These are two pictures of Kenilworth Castle near sunset. (At about 3:30.)

Then I turned around and took a picture of Kenilworth.  I thought you'd like to see it, and it was a pretty nice day. (Cold though.)

Then we went by some thatched roof cottages, and I thought you would like to see those as well.  If you look close, one of them has an "R" crest thing.

This is the "R" Crest.

 I'm sitting on Stand Street. Haha get it?

On Nov 18, 2013, at 7:28 AM, Colton Reed Smart <csmart@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hey Momma!

I'm glad Ange came over this week!  That's good.  I like that girl. Kind of a lot.  It's weird to me that my friends are all getting married though.  We're still just babies.  Well, some of us are Elder babies. But how crazy is it that your youngest is going to be out of his teens within a year?  And he's on a mission. Weird.  Ange really liked coming over and seeing you though.  And Mom, you can stop commanding me to be happy about my girlfriend.  I think you think that I'm more concerned than I really am.  I still have feelings for her, but whether or not she's going to marry me is in the Lord's hands.  I'm currently His servant though.. and you know.. Ammon was Lamoni's servant, and offered him one of his daughters cause he was so impressed with him.. Maybe Heavenly Father will do the same for me(: haha but really. I'm okay. Yeah, to be honest I wasn't impressed with the new Towner.  I met her before I left, and just thought she was boring.. Apparently she gets kind of nasty sometimes though. It's sad because Angela is so close to Mitch, and now his wife wants to separate him from them.  If you know the Towners, you'd know that will not be easy.  I didn't meet Jordan's girlfriend, but she sounds really cool, and if Ange likes her, then I probably would too.

Haha I love Trouble.  The pictures I get every week are great.  I didn't know about the keys.. I think you might've blamed losing them on me a few weeks ago... but it might be another set of keys or something.  I don't really remember.  But Brooke does look pretty different! She did the short hair look a while back, so it's not too foreign to me though.  It looks good though!  How'd Remy feel about it? Did she notice? or was she busy feeding Hank?

Aaron is great.  He's doing his best to get favorite child points, but I'm pretty positive that I've got a million points. times infinity.  At least until March 2015, maybe a little longer, depending on how I play my cards.

Does Corie have fifty children?  How many is this?  I don't blame Megan and Houston for moving to Logan.  It's great up there. 

You BYU people don't know what I'm talking about.  Logan is the best.  In fact, I'm wearing my USU T Shirt right now, as I type.  How long are they going to be up there? I'm planning on going to Utah State the fall after I get home. Are they still going to be there?  I know how disappointed you are, sorry Mom.  My mission has changed me a lot, but I'm still an Aggie.  Always will be.  

Sounds like work is about the same. You hate the children, but actually, you just love them.

Jacksonville sounds nice.  It's probably still nice and warm there, and maybe the sun is up for longer than twenty minutes.  It literally sets at about 4:00 here, and we still have a month before the days start getting longer again. Boooo.  Oh well, the work goes on.  This week was rough.  Patrick decided to go to London even though he has zero money.  We've told him before that it's not a good idea.  He acts like he actually does have money, and decides to buy expensive groceries and go to London every other weekend.. and he always tells us that he doesn't feel the spirit the whole time he's London. But.. he still goes.  He's a little frustrating lately.  Our Hungarian also.  Except she's understandable at least.  She's a business law student, it's near the end of the semester, and she also works part time.  So she basically had to tell us that she's too busy right now for church and meeting with us.  But we text her every day, and she reads the scriptures and stuff, she just thinks she's too busy for everything else at the moment.  But I think she's still interested, so that's good.  The German is good.  I'm a little disappointed to be honest.  I was hoping that my "boy" (my greenie) and I would be best friends like Elder Lewis and me.  We're not.  I'm trying to be. But we're not. Oh well.  I think I'm going to get transferred next transfer.  Which is December 11.  We'll see.  I might be talking to you from Wales.  Who knows?

Stockton.  Haha that's funny.

It sounds like both you and Brooke are excited for Remy to be going to nursery.

