an indiana adventure

2010-09-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

so, i don't know if anyone ever checks this blog, but i just realized that i never did an ending post, and some people might be wondering what happened. a lot has happened in the past 3-4 months... and i thought that i should bring y'all up to date on what's happening with my mission.

in February (about one month after getting back in the field from being home for 2 months) i got into a car accident and hurt my arm. after lots of dr appointments, x-rays and an mri (3 months after the accident) it was decided that i needed to have surgery on my arm. a lot of tender mercies had happened and i was in an area with a arm specialist 5 minutes away. i figured that i'd have surgery and just continue to be about the Lord's work. but that wasn't God's plan. my mission president told me that they'd have to send me home for surgery... that was definitely something i didn't want to hear! i shed a lot of tears and came home the end of may.

the dr here just did surgery about six weeks ago, and i have a beautiful brace once again. it's amazing to me to see how God works. the whole ordeal has been a huge lesson in patience. i've missed my arm so much... not being able to do anything with it for 7 months is not my idea of a picnic. but i've learned a lot in the past few months... lessons that i wouldn't give up for anything.

and finally - i've decided to not go back to indiana. this wasn't an easy decision... but one that i feel so good about. i know that staying home is the Lord's plan for me right now. i decided to stay after much prayer and fasting - the only way to make decisions. i don't know why i need to stay home... i'm still waiting to find that out, but i know it's what i'm supposed to do and i'm excited to see what the next phase of my life has in store.

thanks to everyone for their love, letters, prayers and support. i appreciate it so much. serving the Lord as a missionary was a dream come true... and i'm so glad i had the chance to serve the Lord. i think about my mission everyday and i love the people in indiana so much. my mission changed my life. it's a decision i'll never regret.

HEY HEY!

2010-05-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

Email from May 18, 2010

DISCLAIMER:
THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A TEMPORARILY ONE ARMED PERSON... PLEASE EXCUSE ANY ERRORS OR MISTAKES... THANK U!

DEAR FAMILY,
THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE SHORT BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF TYPING WITH ONE HAND... MY ARM IS HURTING PRETTY BAD TODAY!!

OH BOY... WHAT A WEEK!! SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WERE...

AN ANTI LESSON!! THESE PEOPLE WERE "CONCERNED FOR OUR SALVATION", AND TRIED TO SHOW US THAT THE BOM IS FALSE AND THAT GOD DOESN'T NEED TO SPEAK TO US TODAY... WELL BUDDY... I HATE TO TURN THE TABLES... BUT I'M CONCERNED FOR YOUR SALVATION!!!!!! THEY BROUGHT UP SOME INTERESTING POINTS... MOST I'D HEARD BEFORE... SO I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A COME-BACK! we didn't exactly GET TO THE POINT OF BIBLE BASHING... BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY... WE'RE NOT GOING BACK!!

THE UNWRITTEN RULES... NOW WRITTEN!! WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF NEW RULES FROM PRESIDENT IN PREPARATION FOR PRES COLLINS... RULES ARE FUN FUN FUN!!

TRACTING! WE HAD 42 LESSONS LAST WEEK... AND 39 THIS WEEK. THAT MEANS MEETING SOME INTERESTING PEOPLE!! LOTS OF ATHEISTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER "NOT INTERESTED" OR "COMFORTABLE" (BTW... THAT'S A BAD SPOT TO BE IN!!)

PENTECOSTALS.... WHAT INTERESTING PEOPLE!! THIS ONE GUY WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW HE HEARS THE DEMONS WALKING HIS STREET... AND THAT HE SAW THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES... AND ONE TIME HE MADE THEM MAD... AND THEY RAN ON HIS ROOF AND PUNCHED SOME HOLES IN IT!!

WELL... THAT'S WEEK IN A NUTSHELL!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK FAMILY!! AND REMEMBER I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

LOVE,
SISTER ALEX SMITH

THEY SAY A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!!

A MOUSE WE CAUGHT

ME AND MY COMP AT THE WYLIE HOUSE MUSEUM

MY BEAUTIFUL SPLINT

ME CHANGING A LIGHTBULB

ME DRYING MY HANDS WITH A NEW TOWEL

Oops!

2010-05-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, I forgot to put Alex's email on last week, sorry! Here you go, two weeks worth today!

May 11, 2010 email

2010-05-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Week one in Bloomington!

HELLO FROM BLOOMINGTON INDIANA!!!!

I don't actually have that much to say since I just talked to you!!! Wasn't that a treat?? I wish I could talk to you all the time... but I understand why they don't let us... it's distracting and I miss you so much more since I talked to you'ns (pronounced u-in-zz). But it's been a good week and I'm definitely growing a lot!!! My new companion (Sis. Bernard) and I have been getting along great...I'm getting happier everyday, but I've also been learning a lot that I really just made the choice to be grouchy!! Yes my companions and I had issues.. but if I would've dealt with those problems with a smile... they wouldn't have seemed so big!!! It's hard to smile when you feel like crying, but it definitely works!!! I've been thinking a lot about "get on your knees and plead for help, then get on your feet and get to work!!" I've been doing a lot of praying this week... I miss White River and my companions and all the elders up there SO much!!! That's been a really hard adjustment for me... but I'm managing!! President Corey committed us to make this new area and companion the best of our whole mission... and Sister Bernard and I have decided that we're going to set this area on fire!!! :D It's going to be an awesome transfer!!! We really don't have many investigators... but we're working on building relationships of trust with the ward so they'll give us referrals, and we've been doing a lot of tracting and found some sweet new people!! Yesterday we tracted into a Pentecostal preacher and learned a lot about their beliefs... we're going to go to his church soon... :) It will be awesome!!!

Well... I better run!!! It was so great to hear all of your wonderful voices on Sunday!! I love you all so much!!! Can you believe that my mission is almost 1/2 way over!!! It's gone by fast... but at the same time... I can't believe that I still have almost 10 months left!!! But I'm sure it will fly and I'll be home before I know it!!! Have a great week!! I know I'm going to!!!

Love Sister Alex Smith

P.S. Sorry this email is so short!!! I'll do better next week!! :)

May 4, 2010 email

2010-05-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

The b-awesome week!!

Dear family...I love you so much!!! I hope that you know that!!! :) I've been realizing that I was probably a bear to get along with... (I know you're all just nodding your heads!).. Even if I was a quiet bear... so sorry about all of that!!! :) I'll be a changed person when I get home!!!!! Corrupted actually... my zone is doing a good job of that.... you'll not recognize me... just kidding...I'll still be the same Sister Smith!!! Except hopefully I'll have grown spiritually.... growing is good as long as it's not OUT!!! Ha ha...I'm working on that!!! :)

Anyways... this week has been awesome!! Actually it was b-sweet if "ya know what I'm talking 'bout!" I'm pretty sure I'm going to come home talking like more of a hick then when I left... and apparently I have a pretty strong Utah accent... my comps love making fun of me... but it's better to laugh them cry right??

