Happy 21st Birthday, Elder Smith!

 Many thanks to the Farquharson family who invited Elder Smith to celebrate with his favorite South African treat- Milk Tart, and gave him the opportunity to view videos from family and former companions, wishing him a happy birthday.

Milk Tart!

Our dear friends, Rachel & Michele Shaw, made sure Elder Smith had a birthday gift from his family by being our hands in South Africa.  And it looks like they all had a fun time with Llewellyn Von Broghan (the Elders live in Bro. Von Broghan's apartment next to his home.)

Celebrating! 

The video we made for Elder Smith

Morning workout routine?
Bro. Von Broghan trains the elders each morning and keeps them in shape!  

"The Lord knows ALL of His children and so he knows how to match them up so that the greatest good can be accomplished!" (Leaving Nelspruit)

Bandile Mdluli decided if I was leaving, he would
spend the rest of my mission with me, on my shoulders.  

Well, it never gets easier when it comes time to leave an area; especially when that area is Nelspruit. I think the emotions of leaving are then compounded by the fact that it was a total surprise that I would leave this transfer. It’s been rough saying goodbye for the last time and people telling you, “just ignore what he (President Dunn) says and stay here!” haha if only it worked that way :P
                I’ve learned that instead of being sad or bummed about it, it really helps to be thankful for everything that this area has taught me! I can say that the phrase: “you don’t teach town as much as town teaches you” is very consistent with Nelspruit and boy am I grateful for everything I learned! Being able to be with elders Kankkunen and Ah Wong as well as being with my other parents the Scotts and even the Kanyamazane elders and the Swans. Haha from day one up here I asked myself, “what did I do to get sent up here!?” and even 4 months later I still ask what I did. I guess if I had to answer it I could only say that the Lord knows ALL of His children and so he knows where, when and how to match them up in this mortal life so that the greatest good can be accomplished! (Moses 1:39) Haha, I laugh but maybe it’s to avoid some tears that want to come as I think about just how loving He is to us! Do we understand that? Maybe not fully but maybe we won’t ever understand it fully but we can sure catch glimpses here and there; my glimpse has been 4 months long :)

The last District Meeting Breakfast with the Nelspruit District.  R-L:  Elders
Kankkunen, Willombe, & Pulley, Me, Sister Scott, Elders Scott & Swan.  

                There is a lot that lies ahead of me and I look forward to it! Who knows where I’ll go and who I’ll be with but it’s nice to know it’ll be the right place to be. What really gets me is that the group that goes home tomorrow has some of my favorite missionaries! And I was there when they celebrated their year mark and here they are going home! What the heck!? Haha Elder Perez and Dalton from the Joburg district, Elder Reed from Joburg zone, my mission-grandfather Elder Lucking, and Elder Kewuti from Daveyton!! Eish, time won’t stop and it’s starting to be... scary! I want my two years back!
                We had a great (what I found out to be my last) week this week and I’d say an even greater weekend! We saw Ben and Thuli after like a week of no contact and after a follow-up lesson on prayer and praying about the BOM, we weren’t terribly satisfied with Ben’s answers just because I guess we wanted him to jump up and yell, “Its true!!” haha But what happened after was his wife looked back and forth between us and was kind of laughing. She looked at Ben and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about” then looked at us and continued, “He already SMS'd the pastor and told him we’re leaving that church.” Now it was time for me and Elder Kankkunen to jump up and yell “IT’S TRUE!!” hahaha Can you believe that!? All of the prayers and fasting have been paying off (and we’re keeping them up) to the point that they are making the transition between churches! Hahaha yes!!! I have no doubt that they will all be baptized as a family just because 3 missionaries decided to listen to the promptings of the Spirit! They came to church and participated fully yesterday :) Could you ask for more?? Maybe only for no hugs  ;)
                Saying goodbye is very hard, not knowing if you’ll see people again is even harder, but the hardest is the hugs that come from girls when you can’t hug back…. Let’s just be real! Haha I can say my conscience is clear and I’m glad I always keep the rules but it sure is awkward when you don’t hug back! I’d rather just avoid it :P haha What am I talking about!? Oh well its part of my weekend so I guess it has some relevance ;)
                Can’t wait to see what lies in store for me next week! I’ll make sure to give an update next week! Until then, Salani Kahle
Ngiyakuthanda,
Eldah Smeeeth

I have thoroughly enjoyed my 6 months in Daveyton!