I think you'll be out of Young Women when you start to like it.  In fact, it's probably a lot like the Buddhist reincarnation.  The only way you get out of it is when you don't care whether or not you're in or out of it. Or you'll just get released and put in nursery.  Haha

Speaking of old.  I read Granddad's biography.  How is he doing?  So, I don't know if I ever sent you my priesthood line of authority, but he was acquainted with "Uncle Del" or Elder Delbert Leon Stapley of the Quorum of the Twelve.  Anyways, the reason that I mention my line of authority is that my authority goes through "Uncle Del."  Pretty cool.  You have a cool Dad.  So do I.  We need to make a biography of Dad's life.  I would really really like that.  Maybe I can do it when I get home.  Best some one else do it probably.. I'd like to help though!  Maybe a few of my siblings and I can put it together with your help.  That'd be really fun, and cool.

I don't know who stole my credit card number.  I never use it anymore.  I will when I get a suit or something.  I bought some one pound (£1 not 1 lb.) gloves and cut off the fingers.  You can see them in one of the pictures I sent you.  They do the trick.  I still don't know about an umbrella.. We'll see.

I really like that finding idea.  It would be really fun to draw things with chalk, and it would be good for our young little branch.  We've heard of missionaries doing that, and we've been talking about doing it.  We would have to get permission from the city probably, and permission from our President, and after about a year of getting permission, we might be able to do it.  There are so many dang rules.  Sometimes it feels like we have to pay attention more to the rules than to missionary work.  I know they're for our benefit, as well as the church's, but some of them are so annoying.

I'm jealous of cars.  You don't know how much I walk every day.  Yes, walk.  Elder Muscles doesn't love to ride bikes.  And I don't love walking, but as long as he doesn't fix his bike, we'll be walking, until I break my legs instead.  Then he'll have to push me in a wheelchair.  That's a good plan right?

I'm emailing for P day.  That's what we usually do nowadays.  It's cold, dark, and not really worth going outside.  So we spend most of the day at the library talking to our families.  It's good fun, but I miss playing football (soccer), and basketball every week, but we just don't really have the people to do it.  My companion likes working out, but not really sports, and the other two in my area aren't super athletic either.. but whatever. That happens.  Maybe my next area I'll be active again.

I'm going to Stratford on Wednesday.  I haven't been yet, but we're going down there to contact some people the church is stalking.  Haha, maybe I'll explain that a little bit.  The church tries to find members that have moved without telling anyone.  And then, when they think they've found them, they send their names and addresses to the missionaries, and we have to report and tell them if they live there, if they're dead, etc.. but it gets us into some pretty awkward conversations.  Because a lot of the time we talk to people that match the name we're looking for, but they've never been part of the church.  Then they get worried about how two strange kids got their names and addresses, and why they're asking if they can come in and teach them about Jesus Christ.  Haha it's good fun.  We're not only the Lord's servants, but we're also His Church's servants.

I've only thought of a few things I want for Christmas.  A drawing from all of you again, cause that was the funniest thing ever, and a cookbook.  With recipes I can make and eat within one hour.  That would be brilliant.

I'll think of more things later.

I love you Mom, I can't wait for Christmas when I get to hear from you and the rest of the family! I miss you.

Love,

Elder Smart

On Mon, Nov 11, 2013 at 11:55 AM, Colton Reed Smart ‪<csmart@myldsmail.net>‬ wrote:

Hey Momma,

I miss you too.  You like me.  People I try and stop on the street in the dark, cold, rainy nights, generally don't.  But I always think of Paul.  He's a better missionary than I am, but I'm working on it.  He says in Acts that he's happy to suffer shame, or pain, or suffer, for Jesus, because Christ did so much for us.  Paul is cool, and while reading through the Acts, can it be much more obvious that the laying on of hands is necessary for the Gift of the Holy Ghost?  I'm pretty sure that we are one of the only churches, if not the only church, to practice that.  Kinda narrows down the choices, at least in my head. But I guess if we're proving any church right, then I can only think of one that performs Baptisms for the Dead.. which is also found in the bible..  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints wins.  And will continue to win. Forever.  Cool.

