Wk 8 - This week went by fast!!!

Area: Andalein
Companion: Elder Incil

I felt like i was writing you guys yesterday!! it is weird how fast weeks go by!! i definitely agree with nick spinder on how fast weeks go by!!  ("there is Monday, Wednesday, Sunday,and Monday again because it goes by so fast") days seem long but weeks seem short!! it is really weird!! 

ok so this past week i got a little sick on saturday and we came back to the house around 6 30. i was coughing and sneezing and i wasnt feeling too well!! during lessons i couldn't stop and my companion was like dude are you ok? but he said it in spanish haha and so we ended going back to the house and i just slept and i am slowly getting over it!! but all is well now!! 

we will have another baptism this saturday with jose mora!! he is a blind guy and is way tight!! chile is known for people who speak way fast spanish!! so it is hard to understand but i will get it eventually with time!! 

I have enjoyed every meal here so far except one! oh man i did not like it!! haha it was pretty funny!! these members just fried a fish and left all the shiny skin on it and fried the fish. so they put this fish in front of me and at first i was thinking oh baby fried chicken!! but boy was i wrong!!! it had all the bones still in it and they asked you like it? i just smiled and said sipo!! este pescado es muy bien!! haha oh man it was definitely a good experience!!! 

life here is good and the area i found out it is one of the most dangerous areas in the mission and you just gotta be careful but we havent had any problems... yet hahaha just messing mom we will be fine.

well love you guys and tell tayton cuz i know he probably wont read this- to keep working hard in whatever he is doing!! all will be well!!

love you guys and i miss you a bunch only and the day i see all you guys again will be glorious but for now i gotta help people out here in chile!! haha nos vemos!! 

i love you and talk to you next week!! have an amazing week!!!!

Elder Smoot

this is jose mora who is going to be baptized this saturday!!

Questions/answers:
*how's your spanish coming?

my spanish is all right but it is hard to understand people right now

*do you cook for yourself sometimes? 

yeah in the morning and a snack at night but we always have lunch with members except on p day

*do you just walk? do you ever take a bus?

walk everywhere but when we go write and to the mission home we take a bus

*do you feel safe there?

yeah i feel safe but we are in probably the most dangerous part of the mission haha but all is well no worries

*tell us about the ward?

there are a lot of members but a ton a inactive members and we are assigned only one ward

*are you staying warm? 

yeah i am warm all the time

*used your boots yet?  long johns?

yeah when it rains a ton i use my boots and yeah i sleep in my long johns

Wk 7 - First week in Chile!

Area: Andalien
Companion: Elder Incil

Elder Smoot & Elder Incil

with President and Hermana Arringtom

we are both in white because he helped her from behind cuz she cant really carry her own weight very well so when you dunk her and he helped up as well

yep i had to memorize it in spanish!

So my first week was pretty crazy and just getting used to everything but man it is all good!! i love this work and love my new companion!! he does only speak spanish and very little english so it is only spanish from here on out!! haha esta bien!! my new companion is from peru and i live in a house with 2 other elders who are the zone leader!! they are both way cool! one of them is from arizona and played baseball and knows english haha!

it is kinda of hard to understand people when they speak fast but i usually talk to people first then my companion answers because i dont understand!! haha

i love all the members here!! it is different when you go to church and you have to shake their hand then hug then shake again haha. with the girls we obviously only shake their hand!

the food here is the bomb!! haha i love it! the members make pretty good food and there hasnt been a meal yet that i havent liked so thats good!! 

all is well with me!! i just cant wait till i can speak fluently because everything will be so much easier!! everyone here is pretty nice and i love it! 

it is only cold here when in rains but when they sun is out sometimes i dont even need a sweater or anything but other days you need to dress warm!! so happy to be here! of course missionary work is hard but it is definitely good for you!! like you always say mom work is good for you!! i am just going to focus and bringing people to christ and all will be well:) 

i hope you all have a great week and it was good to hear about all that is going on!! austin's appendix bursted! thats crazy!!

as you can see in the pictures i was able to baptize rosa elena figueroa!

