Halo,
I just have to say at the start... that tire looks ridiculous. You should put them on all 4, then you would be stylin. Lol. Geeze, it seems like everyone is going on missions. That's a good thing though :P. Alright on to the week in the life of EGS. (Elder G Smith)
Monday: P-Day. Spent most of the day at the outlets shopping center because we just cool like that. Actually it was pretty boring, but I did get a 20% off voucher for H&M. Then lessons at night.
Tuesday: Volunteering at Task Force. Van was there this week, so that was awesome. Van is a guy that we have developed a pretty good relationship with and are working with. Really nice guy. I made a decision that morning that I was going to be happy. I realized that day, that to be happy all day about everything and always look on the bright side does take quite a bit of effort on my part. I did have a really good day at the end but I was definitely very tired at the end of it. I feel like it's kind of a muscle that I have the more that I practice just always being positive the easier it will get. Exercise my brain muscles, check. Also had a lesson with one of out investigators, Shawn.
Wednesday: Weekly Planning in the morning. We just had a zone training about how to plan more effectively and it involves determining a Vision, Goal, and Plan for each individual that we are working with. So, for about 5 hours this day we did just that. It was draining, but it is making out time more effective. Which is cool. I don't really remember what the rest of the day was like because it was really just a blur after that.
Thursday: Meeting with the Bishop where we report about the things that we did in the last week and he gives us names to visit in the next week. I didn't really write anything for this day so I'll just assume that it was the best day ever and we baptized everyone in Castle Rock and then a strange Time flux happened and erased all of out hard work. I'm still pretty upset about that because I assume that I met President Monson but now I don't remember.
Friday: Day of regret. We did some service for a family in the other ward in our district. They are moving and we were there to help fill the truck. We got a warning from the Elders that we were going with that it was like this all the time and just make sure that we had time at the end of this to take a shower before our next appointment. I thought that they were just being melodramatic but then I get in the house. The Stanley are probably the only ones that have experienced the smell that I am trying to describe but it was THE cat house smell. It smelled like a pack of wild tomcats had used their home as a personal litter box for the last 20 years. They only had 2. I don't think that they ever cleaned the house either. I'm not trying to be mean but I didn't want to touch anything in there. I guess there is a little admiration in their attitude of not really caring what things look like and being ok with what they are, but when what you are stinks and looks like a cat peed and pooped all over it, there should be some changes in your life. But that is just the words of Elder G Smith, and we all know that my word is worth as much as the pencil in my left hand. (figure that one out) I just tried to not look at anything that I was carrying to closely. The really good thing that came out of this was that as soon as I woke up the next morning I spent a lot of it cleaning and doing all of the dishes. And Mom, you are an amazing person for keeping our house clean like you did and do. Then we had to come back the next day because we aren't even close to being done.
Saturday: Day of Regret MK II. We went to our regular service at the hospital fixing bikes and then we went over to the house I'm not gonna rehash what I felt because it's all in Wednesday. We were there for about 1/3 of the time that we were there yesterday but this time we got ribs. They were actually really good because the Father of the family is a really good cook, just not really clean. After that service we went to a member in our ward to help them move some stuff because they are moving somewhere else in the ward, it was awesome because they were the type of people that were embarrassed that there was some laundry that wasn't folded yet and in plain view. Afterwards they fed us dinner and got me hooked on Mango Mountain Dew. Which is bad because I haven't drank soda or caffeine for so long that I started to get shaky back in the apartment. I thought I was dieing. But it was a good day of service.
Sunday: Church. Just an all around best day. Just because of Church. No meetings except for a quick one with our Ward Mission Leader right before Sacrament Meeting. Then dinner and stuff afterwards.
I didn't write down any of the lessons that we had this week because I forgot to write them down and left my planner at the apartment so I'll try and remember them for you guys next time. Do you want me to do something like this each week or is it too boring or long? IDK, I'll try and add more spiritual things for next time. It's harder to me to write down how spiritual experiences went and easier for me to just list a bunch of things that I did. Oh, and before I forget, I'll answer Sawyers question that he posted that you let me know about.
'"It was 2 Nephi 31:13. It says,
"13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel."
Sawyer had the question, "What does this mean to you?"'
I'm a little unsure if he means "What do you think that this means to us?" or "What does this mean to you personally?". I'm gonna answer with the second one in mind. To me this means that Baptism and Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost are an inseparable pair that complete each other - "yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost;" Also, in the beginning it talks a lot about how we become "born again"as Jesus tells Nicodemus in the New testament. We can't fake becoming converted and a conversion isn't just a one and done thing "acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God" acting is a present tense word and a continuous thing. Also the words about speaking with the tongue of angels probably has something to do with being able to bring the spirit with you wherever you are. I think that answers the question, unless I totally missed the mark. :)
Love you guys and hope that you are learning and growing. I love my family and hope you guys reciprocate. :P
Love,
Elder Garrett Darren Smith
I just have to say at the start... that tire looks ridiculous. You should put them on all 4, then you would be stylin. Lol. Geeze, it seems like everyone is going on missions. That's a good thing though :P. Alright on to the week in the life of EGS. (Elder G Smith)
Monday: P-Day. Spent most of the day at the outlets shopping center because we just cool like that. Actually it was pretty boring, but I did get a 20% off voucher for H&M. Then lessons at night.
