Boy is it cold!

So It's been pretty cold outside this pass week! I all the elders in our flat is torturing me! Let me explain why! So it cold outside and I am out side ALL DAY right? from 10am-8pm I am outside work! (mind an hour for lunch inbetween there! so 9 whole hours of being out in the cold! then I finally finish for hte day and am retiring back to the flat! Then walk in and it's not much warmer then outside! I've been freezing everyday this week! If I touch the heating then Everyone complains that it is too HOT! and so I have this Blanket I use to kep my warm and they hid it from me! Now I am just tict off so I'm going to his all their warm cloths and see what they do! also crack open all the windows! because man I HATE being cold! So yeah that is that!

So not the update on our investigators!

Dave

So dave is doing good! We have been helping him out A lot this week! So the social service came yesterday to check his house to see if it is suitable for children to live there! so we have been cleaning his house like crazy! it's looks good for what we used! He didn't have any rags so we used bed sheets that was fun, But we went over all the comandments with him and how if want to be baptised by the 7th of march then he is going to have to live all the commandments a week before the baptism and forever after! basically he said the hardest ones will be the tea and coffe and the tithing! so we might have to push back his date not unless he thinks he can make it! so hopfully he can! 

Shawna Brown

So we had an appointment with her this week but It turned out the 30 minutes before our appointment her daughter went to the hospital! So we didn't get the chance meet with her but she did make it to church for the first time! that is awesome and her little grand-daughter made a new friend so that is awesome! we do hope that her daughter will be fine though!

Thomas

So this week we met with thomas once andit was just to clean his home! So, we only cleaned one room and not even all the way! Basically, he just has a bunch of paper laying around that he neer threws away! so we took 2 hours of sorting out his paper!  it sould have only taken us 10 minutes! so Yeah next time when we meet with him we are going to give him a list of cleaning stuff to by and then we are going to clean his whole house! but thomas made it to church and had to leave early due to a massive head ache! Thomas also has a baptismal date that is on the 28th of march! 

Sarah

So we finally got back in touch with sarah! We taught her the Plan of Salvation! She loved it! and we got her on a baptismal date! It's the same day as Thomas so the 28th of Mrach! And she came to church but left early due to Thomas's head ache!

Angela

So angela is a new investigator! so me and elder Glasgow talked to her about 2 months ago and she said she is a strong believer in Christ so we don't need to convert her! then this last week we were trying to find some red bush tea for Dave and she saw us and told us how her parents just died and she doesn't understand why they died on the days that they did! Now that is a tough question! because I don't know why god picks the time when poeple dies! I think it just comes down too isaiah 55 8! but shared al lot about our beliefes and she said that she is very interested and wants to learn more! So she is awesome!

That is all our investigators! 

Now it's time for the update that is all about me!

Elder McKay Michael Smith

I find it interesting how act! Have you ever just done people watching before! Poeple do weird stuff a lot of the times! so So we have 4 Elders in our appartment and one of them is flipping Crazy! he Loves pointing out all the wrong in poeple! then when your point out the wrong in him he debates it untill he is right! so he is never wrong! A lot of the times that can get very annoying! it's great how to gosple really helps out in our lives! so I studied love for a couple of days and my definition of love would be selfLESSness! It interesting to see how when we care about ourselfes we don't change we stay the same! but where as when we can for other we change of the better good! and even though this one elder is annoying me and the end of the day i'm hear to help him not help myself! 

That is thoughts for the week I hope you all will have aparty this week and I love you all!

-Elder Smith

In 4 days!!!

In 4 days I hit my year mark! Fantastic! 

Well I heard Grandma died this week! That Is alright! It's kinda like me! I "died" back home to come and serve a mission! I'm still alive you can just only hear from me here and there! Same with Grandma, her influeance is still on this earth! so grandma is not dead she is just serving a mission! If she was dead then how could this be "life eternal"?

Well I will give you an update on our investigators now! 