my companion and i went to this less active members to teach a lesson and we get there and the lady let us in and she calls down her daughters. i sit on the couch and the daughters come down. one of them has down syndrome and the other i dont know but she had something different- anyway they start freaking out and speaking spanish and i have no idea what is going so i just go shake their hand. the down syndrome one winks at me and blows me a kiss and the other one i shook her hand and she leaned in for a kiss and i was terrified!! i had no idea what to do but the mom pulled away her daughter and we all were laughing pretty hard. the lady sent her kids up and the down syndrome one again blew me a kiss as she walked away!! during the lesson the down syndrome one came down and sat on the stairs and stared at me smiling. it was very uncomfortable haha. my companion and i had a good laugh about it. but all is good here and cant wait for more embarassing stories to come!! haha love you guys!!!

Elder Smoot

questions/answers: 

*who cut your hair?

the mtc people 

*tell us all about your area?

it is definitely different than i am used to but it is cool and not that cold but it is weird cuz the houses are the same temperature as outside! haha and yes i live in a house

*your companion?! 

he is from peru and only speaks spanish! haha he is 20 and has been out 8 months but he is way nice and very respectful- we do have a dictionary for spanish and english so its all good!! haha i am learning a lot fast and am able to speak faster!! but i love my comp he's a pretty cool guy!!

*what  food do you eat? do you ever get fed? 

a lot of meat and its all good!! we get fed every day by members and we had homemade bread and it was way good!!

*how's the weather? are you cold at night? 

it is sometimes cold but no i am good at night i have like five blankets i use

*do you do your own laundry? 

yeah in the house and we hang it up in the back yard to dry

a cool fact i found out! we share a mission home with concepcion south mission so i might see mark on p day every once in a while!! i thought that was pretty cool!! made me happy thinking maybe i didnt say goodbye to mark for the last time in the ccm!

another thought i had about missionary work is this. of course you miss your family and all your friends and you miss not knowing where everything is in the city but i would not want to be anywhere else helping people come to christ and teaching people about the opportunity to be in gods presence again. nothing has brought me so much joy.

Letter From President & Hermana Arrington - Proof that Jade made it to Chile! :)

Area: Andalien B

Companion: Elder Incil

Sister Arrington, Elder Jade Smoot, & President Arrington

Assigned to serve in Andalien B in the Andalien Zone.  Elder Incil is his trainer.

Dear Brother and Sister Smoot,

Sister Arrington and I had the great pleasure of welcoming your son, Elder Smoot, to the Chile Concepción Mission. After we met him at the airport when he arrived on Tuesday, we enjoyed lunch together with the other new missionaries.  Afterwards, we held an orientation and testimony meeting, and Elder Smoot met his first companion, Elder Incil, who will train him to be a missionary. They will be laboring in the sector of Andalien B and located in the zone of Andalien.           

A mission is a wonderful experience filled with challenge and success that strengthens the testimony and spirituality of each missionary. The greatest support you as a family can give your son during his time as a missionary is that of uplifting letters. Missionaries look forward with great anticipation to each letter from home. In addition to using email, you can send packages and letters to our address. The U.S. Postal Service and the Correos de Chile do a good job of delivering mail and packages.  Please do not send anything Fedex , DHL or any other  private company.

Elder Jade Smoot

Misión Chile Concepción

Castellon 1063    Oficina Norte

Concepción, Chile

Casilla 2210

 You may also e-mail or send letters (and only letters taped shut; no envelopes) via the "pouch.

                                               

                                                                Elder Jade Smoot

                                                                Misión Chile Concepción

                                                                POB 30150

                                                                Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

We encourage each of our missionaries to write to their parents each week. Please let me know if a reminder to him is needed. You may contact us at (email address of mission president removed).

It will be our privilege to work closely with Elder Smoot as he serves here in Chile.  We are blessed to have him join us in this mission and know that he will have many life changing experiences as he proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your support and for sharing your son with us.

Attached are photos and a map.

Sincerely,

President  & Hermana Arrington  

Wk 6 - Made it to Chile!

Jade called at about 6:00pm Monday (July 14th) from the Mexico airport. He couldn't hear us very well and we only talked for about 8 minutes!
He then called from the Santiago airport at about 5:15am! He said he slept most of the 8 1/2 hour flight. He had help from some Hermanas to make his luggage weight! He gained a little weight in the MTC and was back to 200 lbs! He is excited to get to Concepcion!
Here are some pictures he sent me of his last few days at the Mexico CCM!

