Dallon is preparing for changes. He is spending the day visiting members and investigators to say his good-byes. He has loved serving in Barrancas and shared that he will miss many people. It was a busy week for Elders Tialavea and Smith, with 26 lessons! They have been working so hard and had some fun times too.
"I hope that you all enjoyed Easter! It was really fun here in Chile. The Easter program was great but not a lot of people attended. I was the only missionary asked to sing in the member choir which was kind of cool. We sang three hymns and watched a couple Easter videos on Mormon Messages. I'm surprised that not a lot of people went to church. However, Guillermo and Norka both came which made me happy. Afterwards, they fed us french fries, steak and carmelized onions. Oh, it was so good! I made brownies for them and they lovvveeed it! They knew that we were going to find out about changes yesterday, so they are going to be sad today. I am sad that I have to do despididos or good-byes today. I know the Lord has a plan and I am going to be fine. Also, Luis and Ingrid called us really late on Saturday night and asked us to give their son a blessing. I was suprised that they asked me to do it. Ingrid said that as I gave the blessing, she felt her son regain all of his heat, so that was good. We are going to go see how their son is doing tonight when I give my good-byes."
"We did a service project this week of finding a dog house for a member of the ward who is blind. His name is Ivan Duran and Elder Opazo and I had helped to reactivate him. Another member that we have been working with, had a gigantic dog house that he gave to us. Elder T and I had to haul this freakin heavy house down the streets of Barrancas! It was so heavy and we had to go so far away! Oh man, I would just start busting up because we looked like crazies carrying this house of doom. By some miracle, I think the angels helped me carry my end, we got it to Ivan's house. We left it in his front yard. When he got home later that night, he felt around it and realized that it didn't have a roof, so he gave it away!! Oh my, we couldn't believe it!! We were going to bring the roof later! ha ha"
"I also had divisions with Elder Perrusquia. He is so funny and from Mexico. He is such a stud and we were laughing practically the whole day. At one point we saw a karate class and there was a kid that was soooo uncoordinated that we couldn't stop laughing about it the whole night! I wish you could have seen it. I know that we shouldn't make fun of people.., but really you would have laughed too. It was really fun and we worked together in Barrancas."
"One thing that I haven't told you is that Elder T and I have pet spiders that we have been keeping on the back patio. The spiders here are really big! It's funny because we will go catch flies and put them in their webs. Oh man, it is a hoot! One morning I got into the shower and there was a tarantula in there!! I was so freakin scared and grabbed the shower hose and was squirting at it. After a long tiresome battle, I eventually defeated the beast and got it down the drain. The other day Elder T found a huge one in his bag. Maybe...we shouldn't play with spiders. The spiders here are huge and look like tarantulas, but they are actually called chicken spiders. I am going to miss feeding them with Elder T every day! ha ha"
"It was a good week and I am a little nervous and excited for everything that is going to happen. I hope the Lord and his angels will walk beside me and that everything will work out. I pray that he will make me stronger and I'll be able to reach my full potential as a missionary. My testimony is growing and I know that Joseph Smith truly saw God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. This gospel is the only way that we can be saved. One day this week when we were doing a contact, a man thought that we were still in the apostacy. We testified to him of the restoration. He felt the spirit really strong right there on the street. He told us he could see a light in our eyes and that was what he wanted to have. He said that he wanted to shine like us. It is our responsibility to share this light at all times. The Lord will use us if we prepare ourselves to do as he asks. I know that Christ suffered for our sins and knows us intimately. He loves us so much and only wants us to be happy. I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be made clean and not have any guilt. Nobody wants to feel that burden. We are so lucky that we can be free of the chains of sin. He is always listening. All we have to do is speak with our Heavenly Father and he will always answer us. I know that our family will be together forever because of what Christ did for us. I am so glad that the Lord let our family have the gospel of Jesus Christ. It truly is our greatest blessing. That is why we have the Holy Ghost...to help us hold to the iron rod and endure to the end. We're going to make it! Don't forget our family motto..."Together in the Temple!" I love you all so much. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to remember Jesus Christ this Easter. It means so much. Have a great week and be happy!"
