a picture is worth 1000 words.... right?

At least that's what this mommy is trying to tell herself after the tiny little email this week.  The good news is that Elder Smith is feeling much better now.  The bad news is that's about all he had time to write. So enjoy these photos with me instead :)  Hopefully we'll get a better update next week!

LOVE this smile :)  Looking sharp!
(to say this in a genuine South African accent, pronounce sharp- "shop")

Nyiko's Baptism (by his Dad Bro. Eddie)

There is so much smoke in the air from the people burning wood stoves that Daveyton has beautiful sunsets! 

Elder Smith & Elder Clegg looking "righteous"

Johannesburg Temple

Elder Allen- one of Elder Smith's buddies from the mission 

Mormon Helping Hands Day- they painted the bathrooms at Hulwazi High School

There's that smile again!

PS if you want a better account of the week of the Smith/Clegg companionship, visit Elder Clegg's blog.

SAJMmom

"...Johannesburg City is too dangerous for missionaries!" (alternately titled "...I love all the fatherly figures I have in my life.")

“...And now to Elder Smith with the Mission Update.”
“Well guys we have a pretty crazy week happening here in the South Africa Johannesburg mission. News highlights for you include Johannesburg areas getting closed down by a member of the Area Seventy, Father’s Day, transfer updates, Elder Smith can drive, and a cancelled temple trip. Stay tuned....”
Haha it’s a good thing I haven’t run out of bad blog openings ne!? Haha This week has been very eventful! Starting with transfers that happened on Tuesday! Our whole district still stayed together for another transfer which is nice! Me and Stilgoe are getting along better and better and Kewuti and Graham are still working hard and seeming to get along as well. The other guys in the flat next to us had some changes though; my mission brother (trained by Matos) went DL, Raymond and his son got Joburg 2 closed and are now opening Sebokhang 2 in the south part of the mission. Man that bummed me out for sure! Both of the areas I’ve served in now are closed -_____- I guess the Lord has some purpose to bring about that I don’t know about! Still a shame though, I hope those who are on baptism date don’t fall through and that the Ward can handle it all. And that even brings me to the next crazy part of the week. In district meeting we got an SMS from another area in the Joburg zone saying that ALL the Joburg areas were now closed!!!! =O WHAAAAAATT!?!?!? They pulled Elder Dalton and his companion out of Joburg 1 and now all 3 of the Joburg areas are closed! I called him up and found out that Elder Cook from the Quorum of the Seventy heard about what happened to Elder Raymond and closed the areas because Johannesburg city is too dangerous for missionaries. It makes sense having served there for 5 months but man that news is just crazy! I’ve heard that the church will be doing some surveillance to see how to move along the work there in Jozi. Crazy stuff!! And on top of that bad news, we found out that the Benoni Zone’s temple trip this transfer (we get one every-other transfer) is cancelled :l Duhhh! Haha What’s going on these days! We are hoping that it will just be re-scheduled instead of cancelled.
                But “enough of the poopy stuff”, it’s time for the cool stuff!!! Like first, I finally got my permission to drive so I’m back behind the wheel :) and secondly but most importantly, Father’s Day on Sunday!!!!!!!!!! And from the Daveyton District of Stilgoe, Smith, Kewuti, and Graham, we wish all of you fathers a HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And from my side, man I don’t know how to put it other than I don’t know how I would have gotten this far in life, much less mission without my Dad, someone who has been there for me from before day one. How blessed I am to have a dad who loves his family enough to have prepared himself even before his family. I think it sets such a cool example for all of us sons and daughters to live in a way that when we start families of our own, we have solid a foundation to start upon. And so I don’t brag too much but all I need to say is that I love my dad with all my heart! As well, I love all the fatherly figures that I have in my life. From my Grandpas and Uncles to my Lacrosse Coaches and Priesthood Leaders/Teachers and everyone in between, I have been blessed to have “fathers” in my life that have taught me valuable lessons. I express the feelings of many when I say thank you for everything you have done in our lives!
Well, tha's 'bout it!
-Elder Spencer "Tony" Smith

elder smith's first three month in johannesburg- a video

Celebrating Elder Smith's three-month milestone with a photo video!

Music:  "Give It All to Him" by Tel Dyer from Arise and Shine Forth- the official album of EFY 2012.

Click here for hi-res version.

SAJMmom

a mashup

Elder Smith had limited time for emailing this week & didn't have time to write very much for his blog.  Instead I've taken a bit from each of the emails he wrote to all of us (his family) & posted them.

sorry no blog email this time :/ but here's a picture from the temple gardens!!

we had our district meeting there and it was amazing!
oh! and i celebrated my 1 month anniversary in the field this week by doing more missionary work!! :P haha 
love, 
elder smith 
ps. sorry, short emailing time this week:/

Dear Mom- 
I’ve noticed here in SA that the lord does love his people as much as he loves me! Their eyes light up when they see "Jesus Christ" on our nametags and they want to hear more! Even if they’re just jokers, like Joseph said, sometimes, we just plant seeds to be nurtured down the road by the missionaries who will impact them more! the lord is the perfect micromanager;) but then we get people like Leslie Ncube (n- tsk sound-oobay) who commit to be baptized after saying "give me 2 seconds to think about that, 1,2, yes!" haha it made my day and I hope he will continue progressing!! It's been amazing to see the gospel work in his life:) I know I'm the missionary but he inspired me to fix a couple things that I need to and it's been a huge blessing!!  

Dear Emma- 
Thanks for your prayers and inspiration to do that which is right. I know that as you set goals and work towards them that you will become a better person, even if maybe you fall a little short you were still further than when you started and it just motivates a person like you to work a little harder:) keep on keepin on!!  Haha we have to wake up even earlier to exercise and it kills me but I always feel better:)
Dear Ben (who asked about baptisms, missionaries, zone conferences & Spencer's twisted ankle)-
no but we set Leslie on date for baptism the 16th of MARCH!!!!, in Joburg there are 7, only one zone conference but district meeting every week, its better! Bruised still but I’m running again:),
Dear Bekah-
I’m living super simple here haha um cool story is that we went ice skating today for p-day at the Northgate mall!!!! The skates were horrible but I still had fun:) hahaha 
Yeah about the ankle.  I guess I left that story hanging huh? Well we were playing rugby for pday 2 weeks ago and I just stepped weird in a hole and it was bad!! It’s finally stopped swelling and now the bruising is going away but man! Did it hurt! Haha part of life I guess...
Dear Dad- 
I wish you could like be here with me to answer the hard questions but I’ve learned something cool as you cannot be here haha it’s that we need to rely on the promise the Lord gave us to study those things and then we will have what we need to say, and what we say is just the simple doctrine! Just the eternal truths that we know and the spirit can do the rest:) one cool thing I learned is that we first "obtain" his word then we can declare. Well what does "obtain" mean? I came to the point that to obtain something, we need to pay a price; money, time, etc. so to obtain his word, or a testimony, we need to pay a price of our time or giving up a vice or worldly thing so that we can know His word! How cool is that!?
Well, tha's 'bout it! 

Johannesburg Temple (from Sis. Reber)

We attended the Johannesburg Temple.  Nine of the missionaries received their endowments.
It was a glorious day and a good experience for everyone.  If the missionaries look happy...
it is because they are!
Love,
Sister Janet Reber
South Africa MTC