Hey Y'all!
This week has been so different from every other week ever, but it has also been amazing. I went on exchanges twice this week which was super fun. Elder Deppe was my first exchange companion and I'm pretty sure I could have him as my companion for the rest of my mission without feeling at all even a little bit sad. He is literally the nicest guy I have ever met. We went and worked out at his gym cause he actually has one he can go to unlike certain other Elders that will remain nameless. After we worked out, I went to take a shower and when I got out there was a trail of sticky notes leading up the counter to where he had made and left me a smoothie! Definitely made my day and set the tone for the rest of the day. After that we spent our time trying to find ways to get people to come to spanish class while lightening each other's load. Once again Elder Deppe is pretty much the bomb, so I had to work to keep up with his niceness. It just so happened that on this exchange I was in a spanish area so I got to break out a light blue shirt and rock the tieless look for a bit. I apologize for not getting any pictures, but if I get another chance to be spanish for a day, I definitely will.
First miracle of the week was when Elder Deppe attempted to teach me spanish. He taught me a couple phrases and things that I practiced throughout the day. I didn't think much of it cause I'm not a Spanish assigned Elder, but I did think it was fun. The next day roles around and I'm on exchanges again with a different Elder. This time I was with Elder Walton a fresh english speaking missionary from the MTC. We were stuck on this road behind slow people so I decided to turn off into a random neighborhood, and as I turned off, I thought wouldn't it be funny if there were some latinos here, and I learned Spanish yesterday, so I could be an instrument in the Lord's hands today. Well sure enough in the yard right as we enter are two latino boys (probably around our age) cleaning up the yard. I wasn't super confident so I drove past and then turned around a little ways up the road and went back, but we can edit that part out of the story if it ever becomes a movie. I pulled over the car and walked over to the boys. Elder Walton was pretty shocked and seemed to think I was crazy and in the moment I agreed with him. This is how the conversation went:
Elder Smith (with a voice sweet as honey): Hey! How are y'all doin?
Boys: (stare blankly then look at each other)
Elder Smith: (mentally preparing to smack these boys with the spirit espanol style)
Boys: No hablo ingles
Elder Smith: no problema! (Proceeds to give them his name in broken Spanish then read the words written on the English class and friday night soccer cards Elder Deppe gave him)
Boys: (take both cards look at them then hand the english class one back but keep the soccer one)
Elder Smith: mucho gusto
Boys: (continue to stare as Elder Smith leaves)
I wish I could say I just started spitting Spanish and it was crazy, and I can't even remember what I said, but that interaction was still noteworthy and was super fun.
We had some amazing meals this week! One family in a neighboring area invited us over while I was with Elder Deppe not realizing we were Spanish after texting us thinking we were their Elders. We explained the situation and they said they could feed all 4 of us. They then told their Elders (Evans) to come to dinner and that the Steven's Creek Elders had also been invited. The Evans Elders were on bikes this week so they called the English Steven's Creek Elders and said hey you are invited to this member meal can you give us a ride on your way there? So they went from thinking 2 Elders were coming to 6 elders arriving in the matter of a couple few hours. It was fun though and we all got food so go us!
The next day we had a member meal as well with an older couple who was so nice, and Elder Walton got to teach an object lesson that was stellar. The next day we taught Lyndon and then ate dinner at his house. His wife made Hawaiian haystacks and it was at that point the best meal of my whole mission. Sister Miller (Lyndon's wife) is so awesome and loves me. Elder McArthur has issues eating vegetables so Sister Miller shows me special love for eating them. It's so funny to watch cause I will eat, then she swoops in and takes my plate and brings me a klondike bar and then when I finish it she brings another, but when Elder McArthur finishes his food she scolds him for leaving his dishes on the table then after he rinses them, he's scolded again for not putting them in the dish washer. Any time he makes a comment about anything, Sister Miller reminds him that I eat my vegetables and he doesn't. That was Saturday. Sunday rolls around and get invited to eat at the Prather's house. Their son Daniel, who needs to be a chef after his mission, made us what could very well be the most delicious Chinese I have ever had. It may have also helped that it was fast Sunday, but I digress.
We were behind on finding this week come Saturday night which was a little frustrating, so we prayed that night that Heavenly Father would help us meet our goals and put people in our path that are ready to hear the message we have for them. The next day after church we decided go walk through a neighborhood. As we walked, we knocked on 4 doors the whole time we were there, and 3 of them talked to us and set up return appointments. Pause for a second cause I need to put that into perspective. We went all week and found only a few people that were even mildly interested in what we had to say. We talk to people all the time and in 6 days we found a couple people, then on the last day we knock on doors for a half hour and find 3 people just like that. It was so crazy and awesome. That paired with some other miracles made our finding this week successful. I would add those miracles but I have to get to the big stuff and I don't have tons of writing time. We asked two of our friends to be baptized this week! Tari is a single mom with 2 kids one is 8 months old and the other is 18 months old. Yep. You heard me. They are 10 months apart. Yes I know how bearing children works. Yes I heard her correctly. She definitely needs the gospel in her little family so we have been meeting with her and invited her to pray to know if the things we are teaching are true then to be baptized and she said she'd pray about it. We went back to her house a few days later and she was redecorating for Fall while her boys were at someone else's house for the day. It is such a miracle that we were there because while Elder McArthur and I were cleaning out her front yard, she put a fake plant too close to a candle which caught on fire. It wasn't a little fire either. She freaked out and froze watching this fire engulf the plant and work it's way toward the table it was on and the rest of her apartment. Fortunately, Elder McArthur was nearby and rushed into the house . He doused the fire with a water bottle from the fridge and that slowed things down enough that Tari was able to jump into action. I didn't get there till after the fun was over, but it was so relieving to know that God is looking out for his daughter Tari. I'm not sure what would've happened had we not been there but we are grateful we were.
We also asked our friend Lisa to be baptized after hitting her with one of the boldest lessons we have ever taught. It was so great and I hate to say it but it was pretty text book. She was telling us about her life and we weren't getting the chance to talk so we told her we had another appointment in 10 minutes and we wanted to share something before we left. We then proceeded to tell her the uncondensed version of the restoration. She asked questions for a bit then we asked her if she'd be willing to be baptized. She told us she had already been baptized so we spent the next half hour explaining the priesthood and she loved it! She had told us about a lot of hard things that go on in her life and we told her that if she has faith God will heal her. We then told her we are bearers of the priesthood and asked if she'd like a blessing. I got to give the blessing and I wish I could describe how it felt. I have never experienced the spirit like that before and as I gave the blessing my mind was literally changed! It was almost like I wasn't there, like I could hear my voice far away saying stuff and giving this blessing, but I was somewhere else just listening. After the blessing, Lisa's mind was thoroughly blown and she told us that we need to come back and teach her twin daughters Summer and Savannah as well as her son Tristain what we taught her. Oh, also she agreed to be baptized and she knows the Stake President.
Last thing, Kieron and David came to church again and they brought our friend Kamren with them. They are loving church, and when we invited them to come this week, they were more than willing to come. I might even use the word enthusiast.
Those are the highlights from this week. Thanks everyone for all the love and support! If you wanna write me this week cause I'm hitting the big one nine that would be pretty legit too (wink). My address is 100 Bon Air Dr Augusta GA 30907 App 508.
-Elder Smith
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