A White Christmas

Our most special gift was a Skype call from Dallon on Christmas day!  It was great to see his face and hear his voice.  He called from a member's computer and we were able to meet the family and talk to his companion, Elder Izelo.  Dallon looked healthy and happy and completely content serving as a missionary.  He said that he doesn't think about home much, but he thinks about the family daily.  Chile has become his home and that is how it should be.  He has grown and matured so much and we are all so very proud of him.  The best part was that his p-day was the very next day and we were able to hear from him again!

"We had the baptism and it went really well.  It was basically a ward baptism.  It was cool that Elder Izelo was able to do the baptism.  I think it made him really happy."

"My favorite part of Christmas this year was hearing about the families from my past sectors and having some of them visit me.  I also loved receiving their Christmas cards."

"The mission Christmas activity was fun.  I was in the video of the mission a lot of times.  It was cool.  Elder Gomez came and found me and took me aside to just thank and thank me.  He said he was really grateful for me and just wanted to hang with me.  He kept talking about how I had taught him so much and that he never realized how much I put up with him. haha  His other companions have not been as patient, I guess.  All of my "greenies" and I usually got along pretty well, however, we really become the best of friends after they stop being my companion.  It's hard to explain.  It's like they don't know how other companions are, so they look at all your flaws and think that the next person will be so much better.  They usually don't find that because no one is perfect and everyone has flaws.  My favorite missionary friends are the ones that are just funny and confident, like Elder Tognetti.  When he introduces himself, he says, "Hello, I am Elder Tognetti and I'm a nerd."  He knows who he is and likes himself.  I've made a lot of really great friends and it is always fun getting together."

"I feel really comfortable with the language now.  It's interesting.  I have a strong gringo accent but I understand everything and can communicate really well.  The members say that I have 98% perfect spanish.  I love being able to talk because I get to know everyone so much better.  I am so glad that I have been able to reach the level that I am at, but I want to keep progressing and one day be completely fluent, like it says in my patriarchal blessing."

"It was a good Christmas for Elders Gonzales and Sauceda.  We bought Elder Gonzales a camera and I am sure he is so happy.  I know that he will never forget that.  It makes me feel good inside.  I love my district so much.  He is companions with Elder Birch in Barrancas right now!  He says that Guillermo and Norka never stop talking about me and have a picture of me on their wall.  He also told me that their pension got robbed!  The person that did it was was one of their investigators.  He took everything of Elder Birch's because Elder Gonzales didn't have very much.  Elder Birch lost more than $1000 worth of stuff all the way down to his sheets!  It is crazy because that sector is so peaceful.  I am counting my blessings that it didn't happen to me."

"Today for p-day we had a really fun activity with water balloons.  We played all the games that we use to play as a family.  I bet you will like these pictures.  We had a lot of fun.  One pic is of the primary program.  They did The Nutcracker! haha  It was cool.  This week will probably fly by with people feeding us too much food.  We also have two more kids that we are teaching, Fabian and Jose.  They will be our next baptisms and I am hoping that we can get back to work."

"I miss you all so much.  It's weird to think that I'll be with you soon.  It feels like I've been gone for so long and yet for so little.  I hope you know how much I love you.  I truly am happy and enjoying all of the opportunities to know these wonderful people.  I am loving this time in my mission.   Everything has been going really great.  Anyways I love you and I'll keep you always close in my heart.  Thanks for everything.   Have a great week and a feliz ano nuevo." 

Elder Dallon Smith

Elder Izelo, Diego and Elder Smith

Diego's baptism on Christmas

Leontina's family visits Elder Smith

District waterballoon p-day

Elder Smith looks confident...POP!

Watch out!

Elder Smith on the attack!

The Nutcracker primary program

Feliz Navidad from Elders Smith and Izelo

HO HO HO...

The holidays have always been a special time for our family.  Christmas is Dallon's favorite holiday and he is having the time of his life.  We are so grateful for all the people in his life that help make it memorable.  We are grateful for their love and service to him.  Their care is a gift of comfort for us.

"Feliz Navidad...Feliz Navidad...Feliz Navidad, Prospero ano, y felicidad!  That song means so much more to me now that I actually understand everything that it is saying! haha  I have been singing it all week.  I love Christmastime.  It is definitely the best part of the year.  I have been immersing Elder Izelo in Josh Groban's Christmas cd. haha  It's like the only Christmas music I have and I think I have it completely memorized.  I'm glad that Elder Izelo puts up with me...as well as, our neighbors. haha  I guess we have the spirit of Christmas with us.  Every moment we are in the pension, we are listening to Christmas music.  I feel like it comes and goes way too fast."

