New companion!

My new companion, Elder Maldonado

It's been a big week for me! We had transfers and I'm still in my same area but I have a new companion that I'm training. His name is Elder Maldonado and he's from Guatemala. And he's awesome. He is so excited to get to work every day and we work together really well. We have found a few new investigators this week and had many miracles. Things are going great!

We were using the ward directory to try to find less active families to reactivate and baptize the family members and friends that aren't members. We found a family that had been inactive for almost 10 years and not a single one of their children were on the records! It turned out that they didn't know where to find the church and had started going to another local church, but were so excited to see us. They are the Familia Vasquez. When they got home from church their younger kids were running around excitedly telling us that they want to go to church every day!

I have a testimony of the importance of being obedient. I know that if we are obedient to the Lord, the Prophet as well as our local priesthood leaders we will be blessed.

And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land. (2 Nephi 1:20)

I hope you all have a great week! Love you tons

Elder Evan Smith

God gives us trials to help us progress

Last week, we met a guy by street contacting named Augusto. He's an older single man that is super friendly and liked talking about his life. When we introduced ourselves as missionaries and invited him to listen to the Restored Gospel, he said that he's open to listen without any commitments.

On Thursday we went to go teach him and he began to tell us a little more about how religion has influenced his life. His faith in God had diminished over the years as he experienced many trials and saw difficulties in his family, and concluded that if a God existed, He wouldn't let such things happen. I made the extra effort to pay attention to how he felt, and I felt prompted to testify about the existence of our Heavenly Father. I told him that He does exist, that he is one of His sons, and that he is loved very much. I explained that all things denote there is a God, and that there is opposition in all things, but that these things happen to let us spiritually progress. I could tell that Augusto felt the Spirit and he paid a lot of attention to how he could find out more of the truth.

We have been coordinating with the Bishop to help move along the work in this part of the ward, it being an annex of the city and far away from the church, to be able to start a family group and eventually a branch. It's really exciting to be super involved in the growth of the Church. It is helping me learn how much it really involves the members too. An elder that was ending his mission this weekend said in his talk in sacrament meeting that many times the converts say that the missionaries are like angels for the people, but that that doesn't have to end with the end of a full time mission. Every member can be an angel for someone, and we just have to put ourselves out there and be the Lord's instruments.

Testifico que esta Iglesia es la verdadera Iglesia de Jesucristo. Él vive y ha expiado por cada uno de nosotros. Estoy sumamente agradecido por el privilegio de servirle a Él de manera de tiempo completo. Les testifico de Su amor por ustedes.

Les amo a cada uno bastante!!

Elder Evan Smith

Zone Conference

Our mission zone. Guess what we do on P-days...

This week has been awesome! We had a zone conference last Friday and our zone leaders taught us an important principle that President is sharing with the whole mission that I like a lot.

It comes from Ether 2 when the brother of Jared has built the ships, but there is no light and no air for them to travel across the sea. The Lord reveals how they will have air but as to the light, and he says to the brother of Jared,

And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire. (Ether 2:23)

Sometimes in our prayers we might ask for something to be resolved or receive help in some form, and in our prayers we might be asking to have windows or fire. However, the Lord said they wouldn't go with these things. He wanted the brother of Jared to come up with a solution that would be a test in itself of faith, patience, and diligence. We shouldn't pray and ask for the things that we want, but rather seek the will of the Lord and seek after those things.

I testify that as we humbly seek the Lord's will and the Lord's time, we will feel His love. Peace and comfort will come to our mind and heart. I testify that Heavenly Father knows each of us and really does want the best for us. His way is and always will be better than our way.

I love you all a ton! Hope you have an awesome week!