Sarah

Sarah is doing well! She's been busy all week and so she ouldn't meet with us but she said that she is free tuesday wednesday and thrusday! So that is good! We will meet with her this week for sure! 

Thomas

So we met with Thomas this week, that is good! So background before story! We got a call from Sarah saying how Thomas isn't doing so well and how he is smoking weed and he doesn't feel ready for his baptism date! so we went into the lesson with that in mind! and we talked to thomas and we asked how he was doing with the W.O.W. and he told good just a hard time getting off the tea and coffee! then we asked him if that was all! he told us yep! Thomas left the room and my comp told me that Thomas is lying because there was weed on the coffee table! then I saw it!!!!! THE WEED! it was sad! so next time I'm going ot call him out if I see it again! but he has that we can help him clean his house on saturday! that should be Fun! 

Shawna Brown

Shawna is doing great and she read the Ensign we left for her! She was sick on sunday but she promised that she'll make it to church on this coming up sunday! We taught her about the atonement! it was fun! IT was just a good lesson! 

Gillian and Charley

So they are doing good! Ever since Gillian fell out with her friend she has been progressing! slowly! but progression none the less! she didn't make it to stake conference this week! so we can't do much about that! hopfully church this sunday! 

Dave

I saved the best for last! So Since it was Valentines this week Dave's wife gave him some money to go and get what he wanted! So he turned around and bought her something with it! before meeting with us he would have gotten weed! He read from the Book of Mormon and he said it spake to him! that was cool what he told us! Then we taught him the W.O.W. he said he's can't give up tea or coffee! We'll teach him about agency! or something like that! but that is dave! he's doing the best! 

that is everyone we worked with! 

So now it's about ME! 

Elder McKay Smith

So I was given the reading assignment to read John 3:1-22 I'll tell you my thoughts about it!

-So Nicodemus Is very high with the Jews, and Respected Jesus enought to learn for him! and they a convertasion about being born again! well let's see what is means to be "Born Again"! In verse 3 he says "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." where as in verse 5 he says, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." to SEE heaven is by the power of the Holy Ghost which anyone who is looking for truth can feel, But to ENTER into heaven  you must have the Gift of the Holy Ghost!  that comes after Baptism! so my challenge for you all is to study conscience, light of christ, and the Holy Ghost, in the bible dictionary! 

Well that is me! I'll hear from you next week! 

Love you all BYEEEE! 

-Elder Smith

Welcome!!

Welcome Family and Friends to the once a week update on Elder Smith (also know as McKay)! Just sit back enjoy the email! The Party is about to start in 3... 2... 1...

Hey everyone! Here is my up date on my mission and the sheep (investigators) we are looking after!

Thomas

So we met with Thomas this week and we went over baptism and the promises we make when are are baptised and we asked him if he is willing to do that and so we set a date for him! It is the 28th of March! We put it clear out there well in the futur because he has a slow memory and it is hard for him to remember Stuff and we still have to get him off the Cigz and the Coffee! He hasn't been to church in about 10 weeks so we were going to wait untill he showed up again to give him the date! However, we changed our mind and we felt like if we give him a date then he would come to church! Guess what it worked! He showed up to church this week! so slow progressions, Right?

Sarah

So Sarah is Thomas's friend and she is awesome! We didn't have a chance to meet with her this week due to her starting work up and have to spirit of contention in her life! So that was disappointing! She did, however, come to church with Thomas! That was cool!  She really enjoyed it and she said she understood a lot of what was the talks were about! She had to leave early due to her leg hurting! (for she had a car crash that didn't turn out weel for her leg!) So She took Thomas with her and they bth left early! We'll have to see if we could get them to stay longer next week! 

Shawna Brown

So with Shawna We taught her abut fallowing the prophet and she seemed pretty okay about prophets right! So we gave her an Ensign to read so she can "hear from a Prophet!" we invited her to church and she seemed like she was going to come! But no show! THat is okay! She is still progressing! very Slowly! but progression nonw the less!

