Be here at 11. Oh, and bring all your bags

I was transfered this week. Haha hence the subject. I guess it was probably the plan all along. My new companion was hit by a tricycle a few weeks ago and they weren't sure when she would return so yeah. I am now in the Urdaneta 2nd ward. We are opening an area so it's crazy at times but also such a blessing. I needed a random unexpected change I guess. 

My new companion is Sis. Untang. She's astig (note from mom: cool, awesome). Her family are all Muslim and they are pretty cool from what I've heard. Her favorite color is the same as mine. She likes skateboarding and tacos. And she loves You are My Sunshine. Which is like one of my favorite songs. 

Happy Pioneer Day. It was really (not) exciting here haha :)

My new area is really beautiful. There are a lot of fields and it's pretty. The part that is out of the city anyway. 

We have some great new investigators. One is my brother's age and it just makes me want to help them so much when I relate them to those I love. I am so grateful for the opportunity to bring a little light into their lives. Jesus Christ IS the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 

One exciting part of the week. We found a place with Mexican Style tacos. That is a taste I've missed.

We also have a lot of cockroaches... wooo. 

One thing I've been thinking of this week, this world is a battle right now. I found a lot of quotes and ideas in my studies this week that were related to that. We are in a battle between evil and good. We all chose to be on the same team before this life, so we need to work hard to stay on the same team. If a player on your team got confused in the game would you let them help the other team? No :) So lets get together and let our Captain guide our actions. 

Also I came across a story about the last prophet, Pres. Hinckley. He was asked once in an interview if he really believed the story of Joseph Smith. He answered "Of course I do. That's the miracle." As I have pondered this story, I realized that is the miracle. We didn't see it happen but the fact that all of us can receive a spiritual witness of it for ourselves IS a miracle.

Focus on your small successes and be aware of all the small blessings.

Mahal ko kayo.

--

Sister Smith

Interesting side note from mom:

Just a week or so ago, I was reading the blog of a senior missionary couple in Urdaneta. I read about a sister missionary who had been hit by a tricycle, and the story really interested me. Lo and behold, my daughter ends up being her companion. Small world, isn't it?

From Elder and Sister Roberts (http://elderandsisterroberts.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-rainy-season-manila-temple-our.html):

Our Mission President's wife, Sister Deyro called to see if we could go to a Manila Hospital to take the suitcase of a Sister Missionary who broke her arm getting hit by a tryke - driver who was drunk.   (Our ok to go to Manila had been granted the day before).
   
   Then we learned she already received her suitcase.   

We wished we could go see the Sister at the Hospital.  But too far, too long...

After the Temple session, we met Elder Anderson, He is over all the Philippines Sr. Couples.  He said the injured Sister was at the MRC (Missionary Recovery Center) across the street from the Temple where we were!

We saw two  of our Sister Missionaries there.  What a blessing to see they are improving. Our tender mercies...

Letter to Mom & Dad (Nanay at Tatay):

Nanay at Tatay!

I miss you and love you. I am so happy you are my parents.

 Here are answers to your last letter (with the INSTA book! :)

I don't need you to send more scriptures. That stresses me out to decide who to give them to.

It takes about 12ish days for letters. the insta package took 9 days. but sometiems they take a long time to give them to me. 

Tagalog is hard

I don't know if Sis. P ever got any letters. You can email her!

I get letters from Shanna Wheeler sometimes, grandmas, Michael sometimes. 

My new companion speaks okay english. SHe's awesome. 

 

My clothes are all pretty good. The worst are the most expensive. sayang diva? (note from mom: alas, right?) It's okay though. I wear the tshirts from sis J's mom and they are the best. I bought myself a shirt for my 6 months. I wish I would have brought more shorter skirts. I'll let you know if I want you to send clothes. 

Tell tyler there is NO WAY i can watch the cokevillle miracle on my mission ahah.

Keaton going to USU makes me cry. 

Sunrises and sunsets are sooo great. :) I love what you said about sending them back and forth.

I am grateful I got emergency transferred because it gave me a chance to start fresh and new. IT's been really good for me. 

I was thinking about Grandma HOwell dying right before my mission and I realized maybe it was so she could be here in the Philippines sometimes. (note from mom: This makes me cry every time I think of it. My grandma and grandpa served a mission in the Philippines, and I think Aubrey is right... they would be there helping her as much as they could. <3 )

Oct 1996 ensign is good. 

Well. that's about it. I love you.

--

Sister Smith

Also I Talked in Church Yesterday

Hello everyone!

This has been another good week of growing. I am grateful for the many opportunities to grow here on the mission. 

This will be short because we took a survey that took awhile today :) 

One thing is that it has been sooo rainy. Almost three weeks. Now it's hot again. The rain isn't too bad except everything smells like dirty rags ;) And I fell in the mud only once. 

