Dec 15, 2014

 Look at how cute this little guy is!

 One cute, chubby little fellow!

 The whole gang in Dubuque.

The whole district in Dubuque.

Hey Family

Man this week was so good we were able to see Tim and Salina, (A part member family).  Tim has a date to get  baptized on it is the 5th of January and he is so excited about it.  He has already invited some of his family, so that is sweet and he has asked me to baptize him which is way cool too!

Man it has been such a great experience out on my mission.  For our zone conference we watched Ephraim's Rescue and man that dang prednisone or whatever it is, made me cry.  I hope you get a laugh out of that.  Saturday we were able to sing in a Christmas Cantata and we had like 20-25 non members there so that was cool.  Tim and Salina came as well.  This Saturday we have a pancake breakfast and you know how much I like pancakes..NOT!!

Man I cant believe Tayton comes home on my click day, that's crazy.  I can't wait to get back together with those guys and hang out.

Yesterday it was 51 degrees and it felt so nice, because it has been cloudy, but this week it's is suppose to be clear so it's going to be like 28-17 ish so that sucks.

Hey I can't wait for the  25th to see you guys and hope that you guys have a great week and I love you guys so much

Love Elder Smith

Your Boy

November 24, 2014

These missionaries were all in the MTC together and flew out to Iowa together.  L-R: Elder Parry, Elder Bouwhuis, Elder ?, Elder Bracken Smith, and Elder Bybee.

Man First off i forgot to tell you happy birthday i turned 18 months on your birthday so you could have had a party for me two hahaha can you believe its less than 6 months away its crazy

well lets just say i would rather have money to be able to buy the stuff i need then for you to guess what size i am now you know what i mean i don't know, that's all i can think of its hard to decide what i need. 

Ya the weather here is still crazy and its snowing today which makes it better whoops i just looked out side and now it has stopped but it will start up again. but its all good we get the truck this week so that should be good,

This week was really fun we were asked to do the Hakka at a marshallese party and it was way fun other than my pen exploded in m[y shirt pocket which was bad but oh well.

ha ha so funny story me and elder stapley were walking one day and he said do you know what elder smith i bet that you will be married and have a kid before i get off my mission and i just looked at him and said well i hope that doesn't happen. then we both just laughed.

Well hope everything is going great and you are having a fun break hope you guys all stay warm and have fun watching some football love ya 

Elder Smith aka your son

October 27

 Loving me some deer bones!

 Having some fun with the stuff we received for Halloween.

If you look close elder stapley has the fangs in, I am so proud of these missionaries.

This week has been going by so fast the weeks start to feel like days its going by so fast but I love it out here. This week we were able to see alot of our people its a good feeling to know that you are helping people learn of what the truth has in store for them

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE. I will send you pictures when iIremember to bring my camera haha sorry.

I almost died laughing when I pulled out the package of boogers and I just thought of how much you gaged when you saw those or when I sent you a picture of them in my mouth haha .

Ya we get to go to a Halloween party on Wednesday and then we might have to stay in side on the 30 to the 31 because Iowa is crazy

I love you guys so much can't wait to see you on Christmas its going to be sick i will only have 5 months when that happens dang haha 

hope you have a great week and stay classy!

Elder Bracken Smith

Dubuque Iowa

 Bracken with his new companion Elder Kyle Stapley.  His companion is the one on the right.

 At the Nauvoo Temple

Two Spiritual Giants!

 Don't worry about me mom, I am getting fed well!

 What a face!  At least Elder Stapley knows how to smile for his mamma!

 Missionaries in the Dubuque Iowa area.

Not so sure what they are doing in this picture.

Hey!

This week was good and we were able to see all our investigators but 1 and that's a great thing. We have also been able to set dates with all of them but 1 so that's a way good thing. 

Ya transfers always suck so we are both hoping we stay together. 

Oh no I'm fine with clothes and things it was because we kept the windows open and it felt good enough plus it was nice its all good

Your on fall break? man i don't even have to worry about that. its crazy to think all you have to worry about is the people you are teaching and that's it. nothing else no worldly things or anything just gospel things which has been a big change for me since day one but its getting much better. 

man sounds like they did good this week beating up 50 to 0 man sounds like they have a good team. have they lost yet? 

Dad sent me a letter and he told me almost the same things you said.

Oh ya i have some things i need to send to you guys, its cool 

sounds like you were the right person for the job when it comes to trials, I know at least one you had to overcome well two but sounds like you did a good job and such so that's always a good thing to have over with. 

well hope you have a great week and that you all are doing good and staying busy love you guys 

Elder Bracken Smith

Catching up with pictures

 Not sure who the first two missionaries are, but Elder Smith and Elder Hamblin

  

   Bracken and the dead baby deer I think.

