Let your heart REJOICE!

Sorry I forgot to write earlier! I will just send a few pictures and repent later!

I love you all. Thanks to those who sent me mail, it means a lot!!

I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel and for His perfect plan. He loves you!

Well, sorry to say, my computer doesn't want to send pictures. Just imagine me anyway. It's hot and sunny and I'm a bit sunburned!

Continue your journey and let your heart REJOICE! For He is with us, even until the end. Lots of love, Sister Smith

To Mom:

I read Tyler's email...but...yesterday I was really happy that Sis Sabaten mentioned him getting his call at church and I was able to watch it really quick before RS. So the surprise was ruined but it was still exciting! I am so excited for him although I wanted him to come here. haha. But I think that will be so great. It fits him!

I don't know when registration is, but this week I just thought, "I still can't decide between SPED and FCHD. Then I realized I can just take classes for both and yeah. I can apply for SPED again and if I don't want it then great. It's a smaller decision than I thought. 

 

Toni actuallly sent me her christmas letter. but thanks for sending it too. I liked your letter and the pictures. you look so skinny and young (you are still skinny and young). I'm glad you forced me to go to the MTC becuase the alternative was really dumb.

This week my toe started going ingrown. I was like nooo. but guess what? I prayed and it went away. finally. 

I realized this week that there are lots of things I was blaming on myself with my companions. But I realized I am striving so hard, and sometimes people are just going to find faults. Like the biggest thing I felt bad about last week was that my companion was angry at me for STARING at her. I was like...okay. I am sorry you're so beautiful? But I tried for 2 weeks to not look at her at all. It's funny. Any time I glance at her, she's looking back and asks why I'm looking or waves her hands in my face. 

So after I felt dumb because I"m like I must be creepy I realized how dumb that was that it bothers her. and so I decided it was funny and I realized that I am actually becoming very patient. So I can just pat myself on the back and just try to help her be happier. She's really awesome. Promise. Besides my complaints. 

There's a girl in our branch who started her papers. I'm excited and I feel like I was part of what pushed her. She asked me one day about me going, if it was hard, if I always wanted to. I told her no. haha it was difficult to come. She said she wanted to but she was scared and her mom was kindof not all for it. So I told her about how dad changed and stuff and encouraged her. Yay! She's going.

I like that about the happy tools. 

Sounds like a good stake conf. i wish I could be in 2 places sometimes!

Well I love you. I do have a few to answer ;) I miss you! i am trying not to count down but it is getting closer!

Love you lots.

Aubrey 

To Dad:

That's so cool the letter came the same day! I thought it might.  (Aubrey's letter with her "guess" came the same day as Tyler's mission call) How exciting. I was soooo excited when I found out. I actually found out at church on sunday from the member who is friends wiht mom. 

I like the list of 10 things. 

Dad, I miss you! I keep meaning to write you a letter. It's just hard to find time. 

I can't believe how much is changing in me. I still have all the trials I had when I left, but they are either smaller, or I am stronger. I still am learning how to use and apply the atonement. But it is becoming something I do now. haha. And then I feel like I have really learned how to choose to have a testimony. And of course I am learning how to understand and recognize how the spirit communicates to me. 

I have 2 LAs that came to church on sunday. They both haven't come since the 90s. So just keep trying. I loved what Henry B Eyring said in the Priesthood session about that guy with the boots. I can just imagine that being you.

I like those 5 Hs too. 

I hope things go well for Tyler. Try to talk to him a lot, and not just about his mission, not just about what he needs to do or change, but try to find out what is really bothering him. I felt like I was misunderstood a lot before my mission. Because Satan wanted me to fail and I should have been stronger but it's really hard. I know it was so hard for you and mom. So thanks for what you did for me and what you put up with. 

Let me know if there's anything more I can help Cooper with. I don't really know what to do. I just pray, and I will try to write him a letter. 

yes, big changes. It will be fun. 

Love you lots!!!

Happy Valentine's Day All

Pictures of me and our 2 temporary companions we had last week.

Picture of my valentine...ice cream.

