Hola Family!!!!

Hey Family!!! 

Well this week has been pretty awesome and we are enjoying the lovely weather here in Midland, Michigan! We had a wonderful Stake Conference with Elder Golden this week and we have just been so blessed by our Heavenly Father! 

Monday: Well fun story! Sister Whipple and I get the opportunity to email in the family history center along with the rest of our district which makes for a very exciting emailing session! Our district is so funny and I just love them all and it is going to be so sad when transfers come! We love them! 

Tuesday: We got kicked out of a place for proselyting which is pretty lame, but it is okay. We also had dinner with this awesome family who lives way out in the middle of the no where, but we had burgers and I just love eating burgers. We also had a lesson with Eulene and we are still trying to figuring out where she is at spiritually and we really hope that we might be able to help her set a baptismal date. She has made a few dates and hasn't reacted them so we are really having to rely on the spirit which is something we always should be doing. 

Wednesday: We taught Ben a lesson and the lesson was the Law of Chasity! That lesson is always so fun to teach! Luckily Ben had already read like all about it in the Gospel Principles book so that is pretty great and makes for a more understandable lesson. He also is reading the Book of Mormon everyday which is awesome! It's so great to see the progression that Ben has made over this last transfer! 

Thursday: Oh man I was on trade offs with Sister Hunt!!! I love being able to serve with her for a day!! We were pretty much finding the entire time, but it seriously was so much fun! It was like we hadn't even been apart for weeks! I was also able to learn from her which is pretty awesome cause she trained me! We used a method called C.A.S.H which is to compliment, ask a question, smile, and offer help! It totally works! It makes people so much more open to talking with us! I love finding! I think it is so fun getting to know more people and that they are all from different backgrounds which is pretty epic if you ask me!! I love Sister Hunt and finding!

Friday: We had a dinner which a family and they were celebrating their daughters 7th birthday and the theme was cowgirls and it was awesome and I loved it! There was great cake too! We also had a lesson with Dakota and she set a baptismal date which is great!!! Her date is February 22 and we had a great lesson with her!! 

Saturday: We had the adult session of Stake Conference and Ben was able to come and meet Elder Golden! the conference was about missionary work and a recent convert who I got to teach, Devin, was asked to come up and talk about his conversion. Then everyone who was part of his conversion had to come up and it showed how not one person effects the life but many are need to help the work move forward! It was really awesome and Devin is a great person so it was awesome to see that! 

Sunday: We got a new Stake Presidency here! The bishop from mount pleasant is the new stake president and i know his two counselors! I've eaten dinner at all the of the stake presidencies houses! It was pretty awesome cause I can't completely remember getting a new stake presidency so it was really cool seeing that!!! Isn't this gospel just so true!!!! 

Okay so Elder Lansing gave a talk at stake conference and he gave us 4 steps to sharing the gospel with others and I'd like to share those with all of you! When asked a question about the gospel these are the steps to replying to their question. 

1) Say thank you

2) Give a simple answer

3) Give a soft testimony

4) Invite them to come back with other questions

Isn't it crazy how simple that sounds, but when it actually come to sharing the gospel it is so much harder! I have such a testimony of sharing the gospel. I must admit I was not the best at sharing before my mission, but as I prayed for opportunities they came and as soon as I opened my mouth it was filled D&C 84:85 and D&C 11:21! I rely on this promise all the time! I know that I am weak and I need to rely on the faith that I do have that as I do what I am asked the lord will fulfill his promise, D&C 82:10! Aren't scriptures just great! I love them! I know that as we share the gospel we will be blessed and have great joy, D&C 18: 10, 15-16! 

Have a wonderful week and I love you all! Keep sharing the gospel and praying for missionary opportunities! 

Love Always, 

Sister Miranda Smith 

Address: 

5220 Hedgewood #804  Midland, MI 48640

This one is of me and all the other sister smiths in the mission! Super funny that we were all in the same 1/2 mission! 

This one is of my mount pleasant family! that is my ward mission leader and his wife! Tommy and Chelsea May! 

This is my Mt. Pleasant family who I just love! 

pretty scenery 

Pretty Rainbow cause it rains here so much! 

Me and Sister Whipple bowling! So fun! We're bad at bowling, but that's okay! 

My wall in front of my desk. I love it! 

I bought a cactus because I love them and it was pretty! It reminded me of home! 

Me all ready for the cold weather! Getting bundled! 