Tuesday: Volunteering at Task Force. Van was there this week, so that was awesome. Van is a guy that we have developed a pretty good relationship with and are working with. Really nice guy. I made a decision that morning that I was going to be happy. I realized that day, that to be happy all day about everything and always look on the bright side does take quite a bit of effort on my part. I did have a really good day at the end but I was definitely very tired at the end of it. I feel like it's kind of a muscle that I have the more that I practice just always being positive the easier it will get. Exercise my brain muscles, check. Also had a lesson with one of out investigators, Shawn.
Wednesday: Weekly Planning in the morning. We just had a zone training about how to plan more effectively and it involves determining a Vision, Goal, and Plan for each individual that we are working with. So, for about 5 hours this day we did just that. It was draining, but it is making out time more effective. Which is cool. I don't really remember what the rest of the day was like because it was really just a blur after that.
Thursday: Meeting with the Bishop where we report about the things that we did in the last week and he gives us names to visit in the next week. I didn't really write anything for this day so I'll just assume that it was the best day ever and we baptized everyone in Castle Rock and then a strange Time flux happened and erased all of out hard work. I'm still pretty upset about that because I assume that I met President Monson but now I don't remember.
Friday: Day of regret. We did some service for a family in the other ward in our district. They are moving and we were there to help fill the truck. We got a warning from the Elders that we were going with that it was like this all the time and just make sure that we had time at the end of this to take a shower before our next appointment. I thought that they were just being melodramatic but then I get in the house. The Stanley are probably the only ones that have experienced the smell that I am trying to describe but it was THE cat house smell. It smelled like a pack of wild tomcats had used their home as a personal litter box for the last 20 years. They only had 2. I don't think that they ever cleaned the house either. I'm not trying to be mean but I didn't want to touch anything in there. I guess there is a little admiration in their attitude of not really caring what things look like and being ok with what they are, but when what you are stinks and looks like a cat peed and pooped all over it, there should be some changes in your life. But that is just the words of Elder G Smith, and we all know that my word is worth as much as the pencil in my left hand. (figure that one out) I just tried to not look at anything that I was carrying to closely. The really good thing that came out of this was that as soon as I woke up the next morning I spent a lot of it cleaning and doing all of the dishes. And Mom, you are an amazing person for keeping our house clean like you did and do. Then we had to come back the next day because we aren't even close to being done.
Saturday: Day of Regret MK II. We went to our regular service at the hospital fixing bikes and then we went over to the house I'm not gonna rehash what I felt because it's all in Wednesday. We were there for about 1/3 of the time that we were there yesterday but this time we got ribs. They were actually really good because the Father of the family is a really good cook, just not really clean. After that service we went to a member in our ward to help them move some stuff because they are moving somewhere else in the ward, it was awesome because they were the type of people that were embarrassed that there was some laundry that wasn't folded yet and in plain view. Afterwards they fed us dinner and got me hooked on Mango Mountain Dew. Which is bad because I haven't drank soda or caffeine for so long that I started to get shaky back in the apartment. I thought I was dieing. But it was a good day of service.
Sunday: Church. Just an all around best day. Just because of Church. No meetings except for a quick one with our Ward Mission Leader right before Sacrament Meeting. Then dinner and stuff afterwards.
I didn't write down any of the lessons that we had this week because I forgot to write them down and left my planner at the apartment so I'll try and remember them for you guys next time. Do you want me to do something like this each week or is it too boring or long? IDK, I'll try and add more spiritual things for next time. It's harder to me to write down how spiritual experiences went and easier for me to just list a bunch of things that I did. Oh, and before I forget, I'll answer Sawyers question that he posted that you let me know about.
'"It was 2 Nephi 31:13. It says,
"13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel."
Sawyer had the question, "What does this mean to you?"'
I'm a little unsure if he means "What do you think that this means to us?" or "What does this mean to you personally?". I'm gonna answer with the second one in mind. To me this means that Baptism and Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost are an inseparable pair that complete each other - "yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost;" Also, in the beginning it talks a lot about how we become "born again"as Jesus tells Nicodemus in the New testament. We can't fake becoming converted and a conversion isn't just a one and done thing "acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God" acting is a present tense word and a continuous thing. Also the words about speaking with the tongue of angels probably has something to do with being able to bring the spirit with you wherever you are. I think that answers the question, unless I totally missed the mark. :)
Love you guys and hope that you are learning and growing. I love my family and hope you guys reciprocate. :P
Love,
Elder Garrett Darren Smith