So guess how many people we had at church on Sunday?? SEVEN!!!! That's one of the things that made this week b-sweet!! Beyond sweet for those of you who don't know what in the world I'm talking about... you may not be "picking up what I'm putting down!!!" Another Hoosier phrase... aw...I'm going to miss this beautiful inner city ward!!! :( But as a lot of people have said to me... I've got people who I need to work with in my next area.... and I guess that my work is done here!! I've been here for almost 6 months all together... I'm just saying 6 months... it takes up less breath than saying five and a half... gotta save that breath for... preaching the gospel!!

Hmmm... so I should probably stop rambling... and tell you something that happened this week right?? Hm... I've taken a LOT of pictures!!! Oh, I played the piano this week.. shh.. but don't tell anyone!! I strapped my wrist up really tight so it couldn't move... :) So all is well!! I had an MRI and listened to the same cd twice... it was SO long!!! MRI's are such a pain!!! We'll find out on Wednesday what is wrong with my wrist... I have the sweetest tan line!! I'll be sure to take pictures of it!! When I was taking off the brace at the Dr... I said, "I have the sweetest tan line!!" And the doctor was like "It's sweet is it!?" I guess sweet isn't the right word for it... but it'll suffice!!

We finally got some tracting in... 23 lessons for this week!!! Sets a new record for this area... We've been getting something like 4 a week... lame I know.. but even if we're not tracting... we're still preaching the gospel!!! :) And we've had some amazing (I'll refrain from saying sweet!) lessons... I love being a missionary!!! It really is the best work... and I know I say that about every email.. but it's true... :) We also committed 4 people to baptism this week... and should be setting some dates soon!! Woo-hoo... and RIGHT when I get transferred!! Oh well... at least I got to plant some seeds here in White River!!!!

This gospel is so amazing... and the church is true... I love being a member of this church!!! It makes me so happy!!! :)

Well, I better run!! I hope that you have a good week... and I'll talk to you on Sunday!!!! :D

Love Sister Alex Smith <3 (that a heart if you couldn't tell!! :)

Sorry for the delay!

2010-04-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone sorry for the delay in getting Alex's email posted from last week! We were on our way home from Arizona, we went there for Emily's (our oldest daughter) wedding and right when (that is no lie) we got home three of the children were sick and the other two got sick the next day! So, here you go, finally, last week's email and this week's email, all on the same day!

Have a happy day!
Margaret

Hope you had as good a time at church as I did!! :)

2010-04-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hey hey family!! Did you know that in only 12 days or something crazy like that I get to call you??!?!?!?!! Isn't that so exciting!!?!? I'm so excited to talk to you and hear all your wonderful voices!! Be sure to have questions, or things that you want to ask so we can make the best use of our time! :) I'm so excited!! Can you believe that I've been back out for 3 1/2 months!!? It doesn't seem like that long! I just reached my EIGHT month mark on Saturday!!! May 24 is my hump mark!! Yikes!! Time sure flies when you're having a good time... This week has been a hard one for sure. I've finally come to realize that what Heavenly Father needs is ME... not some clone of any other missionary... but ME. I got a blessing from my amazing DL, Elder Magleby, on Friday and in the blessing he said that there are people that I need to touch in this area, and that really hit me... I've been forgetting who I am the past couple of weeks. Trying to figure things out, but I haven't be happy. I've been doing a lot of reflecting about what kind of missionary I am... I've thought a lot about what kind of missionary I was when I first came out in June, and what kind of missionary I was when I came out in January...I was so excited to share the gospel... I taught simply because I didn't know how else to teach... I spoke from the heart because I tried to see the people we taught through the eyes of the Savior... it's definitely true that as a missionary, and as a Disciple of Christ that we need to forget ourselves and focus more on others, but it's important to take the time to notice what we've done well, and to always remember that we are children of God! And that He loves us so much!! I was reading a talk this last week about how a true sense of worth comes from having a close relationship with God.. and that is something I am definitely working on!!

Wow... that was a ramble... but that's a little of what's been on my mind! This week was awesome!! We had SIX... I repeat... SIX investigators at church on Sunday!!!! 2 families!!! The beginning of this transfer I prayed that I would be able to teach a family... and we're teaching two!!! Heavenly Father is so good to me!!! We've had our ups and downs this week... but the best part is seeing myself grow as a missionary as I teach others and help them to come closer to Christ... I've really been working on focusing... and while it's been hard... I know that I'm improving and even though it might be such a small change it's hardly noticeable.. it's a change!!! We haven't been working with any new people... just the same wonderful people that I've grown to love so much, and I'm going to miss if i get transferred!! I've been taking a lot of pictures with people... so I'll be sure to never forget them.. Sorry this email isn't much about what happened this week... but the most exciting thing was having all those people at church. I hope that you have a great week... I love you all so much and I hope that you know that!!!

Love,
Sister Alex Smith :)

Another awesome week!

2010-04-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Good morning family!! I hope that this weekend was good!! I'm so sad that I couldn't be there... but I hope it was a beautiful wedding!! Guess what!! I think I have my brains back!! I was having some bad side effects with the medicine I was taking, so the nurse told me to stop taking it. It was causing my kidneys to overwork, not a good thing... but now my kidney's are fine and my brain is coming back!! I'm so happy!! I feel like my old self again!! and even without taking the medication for my arm, it's doing very well considering. This was a pretty good week... definitely full of learning experiences though!! What kind of week would it be without 'em??

So TUESDAY we finally went to the IMA (Indiana Museum of Art) and had an awesome time... we're sure getting to know Elder Simmons and Mourra really well, they're the only elders who ever do anything with us!! Later that night we did mutual for the ward and Spanish branch, and we talked about serving missions and being a missionary. They were a little out of control... but we managed. They decorated these huge cookies with different things that we'd talked about... they were pretty frosting covered!! Oh, and there was a kid named Mason who got mugged right in front of his house on Tuesday!! Crazy!! What a ridiculous world we live in!!

WEDNESDAY was a good day.. we did some tracting, and all the people that we talked to were telling us about how they have friends who are LDS and how they've asked them questions and had good discussions with them... way to go being missionaries people!! You never know when simply being a friend will (as Aunt Liz just said in an email) plant a seed that may not grow into them being a member, but simply having good will towards the church is huge!!! We met with an awesome RC named Sara... who has a missionary coming home in.. something like 32 days!! She is so excited!! We're almost done teaching her the new member lessons... she is so awesome!! It's amazing to see the promise that when we put things in our minds... then the Holy Ghost can bring the to our remembrance... I was just pulling out scripture after scripture... and it wasn't because I'm a scriptorian.. but because of the spirit. Teaching by the spirit is the only way to do it... when I'm just teaching by my own wisdom... the spirit isn't really there and I stumble over my words... but when I teach by the spirit... it's amazing!!!!! The spirit is the coolest thing ever!!! Oh, then Wednesday night we had dinner with the Hemmert's and they had the Chandley/Curl family over for a lesson and dinner. It was really good... we talked about the Family Proclamation... and Lisa was talking about how she makes everyone's bed, but no one ever makes hers, and the kids were saying... but you and dad share a bed!! And she said "Not any more until we're married!!" It's been amazing this week to see how we don't even have to bring up these issues that we're concerned about... the spirit brings them to these peoples minds and THEY bring them up!!!

