Good Ole' Ganderland!

Dear Family and Friends, 

    I want you all to know that I am alive and well! The snow is up to our eyeballs and we are stuck in our apartments, but we will survive. We are doing our best to stay warm in this unfamiliar, strange weather that is going on. We are Michiganaries and the work must go on!!!!!!!! :D An't that just awesome! 

So you may or may not be wondering about the subject line. So the people in Michigan are called Ganders and so I am serving in Ganderland. True Ganders have a Michigan accent, meaning they end a lot of their words in s, so Walmart is Walmarts and how are you is Hows are yous. It's pretty great, I love it here. So this week.... 

Monday: We had dinner with a couple from the ward and they took us out to a Japanese Steak House. It is one of those places where they cook food in front of you. I ate sushi everyone!!! I ate it and I liked it!! I know crazy!!! They also gave us a ton of food. It lasted about 3 days. Yummm!!!

Tuesday: This day was so so so cold. There was an awful wind chill and Sister Whipple and I were out in the boonies!!!!! I actually started to get a headache from the cold and that is something that I have never experienced. Also we didn't talk to like anyone cause the drives are like a quarter of a mile long out there!! There was a super nice woman, the very last door we knocked on, who invited us in and gave us hot chocolate. Have you ever had a cup of hot chocolate after being super super cold. It is the most wonderful feeling in the world. Best cup of hot chocolate ever!!!!!!! 

Wednesday: We taught Austin about the priesthood and now he is preparing to receive it!! Oh funny story. We had some young men come and the deacons quorum president was there. He was trying to help Austin understand something and he said "Being a missionary is hard..." it was so funny!! We were like yeah it is!! 

Thursday: We planned Dakota's baptism which will be on Friday night and we are just so stoked!!! We also taught our new investigators Meagan and Lamont. They are awesome and we are so excited to teach them some more!!! They reacted really well to the Book of Mormon!! Also they have like a 5 month old and an almost 3 year old! We are seeing them this week and we are excited!! 

Friday: We ate at the Kim's home. They are Korean and they made awesome Korean food!! Being a missionary I have definitely broaden my horizon!

Saturday: We got Courtney's phone number!!!!!!!! He is an investigator and it is pretty great!!!! 

Sunday: Church is great. I love church. We went and saw Austin and Dakota. I love them, they are great. I am learning a lot when it comes to teaching kids. I still love them and I really want them to understand why learning the gospel is so important. After the lesson Sister Whipple said I am going to be a great mom. I was very grateful for her comment! 

I'm not exactly sure what my special scriptural thought is today..... awk. 

For your enjoyment here is a wonderful poem about being in Michigan. 

It's Winter in Michigan

And the gentle breezes blow

Seventy miles an hour,

At thirty-five below.

Oh, how I love Michigan

When the snow's up to your butt.

You take a breath of winter air

And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful,

So I guess I'll hang around.

I could never leave Michigan

'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

   I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas and got to spend time with family and loved ones! I was really cool to spend Christmas at someones home other than my family because I was able to see the different traditions that the families have. I love that we have ward families wherever we go cause it makes Christmas as a missionary a lot better. 

So this week was pretty sweet!!!

Monday: Okay super funny story! Sister Whipple and I were door knocking in an apartment complex and this woman would not open her door. We pretty much talked to this woman while she was looking at us through the peep hole! Sister Whipple was just so funny cause she just could not handle that the woman wouldn't open her door and there I was having a discussion with a door. It was pretty funny if you ask me. How cool would that conversion story be "Yeah the missionaries came and I talked to them through the door, but I really felt something." I think it would be pretty sweet! 

Tuesday: We had a zone training! We talked a lot about teaching and what it means to be a good teacher. You know something great, when you want to be a teacher and you go on a mission you learn so many things on how to be a good teacher, lucky me! That night we went to the Bishop's home along with like 3 other families in the ward and had dinner! It was pretty funny cause we started working on this like 1000 piece puzzle with some of the people there and well that was just fun getting to know the members better. 

Wednesday: It's Christmas!!! I had breakfast at the Nanny's house and that was so much fun! They gave us our own stockings with our names on them!! It was so much fun!!! Oh yeah I almost forgot, I got to talk with my family!!!! That was so great!!! I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. Something that I really enjoyed was seeing how happy Sister Whipple was when she talked with her family. It was really a neat experience. We also ate dinner at a member's house and that was great! We played this game called Wackee Six and also Spot it! They were super fun and that family is just so awesome! 

Thursday: Something that we run into a lot are no soliciting signs and there was a whole neighborhood that was no soliciting and we sadly got kicked out even though we are technically not solicitors. Lameness...