PIcture of a scary bridge.

This week was good. I can say I grew a lot. There were a lot of obstacles and fun new ways to learn ;) But I loved it. Because although I was brought to my knees and to my humility I learned a lot about myself and was able to accept my weaknesses and ask Him for help.

This week we met a man on path after walking somewhere and having to just turn around because that person wasn't willing to listen. This man said "I'm a member." then we realized he was someone we had looked for in the past. He told us he would come to church on sunday, and asked when we'd like to eat at their house. He CAME TO CHURCH. We found out while he was there that it has been more than 15 years since he attended. 

We also have 2 oldish men that told their neighbors they feel it's time for them to learn and go to church. Its great how it's never too late and the Lord directs people at the time in their lives that they are prepared to act. 

I've been learning a lot still about the Godhead. About Jesus Christ (March 2008 Liahona). and about how we need to become like them. I'm seeing changes in myself as I stop asking "what should I do?" and instead thinking "what would He do?" 

A thought I like as well that my lovely companion shared earlier is about how dogs always try to escape their cage, just to return and sit outside it. People are like this too. Sometimes we have thoughts like I can't wait for when I retire, graduate, get married, christmas, etc, and at the same time we are just trying to escape, like a dog, with no plan. I am working to be better at living in the moment, and not only waiting for the future, but making plans so that I won't return to the closed door I just got out of. I hope we all have some good life goals that won't just get us out of the cages of life but will get us where He wants us to go .

Love you all, 

Sister Smith

To Mom:

I will send a photo of my perm. I just did it. I've wanted to since highschool. I went to a cheap salon where my new bakla (look it up) friend Jamayca did a perm. He lives right by our church. Maybe he'll come someday. I spent almost as much as the perm costed on mousse but oh well. I needed a change, and it's been nice.

I"m really out of room in my suitcase. I should have brought 2 big. haha. oh well.

I gave away everything but a few poprocks I always forget at home. Lots of people LOVED the crayons. LIke I didn't only give them to kids because sometimes their grandma was jealous and stole it from the kids so I had to give her one too. and the rings were great. I love seeing kids at church wearing them!

I have been distracted and excited all week for him (Tyler's mission call) and he still didn't get it :( Update me next week, on him and ruth and anyone else too.

I can't wait to go to the temple, any temple. but yes, lets go. i think it would be fun if we could do a little tour and go to a few in utah when I get home. We could even just do baptisms at some with coop or something.

Yay for Sweethearts 5K. 

You're my favorite girl too. I miss your face too. I have been kindof struggling this week but I learned a lot and a lot of my struggles are lame and I can just stop. So there. Not struggling anymore. I learned a lot from realizing i've been trying to people please, and not really doing all for the right reasons. Maybe you've felt that before. where you just always are pulled 2 ways, like making someone happy or just doing what you think is best. I don't know. 

My soa (samoan word for companion) and I started a diet. The day we started it we ate donuts for dinner. Could be worse I guess. 

I read a lot of your dear elders to me yesterday, well I skimmed them. You've grown a lot too. I can see changes in you and dad and the boys and MIchael and my friends. its good. 

well love you lots. 

To Dad:

Happy Valentines day to my first valentine of my life. You're the best dad ever!

Sometimes we have stuff to do... sorry :( it's earlier today!

I can't wait for his call to come and I'm not even there. I'm a lot more excited for his than I was mine. back then I was caught between hoping it would never come, ever. and also being excited. But I"m glad it came because I was silly.

I cant wait for your letter. I don't even remember the last letter I got from you or mom. Oh yeah. Mybirthday card. I guess that's not forever.

Some stories...I don't know. My life isn't boring, but I don't know. something funny- I don't know! THe weirdest thing I ate was chicken feet but that's pretty normal. I also ate cheese flavored ice cream. Pretty normal too. 

I like smells of laundry, I dont' like smells of pee. People pee everywhere here. Its worse than cat pee. Sometimes barbecue on the street smells good. but fried chicken and liver don't.there's one house in our area that we pass it smells so bad and one dog too. We just hold our breath. 