Hola!!! Four Months baby!!!

Hey Family and Friends,

I hope everyone is doing well and that they enjoy the holiday festivals! 

Monday: I wrote letters and I was able to spend some time with my district cause we are all in Midland which is totally awesome! It is super fun serving close in our area cause it makes the district closer! 

Tuesday: Sister Whipple and I have been doing tons of finding this week which has been a different experience. We have been trying to find ways to work on our Door Knocking skills. We are really just trying to stay positive and keep moving and doing the Lord's work in the Lord's time. 

Wednesday: We had dinner with a family and they invited a friend over which is awesome! We were able to teach her about the restoration! She isn't really too interested but that is okay someday she will be! Also the food there was great! The members here in Midland feed us so well it is crazy!! I am totally going to need to exercise more! Haha!! 

Thursday: Happy Halloween!!! We had interviews with President Hess! I love when I get to see President! He always helps me feel better about things and he is so great! We also had district meeting!! I love learning from other missionaries because they know exactly what we are going through! My district leader is awesome also! He has only been a member for 2 years! He has been a full time missionary for more time than he's been a regular member! So cool!!! Also we made homemade pizza for dinner which is awesome! Oh and we raked leaves which has actually been like the first time I've raked leaves and they were wet which made them heavier, so it was a great work out! 

Friday: We went and saw Eulene. She is our investigator and she is awesome! Missionaries have been working with her before I even went on my mission and she has had like 3 baptismal dates, but I have faith that she will be baptized! She has a 17 month old and a 2 month old so her house is very busy. Our lessons are usually short because she has to be moving around with her kids, but she is great! 

Saturday: We attended a wedding and a baptism!!! Ben was able to come to the baptism which is great because it is always good when investigators get the chance to see a baptism before they are baptized. The wedding was for our investigator Robert! It was actually the first time I met Robert and he seems like a great guy and that he really wants the gospel. We have really been blessed with such great people to teach.

So for my spiritual thought! So I love the story about Christ asking Peter if he loves him. Elder Holland talks about this story in one of his talks and he tells it wonderfully! So the reason I love this is because it says "If ye love me feed my sheep!" If we truly love Christ we will feed his sheep. Every single time I hear this phrase I think about how much I want to show Christ that I love him and how much I need to work at being a better missionary. I know I have much to work on and improve, but I love my Savior and I want to show him that I do by feeding his sheep! The story is in John chapter 21 and you can hear Elder Holland talk about it. I just love that story so much! 

I love you all and I hope that you are doing well and enjoying life! Keep being great member missionaries!!!!! 

Love Always,

Sister M. Smith 

Super Fun!!!! Go Missionary Work!!!!!

Hey family and Friends,

How is it going?? It is cold and rainy and hailing here, but it is still so much fun!! Only as a missionary can you ride a bike in rain, sleet and hail and still have a smile on your face!! By the way hail hurts... :D 

So this week has been pretty everywhere, but as a missionary you don't really have normal weeks. 

Monday: We went bowling on P-Day! It was super fun and we are all pretty bad at bowling! That's okay though because we are better missionaries then we are bowlers. 

Tuesday: We went finding a lot on Tuesday which is pretty awesome. We also had a great lesson with our investigator Ben! He is now on good terms with the Bishop which is awesome because not many people get that! 

Wednesday: We went finding and we met this really nice lady who has like no religious background, but has the kindest heart. She was so sincere and she is so close to having the gospel in her life! She really needs it! Her name is Josie and she was so kind to us!! Finding people always brings such different experiences, some good some bad, but the good ones always stick out more! 

Thursday: We had a lesson with a woman named Francine. She really knows missionaries and knows quite a bit about the church. She is super faithful and loves missionary work. She believes in prophets and that the Book of Mormon is more scripture to us. She wants us to come back tomorrow and talk to her grandchildren about being ladies which is pretty awesome! 

Friday: We had a lesson with Ben again and this lesson we totally fantastic!! I loved it! It's lessons like these why being a missionary is so wonderful! So our lesson with Ben was about the Godhead and the spirit was so strong during the lesson. Sister Whipple was asking wonderful, inspired questions and we invited Ben to be baptized and he said yes without hesitation. This is huge because we have invited Ben multiple times and he has always had a concern and this time he didn't!!! We were also able to promise him the blessings that his family would still love him and care about him and that they would accept the gospel and be baptized! It was so amazing to feel the spirit work through you! I was hesitant to tell him the promise, but the spirit pretty much forced it out! It was really cool to see that happen and be a part of it! Ben has a set baptism date of December 1st so pray for him that he will make it and that his family will be okay with his decision! 