Friday: Oh my goodness this day was just crazy! Sister Whipple and I were door knocking this street and no one was receptive! It was like the scripture Alma 26: 27. Shortly we found a man named Tom and he is looking for more purpose in life! We are hoping to meet with him soon! 

Saturday: We met this man named Courtney and he is awesome! He is really into his baptist church though but! he is willing to read the Book of Mormon which like never happens! He read some of 3 Nephi 11 with us on the door step and the spirit was so strong! 

Sunday: We had this really fun Family Home Evening with a family we door knocked into like 3 months ago! It was so great! I don't know exactly how interested they are, but their kids want to come to activities and they also said they would come to church!! It was pretty great and I now have even more of a love for FHE!!!!! Families are Forever!! :D 

Oh yeah by the way I am not being transfer and I am staying with Sister Whipple. Nothing is really changing, well everyone else is changing in our district, but us. Also Sister Hunt is still my Sister Training Leader. :D 

So for my spiritual thought I would love you all to read either Matthew 5:14-16 or Moroni 10: 3-5! They are both great oh and 2 Nephi 25: 26!!! These are all great scriptures and help me a lot when teaching and knocking on doors!! 

Also something really cool that I did on Christmas was make a goal to do something for Christ. It is a little twist on a New Years resolution, it is what are you going to give Christ this year. It was really great because it helped me look at where I am now and where I want to be at the end of next year spiritually. I recommend that you all take the time to do this and write it down and keep it some where where you can see it! 

I love you all!!

Love Always, 

Sister Miranda Smith 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hey Everyone!!! 

   I hope that you are all doing well today!! I hope that you are all able to enjoy this holiday season because it is a wonderful time to be with family and remember the importance of our Savior, Jesus Christ! This season really is great when you get the opportunity to remember the true meaning!! It was crazy cause we were shopping this morning and it was packed at the grocery store and all I could think about was how crazy this wonderful holiday season has gotten! I was standing in line buying my things and all I wanted to do was say it doesn't have to be this way!! I didn't, but I did start singing a Christmas hymn and well I wanted to sing that a little louder also, but I didn't. I really hope that you remember the importance of this holiday and why we have it. It really is a wonderful time of year! 

Well this is what happened to me this week!!! 

Monday- We had a totally crazy P-day meaning we were super busy trying to get everything to fit with our time. It amazes me how even on our P-Day I still am running around trying to get things ready for the week. No time to rest, oh well! 

Tuesday- We met a young family!!! It was sweet! They let us in and they talked with us for a while. We talked a lot about church and what we do at church. I just have a love for church since I have gone on my mission and it is so wonderful and I just love it!! We are hoping that we will be able to teach them. As of now they are a potential, but at least they have potential!!!! And it is a family!!! 

Wednesday- We had a really awesome District Meeting about prayer!! We talked a lot about how we need to help our investigators understand how important it is to pray. We also talked about how they can receive an answer that the Book of Mormon is true. It was really great because I was able to look at what we I need to do to better help our investigators so that they can come closer to Christ. I love that we have this gospel and that we get the opportunity to strive everyday to make ourselves better at sharing it with others!! I also get to learn so much on the way which is really amazing!! 

Thursday- Something I love about the Midland Ward is that they are so missionary oriented! They love missionary work and they are always looking for ways to share the gospel! We had dinner with the Jones family and they were telling us about all the ways they are trying to share the gospel!!! The thing is though not a lot of people are receptive, but they still keep trying and praying for opportunities to share which I just love and appreciate so much! They are wonderful examples to me of what I want to do when I get home from my mission. 

Friday- Nothing totally amazing happened this day, but I want to tell a cool story that happened earlier this past week. So we were out finding and we have been really trying to improve on listening to the spirit to tell us what to talk about at door steps. Okay so we knocked on a door and a young man answered ( he is about our age) and I just had this thought to talk about prophets so I did and he was like "I really am interested" and he put shoes on and came outside to talk with us. He was so interested in prophets and that we have one on the earth today. They crazy thing is that a man drove into the drive way and he told us that we needed to leave like right now. I am sorry, but I was not moving, so we stayed. The guy was just really freaked out and really wanted us to leave. The man in the car got out and just walked past us and said nothing. Dillion the guy who answered the door opened the door for him and he went inside to open it and the man from the car slammed the door. Well Dillion was now inside and we didn't really know what to do, but I didn't want to leave so waited a bit and dillion came back out!!! We asked him if he wanted to learn more and come to church. He said that now wasn't a good time, but that he was really interested. I am just still thinking about him and that he just needs this gospel!!! Well that is my story, it's probably a you had to be there moment. 

