Uplifted From General Conference

Familia y Amigos,

I hope your Conference Weekend was filled with answers, joy, and encouragement. I was blessed to find a television outside some offices in our building that was playing Conference in ENGLISH! It was just sitting there on, in front of a way comfortable couch, with nobody occupying it. Just a little TV that decended from Heaven to let me hear Conference in English. ;) Luckily my Companion knows English also, so we were able to watch both of the Saturday sessions there. The first session just us, and the second with the Elders that speak English after we shared with them our discovery (because everyone else was watching it in the Chapel in Spanish with Members and Investigators). Then on Sunday for the first session we watched it in Spanish, because 5 of our Investigators came to watch it as well. And then for the second session we watched it in English.

But actually my favorite talk was one that I listened to in Spanish. So I will share with you what I took from it, hopefully the meaning didnt get lost in translation. My favorite was the Sunday Morning Session by Elder Uchtdorf about Gratitude. (P.S. My spelling in English is awful now, that was the struggle during Conference when I wrote notes in English I know I spelled a lot of things wrong.) He talked of how Gratitude isnt just for when things are going good in your life, and it isnt to be linked with the quanitity of your blessings. Gratitude is to be recognized in all situations, especially your trials and short comings.

I know that is true, we should be greatful for our trials, because that makes our blessings that much sweeter. God knows what he is doing, his hand is in our lives, it is as close as we will let it be. As we apply our faith with actions, because it isnt enough to just happily hold your faith alone. We must MOVE forward with Faith, knowing that God will do his part. Our ACTION of Faith is an example of our love and trust to our Heavenly Father. And as we pair that with prayer, our opportunities are endless. With God as our Business Partner in all things, we can not fail.

And General Conference isnt meant to be ignored for another six months. The talks will all be made available on www.lds.org , so... we can read and study them, and learn even more!

Working Hard on the Ranch! Nah not really, because it was Sunday. But a recent convert invited us to have lunch with her on Sunday at her parents Ranch, inbetween the sessions of Conference.

This same member gave me and my companion these bracelets. Super sweet of her! The people in our ward here are SO good to the Missionaries! A lot of them are converts, so they love the Missionaries, because they remember the Missionaries that shared the Gospel with them, and how the Gospel has changed their lives. (Hna. is an abbreviation for Hermana.)

I hope that you are all having a Wonderful Day, and preparing for a Fabulous Week!

Pray, PRAY often. And know that God IS listening. Be patient, and willing to comprehend the will of God as well.

I Love you TONS!!!

Love Always,

Hermana Smith    

Give with a Happy Heart! :)

Little Darlings,

I hope you are all doing beyond fabulous!

One of the many lessons that I have learned since I have been on my mission is that Charity should be our first option. Me and Hermana Juarez were teaching a family, and we noticed that they didnt have food. As missionaries, of course we are not rolling in the dough here. But I cant know that someone is in need, and not help them. So when we left we took a chunk from our budget knowing that we would have less than what we wanted and we went to the store and bought them the basics and what we knew they needed. And of course, what happened that week, members, random investigators and people gave us food. I asked my companion, "You know why people are giving us food right?" She said no, and I replied "Because we gave that family all that food." Little by little we were payed back for our deed, God wasnt going to let us his missionaries go hungry. And that isnt to say that you should give, with expectations of receiving, but all will turn out in the end. So give, love, and serve, knowing that God will do his part. 

Another time a homeless man came knocking at our gate for food. Once again our cupboards are far from bursting with food. But we had, so we gave. And later that day this man randomly bought us cold drinks in the hot sun. And I asked my companion, "You know why that man bought us drinks, right?" She said no, and I replied "Because, we gave that man food this morning." It is important that we give God credit for our blessings and tender mercies in life.

My favorite scripture is Mosiah 4:24, I am not going to type it, that means you have to go look it up yourself, nice eh?!  ;)

And my favorite story of the week: We taught a lesson early one morning, so after we were going to return to our apartment. We started walking down the street and I saw a old man in the distance, he was riding a bike, with a big cart thing with wheels attached to the front with an old woman sitting in it. All I could think was, how loving of him to bike her around. We crossed the rode, I looked back at them. I had an overwhelming feeling that we needed to talk to them. So I told my companion we needed to cross back to the other side of the rode again. We began to talk to them, and jeesh talk about HUMBLE! I had an instant love for them. They opened up and told us that their only son died three months ago. The woman said that she has diabetes, and she held in her hand an empty insulin bottle. She sadly told us that it was too expensive, and she hadnt had insulin in four days. I took the bottle and wrote down all of the details, and gave it back. We gave them pamphlets for the Plan of Salvation, we got their address to send missionaries to their house since they were out of our area. And we told them where our ward met on Sundays and what time, they were so excited and said that they would come. But as missionaries well know, you tend to not believe the "I will come to church." speil, until you see it. But I knew that wasnt enough, this woman was in need. And we could help her. So we went to a Pharmacy and I bought some insulin. My companion said sweet, we can give it to them on Sunday if they come. I said yeah right, she could die without insulin. So we went back to the streets to find them, thinking they couldnt have gone too far. But my roommate at BYU used insulin, and I knew that you had to keep it in the fridge. And it was only a zillion and a half degrees this day. I have a camelback backpack, and I put the insulin in the insulated part with my water, to keep it as low of temperature as I could. And we took a bus, and took it to her house. We had beat them to their house, but left it with a relative there. And I thought that was it, we did our part, end of story. No, who came to church on Sunday and sat right be?! This humble man and woman, ready and thirsty for the Gospel!  :)

