What if He comes tomorrow?

Hola,

​I took this picture when I was serving in Hermosillo, but it was when I was on a bus heading to a Zone Meeting. It says, "Jesus Christ is Coming".

When I was taking the picture there was a young boy in front of the bus who said "What happened?!" He thought I was taking a picture of an accident or something of that nature. Which I thought was ironic. Because there are so many people who dont know that Jesus Christ IS Coming!

I dont want to be completely blindsided by the second coming. I want to be comfortable with my actions. I want to be found attending church, I want to be caught in the act of serving my neighbor. So what if he comes tomorrow. There are still signs that are lacking, so it isnt literally tomorrow. But we dont know exactly when that day will be.

So NOW is the time to prepare. I loved when the Temple President from the Brigham City Temple spoke in the Singles Ward. He said something along the lines of, "I can promise you that when the Savior comes again, your Stake Presidents and Bishops wont be in their offices signing your Temple Reccomend!" So with that being said, are you ready if he came today? Where do you falter?

Something that I have come to appreciate more since I have been on my mission is the sacredness of the sacrament. I am as guilty as the next person when there are times that I would think "Oh-kay, who did the pinch and tear method for the bread?! Nobody likes the overly pinched bread!" "Okay who brought the seedy bread?!" "Why is the cup half full of water, am I suppose to lick it out?!" Fine, maybe I am the only one who cant stay focused.

But the Sacrament is a grand priviledge that we have to Renew, and Remember our Baptisimal Covenants. That we can focus on Jesus Christ. That we can we forgiven for where we falter, and that we can work towards being better tomorrow. That we have a loving Savior who gave his life for us, so that we can one day return to him and his Father, our Loving Father in Heaven.

So... What if he comes tomorrow?! I want to be excited, not ashamed. I want to be rooting, not running.

So... let us all prepare better, TODAY!!!  :D

P.S. Elder Holland is my FAVORITE!!! Whenever I am down in the mission, I read one of his many beautiful talks. It doesnt matter if he was selling tupperwear in his talk, it makes me want to be a better person. And it gets me PUMPED!

Love Always,

                    Hermana Smith      

It rained on my non-existent 4th of July parade

Hola,

Well a lot of you know, that 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday! And no, they do not celebrate it here in Mexico obviously. But, it rained! Which usually people think that is bad. But do you know what that means?! It means that the sun wasnt out, yay!!! It was just a tiny bit of rain like probably 5-10 minutes if that, but it was a cloudy day!  :)

And I am going to steal this quote that a Sister from my MTC District sent this week,

"Even in a resurrected and otherwise perfected body, Christ chose to retain for the benefit of His disciples the wounds in His hands, feet and side - signs that painful things happen even to the pure and perfect. Pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn't love you. [It is] that problems pass and happiness can be ours." - Jeffrey R Holland

I hope that you all have a fantastic week, if your times are rough, and your luck seems down, it is time to get on your knees and thank your Heavenly Father for every blessing that you do have. I love the challenge that an apostle gave, to have a prayer purely of thanks.

Because there are a lot of times (I am just as guilty as the next person), when we just list all of our wants to God, as if it was a Christmas List to Santa. It is the time to be greatful, even for our trials. That is what gives us strength for our future, and our appreciation for the better that is soon awaiting.

Love Always,

                    Hermana Smith    

P.S. It was exactly one year ago today, that I made the decision to serve a mission. And that very day, I called to make an appointment with my Bishop. And whoo, here I am now in Mexico!  :)  It is hard work, but it is worth it. And it is rewarding to see people change into the better version of themselves that they were always meant to be.

Oh and a funny short story, this week there was this lady that we taught and she asked where I was from, I told her Utah. And she said, "I know someone from Utah, and they are a Mormon, So you probably know them!"

I didnt want to explain that me knowing a random Mormon in Utah was like knowing a Catholic in Rome. Ha ha.  :)

Lalala - June 30, 2014

Hola,

I didnt have a creative title in mind for this email, so if you know me, you know I feel blank space with noises sometimes, so there you have it.

I also dont have time to write a group email this week really. Opps. Sorry, I had to reply to the rush of Birthday and Wedding emails from last week still. But I will repent, and do better next week, eh?

And... I dont konw how to turn pictures on this computer, sorry.

This is in front of the building that is like the most famous in Caborca, and I think it is a Catholic Temple, or something like that. But yeah, I appreciate architect (spelling?).

Love you all, and I hope you have a beautiful week ahead of you!  :)

Love Always,

                    Hermana Smith