Gillian and Charley

So we met with gillian and we taught her about Agency and how there really are only two chioces! To follow God (and be happy) or to follow the devil (and not be happy)! We taught her about that because she hasn't been showing up to church or reading her scriptures! so we thought it way have changed her from not coming! Well she didn't come! so it is pretty dumb! what can you do about it!? not much, just keep teaching her! It's a bit sad I would have to say! 

Dave

So Dave is doing awesome! He said his prayers are doing very well and that his court case is more favoring him for the custody of his childeren! That is good! you can tell that he is progessing very well and that his life is doing a lot better! So we extended a date to him he said that he wouldn't know if he would be in during that week but he'll figure out tuesday and let us know! so hopefully we will hear from him soon! 

So that is all our investgators! We got dropped by William, that sucked! oh well he still has the Book of Mormon!

Now let's talk about me!

Elder Smith 

So this week we Weekly Planned on a lake next to a fire! That was fun! Then we walked on the frozen lake for a bit! that was scary! goog thing the deepest it got was 3ft! Then we did missionary work the erst of the week! By knock some doors! Party ike always! NOT! oh well until the work is done!  I also Learned in my studies this weeek the power behind to God's words! I forgot where the scripture was at about it was a good one! So I'll use my own words! It said how Gods words can distoy and they can creat, and fix and basically do anything! then it made me think how we have teh word of God today here on the earth, and it showed me the power we have with the word! It was a god scripture though! 

Well that is me y'all! Take it easy this week and read your scripture! 

-Elder Smith! 

Tommorow is the most happiest day of my mission!

So y'all never going to guess what tomorrow is! So tomorrow is the day that I can finally say that I have 1 year left! BOOO YA!!!!!!!!!!!!! then one the 20th I can say I have been out for a year! It's going to be a party over here! :)

So with that said I better work hard for the next year! :)

So I'll give you an update on our investigator! 

Dave and Amanda

 So dave came back from london and he said That the case went really well so that good! Then he told us about how God has helped him while he was down there! This is what he said! 

He said that he wasn't able to fall asleep and it was 4 in the morning and so he prayed and asked God for help with the dourt case tommorrow! Then he took some hard core sleeping piles and didn't wake up untill 10:10am! (which his court case started at 9:30am) so he was freaking out and got dressed and ran to the court house and made it there a hour late! but no one was there! so it turned out that the trains were down so everyone was 2-3 hours late and so Dave was on time! Now he has a testimony of pray! 

Then Dave showed up to church and he gavwe some really good insights and he is progressing really well! It is awesome to see! 

Shawna Brown

So with Shawna we taught her this week and it was just the 10 commandments but we had our Ward Mission Leader on a joint teach with us and he is so great at fellowshipping! He resolve her concern about church, sadly she didn't make it to church, but see seems to have more faith every time we meet with her! It is awesome! 

Thomas

So Thomas's story is that we went over the restoration with him and he knew it all just was doubting himself! He was all pumped to go to church and everything and he didn;t show up! So he texted us and he told us how he was so upset at himself and he hated life and hated himself! So I told him not to hate himself but to make time for God! It was a little bit of love and a little bit of fire! He hasn't text us back yet so I need to text him to see how he is doing!

Sarah

so Sarah is a new investigator and Thomas introduced us to her! when we first met her we sat there just really listening the whole time and she left feeling super happy! It was a really cool lesson1 She didn't show up to church like she said that she would! That's okay we never really invited her to come! She invited herself! So that happens! 

Gillian and Charlie

So Gillian didn't show up tp church this week and so we stopped by her house later on Sunday! We got talking to her and she said that she was not much of a church goer! NOW SHE TELLS US! well We'll have to teacher about agency and how at they end of the day there are only two choices! Happiness or sadness! Hopfully she understands how big agency is! 

Well that is everyone we taught this week! Not bad at all!

Elder McKay Smith

So this wekk at church fast and testimony meeting and our ward is giving a special fast about missionary work! As people were bearing their testimonies I was givin some revelation for God! I'll Tell you you about it! 