THURSDAY we had interviews and we didn't even have to wait!!! President Corey said to me "So Sis. Smith... you've been in White River a long time... how do you feel about leaving?" Dang it... I was hoping I'd never get transferred!!!!! I told him that White River is like home to me, and that I have very mixed feeling about leaving. It seems that I always leave an area when we have baptismal dates (not any yet, but we're working on it!) and the work is really starting to progress. I must've sounded a little frustrated... because then Pres. told me somethings that I really needed to be reminded of... sometimes I have the opportunity to be the harvester... but a lot of times I get to plant and nourish seeds!!! I just have to keep that in mind!! So... transfers are on May 4... and we'll find out on May 3 if I'm leaving or staying!!! Yikess!! New area... I think I'm headed your way!!! Oh... and I forgot the best part of the day!!! well, at least... one of them!! You know the service that we do?? Well, we were invited to a volunteer appreciation thing and we were the volunteers of the year... we also happen to BE the only volunteers... :) They had a man playing the saxophone and he kept talking to us/singing to us... and trying to get us to dance and such... and when he found out what religion we were he said "What... they CAN dance!!" It was really funny... then this guy came up to us and was singing us a silly song...apparently I turned VERY red... :) Then that night we had a lesson with Chris and Cindy at a member's home... and it was awesome!!! They brought up ALL their concerns and it was amazing to have all the things that we were going to bring up... have THEM bring them up!!! They need to get married...but if they do, they'll lose social security disability or something like that... I remembered a quote that they told us at the MTC about how when we teach by the spirit... people ask US for baptism!!! Chris and Cindy want to be baptized so bad... they always talk about it... but we're working on some issues.... Then we went to addiction recovery with someone... and it was awesome!! I love Addiction Recovery!! It's such an awesome program!!

FRIDAY we had an awesome district meeting... Elder Magleby gives the best trainings... he's an awesome elder. Then we had an interesting lesson with a investigators daughter... it was a Bible bash... It's really so amazing to teach by the spirit... because I wouldn't think of these things on my own... but the spirit has the best ideas!!! I know I've said that a lot.. but it really is amazing!!! The rest of the day was fairly normal-ish... trying people, teaching people about the gospel... etc... :)

SATURDAY we did service in a historical part of town... it's so pretty!! We picked up a lot of trash... and Sis. Spindler and I had a great conversation about scripture scouts!! She used to listen to them when she went to sleep too!!! :) Then I really wasn't feeling very well... so we rested a bunch of the day... I'm feeling so much better now that I'm not taking the medication... whew... i was worried my problems were something more serious... thank goodness they're not!!! Oh boy... then we got told that we were having a race to see who could share the most BOM scriptures in day... and we went crazy!!! We had a dinner appointment with Mary (a la) and I told her about the contest, and she let us share with her about 8 scriptures!!! SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She never even lets us share a thought about the gospel!!! BTW... we won the contest with 21 scriptures!!! :) Sisters are the best... We blow everyone else out of the water... JK... :)

SUNDAY we had Ward Conference... and guess who I met?? Guesses anyone... President Pitcher!!! Tiffany's older brother!!! I told him about living so close to them... and it was great to talk to him!! He's super nice... Ward Conference was amazing!! They talked about how we have the responsibility to bring people back... we have 20% attendance in our ward... 93 active members, and 465 members!!! The ward has a lot of work to do!! Then we had dinner with Sister Mills... she goes on splits with us all the time... she's the best. Then we went and saw Lori and Stephanie in the hospital... it was great to meet Stephanie... she's doing so much better!!!!

YESTERDAY we had an awesome day!!! Everyday is awesome when you're a missionary!! We did service at the Rehab Center, had a lesson with Rachel a RC, had a lesson with Rob the rc who dropped off the earth for a couple of months..., talked to Blair, scheduled some appointments, and had a sweet lesson with the Chandley/Curl family talking about Bible stories and the role of a prophet.

All in all... a beyond awesome week!!! It's been an interesting one growing wise... I'm working on some serious issues of pride, selfishness and anger... but as long as I'm trying... all is well... and I'm working hard... I hope that you all have a great week!!! I love you all so much!!!

Love,
Sister Smith

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!

2010-04-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been super amazing and wonderful... do you think that they'll extend my mission to a lifetime call?? I really don't want to leave, I love being a missionary so much!!!! It really is the best job in the whole wide world!!

This week was a miracle week!!! And I love this area!! It is so ghetto, but I love it and all the people that we're working with...piercings, tattoos, drugs, smoking, whatever... I really love them all!!!

So one of the biggest miracles happened with a recent convert named Rob. He got baptized the first week of January, and we haven't been able to meet him since!! I've been here almost 3 months, and I've talked to him on the phone once... so we went and left a note on his door saying that we were not trying to be pests, but that we really just wanted to meet him since none of us have, and that we were just wasting our time trying him if he was just going to keep ignoring us... so awhile ago I had the phone in my hand, and it started ringing, and who should it be but ROB!!!! I just starred at it for awhile, I couldn't believe that he would call us!! He said that he was so sorry that he'd been avoiding us, and that he'd gotten off the path, but that he wanted to start meeting with us again... We were so happy that we all almost started crying!!! We were able to meet with him last week and had an awesome lesson. We read Pres. Uchtdorf's talk "The Way of the Disciple" and it really hit Rob... He is an awesome guy, and I'm excited to start working with him, and help him to get back on the path... he said something that really hit me... he was talking about how the happiest he's been was in the church, and he said that the high that you get from drugs is nothing to compare, and is empty, but true happiness is to be found in keeping the commandments...

One of the other awesome experiences has to do with an inspired bladder... mine. :) we were visiting Diana Kopecky, and we were washing up and taking our gowns off, and all of a sudden i needed to go to the bathroom... i thought to myself... "our house is only 10 minutes away, I'll just wait because we're almost late." but then I just had the strongest thought come to me... "I HAVE to go to the bathroom"... so I did... while I was in there a lady came up to use the bathroom and say that it was full and was walking away when she saw their name tags... she just sat down and said "I'm from the Bethesda ward in Maryland..." Come to find out, her daughter was in ICU, and her whole body had shut down after some chemo for Leukemia... she had been sleeping on the floor, and needed to find a place to stay, but couldn't afford a hotel... So we talked to Sister Leonard and she is living with her while her daughter (who is talking and off the respirator) recovers... but besides the fact that I needed to go to the bathroom, so did Lori, and she walked right past the bathroom in the ICU, to use the one in the infectious area... so her bladder was inspired too!!! :) Lori is the cutest lady, and calls us her law firm because she was reading off our names "Jenson, Smith and Spindler" and said that we sounded like one!! So she always calls us that...

