1-20-2014

Well this week has been a good week that Ended with a Baptism! My new companion is a good guy and a great worker The Baptism was Gleyson hes a great kid he was kinda nervous about the baptism but when he got there on saturday he was Really excited and happy and Its been probly one of the Best Baptisms on the mission cuz I wasnt so nervous like I usually am and I could see the happiness on his face. also my shoes are done.. the sole was coming undone and I kicked a rock (by accident) and It broke haha also I wrote a song about my shoes haha IM sure you guys will like it and Youll like it even more when I can sing it with my twelve string.... :) sorry my letter is short I got a sore throat and Im pretty worn out from this week haha so ya Love you all have a good week
Elder J. Smith

Elder Smith with his new Companion Elder Souza and their friend Gleyson.

A new chapter begins.

Well this week was  long or maybe just seems like that cuz alot of stuff happened. We went to recife and took a ton of pics and on the way back we got my package we had lots of fun with our guns haha and then it was work work work the rest of the week :) I was Very surprised to see That Elder Larsen got transferred. and Im not gonna lie I actually had one of my bags packed haha. But things change... haha I think the whole ward was shocked about the change. Yesterday was good Sergio went to church for the first time and He LOVED IT!!! I was happy to see that :) he said it was different than any other church hes visited, so.... Im gonna work hard to get him baptized this transfer... This sunday I had an interesting experience I was feeling kinda down after Lunch cuz I felt Like I didnt get done that week as much as I could have and I was thinking on what scripture I would use as a message and I remembered ether 12 that says that god gives us our weaknesses so we can be humble and if we humble ourslves to the Lord he will make the weak things strong and I think that this lesson was more for me than for the family because In this Light I saw this scripture in a whole other way that brought light and comfort into my soul :) Love you all have a great week I know the church is true ! 

Elder J. Smith

Elder Smith trying out a new way to spread the Gospel!

Elder Smith and Elder Larsen enjoying their late arriving Christmas Presents!

2014, Here we come!

 haha so anyway This week was Good We have a baptism marked for saturday I just need to talk to Bishop to make sure its a go and get his grandmas Autograph (signiture) Looks like you guys arent on yet but I am here pretty early. As our Hopefully not last Pday together were going to Recife to take some pics and have some fun :) so we had to get an early start I sure like talking to you guess but we want to have plenty of time to get to Recife and get back :) so Ya New Year is here and  Ive got some good goals for 2014 Its crazy to think only a 4th of 2014 will be on the Mission. Last Night we talked with Sergio, Hes such a great guy but the way he looks I would have been scared to talk to him but Hes a great person I just hope  that  he goes to Church next week cuz he didnt this week. This week we will baptize Gleison hes a good young man. Hes 15 and hes calm and Kinda Shy but Hes a Good Person. You have probly seen Pics of me with Jarcilene and Rafael on Facebook  Jarcilene is an investigator and Rafael Is a Less active member to baptize her we just need to Marry them... well Gleison is her Nephew so thats How we got to teaching him. so Anyways IM Just Loving it here Ive been learning and Growing alot I know Im not Perfect and Actually Im far from it but I find happiness In doing whats right. Im in John now In my new testament in 40 days challenge and I LOVE IT the way john writes Christs teachings and acts I seem to get a glance of the greatness of his character and the teachings of the Gospel and Its just Awesome to see and read. I love this gospel an Im glad Im where Im at I hope that in the end of my mission I have done all that I wanted to do. Well I love you all thanks for the love prayers and support it has helped alot :) 

 Elder J. Smith

12-30-2013

Well this week BLEW BY! but I guess thats what happens when Between Emails I get to skype with you Guys between Emails. As for the call I didnt get in Trouble But ya Things are moving quick! in a few days Ill enter into the 3 more months club. thats CRAZY this transfer is going by really fast but its really good. Me and Elder Larsen got the most lessons taught this week I guess though we didnt even teach that much. But things are just going good Its like my senior year in High school! Its been great this transfer me and my comp have had a ton of great and precious experiences that I hope to keep for the rest of my life. Yesterday we talked with Bishop and It was great he talked a bit about his mission and I marveled at how much harder it was Transfers were basically just a paper you got with an address and you had to go and you didnt have contact with the mission and Pretty much the missions back in the day Required that you be a man. but I guess nowadays the only thing thats gonna make you be a man Is yourself! Thats probly my Goal for 2014 Is to live in a way that I can become a man become fearless in proclaim the gospel. I want to become what the lord  wants me too be. heres my excited christmas picture and also a Picture of my zone. for 2014 I need to take more pictures and write more in my journal Elder Larsen is a good journal writer hes already finished at least two journals and I aint even finished the one I started haha but I Can Always change and do better. But ya Thanks for all your guys love and support I hope you all have a Great new year and that we all can follow the voice of Papa in becoming better this next year than we were this year. Its crazy to think that This year was all on the mission. but  I love you all have a great week! 
Elder Smith

Santa Clause came!!!

