Listening to a prompting

Pork. chicken, and guinea pig ready for the cooking barrel!

Last week we made "chancho al cilindro". It's like a homemade oven out of a metal barrel with coals at the bottom. We cooked pork, guinea pig and chicken inside and had a super good lunch afterwards .

Today we ate lunch together as a district
and made brownie banana splits

Back to last Monday, we were visiting our recent convert and her family, and as we were walking out of their house, my companion and I felt we needed to contact everyone we could. It was interesting because there wasn't anyone in the streets. We were on our way to a member's house that we'd had an appointment for.

A man and a woman walking together were approaching us and we contacted them. It turned out that they were on their way home from the pharmacy picking up some medication because his wife had been going through a difficult illness. He said he was a little surprised that we'd stopped him because he was very preoccupied but he felt like what we had to share with him would really help him. They let us into their house that very moment!

It was a really spiritual lesson. My companion and I were able to teach so fluidly and the Spirit was so strong in their home. This was a testimony builder for me that we really do need to follow the spiritual promptings we receive. I honestly felt so happy having been the instrument to let the Lord help these people in a moment of need.

A spiritual thought from what I was studying this week from general conference:

"We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety...
"I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives."
-Pres. Thomas S. Monson

I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it is the word of God. I have learned that as we study and ponder its teachings on a daily basis, We can really be provided with divine help to overcome temptation and doubt. I know that prophets are called of God and we will always be blessed by following their counsel.

I love you all so much!!!

Quick Note

I got into internet late and the computer crashed, but the truth is I love you all and I know that the church is true. I have photos to send next week but have a great week!

Love,
Elder Smith :D

Mother's Day Video Call

This week has been excellent. It was really great talking with you guys yesterday. There's not much more to share for now. I was super glad to see all of you yesterday, and I hope you could see/hear me alright.

Last week we had a couple of training meetings with president and he shared a great message I'd like to share with you guys. He shared the story of the Brother of Jared, and focused on the events of building the ships and the when he saw 2 problems, no air and no light. He went to the Lord for the solution, something that he'd always done and likely expected the answers. While the Lord told him what to do for their problem with air, he asked the brother of Jared what he thought would be best to fix the light problem. He then added that He didn't want to hear anything about windows nor fire, because these weren't the ways the Lord wanted them to have light. It may have been the easy response for the brother of Jared to ask for, simply windows and fires, but the Lord wanted him to make a plan, carry it out, and ask Him to help make the final touch so to speak. And it turned out to be a really special spiritual experience for the brother of Jared.

The application to us begins with a self evaluation. How many times do we ask the Lord for a "windows and fires" solution to our problems? How can we work to have our own "16 stones" solution and ask the Lord to "touch" them? As a missionary, I have been trying more to plan more effectively to teach investigators and how we will find more. Not just ask the Lord to help them with their problems, but rather make good lesson plans, use members, and ask the Lord to bless the things we've done so that the investigator can overcome their difficulties.

I know that Jesus Christ lives and is at the head of this church. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that if we read it every day we'll build up a defense that will allow us to be strong against whatever the enemy has prepared for us.

Have a great week guys! Love you all.
Elder Smith
viva  PERÚ !!

Another small miracle

On top in Pro District

Today for P-day we went to a mini mountain in "Pro" (a district in Lima in the Los Olivos stake). It was awesome, the first time I've done something like this in a looooonng time :D

This week we had a really cool miracle. Yesterday we left a ward activity and we wanted to go visit a reference we'd received. It was in a part of the area we don't exactly go very often, but as we were walking by a house with a lot of people coming out. Right as we were passing by them 2 of the men said hi to us, one of them saying "Hi elders". I stopped in my tracks and we went and talked to them. Turned out to be a less active family, both parents are returned missionaries and the man's father lives with them and isn't a member. He is the probably one of the most hard-hearted of people because many missionaries have taught him before and he has never committed to do anything, but during the lesson he committed to read the Book of Mormon and go to church with the family this Sunday. That was an awesome miracle that helped me recognize the need to really talk to everyone. In this case, I think the Lord provided a tender mercy to allow us to help a family return to the church as well.

I know that if we do all that we can to follow the Spirit's promptings the first time we'll receive blessings and be sure that we are doing our part as member-missionaries. I love you all!!!

Elder Evan Smith

Stake Conference

Lunch with our convert

This week we had stake conference! I'd like to share a part of the message our mission president shared with the stake during conference.

Pres. Stauffer told the conversion story of his dad when he was a teenager. He started coming to church when a young mens counselor worried enough about him to bring him to church, and when he stopped coming months later, the bishop and the priests quorum had their class in his living room to support him. Having gone by many years, he served a mission and was sealed in the temple, as well has his 5 children and many grandchildren. The main takeaway was that really the influence of just one "angel" in the life of someone in need has tremendous effects that often we cannot see nor comprehend in the moment.

As our President invited us, I also invite you all to be an angel in the lives of 1 person this week that perhaps needs a little support or encouragement, and I promise you that they'll really be blessed in a way we can't understand.

Love you tons! Have a stupendous week!

Zone pic at the end of transfers