Ministering Mormons

This week:

Monday: Our day today was awesome. We had to cut p-day short today because we are gonna be going to the LA temple this Thursday. So we had shopped and got some haircuts, also I found out my DNA results! That was pretty exciting! We then did service for a potential investigator and got to talk to him for a bit. He is really cool, and he has a cool dog. The dog is an American Dingo, a wild dog that the Native Americans used to have over in the Carolinas. Anyway after that we went out and saw a few people but didn't have much luck. We did however hand out a Book of Mormon to a man that wasn't super interested but accepted a Book of Mormon.

Tuesday: Exchange day with one of my old companions, Elder Goodman! I was super excited for this day. It was kind of weird because it felt as if we were companions again, just in a different area. We started our day with some service for the same guy as last week, Norm. We unloaded some hay bales out of his trailer and did some more roping. We headed back home so we could go to lunch with Laura our recent convert. She fed us some Italian food, and it was pretty delicious. Then, out we went to preach, and teach as missionaries do. We found 3 pretty solid potential investigators. One guy named Kevin, looked pretty rough. He had some tattoos and didn't look very friendly, also he was eating an ice cream cone. We asked him if he wanted a picture of Jesus, a little pass along card, and he accepted and we asked him more questions and he seemed interested. He gave us his phone number so we could teach him sometime. We also met a few interesting people but that is everyday haha. We walked all day, and reminisced the days when we were companions. We had a pretty good day overall. 

Wednesday: Today was great, we had interviews with President. My meeting with him was great, he asked me a little bit about my life before the mission. We then headed back home to give a ride to the Elders for their interviews with President. Then we had a District Leader Council, with the Zone Leaders. They told us about some new things that are happening, things like us having Facebook. After that we did some service for a member, welding a sheep feeder. Then we had dinner with the Scheu's, they have the life. They are living the farm life out here in California. Sister Scheu is taking us to the Temple tomorrow. I am so excited to be able go to the Temple and learn so much more about the Gospel. And strengthening the testimony I have formed.

Thursday: Temple trip day! Elder Campbell, Goodman, and Pilling and I all where able to attend the LA temple. It was awesome! I just love the spirit that is felt there. And all the blessings that come from going to the Temple. I went in with a few big questions in mind and I feel like the Lord has answered them. The Temple is an amazing place. Sister Scheu took us along with some youth that did baptisms for the dead. The whole rest of our day was great! We headed home and then to the church to set up some more of our Facebook accounts. And then headed to dinner with the Quinton's and I heard a lot of really cheesy jokes haha. After that we went out and proselyted and met some super cool people that were interested enough to set up a return appointment with us. Eric and Martha, were out gardening around 7pm and we chatted with them and were able to set up to see them on Monday. Then we went in for the night. This whole day I felt as if I had the Temple glow! I love going there.

Friday:  Today started with a great District Meeting! The APs made a trip down to Moorpark from Oxnard to attend our meeting. Since we missed our weekly planning from yesterday we did it today and that took a little while. But we got it done. Then we had a quick dinner at our apartment and headed out to serve the Lord. We knocked a few houses but didn't find too many interested people. We tried to go see a few people that missionaries had spoken to in the past but due to a few complications within their families we couldn't meet with them. And from 8-9 we had a lesson with a lady named Jennifer. It technically wasn't a formal lesson but, we got the chance to plan out her Baptism! She is being baptized on April 28th. It won't be a convert baptism, it will be a rebaptism. Super exciting though!

Saturday: Today was very interesting. I was on exchanges with Elder Jones. The one who is leaving in about 2 weeks. We had a very long day of just walking around within his area, trying to street contact. We tracted a few doors but literally everyone we talked to acted not too friendly to us. But we just kept working despite the, um persecution? Adversity? Either way. But. This night was great because we had the Thousand Oaks Stake Conference! Elder Kim B. Clark of the seventy was the presiding general authority. The meeting was amazing all of the talks were centered around ministering, as we know within the church that ministering has become the new, home or visiting teaching. In the middle of the meeting, Elder Clark had about 10 people give impromptu testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ in front of the whole stake. One particular testimony touched me with the spirit. A lady in the ward I am currently serving in was asked to bear testimony and she is actually deaf. So she and her translator got up on the stage. And she did all the sign language while another member translated. Although this certain sister did not say a word verbally. She conveyed a beautiful testimony of her love for the Savior. I too have been blessed in the duration of my entire life. Although there were many times that I didn't realize how blessed I was growing up, I have been able to reflect and recognize everything that has helped me be who I am today. My family, helping me through literally everything, friends and the support they've shown me, the Boulevard ward that I had the opportunity to grow up in and now the Summerfield ward I have to further my spiritual growth. I have been able to look back and see how rotten I truly was haha, honestly if I were my parents and had to raise me. I would go nuts! I am grateful my parents have put up with me for this long haha. But in the center of all these things that I have is Christ. He is the chief cornerstone, the redeemer, our Savior. I love him, and as I continue to know him better each day, I strive to want to become as he is.

Sunday: Round 2 of Stake Conference! Elder Clark gave another great talk, as did our mission president and his wife, President and Sister Nakken, they spoke a lot on missionary work. The Thousand Oaks stake is pretty good at missionary work and ministering to others. We had a really good day, we talked to a few people after the conference and then we had dinner with the Barker's. They have texted us almost every day asking if we had a dinner or being fed. And we didn't have a scheduled dinner tonight but they invited us over! We also saw a few people after that. One lady in specifics was not very nice. She called us pests and gave us back the Book of Mormon we gave to her roommate. But later we talked to a guy named Dennis Reed. He is originally from Boise, Idaho. He is retired Deputy Sherriff. But he was the nicest guy ever! He wasn't necessarily interested but he was not mean either. We spoke with him for a good 30 minutes. The rest of the night we tried street contact, but no luck there. I do believe that there are people out here that are prepared and ready to accept Christ's Gospel.

-Elder Smith