Jade's district and teachers! Jade is the only one going to Chile...

Last pictures of Jade as he was heading out.  Miss him already! (Sis. Jones)

CCM companion Elder Siggar

Jade's district in the Mexico CCM

All the Elders and Sisters leaving the Mexico CCM
Monday July 14, 2014

Just received this email:

hey just wanted to tell you i am here! all is well and i feel like a new missionary again!! haha i was feeling pretty good about spanish until i heard natives speak and i have a lot more work to do!!

my mind is spinning right now but i just gotta go with what ever is thrown at me! i am glad i was able to talk to you and to dad and tayton!! you guys are the best and i love you all so much!! hasta luega!! which is until next time! 

Love,

Elder Smoot

Wk 5 - ¡¡Todo es Bien!!

Area: Mexico Mtc
Companion: Elder Siggard

been raining alot! 

Elder Sheffield (our neighbor) and Elder Smoot!

Today was my last P day in the CCM!! it is crazy how time flies but i am ready to leave and get in the mission field!! i had a really cool experience when we did TRC this past week. TRC is when they get volunteers and we teach them. Most are usually non members. elder siggard and i had 2 girls who were around 20 and didnt really have a religion they belonged to. elder siggard and i talked about the holy ghost and how it helps us in our lives. we had a really good lesson and they said they would pray to see if the church was true and attend church this sunday so that was cool! they also said they will find out if they should be baptized as well! we cant teach them anymore so hopefully all worked out with that! 

it has been a good last week here in the mtc!! i have seen mark quite a bit here in the mtc which is pretty cool!! 

I leave this next week on monday at 8 25 is when my plane leaves! i will leave the mtc around 4 30. i am not sure if i will call you at the mexico airport or the chile one in Santiago! it is about at 8 hour flight so if i call at Santiago it will be early in the morning. then i have a 3 hour lay over and only a 1 hour flight after that!

I am very grateful for this mtc experience i have had! i think my favorite day out of the week is sundays because you feel the spirit really strong pretty much all day!! you are more focused on spiritual things and not really learning a language! i feel pretty good about my spanish only in giving lessons. it is still kinda of hard for me to talk about a lot of things but a normal conversation is pretty easy. i know i will pick it up eventually! 

i just want my family to know i love them a ton!! i do miss you guys but i know i am right where i need to be!! i realize the importance of missionary work every day. i cant imagine the happiness that comes when you baptize someone and you know you were able to help out them for eternity!! 

next time i talk to you guys i will be in chile!! love you tons!!

Love,

Elder Smoot

questions/answers: 

*have you used your blanket at all in Mexico?

 

yeah actually we have every night! i only sleep with my blanket! we have our window open in our room and it gets around 60 or 50 in the night! i like it though i love sleeping when it is cold! 

* Do they have a scale you can check your luggage at the MTC? 

they have a scale i can use! i will use it for sure.

* tell us about your classes, your district, the food, etc! 

i love our district!! my zone is awesome i have a couple kids i am good friends with in our zone! elder trappet from alabama and elder jenkins from orem! he is chelseys neighbor and i guess she baby sat him when he was little! i get here and he said hey your aunt or something like that told me to look for you her name is ruth kocherhans. i was like oh thats my brothers mother in law!! haha it was pretty funny! small world and jenkins also played baseball for provo so thats cool!

Elder Jenkins

*will you be calling from the airport?! 

i will call from mexico or chile airport i dont know yet! 

*what time is your flight on Tuesday?!! 

i actually leaving monday!! my flight is at 8 25 and i will leave the mtc at 4 30 ish so thats cool i am leaving even earlier!

*are there any treats or other food you miss? 

no not really i am good!! 

*have you seen Mark and Spencer alot? How are they doing? 

yeah i see them a lot they are awesome!! i played basketball with mark yesterday during gym!! it was his p day so he just happened to be at the gym! spencer i see him a lot during lunch and dinner in the comedor! comedor is the cafeteria!