Dear Family and Friends,
The time has come for the weather to
start to change and for the long sleeves to come out from hiding, for the
leaves to start to change, and to look like a dragon breathing smoke because of
the brisk fall air. Yup, that's right my friends fall is in the air and Sister
Smith refuses to put on warmer clothing to admit to the fact that winter is
just around the corner. If only my memory could be blocked of that cold, dark
winter we had last year. I'm soooo grateful that as a missionary we receive
strength beyond our own!
Monday: Oh man we had a good ole' time playing at the
park with some members!! It was so much fun to play games with the members! No
worries we did it on our own p-day time not after P-day was over! One of the
best p-days ever for sure!
Tuesday: We had a lesson with Albert our recent
convert and he is doing so great! We just love him so much! He is reading
in 3 Nephi and he is so excited to get to the part where Christ comes to the
people in the Americas.
Wednesday: We got to see the Martinez family which
was great! They are really great to teach and we had a member there is it was
wonderful! Members are so important they really help everything so much! I love
it!
Thursday: Sister Jordan and I went to see a
less-active member and she was feeding us lunch. She had to leave while we were
having lunch to visit a neighbor who had a family member pass away that
morning. It was kind of funny cause Sister Jordan and I sat there for a moment
and we started to laugh because we were in this woman's home and she had left
us while eating lunch and it was just another awkward moment in the life of a
missionary. Well it sounds like it is a you had to be there moment.... I feel
like a lot of the stories I tell are those, but I hope you still enjoy them
anyways.
Friday: Oh my soul! Sister Jordan and I had all these
people just pour their souls out to us and it is crazy! I have no idea why
people feel like they can just tell us everything that is going on in their
life. I think it's because they trust us. I feel very privileged that people do
trust us that much. Being a representative of Jesus Christ is a wonderful
opportunity and I feel very blessed to be able to be here for Heavenly Father's
children to help them out.
Saturday: We had a lesson with our investigator
Tracy. She really is so sweet and we love her to death! She has been
investigating the church for about 10 years now. It seems likes everything is
against her when it comes to coming to church. People in the church she attends
to now aren't kind when she talks about the church. She is so funny though
because she takes a copy of the Book of Mormon to church with her and she says
everyone just stares at her. She is so close to coming to church and she has
come before she just needs to do it again. Oh Tracy! Sometimes loving people is
really hard. Parents you probably understand better than I do but you know how
if feels when you want your kids so badly to do what is right, but the
opposition comes and your kids may not make the right choice well that's how I
feel when our investigators don't keep their commitments. You know with all
your heart that it will bless them but they don't do it. It is so sad! Charity
is rough stuff!
Sunday: We finally got in contact with our
investigator David Mook!!!! He has been super busy with a bunch of stuff (which
seems to happen when you meet people who are prepared!) We have an appointment
set up with him for tomorrow and we are pumped!!! Yeah for teaching people
about the gospel!!!!
Spiritual Thought: I have been thinking a lot this
week about how important it is to live the gospel everyday of our lives! We
can't just be complacent in the gospel we have to be working towards becoming
better everyday and we can only do that by living it everyday. When we pray,
read the scriptures and attend church and do the small and simple things we are
going to be blessed greatly. 2 Nephi 31: 19-20 Talks about how after we are
baptized all is not done but that we must press forward and endure to the end
and "behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." I
know that when we follow the teachings of our Savior Jesus Christ that we can
prevent hardships and trials that come our way and when they do, cause they
will at some point, we'll be able to get through them and grow and learn from
our trials. I love you all and hope that together we can all endure to the end
so that we'll be able to see each other in the Kingdom of Heaven! In the name
of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love Always,
Sister Smith