October 13, 2014

Whaddup!!
                Elder Clegg and I decided that for our last week together we would do our blog post together! So I'm sure you can check it out on his blog "Tanner Clegg, Called to Serve in Africa" as well as here! But we have had a great run as companions as well as I have thoroughly enjoyed my 6 months in Daveyton! I'm on to a new area, new companion, and new calling so wish me luck! Enjoy this weeks audio blog post :)
Love ya!
-Elder David Spencer “Tony” Smith

Audio Blog Post: the companion edition (click here)

Visiting FNB Stadium (aka First Nation Bank Stadium, The Calabash or Soccer City):  Home of the Kaizer Chiefs F.C. and  the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  It is also the site of Nelson Mandela's first speech to Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990 and was the venue for his memorial service in December 2013.  Click to learn more.

Elder Clegg.  He landed it perfectly ;) 

Elder Clegg and Elder Smith

Representing Copper Hills Lacrosse in the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa

Joining the Kaizer Chiefs, aka Amakhosi

Saying goodbye to his first "son," Elder Clegg from Lehi, Utah.  

Going to the Promised Land

October 20, 2014

Elder Ah Wong is from New Zealand.  He was in Elder Clegg's MTC group.  

Getting right to work!

We regret to inform you that Elder Smith has now been transferred to the Promised Land. If you have any aversion to 100% positive comments, please do not continue to pursue this blog post. The author (Elder Smith himself) is in a place where he may not leave without kicking and screaming! Enjoy the audio :) and enjoy the many pictures that I had to take! Haha! It's amazingly beautiful here!

Click the video below to hear Elder Smith's audio blog set to photos from Daveyton and Nelspruit.

Love, 
Elder Spencer Smith, GOALie

the life of a GOAL-ie

Elder Tony- GOALie

               Ekse fedi, yizo re kaofela! Ey eye y kasi life is too nice! And yes mom, this IS the fastest way to lose any knowledge of proper English and grammar ;) Haha so get your red pens out and get ready to correct cause here comes the blog of the week  :) (Mom’s Note: Just for the record, I have not corrected, or even mentioned, his grammar once in the last 10 months.  I guess he’s just emotionally scarred from the 19 years previous… )

             I guess first things first: the name of the blog has changed into something that I feel is far more appropriate! Not that “tha’s ‘bout it” wasn't good but this is better!

Elder Clegg

                “The life of a GOALie” better describes what is going on here in the life of Elder Smith :) Here’s my explanation and the story leading up to it: So during weekly planning and inventory this week, Elder Clegg was able to give me some solid advice on how I could be better! And that included the personal goal of actually writing down my goals.  This would make it so that I could be more accountable to something as well as be able to put it on my wall so I can look at it! So I did just that but as I was trying to be creative and name it something cooler than just “goals”, I saw out of the corner of my eye some lacrosse pictures that my family sent me!  *inspiration moment*