"Great news is that we were able to place a baptismal date with Fabian.  I can't believe how easy it has been.  We put a baptismal date with him in the first lesson and his family has been really supportive.  It was fun because he is so excited to be baptized and he is awesome.  We were teaching him about the restoration and we get to the part about Joseph Smith and the first vision.  Fabian is like, oh yeah, I memorized this and goes off.  He had learned it for the primary program.  It was sooooo cool!  I am praying that the Lord helps everything to work out.  Ana and Patricio were confirmed and are loving the primary.  Diego had his baptismal interview and will be baptized on Christmas day!  Pres. and Hma King said we truly are going to have a white Christmas! haha  It will be really special."

"We had interviews with President on Tuesday.  It was good like always.  President told me that he would probably keep me here in Rinconada another change.  I was not expecting that, but I am glad.  I love it here.  It is the best!  I really feel like there are a lot of people here who love me.  It has been such a blessing.  The members are taking care of us and are giving me my fill of cola de mono.  I love that stuff!  We have had a lot of hermanas fighting over where we go to eat and the calendar fills up fast.  I love this ward so much.  The Bishop's wife has been helping me out a ton.  She is so awesome.  She runs and does errands for us and always tries to help us out.  The Alarcon family bought us a happy meal the other day and we had a blast.  We are given so much stuff, it's embarrassing.  I feel bad that we get so much."

"This week there were a lot of Christmas activities in the Stake.  It was a little stressful because of communication problems between the Stake and Wards, but I realized that I am pretty good at staying calm and making things run smoothly.  There was an activity every day.  They had dances, a costume nativity party, a nativity display that was AWESOME!, and the whole primary participated in the Nutcracker show.  It was so fun.  Two of my converts participated and it was really cool."

"Veronica Escobar, the mom of the familia Barrueto, came to my ward yesterday!  She came and sat next to me and just talked, talked, talked. haha  She said that she really feels like my mom and that she finally gets to be with her son when she comes to my ward.  She told me about a lot of stuff back in Diagonal.  They are moving and they wanted to reassure me that their testimonies are still firm.  The whole family couldn't come because at least one of them had to be at church so that they can keep their goal to be sealed in the temple.  They are going to talk to President King this week to ask if I can go to their sealing on the 6th of January.  They want me to be one of the witnesses.  She told me that she would seal me to her family if she could. haha  It was such a happy visit.  I am happy for them and love them so much.  They bought me a really cool plaque made of copper with the Santiago Temple engraved on it.  It is so hard to take when I know they sacrifice so much to make me feel special.  I don't know if I deserve it.  I am so lucky to have a relationship with them.  Veronica told me that everyone from the ward are trying to come visit me, but they aren't letting them because they would lose the whole ward! haha  Anyways, I felt very special and my heart was filled with gratitude and love."

"That was my week, full of experiences that I'll never forget.  I am excited for Skype this week.  I always feel like there is so much to say, but when I am finally right there, all I want to know is about you guys.  I don't want to talk about me. haha  I'll try to go half and half.  I will be calling you at 7:00, so over there it should be around 3:00.  I haven't received your Christmas package, but I bet I will tomorrow...or if not, Friday at the Christmas devotional.  It is going to be really fun.  My white elephant gift is a pineapple. haha  It is so random, but I think it's cool.  We don't have a Christmas tree, but we have been helping the members out.  They all think that I am a professional tree decorator. haha  I know how to make them look ggguuuhhh oooooood!"

"Oh a funny thing you should know.  President and Hma King went to a conference with all the mission presidents and their wives, along with the area presidency last week.  They told me in my interview that they shared my poem with everyone! haha  It's embarrassing, but it was kinda cool too."

"That is awesome that you are going to Elder Doyle's family temple session.  You can put these names on the prayer list: Rosa, Fabian, Guillermo, Norka, familia Barrueto, familia Morales, Andrea, Gustavo, and Elder Izelo.  I love you all very much and hope that you have a very merry Christmas!  I'll be home for Christmas...if only in my dreams! haha  HO HO HO MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho...ok, I'm done.  See ya on Sunday!!!

Elder Dallon Smith

Wonderful Time of Year

Dallon is always talking about being so busy and the work is paying off.  He had another baptism this week and it looks like there are more to follow.  He loves being a missionary and being a part of people's lives.  He has never been happier.

