January 31, 2022

From Ben - Paul Brown Petty

Yep, it was a solid week. 

Made some legit mistakes, found some areas where some improvement is needed, and drank from the cup of humility.

Such a breath of fresh air honestly. 

I unfortunately let pride sneak into my perspective, and it strangled so many viewpoints that I needed to have this week. 

So, when the precise punch of Humility right hooks the big head of Pride, despite hurting initially, it is very much appreciated. 

Knowing that I need to improve, and seeing how I can improve, is so much more exciting and refreshing than feeling stuck and superior. 

So, with a renewed vigor for this upcoming week, it begins 

Me and Elder Durant had to move the Baptismal date of some of our friends. 

He was supposed to get baptized on the 29th, last Saturday, but something wasn't feeling right. 

So, last Tuesday, after talking it over with eachother, we decided to push it back two weeks. 

The lesson we had with them that night confirmed our feelings and thoughts. 

It's a father and a son.

And while talking about Priesthood authority and power, the father finally opened up about his concern with baptism, and how every church professed to have it right.

He talked for a square 10 minutes about his confusion with there being so many churches, and why there wasn't unity within Christianity as a whole. 

Me and Elder Durant were so grateful. Wow. 

It's always fun to tell people that we seriously don't want them to take our word for it, that we don't actually want them to be baptized unless they have received their own personal revelation that what we have shared is true. 

So, we did, and bore our testimonies.

The Spirit happily helped, and the lesson was supercharged. Always a cool moment.

We also had the opportunity to attend a baptism! 

The STL's of the district had a baptism, and as the District Leader, I had to be there. 

It was about an hour and ten minute bus ride, and the service started at 10:00 am. 

So, early Saturday morning was a quick one. 

I had to skip out on my morning workout (which I may or may not do even when I do have time), inhale my multi-grain Cheerios (for the sixth day in a row), throw on my un-ripped suit coat (still got to fix that) and mob out the door. 

To my suprise (which thinking back, wasn't much of a suprise at all) my toes got remarkably cold, remarkably fast. 

Dress shoes and two pairs of socks weren't a very efficient defense against a -30 cold. 

While we bussed for the first half-hour successfully, our journey came to a halt at a particular bus stop. 

We checked our phones and found out that the next bus came in 25 minutes. 

Within the first 5, my toes had already begun sacrificing feeling. 

So I started to pace around a bunch, to stimulate the blood flow (I think that's how it works)

To distract from the chill and the wait time, while pacing around the little bus stop booth, I started to recite scriptures and things I had memorized out loud.

At 10 minutes, I changed tactics and started doing little consecutive jumps on my tippy toes, to try to focus the physical effort on them specifically. 

At 15 minutes, I started to sing a combination of Abide With Me Tis' Even Tide and the Phantom of the Opera to distract the mind while doing the little toe hops and pacing. 

At 20 minutes things were desperate. 

I had accepted fate. My toes had completely given up their feeling. 

For the last five minutes, singing, reciting, pacing, hopping, both punching and kicking the glass booth walls (gently of course), and struggling, what a sight it was to behold the bus, finally coming around the corner. 

Salvation from the cold and madness. 

The baptism was successful, and the warmth of the church and the Spirit were a welcome contrast to the arctic battle at the bus stop. 

Warmth, is so much warmer after the cold. 

And I imagine in more categories than just this one. 

Got to have another interview with President and Sister Ensign. 

It always amazes me. 

Before we even began speaking, I could almost feel how much he loved me. 

With his piercing blue eyes, slightly greying messy hair, and gentle smile, you just feel so content. 

We had only a 10 minute conversation, but after, I just felt so great. (He even roasted my unpolished shoes in the most loving way possible) 

After the interview with President. I got to have an interview with Sister Ensign. 

The first question she asked? 

"How is your family Elder Smith?" 

Turns out loving someone, though something that takes effort, isn't very complex at all. 

Christlike love is unconditional, with extraordinary expectations. 

Few things match the gift of being the recipient of that kind of love. 

Both President and Sister Ensign are elite. With razor edge skill and intellect.

Sister Ensign was an attorney (if I can remember) for children who were in domestic challenges.

President Ensign was the Senior Vice President of Synclair Oil. 

Insanely successful. Insanely. 

But I never would have guessed it. 

It's always a gift to talk to them.

There's a lyric in the song Paul Brown Petty (it's by a dude named Brandon Heath) that says 

"Paul Brown Petty was a good old man, you felt a little better when he shook your hand... he wasn't rich or famous, but, to me he sure was grand" 

Simply loving someone is a superpower beyond compare.

The little things, aren't the little things from a Godly perspective. 

I think just as God can't "love upon sin with the least degree of allowance" I believe He also rejoices in kindness, love, and righteousness, in any degree of appliance.