Oh, Nigel.  What a character.  Will you send him over here?  I could use a car.  It's wet here.  There's a person named Nigel in our branch.. but he's got some.. learning difficulties? Is that the proper way to say that?  Whenever we visit him he just asks us the whole time if Eminem and Michael Jackson will make it to the Celestial Kingdom, which inevitably leads to him asking if he's going to make it to the Celestial Kingdom.  Those visits are.. fun.  He usually kicks us out when he's had enough of us, but then invites us back in before we've gone.  We usually just take the opportunity to leave.

I'm a dream child right now.  Music to my ears.  Favorite child? Definitely.  And now I know, all it takes is moving to a different country and only talking to you once a week through email.  Haha just kidding.  I miss talking to all of you.  I miss America.  Everything is so much cheaper.  I can't wait to get a 99 cent double cheeseburger and spicy mcchicken when I get home, and the best part will be walking away and not feeling like I spent my whole week's money at McD's.

Have I ever told you that I hate rain?  If not, let me.  I hate rain.  I know that's not the right attitude, or whatever, but I do.  It's cold, and wet, and awful.  I can deal with snow, and I can deal with cold, and I can deal with pretty well everything but rain.  I hate it, and it hates missionary work.  It also hates happiness, and fun, and puppies.  Okay, I don't know if it hates puppies. But the rest of the stuff? Definitely.

I don't have an umbrella.  I don't really know if I like them, because they're somewhat imposing when you're on a doorstep or approaching people on the street.  At the same time.. A soggy missionary isn't super approachable either.. I usually just wear water proof clothing with warm clothing underneath, and everything in my backpack goes in plastic bags.  Soooooo.. yeah.  I do sometimes wear a scarf as a kidney warmer.  I also passed that on to Elder Wrenger and he does it always.  We didn't get me gloves.  Probably best we didn't.  I think all I want is those little cheepos that we always get, and then I'm going to cut off the ends of the fingers.  Cause gloves are just a nuisance if they have fingers in my line of work.  I do wear a beanie.  I love beanies.  They're so comfy, in fact, before I bought myself a duvet, I wore a full sweatsuit with a beanie and my hood on, and that was pretty comfy.  I often change into that when I get home for the night.

I'm supposed to be happy and nice.  But I'm also supposed to tell the truth, so maybe I just wont say anything about the branch.  No, I'm kidding.  They're alright.  Some of them just aren't really concerned with their responsibilities.. which makes missionary work pretty hard.  Because some of the unconcerned are leaders, but oh well.  That happens.  We have a few families that I like here, but only one or two people like Tamworth ward.  I miss Tamworth.  I think if I get the choice, I'll want to go back there at the end of my mission.  Friends with the Branch President? I'd say we're associates.  He's a very busy guy.  He's finishing up becoming a General Practitioner, and has a young family and a new baby.. so I understand, but sometimes it's a bit frustrating.

Leamington is a nice city.  Things don't get stolen as much as you think.  Coventry is where my bike got stolen, and that's a mean city.  I am currently not stolen, nor do I think it will happen.  We're really safe here Momma, don't worry.  I think I'm going to get transferred out of here right before Christmas though.  In about four weeks.  We'll see, but that's just my premonition, I guess.

Elder Lewis goes home in about ten days.  It's crazy.  I barely could comprehend when we were split up, so I'm sure I'm not going to be able to swallow that he's back in the States.  He taught this family here, who is friends with one of my friends back home, and now has been proxy invited to one of my high-school friend's wedding, this person also happens to be Angela's best friend, so Elder Lewis and Ange will be running into each other pretty soon.  That's weird.

I am just now hearing about the huge earthquake and typhoons and stuff in the Philippines, and that makes me way sad.  That's not what those fabulous people need.  I hope all my missionary friends are okay.  I think they're out of harm's way.  I can't think of any I know in Tacloban.  Maybe this girl that I almost dated.  But I don't remember.  I hope my area didn't get hit too hard.  Those little huts that my children live in wouldn't make it.

Well, I have to get off for a few minutes.  I'll finish this email in about fifteen minutes.

I love you Momma! 