The other miracle that I'll share... (there are lots more, but I'm almost out of time) is that we've been dropping a lot of people that aren't progressing/can't get in contact with, and then all these awesome people are coming out of the woodwork!!! The other day the phone rang, and it was a less active I've met probably 3 times, and she asked us if we could come over and talk to their family because they have been having a really really hard time. So we had an awesome lesson about getting along and such... and then they had FHE the next night!!!!! Woo-hoo!!! Only the mom is a member, and she hasn't been to church in years... She doesn't really know the doctrine either, because she's been la pretty much all her life... So on Sunday her and her boyfriend couldn't get off work, but a member of the ward picked up the kids and brought them to church!! Oh, but before that we had another lesson and talked about prayer, and the 14 yr old girl (who is definitely struggling) started listening, and then they all started drawing pictures of a board that we had brought for them so they could have the steps of prayer all over their house!!! I love that family!! They are also trying to quit smoking... so they are doing well!!! I love working with la's!!!

The last miracle that I just have to tell you about is that we had 6 investigators and 10 less actives at church this last week!!! Our attendance at church was at 120 instead of 80!!! It was crazy!!! One of the la's family we've been working with came to church, and we haven't even visited them in weeks!!! All by their little old selves!! AND our ward is getting to be so much more helpful!!! They all brought our investigators, and we have 4-5 dinner appointments every week this month!!!!! The miracles really area just pouring in!!!!

I'm so glad that i get to be a part of this great work!!! Watching people change their lives and see the happiness that comes as people follow the commandments... it just makes my heart sing!!! La la la la!! The miracles that happen make all the sad things seem small and make difficulties pretty much invisible!!! :) Missionary work is hard hard work... but the best work in the whole wide world... Well, I better run, but I hope that you all have an awesome week!!! Be sure to look for the miracles in your own life... I'm sure there are tons!!! You just have to look for them!!! Love ya!! :)

Love Sister Alex Smith :)

Hey family!

2010-04-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS!!?? TORNADO SEASON!! WOO-HOO!! I'M SO EXCITED... WELL, NOT REALLY. HEAVENLY FATHER DEFINITELY HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR... BECAUSE OF ALL THE NATURAL DISASTERS, I DON'T LIKE TORNADOES... AND I GOT SENT TO INDIANA!! :) BUT ANYWAYS, IT'S BEEN ABOUT 80 DEGREES FOR A WEEK, AND IT'S BEEN SO NICE!! THIS WEEK HAS BEEN A GOOD ONE!!

TUESDAY WE HAD AN AWESOME LESSON WITH BRIAN. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH HIM FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS, SO IT WAS GOOD. WE HAD AN AWESOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BOM AND WE READ THE INTRODUCTION... I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! I JUST LOVE THE WHOLE BOM... IT'S SO AMAZING!!

WEDNESDAY WE FOUND AN AWESOME LADY NAMED BIANCA WHILE WE WERE TRACTING... AND WE HAD A LESSON WITH HER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR... IT WAS SO COOL!! IT'S SO NEAT WHEN YOU FIND PEOPLE AND THEY LET YOU TEACH THEM MORE THAN A DOOR APPROACH. HEY, ON A TOTALLY RANDOM NOTE... DID YOU KNOW THAT INDY JUST HOSTED THE FINAL FOUR, AND BUTLER (A SCHOOL IN MY AREA) ALMOST WON!! SISTER LEONARD WAS SCREAMING LAST NIGHT, AND I WENT UPSTAIRS TO CHECK ON HER BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE WAS YELLING FOR US, AND SHE WAS WATCHING THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE GAME... THEY ONLY LOST BY ABOUT 2 POINTS WHICH IS AMAZING BECAUSE THE ARE A TINY TINY SCHOOL!! THEN LATER THAT NIGHT WE TAUGHT INSTITUTE, BECAUSE THE TEACHER WAS OUT OF TOWN... AND (AT LEAST MY PORTION) WAS SO BORING!! I'VE DEFINITELY GOT TO WORK ON MAKING MY LESSONS MORE INTERESTING...IT'S ONE OF MY MAIN GOALS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

THURSDAY WE HELPED CAROLYNN CLEAN HER HOUSE... LOTS OF CAT HAIR + DUST = LOTS OF SNEEZING!!! NOT SO FUN, BUT IT WAS GOOD TO HELP HER CLEAN... OH, AND WE HAD THE BEST DINNER... IT WAS A HAMBURGER WITH SPICY RANCH DRESSING, CHEESE, BANANA PEPPERS, TOMATOES, AND SOMETHING ELSE I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT WE HARDLY SAID ANYTHING THE WHOLE MEAL, IT WAS DIVINE!!!

FRIDAY WE HAD DISTRICT MEETING AND I GOT A BLESSING FROM MY DL ELDER MAGLEBY... IT'S BEEN A HARD HARD WEEK... I'M DEFINITELY WORKING ON DEVELOPING A BUCKET LOAD OF CHRISTLIKE ATTRIBUTES!! BUT THAT A PROCESS FOR SURE... NOT A ONE TIME THING.... A JOURNEY... I LIKED HOW ONE OF THE APOSTLES SAID THAT A JOURNEY OF A 1000 MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP... SO TAKE THAT STEP!!! THEN WE HAD AN AWESOME LESSON WITH EDDIE THE MEMBER REFERRAL WE GOT...

SATURDAY WE WATCHED CONFERENCE AT CAROLYNN'S WITH 4 ELDERS... AND A MEMBER MALE OF COURSE... IT WAS FUN...

SUNDAY WE WATCHED CONFERENCE AT THE CHURCH... EDDIE WENT TO BOTH THE PRIESTHOOD SESSION AND ONE SESSION ON SUNDAY AND REALLY ENJOYED IT!! WOO-HOO!!

MONDAY I JUST WENT TO THE DR... SISTER RICH HAD TO GO AS WELL.. .SO WE WENT ON AN DR EXCHANGE... WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING... JUST SAT AROUND IN ZIONSVILLE, THEN WENT TO THE DR. AND SAT AROUND SOME MORE!! IT WAS LOTS OF FUN!!

TUESDAY... IS GOING TO BE AN AWESOME DAY!!! I HOPE THAT THINGS IN UTAH START WARMING UP!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!! LOVE YOU ALL!! :)

LOVE,
SISTER SMITH

Hey family!!!

2010-03-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

How's the weather in Cache Valley? It's sure beautiful here!! It reminds me of pruning weather... I sure miss the orchard!!