Saturday- AUSTIN WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!! It was so great!! It was a little stressful cause Sister Whip and I didn't really know how to get a baptism organized, but hey it worked out!! Sister Toronjo and Dakota and a member named Anna all played a special musical number and it was amazing!! It was "When I am Baptized" and the spirit was just so strong! I loved it!! Also their dad who is not a member was there which is wonderful!!! I really hope that he felt the spirit and really felt the love that everyone has for he and his family. It has been so fun seeing him progress into where he is at now! It is such a privilege to teach someone the gospel!!!! 

Sunday- We had an amazing lesson on Joseph Smith, by the way his birthday is today the 23rd. It was wonderful and I know that he was a prophet of God and that he was the instrument in God's hand to bring forth the restoration. I love that fact that God works through imperfect people, but also that we strive so hard to be like our Savior Jesus Christ. 

I love you all and I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas!!! Don't forget to remember Christ!!! 

Love Always, 

Sister Miranda Smith

p.s sorry for the long email. 

It is Austin at his baptism!!!!!!!!! 

BRRRR!!!!!!

My mustache milk picture! 

Thanks Aunt Brandee for the gifts!!! 

Sister Whipple

Some of my two favorite nativities. Did I tell you that there was like 740 nativities and I got to count all of them!!! 

 One is of the Massai tribe in Africa and the other is from Peru and it is totally awesome!!! I loved the nativities. 

Christmas cards!!!!! 

It is Cassie and Kyle!! Cassie was baptized and Kyle is being taught! We found Cassie through Kyle!!

 Elder Hamelin and Sister Hunt!!!! Elder Hamelin goes home in a transfer! Mt. P family!!

Whelp.... I've got nothin'

Dearest family and friends, 

   Hows yous doin's? Everyone from Michigan ends their words in s. It is pretty epics. 

Monday: We went to a concert at a baptist church. This was the first time I have ever been to another church besides my own. It was very interesting. You're probably thinking is that even possible, yes, yes it is. We went with members of our ward to support their friends. We also got a lot of weird looks because of our name tags, but it is pretty awesome. 

Tuesday: Sister Whip and I door knocked a lot this day. We knocked into a lot of more experienced people and it was just really funny because we had like 5 people open the door and say "I only came to the door because I thought you were my company coming." Haha how funny. At least they got to hear just a little bit about our message before closing the door to keep the warm air in their home. Priceless. 

Wednesday: Nothing sticks out too much in my mind for this day. Oh wait! We had dinner with members and they brought one of their friends! She had a ton of questions about missionary work and about the church itself. It was pretty great, we also had a lesson about the Book of Mormon. We challenged her to read it, hopefully she does cause that is truly how we gain our testimonies, by reading the word of God. 

Thursday: I WAS IN MT. PLEASANT!!!!!!! It was so great to go back to Mt. P. I got to see Alison Alpin a less-active that I worked with. I also got to see Robert!!!!!! He is doing great! He is a now a home teacher and he has the priesthood and he is going to bless the sacrament soon!! Isn't that so amazing!!! I also got to see Cassie another recent convert that I was able to teach. She is amazing!! She goes out with the missionaries all the time and helps them teach. She also wants to go on a mission and she loves the gospel and the scriptures. She is an example to me of such strength. I feel so blessed to have been an instrument in the Lord's hand to bring my brother and sister to their Savior and this true gospel!!! 

Friday: We had half mission training!! I love trainings they are just so amazing. They really are inspired. We also had a Christmas party which was pretty great! President Hess did the oreo challenge where you have to get the oreo into your mouth from your forehead in a minute! It was fantastic!! We also had departing testimonies and they were amazing!!! RMs (even though they aren't yet.) are amazing. Don't tell them to change when they get home, yes they are totally awkward, but they have a very special spirit and I love it! 

Saturday: Sister Toronjo and Dakota Toronjo did a special musical number for Sister Whipple and I for Christmas. Dakota played the violin while Sister Toronjo sang Christmas songs!! It was so great and one of the best Christmas presents ever!! I love the Toronjos!!!!!! 

Sunday: We had a lesson on the Law of Chasity and the Word of Wisdom with Austin and Dakota so a 12 year old and a 14 year old! It was pretty great!! HaHa!! Good thing their mom had already gotten to talking about that. I guess I am just getting practice for my own children! HaHa!!! I love being a missionary!! 

Well that was my week!! I hope that you all have a wonderful week!!! I love you all so so so much!!! 

Love Always, 

Sister Miranda Smith 

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