A new transfer is starting. Sis Nolido is still here. We expected her to transfer but we are happy to have another transfer together. 

I worked with a new American sister one of the days this week. It was fun. It also reminded me of my first day.That was really scary. And it gave me an opportunity to see that my tagalog HAS improved a little.

One of our investigators is a 10 year old. Her family are members. Last week we had 2 funny experiences. One, we asked what prophets they remembered. Her answer was Satan. We had a good laugh. She also chose me to say the closing prayer? Why? because she likes my tagalog. Her parents say she talks about the way I talk a lot. I'm sure people get good laughs over me. 

Although one of our investigators we were excited about dropped us, we started teaching a new family this week and they are really great. The husband always pretends to be busy but puts a chair close to us and then at the very end of the lesson joins in and asks questions and stuff. It's funny. 

This week was hard. But seeing the changes in myself and in others is so good. 

The mosquitoes have been terrible. even though I use repellant, I counted around 50 bites on my legs. Yay! I have never been really bothered by bugs..but this week we had ants, mosquitoes, termites, flies, moths, beetles, cockroaches, spiders. Lots of little friends. 

Well, I love you all!t Thanks for the support. 

Quote- 

Our lives cannot be faith filled and stress free. Neal A Maxwell.

He talks about how we can't say "Lord, give me experience, but not pain or sadness or betrayal- all the things that made You who You are." 

Although we have trials, with faith, we will become like Him.

Also I talked in church yesterday. 

Bye!

-- 

Sister Smith

to Mom & Dad:

Tomorrow is my 6 months. Yesterday was my half birthday. Time is pretty fast. I was hoping things would be easier at this point but I am seeing now things probably won't get easier but I am getting stronger and I will be stronger. 

Last week I bought an umbrella, so far so good. Also I got a silver chain for my medallion and I think it makes my neck itch. But I did wear it for like 60 hours so maybe it was too much.

I would love some liquid bug spray if you send anything in the next while.I can wait, but the bug spray here is kindof crap.

I am feeling like I can do it. The Book of Mormon is awesome. Food is awesome. Being busy and teaching is awesome.

Another LA died. Also the first one that died, we are pretty sure their family (not members) thinks we somehow caused it. So that's fun.

I got the letter with the poem, that's good. I also got the package from Gma Howell. I don't have time to send a seperate email so tell her it was perfect and I loved it and I love them. 

We did a fast yesterday as a companionship and I feel like it will help our area. Personally I felt like church gave me some insights too. 

Well I will finish with a thing Jeffrey R Holland said in a talk I listened to. He was talking about the Savior and us being pushed to the limits. It is much better in his voice. 

"Come to the edge, he said,

No, we'll fall. 

Come to the edge, he said,

No, we'll fall. 

Come. to. the. edge, he said

We came to the edge, 

He pushed us and we flew."

I am trying daily to take baby steps to the edge. I feel like I am getting closer to flying even though it's scary. 

I love you, 

Aubs

p.s. I think you all said you sent me letters forever ago, but I haven't gotten any. I think sometimes the mail is weird...like I got one from michael this week that said it arrived in urdaneta a month ago. So hopefully soon. lOve you 

--

Sister Smith

Hellllllllo from the rainy Philippines

Pics

Weekly letter

We had a cooking fest for our zone activity

Me and sis Jenkins

Me and Sis Nolido

Our district

I think that's all. I had a few more but it's not letting me upload them. 

Love you all.

--

Sister Smith

letter to mom & dad:

HEY. I miss you alot. Like you would think it  would stop but it doesn't.

I didn't get mail for 2 weeks but today they passed it out. I don't know which it is but I'm excited to read it. 

I got an umbrella a while ago. It was real cheap and I know why. Maybe I will have to just fork out more money and get a nice one. I should have had mom send a totes umbrella a long time ago. Also if you send any packages just send a few socks like for flats. I need more and they are all tiny here. Don't rush though I usually have to take them off anyway because it's raining. 

I tried to help a little girl with her math this week. She was suposed to do long division but she didn't know any times tables. I got frustrated with the education system here. it's really lame. I don't know if I have patience to be a teacher. Ugh what will I do with my lief. 

I am not training a new missionary next transfer. Sis Jenkins and the sisters from my batch and t the one other american sister are all training. IT was awkward to have everyone ask me about it. IT's okay thoguh because I am sure I will train and it's not a rite of passage like everyone makes it. 

I need to be more patient and humble anyway.

Oh yeah. LIsten to "The Mortal Christ" by Jack R Christiansen. If you have a car ride coming up or something.