"Hey, I think that you're right.  I was studying the Book of Mormon this week and came across some scriptures in Alma that said...something like...haha I don't know how to translate it back to English, but it is something like, "Oh if I could cry repentance to all people and bring them to a knowledge of the Savior...however I do sin in my wish for I should be content with the blessings that the Lord has allotted me.  I guess I should be more content with every opportunity I have to share the gospel.  It is just sometimes, I get so excited and I want to have all these incredible experiences and I forget that every experience is special in its own way.  I need to just trust more in the Lord and enjoy the time and people that I have around me.  I am so grateful to be a missionary."

"We were able to have a baptism!  Woot Woot!  I was happy for the kid.  He is such a hoot.  We filled up the font and were really preoccupied about getting it to a good temperature...however, it got really hot...too hot...it was literally boiling! haha  The Bishop went and grabbed the emergency fire hose and starting filling the boiling font with cold water.  It wasn't really necessary because we had time to use the faucet to put cold water in, but I think that all the men have been secretly wanting to use the fire hose! haha  It made for a good show.  When Patricio got into the font, it was like a big hot tub and he started to play around in it.  Bishop had to tell him to stop and he had to be dunked twice because his foot came out of the water.  His Dad got to do the baptism.  He is a recent convert and recently received the melquezidek priesthood.  It was really cool for the family and the ward.  When Patricio came out of the water the second time, he asked if they could stay in a little longer.  It was funny.  It was one of the easiest and less stressful baptisms that I have had.  Patricio gave a good testimony and I was proud of him.  Elder Holton and Elder Sauceda brought an investigator to our baptism which I think is awesome!  I hope that they will also have success."

"Yesterday we were able to go to a Christmas program at the temple!  We took Scarlett and Diego (investigators that will be baptized on Christmas).  There was a choir singing in front of the temple and a cool exhibit all about Christ with a ton of nativities in it.  They gave our investigators some magazines about Christ and the spirit was so strong.  There were a ton of people there.  We had fun.  Scarlett and Diego are cousins.  Scarlett is 16 and Diego is 9.  After teaching Scarlett one time, we asked her to read the Book of Mormon.  She read 2nd Nephi chapter 31 and said that she said a prayer and fell asleep.  In her dream, she was in a lake and I was baptizing her.  When she came out of the water, everything was more beautiful.  She said it was an answer to her prayer and that she really wanted to be baptized.  They are both excited to be baptized, so they are the next two that we are focusing on."

"I received a letter from Belen.  She was one of my investigators from Diagonal.  She got baptized and sent me a letter of gratitude.  I can hardly tell you how happy I felt reading that letter.  It is great to see how the Lord's work progresses.  It is incredible how the Lord let's me participate in the conversion process and see the changes that the gospel brings to people.  I wish I could have seen her be baptized.  The missionaries said that she is one of the strongest converts that they have seen.  She already has a calling as the second counselor in the primary.  The mission is so awesome!"

"I was studying one morning and all of a sudden the name Fabian kept sneaking into my thoughts.  I went and looked for a letter that a little boy had given me some time ago when I first arrived in Rinconada.  He wrote that his parents wouldn't let him get baptized, but that when they would let him, he wanted me to teach him.  He drew a picture of us together.  I talked to the primary president and she said that his Dad was catholic and would never support it.  I went and talked to him anyways.  He wasn't too friendly, but I just kept talking and eventually he said that he would always support his son and that if we wanted to teach him, it was ok.  Fabian has been going to church for more than a year and I feel like his letter was a call for help and that the Lord is providing a way for us to help him.  I am praying for a miracle here."

"I'm glad that you are all having fun and staying busy.  I bet you are running all around.  That's great!  I'm excited to talk to you on the 25th!  Whoo hooo!  The mission is letting us use member computers, so we should be good to go.  They also cut down our time to 45 minutes...sad right?  I love you very much.

Elder Dallon Smith

Elder Izelo, Patricio, & Elder Smith

Patricio's family

A Christmas temple trip with Scarlett and Diego

December Baptisms

Dallon had a full week of baptisms.  These are the moments that the missionaries work so hard for.  He is always learning new things, taking on more responsibilities, and having great experiences.  In this letter, he also talks about a prank that was played on him.

