20 Lessons!

Cara Famiglia,

Well well well. We got 20 lessons! It was really awesome because it had been a good long while since the goal had been reached. We worked really hard and things are looking up. Also the weather is perfect now!

Unfortunately, we have been out of contact with Anna Maria for about a week. She didn't make it to the appointment we had set up on Friday and then she didn't come to church, and she hasn't been answering her phone. Bummer. But hey! We will find out what is happening eventually.

We also found this really cool American girl named Sarah, who is a student from Chicago here until November. She was really interested in the Restoration lesson and the Book of Mormon, and it seems like she is really looking to develop her relationship with God. We should be seeing her later this week and we will see what happens. It was strange to teach in American english though.

We are also teaching a cool Bolivian kid named Victor. He's 18, and he's kind of reserved but I see a lot of potential there. He is reading a little bit in the Book of Mormon so we will see what happens.

We finally got out to visit Sorella Lunghi! That was really cool. She lives in a really picturesque town north of Siena. Basically it is just tough because she works on Sundays and also there aren't really buses from her town to Siena on Sunday morning anyway. But she is really nice and it was cool to have the connection there. I showed her a picture of mom and she said she remembered her!

The bad news of the week is that for the second time of the mission our fridge is broken. If Anziano Kimball is reading this, I hope he knows that we are not eating leftover rice though. We are getting a new fridge on Monday. Woohoo!

The spiritual thought comes from 1 Nephi 4, a very famous chapter since I started the Book of Mormon over again this week. In verse six he says: "I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." Then in the footnote it has Hebrews 11:8 where it says "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." And then in the footnote for that it has 2 Chronicles 20:12 "O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." I love the examples of prophets who act in faith not completely knowing beforehand the things which they were doing, but trusting in God and seeing it work out in the end. I especially liked the reference in Chronicles, that reminds us when "our eyes are upon [God]" it doesn't matter as much what else is happening because we will be on the right track. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that this is the greatest work I could ever be doing. I love you all lots!

-Anziano Benjamin Smith