Elder Dallon Smith
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Small Things make a Difference
Our family was out of town for Spring Break, so we weren't able to post Dallon's letter on time. He continues to be happy to be a missionary and tells us that he is learning so much. This past week was rainy and wet, but the work continued onward. Dallon wishes everyone a Happy Easter! He asked us to send a warm soft blanket and some sweats, because the weather is beginning to get cold. We are told that most homes in Chile do not have heaters.
"I went to Santiago again to do my carnet (visa). I hung out with all of my old buddies. It was a lot of fun, but was a really long day. I got to eat at a McDonalds in Chile for the first time! ha ha No matter where you are in the world, McDonalds always feels like home. We also had a conference in Melipilla, where President King gave us an Easter dinner! It was delicious! We talked a lot about the Holy Ghost and how it is the most important thing that we can have in this life. We need to teach about the Holy Ghost in every principle of the gosple. It is cool that we have the Holy Ghost to help us in every aspect of our lives. People need to realize that they want and need this constant companion to help them reach their ultimate goal, which is eternal life. It was a great conference, however Elder T and I were dead tired because we had a ton of bus rides and so forth. We are both good now and played soccer this morning and killed it! Whoo hoo!"
"Elder T told me this week that he had been waiting for a companion like me that loved the work and the people. He said he felt comfortable with me and didn't often feel that with his companions and other people. He said that he wanted to be friends for life. He is really so cool. Even when we are with other missionaries, he will still stick by me. I'm glad that I got to be his companion."
"Today I got my hair cut and then the head choir guy of the stake called. He wants me to be a part of the choir program on Friday. I thought it was cool that he thought of me and is trying to pull strings, so that I can be there. He knows that I was in High School Musical and probably thinks I am really something. It's funny because all the missionaries tease me when we play soccer and say things like, "He must have learned that from High School Musical! ha ha Oh geeze!"
"Faith is something that I have been trying to gain more of. Out here in the mission, it can beat you up sometimes. It gets hard and you start to question if you really have all that it takes to be a good missionary. It is only through faith that we find the hope that everything is going to be ok and work out for our good. If you ever have time you should read the Preach the Gosple section about the attributes of Christ. It is really good. I want to have more faith and just trust that the Lord knows and loves me. I know that he wants what is best for me, but sometimes I have to humble myself and remember that. A little miracle was we found someone who had taken the lessons before, but was never baptized because he couldn't stop smoking. Elder T and I visited him and placed another baptismal date. We're going to see if we can help him out. He already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He is even sharing them with other people. We are going to depend on the Holy Ghost to help him quit smoking and we will do all that we can to help him find the light of Christ through baptism and conversion. The light of Christ is something that we should always be seeking after because that is what gives us true happiness. I love being a missionary."
"This past week it poured and poured for two days. I had to walk around with an umbrella and everything! We found a lot of people to teach and have a couple families that are reading the Book of Mormon together. I love rainy days. Anyways I hope that you are all doing really well and that you are always looking for ways to serve others. It is the small things we do that make a difference."
Elder Dallon Smith
"I went to Santiago again to do my carnet (visa). I hung out with all of my old buddies. It was a lot of fun, but was a really long day. I got to eat at a McDonalds in Chile for the first time! ha ha No matter where you are in the world, McDonalds always feels like home. We also had a conference in Melipilla, where President King gave us an Easter dinner! It was delicious! We talked a lot about the Holy Ghost and how it is the most important thing that we can have in this life. We need to teach about the Holy Ghost in every principle of the gosple. It is cool that we have the Holy Ghost to help us in every aspect of our lives. People need to realize that they want and need this constant companion to help them reach their ultimate goal, which is eternal life. It was a great conference, however Elder T and I were dead tired because we had a ton of bus rides and so forth. We are both good now and played soccer this morning and killed it! Whoo hoo!"
"Elder T told me this week that he had been waiting for a companion like me that loved the work and the people. He said he felt comfortable with me and didn't often feel that with his companions and other people. He said that he wanted to be friends for life. He is really so cool. Even when we are with other missionaries, he will still stick by me. I'm glad that I got to be his companion."
