Lots of Pics!

Pictures of us walking home in a rainstorm, aka showering. Pictures with members. Me PRETENDING to sleep. that time. Other random pictures with me, Sis Smith, Sis Talaroc-Kaniho and Sis Arnonobal

Hello everyone. Another week has come and gone. It has been great. Very hard at times but also very rewarding!

Some great moments:

We were singing and  harmonizing before district meeting on tuesday. I miss singing! It was fun.

Marjorie (one that came to church last week) said she really loved it. and wants to come back and stay 3 hours! She also said "I am getting the truth little by little. I realize it more in what is changing in me. Even my husband notices it! He said "You aren't swearing anymore!" (We've never talked about swearing) and I am really happy." Yeah! That's the Spirit! Sometimes we wait for answers...but we don't look at ourselves. We don't see what the gospel is doing for us. Changes inside our heart are the best evidence of the atoning sacrifice of Christ!

Rose came to church again. She's so cute. She thinks Laman and Lemuel are way silly for not even listening to angels. She's like "Heavenly Father is always there! I even posted that on facebook. A guy messaged me and asked how I knew and I taught him to pray!" She's ASTIG. She also told us that she loves the book of mormon because it relates to her life. She said "Just like Lehi and his family had to leave all their possessions, I need to give my whole heart to God." 

It is so true. Lehi and his family gave up a lot for the gospel. Are we willing?

We had a member workshop this week. I loved some videos that were shared. 

Missionary Work and the Atonement

Also everyone check out everydaymissionaries.org I think that's what it is. There's some videos about how to share the light of Christ in your every day life.

Sis Smith and I gave a workshop about sharing your testimony. We came up with an acronym.

S-sincere. if you are sincere, they will feel your love.

H-honest. don't give weird untrue stories but share simple doctrine

A-applicable. help them apply-invite them to pray

R-review. review things they have learned, especially from missionary lessons.

E-encourage. be a friend! love them!

I hope you all feel Christ's love as you SHARE your testimony with those around you. 

I also really enjoyed Matt 11:28-30. I have been really tired lately. The work is great, but sometimes I do need to take a step back and remember I can be yoked with the strongest, most loving, kindest, best friend and Redeemer. Don't forget He's there. This life is hard, but his yoke is easy and His burden light. He will help you!

I love icecream.

I love banana muffins.

It definitely feels like summer.

This life is the best.

Love you all!

Sister Smith

To Mom:

No, I don't print my emails because printing takes a while too and I feel like it's a waste of money and paper. I print them if they are way important. Like this one dad wrote about punching satan in the face. 

Before I forget...I don't know if you thought to send it but I am dying to listen to Davie for Christmas. That would be something I would love to listen to allllllllll morning while I exercise. hahaha. I did yoga a few times last week. It was good. I also slept on my yoga mat 2 times when I was tired. it is useful.

I saw some pics that were taken in Roosevelt at a members house. I got homesick. 

I read D & C 76. I loved reading in the institute manual. I feel like I underestand the plan better. It was cool. Lets go to the Celestial Kingdom!

I'm excited for the Christmas boxes. The thing that stinks is I'll probably transfer before Christmas and have to move the boxes but it's fine because I have extra space. 

I like the blue shoes. 

I am jealous you get to play christmas music in the orchestra. I realllly miss when I was little doing the concert every year. time is fast and now it's gone. :(

Yes I think the apostle Paul was a runner too. I have had a post it there for a long time that says "RUN! That ye may obtain." I put it there when I was on xc. haha.

You are a great mom. I never feel neglected or anything. Sometimes I'm embarrassed because I have mail but then I know I really need it and yeah. I don't like to be like "HEY I HAVE MAIL." but I also like to get it. It's hard being popular and having parents that love me? 

I feel way cool to be quoted on the bulletin. Save those. hahaa. :) 

Also I forgot to tell you. They said we can't wear tshirt style/fabric shirts anymore unless we wear a sweater over it. 

that's the angriest I have felt. I almost cried. But I have just been wearing my fancy shirts more. and it's hot. but life goes on. 

Well I love you! You're the best mom everrrrrrrrr. 

