August 4, 2014 Email

Hey there! It's been a while since you got an email from me. My iPad had to get some bugs cleaned out so I didn't have it for a while. It's great to hear you all doing well and staying busy. Sorry I didn't get to email on Dad's Birthday, so a huge happy Birthday goes to you Dad. It's great to hear about Cory's calling in the bishopric. It's a great opportunity to grow and to learn more about the gospel. Also, congrats on Kaylee for getting engaged. It's cool to hear she will go through the temple and be sealed for eternity. 

   This week has been kinda slow for us here. Several of our people weren't available or just didn't want to talk then and there. It's been like that for the last couple of weeks for some odd reason. Drop in visits out here usually don't get the lessons in that we need them to hear so set return appointments is always the best way to go if we want to get into the homes. This last week we've had a fair amount of visits with both investigators and less-actives that we didn't really intend on having. One of our less-actives we've recently picked up wasn't able to be reached for most of the week except for yesterday. We were biking out to visit with a couple of people when we saw him waiting at a bus stop after him and his family had gone shopping at Walmart. We stopped and talked with him since he usually works through most of the day. He was able to get Sunday off so he made it to church and got up to bare his testimony for the first time in two years and did an awesome job. He is determined to come back and will hopefully stay strong to the faith for good. A miracle happened yesterday with one of our investigator families. They made it to church! I've been working with this family ever since I got here and haven't seen them make it out to church once. The mother and kids had made plans with one of the members to give her a ride, but he husband got called in for work in his day off and got Sunday off. They all made it to church and I'm so stoked about it. In total, we had 9 investigators and 4 less-actives show up at church. In all my time here, I've never seen that in this Ward and probably anywhere else in this zone. That is one of the biggest miracles I have had out here and a very up lifting one. 

   I love you all and love hearing from you. Hope you know that your in my prayers and that your a huge support for me here. Love ya. 

Elder Smith