Matthew In Cotui

Week 1

Que lo que familia? So yeah I didn't get to email last week that was a huge bummer because we are out in the campo and it takes a while to get to from Santiago. We left and went to the mission house last Tuesday where we went out and did splits with the elders around the area and we got to have pizza, and had our interviews and meetings. My P day is usually Wednesday but we have a zone conference so it is today instead. I hope everything is going great back home, and I hope that no hurricanes are getting y’all. I am serving in Cotui right now and I live in a house with 3 natives for Santo Domingo so it is tough at times. My companions name is Elder De la Cruz and he knows pretty good English which is nice, and the others are learning English as well. My Dad is a vacano(stud) and it is last transfer so I am killing him, and so he is a great teacher and is very spiritual. I am not going to lie the living conditions are killer, no a/c, power half of the time and water for a couple of hours in the morning, so I am always wet from sweat which is gross because I can't take a bath when I want. The living conditions are not important though, they actually help because the people are humbled and are ready to be taught which I like, like the poor Zoramites in Alma 32 I think or so. It was really hard to adjust cultures just like that, and I was super home sick because I didn't get to email at all. None of the others really feel what a change it is for me, and I’m just figuring things out on my own because they just don’t know that I don't know how to do anything here. The bucket showers are great though, nothing like a cold bucket of water to wake you up in the morning. I think someone at some level saw that I was struggling with the culture quite a bit, because usually you have another American to help you out but I didn't have that. So last night and today I did an intercambio with the zone leader to help I think adjust me to the culture and teaching. The people here really don't speak Spanish, they speak Dominican which is really hard to follow sometimes. I can usually understand what is going on when people are speaking though. My dad makes me teach quite a bit even when I nod my head he makes me force my way through it which helps me learn. It is really easy to teach lessons here and the people here are great! Church is definitely a lot different here, I will just say that. So of course it was my first Sunday here and they made me give a ten minute talk which went mas o menos I think. When I read what I had written, it was hard to pronounce and a lot slower. I could feel the spirit come when I put down my notes and just start speaking from my mind, and that is when I didn't stutter and started to catch peoples teaching. The ward members are great and we pay 3000 pesos a transfer for our food to be cooked for lunch everyday. The culture here is killing me in some aspects such as they eat a small breakfast and dinner and a huge lunch which is really hard for me to get adjusted to. But good news we were able to be in Santiago today and I found Dr. Pepper! So I loaded up and I had McDonald's for lunch and it was like a feast. There are just a lot of things about the culture here that are extremely different for us but I am not going to go into it. I am being humbled everyday, and I am learning patience more than ever. There are just some things back home I just don't think I will ever complain about again. I know when I am teaching with the spirit and when I am trying to use my knowledge and logic but that is not the way that you can truly convert people. Logic a lot of the time just leads into arguments, which just brings in the spirit of contention. So my companion and I are blanketing the area, so it is kind of a maze as we try to make our way through the town. Soda is way cheap here, I can by a 20 oz Pepsi for 40 cents which is nice during the day because my throat gets sore from speaking Spanish all day and we don’t have any cold water at home. I love the guys in my house and it is fun to learn there culture, but it is hard when we are talking and they are talking about there culture and I have no idea about what they are talking about. Last night I stayed up till 1 with an American elder because I needed to learn how the transitioned and it was fun to talk about things in America in English for once. So it says to be in bed by 10:30 but that is not possible with all of the planning and stuff going on. So I am pretty tired most of the time but it is for a good cause, 6:30 comes really early. When it rains here it rains hard and for along time which is fun to sit and watch and have some cool air come through. Its funny when people listen to American music here and they do all the time, when the Branch President picked us up he had California Girls playing the whole ride and it was just funny to see a 40 year old guy listening to this song by himself.

 

I started writing this letter in Santiago but now I am continuing in Cotui.
Tomorrow’s going to be tough because we have to get up at 4 30 for a zone conference with President Anderson because we live so far out. I am glad everything is going great at home and that Jacob’s team is doing well, just continue to work and you will be fine. Let the game come to you and don’t try to dominate the game, continue to work hard and show up the guys above you. You have tons of talent and ability and use it to be a leader to others throughout the year. Yeah girls, sounds that everything is going good so continue to work hard. Have fun at HC no matter if you have a date or not, and enjoy your senior year, and Makenzie the DR is way different especially with the cops they just carry shotguns and if you try to steal something you get blown to pieces. I will work on that postcard next P day we just had a 1 trip to Santiago for the transfer today so next week I will try to get that to you. You better be good at Spanish so when I get home we can speak some Spanish.