Aaaah.  Everyone and everything is going to look so different when I get home.  And thanks for the permission to grow my hair our, but.. I think I'm going to try and cut it again sometime.  Probably not for a couple more weeks.  It's a learning process.  Don't worry Mom.  You're not here to see it.  So it's fine.  Just imagine that I have the same hair cut that I did when I left.  You're right.  I did notice when you cut your hair.  You're my mother.  It's scary to me when you change your look, because you look less like my mother.  Then I have to get used to the way you look, and then inevitably you change again.  So even small changes are noticed, I didn't say out loud that I noticed every time, but I definitely did still notice.

I'll get you a Christmas list eventually.  I've been thinking about it a little lately.  I'm not sure how long it'll take to actually get to me.. In Tamworth it was easy, because every week we'd have district meeting at the chapel next to the mission office, but now I have to wait for it to come, then wait for the Zone Leaders to go to the mission office.. and that takes ages sometimes. So I'm not sure.  If you sent it two or three weeks before Christmas, I'm sure I'd have it before.  I'm not worried about when it comes though.  So don't worry too much.  To tell you the truth, I basically feel like I live on a different planet.  It almost feels like I've only ever been a missionary and always will be. Which I hope is true, but I mean a full-time missionary.  So when I get packages from you or, you know, "Earth," it's always just a bonus or a treat, not an expectation.

I do want to send you a bunch of stuff home though.  I hope that's okay.  I was just going to do one package and send everything home I need to for a while.  Plus some English presents. I've had Adrienne's for about six months now.  Cause it was just too perfect not to buy.  Apparently she has a birthday present to send me that she never did, so tell her to send it to me.  Cause I love birth-six-months.  In fact, you can start on my next birth-six-months whenever you want.  The six months include the six months before June 2, and the six months after June 2. 

I'm really excited to talk to all of you and meet little Tess.  That's going to be really fun.  I hope you don't mind I invited Ange. I still have a pretty solid crush on her, and would like to hear from her as well.

Dog-Teeth. Nice.  I bet he hated that more than anything in his entire life.

Aaron seems like he comes over a lot now!  Maybe it's just because I never come over anymore, but it feels like I always get at least one picture a week of Aaron and Rem.  They're so cute together.  They're just polar opposites.  Aaron is this massive guy with a manly-man moustache (and goatee?) and Remy is this tiny little girl in cute little skirts.  Haha I love it. Remy is so dang cute. All of my little-relatives are cute. And awesome. I especially loved that picture of Remy feeding Hank that Brooke sent me a couple weeks ago.  That was brilliant. I bet my companion feels the same way about me as Stockton does about Remy.  I eat a lot of beans, cause they're cheap and come in a can, and I can make them delicious, but they have an adverse side-effect, and Muscles generally gets the brunt of the attacks.  He probably wants a little more privacy. Too bad. I mooned him like three times last night. Haha

I'm jealous that you got to hang out with Aunt Chris.  I plan on doing a bit of that when I get back.  I'm also jealous of Aunt Chris that she's going to Hawaii.  Maybe global warming will make the Welsh coast Hawaiian-like by the time I get there.  That'd be good.  I'm also jealous of Thanksgiving.  I'm really hoping that one of the American families here decides to have us over for Thanksgiving and feeds us until we can't physically move.  I'd be okay with that.

That picture that you found of us is this transfer's planner picture.  Every transfer I put a picture in my planner that I can have to show to people or look at myself or whatever.  And every time I open my planner now I see your happy face, and I smile.  I hope you smile a lot, and don't talk about how excited you are about death to Brooke.  Stop doing that if you are.

Oh man. I'm going to die.  A hobo guy just sat down next to me here at the library.  Hobos generally don't smell good, but wet hobos smell a lot worse, and I think he's been spending some time outside lately.

