Just One Week More

Dear Family, 

I can't believe that in one short week I will be with you again. My mind is yet to fully comprehend that my time in Buenos Aires will come to an end. I love the people here and I love the calling that I've been given to serve them. I pray that God will continue to send the gospel to all of them.

Update on Jose Leon Suarez

This Saturday, Joaquin, Nicolas, and Elizabeth were baptized! Their father and a few of their siblings came to the service along with a good number of members. Despite flooding the baptismal font (whoops), the service was a great spiritual experience. I always feel so happy in baptismal services! Joaquin, Nicolas, and Elizabeth were super nervous but enjoyed being dressed all in white. 

The Gonzalez family came to church for the first time this week (Cristian, Mariana, Marcela, and Valentina)! We've been teaching them for the last month and they were finally able to come! Pedro attended as well and is excited to get baptized! He's unsure when because he wants his Dad to be there, so we'll see if that's this weekend or further in the future. 

Joaquin, Elizabeth and Nicolas Gauna

The Gauna Family (well, at least some of them. There's 16 kids in the family but not all of them came

What I've Learned

The power of agency and responsibility have been strongly impressed on my mind over the course of the last two year. I've learned that faith and desires and repentance are all things that depend on my decisions. 

Faith: Every day as a missionary, I need to believe in what we're doing in order to keep moving forward. I choose to have faith in things that I've never seen, trusting on my past experiences and the experiences of others. 

Desires: Good desires come from God. Bad desires come from Satan. Both exist. The desires that grow inside of me are the ones I choose to act upon. I become what I choose, good or bad.

Repentance: Repentance is the acceptance of my imperfections and the choice to change (very hand in hand with desires). When I repent, I choose to trust in Christ's promise that He has the power to cleanse me of sin and make me a better man. 

Elder Silva, Elder Mitchell, Elder Smith, Elder Chapman

Conclusion

Serving a mission is easily the best thing I have ever done with my life. I have felt immense joy as others have received the gospel. I have realized how much I love my family. Greatest of all, I have recognized how much I need Jesus Christ. He is at the head of this great work.

I know that God loves us and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His kingdom here on earth!

With much love,

Elder Cameron J Smith