I hope that all is going well at home, work, school, and sports and I am praying for you everyday, and hope that I am working hard enough so that y’all can receive the blessings of my work. The internet here is really slow so I will try to send some pics every time, so I don’t know how that will work. These are my roommates, companion, and mission president. I have a lot more I will have to send some more.

 

Yeah, if you get some garments get some Large, crew drilux and some M drilux bottoms por favor. Also, could you a photo album with photos of our family from the vacations and of our family that would be great.

It sounds like BYU isn’t doing to hot then I guess, I was getting some pretty detailed reports from some elders in our zone, I guess like half our zone checks ESPN on their P days so hopefully I don’t get drawn into the trap, if you could also tell me how Texas is doing that would be greatly appreciated. Its funny when we go eat lunch sometimes they will have football on the TV so I got to watch a part of the Colts Giants game and I saw Peyton throw a nice pass to Dallas Clark for a score, so I don’t know if that was this week or what but I think it was this season.

 

But yeah I am enjoying the mission now, the first days were way rough but I have a great companion to help me out. He is a native from Montecristi and he is planning to go to BYU in the winter so hopefully he gets in. He is really intelligent and has much knowledge I can learn from. He is a convert and the only member in his family, but he enjoys this gospel so much and teaches incredible. It makes me afraid to teach sometimes because how well he does it. When I did the switch with the American I felt much more comfortable because I can understand and he teaches in such a more simplistic way. I am learning so much everyday and it is incredible. We have some really good investigators, but for the most part we are meeting people because we are new to the area. I hate doing contacts but it is something we got to do to find people to teach. We have a keyboard in our house so I can work on my piano skills quite a bit, I had to play a lot in the MTC in Santo Domingo because I was one of few people that knew how to play. My companion is pretty good at it to so he is the ward pianist, I hope I don’t have to play in sacrament meeting I hate playing in front of people.

I will give more info next Wednesday. I love y’all a lot and have a great week.

Con amor, Su Elder Smith


Week 2:


So I guess my email didn’t send last time because it was too big, and I am really sorry about that. I wish that it did and it sucks because I don’t have anything today. But yeah I got two dearelders from Jacob and a dearelder from your sister Becky mom. So I will get on later today, I really want to talk to y’all and it sucks I just don’t get much news out here out in the country about what’s going on back home especially because I am the only American in my house. I hope all is going well at home.

But from last Wednesday, we had a Zone conference with President Lee and Anderson about how the spirit works and how we can invite the spirit by asking inspired questions that allows the Spirit to work. They are incredible teachers, and people. They are super spiritual, and it is cool to have guidance from them constantly. It was great, the spirit works in the mind and then in your heart and then in your soul. But it was great even though it was like 6 hours long, so if you think church is long try sitting for 6 hours. But there was an elder in the CCM that had TB, so I had to get tested for TB again so I got another needle stuck in me which I was not to happy with especially how he didn’t stick it in all the way the first time so he had to it again. Oh well, so I don’t have it so that’s the good news.

This week has been so much better than the first week, I can somewhat understand people unless they start going off in Dominican then I just look like a deer in the headlights. I have had a couple of dreams in Spanish this week so Spanish is really starting to kick in, and my companion Elder de La Cruz makes me teach and just stares at me until I say something which is good because it forces me to teach and the next time I teach it is so much easier. At first I had fear of talking and contacting, but now I am excited for it because I can see how much my Spanish has improved and I enjoy using it. My companion is great though some times he is tired because he is on his last transfer. But the thing that makes me learn the most is that twice a week my companion does an exchange because he is the DL so I have to teach a lot of the lessons because I am the elder in charge. President Lee asked me to read the Libro de Mormon aloud and that if I did this my Spanish would become so much better. I have only read 100 out of the 650 pages and I can tell that my Spanish has dramatically increased. I can speak pretty fluently when we are teaching for the most part but out on the street I’m lost. When I need to say something, usually the words come to mind, I can testify that the gift of tongues is real! I can speak to the people in my house with ease most of the time. I have had other elders ask me at the zone conference how long I have been out and when I said a week they were surprised and thought I had been out for 3 transfers or so. Spanish is going pretty well and the investigators can understand me pretty much all the time which is a goal accomplished for me for now. I have learned more in two weeks here than I did in the MTC.