I thought about all the great life lessons I’ve learned from lacrosse, all the growth, all the sports analogies used to explain the gospel, as well as all the fun and I knew my title had to be lacrosse related. Luckily, the inspiration kept going and the best position in the game actually has the word in it: GOALie! And so there ya have it:  this blog is about a lacrosse goalie who is serving a mission and trying to become a consecrated missionary by setting goals- The life of a GOALie!
                I’m very amazed at and grateful for the events that transpired in order to lead me to this new frame of mind and motivation for achievement. I know Heavenly Father answers prayers because this is the answering of many recent prayers! The event that started the chain reaction was so simple and I think that is what makes it that great! So let me start by saying how much I love, admire, and respect my companion, Elder Clegg. On Wednesday he gave me a small torn card with a little quote on it from Pres. Uchtdorf and it said “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.” Man, that hit home as I remembered this talk from conference! I asked if he had the whole talk and of course he did! Before I go any further, I urge everyone who reads this post to read that talk! But it talks about the story of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. As he was building the walls of Jerusalem, he was tempted to come down but knowing the danger, he refused with the phrase “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down” (Neh 6:3). President Uchtdorf then goes on to explain how we need to be careful to keep our attention on the things that matter most! And despite temptation and distractions, we need to remember that we are “doing a great work and cannot come down.” What a great reminder!! It’s what I needed to read right at that moment and I thank Elder Clegg for listening to the promptings of the spirit :)  It led me to desire to write my goals down and if you read the above paragraphs, you know the story! So anyways now we’re at the lacrosse junction. I know it’s a blessing that I got those pictures! Cause now, not only can I show people that rugby and soccer aren’t the best

 BUT I can also have a reminder that I am goalie, I’m (Elder) Tony, I’m a GOALie. So each of my missionary planners from here on out will have a picture of CH Lax and a picture of the Savior as my reminders! See how the Lord works in many small and simple ways to bring about the salvation of His children? How oft will he gather us? Amazing :) Ahh the gospel is true!
                As far as events go, this week has been pretty sweet and not nearly as crazy as last week- haha. No near stabbings or funerals but just great missionary work and spiritual growth! We have been able to help several people come closer to Christ than they may have been last week and that makes all the difference! Oliver is one of those people and his is an exciting story! He is preparing for baptism on the 12th of October and so we have been teaching him all the lessons and this past week we have focused on the commandments. When Oliver heard the law of chastity he took out his earrings and he hasn’t worn them since. When he heard the Word of Wisdom, he said “oh I already live like that!” This guy is sweeeeeet! Haha it’s been such a blessing to find him through Lesedi (one of our ward missionaries), begin teaching him, and be able to see him baptized in 2 weeks! What a blessing! This week we also got to go on exchanges, have Zone Meeting,

Elder Smith made this cake from items sent from home.

celebrate the Daveyton birthdays (Clegg, Myself, Ronnie, Shimi, Nature, and Sipho) with a cake from home,

and I even had the privilege of doing the confirmation of Bro. Excellent Mavodze in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday! How can you complain about such a week!? I guess the only sad thing is the high-ish potential I have to leave this area on Oct. 14 :(  I’ve been in Daveyton 5 months now and so things are looking like I might leave :( BUT, we never know, I could stay for 7 ½ and remain with Clegg or something but either way I shall “Act upon this land as for years” (D&C 51:16-17).
                It’s been a fun week and a fast one as well! Too many great things happening here in Msanzi. I am now double digits in my mission age and that’s ridiculous! Clegg and I only have 2 weeks in the transfer and time doesn’t seem to be slowing! But until next Monday, Salani Kahle :)
-Elder David Spencer “Tony” Smith

It's all about the dogs this week...

He loves his lollies!  Thanks Sue Greene :)

"Fast Food"  It's not exactly McDonald's but it's a great little place to grab a Kota!

Kota! = Kasi sandwich made from a hollowed out kota (or quarter) of a loaf of bread stuffed with fried chips (French Fries), boerewors (SA sausage), Russian Sausage, Vienna Sausage, fried polony (bologna sausage), atchar (pickled veg & fruit) and sauce.  Yum.  

catching up: three emails to mom

With the loss of "Typie," Elder Smith has less time to email each week so we haven't received an email written specifically for his blog as he likes to do, but he has given me permission to share his emails to me. Below are excerpts from the last three weeks. 