12-23-13

Hey Everybody, Lets just start by saying THAT WAS A FAST THREE WEEKS!!!! I cant believe that half the transfer is already gone...... Me And Elder Larsen Are TEARING IT UP!! He´s a GREAT companion. He even worked with me to Clean the House! Our leaders our pretty happy with our work were still missing baptism but We might have one this week This week was good It flew by! Im having a great time with Elder Larsen we have worked alot he never complains when we work though he Acknowledges my unskillful planning haha. He doesnt like to do contacts but he isnt scared to talk! Im Just loving it up here! If IM lucky president will leave me here with larsen for another transfer but If Im realistic Ill be leaving this transfer. Its funny  that things are going as they are cuz usually the Missionary work starts to wind down at the end of the year and Im just starting to get things going haha I really dont know what to say other than Im Happy. The Lord Is blessing us alot here and Im loving it I started the 40 days and 40 nights of the new testament and Its going real well im  loving the chance I have to read about the saviors ministry and His teachings I like the 40 days and 40 nights cuz it goes at a quick pace but It gives me plenty of time to think and ponder on what I read. I know this church is true I know that it is Gods restored church here on the Earth and Im Am VERY THANKFUL for the chance I have to be apart of it! Christmas well lets just say if it wasnt for the christmas call it would pass by Un noticed haha cuz Ive been thinking about the Lord during the whole year and there isnt any sign of cold weather like there is at home plus the work were doing helps alot to keep my mind off home.  Im Glad you´re all happy In my letter Ill add a pic of me and some people I taught the Man Is less active and the Lady a nonmember we caught them sunday packing everything up so that they can go to Minas Geras ( Thats where Elder M Ribeiro is from) Looks like they will pass some good time down there maybe Ill never see him again but it was good to know him.  I love this work and I love all you guys Have a great week and a MERRY CHRISTMAS I guess Ill see you on Wednesday

Elder J. Smith

Elder Smith and Elder Larsen

Elder Larsen and his Christmas tree

12-16-2013

Well Its been Another Really Hot week here in Recife but Its been a great week. This week we had Zone Conference and It was Great!!! It was really fun and we heard some great talks! Also this week me and my comp worked HARD! It was great Sunday night after saying a Prayer I stayed kneeled  and put my chest on the chair and stayed there for about 10 minutes haha it was way comfortable!  haha but when your that tired anything is haha Im back sleeping in the Hammock Its just Too hot to sleep on the bed haha sleepin in the hammock without anything covering me and the fan on full blast I still get a little hot haha so  I dont need the extra Insulation from the matress. This week was a good week Im glad IM here with Elder Larsen theres something about him that just makes me work!!! One day I talked to alot of people and he didnt talk to anyone but I Talked with all the people cuz Of Elder Larsen I dont know why I guess he just wants too work!!! So this christmas season I think me and Larsen are gonna work haha Its gonna be great!! At Zone conference our President sang a Hymn in latin that was cool. But there was a part at the end of the conference where President and Sister Lanius stopped got  close and told us how much they loved us and cared about us. I really felt their Love and I Know that they care about me. My President Is strict... sometimes he seems heartless... He Requires 100 percent obedience... My President Is the BEST! I love my President and I know he loves me. These weeks we have been working with the Bishop Here and Im having all kinds of great experiences. Im learning lots about how the ward works and what it takes to keep it in good shape. Im learning about how to work with the Bishop. One thing I saw Is that Bishop does alot more than he needs too one saturday I helped him set up chairs in the church and I decided that I never want to be a burden for my Bishop that I want to make his life easier. The Mission Is great Im learning lots of things Its crazy now  people are starting to  say ´´1 year and 8 months your getting close to going home`` and I dont know whether Im happy with that or sad. Being honest Im happy :) but something always says Dang..... Its going by fast.....  but ya I know the church is True I Know this is the Work  of God I know  that this Church and the principles It teaches will always bring Our Happiness. to finish up Ill end with a Quote from my mission President thats written on the Back of my Nametag ´´This Is our challenge and Duty ,but, also with all certainty this is our great Joy``

Love you all hope you have a great week sorry I dont got pics to send I ll try and take more. ill send you these ones so you cant say I dont send you nothing Ones a pic of A lizard that came into our house it was funny to see him trying to get a grip on our tile floor haha 
Love, Elder J. Smith

The Elders had a visitor!

12-9-2013

Hey family thanks for the Letters I really enjoyed them! My birthday went by well sadly my Investigators didnt go to church..... But We worked on my birthday :) so I was happy haha Its not everybirthday you can be a missionary haha so now Im 21 do you know what I can do when Im 21?.... NOT DRINKING!!!! thats for sure haha now I can buy guns haha. but ya 1 year older and 3 years wiser haha I love the growth that we get on the mission. I dont like the stress that causes it but If it makes me better It should be a good Thing haha. Ill never regret my choice to serve a mission and recomend it to all young men. Ive grown soo much and Ive become so much better My mind was opened to more possibilites and too all kinds of truth. This week Was good I like Elder Larsen hes great!! Its funny to see how someone thats 24 seems younger than you haha but hes great and hes ready to work If he spoke Portuegues a little more he could train me. Haha Im glad President put me with A ´´younger´´ Missionary cuz it helps me focus more I really like working with Larsen. Hes great I thought that after Ribeiro went away it would be rough getting another comp but I got another good one so Im Happy. This week we talked with the bishop he helped us a lot and help us make a plan to Baptize on December 22 so were gonna have to be running faster than Santas Elves to get this work done! Here in Brazil Christmas isnt to big but its still a big holiday so ya I hope by Christmas Ill be able to find someone who has skype and some good internet!!!! im not gonna lie this call is gonna be a trunky one haha. I love this Work and This Church and now when I study and work I try and learn not how to be a great missionary that will baptize millions but to be a great Member of the Church that will help Edify Gods Kingdom.. I love you all hope you have a great week by the way heres a picture of me Putting the star on the tree haha. 

Elder J. Smith

Elder Smith and his Zone at the Temple.

Elder Smith putting the Star on The Christmas tree.

Tyson showing us that it is starting to feel just a little like Christmas!