"I spent two days in Cartagena with Elder Fearnley. We had fun together. He is from Tennessee and is a really funny guy. We did really well together and found a lot of new investigators. When we don't have older companions to help us, we realize just how much we can do. I gained a lot of confidence in myself being able to do things on my own. I am trying to develop more faith every day. I feel a lot like Peter when he was walking on the water. He is out walking on the water and he lets the waves and storm scare him. He starts to sink and says, "Lord save me!" The Lord takes him by the hand and says, "Wherefore did thou doubt?" Sometimes I feel like this is the relationship I have with the Lord. I have the faith to try, but then when things get hard or don't go perfectly, I'll let myself doubt and ask the Lord to save me or help me do the hard things because I don't know if I can do it. Then the Lord will take me by the hand and say, "Elder Smith or Dallon, Wherefore did thou doubt?" I know the Lord loves me and all of his children. It will be hard sometimes, but he is always there. He will always walk beside us and help us when we least expect it. When we don't think we can go on, all we have to do is ask and the Lord will help us. I need to remind myself that I just need to have faith, work as hard as I can, and do my best. I know the Lord will bless me in his own time and way."
"Elder Fearnley and I had a good experience together. We were out contacting doors and had a lot of success finding people to teach. I saw a woman come out of a little ditch trying to pull a cart with old wood boards on it. We ran over and helped her carry the boards and carpet to a small home. She was trying to repair parts of her house that was destroyed. She told us that she wanted to hear what we had to share, so we sat outside of her house in a dumpy courtyard and taught her the first discussion. It was cool teaching her as two newbies. We did really well together. She told us that she had been studying with the testigos de jehovah but didn't get baptized because something was missing. Right before we left, we had her read a verse from the Book of Mormon. It was then that I noticed that she was wearing a CTR, or HLJ ring! I asked her where she got it and she said that she found it 8 years ago in the trash and has always worn it because it started with an H and her name is Herminda. I told her that it was part of our church and meant has lo justo (choose the right). She was shocked and thought that it was really cool. She is a really good new investigator and I'm hoping that Elder Opazo and I will be able to teach her."
"Another man that we found lives in Cartagena. He saw us and then talked about my eyes for a long time, which lead to us getting invited to his home. When we got there he told us he was a witch and a prophet. He looks at Elder Fearnley and asked him if he wanted to see some magic. Elder Fearnley was like sure! The man then tells Elder Fearnley to close his mouth and that he is going to open the mouth with his mind. Elder Fearnley closes his mouth and the man starts shaking and then looks at us and opens his mouth and screams aaaahhhhh with his eyes really wide! I was so confused and Elder Fearnley just sat there unsure of what to do. Then the man starts busting up and I'm like what the heck is going on? The man then says, "I didn't tell you whose mouth I was going to open!" ha ha I don't know why but when he said that, I couldn't stop laughing! It was just so funny that I am in Chile, with a new companion, and this man was sitting here pretending to be a witch prophet! I was like what the heck! ha ha Afterwards we had a really good prayer with the man. He told me that I had to offer the prayer because the Lord thought that I was special and that's why he gave me the eyes that I have. ha ha"
"Yes, my looks do help me a lot here. People always are letting us in their doors often solely because of my eyes. It is something that I can almost count on happening. People always say, "Wow, look at the eyes the Lord put in you!", then they usually invite us in. This week was a little crazy. Cartagena is a little beach town resort. Holy guacamole was it dangerous! I had a lot of girls checking me out! ha ha It was insanity! I even got robbed by a group of girls. They took my pen and Elder Fearnley got mad and said that he wasn't going to move until they gave my pen back. He cared more about my pen than I did. ha ha Eventually the girls ran back and gave me my pen. People would just talk to us and want to know where we were from and stuff. Two investigators just kept saying how I had wonderful eyes and how I could do whatever I wanted because of them. It was awkward and crazy! Elder Fearnley couldn't believe it and was just like, "Holy smokes, this never happens to me!" ha ha It was fun."
"Guillermo and Norka are doing great! We bought them some scriptures. They have us over for lunch all the time and give us rides to conferences. Yesterday, they came and picked us up and made us breakfast at their house. They served us ecco, 2 completos, cookies, and cake. It was so much! I never thought I would eat hot dogs for breakfast. Then we went to stake conference together and had a great time! We have an appointment with "Lolo" Mendoza this week. I got the letter from Dr. Joel Dall and will be giving it to him. I also found a new little girl named Maite. She loves me! ha ha She is 10 years old and always wants to hold my hand or lean on my shoulder. We invited her to a baptism and she came! She wants to be baptized and I think she might be a really good investigator. She is such a cute little girl and I think she would get along great with Kimber."
"Well that was my week! Gotta run, but I love you all so much and will talk to you again soon!"
Elder Dallon Smith
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| Elders Smith and Fearnley |
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| At the temple in Santiago |
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| Dallon takes his family to the Santiago Temple |