We have been so BLESSED!!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

This week has been pretty epic!! We have been just so blessed! Sister Whipple and I had so much fun and we are having a great time! 

Monday- It was Sister Whipple's Birthday and we went out and celebrated at Ruby Tuesdays with the other sisters serving in Midland. 

Tuesday- We picked up a new investigator named Andrea. She is 15 and the daughter of our other investigator Eulene! We are hoping that they will help each other progress in the gospel. 

Wednesday- We met a man named Bob and he was a pretty nice guy. He talked to us for a while and then we talked about the spirit world which is always a great topic because so many people are interested in the after life. We actually gave him a tour of the nativities this morning and we gave him a Book of Mormon. We are not sure exactly where it will go, but we know that he has been offered to learn more about the gospel and that is really what we are here to do as missionaries. 

Thursday- We taught Dakota Toronjo! We just love them! Dakota is progressing so well and she is understanding the gospel so much better! She had not concept of God before we met her and now she is understanding the covenants she will make at baptism and it is just so amazing to see the changes that the gospel can bring into someones life. 

Friday- This day was only the most epic day in the history of epicness!!!! On Thursday we received a media referral from church headquarters which does not happen too often, but we got one. This referral came from someone named Ashley and she lived like way out on the boarders of our ward boundaries, crazy thing though we had planned to go up that direction on Saturday, so what we did was just move it up a day. So we do not have a GPS so we had to use a good ole map to find this place and boy was it fun!! Anyways, they Ashley lives in a little cabin by the lake in the middle of like no where. She just got married to her husband Michael. So we got to their house and we did not know really what to expect, but we started to talk about the church and we gave them the restoration lesson. They were so excited to hear about the Book of Mormon. They have been to a ton of churches and have been searching for the right one. We invited them to be baptized and they said yes!!!!!!!! It was amazing!! These two people are so prepared and Sister Whipple and I just feel so blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to teach them! We are so excited!!! 

Saturday- We taught both Austin and Dakota about tithing! It is always fun teaching them. They are both progressing very well and Austin has his baptism coming up soon! He will be baptized hopefully on December 22!! We love them!!!

Sunday- Ashley and Michael came to church!!!!! It was awesome!! We had 4 investigators at  church and it was just amazing!!! They were also able to go through and see all the nativities. They said that they felt really welcomed and that they truly felt the love of Christ here. I was just so happy to hear that!!! 

      Sister Whipple and I are just so grateful for this week and everything that happened. Thank you all for your prayers and your personal efforts in missionary work!! 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that we can all remember the true meaning of Christmas which is Christ. We all have a Savior who loves us and is there for us. Remember to rely upon the Atonement for anything. We truly have been given the greatest gift from our Heavenly Father and we need to share that with others. I know that as we share the gospel with those we love we will be able to remember the true meaning of Christmas and feel the love of our Savior and those around us. 

I love you all so much and once again thank you for all that you do!! Keep Moving Forward!!!! Also something that I love is Do not be at ease in Zion. Remember that there is much work to be done!! 

Love Always, 

Sister Miranda Smith 

It is Christmas time!!!!!

Hey Hey Hey Family!!!!

What up everyone!!! I hope that you all are doing well and that you are enjoy the new Christmas season! 

Monday- This day was a pretty crazy P-day. We were every where just out and about and I wrote like 6 letters which is the most I have written in a while. We had a pretty great time though. Sister Whipple and I chilled in Meijer for like an hour and we printed out some great pictures of us. 

Tuesday- We went and visited a less active woman named Cheryl and we invited her to the Midland Nativity Exhibit which is this huge thing the wards in Midland put on for the community. They set up like 600 nativities from around the world and you walk through and look at them. I hear the it is so great and that the spirit is really strong there. It is a great way to start off Christmas. Sister Whipple and I also got lost on our way to a dinner appointment because we do not have a GPS. Also when you drive in snow at night is looks like you are driving through space at high speeds which I think is pretty awesome!! 

Wednesday- We have Zone Training!!! I love zone training's!! We talked a lot about having faith, which is something we can always have more of. We also talked about new ways to approach doors like saying we are disciples of Jesus Christ and that we are representatives of Jesus Christ. This gives us more power and authority at door steps which is pretty awesome if you ask me!! We are starting to see a difference already which is really great! 

Thursday- So it snowed on Thanksgiving which is epic!!! Snowflakes actually look the way they are drawn!! I saw my first snow flake!!! So cool!!!! Also we door knocked into this family and they were kind of laughing at us. They told us to wait and they went and got their Grandfather. Their Grandfather then came up to us and looked me dead in the eyes and told me that I was not Christian. I politely told him that we know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, then he told me I was wrong and that I am not a Christian. It was interesting because when he told me that I was not Christian I really stood a little taller and I was not going to be shaken. I know what I know and I will stand up for what I know. Sister Whipple and I walked away from the door and started singing 'I Believe in Christ'. It was one of those doors that help strengthen your testimony about the gospel. We also had Thanksgiving! We ate at a members home and it was so fun because they had a lot of family there and it was like being at home, just with another family. It was wonderful!!

Friday- We had a service project which was fun because we got to tie fleece blankets together for a firehouse. Also Sister Whipple and I were walking home from door knocking and it was like 23 degrees and there we are laughing and having fun. We passed a sign that told us the temperature and I said I never thought I would be this happy and it be this cold. It was pretty great!

Saturday- We walked a ton and my body was sore, but you keep on keepin' on!!! The work must never stop! 

Sunday- Sister Whipple and I were knocking apartments and we met a man named Brett!! We set a return appointment with him and we are so excited to teach him. We did not talk with him long, but he seemed like he was pretty interested so we are looking forward to see where this goes!! 