This week was somewhat successful for the most part, we had some of our investigators come to church, and we have a good number progressing which is fun to watch. You can tell that they are changing just in the lessons, by the answers and questions they have for us. This week we found a less active named Melvin and we got him to come to church, and I am playing basketball with him later today so I am excited for that. I love this area teaching wise just because the people are so ready, and we will have people get mad at us when we miss an appointment that we have with them. The area might be different from what I am used to but, I would rather be able to teach than have A/C and water. I enjoy teaching, now I get excited to teach and can't wait for my turn when my companion is speaking. And it is getting a lot easier to teach because I can somewhat understand their answers, and I can carry on a somewhat lengthy conversation. But it is hard sometimes, I am probably the most tired in my life but I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. You can find happiness no matter what situation you are in.

But more about my companion, he is way smart. He joined the church when he was 20 and started his mission when he was 25 so he is 27 now, so I finally got it out of him. He wants to go to BYU this winter and has the English too. Its funny he told me that he has 2 businesses, and for the first 6 months of his mission he was running them on his P day, which shows how smart he was and is good at making decisions, but he realized he shouldn't be doing that and is one of the most spiritual people that I know and is a great help and comfort when I get discouraged. He is just a great guy and we get along well even though he doesn't like sports, which was a little difficult for me at first. He knows the scriptures from front to back and he teaches me so much.

But yeah I hope to get on later and hear from y’all, it sucks being this far from y’all and not being be able to talk to y’all whenever I want, but I know I am where I should be. I am being more and more humbled everyday and it is for my benefit.

Remember to study the scriptures constantly and pray both day and night. This is something that is really important, and I can't express the importance of it in words. There is so much to learn, and I wish I had more than the couple of hours a day I have to study them. I wish I could just read them all day, but I have to go out and teach. Sometimes it feels like I am learning the gospel all over again when I am studying it in Spanish. I have a lot of vocabulary to learn that it is insane.

But yeah the funny part of the week is we were walking down a street yesterday and these Dominican girls where yelling at my companion and I in Spanish of course, so I have no idea what’s going on, so my companion turned to me and said they wanted my body, so I was just like I am good in Spanish and continued on.

Have a great week!

Love Elder Smith

Matthew and his companion



Matthew found DR.Pepper

 Pizza!!!

House Mates



Higher quality picture of Matthew with President and Sister Lee



Matthew Has Arrived In Santiago, Dominican Republic

LA IGLESIA DE

JESUCRISTO

DE LOS SANTOS

DE LOS ÚLTIMOS DÍAS

September 23, 2010
Dale and Marti Smith

Dear Brother and Sister Smith,

Just a note to let you know that your son arrived safely in the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission. We are pleased to have him with us. His trainer is Elder Stalyn De La Cruz from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is an excellent missionary and will take good care of your son.

We appreciate so much the enthusiasm and desire your son has to serve his fellow man. Likely never again will he have the opportunity to serve with the vitality and energy of youth, donating 100% of his time to the Lord. We ask you to help him cherish his mission – to work hard, to fight discouragement, and to love his companion and the people he is serving.

Please do not worry about him. He is in the Lord's hands, but he will need your encouragement and support for he will experience many trials that will strengthen and profit him eternally. Weekly letters are very important in maintaining a missionary’s enthusiasm. We would request that your letters to him be uplifting, spiritually edifying, and mission-centered. Please keep him free of unnecessary worry about home and family. Details of every little problem or challenge at home are an unneeded burden for a missionary trying to devote himself fully to his Lord and Savior.

We know that you can help him give himself fully to the work through your inspiring letters and words of encouragement. We will do everything we can to help ensure that your son serves a successful mission. We thank you for having the faith to entrust him to us and, more especially, to the Lord. May the Lord bless you.