A quote that one of my MTC Teachers gave me that I love is, "When a man is starving there is no opportunity to feed him spiritually. Only when a man has been fed and clothed and his temporal needs have been satisfied, and only then can you begin to spiritualize that man." - Harold B. Lee

This is a stinkin long email. But I hope you get the point, give, if you are blessed (which I know you are), GIVE. Point blank. It doesnt have to be your money, it can be your time, your talent, or your friendship. Everyone has something that someone else is lacking, so whatever it is, split and multiply it!

Here is a picture of some Hermanas after the Relief Society Broadcast this week.

I dont know, all I think of when I see this sign is, be cautious when bacon is crossing the road.

Okay and last of all General Confrence this Weekend, HOLLA! It is like the Super Bowl for Missionaries. Mmm mmm, so pumped!!! So I invite all of you to watch it this Saturday and Sunday. It is designed for everyone. Go with questions that you need answered, go humbly, and the answers will pour out to you. My notes might be shorter, as I write them in Spanish. But it will still be as sweet as ever.

I love you all!

Love Always,

                    Hermana Smith

PHOTOS : Dreams vs Reality

Dreams = Some might think that missionaries knock on beautiful doors and people always answer with smiling faces, eager to learn. (I dont know who lives here, and I think it is actually a garage.)

Reality = You tap on the gates with a key, coin, or rock, only after being invited, the dogs bark so loud that they cant hear the taps, and they arent home.

And this isnt to say that I dont love missionary work, because sincerely I REALLY do! But it is humorous the contrast.

La La La

Hola todo,

Here is a photo of my current Zone. They are full of energy, and ready to work hard!

Okay, maybe you are in the mood for a snack sized pack of Cheetos. Or maybe you want a dog food sized bag that would fill your bathtub, everyone has different needs.  ;)

This week has been great, but the weeks are starting to fly by! So I swear I just wrote an email basically yesterday.

I had Cactus Tacos, it actually wasnt that bad, but it was mixed with other stuff also.

Oh and the picture from last week I think I said it had to do with the Deer Dance from Senora. I talked to my companion, and that is a different dance. The photo with the people in the main part of town (last week) was for Semana Santa. It is something that the Catholics do one week every year, they dress up and ask for money. That makes it sound really weird, honestly I dont know all of the details. But also, they dont eat meat at all that week. So of course I told my companion, "Thats it, we are eating with the Catholics this week!"

In my Ward we have eight Missionaries, that seems like a lot. But we have the Assistants, this new thing -the Traveling assistants, Our District Leader and his companion, and then me and my companion. And we all sang in Sacrament yesterday for part of the program.

It is getting SO hot here! But most of the time we are just happily going about our work, and we cant dwell on it. I am guessing it was 100° one day this week, but I know that in June, July, and August it can get up to 130°. And I quote my companion when I say, "The Summer here is HELL for the Mexicans, so the Americans are going to DIE!" So yeah, I have faith that I wont die, but I might just sweat every day. 

Well, just keep doing your best EVERY day! The Lord is in the details of your life, every last detail. So if you have doubts or questions, or even exciting news, converse and report with him. And he will ALWAYS have an answer. So move forward with faith, but the key is the moving part, the blessings and miracles will come after the work. A quote I love is "Work only comes after Success in the Dictionary." So work first, success second.

I Love You All!  :)

Love Always,

                     Hermana Smith

March 17, 2014

Hola,

Happy St. Patricks Day! Psh, you thought I would forget? Yeah right, I am wearing green today, and I shared to make sure that my companion had some green today also. This picture has nothing to do with St. Patricks Day, but there is a dance in Senora, its something like the dance of the deer. Ah, I dont remember what it is called in Spanish. But in the main part of the city, these people were dancing for money. Sometimes there is random things going on that I just have learned to ignore. And then I remind myself, oh yeah that isnt really normal. So, we took a picture with them.

Elder Johnson from the Quorum of the 70 came and spoke to us this past Saturday, it was super good. He kept it as an open conversation type of Devotional, which I love.

This is a picture of me and my Companion with our Zone Leaders, Elder Christensen and Elder Farrow. But today was transfer day, and now they have been moved up and are Traveling Assistants, but their home base is still in our Zone. So we are in good company. I am still with my same companion because training when you first come into the mission is for 2 transfers which is 12 weeks. But I love her a ton, so I am happy to stay with her. And yeah... my fear is I am going to come home a blonde. This sunshine is just working away all of the redness that my hair has to offer.