"Today I got my hair cut and then the head choir guy of the stake called. He wants me to be a part of the choir program on Friday. I thought it was cool that he thought of me and is trying to pull strings, so that I can be there. He knows that I was in High School Musical and probably thinks I am really something. It's funny because all the missionaries tease me when we play soccer and say things like, "He must have learned that from High School Musical! ha ha Oh geeze!"
"Faith is something that I have been trying to gain more of. Out here in the mission, it can beat you up sometimes. It gets hard and you start to question if you really have all that it takes to be a good missionary. It is only through faith that we find the hope that everything is going to be ok and work out for our good. If you ever have time you should read the Preach the Gosple section about the attributes of Christ. It is really good. I want to have more faith and just trust that the Lord knows and loves me. I know that he wants what is best for me, but sometimes I have to humble myself and remember that. A little miracle was we found someone who had taken the lessons before, but was never baptized because he couldn't stop smoking. Elder T and I visited him and placed another baptismal date. We're going to see if we can help him out. He already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He is even sharing them with other people. We are going to depend on the Holy Ghost to help him quit smoking and we will do all that we can to help him find the light of Christ through baptism and conversion. The light of Christ is something that we should always be seeking after because that is what gives us true happiness. I love being a missionary."
"This past week it poured and poured for two days. I had to walk around with an umbrella and everything! We found a lot of people to teach and have a couple families that are reading the Book of Mormon together. I love rainy days. Anyways I hope that you are all doing really well and that you are always looking for ways to serve others. It is the small things we do that make a difference."
Elder Dallon Smith
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Fishers of Men
Dallon received our Easter package early. It only took two weeks to get to him, which is surprising. He says he loves giving out the candy to the children. He also says it is starting to get cold and is asking that we send some winter supplies. He is happy and doing so well. This week he talks about fishing at the beach. We are beginning to believe that he is actually just on vacation.
"Six months in the field feels good! I love that I can understand almost everything and can have conversations on my own. I know that I am progressing and that the Lord is using me. I am becoming a better teacher and more effective with the discussions. It is crazy that my Spanish is as good as Elder Tialavea's. I hope by one year that I am able to be fluent or at least close to it."
"The ward has been having me direct all the hymns for church. They tell me that I have a good singing voice. I have been teaching Elder Tialavea to do harmonies with the hymns which has been fun. He says that he has learned more from me in 4 weeks than from any other of his companions. He really is a cool comp. He always shows his love by doing things for others. We really have been doing a lot."
"I am still getting a lot of comments about my looks. Sometimes it can be so distracting. This week we were teaching a man who had a hard time understanding my and Elder Tialavea's gringo accents. At one point, I really felt like he was grasping the restoration and the Book of Mormon. He was looking straight at me and seemed to understand. When I finished with what I was saying, I asked if he understood. He looks at me and says, "I'm sorry but you have green eyes." Well, that about summed up the lesson for us. It can sometimes be so awkward. Elder Tialavea is super funny about it. He always says, "Why thank you!" and "Yes, my eyes are beautiful!" Everyone then just laughs. It's weird, but everyone talks about how I look and how big Elder Tialavea is. I think we hear these comments more than we talk about the Book of Mormon. ha ha"
"There is this young couple in our ward named Luis and Ingrid who love us. They made an asado for their birthday last Saturday and invited us over. They are so funny and are always teasing us. Hermana Ingrid is on a diet, so to tease her, Elder Tialavea and I bought her a box of chocolates for her birthday. ha ha Oh man, it was fun. Anyway, we were helping get the fire ready for the asado, when Elder Tialavea bent down to blow on it and rrrriiiipppp!, his pants split right down the middle! ha ha It was so loud that Hermana Ingrid yelled from inside the house, "Que paso?" Elder Tialavea had to go sit in the bathroom while Hermana Ingrid sewed his pants. I really could not control my laughter. We sure have some great times! Afterwards, we went and made tacos for Hermana Berta and her kids, Claudio's family. Then on Sunday we messed up and had two lunch appointments. We ate first with the family that signed up to feed us and then we went to eat at Hermana Paty's. She loves us and we didn't want to disappoint her. She taught us how to cook. You won't believe how much I am eating. You would be so surprised!"
