Letter to the Thunderbird Ward

To the loving people of the Thunderbird Ward:

Howdy!

My dad probably will have a hard time reading this due to my handwirting . . .  but that is his problem!

Washington is . . .  well, it's wet - go figure!  The people here are crazy but I like them.

So for you all who haven't read my blog I'll give you a brief summary of my experiences.

I've:
*met 5-10 instance of psychotic people (yet to really teach any though)
*been defended by a drunk guy
*have seen 3 nude people
*had a break down
*baptized an ex-communist
*been a chili cook-off judge
*been a therapist
*helped plan a wedding
*been stranded at a church
*lost seven comrades to the Federal Way Mission plus some to temptation and another because    
   of a surgery.
*watched guys change into good men
*had companions turn into supervisors
*seen people change 180 degrees and some people stay the same
*given a companion a breakdown due to him trying to fix my problems
*been a senior companion in Tacoma (Stadium)

I'm sure I have missed lots of things but I can't remember them all right now.

So, I've been meaning to write this letter for awhile but due to being busy and rules I haven't had much of a chance.  It has been 9 months - holy cow!

I guess I've wanted to say how much I miss you all. I've seen a lot of wards due to constantly being transferred.  I've never stayed in an area for more than 9 weeks, but I think I'm here in Tacoma (Stadium area) for a while.  I've seen some great wards with amazing programs and I've seen wards that were pretty distant.  It's made me realize (well, technically I already knew) and further appreciate how wonderful the Thunderbird Ward is.

I've received several letters from you all, off hand a special shoutout to the Nilsens, Brother Case, Sister Sneddon that seem to write me frequently.  There are several others but again my mind doesn't always work and I am sure I'll remember after I write this letter and it will be late to thank you personally.  Just know that your letters give me the strength to continue and help me to feel loved.  I think about you all, all the time.  I miss seeing your faces, I miss Autry and drinking Jones' soda pop from him.  I miss Bro. Nilsen, I bet he is still working as hard as ever!  I miss Bishop Jorgensen - I'm sure he is still driving around in his Jag, delivering pies to my family.  Sometimes it feels like I will never be back home again, but I know logically I'll be back again.  If I didn't personally thank you for letters you've sent, I apologize, I'm trying to remember everyone and my mind is a blank, which is kind of normal for me, ha ha ha.

Being a missionary and doing this work is a challenge of a lifetime.  I hope that I will be able to continue to help others during my time here.  I hope to introduce them to the blessings of the Gospel.

Love,
Elder J Smart