Hey family this week was eventful and just enjoyable we have had a couple of changes, both Elder Brough and Elder Duncan got shipped out and I am have a new companion. His name is Elder Harris, he is from Maryland/Draper (his parents moved Draper 2 weeks ago) and I love him very much. He is a good worker and this is his 4 transfer. He was trained by the one and only Elder Allen and his older brother served in Toulouse and trained the one and only Elder Magnan who trained ....me. It is a big long tangled up story but it ends up that the world is pretty small.
This week was also pretty sad, I really really loved serving with Elder Duncan and Elder Brough, they are definitely two people that I will be playing golf with and going to the temple with in my old days. Elder Brough is headed off to Bayonne and Elder Duncan is headed off to Angouleme
Antonio got baptized!!!!! It was so so so so great! He came to the chapel with his family about half an hour before his baptism. When they showed up we were there and we welcomed them, Antonio told us that he was able to focus all day and that he could sleep the night before and that he just wasn't feeling very good about his baptism. That was a total change of how he was acting the day before after his baptismal interview, when he came out of his interview he was glowing and very very excited to be baptized. So I gave his wife a tour of the chapel (because it was the first time that she ever came to church) and Elder Brough and Elder Duncan were just talking to him about his baptism. When it was time we started off with some hymns and the talks. Antonio still wasn't feeling very well, and I was starting to get a little nervous. We headed off to the baptismal font and Elder Duncan baptized him, his family and our other ami, Rimas were on the front row, as soon as Elder Duncan began the prayer, the spirit was very strong, everyone in the room felt it, Antonio was baptized and as he came up out of the water he had the biggest smiles ever on his face and he then dived back into the water, we closed the curtain to try to keep this reverent but everyone was chuckling, but Antonio was so thrilled. After he was baptized he changed and he bore his testimony about his baptism and about the change that has happened in his life since he started taking the missionary lessons, he testified with tears in his eyes to his family that he knew he had made a right choice. SO POWERFUL, the next day we had the confirmation that was done by the bishop, which again was such a great moment. After church on Sunday we went to their house and taught the whole family about the temple and forever families, Vanessa ( the wife ) was very interested and she was smiling the whole time, there was a new spirit in there home and the whole family loved the idea of being together forever, also when we showed up there was a picture of their family and the 3 of us sitting on the table and when we left there was also a picture of the temple that we gave them! I love love love the Suarez family and I am hoping to see them all baptised before I leave this city.
Rimas, our Russian ami, came to the baptism and is lined up to be baptised on the 26th, he loves the book of Mormon and the bible and he loves coming to church, he told me that when he came to the baptism all his questions were answered and that his heart was going BOOM BOOM, I informed him that the boom boom is what the scriptures call the holy ghost, he agreed and is looking very good for his baptism.
I know that this transfer is going to bring good things, I am lined up with a new companion that is young and excited and knows how to work and wants to work, I know that I am going to learn lots from him.
Above all I know that is work is true, I know that Joseph Smith saw the Son of God and that Jesus Christ has once again established his kingdom and church upon the earth, I am so grateful for my Savior and for love of my Father in heaven to have sent him hear to earth to die for me. I love you all so very much as well and I hope that you have a great week!!
Elder Smith
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