Sementa Santa Week

Dear Family,

Well this past week was super crazy with Semana Santa, which is basically the Latino version of Spring Break, but worse. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday everything (and I mean everything) was closed. . .there were no buses running and everyone went to the beach or rivers. So we had P-day on Friday and we basically spent the weekend at a member's house because like nobody was home to visit or proselyte to!

So Elder Vazquez had changes this week which is too bad,  because he was really cool. But I have a new companion. His name is Elder Martinez and he is from El Salvador. He was actually my ZL when I was in Pavas which is interesting because since becoming a ZL, all of my companions have been my former zone leaders. Also I only have 5 more changes left which is pretty crazy because changes pass by super super fast!!

Well I don't really have that much to write because this week not too much happened.

Nick, I hope you are getting ready to start your mission. It really is going to be an awesome experience. What I love the most is getting to meet tons of new people. I have made so many friends in the last 17 months. Also don't worry if you are nervous because I was so nervous when I first started the mission. Spencer learn how to brush your teeth!!!!!!!! Julia you too!!! and I'm glad you finally know what it's like when nature really calls and there are no public facilities! Landon you just have to last a few more weeks and then it will be summer vacation! Mom and Dad have fun with your new stake assignment . . . Also, when I get home I don't want to go to a Singles Ward!

Well I'm excited that I get to call you guys in a couple weeks. I'm going to talk to President tomorrow or sometime this week to get everything all planned out.

Well I love you all and I hope you have an awesome week!!!!

Love Elder Smith

p.s. Oh, and make sure to tell Nana K. Happy Birthday yesterday from me!!!!!

Visit by Elder Richard Hinckley




My desk

 Dear Family,

Well this week was super awesome!! Elder Richard Hinckley came to Costa Rica and we had a really awesome Zone Council and Zone Conference with him. After the Zone Council, he said quote, ¨This is the best zone leadership training that I have ever seen, including the ones that I gave as a Mission President.¨ Also he said that President and Sister Galvaz are one of the best mission president he has ever seen and that Costa Rica is one of the best missions he has ever seen. Now this isn’t some random guy saying this . . . Elder Hinckley is basically in charge of the Mission Department and so he knows what he is talking about.

So this week we are going to have 2 baptisms. Alejandra is finally going to get baptized and we are also going to baptize Martin. So that’s basically what is going to be happening this week. Also this week is Semana Santa so we are actually going to have P-day on Friday.
Thanks for sharing the news about a new Bishopric . . . that means Dad will have more time around the house. One of the biggest things that I have learned from the mission is that change can be a really hard thing. In every area I have been in, I have learned to love the people so much that when I get changed out it has been harder saying good-bye to these people than it was saying good-bye to you guys at home. But this is something that we all have to deal with in life because the one guarantee is that things are going to change. We just have to deal with it and have faith that good things and most of the time, better things will happen.  Well this is a super short letter but I hope you all have a good week!
Love Elder Smith

A Quick Note

With Members Celebrating a Birthday!!

Hey Family/Friends,

I don't have much time to write today, but I just want to say that conference was amazing!!!!!!!! I loved it and it went by way too fast! 

This week was really good and it went by super super fast. I can't believe that we are already in April--the time is moving so much faster that it did a year ago. We are teaching a new guy named Martin. He is the uncle of a member in our ward and he is super cool. He has had a really hard life and in our first lesson with him, he told us that he wants to be born again and so we talked about baptism and put a goal with him for the 23rd. He also doesn't know how to read or write so we are going to teach him.

I love you all and I hope you have an awesome spring break this week!!! Love Elder Smith

What Happens When You Forget to Pay Utilities!