Saturday: We had a meal with the Lovells who are awesome member missionaries! They are so awesome! They are always wanting to help the missionary work move forward!! They are examples of what I want to be when I get home! 

Sunday: Ben came to church!!!!!! This is huge for Ben!! Missionary work is so rewarding! We've had a really great week and we have also had a hard week, but when you look at the positive side everything is so much better!!! Count your blessings, right?? 

Well have a wonderful week!!!

Love Always, 

Sister Smith

Sister Smith's Address:

5220 Hedgewood #804  Midland, MI 48640

The Cold Has Come!!!!

Hey there Family and Friends!

   Well let me tell you, I was not prepared for this cold! HaHa! This wind chill is fantastic and it makes you feel so alive!!!! HaHa! It's all about the attitude :D! 

Well anyways... this week has been another great week!

Monday: Sister Whipple and I had a wonderful time rearranging the apartment to make it a little bit more roomy. I'm telling you missions give you so many life experiences it is crazy. We also went shopping and did all of our P-Day chore things. Oh my goodness 6 quarters for a load of laundry and that is just for the washing and lets not forget another 6 for drying. Maybe this is normal, but if it is, they are robbing America of quarters. Like I said many like experiences. Haha! I love it!

Tuesday: I got to have dinner with a wonderful member who took us to Ruby Tuesdays. I have missed yummy hamburgers like that. Also don't worry I am being feed so much... I will never go hungry again....

Wednesday: We taught our investigator Ben. I just have so much hope for Ben! I know that this gospel will bless his life! He just has a few things that he needs to over come with the Saviors help, but I really can see that potential he has.

Thursday: We had Zone Training! I love when the zone gets together. It is like seeing your extended family after a few months, even though we see each other more often than that. I got to see Sister Hunt and Elder Hamelin, my Mt. Pleasant family, which was awesome! In our zone training we talked about how we can become more diligent missionaries; which came just in time for the cold weather for Sister Whipple and I. She is from St. George where it is also warm, so winter will be so fun! We also talked about how important church is for us and for our investigators. Zone training's are a great way to see what you can improve on!

Friday: We had dinner with an investigator and made yummy Halloween cupcakes! It was so much fun and we really enjoyed spending that time with our investigator and her kids. We have been working with her for a long time and we really hope that she will keep progressing.

Saturday: Sister Whipple and I did a lot of finding that day... and it was a pretty good experience. We really had to show diligence, but we were able to meet a really nice woman who has had wonderful experiences with the LDS community.

Sunday: I got to see President and Sister Hess!! They came to our ward and it was so great to see them. Seeing them is like seeing your parents! I just love them so much and it was a great surprise to see them!

So for my thought today, I'd really like to talk about a talk called "His Grace Is Sufficient" This is an amazing talk given by Brad Wilcox. It is in the September Ensign I believe. I would recommend reading it and studying it. Like actually study it and think about how it pertains to your life. I actually did it for some of my study this morning and it was great. So that's actually what my thought of the day is. If you do it, you won't regret it! :D

Have a wonderful week everyone!!! Remember Every member is a missionary!!! Keep Moving Forward!

Love Always,

Sister M. Smith 

Onward to Midland!

Hey Family and Friends!!!

    I have been transferred to Midland! It is different and a lot bigger than my little Mt. Pleasant. There are a ton of trees it is crazy!!! I do miss Mt. Pleasant and Sister Hunt, but my work there was done and now I have work to do in Midland. It is hard don't get me wrong, but I really have to put my trust in the Lord because he knows better than me. Sister Whipple is great and I am going to enjoy serving with her. The ward is also very great and they love missionary work. I also get fed like all the time!!! Sometimes twice a day. I'm definitely going to need to exercise more.

    ROBERT WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!! I was able to attend Robert's baptism! It was so exciting and I just love the feeling I got while I was there. I am so excited to see him progress and move forward in the gospel! He is a wonderful man and he is and will be very blessed.

Monday: I packed all my stuff, which was a lot. Luckily I was not on the transfer van or else I'd probably would have had to leave some things behind. It was a good last day in Mt. Pleasant. We had a good time and we made cookies like we did every Monday!