D&C4:1 "a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men." Keep that in mind!

As I was reading the First Vision It just hit me, that Joseph Smith took a leap of faith and asked God! He didn't know what was going to happen, He didn't know what the answer was going to be and when it came he was shocked! (see JSH 1:18) BUt at the end of the First Vision was the start of Joseph Smith's "marvelous work" Which made me think! If I had as much faith as Joseph Smith then what could my "marvelous work" be! what could your  "marvelous work" Even be! 

Well I love you you all and take it easy this week! Don't work to hard! 

-Elder Smith

IT's just me!

Hey Y'all,

Elder Smith here!

I'll tell you about the investigators we taught this week!

Gillian & Charlie

So we went over there with the home teacher! Her home teacher is a health freak and was talking about the word of wisdom to her the whole time! Which isn't a bad thing but man sometimes you can over do it! He was teling her that Irn Bru (The Famous Scotland Soft drink) Was bad for you! Which don't get me wrong, it does say on the bottle, "May have an effect with childrens attention..." So yeah it's bad for you but he made it wound like it was a sin to drink it! But it's sure it didn't bother! However there is some stuff that she is doing that we need to work on! I'll inform you with them! So She hasn't been reading and prayer! So that is the clear probablem! She hasn't been comeing to chruch because she has been staying up late partying! (Good thing she hasn't been drinking though) and the last thing is that her son charley been spending the night at his gran's house and been drinking tea! He told us that he is addicted to it!! AND HE'S 8! So We got a lot to work on! That s the fun part! 

Wiliam and Christina

Okay these guys are cool! So they both love studying! he doesn't understand the importance of the Book of Momon but he said he'll read it! So that is a bonus! But SHE is awesome! She is just rebuking him left and right say now this is nothing like the bible but it is around the same time as the bible! It was great! They are fun to teach! They want us over to stay for like 3-4 hours studying not even talking! So we just go to do what we got to do! They are good! Crazy but good! 

Shawna Brown

We taught her the Gosple of Jesus Christ, right? And as we were talking to her and asking her questions she got a bit emotional and I wish I keep the silence then she could have spoken her mind a bit more! I need to work on that! Sadly though we didn't get her on a date! so we still got to prepare her spirituallity be fore we invited to be baptised again! 

That is everyone! It was kind of a slow week this week so not much when one! However, I did get a request to make A little paragraph about me so might as well! 

Elder McKay Smith

So this wekk was pretty with me! I gave myself a hair cut and we had moves call! I'm stick with elder Harman again! So we will change Airdrie! On saturday we went to go and tract a high flat and this place is scetchy right? the 4th door in, on one answered! Then we thought it would be funny to take a picture of 102 door since that is what we planed to do all night! then some one yelled and asked who it was! (5 mintues later for the knock) We told them we were missionaries and then they opened the door! To make a long story short this girl was alone with two get and she was getting abused! We asked if she wanted our help she said no! But she does need our help so we are going to try to help her!

 So that is my update! This week was kinda Boring! NExt week will be better! 

Take it easy Family and Friends! 

I love you all! 

-Elder Smith

A lot of teaching!

So this week we had A lot of lesson which is always fun! I'll tell you about them! 

Dave and Amanda!

So with these two, they have quit the story! So so dave has a kid in England and bad stuff when down with the mom and kid so to cut a long story short the mther is loosing custody of her daughter! So, Dave has been freaked out about that and he can't focus! So it's hard for him to sit down and read and prayer! (even though we tell him that is will help him focus more then anything!) So, he decided that he needs to raise his daughter! He made the great dicision to give up weed! (It's about time!) So I look at this train reck as as blessing in disguise! Now we know how to teach dave for his needs and how to have the gasple bless has family! So, our focus for this week is how the gosple blesses family and how obeying the commandments will bless him in his life by creating the a good enviorment for his family! Hopfully he will take this to his heart! That is the gaol though! He did however go to chruch! So that is fantastic!