P-day activity, playing futobal

Dear Family,  Hey so I’m so glad to hear that you are all doing fine and that things are going well back at home! Everyday since the beginning of the mission I have prayed for you all and I’m so glad that in the past 16 months everyone has been kept safe. (Nick don’t do anything stupid to screw that up) Ha-ha!! Well Spencer I’m glad to hear that lacrosse is going well. Make sure you can get healed up, because it’s better that you sit out a few games as a sophomore than have to sit out a whole season as a junior or senior. Julia thanks for the letter and I’m glad to hear that you are starting to be able to control your crying ha-ha! Lets see if you can hold it in at the airport when I get home.... doubt it ha-ha! Nick make sure you spend as much time on your homework as you do with your girlfriend, cause she probably won’t even wait for you . . . JK-ing!

This week was super fun and a ton of stuff happened. First we did divisions almost every day this week. Tuesday, I was in Siquirres, Wednesday I was in Cariari, and Thursday and Friday my companion was in Limon. In total, I spent about 10 hours on buses, but luckily all the buses in this part of Costa Rica are the really nice charter buses. 

Tuesday, I was with Elder Maylett in Siquirres and we basically spent the whole day traveling to another area to do and interview, but it was still fun being with him.

Wednesday, I was with Elder Gutierrez in Cariari so that I could do the interview for a guy name Hector, whose wife got baptized like 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately they are probably going to get divorced, cause both of them have made some mistakes in the past, but they are going to try and work things out now. 

Then on Thursday, we traveled down to Limon so that I could do an interview for a guy who only speaks Patua, it’s like a mix between English, French and some other language, but I could understand everything he said. Well, we ended up not doing the interview cause he still had some doubts about the church being the only true church and about being baptized again, cause he was baptized in the Catholic Church. So Elder Norr and I taught a super bomb lesson in English and I think it was the first legit lesson that I have taught in the English language here in Costa Rica. Afterwards Elder Norr and I returned back to Guapiles, a 2 and a half hour bus ride and spent Thursday night and Friday on division. I love Elder Norr and it brought back memories of our days in Pavas!

Oh and this past week we lived like pioneers, cause we didn’t pay for our water and electricity and so it got shut off. So we showered in member’s homes and Thursday night they turned the water back on and we are still without electricity until tomorrow and so we have been using candles and flashlights. That’s the last time I will forget to pay the utilities, cause it sucks. I think Saturday night was the worst night of both the mission and I think my life . . . it was super hot and we got bit by a ton of mosquitoes. We couldn’t turn on the fan cause we had no electricity, when I tried to use my blanket it was too hot to sleep and when I didn’t use the blanket, I got bit a ton and my body was itching like crazy. So I was miserable the whole night and so next month I’m going to buy some bug spray. Oh and the past couple of days, my companion has been kind of sick and last night he couldn’t stand it anymore so we went to the hospital. We were there for like 3 hours and I was left on my own for the whole time, so that was kind of weird, but enjoyable. He has some stomach problem and has to now watch his diet aka no more spicy stuff, which burns cause he’s a Mexican and they love spiciness.

So today for P-day I had to go to San Jose for Zone Council and it was super awesome, because as a zone we met our goal so I got to report that to President!!!! Also we learned some really cool stuff from President, I love him--he is so awesome and he is definately an inspired man of God! Also we got fed super good--ribs, pasta, salad, cake and ice cream. Also I got to hang out with all my Zone Leader friends, which is always super nice!

So this week was fun and I’m super excited for the month of April, because one, General Conference is this week! Yeah!! Party!!! And two, Elder Richard G. Hinckley is coming the second week of April and so we are going to have a conference with him!!!!!!

Well I love you all and I can’t wait to see you all in approximately 20,304,000 seconds. Ha-ha, I’m not really counting but I did calculate this countdown last night while I was waiting for my companion at the hospital. Stay safe!!!!!!!! Love Elder Smith

March Has Been a White Month!

Baptismal Day of Jose, Marielos and Esteban Villalobos

Preparing the Font

My home here in Pococi


CLICK ON POCOCI REGION IN RIGHT COLUMN TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS!