Tuesday: Transfers!!!! I was transferred to Midland. It was really sad, but happy. I still get to see the people I love cause I'm not too far away and I'm still in the same zone. It was Elder Webb's last day and it was sad to see him go, but luckily he was able to make to Robert's baptism on Saturday with his family.

Wednesday: We drove a lot on Wednesday. I learned that budgeting miles is hard when your area is big and you have a lot of people out in the boonies, but you learn as you go. Hopefully we don't run out of miles by the end though or else that would be not good.

Thursday: We knocked into a woman named Carole Kiminski and we have a lot of hope for her. Her husband died about 10 years ago and she is still having a hard time with it. She kept wonderful if there was an afterlife and we just kept bearing testimony that there was. We are planning on seeing her this week and following up. We really want to meet with her!

Friday: We had a lesson with Ben Nowack and he is 22 years old. Sister Hunt and Sister Whipple actually door knocked into him while on trade offs like first transfer. He has some walls up that needs to ask Heavenly Father to help take down, but I really feel that he has so much potential. I really feel like he is seeking for the truth and this is where he can find it. The spirit will really have to work with him and with us, but i have faith that he will move forward and progress.

Saturday: I went to Robert's baptism!!! Yeah!!! It was amazing!! I was so happy, nothing really can describe the feeling of knowing you were tool in the Lord's hand helping to bring this person to their Savior and Heavenly Father. He is be awesome!!!

Sunday: We walked a lot to save on miles because we are running short. It was also my first day in the new ward. It is crazy being in a new ward. You have to meet more people and everything like that, but it is an opportunity to get to know more of my brothers and sisters. It is going to be great working in Midland!

      So for my spiritual thought. The Lord really helps us as we pray for it. I've really had to pray for help to get used to the new area and the new ward and I have really started to rely more on my Savior in helping me to over come my weaknesses. I have such a desire to serve in this area with all my heart, might, mind and strength. My heart can't be in Mt. Pleasant. I've really learned that the Lord will help us in our righteous desires. Prayer is such an amazing thing and it really bring me great comfort to know that I have a Heavenly Father who hears them and who cares about me. I know that the Lord knows each and everyone of us and knows how to succor (run to the aid of) us. I feel so blessed to have a knowledge of these things and that I get to share that knowledge with others.

Love Always,

Sister Miranda Smith 

General Conference!!!!

Hey Everyone!

I hope all are doing well this fine week! I hope that everyone was able to listen into General Conference! So transfer calls were on Friday and I found out that I am being sent to Midland which is 26 miles from Mount Pleasant and I am in the same Zone! I get to go on trade offs with Sister Hunt because she is my Sister Training Leader and we get to have meeting together so I will have the opportunity to see her often and she will call me every week to see how we and the area are doing! My new companion's name is Sister Whipple and she is awesome! She has an amazing testimony. She and I cam out the same time and we have worked with one another on trade offs so it is nice already knowing who I am going to be serving with! It'll be a great transfer!

Monday: We ate the Melton's, a family in the ward, and we ate Philippine food! It was pretty good. They also have little kids and they had their pokemon cards out so I got to talk pokemon with Elder Webb, Ben (10) and Spencer (7). It was a great conversation! Kids are the best. I'm pretty sure I'm a kid at heart! :)

Tuesday: I was actually in Midland, so the place where I will be serving the next 6 weeks! I was with Sister Whipple, so my new companion. Midland is such a gorgeous place especially with all the changing leaves. I hear wonderful things about the ward and area there also so I am excited to serve there!

Wednesday: So being on a campus has it's ups and downs. One of the ups is that we got to go to a philosophy club and talk about the gospel with them! It was so cool! I didn't say too much, but I did bear some testimony which is always a good thing. The Elders were also there with us so it was cool to see them explain the gospel. It was interesting teaching/explaining the gospel to people who don't really believe there is a god. It was a good testimony builder that this is the true gospel and that we do have a loving Heavenly Father who knows us!

Thursday: We did service and helped paint a member's garage. That is always fun! We also had a lesson with Cassie! Cassie is our investigator who is 18 and she is just searching for truth. We taught her the Plan of Salvation. This lesson went so well and the spirit was really guiding it. We read the scripture Mosiah 24:15-16 and that really hit her. We then asked her to be baptized! She has a baptismal date for November 2nd! We are just so excited for her!