"I have a little bit of bad news. I think I broke my camera. Last p-day we went to the beach and just chilled. Our asado with a family fell through, so we ended up going to the beach. I think some sand must have gotten into it. After we took the picture I sent, the camera will turn on, but none of the buttons work. I'm going to have to find a camera shop and get it fixed. You won't believe it, but I caught some fish using just branches. ha ha They were so tiny, but I still felt cool. Today we went to Cartegena and played volleyball with all the elders from our zone. It was a blast! We played a little soccer too and then had asado. It was good although we didn't get to have very much and it was expensive. Elder Tialavea was not pleased! ha ha"
"On Thursday I had an interview with President King. It was really good. I didn't have much to tell him other than Elder Tialavea and I are doing great together. We have a few families that are coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon and so everything's good. President King told me that he looks for missionaries like me who are high yield and low maintenance. That made me feel good that he thought that about me."
"I've learned that revelation is awesome. I think that one of my favorite things about a mission is that answers come fast! It is evidence that this is the Lord's work. I liked the talk about specks of gold. Sometimes we just have to enjoy the small things, so that we can find, at the end, that we have had an extremely amazing experience. Thanks for everything. I'm grateful for all of you everyday. Focus on the good and love you a ton!"
Elder Dallon Smith
"Six months in the field feels good! I love that I can understand almost everything and can have conversations on my own. I know that I am progressing and that the Lord is using me. I am becoming a better teacher and more effective with the discussions. It is crazy that my Spanish is as good as Elder Tialavea's. I hope by one year that I am able to be fluent or at least close to it."
"The ward has been having me direct all the hymns for church. They tell me that I have a good singing voice. I have been teaching Elder Tialavea to do harmonies with the hymns which has been fun. He says that he has learned more from me in 4 weeks than from any other of his companions. He really is a cool comp. He always shows his love by doing things for others. We really have been doing a lot."
"I am still getting a lot of comments about my looks. Sometimes it can be so distracting. This week we were teaching a man who had a hard time understanding my and Elder Tialavea's gringo accents. At one point, I really felt like he was grasping the restoration and the Book of Mormon. He was looking straight at me and seemed to understand. When I finished with what I was saying, I asked if he understood. He looks at me and says, "I'm sorry but you have green eyes." Well, that about summed up the lesson for us. It can sometimes be so awkward. Elder Tialavea is super funny about it. He always says, "Why thank you!" and "Yes, my eyes are beautiful!" Everyone then just laughs. It's weird, but everyone talks about how I look and how big Elder Tialavea is. I think we hear these comments more than we talk about the Book of Mormon. ha ha"
"There is this young couple in our ward named Luis and Ingrid who love us. They made an asado for their birthday last Saturday and invited us over. They are so funny and are always teasing us. Hermana Ingrid is on a diet, so to tease her, Elder Tialavea and I bought her a box of chocolates for her birthday. ha ha Oh man, it was fun. Anyway, we were helping get the fire ready for the asado, when Elder Tialavea bent down to blow on it and rrrriiiipppp!, his pants split right down the middle! ha ha It was so loud that Hermana Ingrid yelled from inside the house, "Que paso?" Elder Tialavea had to go sit in the bathroom while Hermana Ingrid sewed his pants. I really could not control my laughter. We sure have some great times! Afterwards, we went and made tacos for Hermana Berta and her kids, Claudio's family. Then on Sunday we messed up and had two lunch appointments. We ate first with the family that signed up to feed us and then we went to eat at Hermana Paty's. She loves us and we didn't want to disappoint her. She taught us how to cook. You won't believe how much I am eating. You would be so surprised!"
"I have a little bit of bad news. I think I broke my camera. Last p-day we went to the beach and just chilled. Our asado with a family fell through, so we ended up going to the beach. I think some sand must have gotten into it. After we took the picture I sent, the camera will turn on, but none of the buttons work. I'm going to have to find a camera shop and get it fixed. You won't believe it, but I caught some fish using just branches. ha ha They were so tiny, but I still felt cool. Today we went to Cartegena and played volleyball with all the elders from our zone. It was a blast! We played a little soccer too and then had asado. It was good although we didn't get to have very much and it was expensive. Elder Tialavea was not pleased! ha ha"
"On Thursday I had an interview with President King. It was really good. I didn't have much to tell him other than Elder Tialavea and I are doing great together. We have a few families that are coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon and so everything's good. President King told me that he looks for missionaries like me who are high yield and low maintenance. That made me feel good that he thought that about me."