Anyways. 

- Bus contacting continues to be the WILDEST thing ever. So fun to have sincere two minute conversations with random strangers

- Taught a super cool Ukranian old man named Ihor, who thinks the right religion is one that is can grow and adapt to bless the lives of those currently present 

(He doesn't accept the Book of Mormon yet, but we'll get there) 

- 80% of our lessons fell through this week which was a blow, but we learn. 

- Am talking to one of the coolest athiests ever. 

He's so against religion, but is so kind about it. 

Love the guy. 

Love you all! 

Have a stellar week! 

- Elder Smith

1) The treacherous path we had to take to the Church one night when the sidewalks weren't cleared

2) Hanging at a bus stop (not the frozen toe bus stop though)

3) Weekly Planning. We need a new whiteboard desperately. 

4) TYLER, the amount of clout I get from other missionaries from 'Lost Boys' is so awesome. (It's definitely not about clout, but hey, we take what we can get) 

Tell Chris I am eternally grateful for such an amazing song. 

From Dad - Abby's 17!!

Dear Ben,

Thanks for your email today. Sure love to hear your wonderful thoughts and experiences.

This week was a whirlwind. 

Highlight number one was celebrating Abby's birthday. It was a bit of a rocky start to the Birthday as there was no school but still Seminary. Our tradition to give breakfast in bed got interrupted and that was sad for her. She senses the looming adulthood and this seemed like a sign that her childhood was slipping away. Gratefully my first meeting wasn't until 8 am so I was able to make a waffle breakfast. And, as is often the case, some good food in her brought about a change in countenance and mood. When asked what she wanted to do for her birthday, she settled on "Thrifting". The process of searching through hundreds of racks of used clothing for that perfect pair of shoes fresh in from the donated back door or that outdated but oh, so cool, ugly men's oversized sweater. Each generation looking back wonders at the strangeness of the rising generation, and it is certainly true for me in many ways. It also looks back in wonder at the accomplishments, and amazingness of their children and prays for them to navigate the swirling world of change and technology. 

For the YW activity this week, Mom led the YW in creating vision boards. Being the inclusive person that she is, Mom invited Kera Bonell over after as she had to stay home for Covid reasons to do her own board. I started thinking about my own goals and decided to make my own vision board. While everyone else used magazine cutouts, I decided on the tech route! See if you can guess some of my goals :)

The other big highlight was having Clara over Saturday and Sunday. The girls and I headed to Calgary Saturday morning early and picked her up and it was wonderful to see her again. She definitely has a special place in our heart and home. I was grateful for the girls spending time playing games with her and the boys brought Madison and Hunter over for an intense late night D&D one shot, Clara's favorite thing. We loaded her up with food both while she was here and to take home with her. She and Cambell are living the bachelor's life in a basement suite with not much money and not enough food. Clara's looking way too thin for my comfort. All in all, we were grateful that she could come and be with us in our home again. 

On the trip to get Clara, we had some fun driving by and in the Truckers Convoy for freedom against Covid mandates. Quite the site with 400+ cars and trucks with flags streaming heading north to Edmonton.

We had an adventure on Friday morning as Mia very skillfully figured out how to lock the key in the car at No Frills. Unfortunately we hadn't seen the spare key for months, so Mom ended up calling a locksmith. As she waited, we kept texting:

 

Mom:

 

In hindsight, I wish I would’ve just gotten a ride home and found the spare key. So much cheaper.

 

Me:

 

Any inspiration on where those keys could possibly be?

 

Mom:

Old purses, hanging behind the back entrance door or coat pockets?

 

With that I decided to make a desperate attempt to find the keys. I dumped all her old purses out but no luck. Then I went to the closet looking for old coats, all the while praying for a classic lost &  found miracle. I found them in the second coat I searched!

 

After quickly calling Mom so she could cancel the Locksmith, and praying also that the truck would start, I headed out to rescue them. Turns out the cancellation fee was only $35 so not too bad.

The whole experience threw our day off a bit so we were thankful to the missionaries who came for dinner and returned the spirit our home. Interestingly enough their message was about the Lord strengthening Alma's people to bear their heavy burdens. It helped put our burdens in perspective. That's the kind of spirit you bring into people's homes whether you see it or not, Ben. You are doing a great work. 

Yesterday, I enjoyed preparing and sharing a 5th Sunday presentation on returning to the Temple. It was a bit tough with a mixed audience in person and on Zoom, but if no one else got anything out of it, I certainly did and rekindled my testimony and love for the temple. It has been a source of peace and revelation for me over the years and continues to be as I pray for and wrestle with concerns for myself and even more for you all, my family.

Have a great week. Love you lots,

Dad.