Friday: We had transfer calls and we also went to this BBQ at a member's house! It was great! There were so many people there from the ward and it was great food! It was raining though which is a bummer, but the kids loved it! Robert also came which is great! It is great seeing him become more comfortable with the ward members.

Saturday: General Conference!!!!! GC is pretty much like Christmas for missionaries! I was looking forward to it all week!!! I just love love love the insight that we are able to get from GC! The leaders are so inspired and they truly love all of us and the Lord!

Sunday: Another wonderful day!!! I love knowing that we have a prophet on the earth today who is here to help us become closer to our Savior and Heavenly Father.

The spirit is the best teacher. The Holy Ghost is what helps teach to your needs and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful gift! It really is a gift from our Heavenly Father and I pray that I will be able to listen to the promptings given to me and do what I have been asked to do, not just as a missionary, but for the rest of my life. The Holy Ghost really is a guide and can give us strength and comfort when we need it most. It saddens me that I took it for granted a lot of my life and especially when I needed him most, but I am grateful that we have the chance to change and become better each and everyday. I love you all so much and I hope that we can all listen to the still small voice that is there to teach us and guide us along our paths. Have a wonderful week!

Love Always,

Sister Miranda Smith 

P.S My new address will be: 5220 Hedgewood #804  Midland, MI 48640

      I will be transferred tomorrow morning! :D

They took these Pictures this morning :) October 7, 2013

 "Deodorant"

"Silly Sisters"

Sister Smith & Sister Hunt :)

No Car Week!!!!

Dear family and friends!!!

How are all of ya'll doing?? I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying every day! This week has been an adventure just like every other week!

Monday: We had a lesson with Robert and it went well! We watched talks from last session of General Conference! It went really well and we are just so excited for Robert and we pray that he will keep progressing and feeling the spirit!!!

Tuesday: Sister Hunt and I drove to Midland... again. We also gave up our car Hona. It was a sad departure. Hona was such a great car. She was so great at getting us to the places that we needed to go. We've really missed her.

Wednesday: FIRST DAY ON BIKES!!!!!!!!!! Yes!!!!! Sister Hunt and I had to bike to the church and get to district meeting. Oh yeah biking in skirts isn't the most pleasant thing you can do... Oh funny story! On our bike ride back from a lesson I was riding my bike and these bikes are kind of old and rusty, well I went up this tiny hill and my handle bars came off my bike!!! It was so funny! I fell off my bike and into some dirt! Luckily a nice older gentleman saw and he put the handle bars back on. I feel pretty bad though cause after I fell we called the Elders and Elder Webb had had a dream the night before that one of us got hit by a car while biking. So when Sister Hunt called saying I had fallen he started to feel really bad, but no worries everyone is good and I only have a few bruises. Latter that night we also had an awesome lesson with a girl names Sarah! She is willing to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it!

Thursday: Sister Hunt and I had apartment checks. Lets just say ours was super clean and we got a star! Woo-Hoo! It's great to be clean and organized!

Friday: We had a lesson with a girl named Cassie! We just love her! She is so prepared to receive the gospel at this time! She has been struggling and she is learning to pray and ask questions and for help! It is awesome and we really look forward to teaching her more and hope that she progresses!!!

Saturday: The elders are running low on miles so this day we did bike trade-offs. The elders got the bikes this day so that lead to Sister Hunt and I walking 9 miles. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but it does take a lot of time from your day to walk places. We were also able to go to the RS Meeting! It was amazing! Wasn't it!! If you weren't able to watch it, I recommend taking some time to watch it cause it will really bless your life and your family's!

Sunday: Sister Hunt and I walked to church and while we did we sang hymns the entire way! It was pretty fantastic!!! We also had an investigator named Alexis come to church even though her friends and family don't really approve! Sad, but awesome at the same time.

So for my spiritual thought. In district meeting we learned that what we believe effects our behavior which will reflect our experiences. This is so true especially as a missionary. What you believe and your attitude towards it really effects how things turn out. I know that as we have positive beliefs about ourselves, work and others that it will effect our lives in a more positive way!

This is a sweet diagram that Sister Hunt made to show the correlation! Isn't she just the best! :D

Keep doing great work and don't forget 'Every Member a Missionary" Pres. David O. McKay!

Love Always,

Sister Miranda Smith

* Sorry I couldn't pull up their diagram....