12.20.17 Siquijor

Maayong Pasco!

Hellooo people I am back hahah had a stellar week here on the surface of the sun oh wait no it just feels like that hahah. But really though we had a good week and spent the last four days in Dumaguete for some reallll biz but we back here in the land of the gwapos(Elder Briones and I) now and back to action. But yea next time we talk Christmas will be over so i wanted to say a little bit about what I know and have learned this month as I have tried to come closer to Christ. First of all I have learned that it is impossible to become exactly like him with the time we have here on earth, but through working on my hope in HIm and a better hope for the future, I have started doing what i can. Jesus Christ really is the Savior of the world and if He did not come down to earth for us, we would nothing with no plan and no happiness in our lives. His life is a light in our lives, it leades and guides us if we choose to open our eyes and remove the darkness. He loves each one of us and knows what you and I have felt whenever it gets hard, except not just for you and I, for every person to ever walk this earth. I know that through him we can become better people and fulfill the will of the Father while here on earth, through following His gospel we become more in tune with His spirit, which is guide us in our journey to become like him. I have learned that God is one eternal round and so are our lives here, we will be supported if we choose the path that allows us to receive that help. I love this gospel and am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of the Philippines because they are some of the most christ-like people you will ever meet. There is not a day that goes by that I dont think about my Savior and His love and the nothingness i would be without him and his mercy. I love you all so much and my invitation to you this Christmas is to better appreciate the blessings in your life and think about where they come from and what Christ has given you. Thank you for all your support, the emails the packages, the words of encouragement. I wouldnt be here without you guys and I will keep going for you guys as well! Love you all and hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Press forward with faith, in the Savior Jesus Christ.

 

-Elder Smith

12.13.17 Siquijor

Hello people another good week here in Siquijor and we spent most of it in Negros for Stake Conference. Got to attend a leadership training and learned about letting our younger priesthood holders lead meetings and that was pretty much the focus of the meeting, glad they focused on that because now we can tell our 1 young men to lead the meetings now, he will lead teach and listen to himself hahah he will just have his own little room hahah. But yea it actually was a good conference and we got to watch the Christmas devo and reminded me of back home! Miss the snow as i sit here sweating uncontrollably in the middle of December. We are doing good here and im trying to get closer to Christ this month! and you all should too! I love Chirst, he taught so many different things that we should always remember and i love him for that. Thank you for the support and remember to do something every day the way that Christ would. Love you all and press forward in faith.

 

The awesome views are from our journey to Maria hahah, an hour long trike drive away and we got there and didnt finish visiting LA until 4 and there were no more rides back to Larena so we started the treck short cut over the mountain to the other side of the island. We walked for over two hours before we found a ride and by that time we were almost to the peak of the mountain hahahah. Then the last a pic at our fav restaurant Sans Reval in Dumaguete hahah

 

-Elder Smith 

 

 

 

12.5.17 Siquijor

Hellloooo

Hello people good week here we had a lot going on and literally traveling the island. Feeling the spirit a lot and we had our two baptisms saturday! I dont know if yall remeber of that tatay that bore his testimony and shook all of our hands, well he is now a memeber of the church! so awesome to see his conversion and he really does believe that this is what he needed to do and he stuck to it. His testimony on Sunday really touched me as he talked about his feelings after and how he has already changed. Man i love the gospel! Workin the island with Elder Briones and we puttin in work and we were teaching a lesson about temples yesterday and I realized how much i missed it! I miss that spirit that cant be found anywhere else but trying to live so that i can feel that more now. Yea all good here dont worry and countin down the days until we present for our Branch Christmas party hahah basin ill be the dancer while Briones beatboxes, all i can say is watch out:0 Anyway love you all and read Mosiah 4 this December if you want to know how to take Christs name upon you. Love you all and press forward in faith. ​

11.28.17 Siquijor Changes

Alohaaa! 

Hey people I'm back sorry didn't have a ton of time in Dumaguete last week for Zone Con so Mom had to get it down for me and she was almost perfect, outside of her attempted translations;) hahah anyways another good week here we just keep chuggin away you know! The Carlos family is progressing and we will have two of their baptisms this week and it has been amazing to see them progress from when we found them, to now and their testimonies have just grown and grown. I thought Elder Ranon and I were pretty early to church on Sunday and when we walked in there was Carlos waiting patiently hahah love the guy so much. But we also had a baptism on Saturday of Laura Jane, or Dambo, an 11 year old whose family are all drug addicts and she is living with her extended family here. We did it in the ocean and Elder Ranon and I had to walk out to waste high water to witness it and it was awesome!  

But yea we are continuing to progress here and tomorrow is transfer day and sad to say that we received some sad and good news late last night. Elder Ranon will be transferred to Cebu and become a Zone Leader, which will be really hard to say goodbye. He has taught me so much about not just missionary life but life in general and his example is one i wont forget. Elder Cox will also be transferred to Negros as and district leader. The good news is that i will be staying here, along with my new comp Elder Briones who i have lived with for almost two months now hahah hes funny. And the crazy news is that no one will be replacing the two, we will combine the areas and have to cover the whole island from here on out holyyyyy cowwww. Pretty insane and my mind is spinning but i honestly cant wait for the challenge. 

Love this gospel so much and learn something new about it every day, and you all should too kay its nindot. Press forward in faith. 

 

In here we got some pics from FHE last night hahah with my new glasses grabitttt gwaps kaayo. Also pics from the baptism and the scarf is from our president and the other glasses from a member hahah I thought it was so funny that our Branch president who has a body building competition in a couple weeks rolled up to the baptism literally wearing it like how i am hahah. 

Man I sooo bad wanted to hear Parker talk in this video!!  Loved hearing his companion though! :)

11.23.17 Siquijor

Parker didn't have time for a group email this week, Zone Conference.  Here is excerpts from his email to his mom....

hahah hey mom yea we had a good week and i totally forgot that it was thanksgiving lol its christmas here already and has been for awhile. its so awesome hahah but yea good week wer are here in dumaguete for zone conference yesterday and we stayed here for today and had p day sooo yeaaa. man miss dallas but that sounds way fun sounds like you get a live football game every week these days! we are taking the zone leaders back with us tonight because we have three interviews tomorrow for our investigators and a baptism saturday but next week is transfer week and im really sad to be leaving elder ranon like legit sad. i was giving him a shining moment in our comp inventory and i had to hold back tears hahah and you know im not really a crier. we had a good week tho and just got back from biking 12 km up the mountain here to some falls and i cant feel my legs and im burned so bad hahahah but im good! love you mom so much padayon sa pagkagwapa and kugihan (keep on acting and working hard??) ! love you tons say hi to the fam fo me.