July 28, 2014
MOM!!!
Yo this week’s emailing with all the pictures and stories is really making me feel close to home and I love it! hahah I still can’t stop laughing at how you and Clegg's mom met*, you really are stalker friends ;) hahahaha 
I can’t wait to get those presents and I promise I won't peek! Pinky promise! haha That’s the fun thing is the surprise to make my birthday special! If I peek, then I won’t have as special a birthday! When you’re 9000+ miles away, you need all you can get to make it special! But a couple members have said they’d do fun things so I hope it’ll be a great day! And I’ll make it even greater for Clegg and yes, the package will get to him! And still no peeking;) haha and tell Sis. Youlton thanks from me! :)

Goodbye Elder Stilgoe

As far as transfer news, Stilgoe went to a place called Ennerdale and Graham went to a place called Klerksdorp! Elder Kewuti's new companion is our DL. Elder Bizimana is from Rwanda and he goes home in 4 1/2 months! So Daveyton will possibly be his dying area. He is a sweet guy for sure! Now, for life as a "father" haha Yo I love Elder Clegg!

Hello Elder Clegg

We have mutual friends so that’s cool! And now our parents are mutual friends hahaha But seriously we were wondering just how long it would take for you guys to have dinner or something and there ya have it! What I can say about training: it is mentally exhausting for sure haha.  At the end of the day I am soooo sick of thinking so I appreciate sleep even more :P but man I love it! I love being able to serve him and I’ve ironed his shirt for him every morning so far and I think I want to make it for 3 months. :) He is super willing to work and excited as well! He is a fireball ready to work! Each day he has just leaped from where he was the day previous! I think training is better for me though than for him! He can learn how to be a missionary anywhere but for me, I’m learning how to again be disciplined! I love it! The fact that I set the tone for his mission is very motivating to be exactly obedient! We’ve set a bunch of goals together and so it’s going well! But all his questions and experiences and the things that he prompts me to do are taking me back to the beginning! "This is where we got the job, this is the beginning." hahaha! I love it! And though almost all of our lessons have ditched this week, it’s been successful! Daveyton needed our companionship because we are going to drop a lot of people who just aren’t ready yet. Elder Stilgoe loved them too much to let them go but sometimes you need to give certain people time. At least we can rely on the spirit or else there’d be a tone of mistakes! But that’s training in a nutshell haha!
 I was telling dad how much I appreciate being able to email you guys! Seeing and hearing the joy and hope in your messages really uplifts me! I love it:) I especially loved this part of your RS lesson "They never force righteousness because righteousness must be chosen. They make righteousness discernible to us, and They let us see that its fruits are delicious." Wow how powerful! I love it!
Thank you mom :) I love you and think about you and the family daily and pray for you guys daily as well! I don’t have a ton of time but enjoy your week at Hebgen and I REALLY hope I’ll be able to receive some emails from you this coming Monday :) hopefully you guys can find some WiFi up there :) and look over observation point for me :) I would love a picture of that!
Love, 
Elder Smith
PS. 1/3 done? Crazy!!!! 8 months and over a year since my call came and was opened!!!!

*Mom's Note: The day after we knew transfers would occur, I got an email saying that someone had commented on Elder Smith's blog, 
"Hey to the family of Elder Smith, from the family of Elder Clegg...the new "son". President Dunn sent us a picture of your son and his name, and I've been looking through blogs to see if I could find him, and I think I did. From what I've been reading, it's a perfect fit and I couldn't be more greatful in advance to your son for teaching mine. My son's blog is tannercleggsouthafrica.blogspot.com."
So of course I had to do some research of my own and I found Elder Clegg's mom's email address.  One thing led to another and of course we had to meet!  

The Mamas

We sent the photo to our sons and surprised them that we knew each other already even before they had told us who their new companions were! 
Elder Smith's reply: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA me and Clegg were talking about how our parents might even meet up one day and: here we are! hahaha How funny! That's awesome! Me and Clegg have huge smiles on right now!"
Take a look at Elder Clegg's blog.  It provides another perspective to serving in Daveyton that I have really enjoyed.  "Tanner Clegg, Called to Serve in Africa"


August 4, 2014
MOM!!!
Yo I have very much looked forward to emailing you today! Week 2 as a father is great! Me and Clegg are getting along better and have a ton in common that we discovered last night! Haha it’s now becoming funner and funner! :P I love serving him and ironing his shirt and stuff but I have had to learn to let him serve me! Crazy haha I know but it’s a fun companionship! haha As far as funny food stories go, Clegg doesn’t like pap so he has a long 2 years ahead of him....

