Monday, January 24, 2011

Crazy Week

Dear Family,
Well sorry I didn't write last week. We went to the temple and I didn't have time to write afterwards. So the past couple of weeks have been really good. The Sunday before last the bishop asked my companion and me to share a little message during sacrament meeting because one of the speakers didn't show up. So as an on the spot talk, I just shared a scripture 2 Nephi 32:3 and talked about the importance of feasting on the words of Christ. Then this Sunday we had a gringo come to our ward because he is here on business and I had to translate the entire meeting to him. It was super hard, but fun!
So this week we are probably going to have one baptism. We have been teaching Isabel for a long time and she knows a lot about the gospel and she knows that it is true--she just always gives us an excuse to not do it. Now we are just waiting for her daughter to get back from Honduras and then we can bapize her. Also, we are teaching this guy Gustavo whose "wife" is a member of the church. The only thing he has to do to get baptized is get divorced and then get officially married to this member. We are also contacting a lot of people and we have a few new investigators that we are teaching.
Okay, also this week, I was accused of stealing and it was crazy. So Monday and Tuesday I was in Hatillos with Elder Garcia so I could do a baptismal interview of a girl that the Elders there baptized this week. So Elder Garcia´s companion is Elder Galloway who is from Utah. Well Elder Galloway told me that he hides money in his deoderant stick. Well I thought that was kinda cool, so when I was on divisions with Elder Garcia, while at the apartment, I was curious enough and looked in his deoderant and sure enough, there was like 150 bucks. I think that Elder Garcia saw me do it too. Well Thursday morning I get calls from both Galloway and the ZL´s and they were freaking out asking me what happened to 50 bucks that Elder Galloway couldn't find. So I went with Elder Norr all the way back to Hatillos and we stripped the Elder's house apart for 5 hours to help look for the money -- 50 bucks is a lot to lose plus I was accused of taking the money even though I had my suspicions of how it really disappeared. We checked everything and after 5 hours, we gave up and went home. Well that night I get a call from Galloway saying that he found his money in his backpack . . . the funny thing was that Norr and I both checked his backpack twice. At least the money was returned by whomever took it even though no one fessed up to it. Lesson learned (hopefully by all) about honesty and trust.
So yeah, next week we have changes and I could possibly have changes, so the next time I write you, I might be in a different area.
Elder Smith
p.s. BTW I was able to buy a new camera this week and can now take photos -- will upload some new ones next week :) (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

Monday, January 10, 2011

Stickin' With My New Year Goals

Dear family, friends and anyone else who reads this letter,
So we are finally one week into the new year. It´s crazy that it is finally 2011! Well next week I will have been a year here in Costa Rica. It's crazy to think that I have lived in a foriegn country for a year and it doesn't even feel foriegn. I feel like I have lived here forever and the culture is just my normal way of life now. I'm going to be a weirdo when I get back home, cause I´ll probably just want to eat rice and beans for every meal of the day. 
So this week I started working on my personal goals which are: I wake up at 6:00 and exercise for an hour (could really use those p90x vids). Then I shower and try to start my personal study by 7:30 or 7:45 a.m. First I read/listen to a talk from the last general conference, then I read/listen/mark my scriptures in Spanish. I am at the end of the war chapters in Alma. Then I read a couple chapters of my scriptures in English. Then I read in PMG. I am reading in chapter 3 and reviewing all the lessons and writing down all the scriptures and doing all the activities. This is what my personal studies have consisted of and it's probably what I´ll do for the rest of the mission. I also want to read both, Jesus the Christ and A Marvolus Work and A Wonderagain. 
I would encourage all of you to start if you haven't already to read the scriptures for at least five minutes a day. Especially Nick and Spencer since they are the closest to going on missions. A few months ago Elder Falavela, a member of the 70 came for a visit to our mission and spoke to the members in the my stake. He gave a couple examples--first, he said that in one day there are about 1,400 minutes and that we have enough time in one day to take away 5 minutes to read from the scriptures. Also he gave another example referring to a big pot of gallo pinto (typical food from here, basically its just rice and beans mixed together with some spices, its good and I´ll have to make if for you when I get home). So we have this big pot of gallo pinto and we are going to eat the whole thing on Saturday. Then for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we are not going to eat, because on Satruday we ate enough that should last us for the whole week. Well, we know that our bodies do not work that way and we need to eat a little bit every day in order to function. Well its the same with our spirits. The scriptures are our spiritural food and we cant just read for 3 hours one Saturday and then go the rest of the week without anything. We need to read just a little bit everyday for at least 5 minutes. If we make the goal to read for 5 minutes everyday and we stick to that goal we will start to have a bigger desire to read more and more and pretty soon we will be reading for longer than 5 minutes. I really liked his message and it's something that I try to get our investigators and recent converts to understand.
So I hope you all have an awesome week and I love you all! Just think in less than 52 weeks I´ll be home! YAY!!! Now you are all trunky!
Love Elder Anthony Smith

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year!

Dear Everyone,
Yay its finally 2011!! I hope you all had a good New Years Eve and Day. Mom and Dad Happy Anniversary, I think that this is number 21... Also mom I hope you have a Happy Birthday this week. I´m going to send off a package this week so be on the lookout for that in the next few weeks. 
So this week not too much has happened. The district is doing good and we should be able to meet our goal this month. Bri Bri is going to have 2 baptisms this week and then in the next couple of weeks, Hatillos and our area should both have a couple of baptisms. So we should be able to meet our goal and also it is looking like the zone is going to meet their goal too. Right now the district is lacking in investigators. I am going to be doing divisions this week with the other areas in my district so that I can help them a little bit and help them find some new investigators.
Well I don't really have anything to write about so I guess I´ll talk about the goals that I have for 2011, at least until November. So number one is I am going to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to exercise everyday and I am going to start eating a lot heathier (aka no more pizza, unless there is a special occasion). Also, I am going to read The Book of Mormon at least 2 more times while on the mission -- once in English and once in Spanish. Also I am going to work hard each day and try to help as many people as possible.
Have an awesome week!!!!! I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
Love Elder Smith