Dear Everyone,

Well this is going to be a short letter, because I don’t have a lot to write about. This week was really good especially with the baptisms of Jose, Marielos and Esteban Villalobos. Yesterday, Sunday, they all got confirmed and Jose and Esteben received the Priesthood. I wasn’t expecting that and I am sure they weren’t either, but it was really cool and Jose even got to stand in the circle for the ordination of his son. Also on Sunday Alejandra got married! The ceremony was really good and Alejandra’s husband, Marcos, has a sister who lives in San Rafael and her family showed up and so it was good to see them. Also now that my Spanish is a ton better we could actually have a conversation.

So tomorrow, Tuesday, we are going to do the baptismal interview for Alejandra and we want to have her baptism this coming Saturday!! Right now as a zone we have had 14 baptisms and we only need 2 more to complete the zone’s goal for this month. For this week we have about 8 possibilities and so if all goes well, then we are going to overpass the goal, which will be cool! 

This week we are going to be doing lots of divisions with the zone. We have to do some baptismal interviews and we also want to see how the elders are doing. On Tuesday, I am going to be in Siquirres and then on Wednesday I am going to be in Cariari. On Thursday and Friday, my companion is going to Limon and I am going to be in our area. So it should be a fun week! Also only 2 more weeks until General Conference, which is basically the Superbowl for missionaries! Hope you all have a good week!!!! I am going to put some pictures up! Love Elder Anthony Smith

So Much to Write About!

Enjoying P-day in Costa Rica!

Dear Everyone,

Hey so I hope you all had a good week!!! Nick--study Chinese cause Spanish was pretty hard to learn and Chinese is like a billion times harder so the more practice you get now will make it so much easier in the MTC and in the field! Spencer--that is a super sick drawing!!! You should do one of me playing lax!!! Hey I hope your leg gets better so you can play!!! Julia--I heard that you have started a countdown for me, well starting on March 26th I am going to start reading a chapter a day in the Book of Mormon and by the time I finish, I will be home!!!! Also send me a list of the places you are going to visit here in Costa Rica and I’ll see what I can do!!!!! Landon-- keep having fun in your school and playing with your friends!!!! Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa--I got the packages!!!! Thank you so much, especially for the Double Stuffed Oreos, I am going to eat them all tonight and then start my getting in shape workouts!!!!!!!

So this week was super good and there was a bunch of things that I wanted to write about, but with everything that goes on, it's super easy to forget!! Well this week I finished reading The Book of Mormon again in Spanish!!!! It's super crazy, thinking that a year ago I was reading in Spanish, but like every other word I was looking it up in the dictionary and now I can just read and focus on learning the gospel!!! My testimony for The Book of Mormon has grown so much and I know that it is true!!!! So now I am going to read it again but with the seminary manual!!!

So yes this week we had 3 baptisms!!! The familia Villalobos, Jose, Marielos, and Esteban got baptized and it was super awesome!! This family is really converted and even though they had some struggles they are super happy and the baptismal service was such a spiritual experience!!! The members in the ward have helped out so much and a bunch of people came to support this familia's decision!

Well today we had changes and my new companion is Elder Vasquez!!!! He is from Mexico (yeah! that makes two companions from Mexico), and he was actually my zone leader when I was in Alajeula about a year ago!! He is super cool and I'm excited to work with him!! The zone is doing super good with the three baptism here, we now have 13 which means we only need 3 more to reach the goal and on March 26, my area is going to baptize another lady! Her name is Alejandra and her husband is a less active member who we have reactivated and they are going to get married on Sunday and she will be baptized the following week!!!!! Also my MTC comp. Elder Duncan is now a zone leader. That means that from my group me, Duncan, Sangster, Romney, and Whittier are all zone leaders and Elder Johnson is a district leader and training so he will be zone leader soon and Elder Brazington is now senior comp and doing well!!! 