"LABOR DAY"

 

Before the labor day fun began.

Be very quiet....

 Not so sure what he is doing in this picture...

That was a white shirt to begin with!

Transfers July 31, 2014

Elder Peck (Grandson, Son of Elder Hutchings); Elder Hutchings (My second-born); Me; Elder Firth (My Daddy); Elder Smith (My first-born); Elder Deeds (Grandson, Son of Elder Smith). Tanner last transfers 7-31-2014

This picture was sent to me for Elder Bracken Smith by Elder Tanner Horn

Happy 20th Birthday!

Elder Wooley and Elder Bracken Smith on his Birthday

Birthday cake that Sister Sharon Evans made for me.

I got spoiled!

Shirt that Sister Sharon Evans gave to me!

August 4, 2014

Well guess what I'm back in Des Moines in a little area called Walnut Hills West area and I'm close to West Des Moines. 

So I miss Waterloo just a little bit but not as much as I miss some other areas I have been in.  We watched a gang fight before I left and man I have never been so scared in my life then that day it was kinda cool until you heard gun shots but hey you can stop panicking because I'm emailing you.

Well the area I got to is way slow so I'm making a goal that before the transfer is over that we will have double the investigators we have now, start teaching less actives and part member families so hopefully we can get this ward kick started. 

So funny story me and elder Parry switched areas basically and he is in Cedar Falls and I came to his old area which sucks because I wanted to work with him but its all good one day right?

Heck ya we are all going to the Preston rodeo when I get home you cant miss that for anything plus it will be one of the first rodeos I will have seen in two years!  If you could I would love a homemade cinnamon roll from the person that is by far the best person to make them, but that's only if you can haha or some treats or something I don't mind.

man you saw Jordan? lucky haha ya i know she is awesome but so are you! 

Well hope you have a great week and don't work to hard pouring the concrete.

Love you all and thank you so much for everything i miss ya and love you each so much

Elder BRACKEN SMITH <3 

New Area

Just recieved this picture from a member in Iowa.  Elder Bracken Smith was transfered from Waterloo to Walnut Hills Iowa.

Trip to Nauvoo

                                                 I love to see the temple!  I went inside today!

                                          The sister missionaries photo bombed me!  Dang it

July 21, 2014

                                                         Enjoying a DQ after a hot day.

Good Morning Smith home

Man I am doing so good, we have had a great week and its been a blast from the past. 

Well quick thing we might be going to Nauvoo tomorrow or Friday or next Tuesday so if you want me to get anything for you guys just let me know and I will try and see what I can do. 

Sounds like you guys had a great time at that moms retreat haha I laughed when you said there was a picture of me and both of you yelled haha funny but sounds like you had a great time. Who was the moms you met from our mission? 

This week we were going to have 7 people at church but only one of them came. his name is Patrick Tour and he is a way awesome guy he is from Liberia Africa and is looking for a church for his family to go to., he is already married so we don't have to worry about that and he has a 6 yr old son, too bad he isn't 9 but still awesome. and we are so excited to keep teaching him. 

So other than the mom retreat how is everyhting else going. staying busy with all the fun things you can do? man just think tomorrow of all days i will only have 10 more months left and man its coming fast. well hope you have a great day and love ya guys

Elder Bracken Smith

June 23, 2014

                                               The Reece family from Marshalltown.

                                      Elder Brooks at transfers.  He is now a zone leader and is such a stud!

                                                     I found my street in Iowa!

           Elder Ioteba (the i is a y sound,) he is from the Marshall Island Kidibis, I think, and its raw fish

                                                   The day we baked our apartment for bugs!

                                                    Elder Woolley and Elder Smith

                                                            I love being a missionary!

                                             Having a milkshake after a long hot day in Iowa.

Hey How is everything going? 

Yes I got over my cough and stuff it sucks, but it was all good.

This week we got 4 new investigators and we have return appointments for all of them so that should be great. We also went to the Marshallese baptism they had for 3 of there investigators that were baptized, they speak both languages so on exchanges I was able to go teach them so it was fun. 

We went to dairy queen the other day for Elder Woolley's click day. It was well needed but not as good as Macks. 

Sounds like you had another good family reunion with out me. that's OK I will be there for next year,

I know only like a couple more weeks and I will be out of the teens, I'm getting old. it seems like it was the other day I was in the MTC and thinking oh my goodness two years is going to go by so slow, but man it is like going so fast i don't know about it haha.

well hope all is going well and Weston is still doing good in football and your not working to hard in the garden or else the plants wont grow but love you guys more.

Elder Bracken Smith