Jer. 29:13 and Job 22:21 are my scriptures for the week

We had a funeral service this week for that LA. His sister spoke and I think she said he had been changing before his death because of the people visiting him from the church. I'm not sure because it was tagalog. but I'm chooseing to believe that's waht she said. haah

Well, I don't have much more. I love you a lot. I really hope my 6 month mark just makes things feel easier. Life's a struggle. but I know that that's how it's supposed to be. I know that even if I don't ever feel completely comfortable here I am happy. and I will appreciate it later, I know that. 

Keep   doing the little things. Our family needs to stay strong. I need you all to be strong. thanks for the scriptures. also prepare to have a fat daughter when I get home.

Arby Petunia

--

Sister Smith

Letter to Mom & Dad

No group email from Sister Smith this week, so I'll share her letter to us. :)


Here's a list of things I wrote down to tell you:

my comp and i tried dragonfruit. it wasn't that great. it's a pretty color though. dark pinkish red. then the next day when i went to the bathroom I thought I was going to die. i thought I had internal bleeding. then I realized it was just the fruit. hahaha... my comp had the same problem.

You should try the monngo beans recipe I thought it was pretty good.

there's a lady in our ward that I realized I never saw her husband. turns out he was working in manila then all of a sudden she never heard from him again. but you would never guess. she's so happy, she works with the missionaries. she doesnt' let it get her down. It was a good example to me to become better responsive to adversity. 

I like eating spoonfuls of nutella every night. 

I hate dreams.

Also Devin Thompson goes home from his mission in like 2 weeks. what the heck? time flies.

Oh yeah, in response to the letter I got from mom. (I got the one with the 2 pics of Christ).

I don't need extra money. Food has been a lot cheaper now that we buy our veggies/fruits at the market, and I have eliminated a lot of snacks and stuff. 

I will continue to buy millions of umbrellas.

My companion is awesome. She's really nice. we get along really well. We laugh a lot. She is from Bacolod (taga-Bacolod means from bacolod) and she has family in the US that she may go live with after her mission. she gave me a skirt they sent her that was too big. lucky me haha. We are both really easygoing together. I miss sis p sometimes but this companionship feels less stressful.

I like all foods now. haha. I dont know I really like tuna which I never ate in america. and I just have to not be picky here. but I think the mangos are better here. we'll see when I get home. 

I'm getting used to gross weird bugs/worms/spiders/ants. I heard there are no poisonous spiders in the philippines. I dont know if that's true. Maybe cooper can tell you.

I use the Insitute study guides to study/or the seminary. I started the OT this week. I am using the seminary guide. its good. I used institute I think when I studied isaiah. 

Has Uncle carol died yet?

I read a great talk this morning called The Precious Promise by Neal A Maxwell. For some reason it just hit me and strenghtened my faith a ton. and I thought of mom a lot while I read it. 

I love the tagalog you throw in your letters mom. The CR is great, right? I'm sorry your hike was crappy. I think the only thing I can tell you to do is more spiritual stuff as a family, and more individual stuff as individuals. I read an article earlier this week but I forgot what it's called. Anyway, I think there's a lot we can do to eliminate distractions from our lives, and when we do, we see more clearly the important things. I also liked a talk by James E Faust called To REcieve a Crown of Glory, that I read this morning. OH and the The Tugs and Pulls of the World by Neal a Maxwell. I think that last one is the one I was thinking of for the family. 

I'm excited for you to be grandparents too, someday.

I never wear the gray pants. we never really wear normal clothes. 

I'm excited to get a "surprise" package haha.

That 4th of July was really fun dad. I was thinking about you all alot too on the 4th. Last year I saw the best fireworks ever in Kanab. We have got to go back some day. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I got fired. 

I'm sorry about your horse experiences. You really have a ridiculous life. It reminds me of me. I have broken so many things this week. And this morning our shower wouldn't turn off. it took 20 minutes to get it off. My poor companion was helping me and got her pajamas wet and I felt dumb. 

I can't believe how time has gone by. It's crazy. but hard. and I know that like Heavenly Father said to the family of Lehi, 1 Nephi 17:13-14, AFTER ye have arrived in the promised land....

I may not recieve the testimony and blessings I want until after. I might have to show faith for a while before I really feel strong again. But He will let me know that it is by Him I have been led.

I loveyou all a lot. 

OH YEAH. i had a wake up call this week. the LA that I have written about before, anyway, I always felt an urge to really bring him back. He has been going to the catholic church and he was just really confused. I knew he had a desire to do the right things, but he was blinded by his wife and stuff. anyway. he got hit by a motorcyle and died this week. It just hit me that i can't wait on this work. I can't just give up on people and say the next missionaries can take him. I am glad I tried my best with this guy, but I hope that it was good enough. It's crazy realize that people can just be gone one day... so it was a wake up call to do better. earlier in the week I read the story in this month's ensign by james e faust. those combined have made me want to improve. 

--

Sister Smith