Mi Familia y Mis Amigos,
I've had a pretty hectic week here in Othello, Washington. Missionary work definitely keeps us busy here, and I absolutely LOVE that. The Lord is truly hastening the work and I am so thankful to be a part of this great calling!
The week began when I went on exchanges with Elder Sittman in the City of Warden. Elder Sittman is an amazing missionary, our district leader, and a great teacher. I learned so much about the gospel and the Spanish language on this exchange. He shared something that really hit me hard, "The Lord doesn't sustain Luke-warm missionaries." Therefore, it is a necessity that we work through obedience, diligence, and patience. That night, we also put an investigator on date for baptism named Kody. Unfortunately, this isn't our area, but more souls coming unto Christ is great news for me!
The rest of the week was great and we were fed an ENORMOUS amount of food. In the Hispanic culture, they really enjoy eating large portions of food. In all honesty, that is perfectly fine with me. They cook Carne-Asada with every meal! Also, I was a bit surprised when we were served cactus on our plate! It resulted with one bite being taken, after which I discretely stuffed the rest in my napkin. I REALLY tried to eat it, but just couldn't put it down.
Our investigators are slowly progressing, but are lacking the ability to follow up on commitments. Unfortunately, two of them had trouble with the police this week, which was extremely disappointing. One of our investigators has recently had some domestic problems and had his children taken away. We pulled up to his house one night and right when we arrived we saw him packing up his belongings. Immediately, the back of the tailgate broke and he practically broke his leg directly in front of us. The reason I bring this story up is because of what happened next. The man stood up and with all his effort said, "I can do this, I HAVE to do this!" To see this man's willingness to push on was truly humbling and applied to my situation in missionary work. I have to push through battles, overcome trials, and continue with a pure heart. During the duration of this week I struggled with the language and was intimidated to speak directly with the Hispanics. However, I have to "Dare to be a Mormon, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known." I can do this if I substitute fear with faith.
My companion and I are getting along, but he had a tough time this week due to our lack of success with investigators and lessons taught. After, he started comparing his success with the success of others. If there's one thing I've learned, this is one of the worst things you can do for yourself as a missionary. However, I've been trying to get him pumped up about missionary work in Othello. As long as were aligned with the Lord, he will bless us in numerous ways.
My mission has already proved to be a learning and humbling experience. I have learned why The Lord gives us challenges and how we can overcome them through our faith in Jesus Christ. I LOVE MY MISSION!!!
Love Always,
Elder Smith
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