Well I'm just finding out that all the workout vids you sent are in a Quicktime video format and won't sink to my iPod, but don't worry I have a video converter so we should be good, it just might take me a couple weeks to convert all the vids!!!! Thanks for all your love, support and prayers! I am really thankful for all of you in my life and I'm glad that mom now has an emotional attachment to rap music that makes her cry!!! Ha Ha Well I hope you all have an awesome week!! And I love you all!!! Love Elder Smith

Another Busy Week

Quite a feast for a p-day!

Dear Family, 

Haha I have no time to write again because we have to do a bunch of info. for the stake! But this week was really good! I was on divisions for a couple of days, getting to know some investigators. I like being ZL because I get to know many more people! This week, our zone had 3 baptisms and we have the posibilty of baptizing 10 this week which would be super awesome because the meta for the zone this month is 16!! We might have a baptism this week in our area! We are teaching this super golden family and the mom and son are totally ready to get baptized this week, but the dad is a little nervous! This family is super awesome and Ill have to write more about them next week!!! Also next week we have changes and I think that my companion might have changes so we will see what happens. With the changes next week that means I won't write you till Wednesday so don't worry if you don't get anything on Monday!!!

Have an awesome week!!!!!

Love Elder Smith

P.S. Thanks for not writing me......haha just kidding its cool, something probably happened but you all better write next week. Tell Aunt Caroline thanks for the letter I got last week!!

Crazy Day: Zone Council

Giving directions how to focus the camera :)

Dear Family!!!

Hey sorry it's so late (6:30 p.m. when he sent this email)  and I have like no time to write you guys, but today has been super busy!!!! And I mean super busy!!!!!! So it is the end of the month and that means that we had to do all the numbers for the zone last night. We had to get all the totals for this month, all the goals for next month and then we had to give it all to the AP´s. It took forever! and we went to bed at like 1:00 in the morning! Then we had to wake up at 4:30 so that we could be to the bus station by 5:30 so we could go to San Jose for Zone Council!!!! The worst part was I left my umbrella in the house of a member Sunday night and it was raining super hard this morning and so I got soaking wet and they had the AC on full blast in the bus and so I was freezing!!! 

Well this month our zone didn't meet our goal so in the Zone Council we had to explain to President why we didn't meet the goal and what we are going to do better this next month so that we can meet the goals that the missionaries have set. 

Some cool news, in April, Elder Richard Hinckley, son of President Hinckley, will be coming to Costa Rica and we´ll probably have a Zone Conference with him!!!

Congrats Spencer on making the Varsity Team! I have completly forgotten everything about lacrosse and I'm not even sure I could craddle a stick right now!! I remember I was super nervous when I make Varsity as a sophmore because the coach kept saying that the roster wasn't final and that people could get moved up or down. Just do your best and it will all be fine!!!! 

Nick, hey HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I hope you get lots of hugs and kisses from the ladies, Hay que aprovechar este tiempo con las guilas!!! Haha!!!!

Hope You all Have an AWESOME WEEK and hopefully I will have more time to write next week sorry!!! I´ll try to take more photos too!!!!!!

Love, Elder Smith

I Saw the Ocean

Elder Malen, Paola, and Elder Alvare

Preparing for the Baptismal Services

Elder Alvare baptizes Paola 

Elder Smith (me) and Elder Malen

Hey Everyone,

So I don't have much time to write, but this week has been super busy! Elder Lopez and I have been doing divisions with the zone making sure that everyone who can get baptized this month, gets baptized so we can meet our goal as a zone. So I spent part of the weekend in Limon and finally after 15 months in the mission I saw the ocean!!! Also I saw some members of our stake in Centerville! It was super crazy, because I was inside sewing a hole in my pants and a couple of elders were outside and then one of them told me to come outside and I see these Gringos who look really familiar and they asked me what stake I was from in Centerville. I said the Centerville North in the Chase Lane ward and they are from the Willow Wood ward. The only problem is I don't remember their names, but they took some pictures with us and maybe they will call you. One of them is on the Stake High Council and knows Dad! So That was cool!!! Then on Saturday, I saw my first baptism that took place in a river. The Elders in Puerto Viejo don't have a church building and so they have to use the river and I conducted the baptismal interview for the young woman that got baptized! So this week has been pretty cool!!!