I also wanted to tell you to remember you have lots of friends and people you are influencing. I would invite you to think about how you could do missionary work more. If you have questions, ask the missionaries. they can help you. I promise, this work isn't for us. It's for the members. I think they lowered the mission age not to have more missionaries but to have more members that understand or care about missionary work. 

I love you! You're awesome. use your talents to share the gospel. 

Your favorite daughter. 

To Dad:

I guess I forgive you for not writing a letter. Although I want to tell you about your letters. They are not just for me. I have shared them with my companions often. I realized something this week. One thing Heavenly Father has made me realize was your significance and how lucky I am to have you. My first comp- her dad was dead. second-she NEVER talked about her dad. third-he's muslim, never writes her. fourth-her dad left before she knew him. the girls in my house- both their dads aren't members. 

WHY AM I SO LUCKY! but yeah. your daddy letters have to carry on to others whose dads aren't there or aren't like you. If you could I would like you to at least write a letter to my companion right now. Her name is sis smith too so it shouldon't be hard. just remember its her start of her mission and I know the spirit will guide you. 

Your bathroom looks way good. 

I miss grandma and grandpa. We haven't stayed in contact good lately. I love them though. When I get home I will cry when I see them probably more than you. haha. maybe.

I would rather see pics of your outdoor adventure than the bathroom. That's okay though. We'll go there when we get back.

This week I thought of you a lot. One time I was holding our phone and I realized I was waiting for you to text me. It was the weirdest saddest feeling because I knew it wouldn't happen but my mind was still waiting for a second. Emailing is hard. But soon I will sit down with you and tell you all of the experiences I can remember! 

By the way my apartment and I quote you a lot. "freaking punch satan in the face!" 

Life is good. I am glad I'm here. Even though it's hard. Like you said it's good for me. 

Can you believe it's been 8 months today?

Can you believe I'm 19 and 2/3?

Can you believe I ate chicken feet for dinner last night again?

Can you believe I can speak Tagalog?

Can you believe I LOVE YOU???

Bye. 

Chicken Feet

Hello everyone!

This week was great. I wish I could tell you all EVERYTHING! But there is tooo much. 

We had SIX investigators in church. 2 of them were from our farthest area. 

Marjorie brought her baby and 1 year old. She's a rock star. She has a desire to learn. 

Daniel came even though he is way shy!

Rose is so sweet. She sometimes texts us "Gud am po sester!" She is so cute.

Then the 3 kids we are teaching came as well.

We are seeing sooo many miracles. As we teach them we are really seeing changes in them. I almost cried when they came to church. #missionaryjoy

We also taught a girl for the first time. I met her once but never saw her again. Then one night we saw her on the street and she said to come later that night. As we taught her, she was really attentive and sweet. When I got to Joseph Smith, she hit her hands down and said "TELL ME THAT STORY. That is really what I want to know!" I was so surprised...I was like "have you heard of him?" and she said "Yes. I'm sooo curious about this." She was astig. Her name is Joanna and I think she's taller than me. so rare.

I love gratitude! I will tell you all, life is more fun when you look to be grateful.

I have been in this pretty country for more than 6 months now! It's awesome to look back and see how much I've grown and how much this place has become my home.

I made adobo this week. It tasted pretty native. Yay!  I can cook. 

I want to share something from our mission pres. He talked about personal revelation. We know the story of the brother of Jared, and how God touched the stones for him to have light. (If you don't know this story go to scriptures.lds.org/ether2 I don't know if that's a real link ;)

Anyway. We see in Ether 2:19 that Mohonri.. has 3 problems. The first two are solved simply. But the last is left to the Bro of Jared (BroJ) So if you follow from 2:17 to Ether 6:7 (footnotes) you see things about the barges he built. Then if you go to the footnotes again to Gen. 6:14-16 about noah's ark, and read in the footnotes about the window, you see that window could be SHINING STONE. So bascially the point is BroJ got his answer from the scriptures. We can search and find almost all of our problems. And our mission president said, you won't get new revelations for yourself unless it's not in the scriptures. I read in preach my gospel and it said that learning the doctrine IS receiving personal revelation. So if you have any problems, don't just pray and wait, search for it! I love the scriptures and know they are true. I am so grateful for this time I have on my mission to learn and grow and share the light. Love you all. 