"Finally we had our baptisms!  This is the first week that I have had two separate baptismal services in the same week.  It was a lot of work but worth it!  On Monday, Miguel had his interview and he passed with flying colors.  He was excited to be baptized.  Elder Silva had me fill out the paperwork because his handwriting is so bad.  He knows almost all of my converts because he has been my leader for a long time.  I was laughing with Miguel because his family names were so hard to spell.  He is also hard at hearing and I am hard of understanding him. haha  Miguel and I have become really close in a short period of time.  He told me that if his son-in-law couldn't baptize him, that he would have chosen me to do it.  I always call him "tata", which is kind of like grandpa.  He had his baptismal service on Friday.  It was a private baptism with us and his family.  The service was one of the most emotional that I have experienced so far.  His daughter gave a talk and began crying because she was the pioneer in the family that became a member 23 years ago.  She said that all these years she had prayed and put her Dad's name in the temple and her prayers have been answered.  Then Juan Carlos, who baptized him, also got a little emotional because he thought Miguel might never make the decision to be baptized.  Then the granddaughters sang, "Families can be together forever".  It was really cool.  Afterwards, we had Chinese food, which was delicious!  I didn't think that Miguel would want to take any pictures because he is so shy, but then he comes out in his whites and asks, "Why aren't we taking pictures yet? haha  It was great.  He kept patting me on the head.  The whole baptism was such a beautiful experience that I will never forget."

"We also were finally able to baptize Ana.  She asked me to baptize her and it was a great experience.  However, we weren't very good at preparing the baptismal font temperature. haha  It was freezing!  It is definitely something that she will never forget. haha  Let's just say it was a refreshing experience.  Ana gave a really great testimony after and was really emotional.  Her mom was really grateful and it was so cool.  We were so busy yesterday, which is why I think the font was so cold.  We had another baptismal interview because next week we are going to baptize Patrico.  This should be a great month!"

"I also did my first baptismal interview for my district.  The sisters are going to baptize a little girl named Isabel.  The interview went really well and I actually like doing it.  It's cool to be able to fortify their testimony and to know just how far they have come.  It's like you get to come in at the end, but still be a part of the conversion process.  Isabel is way smart.  She lives with her Dad and brother because her Mom left when she was very young.  She has a testimony of the Savior and faith in what she is choosing to do.  I enjoyed talking to her."

"I am praying that Rosa will be able to be baptized on Christmas day.  We also have a 16 year old girl that we are teaching named Scarlette.  We are hoping to place a baptismal date with her for December 25th, as well.  We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am hoping for the best and have some Christmas miracles."

"I also had divisions with Elder Incze in his sector.  Elder Rios and Elder Roco played a prank on me.  They set up hidden cameras and everything!  They had me sit on the floor and told me they were going to do a weird magic trick.  They made me hold broom sticks and put a bowl with water in between the broomsticks and the ceiling.  I knew they were up to something, but didn't think that they would actually do it.  I am propting the bowls of water up with broomsticks and I can't leave or the water will fall on me.  Then they all left me and didn't come back, so all the water drenched me!  It was funny, but I didn't have a change of clothes because I was on divisions.  I couldn't believe they actually did it.  I've gotta find a way to get them back!"

"Last week I was asked to give another iniciativa in zone conference.  Elder Silva always asks me to give the classes.  I have been asked to do it for the last two changes.  I had everyone sit on the floor and read the Christmas story from the Book of Mormon.  I tried to be a little creative and it went pretty good.  Some Elders might think that was weird, but I like lessons that are a little different."

"Sounds like the Christmas season is picking up.  It's so weird when we are on opposite sides of the world.  It is so hot here!  I am dying!  I can't even imagine doing winter things. haha  I'm glad that you are all busy and having fun.  I know that I need to enjoy the specks of gold, but along the way I would like to find some nuggets. haha"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIMBER!!!   I hope you have a good birthday.  What are you...12 now?  That is flippin crazy! haha  I'll be sending you my love in brainwaves on your birthday.  I love you very much!  I actually talked a lot about you in my first baptismal interview and showed her all of your pictures.  It helped me to gain her confidence and she thought it was really cool that you are a cheer leader. haha  You are pretty cool, Kimmie.  Tenga un feliz cumpleanos y acuerdese que su hermano te quiere mucho!  Te deseo un feliz cumpleanos porque tu lo mereces.  FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!!"

"Have fun this Christmas season and make sure to find time to enjoy it!  Thanks for everything!  Les Amo!"

Elder Dallon Smith

Elder Izelo, Miguel, and Elder Smith

Miguel's family

Elder Izelo, Ana, and Elder Smith

Ana's family