Well, this week was so amazing!!! We had 22 sit down lessons, which means (kind of obvious!) that we sit down and teach a lesson with prayer and everything... it was awesome!! When I was reporting numbers our district leader said something under his breath... and I asked him what he said and he had said "good night!!" t's really hard to get that many... it was a miracle week!!!!

Tuesday we cleaned a TON and rearranged everything to get ready for our new companion... it's much better organized than it was before... we have a lot more space :) Then we went to the zoo, and we got in free!! Iit was a big blessing... some members took us and their little 4 yr old was so funny!!! He wanted to show us everything!!! We have about 10 elders there, and then just Sister Jensen and I, so it must have looked funny... dispel all those myths about polygamy... 10 guys and 2 girls!!! :D We saw an amazing dolphin show, saw lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), and lots of other animals... it was awesome!!

Wednesday we had transfers, and it was a great birthday!!! I got sung to a lot... and had an amazingly awesome package to open from you!!! Then we had an awesome lesson with a rc.. who when she read the scripture about if you die filthy, you are filthy still... she yelled... "oh, I love that!!!" She's so funny... it's awesome to see how strongly she feels about the church... now I just wish she would come!!!!!!!! :(

Thursday was another awesome day!! We had a great lesson with a rc couple who is smoking again... and I had an awesome experience about teaching by the spirit... it's awesome to see how things come to mind that I wouldn't ever dream of bring up, but it's what they needed to hear...

Friday we had 5 sit downs... woo-hoo!! We also had an awesome correlation meeting with our mission leader, we're trying to revamp the ward mission plan... it's coming along and we're so excited!!!

Saturday we had an awesome couple of lessons... one with a family who used to come to our church and they tried out another one, and now they want to come back!!! They listed so intently, it was an awesome lesson!!

Sunday we didn't have any investigators at church, but we scheduled an appointment with a guy that one of our members has been bringing for awhile, and when we told the member he pumped his fist!! He was SO excited!!! Member missionary work is awesome!!! :) It was also our Easter program, and they were so excited that I didn't get transferred!!! The choir director said that I keep everyone on pitch and am the loudest singer... It was a good program, but I didn't really know the music which made it interesting!! Oh boy, then we had the best dinner I've had my whole mission!! It was gourmet!!! Yum... my mouth waters just thinking about it!! :)

Monday we walked a couple of miles trying people, had a lot of appointments fall through, but taught some pc lessons, which was good!!! We met the sweetest couple.. they've been married for 70 years!!! They are la, except we don't think that they know they are members... :)

Well, I better run, my companions are waiting for me!!! I hope that you all have a great week!! Thanks again for the birthday package!! It was so much fun to open and feel all of your love!!! I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love from Sister Smith! :)

Hey hey family!

2010-03-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

This was an awesome week... no actually... it was beyond awesome!! Being a missionary is the best thing in the world!!! I'm almost out of time, so this is just going to be a giant jumble of things that happened this week... hope it makes since... whoops... i mean sense... Hoosiers are doing crazy things to my grammar and spelling... so just laugh... and don't' judge... okay!!?

We've had some awesome dinner appointments... my favorite was with the Smith family... Bro. Smith is 80 yrs old, an he's my best bud.. he says that we Smiths' have to stick together... :) he makes me laugh all the time!! Edie is doing well.. we had a great lesson with her about baptism yesterday, she knows that she needs to get baptized with the proper authority, she just needs to get a testimony of the church first... and I know that it's growing!!! We did service for her, and it was kind of gross... I found tons of mouse poop, and she said that mice are taking over her kitchen!!! Did I tell you that Ashley P and her kids came to church last week? They are a less active family that we've been working with, and we went and ate with them on Thursday, and she said that her 5 yr old has been asking everyday to go back to singing school!! I'm so glad that they liked it.. it's so crazy how much you grow to love people that you work with... I love so many people so much... didn't think that you could love so many people... but I just keep loving more and more all the time!!! I had the nerve damage test done, and I don't recommend it to anyone... you know how I laugh when I'm in pain? Well, I was laughing so much, I was crying!!! It was a blast!!! The needle was so long!! I didn't see it until afterward... and I'm glad of that!!! ;) One time the doctor asked me if I was going to pass out, and he grabbed my arm... must have looked like it, but I sure didn't think I was going to... :) We also did service for Carolynn this week... I have some awesome pictures of furry food.. we were laughing so much.. it's better to laugh then cry or throw up right?? We've also been getting a lot of exercise... we walked everywhere one day, but I don't think that was the safest thing to do.. We found out something later about the area we were in... So I don't know that we'll do that again... But we're super protected as missionaries!!!! :) Oh, and yesterday was the most awesome day!!! We had 5 sit down lessons with investigators!!!! It was SUCH a productive day!!! It was so awesome!!!!!! Oh, Diana (the one waiting for transplants) has been released from the hospital and is now on the top of the waiting list,... we're hoping that she gets a donor is a week or two... She's the sweetest lady ever, and we got to meet her husband yesterday!!!

Well, I better run!!! It's kind of hard to write down the things that have happened in a week... there is so much it would take pages and pages, and even if I were the best writer in the world, there is absolutely no way that i could convey the feelings that are in my heart!!! It's such an awesome thing to be a missionary, and to go about serving people 24/7. It's a hard thing to loose yourself, to stop thinking of yourself and start thinking about others, and to love people so much and to get a small glimpse of the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Being a missionary is the best work in the world, and I'm so glad that I get to be a part of this marvelous work and a wonder... that's really what it is!!!

Have a great week family!!! Love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Sister Smith :D

2010-03-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Dear family... this was an awesome week!!! My arm/hand is doing so much better, but now my other hand hurts because I cut my finger REALLY bad... but regardless... it was an amazing week!!!

WEDNESDAY - we were supposed to meet with the Zone Leaders with a referral they gave to us, so they could pass her on over (she's ysa), but they called and said that she couldn't meet with us that day... but to maybe try her anyways... so we did, and she was kind of mad at a certain elder because he kind of lied to her/us, or I guess just didn't clarify something... regardless... it took us about 10 miles to get down there... wow... I've used that word a lot today... but regardless... ha ha... am I even using that in context?!?! :) Anywho... then we did an exchange with the Bloomington sisters, and I went down to Bloomington with Sister Spindler... we had an awesome time... her and her comp are having a hard time, and Sister Jenson and I are like the mission sister's dr... crazy... and hard!!! We had a sweet day... Sister Spindler is an awesome missionary!!! We went tracting for awhile, had an awesome dinner appointment, and went and visited members...

THURSDAY - we went tracting some more, and then drove back up here... well, not here, since I'm in Eagle Creek right now... but to White River... then that night Sis. Jenson and I had an awesome dinner appointment... we're starting to have them again, and they are awesome!!! We have 4 this week!! Amazing!

