La Casa Del Señor

Looking back on a great week helps me realize how good God is. 

El Templo

This week my companion and I got to go to the temple and be with Kevin, a man my companion taught a year ago. As we traveled in bus to the temple, my companion spotted a family that he new and waved to them. They waved back and just before the bus doors closed they said, "Are you going to the temple? That bus won't take you there!" We jumped of the bus and gratefully accepted directions from the father of the family. Blessing #1: God trumps GoogleMaps

When we are in the temple, we are dressed all in white. I felt peace from God as I sat in His house and remembered the promises that I have made with Him. I left with a stronger determination to follow the Lord. I know the God lives and I have faith in His plan for us. We are here to have joy and God has shown us the way to have it. Blessing #2 Peace

After being in the temple, we took pictures around the temple gardens. We ran into one of my MTC teachers. It was incredible for me to have a full blown conversation about how my mission is going in Spanish! I feel so blessed with the help God has given me with this language. Blessing #3 The Gift of Tongues. 

Zone Conference

We had a conference this week with all the missionaries in my zone. It was good. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Elder Smith

Zarate part 3

Transfers came last Monday night and I'll be here in Zárate for at least another 6 weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm here for another 3 months but let's take things in little chunks at a time. My new companion is named Elder Deschamps. He's from Necochea, Argentina, just a few hours south from where we are. Elder Deschamps has almost 20 months in the mission. He is teaching me a lot about how to be a leader. I anticipate a great transfer (or more!) with E. Deschamps. 

A Little on Faith

This week was pretty slow. The Argentines are hiding from the heat and a small number open their doors to the sweaty missionaries clapping in front of their houses. We are in the process of changing the way we think in Zárate. The stake has seen little growth in the recent past and we are trying to help every missionary expect to have great success in their area. Believing that something can be done is so important. 

This Saturday I was stretching my hamstring (not the stretchiest part of me) and my companion came over to help me. "¡Eso no es nada!" he told me. "You can't reach further than that because you don't even believe that you can." He then played the "personal trainer" role and got me to stretch just a little further. It actually worked! I wasn't able to touch the ground but I was able to do more. We have to believe that we can do what we are called to do. We all need Nephi's faith who said, "If God has commanded me to do all things, I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done" (1 Nephi 17:50). This is the kind of faith that I want and the kind of faith that we all need to take on the task of being true disciples of Christ.

Milanesa Sandwich

This is a fairly common lunch (see attached picture). There is a sandwich shop one block away from my apartment named "Rody's Sandwichería" (the possessive grammar of Spanish don't work that way but they put it there anyway). As Rody makes the huge sandwiches, there is always a Spanish drama playing on his TV and sizzling grease masking the conversation. It is a pure Argentine experience. Today I noticed the parrot that wanders around the shop. I didn't catch his name but I'll ask him next time. 

 I hope everything is going well back home. I love you all and know that God is caring for you. 

Love, 

Elder Smith

pictures of Zarate

Elder Valbuena y yo

There aren't truer words than these

PDAY

Q&A

1. Schools

I've never been to a school here but from what I hear they are alright. They have public schools that are divided into two groups: primaria and secundaria. Public schooling is all free through university studies. You have to test into different graduate programs but it's all free. Lots of people come to Buenos Aires from Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay for the free schooling. The dedication to scholarly pursuits seem about as much as the schooling costs. Lots of people have to retake years in secundaria. I think it's because of their home situations and the cultures of their families. It would be hard to break out a strong culture. Not many people read here. Not even writing and reading texts. The biggest social media, WhatsApp, is used to communicate using short voice recordings. Therefore, the need to read, write, punctuate and spell words is effectively bypassed. Interesting huh? Genius business strategy, terrible human development move. 

The most common schooling in Zarate is technical school. The factories here work together with the schools to provide technical training to the advanced students. The factories hire these students right out of secundaria.

All students study basic English. In richer areas, they study German as well. 

Most people do not finish secundaria and therefore aren't able to go to college. The majority of people drop out for bad grades, lack of interest, lack of support, the need to work and eat.

2. Dress

Oh yeah, it's different. People seem to dress less modestly here, depending heavily on their economic state. In poor areas, shirts are optional in the summer. Women always have some sort of undergarment on but that's about it. I'm not sure how many lessons I've taught to men without shirts. Right now, kids under the age of 8 run around with only underwear on. In wealthier areas, they are more conservative. Almost everyone wears two articles of clothing.

Girls shoes are weird here. They have 3 or 4-inch soles. Not heels, soles. It's like Chinese rice picking boots that have a huge sole to keep your feet out of the water. 

