Feb. 22

Hey everybody. This week passed by pretty well. We didnt have baptisms this week and we dont have any the next week so that means only one for the month of Febuary. What garbage right? But we do have four planned for the 13th of March so well see what plays out. One is Alex who has 4 kids and isn't married to his wife. All are members except him but he is awesome. We are going to plan their marriage this Thursday I think to hopefully get him baptised. He has a strong spiritual testimony, just cant find much time to come to church. He{s hte one we taught like 2 months ago and he had to leave to work and he didnt drink one bit of coffee or alcohol. 2 months without any support and with a whole bunch of temptation. He will be a good member, and hopefully he activates his wife and they get sealed. The kids really need a gospel centered life. Two other ones and the brother and sister of Pedro who got baptized this last week. The mom hasnt given us permission for the younger sister but we are going there tonight for a family home evening to cook them food, and warm her up a bit to the idea. HIs younger brother Michael is doing well, he just has a girlfriend that recently gave birth to a kid that isnt his. What a nut. We{ll get them broken up soon. Then we have Juan Jose the drug addict that is trying super hard to overcome his addictions. He didnt come to church this week. We had sent people for like 3 weeks to bring him but we thought we should try just committing him to come on his own to start progressing more but unortunately he didnt. So those are the four that San Miguel will be hoping to see on March 13th. As for the others, there are a ton that are progressing pretty well and just cant or don't want to come to church. Some are trying to make it work, others no. Im so grateful I grew up in a family that understands the importance of going to church. Thanks mom! People here are so lazy.
It turns out that some of the sister missionaries came out with a más guapo list of the missionaries. I made the # 2 spot. At least thats what some other missionaries said. What a joke right? Number 2? Who do they think they are? No ubt really what a joke. Who makes lists like that in the mission? I dont even think of people that way. Like never.
But on other news, my companion is doing well. Still prideful but Im learning a lot from him. Is it bad that I learn from the negative things of my companions instead of the good things? He is a really cool kid, just not a really cool missionary yet.
Today we had his "one month check-up" as they call it. We went to the office and the presidents house to talk with the AP´s and President. Really good experience to talk with the other trainers and learn from them. We ate a really huge lunch with a ton of meat and pineapple. Kinda like Rodizio Grill but free. And they gave us banana splits after.
So, this next Monday is the changes meeting. I really hope I dont go. I´ve got a lot to do in March in this area. But odds are that I´ll be leaving; I have almost 7 months in MY FIRST AREA. I wonder where I will get put and what responsibility they will give me. Maybe I will just get to stay here the rest of my mission?
Im doing well. I figured out this week that if I dont get a little bit of sleep after lunch Im dead tired at the end of the night. Like a zombie... only moving because Im here to do God´s will and not mine. Even if it´s just 5 or 10 minutes I HAVE to take a power nap after lunch or the work will start to worsen haha. Is worsen a word in english? I cant believe how much I have learned and how much I have grown. Getting put in the hard and almsot impossible positions are the times that we progress. Im glad I have the challenges of leadership instead of sadness, sickness, etc. And I hope I have a lot more to come in these 15 months I have left. But yeah, Im doing well. Healthy and happy.
Elder H. Smith