is this clickbait? #43

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಜನರು! welcome back to the semi-half-monthly email of Elder Smith, who has absolutely zero clue HOW donkey kong got his name. i understand the kong, cuz king kong or whatever, but donkey??? where in the world did that come from???? he's a gorilla????

also, yes. yes it was.

This week's summary! (for my TLDR folks)

☆ 10 months :)

☆ i kinda suck at volleyball

☆ helped an 81 year old man set up a dating app

☆ JN!

☆ all the efforts

☆ N:(

☆ Br... hm. not getting baptized this week, unfortunately

☆ 4 hour covid test

☆ happy new year! (or happy new years??)

☆ oh hatchet...

☆ i'm addicted to writing songs

☆ got to call my best friend unexpectedly  (cuz my dad was at his house i promise i'm not apostate)

Stories

- as of today, i hit 10 months on my mission! woot! i promise keeping track of it doesn't make me trunky, i just thought it was cool that it fell on my p-day:)

- so, ya boi loves being active and playing sports no matter what, but when Elder Graham switches to his cowboy boots, then i lose. actually he was on my team but i got carried haha. not too good at volleyball but i love it

- the most fun and funniest thing i've ever done this week. our awesome most favorite brother Ramsey is 81, and single. ready to mingle? absolutely! we told him about a dating app that has women who are members. he was all for it. but we got a text from him the next day "Trying to download mutual need help", we told him we would be over soon. "Waiting with baited breath". love this man. helped him set everything up he needed to, and then he went on searching. hasn't found anyone yet, and he may have gone over every women over 60 that's on that app in america, but, it was a fantastic time

- we had to get covid tested on saturday, new years day. it was..... a 3 hour wait, and then an hour to get tested and everything. we're negative, but let's just say lots of duolingo was practiced in that car, a nap was taken, and some good ol' fashioned facebook work. man it was a trip tho

- i wrote a song yesterday for my friend, and now the ideas are ROLLING in. i have an addiction. it's affecting my work. send help please.

- got to talk to my boy jericho on saturday for my new years call home!!! my dad is best friends with his dad, and man. it was great talking to and seeing him

- NOT ONLY THAT, but my boi tyson augustus dropped by my house today and i got to see him!!!!!! man, what a great time. wow. i love you TOO HOLY CRAP

Teaching Updates

 - so, not a whole lot new this week. in fact, a bit of sad :/ but good things are ahead!

- so, Br was scheduled to get baptized this week. she needed one more church attendance tho. she went down to Durango yesterday, to pick up her son. we messaged the bishops down there, found the meeting times, the address, and had everything set up perfectly for her because there was no way she was getting back to our building in time. and no matter how hard we tried, how much we stressed the importance, no matter all the prayers, and texts, and calls, and even with us getting up at 5:30 yesterday with her so she could have support, and so that we could call her and make sure she was ready, she didn't make it. so she is now off date, and although still really wants to learn more, and keep on keeping on, we aren't sure when she'll be ready. she's just not very good with the commitments we give her. so, a bit of sad news. but now she can be even more prepared!

- N. so. as of right now, this one is really sad actually. i've talked plenty before about how awesome N is, how she's so ready to be baptized, and how she just has a few things to work through before she can, then she'll get to be baptized, which is something she's wanted since last april. well... last tuesday we went over, with a TON of fellowship, and, well, she broke on us. she found an interpretation of a different bible she had, which had a footnote that said she didn't need to be baptized to be saved. now, i am NOT saying if you aren't baptized then you go to hell, abso-flippin-lutely not. but, if you want to recieve all the blessings, the amazing gift of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and everything God has in store for us on this earth, and inherit the highest level of glory in heaven, then yeah. you gotta be baptized. but she had a complete breakdown on us. she want's to be baptized so bad, and is so angry that she can't. we love her so much, and she said we are her angels, some of her best friends. so seeing her like this SUCKED. please please please just pray for her. since then she's ghosted us. she needs all the prayers she can get.

- we did almost everything we could this week to get people to church. there's always more we can do, but it really just comes down to other people's agency. which is a blessing, but satan can also influence that so ya know, kinda sucks sometimes. our boy hatchet was the most interesting, we called him and then he told us he was set in his own beliefs or whatever. talked about them, WHICH ARE THE SAME AS OURS. i'm a tad bit irked right now cuz it was a bad week, but yeah. i just wish people could understand. i just wish that they could know how it all just, makes sense. but, it comes down to them for that choice.

- deb is doing well tho! we'll set up a time with her to meet and invite her to learn more. she really is very sweet, and we love praying with her. so, good things in store! the H's are doing well too. they love us already, try to be our grandparents and feed us and all that jazz, so we'll see if we can't see what's going on with them soon:')

Spotlight

- Jerichooooooo!!!!!1 LOVED seeing you buddy, love and miss you so so so much!! 

- Elder Bales. my son. (in the mission obviously). doesn't get enough recognition i feel. love this kiddo!!

- mio Madre e Padre! I love these guys more than life. y'all are my favorite 

- brecko. haven't talked to you in way too long man. i LOVE you

- the girls  sadiesauce, macie, rachel, aubrey. miss you nerds, was reminiscing on the good times with the group 

My challenges for you

- make a new year's resolution to do good!! to be kind. to be amazing! new years day has passed, but that doesn't mean you can't make a goal to be better! involve the Lord and He will help you more than you will ever know:)

Every minute, every moment...there was Jesus.

- so, a little while ago, before i was even in Fruita, i memorized a scripture. it was Mosiah 15:14, and it says:

"14 And these are they who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!"

i love this scripture, because when i first read it, i went 'oh hey that's me!!'

which is very true, that's what i'm doing right now, but it can also actually be any of us:)

and then earlier this week i read 3 Nephi, 20:40:

"And then shall they say: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings unto them, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings unto them of good, that publish salvation; that saith unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!"

so my question now, is, how beautiful can your feet be? (not in that way, you weirdo)

publish peace. bring good tidings! publish salvation. and let them then say, that you are blessed.

okay also also one more!!! mio Padre sent me this just barely, it's from last week's EMEMTWJ!! the one about the lighthouse:)

"look at the hymn Brightly Beams. This hymn and the words talk about the "Lower Lights." The analogy is that Christ is the Lighthouse, but a lighthouse can't give light to all areas of the coastline, so we are Christ's lower lights - imagine lanterns along the shore behind everyone's house warning of danger or rocks and helping seafarers stay out of trouble when they aren't close enough to the light of the lighthouse. Such a cool analogy!"

i love this so so much!!!! Christ is the biggest and best light of the world. and we help in any way we can!! Thanks dad dude, this is awesome!! love you!!

welp, until next week!

with love,

~ your friend Elder Smith:)))