3. Unexpected Blessing

I have been able to observe a lot of family situations. Watching how couples treat each other and how big of an influence fathers can have in their homes has been an interesting side blessing. My gratitude and respect for you and dad have grown a lot and I feel more and more a determination to be a good son, brother, husband, and father. I think watching people and talking with people and working with people has helped me understand that people are important. 

4. Music?

y sí!!!! Still on the Christmas playlist. My companion asked me yesterday "do you ever just walk?" I responded, "I mean I can but why would I do that?" That's a good indicator of how I'm feeling. 

Hope that answers the questions well enough. Thanks for your email. I love you!

Elder Smith

Feliz Navidad

A week early but I'm already excited. This Christmas is going to be great! 

5 Companions, 1 Week

This week was a little crazy. I started out week doing splits with Elder Telis, a new Elder in our zone. It's always great to work with missionaries that just got to the mission field because they are full of desires to work. All you have to do is give direction to their energy. Elder Telis is from Uruguay. We had a good time talking in the street for the whole day. We got soaking wet in a rain storm but it was worth it to share our testimonies of Jesus Christ with lots of new people.

After the splits, Elder Pereyra and I got to work a little together. 

Later in the week, I worked with Elder McLaws, another relatively new missionary who is full of energy. When we had just started to teach people in the morning, we got a text telling us to return to our apartment. Turns out my companion, Elder Pereyrá was needed in the mission offices. 

So, long story short, we went in taxi to Capital and I ended up working with none other than ELDER RYAN!!! my trainer! We went to his area together and worked there. We almost got to see a family that we taught together in José León Suarez but it didn't work out. So close. It was a huge blessing to work with one of my best friends and who I consider to be the best Elder in our mission. 

Saturday was spent traveling in train, colectivo and car. Our companionships were jumbled because they needed Elder Pereyrá to stay in the offices for two months or so to work things out there. As a result, I'm now companions with Elder Valbuena. He was born in Columbia,tells everyone that he's from Spain but he is actually from this little cluster of islands of the coast of north-west Africa called the Canary Islands. We're excited to work together despite not knowing if we'll be together for 1 week or 3 weeks or what. It's going to be great. 

Still Finding

The people in our area are going well. In the past few days we were able to find some young adults that we think are going to progress quickly: Franco and Lucas (they're brothers) and Juan and Gonzalo (they're friends that live together). They are all open to religious and were interested by the Book of Mormon and the organization of the church.

Little Testimony

I know that God lives and that the gospel is true. I was reading in the Book of Mormon this week where Nephi quotes Isaiah. 2 Nephi 28:30 says:

 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto thechildren of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here alittle and there a little; and blessed are those who hearkenunto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, forthey shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I willgive more; and from them that shall say, We have enough,from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

I am grateful for what the Lord has given me. I have been able to feel His Spirit as I've been here in Argentina. My knowledge of Jesus Christ has grown. When times are hard and I don't feel like my faith is strong, I remember the lines and precepts that God has already given me. This helps me move forward and trust that more is going to come. 

I love you guys and hope you have a fantastic Christmas!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Smith

Christmas letter to the ward

Dear Grandrigde Ward!

I am so excited for Christmas! I can't believe that I'll be away from for the first time in my life during the holiday seasons but I am confident that the Lord wants me to be here! There is nothing like being a missionary. I get to share my testimony every day of our Saviour Jesus Christ and the hope that He offers us! As I've shared my testimony with more and more people, I've come to feel the reality and the meaningfulness of the gospel that God has given us. 

One of the greatest mercies in our lives is that we can change. Throught the power of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of past mistakes and move forward to a better self and a better world. This is wonderful to me! I know that our Heavenly Father gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, to help us in our weakness and strengthen us in our trials. I was recently struggling in my mission. I felt discouraged with how I was doing, my relationship with my companion, and a lot of other little things. I had a thought turning over and over in my mind, "I want to do better but how many times have I said that? How many times have I tried to be the best missionary that I can? How many times have I told God that I would do better and then I didn't?" With the help of some wise counsel from my parents and the scriptures, I realized that I needed to allow a little grace into my life. Christ suffered and died not just to save the crazy motor thieves of José León Suarez or the drug dealers on the corner of Santa Brigida. Nope, He payed the price of sin for all of us. We are all children of God and can all be recipients of the grace and forgiveness of Christ. 

So for this Christmas, let a little grace into your life. Spend some time on you knees and talk with God about how the mercy and power of Christ can heal you. I know that God will show you that forgiveness is a gift that we all need. I know that Christ is our Saviour and is our Lord.

With love,

Elder Cameron Smith