Sincerely,

Miguel A. Lee

Mission President

Here is part of a note sent by the Mission Secretary asking for some contact information, this is just the last part of the letter:


It’s always nice having Texans come into the mission. My husband and I are from Dallas, Texas, but my family grew up in the Houston area. My dad was a stake president and regional rep there years ago in the Houston Stake. I also had a brother and his wife live in the Katy stake several years ago too. So we love Houston…

By the way, your son’s name is Matthew Robert Smith. We have only one other Smith in the mission, and his name is Robert Matthew Smith. Quite a coincidence, huh? Anyway, the other Elder Smith goes by Elder Robert Smith, and your son has informed us that he goes by Matt. So if you could have family and friends address his letters to Elder Matt Smith, there won’t be any confusion by putting a “Robert” in the name. We would like your son to get ALL his mail.

If you have any questions I can answer for you, you can email me. I’m in the office very day M-F, and should be able to get right back with you.

Hermana Jann Powell
Secretaria de la Misión
Misión Republica Dominicana Santiago
Plaza Alejo 2-B
Av. Estrella Sadhalá
Santiago, Rep. Dom.
2012170@ldschurch.org
Tel: (809) 241-1145
Fax: (809) 241-1115

I share this with you for two reasons.
1. How funny that there is a Robert Matthew Smith
2. To use Elder Matt Smith when sending mail to make sure he gets it and not Elder Robert!

DR Week 5

Hey guys how it is going, thanks so much for the cookies and I think I made it clear to my roommates not to touch them, plus I hid them pretty well. Also Dad there is a difference between a few and 90% of my cookies, so that was why I was agitated. Also thanks for the sport updates, everyone prints off their emails for breakfast and we had our sports discussion going on this morning. I won a bet with another elder who was a pretty big Washington fan so that was nice. I am doing great and getting ready to go into the fire or the rain in this case. Yesterday and right now we are having some pretty big rain storms that are coming down hard. So I guess we are having tropical disturbances from what I can tell. I think the highlight (joking) is that when we were picking up trash at the University for service, some Dominicans came up to Elder Klem and I and said "What up Niggas", which was kind of a shock, but a teacher told us it wasn't offensive here and that is how people greet each other in Spanish. So we figured out our teachers say it all the time we just didn't know. So I will have to stay away from that! We had our weekly University experience in the rain which was nice because it felt good and we got to talk to a good number of people. I'm trying to expand my vocabulary and speak about other things at first, I can talk about sports easily, but other than that I'm lost, so the gospel is pretty easy to talk about in Spanish. We also had our game day simulation, but we had about 10 12-17 year olds that came as a youth activity, and we got to teach the 1st lesson and part of the 2nd, which I liked because it was easy to talk because we have taught the lessons so much. It was supposed to be a dude living with his girlfriend and teach them the Law of Chastity but our teacher changed it last minute because that would be a weird lesson to teach all of them. So when I introduced my self as Elder Smith they all started murmuring together and I could tell they were like its Joseph Smith's grandson or something like that. I guess afterwards when our teacher was walking them out, all of the kids were like man they know Spanish already, and our teacher said we were speaking fluently which was nice. It was also nice to give advice to them after we taught. Also I think I had the longest fast I have ever had this week from 1 on Saturday till 2 on Sunday, it was killer. So we have had some culture clashes here between the natives and Americans. This week Elder McFarland was listening to Mo tab, and one of the Latinos was "Esta musica es fea" (this music is ugly), and as we do in America Elder McFarland said "tu madre es fea" (your mom is ugly), so we learned that Latinos hold their mom sacred and saying your mom is like dropping the f word on them maybe worse, as the Latino elder flew up, but they settled it out. I guess it was paybacks because the Latinos love to use English swear words and say that it means nothing to them, which isn't good. But the Latinos are funny, and fun to talk to. Also our mission president was here on Monday, but no one that was going there saw him. I guess when he was leaving he asked my District leader specifically, "Hey where can I find Elder Smith?", and they pointed over to the basketball courts and said I was in a middle of a game of bball, and he said alright then and then got in is car and left. So 5 minutes later a teacher and some elders was like your mission president was looking for you so I don't know if that was a good or bad thing but the teacher said it was a good thing, because he also had President Lee as his mission president. I'm excited to get out into the field and everyone here goes to their assigned mission.