Today we had a fun P-day too!!! There is a member in Siquirres whose husband owns this pineapple farm and they live in a jungle part of the area and so they showed us around and we also got to see this really cool river and I took some pictures so I will upload them right now so you can see what this part of Costa Rica looks like!!!!

So yeah, that's basically what happened this past week and I hope you all have a great week!!

Love Elder Smith

Happy Birthday Bro!

Making Calls

Hi All,

This week has been good and has passed by super fast. Last Wedenesday, the zone had a capacitation with President and Hermana Galvez. They explained about some new things the mission is trying to implement to find more and better investigators. One example is that we are now challenging people to be baptized when we contact them. At first it was a little ackward but it is a really effective way to find the golden investigators and to find those who are ready to hear the gospel. On Friday and Saturday I was in Cariari doing divistions with Elder Bernuy and Elder Gutierrez and my companion went to Puerto Limon. We went to conduct baptism invertiews in both areas. It's kinda funny because Elder Bernuy was my district leader when I was in Heredia and now I am his zone leader, but he is super cool and is almost done with his mission. It's kind of sad because all my friends in the mission are now either gone or about to leave and there are a whole bunch of new missionaries who I don't know so I'm going to have to get to know the newer missionaries.

In Cariari I did the interview for a man, Kendall, who was able to get married and then baptized. The interview was really good and he actually answered most of the questions without any help which was really cool. I also got to stay for the wedding and the baptism. He married a lady who is a member of the church and has 9 kids. The wedding was really long because the lawyer talked forever and ever, but Kendall's baptism was really cool and all the people who came for the wedding ended up staying for the baptism and several of them aren't members. I will post pictures of both events.

I really like my new area! It is hot and sunny (unless it rains) and I'm staring to get a tan again. Also the peolple are really awesome members and investigators. We are teaching a lady named Alejandra who is going to get baptized in March after she gets married to her boyfriend who we have reactivated. She is ready to get baptized. . . she just has to get married. We are going to work hard for the next two weeks finding new investigators who we hope will prepare to be baptized in the months of March and April.

Going to the temple today was really awesome and I saw some members from my passed areas so that was cool!!! Mom if you send a package soon could you please send some sunblock, its super expensive here, but not too high spf. Also could you send some double stuffed oreos, original please, my companion loves oreos and has never tried the double stuff . . . also those p90x vids would be supper awesome!!! Love you all and I hope Spencer had an awesome birthday!!! Have fun driving and dating!!!!

Love Elder Smith

ZL Work

Beautiful Pococi -- this is our church building

My new companion Elder Lopez

Dear Family,

Hey I hope everyone had a good week, sounds like it was really cold in Utah this week . . .  well here in Pococí it is a different story. The weather here is very unpredictable. For example in the morning it will rain and then it is very hot around mid afternoon and when the sun goes down it is fresco . . . I always have to make sure that I have my umbrella or I could get wet. Oh and I'm sorry I forgot to mention that my new companion is Elder Lopez. He was actually my Zone Leader in La Sabana with Elder Sangster so I know him really well and he is cool and we get along really well. Um well so far being a ZL isn't too hard, I just have to make a lot of phone calls and Sundays are long because we wake up a 5 am and we have to do numbers for the week and so that takes a long time, but last night I got to bed at 11:45 and so that wasn't too bad.

Last Thursday we had Zone Council so we had to go back to San Jose, another 2 hour ride through the mountains. There is a huge difference in climate between where I am and San Jose. San Jose is cold and dry and Pococi is hot and humid. Zone Council was fun and I didn't really have to do anything because I only had a day being ZL. It's cool because Elder Sangster, Romney, Whittier and I are ZLs and Elder Johnson and Duncan are DLs and so my MTC group is doing pretty good here in the mission and pretty soon we could all be ZLs.