This week has been kind of a downer week for me.  We didn't teach hardly at all and didn't have a ton of success with our finding.  It was definitely a less-productive week.  But we have a really good week set up this week.  So I'm not too worried.  Unfortunately Kerstin cancelled her appointment last week cause she was working, and then didn't come to Church, and hasn't answered her phone.. so.. please pray that we get in contact with her again and that she's still interested.  Bleh.  Anyways.  Yeah.  This week just kind of sucked.  But we found a few good people that we're going to go and teach this week.  I've also been reading Granddad's biography and his book that he gave me.  They're both really good.  I've been listening to a lot of talks by John Bytheway and Hank Smith too.  Look up Hank Smith, and download some of his talks.  They're definitely worth it, except you may burn yourself when you're straightening your hair in the morning cause he's so dang funny.  They've got really good principles, mostly geared towards the youth, but aren't we all youth?  It helps for all of us.

Anyways.  Thank you for always sending me an email.  I love reading your emails Momma.  I will be shattered if I don't have one every week, just like I know you'd personally come and kill me if I didn't write you one every week.

I love you Mom!

Love,

Elder Smart

Muthuh,

My hair isn't that bad. You just think it is.

It was a nice picture. I'll grow my hair out for a little while, but then I'm going to cut it again.

Halloween was good, we were supposed too be in at six if we didn't have an appointment, so we went and taught Patrick at eight. It was decent. We watched Finding Faith in Christ, and then had a chat about faith. It was good. They definitely don't celebrate Halloween as much here. I wore a Christmas tie for Halloween.

I loved those pictures! I have cute nieces and nephews. (Or awesome, I think Laura told me that Stockton has to be awesome.)

I can print them out, but I almost never remember to cause I shop in the morning and then email. And I only get the pictures printed off at the place I shop at. And I love getting post, so you should definitely send me them in letters. And draw me pictures. My favorite thing is when people draw me pictures.

Don't worry about the UA. I don't need it, and if I do, then I'll just buy some British equivalent.  

Christmas. Whoa. I'd like to talk to you? Is that okay? I'll make you a list before too long. I have to think about that. More importantly, can I send a package home for you guys? Do you want a bunch of chocolate? You should.

Waterford must be Jehovah's Witnesses. Mom, don't believe them. We can still celebrate holidays I promise. And please don't deny blood transfusions.

That is an awesome text exchange. You should see some our emails. You wouldn't believe them.

Can I take the grand cuties trick or treating in a couple years? I'd like that.

Haha what a joke. I don't belong in lesson plans. Although I'm sure it was really good, cause you taught it.

We had a trunk or treat as well. It was good, but none of the people I invited came ):

Oh well. Missions aren't supposed to be easy. We'd go out boys and come back sisters. Ha just kidding.

I'm glad that things at the temple are getting easier. I'm not going to remember how to temple. At all. But I'm really excited to. It's going to mean a lot more. Can we be temple buddies?

Ender's Game is a movie now?! That book is awesome. I'm really excited. I hope you've been writing down all the good movies. Actually, you and Uncle Steve. Sorry Mom, we don't have the same taste sometimes.  

How the crap did Phil go on a mission for two years? I really can't think of doing this and not actually meaning it. It would be a freakin tough two years. 

It's incredible how important honesty is. I've been really focusing lately on being completely honest, especially with myself. Especially with Heavenly Father. It's easy to lie, or blame somebody else. That's what cowards do. Thanks for teaching me right Mom. I'm eternally grateful to you and Dad for instilling the values and morals that the world passes by without a blink.  Phil has literally ruined his life. Even if he doesn't know it yet. I literally thought he was living the best life I could think of. Beautiful wife, who's supportive and loving and completely took care of him, the cutest kid, a well paying job with a future, and a testimony of the Truth. Soon all that will be completely gone. What a waste. 

It's sad that literally everything he says can't be trusted anymore. I hope he's serious about being sorry though. I hope there is some sort of regret where there should be a black hole of sorrow.

Stuff here's okay. The work has gotten a bit slow and it's gotten a lot a bit cold.  It makes it hard to motivate yourself to talk to strangers in ice cold pouring rain, and this week was proof of that, but I set a bunch of goals to try to get me to work harder.  I could really really use some prayer power. Specifically to find some more people to teach and for Patrick to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. 

Our Hungarian is good. She kind of fell off the map last week cause she was really busy with school. But we're teaching her this week. So it'll be good!

Yeah sorry about the Thursday email. There wasn't time and nothing changed in our district, so it was kind of pointless.