"I've learned that revelation is awesome. I think that one of my favorite things about a mission is that answers come fast! It is evidence that this is the Lord's work. I liked the talk about specks of gold. Sometimes we just have to enjoy the small things, so that we can find, at the end, that we have had an extremely amazing experience. Thanks for everything. I'm grateful for all of you everyday. Focus on the good and love you a ton!"
Elder Dallon Smith
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| Fishers of men, Elders Tialavea and Smith |
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| A "small" meal at the pension. |
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thankful for Inspired Leaders
Dallon said that it was great to be able to watch conference and to know that we were watching the same thing at the same time. He said that the talks were truly inspired and answered many of his and the convert's prayers. He was excited to see Mr. Steenblik sing the solo in the choir. Mr. Steenblik was Dallon's choir teacher at Jordan High School. It wasn't too long ago that Dallon remembered singing at the conference center with the MTC men's choir.
"Conference was awesome right?! I loved it! I realized just how inspired the talks are. This was a tough week and the talks helped me to find peace and relief. I loved all the talks and don't think I could pick a favorite. Each one had either something for me or for one of the investigators that we have been teaching. The best part is that I had been praying that someone would talk about tithing and it was answered. All the missionaries were in another room so that we could listen to conference in English. Holy smokes! Did you see Mr. Steenblik sing the solo in the choir? That was crazy cool! I was like what the heck?! It was fun to see him."
"Something happened to my little church buddy, Claudio. He lives with a family whose kids are all adopted. He ran away this week and Elder Tialavea and I spent a couple hours walking all over the hills and valleys looking for him. It was depressing because we never found him. He ended up running back to Milipilla in the country where his abusive mother lives. He has been away from her for almost 10 years. I have never seen such pain like I saw from Hermana Berta, his adopted mother. She was crying such a deep sorrow like I have never seen before. We gave her a blessing of comfort and it really helped her. The police came and told her to pack Claudio's things because they were going to let him stay with his birth mother. She felt so betrayed and it was like a death for her to pack his things. Elder Tialavea and I wrote letters to Claudio which we will mail today. It was a hard time for all of us."
"Elder Tialavea and I are still doing great together. I absolutely love having him around. He makes just hanging out with the members and investigators so much fun. He makes me laugh and I really like that. He also loves kids. All he wants to do is talk to and play with the kids. There is a little 10 year old boy named Phillipe that always knocks on our door and asks if we can come out to play soccer with him. It's great except that we have to work on getting to appointments on time. ha ha I'm glad Elder Tialavea is my companion. He makes the work easier for me and I feel so much more confident with my Spanish when I am with him. I feel like I add more to the lessons and that my role in teaching is an important one."
"We have a ton of investigators now. A lot of them are actually starting to progress and want to know more. It's exciting! I hope that we're going to have a lot of baptisms soon. We are going to a barbeque with one of the families today. Another family, who will have a baby soon, told me that when the baby is born, they want me to present it. I don't really know what "to present" means, but I guess it is an honor. ha ha It makes me feel good that they would ask me to do that...whatever it is? ha ha"
"I wasn't able to watch the MTC special. All the members were busy trying to feed us. They kept bringing us food and then Guillermo took us to his house and gave us more food again. Guillermo is so strong and is such an example of faith. Elder Tialavea calls him the dream convert. He went from being a non-member to being one of the strongest members we have. It is really humbling to see. He went to all the sessions with us and took us back and forth between every session. He is so cool. The gospel changes people's lives so much. Now Norka always tells me that she is going to die when I leave and won't go to church and therefore not go to the temple. What are we going to do with that woman?! ha ha We are all almost positive that I am going to have changes next."