Shawna Brown

So Shawna is doing very good! So she we taught her twice this week they were both really good lessons! So, the first lesson we taught her the second half of the P.O.S. (Plan od Salvation) It was more of a breif summary! the member that came out with us knew her grandson So he did a great job in fellowshipping her and teaching her to have her feel of the spirit! Then the second lesson we had Ryan Wark come out with us and he is the best teacher I know of! it was great! He talk a lot about trails and everything reason why we have trails and then I ended up giving her a blessing! That is way awesome! I haven't given to many blessing threw out my mission but with that one I felt the spirit promting me with most of the word to say! That was THE experiance!

William Thomas

So William is now our New Investigator! He is the guy that we tracting in to the high flat! They Way Cool Guy! So We went over prophets with him, He has a very hard time believing the First vision! The funny thiong is that he can't deny what we are saying! It is great! So He is the Best investigator so fare! 

Gillian (and her Friend Lisa) and Charlie

So gillian didn't show out to church this week! I know with the probablem is! She grew up in the UK! The UK is not a bad place! No one just goes to church around here! That is the "Norm" here! So we are going to have to teach them about agency! which is always fun! But besides her struggles she did introduce one of her freinds to us! Her name is Lisa! Lisa is an atheist, So she just has a lack of a beliefe in god! NO worries! It was a good lesson with her. She asked some good question so hopfully we can meet her again! It's great that Gillian is doing missionary work, Not we just need to teach here to come to church!

Thomas Logan

Even though we didn't teach him this week we have A LOT of contact with him that I might as well give him and update! It's down to 1 cig a day and he has had no coffee! He is doing great! Didn't come to church this week but one thing at a time Right? So that is thomas! 

there really haven't been any great stories this week, so my advise would be, as Elder Bednar said, "don't be a missionary, become a missionary!"

I love you all! Take Care!

-Elder Smith

Hello once again!

Hello family/ friends!

This week is quite funny... I think! 

So i'll give you an update on all our investigators! 

Dave

Dave is crazy! Getting Better, but still crazy! We had to lay down the law of faith on him! He could really grasp the consept of it! So we asked him question to show that he does have faith! I first asked him how does he know that Henry the 8th had 8 wives! He said because we have documents of it and that's the proof! Then I likened the "proof" to the scriptures and how he wasn't there when Henry lived so he has faith on the documents! That went right over his head! So my comp said how do you know the attacks in paris happened! He the news! Then we said they could be fake! then he finally grasp the concept of faith! so we taught him the 1st half of the Plan of Salvation! It was amazing! He had NO questions at the end! That is pretty cool! If you know dave he's asked some crazy questions! We did a good job with that lesson! 

Thomas

Thomas is going great! To told us that he is going to try all he can to get off the tabacco and coffee by Saturday! The coolest thing about Thomas in that he finally understands the ower of prayer and scripture reading! So I think he'll make it this week!

Shawna Brown

We had a very good lesson with Shawna yesterday! we taught he about scriture reading and prayer! Then the first half of the Plan of Salvation! This time when we taught her she was more engaged in the lesson! That was cool! So she'll progress for sure! IT's going to be slow, but she'll get there!

Gillian and Charley!

Didn't make it to church this week! Gillian went and hung out with her friends saturday night and slept in! We'll talk to her about that!

So story Time!

I broke an elevator this week! It was cold outside and we decided to tract an 14 story apartment complex ! So we started from the top and worked our way down! we did one whole complex then moved on to the next one and we got to about floor 11 before I was about to go crazy! I told Elde4r Yated that I needed a brake and we should just take a joy ride on the elevator! we hopped in and I pressed all the buttons! Then a couple of stops later A couple joined in on the ride down! WEll the girl edned up getting a bit mad and press the ground floor button and the open button at the same time! well it broke and the door closed and the elevator went no where! so she pressed the fire button and we went straight down adn all was well! For some reason Elder Yates and I couldn't get the elevator back up! HAHAHA OOPS!

Well I love you all! Take it easy!

-Elder Smith