FRIDAY - we had District Meeting... which was awesome!! Elder Burgess is the best District Leader ever!! He's so calm and none flirtatious... a big plus when the district is 4 sisters!! Then we had lunch with Mary, and got food poisioning!!! Ha ha!! That was fun... I'm still recovering!! Oh, but before it hit us, we went and visited Edie... I love her so much!!! She is the cutest little lady!!!

SATURDAY - was a fun day... we got permission to sleep until 1... we were so sick!!! But I'm on the mend.. it hit me hard... I still get sick when it eat!! Then we had a sweet lesson with Blair... she's my new favorite... except I think that I say that all the time.... pretty much everyone is my favorite!!

SUNDAY - we had an investigator at church!!!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!!!! The first in weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edie came and REALLY enjoyed it... The assistants came to church, well, Elder Miller and Stranski at least... they are so funny! Then we had another incredible lesson with Don... he is so solid!!! He loves everything that we teach, and the spirit is always so strong there!!! Then we had "Why I Believe" which was so amazing!! It is the most spirit filled meeting... it's the best idea!! We had Edie, and Blair and her mom come... oh, and Elder Cubit and I sang... it was AMAZING!!!!! Everyone kept asking me where that voice came from... guess that I can really belt it out... or maybe it's just because I'm so quiet and then when I sing I'm not.. anyways... it was awesome to sing with Elder Cubit... we're recording it on Friday, and I'll send you a copy when I can...

Monday - I came to Eagle Creek, and I'm still here... Sister Rich is sick, and so we're still on an exchange... but not... it's confusing... exchanges are fun, but I can't wait to get back to my favorite area!! Transfers are next week!!! Argh!!! I told Pres., "I don't want to get transferred"... and the assistants... and the sisters say that they all give me whatever I want because they love me... so we'll see what happens... :) Well, I better run, I only have a couple of seconds left.. have a great week and I'll write to you next week!!! Love you all so much!!!

Sis. Smith

2010-03-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

Hey my beautiful/handsome family!! How are you all doing? I love you all so much... I hope that everything is going well, and that you're staying warm!! I'm toasty... it's so funny, because Sister Jenson and I both think that this is such warm weather, and then one of the sisters (from California) is freezing... I always go up to her and say... "this feels like summer!!" even though it's only about 45-55!!! But that is much warmer than 10 with wind chill and such!! It's like a sauna with the humidity though... can't wait for summer!!! ;)

Oh, before I forget... I just wanted to thank Dad again for the generous use of his gps... we have now named him and he's one of our constant companions... I really surprised myself at how well I know this area... we just use him sometimes... but he is pretty awesome!! His name is Benjamin and we are so grateful for his amazing knowledge of this area!! We love him!!

So, here is a brief summary of this week...
TUESDAY - we had an awesome p-day. We went outside and most of the missionaries played soccer, but I had my arm in a sling, and as much as they tried to convice me that soccer only requires your feet... they couldn't win me over...I think... yep, we did... we had our entire zone there!! It was sweet!! I got to talk to Sister Rich a lot, and got to know Sister Haefele a little better... later that night we had an appointment with Merwyn from Kuwait, and we didn't get much of a chance to talk because the store we were at was closing, but we had a good talk about the BOM and prophets... then we went and saw our new favorite friend... Blair... she is so awesome!! It's so neat to see how the spirit can touch people, and even though she doesn't really know much about the gospel, she is striving to change her life... and she is so much happier since coming back to church!!!

WEDNESDAY - we had a doozy of a lesson with a referral from a YSA member... he just wanted to bible bash, and convince us that we were wrong... but there is no shaking my testimony!!! I love the gospel!! He pretty much told us that we were children of the devil!! :) ha ha... we were just laughing inside! Then we went and saw Edie... she is so sweet!! I love her... then I don't remember what we did... in the afternoon... probably some missionary work though... then in the evening we went to institute with Blair and we talked to her for about 45 minutes afterwards answering a million questions that she has... I love it when people have questions!!! Oh, and you want to know something sad.. so we got a referral from a member, and we just never got around to visiting her, and she just died!! I felt really bad...but I guess now missionaries on the other side are teaching her... they knew that she was dying, and I didn't really want to invade on the last few days that they had with her... but I still feel bad...

THURSDAY - we were supposed to have interviews... but they got canceled, but then we still had a training by the assistant... so Elder West and Snow figured out how much they want me to sue for... Elder West requires 33% of whatever I get AND $25,000... I think I might be looking for a new lawyer... :) I'm so glad that elders make me laugh... it makes a mission so much easier!!! Then we went downtown and taught a kid who is moving here from Fort Wayne... or South Bend... can't remember.. but anyways, he asked us at institute to share a message with him the next day because he was having a really hard week.. so we did... we love to help members!! It got some awesome pictures of the circle center, but I forgot my camera cord... then we had dinner with Mary ... and it was super normal... but Sister Jenson thought the jello was disgusting... but it was one of the better ones... :)

FRIDAY we had DM, tracted... talked to 15 people, but only managed to teach 3 lessons... success!! Then we had everything fall through, so we tried to find out where some more LA's were, and we found so many!! then we went and visted Diana.. she finds out this week if she's eligible for the transplants!

SATURDAY we went to 3 baptisms! It was an awesome day!! So the first one was into our YSA, so it counted as our number so we helped a lot with it... we did a lot ... the elders owe us big time... then we went and talked to Carolynn... interesting discussion there.. :)... then we went to 2 spanish baptisms, because Sis.Jenson was playing at them, Elder Garcia translated for us, and it was hilarious!! During the getting dressed part, they were showing "the mediator" and he was making up so much stuff... and Sister J. turned to him and said "I HAVE seen this movie!!" He was better at translating after that!! He was sitting in between us so we could both hear him, and he was like "This is so awkward!! I haven't done this in a very long time!!" Then we went with an awesome member from the zone leaders ward to visit Blair and her mom, and it was awesome!!!

SUNDAY - we had church.. and then we had an awesome lesson with a guy that the sisters found in November!!! He agreed with everything and was so prepared!!! I really love member present lessons now... they are so awesome!!!! Then I got to talk to Janna and Tom... I love them so much!!!!!!

MONDAY - we visited some LA's, went and sang at the rest home... one lady said to us "don't Mormons hate black people?" and we assured her that we LOVE black people... they always ask us such interesting questions... one girl (a nurse) said "oh, I missed the singing!!" because we got there late... didn't know they liked it so much! Guess what..I'm singing Sister Corey's new song at a fireside on Sunday!!! I get to sing a duet with an Elder that Sister Corey says has the most amazing voice in the mission... that makes me feel good that I was asked to sing with him... anyways... then we talked to Michelle.. a LA we haven't been able to talk to in a couple of months... and it wasn't on our plans, but it was totally inspired by the spirit she stared bawling... I love it when I follow the spirit and see the results!!

TUESDAY - we went to the doctor for me, I already told you what happens there... then the sewer backed up... then we went to the children's museum... and it was an all around awesome day!!!