Pictures are of things I've eaten, places I've been. Yeah. Also, everyone see how tired my cute anak is. She was "studying" :)

--

Sister Smith

Letter to Dad:

Today I have eaten some oatmeal. I loveee oatmeal. And breakfast. I also ate a dutchmill (like a yogurt milk). We will go to a restaurant later. 

My church meetings have been pretty good. My investigators are pretty great. I'll do my group mail after this.  

I've been so exhausted but very happy. 

I hope you write me letters. You said you'd write me a lot but you don't. haha.  

I forgot to put in mom's email they said we can't wear tshirt fabric/ style anymore. I cried. haha. I have to only wear my fancy clothes now.  

I have been focusing on making my prayers more meaninful. I love the talk Priesthood and Personal Prayer by Henry B Eyring.  

Keep praying for my investigators. and for me. 

Okay. I love you. I am happy! I wrote in my journal the other day "I want to squeeze my investigators because I love them" and I also am making memoreies. okay bye! 

Letter to Mom:

hi Mama,

Yeah, I feel like time is just a weird concept. I don't try to understand it anymore.  The other day my anak was like "when it's Christmas, I have just over a year," and I was like....ahhh. When it's Christmas I have like half a year. It's going by fast which is great and way sad.

I'm glad I can inspire you. You inspire me tooo allll the time.

I did finish the infinite atonement. It was really good. I didn't do all the scriptures like you did. But I loved it. I was very addicted.

I'm excited to get the christmas packages. I am waiting to hear christmas music because I heard before that they start it in september here.

Your Saturday sounded fun. 

Was your conference a broadcast? That's awesome. I am jealous ;)

I have been talking to my anak about intent a lot. We have discussed obedience on the mission. Another word I've liked lately is STRIVE. Which is a similar word. because what we are striving for is our intent. 

I am working on the OT now. It's hard for me to love like the BOM.

I got the bug spray! Yay! I loved your letter. The recipes made me laugh and cry. Because there is no cheese or tortillas or salad here. But it gave me good ideas! We will eat hawaiian haystacks.

Okay well I love you. You're the best.

We are Seeing Miracles Every Day

I am sorry about last week. My contacts are all kinds of messed up and I don't know how it happened. I hope everyone is able to read this this week. Mom, post it on the blog and link on facebook if there are problems. 

What a wonderful week! I can't even tell about all the miracles and beautiful things that happened. Because I can not type that fast. But first off, my companion is great. I am learning so much from being a mother in the mission. It makes me excited to learn from my real future children!

She is so happy and so good at talking even when people laugh at her, she brings the spirit. I have learned from her it is more important to open your mouth than to save your pride!

One of the coolest things that happened this week. We read in PMG about finding people. We read a story about how a man in Mexico found the gospel through running into some missionaries unexpectedly. Later that day we went to eat out for lunch. We had no reason really. We just thought maybe we'd go. And when we got there there weren't really seats but a lady said sit here! so we sat by her. After a while we started talking. She said she had been living in New Zealand but couldnt get a visa again after 13 years. So she came back. She was sad to be back and she was lonely. Her husband is gone, and she has a son that she left when he was 3 so he hasn't had real parents his whole life. But as she told us this sad story, here is what came out. She said she had been up in the night thinking she wanted to come about 45 minutes to urdaneta to try to find the movie Heaven is for Real. and when she got here she started walking around and just sat down at that restaurant. then she saw us and just felt like she wanted us with her. She told us she wanted to know God was there today. She said "I've been searching all my life to fill a hole inside me. I've been reading books and the bible and attending all the churches and nothing has met it." but she cried with us and we felt the spirit so strongly. It was no accident. She said she will be listening to the missionaries in her city and can't wait to get a letter from us.

Yesterday I wore my hair down at church to try to look nice and one of the brothers said "Your hair is so ugly. You really should just wear it in a ponytail." Okay, thank you for the honesty. haha.

There is a less active family in our ward that the missionaries were teaching back in march but they never came back and even though their kids wanted to be baptized, they couldn't without the parents. We decided to start teaching them again about a month ago and they have started coming to church. The dad has stopped hiding from us, and we met him last night a changed man. He said he wants to baptize his children. We are seeing miracles every day.