Jacob I'm surprised that they moved you to b team, don't worry about it. Continue to work hard, and have fun! This is an opportunity to prove the coaches wrong, and should make you work harder. I know that you are capable of being on top. The best bball player MJ was cut from his high school team and it made him work harder and look where he is now. Not that the b team is bad, but continue to work. I miss the days of being out on the field, so enjoy while it lasts. Also to you start at corner, or do you share or what’s up? Continue to send me news on your team and your stats and how you are doing. I know you will have a great season no matter where you are playing. Coaches make weird decisions sometimes, believe me I know. Also continue to work hard in school, and church.


Brittney it sounds like all is going well in school as usual. Enjoy senior year, it was probably my funnest year since you are at home and you have a lot more than you do in college and the friends that you have. Don't worry about HC, I'm sure you will be asked, it surprises me that you haven't been asked yet. What happen to Darrett(Jarrett in retard voice)? Did dad and I scare him off, jk. But enjoy life where you are at right now.


Makenzie I will send some postcards home when I am out in the field and have a chance to buy some, so I’ll do that for you. Continue to work hard in school, and basketball and going to seminary. Seminary sometimes sucks because of the time you have to get up, but it is well worth the effort.


Mom and Dad it sounds like work and things around the house are going great. I'm glad to hear so. Things are probably going to start getting chaotic with sports starting. I'm thankful that y’all were able to go to all of my games as a kid, and have y’all supporting me. If y’all ever go to San Antonio keep a look out for an Elder Kalepi, Robinson, or Sessions for me. I got my driving record so don't worry about sending it, and that is a sweet picture of Grandma and Grandpa Brink, and Nathan with my favorite player in the NBA! Continue to send pictures of what’s going on like dad I'm also a visual person and I enjoy seeing pictures. Next time y’all send a package or if you send a package can you send me a couple of L Dri Fit crew neck garments (you can buy the cotton ones here for like 50 cents but they are know where as nice), a photo album of some pictures, and a flash drive (8gb) that I can back up pictures on in case I get my camera stolen. Y’all definitely don't have to do this but it would be nice.




Thanks so much for all that y’all do and have a great week


Love, Elder Smith


You can still write me in the next few hours if you want, Jacob send me the rankings and news about Texas as well. I heard this morning that Texas and BYU signed a 3 year deal or something to play, which I’m excited I will wear all Texas stuff if they play in Provo.




Letters:
Pouch- A single sheet of paper folded in 3rds and taped shut on top


Elder Matthew Robert Smith
Dominican Republic Santiago Mission
PO Box 30150
Salt lake city UT 84130-0150
USA


Letters and Packages:


Elder Matthew Robert Smith
Dominican Republic Santiago Mission
Plaza Alejo 2-B
Av. Estrella Sadhala
Santiago, Dominican Republic
(809) 241-1145


Include the phone number because the Dominican postal service doesn’t deliver to offices and homes. They call the mission home and they come pick it up.


Miami Service:
Letters and photo’s only! No money, checks, stamps, debit/credit cards. It is illegal to send these things across the border using this service.