Well, I better run!! Have an awesome week!! I love you all and look forward to hearing from you... ;)

Love, Sis. Smith

DEAR FAM...

2010-03-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

DEAR FAM...
I'M DOING WELL AND HOPE U R 2... TYPING W/ 1 FINGER IS FUN :) THIS WEEK WAS SWEET! WED WE HAD AN AWESOME DAY, WE MET WITH EDIE AND THE 1ST THING SHE SAID TO US WAS "GIRLS, I NEED YOUR HELP WITH SOMETHING... I NEED TO QUIT SMOKING!!". WE HAVEN'T EVEN TAUGHT HER THE W.O.W!! SHE'S THE SWEETEST LADY! WE HAD AN APP. W/ HER LATER IN THE WEEK, AND WE TOOK S. LEONARD W/ US, AND THEY BONDED SO WELL... THEY GREW UP IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD, AND S. LEONARD TAUGHT 2 OF EDIE'S SISTERS!! EDIE INVITED THEM TO THE NEXT LESSON AND EDIE SAID SIS L HADS 2 COME... WOULDN'T THAT B COOL IF THEY ALL LEARNED ABOUT THE GOSPEL?? MEMBER FELLOWSHIPPING IS THE BEST!! WE ALSO HAD A RC WHO HAS BEEN IN JAIL CALL US TO SEE IF WE COULD COME DO BIBLE STUDY WITH HER...SHE IS AWESOME!! AND SHE AND HER MOM & DAD (ALL RC'S... HER HUSBAND IS GOING 2 START LISTENING SOON 2!!) CAME 2 CHURCH... FOR 2 WEEKS IN A ROW!! WE'VE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH RC GOING LA... I THINK 2 OUT OF 8-9 ARE ACTIVE... AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN BAPTIZED IN THE LAST YEAR!! SIGH WE ALSO HAD A COOL WEEK WITH THE YSA... 2 KIDS BROUGHT FRIENDS 2 CHURCH AND A LA ELDERS SMITH/CARSKADDON ARE WORKIN WITH CAME... SHE IS OUR NEW BEST FRIEND!! SHE LOVES US!!! SHE IS PRETTY AWESOME... GUESS WHAT... THE YSA COVERS 3 STAKES... SO OUR AREA IS THAT BIG!!! THAT'S CRAzY CONSIDERING OUR MISSION ONLY COVERS 8 STAKES!! FUNNY THING... THEY SAID 1 WAY U CAN TELL IF THE MISSINARIES ARE DOING THEIR JOB IS BY THE SMELL OF SMOKE IN THE CHURCH... GUESS WE'RE DOING SOMETHIN RIGHT!! BUT I REALLY HATE THE SMELL OF POT... IT MAKES ME SO NAUSEATED...AND THE MEDICINE MAKES ME NAUSEATED ANYWAYS...SIGH... I'LL GET OVER IT!!! OH FYNNY STORy!! SO I WAS TALKING TO THE DISTRICT LEADER.. AND HE ASKED HOW I WAS FEELING, I TOLD HIM, AND HE SAIDF "YOU'LL GET OVER IT ..." AND HE STOPPED BECASUSE THAT WASN'T VERY NICE SO HE CHANGED IT TO, "I'M SURE YOU'LL GET BETTER SOON... BUT WE HEARD HIM SAY IT... AND WE LAUGHED SO HARD!!, AND WE TOLD HIM THAT THAT ISN'T A VERY GOIOD THING 2 SAY TO HIS FUTURE WIFE... A MISSION IS THEW BEST PREP FOR MARRIAGE... WHO KNEW!! YOU GET TO SERVE THE LORD AND PREPARE 4 MARRIAGE ALL AT ONCE!! SWEETNESS!! WELL... NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED BESIDES THE CAR WRECK AT 9:15 ON WED NITE, DR ON THURSDAY, DISTRICT MEETING AND SLEEP ON FRIDAY...SAT SIS RICH CAME 2 B W/ ME SO S. JENSON COULD GET OUT, AND I GHOT ABOUT 10-15 LETTERS FROM LAWYERS WHO WANT ME 2 SUE OR AT LEAST WANT 2 REP ME ION COURT... AND THEY ONLY WANT A SMALL PIECE... 33.333% OF THE PROCEEDINGS... AND THE CONSULTATION IS FREE!!!!! I TOLD THE ASSISTANTS AND ELDER WEST GOT THE BIGGEST KICK OUT OF IT... I GUESS THEY (ELDERS SNOW &WEST) CAME UP W/ 30 REASONS I SHOULD SUE, AND ELDER SNOW DECIDED THAT MY ARM IS WORTH 75 MILLION DOLLARS BECAUSE IT'S MY CARRER AND LIFE... AND THEY ONLY WANT A COUPLE MILLION EACH FOR ASSISTING, AND E. WEST SAID HE'LL REPRESENT ME IN COURT... SO A FEW MORE MILLIOIN THERE ...SIS. JENSON CHARGES $150 AN HOUR FOR TAKING CARE OF ME... AND SHE'S DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB... SHE'S EVEN WASHED AND DONE MY HAIR A LOT... SO IT'S LOOKING LIKE I WON' GET MUCH AFTER IT'S ALLPAID OFF AND AFTER TAXES... BUT MAYBE WE COULD GET A NEW HOUSE IN PARADISE AND A GRAND PIANO, AND A COUPLE OF TRIPS TO THE BAHAMAS WITH IT... I DON'T KNOW YET.,... E. WEST IS TAKIN CARE OF IT... IT'S FUNNY... ALL OF THE MISSIONARIES WHO ASK ME HOW I'M DOING ALWAYS ASK ABOUT MY PIANO PLAYING AMD HOW MY HAND/FINGERS ARE DOING.. THEY'RE PRETTY SWOPLLEN AND STIFF AT THE MOMENT, BUT THEY'RE GETTING BETTER!!... GUESS THEY REALLY LIKE THE PIANO PLAYING... ANYAYS... AN UNEVENTFUL WEEK... HOPEFULLYYOU CAN UNDERSTAND THIS EMAIL... HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD WEEK... I DON'T THIMK YOU COULD HAVE A FUNNER WEEK THEN I HAVE... WHO KNEW A MISSION WAS GOING 2 B SUCH AN ADVENTURE????????????? LOVE U ALL!!!

LOVE SISTER SMITH
P.S. HOPE U CAN READ THIS GIANT RUN ON PARAGRAPH!!! AND IGNORE THE SPELLING MISTAKJES.... TYPING W/ 1 FINGER IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS... I THINK I NEED A NAP NOW!!!!

Hello Family!!!

2010-02-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

How are you all doing?! I'm doing very well, and Sis. Jenson and I are getting along so well!!!