We had a conference with President Ardern the area presidency here in the Philippines. It was amazing. I had a funny embarrassing experience. They had some missionaries come up and share what they read in their scriptures in the few minutes before the conference. Then that missionary would choose the next person to share. I knew I would get picked and I was like...I have nothing. But I got picked and went up and shared Ether 2:7. I talked about how God doesn't want us to just go part of the way, to just be baptized, or just go to the temple. He wants us to go all the way to the Celestial Kingdom. After I shared, Pres. Ardern turned and said, 'Can I shake your hand? That was marvelous.' He turned to everyone and said "I was wondering how this missionary would share something from that verse...I never noticed that before. I stumped a general authority ;) 

The conference was great though. So motivating and inspiring. 

Well, that's all I'll share. If you made it this far, congratulations. Thanks for reading :) 

I love you all and hope you're all walking forward towards Him each day.

Love Sister Smith.

To Mom:

I'm so grateful you're my mom. I miss you all the time. It's weird because sometimes I feel like it's just a dream that I haven't seen you for so long. Can you believe a started my papers almost a year ago? It's crazy how fast and slow time goes. 

I love the infinite atonement!!!

You should try lumpia. it's good. filipino food is good. I will make it all for you in one year.

This week is great with Sis Smith. Sh'es a funny cute person. you can write/email her if you want. and if you send any packages or letters send her something. 

Church sounds good! I'm glad you are able to have spiritual time at church. One thing I liked that pres ardern said, we should be renewing our covenants and remembering sacrament daily as members.

My toe's okay usually. I just am used to it. 

I wish I could really go to the temple with you! Soon!!

I finished the book of mormon for the 4th time on my misison (3rd start to finish.) I Love it. I really liked Moroni 7.

Well I love you a lot. I hope tomorow I get mail! You're awesome!!! Thanks for being the best example I could ask for. I can't wait to hug you but for now enjoy the skies. love your daughter. 

To Dad:

I hate the email. I don't know what happened to my group. I don't know how to fix it and I don't have time to mess with it...

My trainee is so awesome. She struggles with the language but she is learning fast because she's not shy to talk even if she doesn't know how to say it. My brain thinks I have to know a whole sentence before I would talk...so she's awesome. I am learning way more from her than she is learning from me. but I am pretty sure I will want to visit american samoa to visit her. 

I think I stink at tagolog but I am holding my own! I realized I know a lot more than I thought I did since I have HAD to speak it. The Filipinos usually take charge, and filipinos like to talk to filipinos so before I think it just naturally happened that my native companion talked more and kindof yeah. so it's nice to see that I CAN talk, because before I was nervous. 

I wish it would snow here. 

I'm glad the bathrooom really will be finished when I get back. 

I'm doing pretty good. I am realizing more and more how much I llike this. I am happy. I am coming to know Them.

I finished the Bom again. I'm still reading the OT. I am so grateful for my ability to read and understand the scriptures. I never knew how rare that was. 

Thanks for talking to P Seitz. I look forward to seeing everyone again, but for now, this is awesome. 

Well. I am going to try to email Brooke and Michael. In 5 minutes. so I love you. bye.

Oh yeah. My comp is awesome. She is samoan. she's funny. she is 24. she likes to eat. I like that. we laugh a lot. I feel like she's my best friend. It's nice to have a foreigner companion. I miss filipinos sometimes, but I am loving learning about samoan culture. She has a strong testimony and she helps me be so happy and grateful. 

k bye!

Hello all

 Hello,

This week was really good. I am learning soooo much and enjoying the Pines. This week was a very crazy busy week, but also very fun. Probably the best thing about my week is that i started training a new missionary. She is from American Samoa and her name is....wait for it...Sister Smith. It is a great joke, and it's true! I knew it would happen though. Haha. I love her so much. She is really training me. I am learning everything from her. This week I also worked with a new missionary named Sis Tanielu. She is from Kuribiti.  She was so adorable, and like my companion, I learned from her. She bore the most simple powerful testimony. I am learning a lot that NOTHING matters more than bringing and sharing the Spirit. 

This week we had a lunch at a member's house and we ate the most giant shrimp. 

