The fun is over and it is back to work for the missionaries. It is amazing how Dallon is growing and learning so much. Fear cannot exist when faith abounds! His letters are a testimony of this.
"This week was one that didn't have a whole lot of action in it. We just got to work...so we worked...and then we worked...and then worked some more! It was quite enjoyable. haha I think the highlights include that I officially navigated my way downtown Santiago by myself! I am so horrible with directions, but by some luck, I was able to find everything like a pro. Elder Izelo and I had to go to the MTC. It was a really interesting experience. We spoke with the mission psychiatrist. Her name is Hermana Memmott and she speaks only English, so I had to translate everything for her. It was a little difficult, but I think I did a pretty good job."
"Another highlight is that I went to a leadership meeting. It was really fun because almost all of my friends are leaders in the mission. I was with Elder Tialavea almost the whole day. He only has about two changes left before he goes home. The mission won't be the same without him. Elder Fuhriman and I were pizza buddies! haha He always talks to me about my sector. He misses it so much. Elder Fuhriman is a good friend. We learned a lot about the order in the mission and how we are suppose to go about doing things. It was good but really long. It went from 9:30am to 4:00pm. It made for a good day."
"We were asked to give talks in sacrament meeting legit 10 minutes before the meeting started. It was crazy! haha I think we did a pretty good job. Elder Izelo talked about the obra missional and I spoke on how we show our love to the Lord. I told the story of Pedro and Christ asking him if he loved him. I then related it to the obra missional. It was good and surprisingly took up the whole meeting. My Spanish is getting better, but I need to work on my accent because I guess it is really gringo. Maybe my comp will help me to get a Mexican accent. The people here love people from Mexico. Elder Izelo has been well accepted and we are having fun. We have like 4 family home evenings planned to purely make tacos! haha I'm good with that! We had 6 investigators go to church yesterday, so that was exciting! We found a family that are really cool and are reading the Book of Mormon as a family. I am excited for them and praying that they will receive an answer that the Book of Mormon is true. I would really like to bring a family to the gospel. This is a young family and I know that the gospel would help them so much to find love and joy just by living it."
"There is a little girl named Sujey that loves me and goes to church with a friend. Yesterday she told me that she wanted to be baptized and wanted me to do it, but was afraid to ask her mom. I got up and we left to talk to her mom to ask for her permission to teach her. The mom said yes and that she would also participate in the lessons! I'm excited for them too. Sujey is 11 and is always in the house of some members, so we've gotten to know her really well."
"I have really been learning how to be more powerful and strong with what I say. I know how to help people realize that they are sinning and to say it with clarity. I never would have been able to do that, but I have learned a lot this past year. My classes for district meetings are getting better. I'm learning how to teach and focus my lessons on what the district needs. I like that I know what I am doing now and it makes it easier to accomplish what we need to do. I think I've finally got my "sea legs". haha I don't want to leave this sector next change because there is a lot of people with potential here and I know that we will have a lot of success."
"This week we had two consechones. It was fun and we practiced doing contacts with the Book of Mormon. Elder Izelo and I were really successful. We found a new investigator in one and then were able to teach a lesson to a menos activo in the other. We are a pretty good team. We teach well together. We can do great things together if the Lord helps us and the spirit testifies strongly. We are working a lot and are having some really great lessons with investigators. I am getting close to the members and we are having a lot of fun together. I really like this ward."
"Some fun things coming up are divisions with my district, another trip to Santiago, and also a special meeting with Elder Zaballos, a general authority. I actually talked to him once before but didn't know who he was. It was so embarrassing, but made Hermana Dorius, one of the grandma missionaries, love me. haha"
"Today I got my district together and we are going to eat in the house of a sister. She always wants to give the missionaries lunch and she is such a sweet little grandma. I love her a lot. Other than that, we will probably just hang out and relax a little. I actually might have time to write some letters back."
"Ok choa mi querida familia. Les amo tanto y solo quiero servir lo mejor que puedo para que el senor pueda bendicirnos y para que en el fin podamos tener una familia eterna. Se que esta iglesia es verdadera y que estamos en la verdad. Seamos fuertes y fieles. Gracis por todo. Siempre voy a guardarles adentro mi corazon. Soy Smith!"
Con mucho amor, Elder Dallon Smith