This coming week we have a Zone meeting with President Galvez and that should be fun and then I will probably be doing divisions for the rest of the week, getting to know some investigators and I will probably do a couple baptism interviews.

Next week we are going to the temple!!! YAY!!!! Every zone goes about once every 3 months and so I got lucky and get to go twice in one month. So next week I will write home on Wednesday and not Monday.

Mom, about the questions you gave me about what Nick should take. The shoes I took on my mission are ecos brand--DO NOT TAKE THIS BRAND OF SHOE  . . . especially if you are going to be doing a lot of walking. You will see what my shoes look like when I get home. Don't worry I have another pair so I will be good, but take Dr. Martin or Dr. Sholes, I don't remember what they are called. My luggage has held up pretty good, still no rips or tears. Make sure Nick that your clothes fit you!!!! Remember how I went into the MTC a litttle chunky and I gained a lot of weight in the MTC. Well that all fell off when I got here and so my clothes are a little baggy and so make sure your clothes fit. Don't think Nick will have too much of a problem because he is a stick. Do Not Take A shoulder bag!!!! Take a regular backpack! My back hurt with a shoulder bag and I didn't like it at all. I use a backpack now and it is so much better. So take a nice backpack!!!! Also make sure you have plenty of socks and garments!! Well I hope you all have a great week and I will write you again next Wednesday!!!!

Love Elder Smith

Saying Good-bye to Pavas/Bri Bri

Yup -- I still do it in the mission (and this isn't even my gallon)

I will miss Elder Norr

Last baptism in this area was Isabel (left of me) and Marcela (on my right) -- tiny people aren't they.

Sister Maday and son Daniel -- saying good-bye to the coolest member

Wendy, Arturo, Mia, and me

Changes and now a Zone Leader

Elder Gomez, Isabel, and Elder Smith (me!)

Monday, January 31, 2011:

Dear Family,

Well I received a call this morning from the ZL´s and I have changes. This is probably the only thing that I don't like about the mission because I love the people here in Pavas and I am going to miss Elder Gomez. So Saturday, we baptized Isabel and it was super awesome!!! She is such an amazing lady and even though it took her a little bit longer to make the decision to get baptized she is really awesome and has a strong testimony of the gospel. Well, I have packed everything up and I am going to spend today and tomorrow saying good-bye to everyone. I will write you more on Wednesday when I am in my new area with my new companion. I sure hope I get a Gringo or another Mexican!!!!!! Love Elder Smith

Then, on Wednesday, February 2, 2011:

Dear Family,

Hey so I am in my new area now which is Pococi. I am also the new Zone Leader here in the Zona Atlantica. Finally I am outside of the city and into the country. I am about two hours outside of San Jose and so I took a two hour bus ride through the mountains and it was beautiful and green. I am about two hours away from the ocean and so we are going to go there for a P-day maybe. Finally after 14 months I am outside of the city and into the tropical parts of Costa Rica. It is very humid here and I am sweating as we speak . . . also it is going to rain a lot and so I am glad that I still have my umbrella. Well I am excited to be Zone Leader and tomorrow we have to go back to San Jose for Zone Council and that should be fun. Well I don't have too much time to write, but I love you all and I will hopefully have some cool pictures to put up soon. Love Elder Smith

Temple Trip! Me and Jairo Hernandez he is the Secratary of State for Costa Rica!

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!)

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

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

The Call Home on Christmas Day!

Dear Family,

Hey thank you so much for posting the pictures . . . it's kinda weird to see that the house looks basically the same and not too much has changed. Hey Spencer, get ready to move out in 11 months. Also, it looks like our neighbors, the McArthers are moving??? I´m so glad that I got to talk to you all and it was really good to hear all your voices on Christmas Day.

