Elder Dallon Smith in Chile

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Message from Hermana King

Dallon was excited to receive this final note and pictures from Hermana King. She wrote:

"Dear Elder Smith,

We just wanted to say we miss you already.

We hope your reunion with your family was wonderful. We are sure they are so proud of you and happy to have you home.

Good luck to you in all you do. Remember we will always love our Elder Smith.

Thank you for being an amazing missionary.

Love,

President & Hermana King"

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

It was such a blessing to be at the airport when Dallon arrived home from Chile. There were many hugs and happy tears shared. It was such a special day and we are so thankful to be reunited with him. We wanted to share this moment with you, especially with all the Chilean moms and friends that loved him so much. They will always be a part of our eternal family.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Final Message

"Hey family!

I just had my last interview with President and my bags are packed! whoo hooo! I'll get on the plane tonight!

I love you all very much! Saying goodbye was hard, but I'm excited to be with you all!

See you tomorrow at 4!"

Your missionary, Elder Smith

Monday, August 13, 2012

Homeward Bound

Finally, the last letter. It is truly bittersweet. We are so excited to embrace our son again. It has been a beautiful journey. Only 8 more days!

"Wow, this week we had so much going on that I feel like I hardly had any time to work. On Tuesday, we had a little girl come to us and said that she wanted to be baptized. She is so cute and has always gone to church with us. She always squeezes our hands and is really funny. She was going to wait for her uncle to return from his mission, so he could baptize her, but she said something inside of her was saying that she needed to be baptized right now. She went and asked for an interview with the branch president and then they called me in. They asked me if she could be baptized and of course, I said yes! haha They invited me to help baptize her in the font because she cannot stand. We have been preparing her all week for her interview and President King gave us permission to baptize her, so we are super excited for her. We also have Diego. His dad was interviewed and is going to be able to baptize him! It has been a long process, but it's been so worth it. Then there is Andres who passed his interview yesterday! If everything goes as planned, we should have 3 baptisms this Saturday and we will end my mission with a bang! haha It's gonna be great!"

"On Thursday, we had a special capacitation with Penaflor. I got to see Elder Britt and Elder Calditaran again. It was fun to be with them. The capacitations are kind of boring for me now because the stuff we are learning, I won't be around to implement. That is just how it is now. On Friday, we had a leadership capacitation in Maipu and Elder Holton and I taught a really cool class on Family History. We made a video of the testimonies of our converts and it was really powerful. We got a lot of positive feedback from the missionaries. On Saturday, we had to organize a cosechon where all the missionaries from our zone go to work in one sector. Luis came with us and actually helped us to find a golden investigator! She is a young girl named Michele. She is 20 years old and didn't believe in God until about a year ago. Her grandmother was suffering before her death and Michele said a prayer in desperation and asked God to take her grandmother if he existed. The next morning her grandmother passed away. She had just gotten home from visiting the grave site when we were entering her house. She said she knew it was for a reason. She had gone to primary when she was a little girl. Luis shared his testimony and invited her to his baptism that very day! The craziest thing is that she went and there were some of her relatives at the baptism! It was a cool experience."

"Luis had a great baptism. It was really easy and went really well. One of our speakers didn't show up, so I ended up leading the music, giving a talk, and singing in the musical number. haha He had a ton of family and friends there. The chapel was packed! When President Arancibia baptized him, the spirit was so strong and Luis came out crying. It was awesome and I think his whole non-member family really felt the spirit. It was incredible. Luis is so prepared and I know that he will be a great missionary. He is already getting ready and President Arancibia is taking great care of him. Later that night we went to share with President Arancibia. He said the kindest things to me. He started to say his good-byes and said that I was an exceptional missionary and that he had never felt such love from a missionary before. He said he couldn't believe the miracles that we have had and that he was grateful for me and is going to miss me. He and his wife were both very emotional. Then on Sunday morning, he thanked me again in front of the ward leaders and became emotional again. He is so cool and I have never felt so honored."