Elder Evan Smith

Here's where we meet for Church (LDS.org map)
https://www.lds.org/maps/meetinghouses/@-11.787562,-77.164630,12&lang=eng&id=meetinghouse:5004146-01-01

You can also see our meetinghouse on Google Maps Streetview
https://www.google.com/maps/place/La+Iglesia+de+Jesucristo+de+los+Santos+de+los+%C3%9Altimos+D%C3%ADas/@-11.7936821,-77.1606941,16.82z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x0!2zMTHCsDQ3JzE1LjIiUyA3N8KwMDknNTIuNyJX!3b1!8m2!3d-11.787562!4d-77.16463!3m4!1s0x0:0x43a487085f3a548c!8m2!3d-11.7933245!4d-77.1583477

A blessing because of a bad situation

A view of half my area in Las Villas de Ancón

Happy Halloween! The truth is that I forgot about the holiday until a certain church was marching in protest against Halloween. It's not that celebrated here but people know what it is.

So I normally am super good at keeping track of things, but this last week we were coming back from a baptism in our ward and in the bumpy taxi ride I lost the cell phone. After backtracking, we asked around to try to get to know where the taxi driver lives (that's the interesting thing here is everyone somehow knows everyone, but not necessarily by name). It turned out that we didn't find the exact same guy, but we found another family that are super friendly that we wouldn't have found otherwise! The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways.

I was reading a talk by Elder Bednar last night from general conference a couple years ago about the blessings we receive from paying our tithing, whether they be subtle or noticable. I was thinking about how the blessings I pray for may be conceded to me. For example sometimes when I ask for help, I may wish my duties or responsabilities to be made easier or taken away, but in reality I may be blessed with the ability to press forward and keep going a little longer.

I testify of the blessings and tender mercies of the Lord. Many times if we are not quick to observe them they may go unnoticed but I also testify of the peace it brings to learn to be humble enough to count my blessings and be grateful for what the Lord has given me.

When the going gets rough, count your blessings!

Que tengan una buena semana!!

Elder Evan Smith

One Year Mark

Well it's been a year. It went by too fast but I am pumped for this year to come!

So my first week in the area, a new family just moved into the area that are already members. It has been great to get to know them because one of the sons was less active and with the move began going to church with his family! This week, we went to visit them and they introduced us to a relative that also recently moved to Villas and is building their house. When we asked to share a message, the mother-in-law invited a neighbor to come listen too. It was such a great experience. It was funny that we didn't even have to ask them for these references, it all just happened!

A spiritual thought for the week in Alma 7:23

And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

Sometimes I think that my will is or should be God's will. But I know that God knows everything and the best way to do everything, and I don't always see how it will work out right away, and sometimes I won't see the end result. What really matters is that I submit myself to Him and His will.

I testify that He lives and He knows us.

Have a great week!!

Elder Evan Smith

Feeling happy

This week went by super fast. I'm getting the area down a little better. It is a way different learning experience for sure.

I don't have a lot of time today because we got on internet late.

I love you guys a lot. Looking back on what I've done so far, I feel so happy, I feel a lot of joy for being able to serve the Lord. I have a lot to learn, but I know that the Lord is there for me.

Have a great week.

Elder Evan Smith

Transferred to Villas de Ancon!

Adiós a Paramonga, bienvenidos a Miramar! Now I'm in las Villas de Ancon. My new companion is Elder Ponce, and he's from Chile. From the part way north that the peruanos jokingly call him peruano. Anyways it's been a great week. It's been hard for me to come to a new area because I don't know where anything is, but my companion and I have been doing pretty well.

View of Villas de Ancon, about 1 hr 20 mins north of Lima.

A street in the city

There are four areas that cover this ward, and our district also includes another ward of 2 companionships. So we spent almost all of Saturday travelling to the different baptisms, which is an awesome experience in itself.

But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; (Alma 13:28)

Testifico que nuestro Padre Celestial nos conoce individualmente y nos ha puesto en estas días para poder ayudar a apresurar Su obra. Testifico que las pruebas que tenemos son para que aprendamos como ser mas como Él. Yo sé gue el Señor Jesucristo vive y es nuestro Salvador.

Les amo a cada uno bastante.

Que tengan una buena semana!