Hmm... yeah I dont know what else to share with you all this week. Mexico is fabulous, there is plenty of work to be done. But not just here in Mexico. So if you are saying to yourself, well yeah I dont have any friends who arent members. Well then my answer for you, is that you dont have enough friends. Ooh, dont take that too harshly. I mean it in the sense that there is a diverse world out there, so we should be friends with ALL people!  :) And dont just be a friend with a non member to convert them. I mean, expond your circle, meet new people. And if the timing is right, share with them the Gospel and the blessings that it has given to you.

I Love You All, I hope you are having great experiences in this wonderful journey of life. Smile Always.

Love Always,

                    Hermana Smith   

The Humbling Example of Alfonso

¡Hola!  :)

Okay so one of my favorite Investigators is Alfonso. I will tell you more about him later, his baptism is set in April. A mission rule is that they have to attend church 5 times before they can be baptized, because retention was bad before. So he has come once before, he is like 70, and in a wheelchair, because he was in a car accident a year ago. So we went with a member to his house to pick him up for church yesterday, and he wasnt there. Dah. So we went back to the church, some of our other investigators were there, but they dont want baptism... yadda yadda. And of course others never showed up. And then halfway through sacrament, who do I see coming through the door?! Alfonso! So we help him find a spot for his wheelchair in the Chapel. We asked him what happened. And he said, that he came the whole way by himself. Which is about 25 blocks! He is man full of faith, full of love, and he knows the Gospel is true. He is so humble, and so eager to learn, and easy to teach. I told my companion that now there is no excuse acceptable for investigators when they say they cant make it to church. If Alfonso can bring himself 25 blocks in a wheelchair in the heat, anyone can find their way here. In my moment of doubt, of discouragement, Alfonso arrived, so in that moment I sent up a prayer of gratitude, for the example of Alfonso in my life.

Like yeah... maybe even this redhead is getting a little tan from the rays of Mexico, who knew it was possible.

This is Rosario, she is 90 years old, close to 91. I greeted her one day in the street, we walked with her and she let us visit her at her house. We sang a Hymn, and read some scriptures. We have also taught her the first lesson on a visit. She doesnt seem to want to attend church, she leans more towards being Catholic. But we still visit her, and just love her. Some people think Missionaries are robots, just looking for baptisms. No, Rosario lives alone, we just make sure that she knows she is loved, and that we can help her with anything she needs. This isnt the best picture of her. If you get her to laugh, with her toothless grin and giggle, she is a hoot.

Here is a little piece of Paradise for you to enjoy. The sunset with clouds here are unreal some days.

Today I am happy, I am blessed, and I am excited and pumped to continue in the work. Know that you make a difference to those around you. There is someone out there who is alone, who needs a friend, some people just simply need a smile sent their way, be that person, be the difference in their life. And when you are found in a time of need, it can be sent back your way.

Love Always,

                    Hermana Smith 

Members Working With Missionaries

Hola!  :)

 

Mexico is great, there is a lot of work to be done here, and I find myself blessed to be a part of it.

 

Me and my Companion have a couple baptisms on date, but I will tell those stories full later. I think it is easier to tell the situation all at once, verses scattered here a little, there a little.

 

Something that is SO essential with Missionary Work, is the MEMBERS being involved as well. Currently I am in an amazing ward, the members and leaders are crucial with our success. Sometimes Members join us for lessons, and Family Home Evening as well. We have a weekly meeting with the Bishop and Leaders about who is less active, who are investigators, and all aspects of helping people in their lives. Service and Charity is one of the best forms of love. To care for the people, as people, not projects. When the Missionaries leave, who is there for them? The Members.

 

A quote that I love is, "Every time you take someone figuratively by the hand and introduce him or her to Jesus Christ, you will feel how deeply our Savior loves you and loves the person whose hand is in yours."

 

Me and my companion have been teaching a lot of old people lately. Some Elders in our District joked to us about it. And we said hey, every single person deserves the gospel, we are teaching the people that you overlooked. We have to speak loud and slow, but lets be real, with my Spanish currently, bring on the old people, speaking slow, is my kind of pace.

 

As I testify to people the basics of the Gospel, it rings more clear to me, the truth of it, and the blessing that it has played in my life.

 

So as you go about your day, appreciate the things you have, the people you know, and love a little easier. Be kind to those around you, and if you have the means to help someone, do, without hesitation.

 

I cant send pictures this week, because of the computer I am using. So just picture me now, I am like 7 years old all over again in the fact that I couldn't fit more freckles on my face if I wanted to. Ha ha.

 

This church is true, and Jesus Christ is the head of it.

 

To those that are less active, or not members, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I dont have all the answers for everything in the world. But I would be more than happy to discover them with you. And you can also look on www.mormon.org

 

Have a fabulous week!

 

Love Always,

                      Hermana Smith