Pap (also known as mieliepap) is a traditional porridge/polenta made ground maize (corn.)  It looks like mashed potatoes in the photo above.  They eat it with almost every meal.

I can remember that as well haha but he'll adjust! Hopefully :P 
I have a cool story to tell you but I only want to type it once so you have to show dad too kay?
So on Saturday, I started my fast that I could receive strength to keep my commitments. So it was a nice day Saturday but the cool part happened Saturday night. I had a dream where Elder Clegg and I went to the mission home for a missionary class (idk why but we just did and it made sense in the dream haha) and so we got there and sat down at the table and in walks M. Russell Ballard, Jeffery R. Holland, and Richard G. Scott to teach the class. So they sit down with us and we have a great class learning and laughing! I loved how real they were and how they really cared about our areas when they have a whole world to care about. But anyway, after the class, Sis. Omer (yeah it was Sister Omer instead of Sister Dunn but Pres. Omer wasn’t in the dream) anyways, she gave us glasses of ice water and we went down to the basement to sit on the couch. In walks Pres. Monson and he sits next to me. I greeted him with "Hello Elder" and I was horrified that I just ruined the title of the president of the church! haha He laughed and said "Hello Elder Smith" and we just started talking! I remember looking into his eyes and just seeing pure love and concern! He made me feel like the most important person in the world and I knew he had the love of Christ! But after laughing with him and talking with him, I said "President Monson, I have to thank you." He asked why and I said "Do you remember being in the SLC temple 22 years ago and being sung happy birthday to?" He said "Yes, by Lynn Stephen Richards" and I said "Yes, he was my great-great-grandfather and you sealed my parents in the temple. I wanted to say thank you because now I’m on a mission." haha I’m tearing up right now actually as I type but it was such a great dream! I woke up and just had the biggest smile on my face! I said a prayer to Heavenly Father and just said "Thank you!" :) but it wasn't the end there. When I woke up, I read in 2 Nephi 4 where Nephi glories in the Lord. And as I was reading how Nephi feels wicked, I thought how he really wasn’t and the spirit told me that it was like me! I’m my own worst enemy sometimes but when I can remember who my trust is in and who is guiding me, I can only rejoice and my heart "no longer droop(s) in sin!" It was really cool as I was preparing for the sacrament that morning:) and that was a great sacrament meeting with all the testimonies:) as I took the emblems, I could only say thank you in a prayer! The rest of the day was golden as well and I loved it! I thank you for the strength I was able to feel from your prayers:) THAT is my testimony building experience for the week and possibly whole month of August!! So that was wonderful :) 
Oh also, I had a cool scripture experience in Alma 26:1-8 where you substitute Joburg for Zarahemla and omit "Lamanites." Read it and see. :)  It really is amazing to see how faith is such a big part. Yo it’s hard but this week I’ve really felt I made progress! I love you very much mom! I love your emails and all the love that is jam packed in here! I’ll keep you posted on the b-day package for sure:) Please tell Sis. Youlton thank you for that very much!!! 
 I LOVE YOU!!!! I hope you have a great week!!!!!! And keep your health well :)
Love, Elder Smith :)