"I know you are going to be disappointed, but I don't have any pictures to send this week. I am looking for opportunities, but the last couple weeks we were super busy and had a lot of success. We always have something to do. Our English classes have been really great. We have around 10 - 12 people who attend every week. Anyways that's about it. Not much to report other than I love you all. Elder Tialavea and I took a video that I think you are really going to laugh at. Conference made me a little trunkie, but it's alright because I have family here to spend time with. This mission is going by so fast. I love learning about our Savior and his atonement. It is only through him that we find happiness. I know he loves us and wants us to be happy. He encourages me to be the best I can and loves me even when I'm not perfect. I love Jesus Christ so much and am so proud to be a representative of him. I know that his work requires our sacrifice but the blessings will always outweigh the afflictions. Be happy. Go to the temple. Do the best you can. I'll do my best to do the same."
Elder Dallon Smith
"Conference was awesome right?! I loved it! I realized just how inspired the talks are. This was a tough week and the talks helped me to find peace and relief. I loved all the talks and don't think I could pick a favorite. Each one had either something for me or for one of the investigators that we have been teaching. The best part is that I had been praying that someone would talk about tithing and it was answered. All the missionaries were in another room so that we could listen to conference in English. Holy smokes! Did you see Mr. Steenblik sing the solo in the choir? That was crazy cool! I was like what the heck?! It was fun to see him."
"Something happened to my little church buddy, Claudio. He lives with a family whose kids are all adopted. He ran away this week and Elder Tialavea and I spent a couple hours walking all over the hills and valleys looking for him. It was depressing because we never found him. He ended up running back to Milipilla in the country where his abusive mother lives. He has been away from her for almost 10 years. I have never seen such pain like I saw from Hermana Berta, his adopted mother. She was crying such a deep sorrow like I have never seen before. We gave her a blessing of comfort and it really helped her. The police came and told her to pack Claudio's things because they were going to let him stay with his birth mother. She felt so betrayed and it was like a death for her to pack his things. Elder Tialavea and I wrote letters to Claudio which we will mail today. It was a hard time for all of us."
"Elder Tialavea and I are still doing great together. I absolutely love having him around. He makes just hanging out with the members and investigators so much fun. He makes me laugh and I really like that. He also loves kids. All he wants to do is talk to and play with the kids. There is a little 10 year old boy named Phillipe that always knocks on our door and asks if we can come out to play soccer with him. It's great except that we have to work on getting to appointments on time. ha ha I'm glad Elder Tialavea is my companion. He makes the work easier for me and I feel so much more confident with my Spanish when I am with him. I feel like I add more to the lessons and that my role in teaching is an important one."
"We have a ton of investigators now. A lot of them are actually starting to progress and want to know more. It's exciting! I hope that we're going to have a lot of baptisms soon. We are going to a barbeque with one of the families today. Another family, who will have a baby soon, told me that when the baby is born, they want me to present it. I don't really know what "to present" means, but I guess it is an honor. ha ha It makes me feel good that they would ask me to do that...whatever it is? ha ha"
"I wasn't able to watch the MTC special. All the members were busy trying to feed us. They kept bringing us food and then Guillermo took us to his house and gave us more food again. Guillermo is so strong and is such an example of faith. Elder Tialavea calls him the dream convert. He went from being a non-member to being one of the strongest members we have. It is really humbling to see. He went to all the sessions with us and took us back and forth between every session. He is so cool. The gospel changes people's lives so much. Now Norka always tells me that she is going to die when I leave and won't go to church and therefore not go to the temple. What are we going to do with that woman?! ha ha We are all almost positive that I am going to have changes next."
"I know you are going to be disappointed, but I don't have any pictures to send this week. I am looking for opportunities, but the last couple weeks we were super busy and had a lot of success. We always have something to do. Our English classes have been really great. We have around 10 - 12 people who attend every week. Anyways that's about it. Not much to report other than I love you all. Elder Tialavea and I took a video that I think you are really going to laugh at. Conference made me a little trunkie, but it's alright because I have family here to spend time with. This mission is going by so fast. I love learning about our Savior and his atonement. It is only through him that we find happiness. I know he loves us and wants us to be happy. He encourages me to be the best I can and loves me even when I'm not perfect. I love Jesus Christ so much and am so proud to be a representative of him. I know that his work requires our sacrifice but the blessings will always outweigh the afflictions. Be happy. Go to the temple. Do the best you can. I'll do my best to do the same."
Elder Dallon Smith
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