I'm doing this email from our church and I don't want to figure out pictures this week, but I'll send a bunch next week.

I love you!

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Smart

Hello Mother-Dearest,

How could I?  With a shaver that Elder Houghton left in the flat when he went to Coventry.  I don't actually think it looks bad, and in fact, both President and his wife told me that I did a very good job and that they were impressed. Neener neener neener. People are generally a lot more scared that I want to talk about religion than what my hair looks like.  It's kind of pathetic sometimes in fact.  Grown men that wont even look at us cause, well, possibly we're right.  Surprise! We are.

I did finally get the package.  And before we start taking digs at me, your picture, first of all, made me laugh way hard, and second, what the heck!?  You're growing out your hair?  I don't think you understand the loop that throws me through.  I have literally never seen you with long hair.  And now all of the sudden you're completely different! I'm allowed to do whatever I want to my hair, cause you are taking the same kind of artistic freedom, and messing with me too.

I have to get off for a little bit. I love you!

Thanks for the wool knowledge.  Good to know.  I'm going to be looking over the next few weeks.  I'll buy one eventually.

Do I hate the food here?  Have I ever hated food? Ever?  Nah.  The food is fine.  It's not the best.  But far from the worst.  It's just kind of plain.  But fish and chips is delicious, and absolutely dreadfully bad for you.  They deep fry the fish, and then ask if you want salt and vinegar.  Of course I want salt and vinegar.  So they bathe it in those two substances.  Chips here are fries.  I think that's common knowledge, but I'm not sure.  It messes with me every once in a while.  Fries are chips, and chips are crisps.  Get that?

We have a lot of Americans in our ward though, and they like to make us miss home with Mexican food or other american-treats.  Like tonight.  There's some one in our ward that went to California on his mission, and they're making chili dogs for us tonight.  Awesome.

Sorry that you missed me today.  You chose about the only time that I wasn't planning on being on the computers.  Germany does an hour of working out every P day, so we all get some lunch and watch him, cause we're way too lazy to get in on that.

Yeah!  Chad and Stacy!  Me and Chad actually got on really well!  He's way way funny.

Boo Philth.  What a creep.  I know that Remy is his kid, but, well, in my head, he's already given up that right.  But I have been thinking of him a lot lately.  And I've been talking to my mission president a bit about it as well.  And, even though it's not the popular belief right now, I just feel bad for him.  Not bad in the sense that I think he doesn't deserve a well placed kick to his manhood, because he does, but more because he's lost.  He's in that fog that Lehi talks about.  Forbidden paths.  I feel bad because the devil has got a good grasp on him, and he can't even figure that out.  You'd think a brain like his could.  You'd think that he'd realize that he's falling into the same traps prophesied about all through the scriptures.  God doesn't tend to deal well with those people.  Think Sodom and Gomorrah.  Ouch.  Or in the Doctrine and Covenants "Amen to that man's priesthood."  That makes cringe every time I read it.  I have to go back to my favorite hymn.  It's Press Forward Saints.  At the end it talks about Heavenly Father saying that we have Eternal Life.  Can you imagine how perfectly amazing that feeling will be?  It says it in my patriarchal blessing as well.  Right there at the end.  If that last paragraph or two was all my blessing said, it would still help me.

Everything went well this week.  People came to church and our new Hungarian girl really liked it.  And the branch just totally fellowshipped her.  (I made sure to call people the night before so that it would definitely happen.) But the branch was super awesome, and friendly.

I'm glad everything is good there.  Today is dodge day, so I could be moving, but I really doubt it.  It's really unlikely since I'm training.  But that also means I get to send a quick email on Thursday.  That's always good.

I love you guys!  I miss you a ton, and I'm getting excited to talk to you on Christmas!  You should figure out if you can put me on the big screen in the family room somehow.  Call Paul!  In fact, tell him to email me! I'd love to hear where he served and stuff, now that I know England a little better.  Same with Michael.  And Granddad. And everyone.  Just tell everyone to email/write to me.  Thanks Mom.

I lerrve yerr!

Love,

Eldeh Smaht

PS is it against the Word of Wisdom to be addicted to Nutella? Cause I am now.