10-14-2013

Hey everybody whats up? This week I got a hair cut haha now my hair uses less shampoo and doesnt even need gel haha this week was good but could be better. We had Interviews with the President this week he asked me why I wasnt baptizing anyone and we talked a while and it was really good President decided that I knew what I need to do, And all I have to do is Do it haha so Ive been working on this this week Im very happy with all the things of the gospel Im becoming more converted everyday But I need to keep pushing I watched the video about the life of the prophet and one thing that I saw was that he was always a Doer I learned that  22 years old he was called as bishop haha and I kept thinking how did he find time to visit 80 or so widows in his ward every month haha I was thinking that with 22 years I would eat sleep work study and repeat but I guess if the prophet could have time to be a bishop I should have plenty of time to serve in any other calling. But it sure showed that the prophet was always acting to help others and I really enjoyed the video makes me want to be a better me. so ya Im trying to become more humble and meek and Trying to become more spiritual and happier too haha Im kinda scared about transfers I really like where Im at and my Companion but its the Lords will and not mine. and Its a simple fact that while we struggle we grow more so we´ll see how it goes this week. i dont know if i sent this pic but heres Elder M. Ribeiro burning an old white shirt as his hump day ritual (Hump day is when you pass 1 year on the mission) haha Thanks for all the Love and support I hope you all have a good week

Elder J. Smith

Hey everybody hows it goin? this weekend was pretty good with conference and all but I watched it in conference and the translaters do a pretty bad job of passing the same spirit that we get in English haha saturday morning we woke up early to help an investigator and his family put concrete on his roof so im sore haha but it was lots of fun haha Ill send you guys a pic haha Dont get me wrong when I say this but I sure like getting dirty haha after we took a shower we headed off to conference I really enjoyed the talk that talked about looking up I felt a really good spirit though I dont remember much of what he said I remember that it touched my heart. haha and on sunday our zone had a combined baptism and 4 people were baptized. I was happy for the people but I sure wished that someone from my area would be baptized its been 4 months since I last baptized and Sometimes I wonder why I am teaching better than I taught and Im speaking better than I used to and Im in an area with lots more humble people and still in this area my feet are still dry but I think what i need is some more humility I guess now that I speak and teach better I rely less on the lord and I try to convince the people rather than let the spirit convert I guess Im trying to hard to make the seeds I plant grow haha but Im very glad to be here. my time here is passing by unnoticed its been 1 year and 6 months since ive been here and Im three-fourths of the way through.  Its crazy how time passes so im gonna have to get down and humble up and get to work so I can go home knowing I did all I could Im so excited to go back to our house and listen to conference Im thirsting for the spiritual gain haha oh by the way the mail service here is on strike wich explains why my letters havent gotten to you and why i havent gotten my letters from Deid :) haha and also means its probably gonna take a while for the package to get here who knows maybe I do get it on my birthday :) haha welll love you guys have a great week and study conference :) tchau

9-30-13

Hey everyone This week has passed way too fast but hey thats what happens when you like your companion This week Is conference and Im Just PSYCHED haha I love conference I was studying about conversion this week or the week before it and I remebered of a conference talk I think from october that Elder Bednar gave and I was able to go back and listenb to his talk cuz I had dwnloaded it so I was happy to have downloaded it and the Talk about the Tomato plants Ive practically got memorized haha I really enjoyed that talk It lines right up with what we learn in the Temple and It helps open my eyes nd my mind to the concept of Eternity wich I still think is impossible to comprehend haha got my shoes resoled  this week I spent R$30 ($15) and got some new shoes haha heres  picture of my approval . haha Its been about 2 and a half transfers since I last baptized someone And Im not to happy about that especially cuz Elder Quinteros filled me with high expectations saying they had baptized 15 people in a short period of time but thats ok One of these 15 is Luis and Luis like various other of these 15 became inactive I only saw him in the church 1 time when I got here when Elder M. Ribeiro got here I decided That I wanted to work with Luis being a man with about 28 years old (already something thats needed in the church) and an aaronic priesthood holder. And I was happy to see him back at church last week and this sunday we didnt have anyone who went to church and I was kinda bummed cuz I didnt see Luis but about 10 minutes after starting Luis showed up :) I was so happy I sure Hope I can help him and get him a friend :) Thats awesome to hear about Joann I bet Bryan and Jake were happy to see that baptism :) Its gonna be a great blessing in her family :) I think this next week Ill be knocking lots of doors and talking to lots of people cuz the people were teaching are pretty soft haha as in not firm in their decisions. haha so I need to meet lots of new people!!!! other than this Im doing good :) Im happy to be here Im starting to relax a bit and enjoy my time here haha so ya transfer is getting here quickly and for once Im not wishing for a change haha well have a good week everyone I love you all Tchau!

Elder J. Smith

Elder Tyson and his re-soled shoes.