Elder Matthew Smith
8013
PO Box 025725
Miami, FL 33102-5725

Dominican Republic Week 4

Hola guys, what’s going down? It sounds like there is a lot going on at home and that is a good thing. Thanks for the pictures and continue to send more, the more the merrier and I can print them out for free while I'm here for the next two weeks. I got a letter from Jyl's family and Mom on dearelder this week so that is all I got so I don’t know if y’all sent more or not. It sounds like Cinco is doing alright this year in football, and I enjoy having the sport updates, especially with college football and the NFL about to start. Jacob you need to get to work on that. And Dad, that's crazy that BYU is independent, if BYU was playing Texas at home I just might wear all Texas stuff just to make everyone mad. That's funny that Mr. Radcliff said that, (Mr. Radcliff’s son played football with Matthew. Sunday he pulled up next to us in our car and asked if we were going to church. I said yes and he said he just finished playing golf and he held up a cigar and said he was smoking a cigar so pray for him). I could see him doing that. Brittney it sounds like you have a full schedule and the only same teachers I had were Eaton and Dietrich so good luck. The calculus manual should be on my laptop and our computer. You better be good at calculus so you can teach me when I get home so I don't have to start all over again. It sounds like Jacob is doing good in school and football are you playing safety, and are you splitting time with someone?, Give me updates on how practice and your games are going its nice to read about how y’all are doing. Also how is Makenzie doing in basketball and are you going to be moved up? I hope all is going well at home and at work. Yeah they don’t really give us updates on hurricanes so I don't know what the procedure for that is, just survive I guess. I haven't had any dreams in Spanish, but I am speaking it for the most part until the last hour of the day. Save up some money and that trip to the DR would be sweet, it will be nice to relax and be able to put on some shorts and tour around. The drivers here are way worse then anything I have ever seen, so we will have to be extremely careful. The stop lights are only warnings, so you could go through on a full red and just honk to get through. I'm glad Johnny got his call so I should be getting a letter soon from him. So is Shane playing football at U of H or is he done? Tell everyone I say hey back for them. This past week as been crazy and is flying fast but I would rather be out in the field for sure right now. Once I get out to the field it is power and water about 50% of the time if I'm lucky and no a/c or things like that. At the University this week Elder Miller and I talked the whole time and we talked to about 8 people and got our first time to just go away from anyone. It’s funny when they try to speak English back to us and makes me feel a lot better about my Spanish. People will come up to you just to practice English with you. One guy that we talked to was sitting their doing calculus for homework and working to become a mechanical engineer so it made me feel good that I wasn't out studying math all afternoon here. Another guy we talked to was so excited that he could have a libro de Mormon for free, he was looking at it and started to give it back and I was just like you can have it for free and he had good time with it. Every time I go to the University it makes me feel like I know a lot of Spanish that I can actually talk to the people and they can understand and that I can understand what they are saying for the most part, but then when I think about it or try to say something I really don't know it that well. This week for our teaching simulation, it really wasn't a simulation it was the real deal and we actually taught an investigator that a friend had brought, so his friend was pretty trusting in us, so hopefully we didn't mess up his salvation for him. It was scary I would have rather gone into it thinking it was a pretend investigator, and it put the pressure on quite a bit. So my companion and I probably understood about 40% of what they were saying. They would speak super fast and really soft which made it hard to understand. I guess after we taught the investigator (she) told our teacher that I had really nice blue eyes, so he was saying blue eyes are pretty rare here. So after this lesson it showed me that I had a long way to go. I can't wait to have a companion in the field that hopefully is fully fluent in Spanish so I have an idea of what is going on. This week we had a member of the 70 that is in the Caribbean presidency and after the devotional, I was talking to him and I guess his cousin is President Anderson in the stake presidency back in Katy, so I finally met someone that knew some one from Katy on my mission. Also we found out this week that one of our teachers is an amateur UFC fighter and is apparently really good seeing how he is undefeated, and when he demonstrates stuff in class he is pretty quick. He wants to take it to the next level but his wife won't let him so he is stuck here for the meantime. It is crazy how much I have learned from Preach my Gospel and the scriptures in the past couple of weeks. I am reading 45 minutes from the New Testament everyday, and I am almost done with it and it is awesome to read, and realize all of the stuff that I missed when I read it the first time for seminary. When we were at the University this past week I was talking to someone and I asked him what his favorite book in the Bible was and he said Hechos(Acts) and I had just finished reading it so I t was good that I was able to relate the stories back to him that were in it, and especially about the huge change in Saul to Paul. The new roommates are definitely a challenge but it is just a blessing in disguise, they don't know much Spanish so we have to help teach them to learn. Other than the weird noises at night, shedding in the shower, not flushing, turning the thermostat all the way up, and eating my food they are not that bad. There are a lot of things we need to teach them, and even though it is a challenge at times I do my best to work with them.


I can get back on later tonight so if y’all want to send me anything back before 6 that would be awesome. Also if you could check my bank account mom and dad and make sure I always have at least 150 bucks or so in my checking account, and make sure that it isn't switching money back and forth and make sure everything is right, thanks.

I love y’all so much, and I hope that everything is going great, Next week I will send my addresses for Santiago. Have a great week and work hard at school, work, and home!

Love, Elder Smith