Bear with me through this letter. It is rather lengthy because it is last week's letter along with this week's letter. I was sooo happy to see them both this morning and to learn that my son is doing great!
Well, before yelling at me for last week, I actually did send an email, but I guess it didn´t make it. Sorry. So, to make you feel better, I´ll paste what happened last week here first and then move on to this last week because I have a lot to tell you all!
Last Week:
Well this has been an incredible week to say the least! I really don´t want to say much with numbers, but to show how much has happened and how much improvement has taken place in this cycle alone, I´ll say this: We have found a total of 20 new investigators in the last three weeks alone as a district. The previous cycle was the most with 6 total for that cycle! Not much was taking place in the two cycles before that, with even less than 6 new investigators for the entire cycle. All of the companionships are now finding about 2 new investigators each per week, and have been for the last three. The attitude has completely changed and the zone leaders keep asking what changed. I really can´t answer because it was nothing I did. Everyone seemed to unite on one goal, to find people who want to hear us, and everything else seemed to follow. The attitude went from “No one is here for us to teach and the ward gives us referrals” to “There are many here that want to hear the gospel, and we need to find them now!” That happened in what seemed overnight! It is the greatest miracle that I have seen in my mission! I have never seen so little criticism, and so much focus from an entire District ever! I have loved all of the missionaries that I have served with, so don´t think I don´t, but I had to spend so much of my efforts the last 5 months trying to get them excited about work, and finding those who are prepared, and trying to help them envision the fact that there are people everywhere, and we just need to open our mouths and find them!
I am so grateful for all the experiences that I have had. I have never felt so frustrated and so hopeless like I did at this time in my mission, and then to feel the inexpressible joy that I feel now and seeing the complete turn around and satifaction that comes just by simply being obedient and going to work and relying on the Lord. I am glad that the Lord gave me time to let me see my efforts shown. I would have regretted not having much to show, and putting all of that lack of effort for years, to be thrown onto some other missionaries shoulders. It made me sick to think about that. I cannot even tell you all how I truly feel right now. This is definately the most successful part of my mission so far, and the busiest!
The work has been multiplied by several times, and every day we are finding people who have interest in what we say! I just want to thank you for your prayers, and for your support. All of this just seems to follow the quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell which reads “For the faithful, our greatest hours are usually during or after our darkest hours.” It always seems to be that way, and then when we are sufficiently humble, and willing to do whatever it takes to get back on the path, will the Lord reveal his arm in our behalf, and miracles are witnessed. I love this work, and the marvelous wonder that it is! It really is a marvelous work and a wonder!
That was most of what I wrote last week, but I guess I forgot to send it or something, but I did write a letter!
Now for this week, the work has progressed even more. Elder Heller and I recieved transfer calls two days ago, and we are both staying together! We are so excited to continue working together! We are currently working with three different families, and have a total of about 14 people we are teaching right now. The work has picked up with an incredible pace and the district managed to find a total of 26 new investigators for the last cycle, much, much more than the 6 the cycle before, and the 2 the cycle before that just to tell how much has happened.
Along with that, all the other Elders stayed together as well. We have no changes in our district, which is really what I was hoping for because of all the great work we have done and the attitude that everyone has right now. I don´t want it to change at all! We continue to find a lot of new investigators every week, and it is getting more difficult to find time to meet with all of them and find people to bring with us from the ward. That is definately a nice change from the last 3 cycles that I have had here. I have never been so busy in my mission! I really can´t express in words the change that has happened, because it literally changed over night!
