Hard times are coming. But I love Polochic and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

MA SA SA' LEE CH'OOL? How are you all doing?? First off, yeah I have lost weight! I weigh about 170 to 175 right about now. I hope to keep going down and getting these little chubs off! But it’s because we really can’t eat that great and we are hiking around 50 miles a week. So my legs are getting stronger and the weight is going down.

Yes I am surrounded by the best missionaries! It is definitely the funnest district I have ever been in. It is so much fun. I am blessed to be around these great men.
Polochic is changing a lot. The mission is putting more strength in the stronger areas so that we will be able to protect it and help it grow even more. Then we might be able to go back to the weaker places. It’s really smart I think and it is 100% scripture based on how Moroni did it during times of war. Hard times are coming. I don’t know what yet, but we can all feel it. It’s going to be really interesting to see all that's going to go down here in the not too distant future.

I don’t really know what will happen with Santo Domingo without missionaries, but a possibility is that the branch will simply die. The branch president is running his own church up there no matter how much we try to help. I honestly don’t know what will happen.

The time that I have spent in this area has taught me how to just simply appreciate life and everything that I have. And also to work hard. We trudge up mountains to find people not home or people that reject us. It’s hard. Not gonna lie. But I know that each missionary has their part in this mission and where they serve. Whether we have success in our missions it really doesn’t matter as long as we do our part and work hard. That is all the Lord wants of us. To just go out there and do work. If we give it our all, I know that He will reward us for it. He is rewarding us everyday with just the life lessons we learn here. The mission turns you into the husband and man you are meant to be. I will never be able to pay my Heavenly Father back for giving me an opportunity such as this.

I love Polochic. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I know that each missionary here was chosen specifically to serve these people by the Lord. I honestly think that a lot of missionaries couldn’t do it. I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but not many go through what we do here. No one has to learn a new language and then gets thrown into a place to learn yet another one without any training in it whatsoever. It’s hard. All of us missionaries here have either dreamt or felt impressions of the need to serve in this place before coming here. We are preaching the gospel to these people just like all other missionaries do, but it’s just a different world here. There is nothing else quite like this place. I wouldn’t trade my place to be anywhere else. Just surviving here in Polochic. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Shout out to my little bro: Hey Jake, yeah man the mish has changed me more than you think. Not really so much of how I act or anything, but just how I see life. I would not have it any other way. I could have stayed home and gone on with my normal life, but that could have led to problems because of my disobedience of not serving. I know without a doubt that a mission turns you into the husband you should be. It is the only option. It is really hard. I have not seen hardly any success in my mission. In this area I get mocked and persecuted on a daily basis, getting rejection after rejection with people not even caring enough to listen to the message that can change their lives forever for the better. It’s really hard. But I wouldn’t trade this opportunity to be out here for anything! I love you bro and I hope you have a great week!

I can’t wait to call you guys soon; it’s going to be great! Well I love you all and I will talk to you all soon!!
Keep the Faith
Stay Strong
Love, Elder Jordan Smith