May 16, 2022
From Ben - Pic #5
Everyone burst into laughter.
Elder Smith, during the weekly bread run, trying to enjoy a Raspberry Vanilla Croissant: visibly confused.
He'd been roasted.
But, he was the only one in the entire room who didn't hear the burn.
The old lady who'd delivered the toasting, to apologize, unexpectedly hugged then kissed Elder Smith on the cheek.
That was almost too much for our hero.
He'd been just trying to enjoy his croissant, and before he knew it, he'd been both unknowingly flamed then hugged and kissed on the cheek by an older lady.
:)
The small adventures are some of my favourite.
A legendary adventure happened this week.
We got to go to MLC, the missionary leadership council.
Neither me nor Elder Blum are Zone Leaders, so it was almost a fun ride to sit back and hear the discussions.
The broadscale vision of the mission, the small rules that need to be reminded, the joy of working together to help accomplish God's work and glory.
It was so exciting!
I was asked to play the piano and got a little greedy during the first hymn, Praise to the Man.
On the final verse I threw down the minor key and fiddled a little with the Chords
It sounded awesome as far as I could tell, but I felt a little sheepish after the fact
The missionaries were confused at what the heck happened to the regular hymn.
During the free lunch (an ultimate highlight) me and Elder Blum randomly enough got to sit with Sister Ensign and an elite crew of STL's.
Sister Ensign was like
"Elders! Now that you've got the Sisters at the same table, start asking some inspired questions. Prepare to learn"
She wasn't kidding.
We started asking some solid questions.
("How do you bridge the gap between the head and the heart?"
"How do you purify your motives?"
"What are some of your go-to scriptures?" )
They gave worthwhile insights.
In a very reverent and respectful way, I love Sister missionaires.
They hold real power and bring an incredible refining grace.
They change the game.
Anyways. It was awesome. Me and Elder Blum were riding a spiritual high after it all.
One of my beloved friends, Elder Christensen, got called to be the next Assistant to the President.
One of the greatest talents I'm still learning to grow is that of rejoicing in the triumphs of others.
Envy cripples the capacity to feel joy. It's frustrating.
Nurturing an abundance mentality on the flip side is so rewarding.
I got to give a fire and brimstone instruction during the Zone Council after MLC.
I chastised all the wayfaring missionaries, preached repentance, and warned of the flaming punishments of an endless torment.
Oh what joy.
Totally kidding.
I talked about Street Contacting.
Which has become one of my favourite things.
It's not the most effective finding source, but it's one of my favourites.
And so it goes!!
Joy. Apathy. Light. Doldrums.
It flows. And I love it. And I'm getting better at truly loving the people. Which is the whole point.
(Also, if you haven't watched President Nelson's recently Devotional, go and do that. It's a life changer)
Love you all!
- Elder Smith
2) Last week's District P-day. My second companion, Elder Hamilton, nearly died from some random flue that came out of nowhere.
3) The trough. Nachos that Elder Blum makes every Sunday with their appropriate title
4) Took this to prove to the Zone that we are in fact leaving our apartment by 10:00
5) This text brought tears to my eyes.
There is a long adventure that went behind this text. My beloved Elder triumphed.
I have never felt so much love and joy. Seriously.
Gosh. You only get to hear the end result, but this was one of my favourite experiences.
6) A peek into the MLC notes
 |
7) My current Book of Mormon marking system
From Mom - Onward!
Dear Ben,
This was posted on the Devon FB Town Page. The girls had an idea for their Youth activity to purchase roses and randomly hand them out to people with the explanation that they just wanted to spread positivity and wished each one a good day. Lots of smiles, hugs, gratitude … and one new immigrant who asked for a picture.
I received the nicest text by Jennifer Chaggares from Newmarket who explained what a delight you are in the Ward there. Well, I already know that but it’s still a warm fuzzy to hear it validated.
I’m typing this in a hurry this morning. It seems there are a million things to do including making lunches (for myself too!), making breakfast, actually looking nice to go to a job, and personal study and prayer (vital!). Okay, maybe not a million but it seriously crowds the mind with the short time that I have. Then suddenly, I remember your email and I quit caring about everything else and sit down to write. Haha. Perspective is everything.
So, I’ll send a few pics in the interest of time and give you a glimpse into our week.
This was posted on the Devon FB Town Page. The girls had an idea for their Youth activity to purchase roses and randomly hand them out to people with the explanation that they just wanted to spread positivity and wished each one a good day. Lots of smiles, hugs, gratitude … and one new immigrant who asked for a picture.
Mia finished her chair! It’s bright and beautiful and I love it! She immediately grabbed Coco for a photo op. Haha.
In case you haven’t seen … Benson made it into the May edition of For the Strength of Youth. It was super fun to see a familiar face.
We had the Francis’ out for a fire last night. They’re doing better and managing their ticks at a functional level. Dad is their ministering brother and was inspired to have them over. Up to this point, it was almost impossible for them to leave their house.
Also, Tonia Rice convinced me to add Snapchat to keep in touch with her while they are in Chile. So now I have two friends on Snapchat, her and Claira. So fun! And I’m so happy to have another way to communicate with loved ones. Although … it’s weird to use and I’m obviously a social media nitwit.
Kindness and thoughtfulness goes such a long way though. We should never get tired of it.
Love you forever, my boy.
Love,
Mom
Comments
Post a Comment