERYTHING right, and I saw results. This Friday I went on splits with a greeny to try to help him adapt to the mission and get a hold on things. I also decided that we would try to search for everybody from the Area Book (a book that has all of the records of people that were taught in the past) that went to church and were learning from the missionaries and were progressing towards a baptismal date, but then stopped for some reason. We also searched for less active members to see if we could reactivate some people and hopefully baptize some of the members in the family that weren’t baptized. But I focused all of the records and people in the part furthest away from the church, about an hour and a half walk to get there, on a hot day. We got there and no luck, no luck, no luck. Nobody wanted anything to do with us anymore. Then it started raining. I felt bad, I felt like this new missionary was probably looking forward to this division with the hope to learn something amazing or have something really good happen. Near the end of the day I was ready to give up, but we still had three names on our list of people to visit. We only had time for one more visit, and I knew that the next day I probably wouldn’t be returning there, so I chose a random name from the remaining three names to go see. We went there and my prayers were answered. He accepted our message, and accepted to be baptized in the next two days, Easter Sunday. He wasn’t able to be baptized previously because he had an addiction problem, but then about a year ago he went to a clinic and got himself fixed up and stopped completely. With all of the other commandments he was ok. His name is Carlos, and I hope that you guys can pray for him so that he will stay firm, get confirmed this next Sunday, and really get a strong testimony.

We also had a contact that we had made, show up to the church. He wants to be baptized and he liked the church a lot, but he drinks a little bit and his family seems a little against the church. He turned 18, so now we will see what happens. If you would be willing, it would help him to have your prayers as well. He is a good kid that wants to change. 

We saw a lot of miracles happen in our zone this week, and there are sure to be more. 

As for that picture I sent of my apartment last week-- when I took that picture I was in the house only a couple days, and as Zone Leader I don’t have time to organize. It was easy as junior companion, but now that I am zone leader, I wake up, eat fast, take a shower fast, iron my shirt fast, then I have to study until 10 am and then I’m out the door until 9:30 at night. I get home, plan for the next day fast, call the other missionaries to see how they are doing fast, then I take a quick shower, then its 10:30, lights out. Every day my life is a race that never ends!

I thought of a couple more birthday ideas if possible. I would like to have my contact lenses because I am starting to use my glasses, but my head gets so sweaty it’s kind of a pain and the lenses are getting pretty scratched up from carrying them around so much. And maybe some Crest white stripes so that I don’t come home with Brazilian teeth.

I love you and miss you all!

PS Today is April 1^st- Your lucky that I’m not there to pull something on you guys, but next year I will!

Elder Smidt X