So for my thought I really want to talk about how God loves all of us. Yesterday in Relief Society we talked about this and something that stood out to me was the tender mercies that we receive from out Heavenly Father to let us know that he is mindful of us. This week Sis. Whipple and I were walking and we were tired and wanted to find a bench. There was no bench in sight so we kept on walking. I said a prayer in my heart just asking to find a bench so we could sit and find a place for us to go door knocking. Well just a few minutes later I look over and there is a bench!!! I was so excited!! It really was a tender mercy from the Lord that there was a bench there. He knew how much I wanted that bench. To some it may seem like a coincidence, but to me it was a witness that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know me as an individual and that they are mindful of our needs. I am so grateful that I have opportunities to recognize Gods hand in my life. My challenge to you is to notice all the little tender mercies that you receive this week and write them down. I promise that you will feel Gods love for you as an individual and you will be happier!!!

I love you all and I hope that you have a wonderful week this week!!!! Keep Moving Forward!!!!

Love Always, 

Sister Miranda Smith    

Midland: This was my last district!!! We decided to take a picture in our Gentile clothing!! Haha missionaries, we are hilarious!! 

                                                           Look it is my zone!!!! 

Look it is super cold!!! 

Look I dunked the ball!!! 

I am so Cool!

Mustaches!!

We found them at Target for like 3 bucks!! 

We had a nerf gun war with our district and we totally killed it, but we were the only ones with guns!!! HaHa!! 

First day of snow!!! 

It's a winter wonderland here!!!

Hey everyone!!! 

Sorry I wasn't able to email last week, the power went out because of a huge storm and we were unable to email for a long time. 

So last week there was a big storm so we had to have dinner by candle light at a members home, it was pretty awesome. We got a sweet video of it!! We aren't fully sure if it was a tornado or what, but all I know is that power was out for some people for like 4 days and it was freezing. 

So for this week!!! 

Monday: The power was out so we went and chilled at the mall for a while and then the church got power so we went over to the church and had a nerf war with our district. Sister Whipple and I totally dominated because we were the only ones with nerf guns! Haha!! :D 

Tuesday: We went and saw our investigator Eulene! She is great. She has two little kids and they are just so cute. Sometimes it is a little hard though to have lessons because they are so distracting. We are trying to figure out a way to make them better and more spiritual. Also we had dinner at Olive Garden so I got to eat yummy bread sticks and I got left overs which is great as a missionary cause then you have to buy less food! 

Wednesday: So Wednesday I was sick so we didn't really do much. We sat in our apartment and watched all the videos that are approved. Also Sister Whipple made me chicken noodle soup!!! :D 

Thursday: We had a lesson with our investigator Dakota. She is 14 and I just love her. She is so funny and acts just like a 14 year old. It makes me really enjoy teaching, but then realize how much work it will be, but it will be rewarding for sure. We are really trying to make the lessons interactive because it keeps their attention better and we like giving those lessons! 

Friday: We had a lesson with Ben. This last week Ben told us that he didn't want to be baptized which is super sad cause Sister Whipple and I were just so excited for him and we really see him as our brother. We were able to set up this lesson with him and see why he no longer wanted to be baptized. It was the first lesson where Sister Whipple and I were really bold. The thing is though it was all out of love! We love Ben so we want him to have what we have and enjoy the blessings. We have another lesson with him this week so we hope it goes well! 

Saturday: So we were out door knocking and we met this super nice woman, but she told us straight up that our religion is made up and that it isn't true. It was pretty sad to hear because I have a testimony and I know that this can bless her life and she isn't ready to accept it. I have found that when people tell me that I'm being told lies and that I should rethink what I have been taught and have come to know is true that is only gives me the opportunity to solidify my testimony of the gospel! I know this church is true and I know it blesses people's lives! 

Sunday: So we had a lesson with Austin and it was awesome! It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ lesson and we were able to make it an object lesson! We played Hot and Cold to show how the Holy Ghost speaks to us and we were able to check his understanding. I just love giving these lessons. It is hard to teach teenagers, but it really is so fun! 

Oh side note Sister Whipple and I were at a dinner appointment and members from the ward needed to be some where and so they left. Just like a minute after they left they came in and said "We hit the Sister's car". They had backed up into our car. Sister Whipple and I laughed. We're like "we are prepared for this!" I love that the mission is just so prepared for everything! I get to learn so much about being prepared for anything that may come!!! 

So I've been able to read a few conference talks and study them and it is wonderful. When I got conference it was like getting a Christmas present!! I loved it!!! I really just want to challenge all of you to read a conference talk and really study it. Take notes in the margins, highlight things you enjoy and really get something out of these talks. They are modern day scripture and can teach us so many things. I know that as we take time to study these talks and apply the things we learn that we will be able to have our testimonies strengthened and that we will be more confident in sharing the gospel with others!! 

I love you all so much and I hope that you are enjoying the nice warm weather! Oh did I tell you it snowed, well it did and it is cold, but I am still loving it!!! I hope that you all have a wonderful week and don't forget that you are all amazing people who are loved!!! 

Love Always, 

Sister Miranda Smith :D 

Michigan Storms!!!

I am pretty much out of time for emails and I'm so sorry!!! We didn't have internet for a while and we also didn't have any power to the church for a while either because a storm that happened last night. I will write you and everyone next week. I love you all so much and I will have a lot to tell you next week because it will be two full weeks! Oh also do you remember me writing about Cassie and investigator from Mt. Pleasant, well she was baptized this last weekend!!!! Yeah!! Super exciting. I didn't go to the baptism though. Well I must go!! I love you and have a wonderful week!! 

Love Always, 

Sister M. Smith 

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