A seldom used stove
Matt's "desk"
A nice clean tub/shower!Hello,
It has been pretty warm here, too - I think it was in the 70's all week.
Good job to dad on getting an antelope-can you send me a picture? For what unit is Randy's elk tag?
We eat a lot of chicken, but there is a good variety. I think my favorite meal was probably with brother and sister unknown. I don't remember their names-they are a young married couple and he is in his 1st or 2nd year of graduate school for podiatry. Anyways, she made orange chicken and sweet/sour chicken and it tasted just like Panda but better. Then she had an ice cream pie for dessert. That is one nice thing- just about everyone who has us over for dinner feeds us dessert as well. That is nice, but it is a challenge for Elder Marini, who has decided this week to start trying to lose weight. So he is dieting and I am helping him with morning workouts. We are kind of limited with what we can do for workouts in the morning, though, since it isn't light enough to go outside at 6:15 and our apartment is above someone else so we don't want to make much noise that early in the morning. Usually they consist of pushups, situps, and leg lifts.
The youth duck hunt will be awesome! I am glad to hear that you are so excited and enthusiastic about going! Don't worry, it isn't that early - you can probably sleep in the car anyway. And don't let dad scare you with his horror stories about these alleged "mosquitoes". Next thing you know he will have you believing there are alligators and snakes in the swamp, too. I'll bet Cody will limit out in 20 minutes and Delaney and Peyton...will have fun, which is really what matters.
So how many wards or stakes do the sister missionaries cover back home? Our area is only half of the Cleveland 1st ward, but then again, you could probably fit 10 or 15 Utah stakes in the area of our ward. Remember to make them dessert!
That is so cool that like everyone I know is going on missions! How long will Nate and Eric be in the MTC? Do they spend time in South American MTCs once they get there? Tell me what Nate talks about at his farewell.
Good job to Delaney for getting into a super cool orchestra. How much cookie dough will she have to sell to pay for this stuff? Going to Los Angeles and San Diego should be cool, though.
Thanks for working on the debit card. I will need the liner of my coat pretty soon, but I don't know exactly how cold it gets here yet, so I don't really know how to prepare. I'll find out what kinds of hats and gloves I am supposed to have.
I'm glad Delaney likes having a phone. Are you going to get her a text plan? Good job figuring out the mysteries of the texting world in only five minutes! That is funny that she didn't receive it though-I wonder what happened? Too bad about Cody's team. Is Cody doing well, though? Has he had any awesome plays or hits?
Did you read Alma 56-58 in family scripture study you mean? Those are some awesome chapters. "they did observe to perform every word of command with exactness", "they did not fear death", "they fought most desperately". They truly had a LOT of faith. I am always trying to develop faith that will be just like the sons of Helaman and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Those two groups of people are like my role models of unwavering faith. What a blessing I have to have been taught by a mother just like they had.
OK, I am running out of time so I must make this quick now. People we are working with and could use prayers (still no progressing investigators unfortunately, but I am really hopeful about a couple of these people):
Tenika: Book of Mormon media referral who we have taught several times. We taught her about the restoration and the gospel, and she seems interested, but doesn't have a testimony about Joseph Smith or the B of M yet. She works most Sundays so hasn't come to church yet.
Jim: Less active member. He was a convert a few years ago and was the ward mission leader for a while. From what I've heard he was the best ward mission leader ever.
Jerry: Hasn't been active for something like 25 years. We just found out the other day that he still reads the bible and B of M every day, though, so that is encouraging.
Rochelle: Bible media referral that we met on Saturday. We talked about the Bible and the restoration and she seemed interested. We will be teaching her again later today.
Mike: haha...I haven't met this person yet, but I am sure he will be one of the elect and ready to receive the Gospel message, so I will look out for him. (Note from Patty: We accidentally prayed for Mike - even though that wasn't a name Matt had given us)
So, we don't have any progressing investigators. So sad. Oh well. "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed...ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence...and it shall remove" Mountains don't have agency, though. People do, or else we could just "faith" them until they got baptized, received the holy ghost, and endured to the end.
I have to go, but I will give you a rundown of an average day in a letter. I sent letters out today. I haven't received dad's letter yet, so still waiting on that. Mail takes forever because it has to go to the mission office and then they forward it to me.
Love,
Elder Smith