So I really don't know what to write because this week not much happened. On Thursday, we had zone conference and they had a ton of food and my companion, Elder Gomez, ate something bad so he was basically sick until yesterday. For the month of January we are hoping to have 2 baptisms, but we also want to find a family and help them to prepare for baptism this month or the next month. So that will be our work for the next couple of weeks.

Well I love you all and I hope you all have a happy new year. The next time I write you it will be 2011 and all the kids will be back in school. HAHA!!!!!! Love Elder Smith

Merry Christmas Week

Saying farewell to all the returning missionaries this weekend -- bye to Elder King!

Dear Everyone,

Hey I hope you are all excited for Christmas! I am because I get to talk to you guys on Saturday!!! Ya!!! Okay so we might have a little problem because we have a new phone line and so we can't make international calls, but I talked with one of my investigators who works for the phone company and he said that we can most likely receive international calls. So we need to check and make sure before Saturday. So what I was thinking is that maybe on Wednesday you can try calling our house in the morning before 10 a.m. and see if it works. If it doesn't work then email me and I will check my email on Wednesday in the afternoon! This is how most missionaries talk to their parents -- they give them the phone number and you call us. Hope this works out.

So I haven't written a good letter for awhile, sorry. So a couple weeks ago was the one month check-up where the trainers and their companions have an activity with President and the AP´s. For part of it, we got to drive up one of the mountains so that we could see the whole Central San Jose valley. It was really cool and while we were up there President asked us what we could see. The general consenses (don't know if I spelled that right) is that we have a lot of work to do and that there are tons of people and families waiting for us to talk to them and share the gospel. While we were up there, I was also thinking about the temple because the Central Valley is really big and from where we were we couldn't see the temple and so there is pletty of space and there are plenty of people...we just need to find them and teach them. And in a few years there could be enough members to build another temple here. So that was a pretty cool activity and the food afterwards was amazing.

So this month we have been working to find new investigators that can get baptized in January. We have 2 baptismal goals set right now for January. The first is Isabel, she is the mother of a recent convert and we have been working with her for a while. She would have already been baptized, but she went to Nicaragua to spend Christmas with the family. Also we have German and he has a goal for January too. He just needs to come to church and get married. Also we have found some new families to teach and so we will see how they progress.

This past weekend was kind of sad because Elder King finished the mission and is now in his house! Also Elder Sorensen finished too! Alot of my friends are leaving and now from the original cool group, I just have my group who came with me and the group that came before me (Elder Sirrine, in particular). So it's kinda sad and I almost cried when I said good-bye to Spender King (he is no longer an Elder). Then Saturday morning he called me while he was in the airport. He has been my favorite companion so far in the mission and I am going to miss him a lot.

So I hope you all have an awesome week and I´ll talk to you on Christmas Day!!

Love Elder Smith

P.S. Hermano Jimenez loved the book about the Dominican Republic and has actually found some people that he knows in the book. Also, Arturo loved the quad. scriptures that you sent and almost started to cry when I gave it to him. We have also bought small presents for some investigators and members for Christmas.

More Photos

Strumming away



Monopoly is a serious game.




Bye to Elder Sorensen



My first district leader is heading home this weekend.

Photo Update!

My Companion, Elder Gomez and Me with San Jose City as the background.

Elder Duncan (MTC Comp.) and Me reunite at training session.

Elder Smith (AP) and Elder Smith (DL)

Me, Scarlth, Christopher and Elder Menendez

Happy Birthday to Me (Back in October)

Cut the Cake. Cut the Cake. What a party -- isn't it GREAT!

With Elder Centeno (AP) from Panama (he knows cousin, Adam)

With Elder Sorensen -- he leaves for home this month.

President Galvez and me!

San Jose Valley

Meal at Zone Training -- Serving #1

Trainings are awesome -- they sure know how to feed the soul!

Meat -- Yum!

What a mess!

Filling out the weekly reports

Who's Hungry? (I didn't eat all of this)