We have stake conference next next week. 

I love you. I'm sorry for being lame at emailing you. 

I read this and I like the last thought, that love is natural hate is learned. https://www.lds.org/blog/what-my-kids-taught-me-about-loving-anybody?cid=HP_FR_2-12-2016_dOCS_fBLOG_xLIDyL2-1_&lang=eng

I'm now in my 9th transfer out of 12. I have less time left than when I got sister smith, and she's been in the mission longer than I have left. time goes by. 

I had to drop the Laroya family it makes me sad because that was maybe the most powerful lesson about joseph smith I had in my whole misson. But I guess that's agency. 

Well. I have to email some other people. 

Love you. the pictures are our study plan. Maybe you could use them in our family. 

LOVE YOU>

Happy Chinese New Year

Short and sweet highlights..

I FOUND JANE! I met Jane on a jeepney weeeeks ago. I didn't write her last name down correctly, so it happened that I couldn't ever find her. I prayed and prayed though, and finally, I saw Jane. Well I saw cute baby Zander. It was a great day. He cares about us :)

I did a service project but forgot to take pics so sorry. I missed working outside!

I invite you all to look at the article Learning of Heavenly Father in the Jan 2016 church magazine as well as the Godhead article by Jeffrey R Holland

We had a missionary fireside for the youth yesterday which was really fun. 

Well. I love you all! Thanks for the support. I am changing every day and your words kept me going from the beginning and will keep me going strong till the end. I am so grateful. I know the gospel is true, and I know Heavenly Father loves us. Bye!

-- 

Sister Smith

To Mom:

Yeah, last night we ate at Sister Sabaten's house. She's awesome because she makes lettuce salads.

It's hard being here because there's no time to really think or email or anything but I need to be better. 

Every time you say Angela McCurdy you explain who she is like I've been gone for 40 years. haha. :) I know her :) I'm excited to get the book mark and valentine. I got a letter from Iris. She's very funny. She started it by saying "I can't believe I'm alive so close to the 2nd coming." or something like that. 

I permed my hair today. I don't know why. I was just sick of it. it's not super cute. but not super ugly. I'll send you a picture next week maybe. It's a little 1998 or whenever perms were cool.

I love you a lot too. 

Here is a picture of me in the Man from Snowy River shirt I found. It's my new favorite. I love ukay ukay. it's less than a dollar and it makes me smile. I also finally organized my pouch. 

I LOVE YOU. I miss you. Time needs to go faster and slower. 

To Dad: 

Hello.

Is voting in November?  

I think you should read And Nothing Shall Offend Them by Bednar again. That is one of my fave talks in the whole world.  

It is important though that we are careful when we tease. I have learned that on my mission. It's weird because some people even tease and make fun back but they are getting their feelings hurt and its like ugh. but yeah. I'm in a culture where people are easily offended. So I am trying to learn. 

I think that is something I learned but never learned well enough. That it doesn't matter who rejects you as long as you go to the one who never will.  

I'm sad about a lot of my investigators. I feel not discouraged, but disappointed sometimes when the people I feel the strongest about don't ever make it to baptism. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong, but maybe there's a lesson to learn in not always being successful. Sometimes being a leader is also hard in the mission. I'm grateful for it though.  

We had an MLC and part of it was about Gathering in the Garners, like you shared with me a few months ago. It was good. I love you. 

I did a weird thing to my hair on a whim. You'd probably tell me I'm ugly. I still love you 

And there goes January

Photo from February 2016 Mission Leadership Council

Hello everyone! 

