do you want some crack? .....chicken? #76

ndewo ndi mmadu! welcome back to the semi-half-monthly email of the man who has now eaten what is called "crack chicken". I considered expounding upon that. i have now decided i will not.

ANYWHO

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

☆ exchanges wit e shumway:)

☆ started teaching 3 people!!

☆ DABECC CAME TO CHURCH????

☆ played a song and got a confederate flag in return

☆ ur mom

☆ i still keep forgetting to hype up elder gustafson

☆ caught a reALLY NICE FISH

☆ I ATE JERSEY MIKES HARMON ARE U JEALOUS IT ONLY TOOK ME A YEAR AND A HALF

☆ the best thing ever happened. the best. thing. ever.

Stories

- so, today i caught a brook trout! also called a brookie, these guys are super picky, and hate almost anything you throw at em. but i caught only one on my lure, and it's a decently good size too! super fun:) the most beautiful thing ever too. it was so pretty. gutting and skinning it was honestly quite sad, but it tasted AMAZING. wow. frikin delicious. (once again, KEAWEKANE ARE YOU PROUD OF ME?????) also got very badly sunburnt again. i am once more, made out of toast.

- went on exchanges with elder shumway:) we helped people move. all. DAY. from 10:00-2:00, then someone else from 3:00-5:00. man. that was tough. woke up the next day EXHAUSTED. it was bad. but, i do love service! and shumway :P

- THEY OPENED UP A JERSEY MIKES IN GJ AND I AM SOOOO HAPPY. i went, with my jersey mikes gift card i haven't been able to use in almost a year and a half, and bought elder owens and i some gooooooood sandwich. man. so delicious. i missed it! vibing and talked with the employees too hah. good stuff

Teaching Updates

 - started teaching some peeps i taught a while ago in this area! i can't remember their nicknames..... oops. sorry hehe

we went over and got the hubby interested tho, so that's lit! what really got them good is that they asked me to play them a song. i played "fallen angels", probably one of my most emotive songs i've written. they liked it a lot. use your talents to share the gospel my friends! that's a huge reason of why you have them! all to further god's work:) they then gifted me a guitar! not to keep, but to use:) it's a real nice guitar, but, it might have a PHAT confederate flag sticker on it. hehe.... oops. kinda fun tho, glad they didn't videotape me like they said they would lol

- remember frog bus lady?? man. FUEGO lesson with her. she finna read the Book of Mormon every day, we finna give her a blessing, it's really gonna be good. i am very excited. lets go!!

- DABECC CAME TO CHURCH. WOAH. without us inviting her this week too? we usually do and she usually declines, so this week we kinda forgot. but, church rolls around and before we get there we received a text from dabecc that just says: "where u at?" and then they roll up all dressed up, dabecc, her inactive bf who didn't wanna be there, and his dauhgter. she kept saying how much she was feeling the spirit, (or motioning over to me that she was by waving her hand in front of her chest), and yeah. love her so much

here is now where the best thing ever is happening \/\/\/

- y'all remember my best friend berry? from down in montrose? who we worked with for 6 months??? cried with, laughed with, loved, hugged, stressed, all that good stuff?

she.

got.

BAPTIZED.

ohhhhh my goodness. she's been waiting since LAST. APRIL. and it finally happened. i have cried like 3 times since i heard about it. she's the best. and a random really cool fact about it all? when i was with Elder Bales down in cimarron, we prayed for a baptismal date for her. the answer we got? 20th of november. and it was. the MOST. spiritual recognition i have EVER gotten from praying for a baptismal date in my entire mission. the date she got baptized on? august 20th:)))) the word "november" didn't seem to matter there, but God knew it would be the 20th. so that was kinda cool as well. Nicole, this one's for you:)))))

Spotlight

- bealer. congrats on the engagement  (practically)

- elder shumway. a beautiful man. i miss u already. i will see you tomorrow. i will miss u after that too. grazie for a FUEGO exchange 

- GUS. gustafson. my dawg. i frikin love and miss u. u deserve a much better tribute. you helped me so much bro, more than you'll ever know. i would not be the missionary i am today without you. seriously. i can't wait to hang after the mish, and reminisce on all the.... cornflakes. hehehehehehe

frikin love you tho bro, i seriously hope you're having the BEST time in the DR. love you!!! <3

- berry. Nicole. you aren't on here, but i love you. i am so happy for your journey, and it really only has just begun. congrats on being baptized, you will forever be one of my best friends and one of my angels:)))))

My challenges for you

- focus on the GOOD. don't give ANY energy towards ANYTHING negative. seriously. i'll even send you a talk about it. ask me pls. it do be a good one

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

- ah yes. the Jesus moment. i am out of time. ("this happens every! time!") let's see, all i can say, is i think Jesus was a prime user of common sense. yes, He did very impossible things, but he didn't do them sporadically. they all had a purpose.

walking on water - it was the most direct route to the disciples! He didn't just fly or teleport or sum. it helped grow someone's faith

feeding the 5,000 - well, people gotta eat right? He didn't have food rain from the sky, He didn't have a flndstdfmgerger or whatever you call it. and, He helped grow LOT'S of people's faith:)

come up with your own examples! and use common sense heheh

yours, (and dabeccs), favorite:

"gangster missionary"

~ elda jakoby smit