We also had exchanges in my last ward and the bishop fed us and his little girl who is 4 would not leave me. she calls me her barbie. I am pretty lucky to be a life size barbie... :)

We had a miracle yesterday! We are teaching some kids whose parents are members, but they are unable to attend church because of money. Well they have been changing. Becoming more willing. I wasn't able to talk to them yesterday to find out how since it was stake conf, but they came to church. I was really excited for them.

I see miracles every day. We met 2 cute old men yesterday who miss their wives and want to know the truth. As we left, we went and talked to another lady. We looked back at them and they had scooted together on the bench and were reading the pamphlet together. As we passed them again they looked at us with big smiles and waves. That's all we have to do. Give a little more joy to those whose heads and hearts hang down. 

I read in the training guidelines to look at every appointment as a sacred privelege and opportunity to learn. I want to do that in my life. God has given us every moment as a privilege to do something. And an opportunity to grow, whether through success or failure. 

yesterday we went through an area that has not seen american for a long time. We had kids and adults stampeding at us. My companion said that is one time she really felt the spirit, because we can share Christ's love with so many people. Today we discussed the story about the Road to Emmaus and I had a realization. Those of us who know Christ can be like Him. Others may not recognize what we have till we offer them "the bread." Also, all of us who are coming to know Him are walking the Road to Emmaus. He is there. We just need to learn to recognize Him. 

Well, I love you all. Have a great week. :) Sister Smith

-- there's pics of me and my fellow missionaries, food, and things like that. enjoy :)

Sister Smith

Letter to Mom: 

Mommmmyyy!

Thanks for the infinite atonement. I looooove it. I have to force myself to not read it my whole day. Just kidding. but I love it.

I have gotten letters, I love them. I got one from all of your family that grandma sent. that was cool.

I like rice and I'm excited to make lots of food for you all when I get back. That will be fun.

I know I sometimes don't take criticism well but I am always trying to improve.

If you think the shoes will be good, send them but I don't know. It's hard to know. It's a little better now. I guess I'll just keep hanging in.

It's okay to send announcements. haha. Even last week I got the news clip you sent of coop and on the back it had a bunch of my friends coming home from missions and marrying. I was like wow thanks haha. but it was fun to know they were coming back from their missions. 

I'm jealous you went camping.

We had stake conference yesterday. THe first hour was great. the second hour eh. I like Larry J Echo Hawk. That's cool you talked to him. 

I love you so much. I think about you too much. Oh yeah I liked reading a talk called Purifying Power of Gethsemane. And also yesterday at stk conf pres deyro talked about connecting matt 5:43 and 48. that we need to work on having perfect LOVE. and that we can even approach people that are hard to deal with and say "righteous!" in our head and then thank Heavenly Father for the opportunity to exercise charity and stuff. 

I love you! I will send you a sunset that I don't know if I sent last week. 

Letter to Dad:

Daddy,
I can't wait to get your letter. I actually had a funny thing happen yesterday. We have some english boms at our apt and one has writing in it that looks like yours. I'll send the pics.

I wish I could go camping. Less than a year. Crazy right? When my anak is finished training I will be more than halfway through my mission.

I randomly found  byu talk and printed it last week. It really summarized so much of what I've learned in the last 9ish months. It's called "Don't Give Up on Your Testimony" I think you'd like it.

We had a LA member tell us this week he knew the church was true because he had the same experience as Joseph Smith. God appeared and said this is my beloved son. I was the only one who understood him...I should have asked why he was less active. haha. People are funny. But he does have strong faith. It sounds like you had a great stake conf.

We will be visited by Pres Ardern in our mission this week. I am excited for that. It will be spiritual for sure. I was just pondering this morning how Jesus is working with us. That's cool. I liked your insights. My road to emmaus insight reminded me of you. Have you read the Infinite Atonement? Mom sent it to me and I like it. 

I LOVE My trainee. She's so great. Dad, I think she will help me be happy and talk to people. first of all, I have no choice now, because I am the only one who can speak the language, but she is such a good example. She lets all her weaknesses become the bridge to the people, when I let them be my shame or fear. 

I'm so grateful for you. I don't appreciate you all enough but you are so important to me. I can't wait to hug you and tell you stories and feed you lots of rice. 

Also I liked "The Lord Needs You Now" in the new liahona. We need to focus on satan's targets today and fight them.

Love you. Your daughter. Princess Petunia