May 2, 2016

We were knocking on doors when this guy said that he had promised his Mormon friend that he would take a picture of any missionaries that knock on his door and send it to our parents, I had him send it to me so I could have the picture also.

Date: Sat, Apr 30, 2016 at 5:14 PM
Subject: Photos Of your children. Enjoy.

Wow how time seems to zoom by! It feels like I was Emailing just yesterday! I can't believe I have been out 4 1/2 months already!

Real quick as this email time is already coming quickly to a close.

Tuesday April 26

Weekly planning was interrupted a lot today as we helped Brother Lamb an older Gentlemen in the ward remove a giant pool cover from his GIANT pool, seriously everyone here in California has a pool in their backyard.

We taught a lesson to Larry Bell and set a date for him to be baptized on June 18!

Wednesday April 27 

I have now been alive for 20 years, I thank my family for putting up with me for all these years.

Zone Soccer this morning for my birthday was really fun, when we got home we opened our apartment door and found breakfast already on the table and as we walked in our zone leaders jumped out from behind the wall of our apartment hallway,

some of the sisters made sure to get me a cake

Thursday April 28

We were able to give service to a less active family in our ward and just helped her around their apartment as they are the apartment building managers.

On a surprise exchange me and elder call found a young boy named David who is interested in learning about the gospel

Friday April 29

District lunch! we finalized our monthly goals at a chicken cafe and got to know each other a little better.

We taught a lady named Lisette again today and said she did not want us to teach her anymore... :'( 

Ward fundraiser was a blast! and we were able to meet so many new people.

Saturday April 30

We took David Howell (a priest from the ward) to a lesson but when it fell through we decided to go knock some houses and so we were able to give him the chance to feel like a missionary as he is preparing for his mission

Sunday May 1

Fast and testimony meeting today, a lot of great testimonies,

We went to the Makanuii's today and they fed us Enchilada's and everytime I go over there I over stuff myself like its thanksgiving, and have to roll myself out of their door. 

Until next time my friends and family, I love you all.

Elder Joshua Smith

I hope everyone is doing well and keeping out of trouble.

This week in our reading of the Book of Mormon we are in 3 Nephi 17 and I love reading the words of Jesus, Throughout reading the Book of Mormon I have been blessed with the opportunity to strengthen my testimony, when we started reading it as a Zone I was in the middle of my hard time, I had just established what I believed in for sure, I knew that Heavenly Father answered Prayers and that Jesus Suffered and died for me. Everything else, The Book Of Mormon, Joseph Smith, This Church was thrown into doubt, I didn't know anything for sure, I was faced with so much negativity that I had never previously faced. Throughout the time I have been reading the Book of Mormon, teaching the Gospel, and sharing my testimony, I have by small degrees been discovering, and solidifying my testimony, I have come to know for myself that The Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, that we have a living prophet and twelve apostles truly leading this church, they are called by God to stand as witnesses for him and Jesus Christ, I have come to know for myself that these things are true, and I cannot doubt that I am truly doing a great work, I have seen too much to doubt that this is right. I am committed to doing the will of the Lord during my mission and forever after. 

Strengthen your testimonies, read the scriptures and pray for understanding and a continual witness that these things are true, I know of a certainty that they are because the spirit has born witness to my mind and heart that they are. 

Never fear, only believe. 

I love you guys so much, Please work hard at becoming closer to the Lord and continue to grow in all your talents because the Lord will use your talents for the good in all you do, we had a lesson with an investigator, and sadly it was our last lesson, but as we left I tore out a page in my notebook that had a batman drawing I had made, and gave it to one of the investigators sons who loved batman, we might not have been the ones to convert her, but sometime in the future, something will bring her to knowledge of the truth. 

I got your email dad, and will make sure to get that file to you asap, and for Skype next week I can't remember the time differences, it should be around 4 California time, so it should be around then that I can make the call. 

Continue to build up yourselves to the leaders I know you all are.

Love 

Josh

P.S 

I have a problem I have discovered about myself, I do not take too many pictures... I guess I just never remember, its just not my focus to take pictures, so I will try to do better, this next week.