Smythe, Jackson PT

Hi everyone! Elder Johnson and I have been continuing to sacrifice more and more. I have come to feel more joy the more I am willing to sacrifice and get out of my comfort zone. Overall, we have faced more opposition the last few weeks than I have seen my whole mission. We have come to understand and learn that we are being tested. A lot of our families have decided they are not ready to be married and therefore ineligible to get baptized. It has caused me to ponder and reflect a lot on how I want my life to look. I know, without a doubt, that for those who fully accept the gospel, things work out. For those that don't, they will be unable to feel the maximum amount of joy that they could have. We found a friend named David. He is from Venezuela but has been here for a while. He was taught in Utah by the missionaries. He expressed that he is ready to be baptized before he enters the Army in a few weeks. He is excited and ready for Saturday. Our new convert Jonuel has been growing s...

Hi everyone! It was another special week serving the Savior. Our faith has been tested, but there's no better place to be than that. We were able to have the baptism for an amazing family. They are from Pohnpei. Bella is 15 years old. We found her while knocking doors, and she said she wanted to be baptized and change her life. Her older sister then brought all of them to church the last few Sundays. They were emotional on the day of their baptism, and their examples are inspiring. Last Sunday, during sacrament meeting, we heard some noises outside and took a step out to see what was going on. A young couple from Venezuela stood there. They said they had been walking from Venezuela through Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. The man is a member and grew up in the church, and his girlfriend has been wanting to be a member for a long time. They got there the day before. Because of their papers, they couldn't get married in any of the other countries. We were able to get them situated...

Hello! Time is flying. I officially started my last transfer. I'm so full of joy and couldn't be more grateful for my Savior. We faced a lot of opposition this week, but there's no better place to be than that. Omar's girlfriend is refusing to marry him without a ring and a honeymoon. He is working on finding a babysitter for his 4-year-old boy so that he can move out and get baptized. His determination and faith are inspiring, and he is a tremendous example. Michelle is the daughter of a member. It was her boyfriend that passed away a few weeks ago. She was supposed to be baptized this Saturday, but she had appendicitis this week. Coincidental. She will be baptized next week with her brother's girlfriend. I had a moment on Sunday during church where I was able to take a second to reflect. I can't believe I have been away from home for 22 months. Even more than that, I can't believe how fast it has gone. I have truly come to know The Christ. This week wasn...

Hello everyone! We had another good week here. The work of the Lord goes forth. We faced a lot of opposition from different sources this week, but God prevails. Omar is special. He has a different look about him. He came to church on Sunday and he asked us what he needed to do after he becomes a member in order to speak in church. He came to the ward activity the other night. He and his family loved it. While they were in the activity, we were having a lesson with our friend in the other room. He is from the Dominican Republic, just like Omar. We pulled Omar out and asked if he would simply introduce himself to our friend. When he walked in, he shook his hand and said to him, "Come to church. The church is true. You will find peace here. You will find hope here. Do not believe in the world. Never stop coming here." He then proceeded to give our friend a new phone and a new job. We questioned and asked why he did that. He looked at us and, almost sternly, said, "I made a ...