Hey hey hey Im out of rhyming endings today... haha This week was good I was happy to see the pics of abis baptism and Im glad it all went well this week we had Zone conference and the President talked to us about conversion of the missionarys and I really enjoyed his talk me and my comp are just chugging along we have two young woman that we are trying to baptize they are two friends and they really liked the church. Me and Elder M. Ribeiro are good friends I dont think Ive ever been so open with any of my comps haha I like him alot were already heading into the third week but Im hoping that this transfer doesnt go to fast! Jake asked me today how I came to know the church was true so I explained it out to him and used quite a bit of Time so ill put it in I figure youll enjoy it       ´´ I have always wanted to see an angel ever since i was 8 and when I got to the mission I tried quite a bit to force a spiritual manifestation. you and me both know that that dont work to well... haha but every day of study trying to clear up my doubts I gained a bit of knowledge and the Holy ghost helps me every time I study Its hard to explain how it happens its that feeling that you get when your reading something true and it just clicks and you think wow its true haha to be honest my answer to if the book of mormon was true in my prayers never gave me a certainty I prayed with 8 waiting an angel and nothing I prayed with 12 and nothing prayed with 14 and 16 and still nothing but One day I was praying (still waiting on my angel) and after saying amen and not seeing an angel I began to think is it really true and I started to think about the book of mormon and how it had helped me in my life and I remembered the feeling I always had when I prayed to know of the truth and It was a feeling from my heart to my brain saying ``you already know its true why are you asking´´ haha and though that answer did give me what i wanted it gave me enough to follow... My experience matches up good with Alma 32 when he talks about the seed of faith. and still Ive never seen an angel or heard a voice or had a dream but I know its true and you will too just follow the scriptures and read PMG and obey your mission rules and youll get there the most precious truth that Ive learned on the mission is that the works and mysterys of God arent as Misterious as we think they are Love you Bro I hope I got your question answered you probly arent too satisfied  by my answer but Little by little youll make it to where you say without a doubt I know this is true. Love ya man have a good week work hard and dont give up on the work :) Its hard and stressful but Its a good hurt haha´´        Other than this Im really happy to be here I think today is the first Day in a long time that Im not missing home I dont let it get in the way of the work but its always pulling at my thoughts but Today I watched the best two years and I enjoyed the film alot It got me thinking about my mission and how looking at the situation of the Elders from Outside I was happy and patient but then I saw things that happen in my mission that didnt make me laugh like the movie did and It made me think that I should relax more and enjoy my mission haha but ya we just had a blackout and the pwer is back so Ill send my big letter in case it goes out again. Tchau I love you all 

Elder J. SMith

hey hey hey If your reading this I hope your doing Okay! I think Im running out of rhymes haha This week was pretty good my new companion is from Minas Geras (I think thats how you spell it) haha Hes really cool and really chill I feel like I can be me around him hes really a great guy! This week we walked alot and taught some crazy people but weve also found some good people we found a good family we read a story from the book of mormon in the second lesson and the man of the house not only read and understood but he even applied it to these last days so I hope we can help them :) the only problem is that we have to wait until next sunday to teach them. and also we had a teenage girl in the church yesterday and she really Liked the church the members here recieved her really good and invited her to all kinds of activitys so It was really good we need to workmore with her and her family so they can be bless like my family has been blessed this week we got a call from a member informing us that he couldnt give lunch to us so we made a soup that had more potatos and pasta than broth haha but it was good and thats whats in the pic haha my companion also likes cars haha so that pretty much put him on my good side haha but he is a great guy really loving Im real excited to work with him we made some plans to do some activities so Im hoping well get that set out good haha other than this life goes on :) while I was studying this week I decided I needed to have a stronger testimony of the Atonement (which Imstill working on) but It was neat to see how the spirit opens my understanding as I study As I was studying something that I had akready studied a million times and the spirit talks to my spirit and makes it make sense and become more real to me I love you all and Deid haha and this Gospel There is nothing better for us than the Gospel and I know thats True. Tchau Have a great week Ill talk to you on Monday 

9-9-13

hey hey hey we had a little change today.. TRANSFERS my new companion is Elder M. Ribeiro He seems pretty cool but hey Ive known him for about 4 hours now so who knows haha but Im excited for the change this week was cool we taught a lesson with President Lanius which was really cool I really liked the way that he talked about the Gospel because he wasnt to worried about what the investigator would think he Just taught what came natural to him (even if it meant talking about the stars and Universe to demonstrate the size of the things around us and the higher meaning of life) haha I liked the way he taught cuz it wasnt just information but what President really thinks and feels. He always talked about his testimony and how he simply Knows that this is true Just to give you an Idea he was married 21 years with Sister Lanius before being baptized anyways it was really neat I have a lot of love and respect for my mission President I see that he thinks the way that I think :) and he teaches like i like to teach It was really cool. Also by luck I got the chance to meet Fabio and Luancla  (members of the Madalena ward) at a Baptism that I went too and I got to talk with them about Madalena and Natalia and Tiago and it sure made my day to hear about My Ward (and it is mine) haha Other than all this Im just excited for this week I hope It goes well and that you guys have a good week I love you all :)

Elder Tyson and his Group outside the Recife Temple.

Tyson and His "Son", and his "Grandson"

9-2-13

Hey Everybody Looks like things are going good back home here things are going good too Last week we got to go to the temple and it was really good Also while talking with Sister Dana whos grandma Knows my Grandma :) I found out were related haha haha her family is from Snowflake and when I asked her if she Heard of Jesse N. Smith she responded with the following question  ´´do you have the Big Green Book?´´ haha it was funny haha but I really love going to the temple and Im glad that we can have an eternal family. This week I also got to thinking about the Pioneers who sacrificed alot to have the church and about how Im pretty ungrateful at times well because of the time Im gonna have to finidsh my letter and the lag is so bad the pictures I took wont load but I know this Church is true and that Familys are forever  I am excited to see that Abi will be baptized It will bless her life ALOT but I have to go... Love you all have a good week sorry bout the letter being short sorry bout the pics but the Internet is horrible today. Tchau, Elder J. Smith

Elder Smith and Sister Dana