new tabs.

go check out the tabs on the right for any information on our cute elder smith! they are his "who" "what" "where" according to kyle.

also, kyle's doing awesome. i'll let his momma post letters because she does such a wonderful job.

pray for our missionary!

Looking Up! January 2012

Letter to home after a couple of weeks of tough times. We are so happy to have him feeling better! (Posted by Mom!)

I dont have a bunch of time to email, so I sent the big one to dad, I'll either send it to you or him each week just depending on whatever happens I guess.thanks for talking to sister dewsnup, I'm beginning to get on my feet, beginning to figure it out, and realize what my purpose is. Man, its been a battle, but i'm stronger and stronger. I love feeling strengthened after trials. I want to be like captain moroni and have an unconquerable spirit! He is my hero in the book of mormon. Him and his chief captains and I get chills when I hear how bold and fearless he was.I will be like him.Im glad home is good, I pray for you every night! every night. I never miss one, its my "family time" with all of you and heavenly father. I love it. I hope you enjoyed my videos from the mtc, from the beginning of this mission and all that. It was a blast recording those. haha!So yes, things are beginning to look up. I realize there are days that just flat out suck. And I have to deal with it. but, I'll make it, I'll be okay. Keep reminding me about the big picture and how this is such a small portion of my life, and my whole existence, but so crucial! Tell collin I love him, and that he needs to be an example to his friends, that he is a smith. He is a leader, and not to drop the ball. I love him so much.Anyways, Tell candice carly logan kate collin kendall gregor austin dad, and you! I love you! thanks for being so sweet to britt. Love you so much Kyle.

day forty-one.

hello- it's brittani.

i'll be keeping up this blog for elder kyle smith,

 of whom you can read about on the "who, where, what" sidebar.

let's begin! and since i started awful late (i'm terrible, i know) we will sequence his adventures thus far with excerpts from a select few of his letters below.

the beginning.

12.12.11

"...it was weird initially being a missionary and not being able to listen to music, or watch tv, or use the computer.  so, basically everything was shut off to me.  i felt like i was being grounded. ha! but as i've been here, i less and less care about those things.  i want to talk to you, and my heart yearns for you and my family, but, i know you and them will be just perfectly okay, and this time is for us to grow.  i realize now how important missionary work is.  it's vital to everything. people need to learn about the atonement and that their lives can be clean and they can be happy.  i know, i know, you're thinking i'm a weird missionary now, right? haha, but i'm still kyle!! i just am excited to fix people's lives! they need god.  i need god even more."

taking a ride on the big jet plane.

12.28.11

"...well i'm here in california now and it's surreal.  this place is beautiful... it's wine country.  i'm in arroyo grande, it's about an hour north of santa barbara and our apartment is two miles from the beach, but it's got a small town feel with tons and tons of vineyards.  it's super pretty. like you. except you're way prettier than grapes."

getting into the mission.

1.11.12

"...arroyo really isn't that ghetto. there's a part of it called oceano and it's totally mexican.  one hundred percent.  we knock on doors and some guy comes to the door and tells me how he doesn't speak english in spanish... it's great.  i feel like i'm in tijuana when i'm there, but arroyo and nipomo are really nice.  there are some seriously nice areas around there, so it's good.  i haven't gotten threatened or anything... all the gang bangers in my apartment love me because i go talk to them all the time.  so they got my back.

"i'm doing great girl.  i'm safe... i'm trying to stay positive and we're still in the tracting phase of everything.  we don't really have any people progressing and to teach, so for now, it's just a ton of walking."

okay. that's his mission so far in a really tiny nutshell.  i promise i'll be better at this whole blogging business. 

oh, and, they had a baptism on january seventh. cool beans.

enjoy a couple photographs of our handsome missionary!

oh, do we love our kyle.