August 11, 2014
MOMMY!!
I need a good smile and laugh and testimony building experience this week in email! Eish, I’m feeling like death but I talked with Sis. Dunn and she’s scheduling me a doctor’s appointment this week. I’ve had this stupid cough for as long as I’ve been with E. Clegg and now last night I got the aches and couldn’t sleep. Plus I have a tingling sensation (not painful) under all of my teeth in my mandible (still pullin' out medical terminology! :) ) E. Clegg must think he got a broken companion.... haha So it’s rough and I don’t feel good at all!  But I push thru to email you!
As far as the families here in Daveyton, I love Daveyton! The people are genuine and even when they’re drunk as all get out, they can be nice to us whites haha!  Except that when they see us they start speaking Afrikaans haha so we have to tell them they’ve got it wrong! haha We have several "favorite members" I guess you could say! The Madumane family feeds us every Thursday and even though there are rats running around the kitchen, we enjoy the time there! They are the nicest I would have to say! I also like the Tsibogo family! The whole family are members but the granddaughter’s fiancé isn’t a member so we teach him and he really digs on the gospel! Hopefully soon they can get married and he can get baptized! Yo and one other of my favorite members is Gogo Mhlanga! (Gogo means grandma) she is 90 years old but can still read small text in the scriptures and still comes to church every Sunday! If I had to compare her to anyone it would most definitely be Grandma Homer! :) The baptism this weekend was mine and Clegg’s!! (Well, the Lord’s haha!)  Nyiko Masiza was baptized by his father! It’s an interesting dynamic here how many kids that should be children of record- or baptized when age 8 - aren’t because the parents want the missionaries to teach them! So they become convert baptisms haha but the baptism was so great! Bro. Eddie (the dad) was so nervous he had to start the prayer over 5 times and baptize 2 times but eventually it was done properly! Yo what a cool thing to be a part of! And askeese, I can’t remember the photo you’re referring to! My mind isn’t working very well… eish I hate being sick! Especially on p-day!!!! :( But then I’d have to say some of the beauty we see here IS the poverty but the smiles on the people faces! They beat the band! As well, we get amazing sunsets and sunrises and the clouds are by far the coolest part! It’s amazing here! Truly beautiful! 

Haha One thing we also have been dealing with this week is something called load-shedding. Since electricity is in short supply in the winter, in all the townships they kill ALL electricity for several hours haha. So that means lessons by candle light and with my torch that we bought that looks like a light-saber!! haha But it adds a unique dynamic because I kid you not, it ALL goes dark! Streetlights, robots (traffic lights), houses haha everything! It’s hectic and we've had to cancel a dinner because of it -______- hahaha not cool!
Mom, I love you so very much! Thank you for your prayers and the wonderful messages you share with me and the hope you inspire in me! I couldn’t do this without you or dad or the Lord! Please keep my health in your prayers and I’ll let ya know how the doctor appointment goes tomorrow! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Elder David Spencer Smith

One Year Ago Today: Opening the Call

     Although Elder Smith's mission call arrived on Wednesday, July 24, 2014, he wanted to wait until his friends and family could join us to open his mission call so we set the big, white envelope on the mantel to wait.....

On July 25th, we packed his wonderful, supportive friends and family into our tiny, little house. It was standing room only- body to body! We were so grateful for everyone for their support & love of Spencer (& for their patience in such warm, crowded conditions!)

 

(sorry if you hate your candid shot...)

     With a flourish, Spencer opened the long-awaited call:

(sorry it's so wiggly... i was crying, cheering, laughing...)

(link to the full 3 minute video) 

SOUTH AFRICA JOHANNESBURG MISSION-- 

ENGLISH SPEAKING!!!

Suddenly 9,950 miles felt a little bit closer!

And we we were totally interested in anything from South Africa!

We got excited about this temple.

 This tugged at our hearts.

 And we bought one of these!

     But most of all, it just felt right.  The spirit confirmed to our hearts & minds that Elder Spencer "Tony" Smith was meant to be in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He was meant to be in the care of Presidents Omer and Dunn.  He was meant to serve the beautiful people with whom he would come in contact in the various areas he would live and work.  He was meant to be taught and influenced by the companions he would be called to serve with.  Heavenly Father knows Spencer- his strengths and weaknesses- and placed him there that He might accomplish a mighty work, both in Johannesburg, and within Elder Smith!  We look back at the last year and feel the mighty power of God in providing a way and means to send this boy on his mission.   We feel the comfort of the Spirit speaking peace in our hearts when we miss each other.  We feel the power of protection as we pray for one another.  We see miraculous changes in our hearts as we become more of what He wants us to be. The blessings have poured forth beyond our expectation.  What a sacred privilege it is to be a missionary, and a missionary family.  We are so grateful for the experiences of this year of service and sacrifice & look forward to more as Spencer continues to fulfill his calling in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission! 

SAJMmom