Sorry about the late-ness of the letter this week. We were in NYC when we received it. Got home early Thursday morning, and have been trying to catch up ever since. Had a crazy weekend with family stuff and getting the kids ready to head back to school. A very quiet day around here!
Not much has happened this week since transfers. It has been quite a contrast up here compared to the work in the south though. It is pretty tough up here. Honestly, as far as the attitude of the people go, not much has changed since we lived here. I can understand what people say now compared to back then which helps. (maybe that's not such a good thing. . .?) Actually for the most part people are relatively nice, but have no interest.
Our ward up here, however, is amazing! I love the bishop already and everything about the ward. They are really missionary oriented and have a lot of success throughout the year. Funny story-- within the first few days the bishop somehow found out I played the piano, and then asked if I could play the organ. This was Saturday night. I guess the one who usually does it is older and it is hard, and the former bishop could but had sugery on his eye and can´t really read the music anymore. So, the bishop asked if I could play for priesthood, and I did, but they wanted it on the organ. Then, later, the person who selects the music for sacrament meeting came in and found me just at the beginning of the meeting and asked if I could play for sacrament meeting. I was a little nervous to say the least because this is a normal sized ward, about 120-150 active members who attend regularly! But I said sure, I just can't make any gaurantees! But it went pretty well. Then they asked if I could play for the ward youth choir practice for next Sunday! Oh boy...Anyway, I hope that it all goes well, accompanying someone is not my forte, but what ever I can do to help, I will try. (glad to hear he is able to use his music skills again!)
Aside from that, we have a few investigators within the district with baptismal dates. If all goes well in the next month or two the ward should have 4-5 new baptisms total for the year. One of them is ours and the other is for another investigator by other elders in the district. Who knows, but we will see what happens with that. In fact, the investigator taught by the other elders has gone through quite the experience now as he has gotten ready for his baptism which is scheduled for next week. His family is against it, and he is about our age. Then, he was given a topic for a paper in school about something relating to a political issue and got in a discussion with a classmate on his stance about it. The classmate then found out that he was investigating the church, then the professor came in and also found out. The professor then told him that he was crazy to join our church and set up an appointment for him to see the university phsycologist because he felt that he wasn´t right in the head to do that! Well, I asked the other elders what this investigator thought about that and they said that he had told them he would be baptized on his scheduled date unless he dies! He is a very determined person, and he has gone through some pretty difficult trials by deciding to join the church, but because of that he will be greatly blessed!
Elder Melum is my new companion. He is awesome, and we have had a really fun week together so far. He is the first companion that I have had that has been to the U of U! We have some things in common with that, which is fun. He comes from Washington, up near Everett.
Well, I don´t know what else to say, but hopefully you all have a great time over there in the good ole USA. May the Lord bless you through the next week, especially those of you getting ready for school in the next week or so!
Ihre Sohn und Bruder
Elder Smith
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