Monday, July 21, 2014

I'm running out of subject lines......

Hey there Random Citizens!
    This week has consisted of a lot of things, but so does every week in the mission life. And.... ACTION!
Monday: I honestly can't remember quite what happened. I wrote some letters to people! Yeah I still wrote letters!
Tuesday: So we had a polar vortex in the middle of summer. The temperature was about mid 60s and it rained. We were with out a car and door knocking and I looked in the sky and said "Oh it'll probably rain some time this week" and well not even 3 minutes later it started to down pour! We took cover under a tree then we realized that wasn't helping so we ran to some apartment that were about 100ft away and started to door knock there. We met a young adult named Tom and he accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. He said that he would read it and we're planing on following up with him in about a week!
Wednesday: We had a district meeting and then we had to go to the mission office to work some things out. While there we talked to President Jacobsen. It was nice because he took the time to teach us things and to talk with us. I love when people take every opportunity to teach about how we can be more like Jesus Christ.
Thursday: Oh we were out door knocking at like 8:30 at night and a man answers his door is just so upset that we knocked on his door so late... it wasn't that late, but anyways, he proceeds to tell Sister Morrison and I to "Get, Get, get off my porch!" It was like the badger on Fox and the Hound. Sometimes when things like that happen you just walk away with a little giggle... I hope that isn't bad.
Friday: Totally a miracle of the week!!!!!! We were and checked on a potential named Cindy who lives in Williamston and we started talking with her about the Book of Mormon. She had read a lot of it and telling us what she had read and understood!!! She was following the plot line and everything really well!!! We read the introduction with her and she said that she new the Book of Mormon was true and the Joseph Smith was a prophet!!! She said she wasn't sure yet about the church being Christ's only church but she is willing to learn more and find out!!! It was the coolest miracle ever!!! We are meeting with her again this week! We're pretty excited about it!
Saturday: We went to a baptism for a girl in our ward! She is the cutest little thing and it was a great service! Their family is so missionary minded and at her baptism they played a video that the church put out explaining about the restoration and why we do the things that we do!! I want to be that missionary minded when I get home and when I have a family! Member missionary work is the best there is no other thing that could be greater!!!!
Sunday: Our ward mission leader was released!!!!! I'm so sad!! We had like the world's greatest ward mission leader! He is now going to be in the mission presidency but still! He'll do great things though for the mission so he'll be able to bless more then just the Williamston area!
Spiritual Thought: I was thinking about this and I thought that I would talk about what I have learned from this transfer! I've learned that the Lord qualifies who he calls and that the Lord knows what we need better then we do. I've learned a lot about relationships and learning to love people. I've been blessed to have gained so much charity for those who I have been teaching, the ward and Sister Morrison. I never knew that I could love people this much and I am so grateful that I have been able to experience it. I've learned that nothing beats hard work, diligence and exact obedience. I've learned that the gospel is truly the only thing that will bring us everlasting happiness. I've learned that the Book of Mormon brings me peace in times of confusion and anxieties. I've learned that I'm better than I think I am. I've learned that I can always give more and I promised that I would give my very best when I came on my mission and when I came into this life and I desire to give it all I have and become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church and I know that Christ lives! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love Always,

Sister Miranda Smith 

I've gots no idea!

Hey Hey Hey it's Sista Smith!!!!
  So far today has been a pretty good one!!! I've been laughing all morning and I just love my mission with all my heart!!!! So much joy! This is my joy, this is my joy, this is my joy!!!! Oh man have you heard that we are going to go through another polar vortex. We're supposed to have 2 days that are in the 60s! How crazy is that!!! Haha  Michigan I just love you so much!!!
Well here is a play back of my last week!
Monday: I honestly can't remember. I did get some watermelon which is pretty yummy!!!
Tuesday: Oh crazy story. Sister Morrison and I were door knocking and we knocked into an older gentle man and he let us right in. He asked why we were there and then we started saying we were from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he went on saying that he went there and had a calling and that he hasn't been there for a while. It turns out that his son was a member growing up and he went with him and received a calling, but was never baptized. He is now like 88 and doesn't want to change which is lame and he says he doesn't have time to meet with us. Well I guess we'll just have to go back and talk with him some more!
Wednesday: Oh man one of the bummer moments of the week. We had a lesson set up with someone that we are super excited to meet with and they shinned us.... meaning they didn't come to the appointment and didn't call saying they weren't coming. It was a bummer, but hopefully we'll be able to get in contact with her again.
Thursday: We went to see an investigator and he was pretty much going to drop us but his wife came and started talking to us and she was the sweetest person ever! She was like oh I'd love to talk with you more about the church and I've been to one of your services before and I liked it there. We're hoping to meet with them and talk more about the church and the restoration of the gospel.
Friday: We finally met with our investigator Angie again!!!! It has been like a month since we've actually been able to meet with her. She is a breast cancer survivor and she has just been getting her life back in order so we are hoping that now that she is feeling more organized and healthier we're hoping she'll have a great desire to find how to put Heavenly Father more in her life!
Saturday: I met President Jacobsen and boy is he intense!!!!! But in a really good way! He is awesome! He was a football coach for a high school in Utah and has been around teens like his entire life! He is like having a coach! We watched a sports inspirational clip and boy did it hit home! It was amazing cause he related it back to missionary work and giving your best and all that you've got while to you are here. Seriously tears almost came! It's gonna be a good 6 months left in the field! I do miss President Hess though. They had their home coming and Sister hunt sent me tons of pictures of missionaries I've served with! It was crazy and one of the best emails ever!
Sunday: Sister Morrison and I did a ton of walking. Haha we thought our planning was good and then it ended up not being as great as we thought... haha well sometimes things happen.
Spiritual Thought: Something that I've been pondering about is how hard being a disciple of Jesus Christ really is. The thing is though that it doesn't end once I come home, when I get released, but it never ends. I am always a representative of Jesus Christ because when I was baptized I promised to take upon His name, always remember Him and keep his commandments. When I think about how hard it really is going to be I just have to remember that Salvation isn't a cheap experience and that if I want that I'm going to have to work hard and always strive to be a disciple of Christ. I think about it and I think because Heavenly Father loves us so much He has given us the opportunity to become like Him and the only way to do that is to do hard things and to grow and progress. Something that I have learned though is that I can do hard things, we all can! When we look towards Christ, who gives us strength, we are able to accomplish those things that are put in our path. I'm so grateful to have a knowledge of this and a desire to do my best and be a disciple of Jesus Christ that I may be able to live with Heavenly Father again. I invite you all to ponder about how we all can be better disciples of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I love you all!!!
Love Always,

Sister Smith