I had a very good week. It was busy. We did really well with our work and found so many people and it was fun! This really isn't missionary work, it's missionary fun. I don't have a lot to report. But I have a few things that I realized this week. 1. If someone smiles back at you, just talk to them. Sometimes that is how I get started. I know that we all want to help people, serve them, and love them. And sometimes we just wait for something to happen. We think we have to start with words. But I saw this week, that a smile can mean more than words. It can be a call for a friend, for help, or even that they want to help you! This week a girl who often smiles at us, and I usually say hi, smiled again. But this time I really talked to her. I found out she's actually a member from another place, and then her husband came out right away and listened to us teach. I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father is pointing out these wonderful people that can return to Him and His church. 2. On that note, I've realized we all have times, or days we could say we were a little "less active" or that we've been further than we'd like to be from Heavenly Father. These are days we wake up late and forget to pray. Days we yell at our family more than we hug them. Days we wish we just stayed in bed. But I want to tell you all, no matter how many days it's been, or if you just started being "less active" a few hours ago, just come back. The beauty of the gospel is that the Atonement is done. The war is won. The work isn't hastened all at once, but it's a lot of "individual hastenings." 

On a less spiritual note, I had a really fun night this week when I spent it all in the bathroom. It's gotta happen at least once. Life goes on. TMI?

Well, I love you all! Here's some pics. Have a great week!

I told the cow to lift up its head for the picture. It lifted it up and hit me with it...obviously it didn't want a picture. 

A member made me a late birthday cake :)

This awesome swinging bridge we like to cross. 

--

Sister Smith

To Mom: 

happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are the best! Sorry, I was going to do a special pic or something. but I didn't. Love you anyway. I'm sending you two pics of the sky instead. 

I bought a PAT ring. I found it at the mall it was on sale. couldn't resist. PAT by the way means CTR in tagalog. happy birthday to you. haha. 

I'm still brainstorming with the pencil case. it's like so awesome that I'm a perfectionist on how to use it. 

I love the things you and dad shared from your broadcast. It sounds way good. I guess I'll just be grateful because I listened to Elder Oaks in our broadcast last week too. 

I can't wait to exercise again... It kills me but it really just doesn't work for me here. I'm used the band and stuff a little. It's just hard to explain. 

I got sick mom! haha. I ate lunch and then felt kindof crappy. then i went to the cr. then it never stopped. both ends. almost passing out. lots of gatorade and water. now I'm better. yay! I'm very grateful now!

This week was pretty busy but boring. I have no stories. We had some fun times being leaders as in no one listens to us but I realized this is great practice for being a parent. we have to wait for the kids to come home on time, try to think of how to help them be obedient, etc. it's great. 

I liked the missionary quotes at the end of chapter one in PMG this week. they are motivating. 

https://www.lds.org/blog/love-one-another-14-day-challenge?cid=HP_FR_1-29-2016_dOCS_fBLOG_xLIDyL2-2_&lang=eng I'm going to do this. :)

Well. I love you. Thanks for being a good mom. I miss you so much. Time doesn't go by fast enough but then again it does. I can't wait to see you, but then again, I have. I love you lots. 

arby

To Dad:

Hi dad. Yes, I agree. I've had ups and downs too. But it's been good. I love my life. I cant give specific examples but I am noticing more and more how specific Heavenly Father helps us. Like when we have a doubt, He gives us either something we read, or hear, or experience to strengthen our faith. But I've learned there's a lot of agency involved. I'm just grateful he loves us. We've been doing a study of PMG and then scriptures about the Atonement in the BOM and it's so cool. I love that story. I'm going to try to use it. I think people here learn so much from analogies and visuals. I'm grateful Heavenly Father gave me a talent for thinking of analogies too. (Ashley Hill used to laugh at me in HS a lot). 

Thanks for what you shared from the conference! I love that. 

I have a lot of replies to do, but I really love you. Thanks for being a wonderful dad. Please pray for those I teach. If you want names, the ones I'm really concerned about are Bro and Sis Laroya, Beth Bautista, John John and Clarissa, Melody and all the others. But those are the ones who I feel strongly to say. 

I love you. I can't believe I will be on a plane in about 6 months. I know those will go by fast. I can't imagine faster, but that's what they say. 

But I feel pretty good. I feel like in the last year I've learned alot about agency. I guess I"m grateful for the struggles and opportunity to choose to have a strong testimony and to believe and trust Him. 

Here's some pictures of our house and my area like you asked for.