To go along with all this good news, Sakina the lady we found through our area book continues to progress very quickly. I have never seen someone so excited and wanting the missionaries to come over so often like she does! She calls us all the time and asks “When can I set up another appointment!? I need you!” We taught her a lesson on Friday, on the Word of Wisdom, and to help her understand its importance. We had barely planned out all of our lessons with her for the next while and planned for a baptismal date with her. We first needed a plan for her smoking. Our plan with the 15 steps failed, but we heard from the Neuhäuser´s that there is this treatment with lasers, much like acupuncture that resets the nerve system and takes away the desire to smoke. Sch. Neuhäuser´s husband had it and smoked for nearly 30 years and came out never smoking again. So, Sch. Neuhäuser set up the appointment for the treatment which costs about 200 dollars and found a ride so she could recieve it on the 11th of February. With that in place, we set up a baptismal date for the 21st of February, and planned to ask Sakina that night and commit her to the date. We had the appointment at the Piotrovski´s home, another member family that has helped out a lot, and taught everything well. Then came the time to tell her about the treatment option, that it was all covered, and if she accepted, if she would like to be baptized on the 21st. She was so excited! She said yes, and now we are working diligently to prepare her for that date. She has had a date before, but it fell out due to family problems, but she said she didn´t care this time, and would do whatever it would take to become of member of this “holy church” as she put it. She has deep respect for the church, and has the simplest and most sincere prayers I have heard, and has a sensitivity to the spirit that is just amazing to me. She wants to change her life and she is excited. We met with her last night and she had a bag prepared with all her cigaretts and ash trays in it and told us to take it. She still has two and a half weeks before the treatment, but the more will she has to quit, the better off she will be after it.
We have also come in contact with a family that Elder Norton taught, Familie Momms, and have met with them a couple of times. They love to have us over for dinner and to talk about the gospel. Their two daughters really have more interest than the parents, but the parents love us and are amazed at what we do to say the least. We are planning on working with the daughters more, because at our last appointment we talked about smoking, and how our bodies are holy and she just kept asking questions, and wanted to know how she could change to become better and feel more of the spirit. Her name is Ana and she is 19. The other daughters name is Corina and she is 21. Ana smokes, but Corina doesn´t have any problems except for Coffee. So we are working on that.
We also found another family from Nigera, a young couple, Marc and Ana, and taught them a first on Friday. In fact, Marc is sitting in front of me right now because he is in the internet shop doing things as well. He was excited to see us today. But they are a great couple. Not sure that they are married, but they have a little girl that is two months old. They are just awesome and can´t wait for us to come again. We will bring a member from our ward from Ghana to that appointment.
Familie Zugehör was also found in our area book and are an older couple in their early sixties. They no longer have children at home, but love to have us over. They are our neighbors across the street. We have taught them two of the most amazing lessons I have ever had on my mission! We taught them a very powerful first lesson two weeks ago, and taught the plan of Salvation on Friday. The wife had an experience a few years ago when she was pronounced dead for about 15 minutes. In that time she said that she remembers seeing those of her family that have passed on and saw that they were on the other side of this gate. They didn´t let her in, and for the longest time she didn´t understand what that meant, and then regained conciousness. It has constantly been on her mind since. When we taught about the spirit world, and geneology work, she understood, and she was amazed and wants to learn more! She just loves the gospel. He on the other hand is very smart and talks a lot, which is contrary to his last name in German which means listener. Hardly! But he was absolutly amazed at the doctrines. They also want us to come back.
We also have many more, and I could fill pages, but you can see the difference that has taken place now! It truly is a miracle. The ward has noticed because we have several appointments daily among us all, and are very excited to help! We have also gone through our ward list and have planned to do go by´s on everyone in our area. So far we have gone by on about 12 people, and 10 of them have moved or wish to leave the church. One out of these 12, one wants no contact from the ward or missionaries, but doesn´t want to leave and the last one was just so excited to see us again! We knocked on his door and his young wife answered and she called for him. When he came to the door, his eyes got big and he said “Elders!” I am so excited to see you! I was wondering what happened and have not had contact for 10 years. I was baptized when I was 16 and helped the Elders up until I was about 23 and haven´t seen them since about 2000. He then asked how we came by and we said we just saw his name on the list and wanted to see if he was doing well and if we could meet. He set up an appointment immediatley for Wednesday.
I had interviews with President a couple of weeks ago, and he told me that the experiences I have had here would be something I would look back on for the rest of my life. I have never felt so tired and so lonely and have never seen so much success as I have seen in this area. I have witnessed the change, and I know for sure that we must endure to the end to recieve the reward. Through our trying times and trials, we learn patience and learn many important lessons. We aren´t simply given what we want when we want, and it is better that way. The lord has his timing and way in all things. At the very least that is what I have learned here. The other lessons learned might come at a much later time in life, but the immediate impact of seeing such a turn around has left a huge impression on me. I know this work is true without a doubt. I love you all and I pray that the Lord will continue to bless you as well!
Elder Smith
Ihre Sohn und Bruder
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