Wherever we serve we must do it with honor

Hey there crazies!!

I will start off where I am today. I am in the Capital! Why you may ask? Long story. So Wednesday afternoon I started having some stomach pains and Wednesday night it got super bad! I was shaking with pain and I was almost at the point of tears. I wasn’t able to sleep and it was around 2 in the morning when I got up to get some Alka Seltzer, it did nothing. I woke up my companion and he was able to give me a blessing. The pain immediately decreased and I was able to get to sleep. I am so grateful for the power of the Priesthood. So the next day, I still had minor pains. And when we left to work, it just hurt more and I got all nauseated and got a headache and all that yummy good stuff. That kinda went on for a few days. So I called the mission nurses on Saturday to see what I should take or what I should do. They told me to go see a doctor in Coban. Which is the reason why I had to take money out. He is an internal medicine specialist. So I went in with him and after checking me out he determined it had to do something with my liver. So he sent me to get a urine and a blood test so that he could tell exactly what was wrong. I went and got that done and returned with the doctor. He said that something was wrong with my liver, but couldn’t determine exactly what is was from the tests I got because the things that were abnormal on the tests should have affected other things as well he said. So he told me I needed to go the Cap to get some more tests to be able to determine what I needed. So I came down to the cap. We left Coban at 3 in the morning and I went in to see the mission doctor, Dr. McArthur. He didnt do any sort of test and didnt do any check up and barely took a glance at my previous test results and just said it was something with my stomach and sent me on my way to go back to my area. I didnt really like that and didn't trust it at all, neither did the mission nurses. So then I talked to Pres. and Hna. Torres. She didnt really like what Dr. McArthur said, but she told me to take the medicine I had to buy that he prescribed to me, just in case. But she said to just rest here for a few days and if the pain still persists to go see a gastrointestinal specialist. So here I am! Just resting here in the mission office! Ha long story huh?! But as you see I had to buy numerous things that I definitely didn't have mission money for. So I had to use personal money for all of it and it got reimbursed so it’s all good. (Note from Mom: Can I please ask all of his family and friends and blog readers to please remember Elder Smith in your prayers. We know he is in the Lord's care and in good hands. We hope he will be able to resume his work soon.)

So after my long crazy story, I will answer your questions....

I really love both the Q'eqchi language and the Q'eqchi people. The people really are amazing. They truly are Lamanites. The members know it and the non members only need to be reminded. The language is amazing too. Just how it is so descriptive in how things are done and it is just so similar to the old languages such as Greek, Hebrew, and Egyptian. It’s truly amazing!

Tanchi is good, for the short time that I have been there. The branch is great and has numerous returned missionaries that really help us a lot! About 65 people attend church every week. The best thing I like about Tanchi is the members for sure. They are just awesome and they help you sooo much with the language as well. One of the members in our branch helped with the editing of the Book of Mormon in Q'eqchi' and also read parts of it for the Book of Mormon on tape. They are really great humble people and they love the missionaries. Also nobody yells Mormon or Gringo at us. Everyone knows we are missionaries and there is almost no persecution at all here. It is fantastic!!

Ha my shirts? Well awhile ago I got them altered. They were giant sized on me and super uncomfortable. So now they fit nice and good. And yes those perfect pushups are great! Love them! They work you nice and good! And yes I weigh about 170 pounds right about now!

I have not had the chance to see Bronson yet. Since I had to come down to the cap on P day, and they had a zone activity that we had to miss. But I will see him soon! Hopefully! I can't wait!

Elders Bishop and Cheney, Hatch (from my group) and Lemus, and 2 sisters are in our district. I am not district leader. I was going to be but they closed the area of Chicojl which was part of our district before. But since it got closed, we got put in the other district where Hatch was already the DL. Elders Jensen (from Canada) and Fernandez are the Zone Leaders here in Coban right now. For the week of last change it was Jensen and Jennings.

That’s crazy that the Mavs took it. Yeah it is good to see those guys finally get that ring. I think the Heat will take it next year. It did take Wade, Bosh, and Lebron like 30 games to start clicking a little bit. So after some more experience of playing together they will be able to work the ball around and play together as a team. We shall see though.Yeah hopefully the Jazz will take Jimmer, who else do they have that they can put at point?

Ha that’s super funny that Tanner's comp's name is my name. That would have been super crazy if he was coming to this mission! There is another Elder Smith here now as well who just entered the Polochik. Crazy huh!? Maybe I will have another Elder Smith as comp in the future haha.

We seem to always receive all of that persecution don’t we? (Referring to the news we sent him about the new "Book of Mormon" musical on Broadway.) It’s just as bad out here too. It just shows that we have the truth. People are driven by Satan to fight the truth. That is why other groups of people don’t get persecuted as much and as often. They aren’t trying to live God's standards as much and there is not the truth with them. I know that there will be more and more of these types of things until the end...And we know what happens then...

I agree 100% of how our missions are. Wherever we serve we must do it with honor. And do our duty with our might until time is up. And when time is up, take the things you learned and apply them into real life and we will see huge and great changes and blessings that will occur in our lives.

Yes I know how much you love me haha. And yeah I am doing really well, besides my current stomach pain, but it’s all good. It will all get worked out soon. I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week!

Nekexinra. Kawaq eech'ool. B'exkanab' chixpaab'ankil lix taqlahom li Yos ut texosob'tesiiq! Cheerilaq eerib! Toj li jun chik xaaman....Mexxuwaq chiwix.
Les amo mucho. Que sean firmes. Nunca dejar de obedecer los mandamientos de Dios y serán bendecidos. Que se cuiden. Hasta la próxima semana. No se precupe de mi.
I love you all. Stay strong. Don’t ever stop obeying God's commandments and you all will be blessed. Take care! Until next week....Don’t worry about me.

Keep the Faith
Stay Strong
Love
Elder Jordan Smith
(Sorry if my Spanish isn’t that good. You can have Larsen or Turek translate my Q'eqchi' and correct my mistakes. Haha.)