Changes, Cement, and more mean dogs!

HELLOOO!!!!!
Fam. Montenegro is doing great (Cecilia). They have a date to be baptized on the 24th. It might be changed now because they didn’t come to church but they are doing so great! Estuardo and Elena didn’t come to church either, they have been out of town, and might be moving so we will see what happens to them. I hope they will continue to desire to learn more about the gospel and be baptized one day.

That is sick about Jacob’s mission call! (Jordan’s college roommate) Congratulate him for me! That sounds so sweet.

We didn't do anything for the 4th. It was depressing. I wanted to blow things up so bad. The 4th is just the best, better than Christmas for sure!! Did anyone make a tank in my memory? If not, next year alright? Ha just wait til I get back! My tank will be the biggest ever! But it sounds like it was a lot of fun over there. The pictures came through, but for the video, there really is no way I can see it. On an SD card it won’t work unless they have the exact same camera. So I will have to watch it when I get back. But sounds amazingly fun!

OK!!! Now for the changes....
Elder Bronson is here still with his new comp Elder Bowman. Winkel is still in his area, but with a new comp so he is in my zone still. I’m still here in Atlantida with ..................... Elder Barrios from Panama. That’s all I really know about him! But he is the District Leader too so it should be good. I can almost communicate totally in Spanish so that’s a good thing too. My old comp. Elder Smith is a Zone Leader in Coban now. Elder Turek is also now in Coban learning KEKCHI! Just like he wanted!

José and Heidy...
They are awesome! We are getting all the divorce and marriage stuff worked out and their baptismal date is for Sept. 11th. They are getting married (hopefully) in the morning and the baptism in the afternoon.

There really aren’t too many new things about our investigators but we are continuing working hard with them and we have found some great new families. One of them is the Familia Molina who we are teaching tonight at 6. They are amazing. We contacted them in the street and gave them a book of mormon. When we checked on them, they read what we left them!!! AHHH like the first time that has ever happened!! I just know they will be baptized! We just have to teach them first.

I went on a division with Elder Vargas (Bronson’s old comp). It was amazing. We did service to the max. We helped this investigator family make cement. It’s not like putting it into a machine like we do the states. It’s with shovels... First we started by throwing in the sand or dirt then mixing it all with rocks, then mixing in the cement, then pouring on the water, then mixing it and making the cement, then hauling it in buckets to where it was needed. It was hard, but amazing. The spirit was really strong while doing that and we weren’t even tired after doing it, until we hit the sack that is. But it was an amazing day and I learned a lot on how to become a better teacher from him too.

How is your Book of Mormon reading going? Hope it's going good! Check out 3 Ne 9:14. It has been such a big help to me. Just knowing that the Lords is right there, waiting to help. All we have to do is reach out to Him. I love it. Elder Turek shared it in District Meeeting a few weeks ago. (Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.) Oh and look up Helaman 5:18-19. I hope to teach like that one day. (18 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them—
19 Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers.)

I have lost a buttload of weight!!!! I will only lose more. That's what you get when you walk all day, sweat 24-7 and you eat rice and beans, and eggs, and cereal all the time. But it's going really good and I am enjoying losing all this weight. Hopefully I will come back nice and buff. If not, I will definitely go to the gym and pump up them muscles.

The dogs here suck. Ha they aren't like good old dogs from back home. They are mean here! I jump all the time when they bark cuz who knows when they will just eat you. Ha ha!

My knee still always hurts. I don't know if I will ever get used to the pain. But I guess I just have to deal with it. Oh that reminds me. My chest exploded again. Ha remember that? I had to stay inside all day and my comp went out with some young men. It was really boring. It's all better now. Hopefully it doesn't happen again. (Jordan's ribs get dislocated from his sternum easily when he coughs or sneezes really hard for some reason. Very painful!)

Well that’s all the stories for this week. We shall see how my new comp is!!

Hey Jake, don't kill my car. love you bro!
I LOVE YOU ALL!!
Keep the Faith.
Stay Strong
Love Elder Jordan Smith