"This time in the mission has been full of reflection and gratitude. I'm so grateful for the mission and for the blessing that it has been in my life. I can't believe how fast it went by, but when you look back, you see all the work that you did and see that it has been a long time. I am glad that I can end it strong and that I will always have great memories of the people and experiences here. It has been nice to have this time with the Lord and I will sorely miss it. Thanks for always being such a big support in my life. I am so grateful for each and every one of you. Don't ever forget that I love you and that I prayed for you every day. I hope that my siblings will know that my mission is a testimony that I know that this church is true and that the most important things have to do with this gospel and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He loves us and I have gotten to know him so much better. Don't ever doubt your testimonies. We are in the truth and whether we are together or apart, we will always be an eternal family. Jake, you are the next missionary, so get ready. In this family, we serve missions. I'm proud of you and I'm proud to be a missionary of Jesus Christ."

Elder Dallon Smith

Luis's baptism day

The "Go Homers" with Pres. and Sister King

Together at the Santiago Temple

Elder Smith and Elder McDougal

Elders Crist, Smith and Smart

Elders Calditaran, Strong, McDougal, and Smith

Elders Crane, Britt, Smith, and Nilsen

Elders Smart, Smith and Madsen

From the beginning to the end.., Elders Smith, Birch and Cummock

Elders Chavez, Holton, Britt, and Smith

Alma 29: 1-3, 9

"Oh that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

ANSWERS by Elder Dallon Smith

The morning starts in a rush.
All I want to do is tell the alarm to shush!
I get out of bed and start my daily exercise.
Why is it so early when we have to arise?

I hurry to get ready
and then immediately start to study.
So many things that I need to learn.
Will I be able to answer a question when it's my turn?

Before I know it, my companion and I are off.
Our sector is so big, I hope we don't get lost!
Everyone is really busy running here and there.
Are you sure you don't have time for a two minute prayer?

Lunch time arrives and we're ready to eat.
We get to the table and quickly take a seat.
It's humbling to see how much they give us, though they are really poor.
Oh dear Sister, do you have to ask us if we want more?

The day then begins and we're ready to go.
We get to the first door and loudly yell, "Alo!"
A man answers and coldly tells us to go away!
If it was Jesus knocking, would you let him stay?

We continue to search 'til our voices grow thin.
Once in awhile, someone will actually let us in.
We start to teach about Joseph Smith and the things that he's seen.
When they ask us a question in Spanish, we think, "What does that mean?!"

The sun goes down and the night grows cold.
But we're still out walking, seeking for those of the Lord's fold.
We want to know where else to look.
Who else is waiting to receive the message from this book?

Finally, the time arrives to go back to our home.
We strategically run back, making sure to stay in our "safe" zone.
We silently travel in the light, our safety starts to become a doubt.
Are the Lord's angels really all about?

We reach the pension and start to plan.
We talk about everyone we teach, every woman and man.
We scramble to cook, eat and shower.
Are you sure it's already been an hour?

We crash on our beds, ready to relax in a dream.
Eight hours of rest sounds better than it may seem.
I remember to pray and offer up my humble supplication.
Oh Father, did I meet your expectation?

Sweetly and softly a response starts to echo in my head.
The words feel familiar as if I've already heard them said.
"My son," he begins in a voice that I know.
"Do you realize that I love you even more than I can show?"

"I'm aware of where you are and I know what's going on.
Always remember I've sent you right where you belong.
I have a plan, but you'll have to trust in me.
Do you have faith in the promise, My kindness shall not depart from thee?"

"Don't be nervous about the language, that will all come.
Just keep my spirit near to guide you and he will work your tongue.
Be strong and courageous, and teach with the authority you've been given.
Are you remembering, you represent he who was risen?"

"Reflect on his example and guard him in your heart.
His very words will give those you're teaching a brand new start.
Be obedient, follow in his footsteps, and don't go astray.
Can you feel his presence walking beside you day by day?"

"Go and rescue my children and fight with all your might.
Remember Christ said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."
He loves his missionaries and knows all that you can be,
so how will you serve to answer your brothers' question, "Do you love me?"

My conversation with my Father ends and I am left in a state of peace.
So many feelings rush inside me, a joy that I can not release.
My attitude changes and my love overflows.
How can I not be happy with all of the blessings God bestows?

I will change and do my best to do as the Lord commands.
I want to place myself completely in his hands.
No matter how many questions we have or how inadequate we might feel.
We can always find our answers when we are willing to kneel.

St. John 14: 26 - 29

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe."

Moroni 9: 3 - 5

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."