TUESDAY - we went to Mug N' Bun with our zone, and it was very fun!!! They were all Spanish elders except one, oh, and I haven't told you about him yet have I? His name is Elder Smith (the senior zone leader) and it's so awkward to talk to him on the phone, not because he's an awkward elder, but this is how our conversations go "Hi this is Sister Smith" awkward pause "Hi Sister Smith, this is Elder Smith, how are you?" another awkward pause and a giggle "I'm doing good... how are you doing Elder Smith?" Anyways... it probably doesn't seem funny to you... but I've talked to him quite a few times, and it happens every time!!!! It's hilarious!!! At transfer meeting, Sis. Hubble almost gave me his mail... he laughed pretty hard about that!!!! Afterwards we went to the church and they played volleyball and soccer, and I wrote letters... except, I only got two very short cards written, and I was just watching them the rest of the time... oh, and taking pictures!!!! About 3-4 people asked me to take pictures, so that kept me busy... elders are hilarious!!!! Sisters are funny too... but elders just make me laugh all the time!! Then we had a dinner appointment with the Rupps, and we had a great conversation with Sister Rupp (a rm) about how our ward wants to help, they just don't really know how, and so we talked about building ward relationships... it was awesome!!! Sister Rupp is one of my favorites... which list keeps growing and growing and growing!!

WEDNESDAY - was a crazy day!!! We tried so many people, but none of them were home, and we only managed to teach 1 lesson, but we dropped 2 referrals... one of which was named Dale Smith!!! It was so awkward, because it was in a locked community, so we waited for FOREVER for them to come to the door... and then his wife said that they just wanted the BOM to give to a friend, and would we write our # in the front so she could call us in the instance that she had any questions. We asked if she would want to learn more herself, and she said that she's already read the BOM, and that they were "Christians". So are we!! It was an interesting conversation!!

THURSDAY - we tried even more people, and we managed to teach a grand total of TWO lessons!!! We did something pretty awesome in the morning though... we went to visit Diana in the hospital, and we got there just as a nurse was taking her somewhere, and Diana told us that she was going to a transplant support group meeting, and could we go with her? So we went and heard all about the process of transplants, and the pre and post stuff that goes on... it was so fascinating!!! I've decided that I'm going to be an organ donor... when I die I won't need them anymore, and someone like Diana could be putting them to good use!!! So Diana is getting more organs now!!! She's getting stomach, small bowel, but probably including some large, spleen, liver, pancreas.. crazy list eh?? She is the sweetest lady ever, and I hope that all goes well for her! Then we went and had a very interesting visit with a la/pm family that said they were going to a church, but they've been praying about which church they should go to... and poof... I feel like we should go and visit them!!! We are working on getting them all rides to church, then we had planning which took FOREVER!!! I made so many phone calls, but our schedule has been booked since then!!! It was SO cool.. So I called Brian to see if we could meet with him, and to tell him about the special Stake Conference, and he went on for about 5 minutes about how one of the things that he really liked about our church was the fact that we have prophets and apostles, and continuing authority... it was a sweet conversation!!!

FRIDAY - we managed to have THREE lessons!!! Talk about improvement!!! We went to visit with some rc (recent converts) who are SMOKING!!! ARGH!!!! They said that they are having a "little Word of Wisdom problem"... that is NOT A little problem... regardless of what they think!!!! Oh, did I tell you that Edie's husband/boyfriend died?? He was bleeding really bad internally (they would empty a bag off his feeding tube with 1000 units of blood in it!!!!!!!!) and he died on Tuesday morning... so we went and visited her... she is the sweetest lady!!!! I love her so much!!! Oh, I can't remember if I told you this, but one of the first times I met her, she was telling us how she used to be a powder puff derby driver... and one time (driving on the normal road) she was driving the wrong way on a one way, and the police man pulled her over, and he said... "This is a one way road!" to which she responded... "I'm only going one way!" She is hilarious and I love her so much!!! Then we had a lesson with Linda and we didn't talk about human sexuality at all!!! Score!!!! We had an awesome lesson and she said that she wanted to go to the special conference as well, and after quite a few phone calls, we managed to find a ride in the most unlikely place!! Then we went to the chili dinner at our ward, which was fun... we sat by the bishop and got to know him and his wife better...

SATURDAY was a most awesome day!! I got to meet Elder Christofferson (apostle), Elder Costa (presidency of the 70) and Elder Lansing (area 70). It was so awesome!!! President Corey had called me the day before to ask if I would play the piano for it... I was pretty nervous, and yet not as bad as I thought it would be!!! It was so awesome to meet Elder Christofferson!!! When he shook my hand, he took my hand in both of his and just held it for about a minute while he was talking to me, and I felt all my worries and such float away!!! All through the meeting I kept getting confirmations that he really was an apostle and that he was called of God... it was such a neat meeting!!! I don't have time to write about what he talked about... mostly just being better missionaries and such... it was so neat, at the end, he was testifying and he said "Jesus Christ is the head of this church, and he does not just occasionally work in the affairs of this church, he is an active leader in HIS church" Oh, it was just so neat!!! When he was walking off the stand, he turned to me and said "Thank you!" I got thanked by an apostle for playing the piano!!!! Oh boy, then what an interesting rest of the day, we had some other sisters staying with us, and when we got home, one of them went to the bathroom upstairs, and we both turned to the other one and asked if she was okay, and she totally broke down!!! S. Jenson went upstairs to talk to her, and keep her up there, and I talked to the other sister for about 2 hours!!! I was so drained after that!!!! Oh boy, and Sis. Jenson and I were so glad to be together... there is so much drama in the sisters right now!! Argh... so glad I'm not one of them!!!!!!! Then we went and tried a referral, and went and did service for Edie... when we walked in she put her hand on the table and said "I need your help with something" and then told us that she needs to quit smoking!!!! She is so solid!!!! She's the one who committed herself to baptism!!!! Then we had a totally crazy evening... I called Linda to tell her that we had a ride for her, and oh boy... what a crazy conversation!!! I taught the entire first lesson over the phone, and she was so interested... way more interested than when we taught her in person!! Then the assistants came over to get the dresser that they brought when I came here... oh.. they are so hilarious!!! We had to go outside, but we forgot to tell them that Sister Leonard was inside... and when she came in and said something, they dropped the dresser!!! well, they dropped it quite a few times... our stairs are so steep!!! We had just gone to Long's so I could introduce Sis. Jenson to their delicious doughnuts, and we bought some for them... but they were being so hesitant to take them!!! It was so hilarious!!! I asked E. Strankski when they got there if he liked doughnuts, and all he said was "Sister Smith!" After waiting for a LONG time for their answer they finally took them.. they just didn't want to admit that they all REALLY REALLY wanted them... Oh, I love elders!!!

SUNDAY was another awesome meeting with Elder Christofferson.. and guess where Linda sat?!?! On the STAGE!!!!!! They were having overflow up there... but we about died when we saw her... but the cool thing is that she had the biggest grin on her face!!! I sure hope that she liked it!!! Then I really wasn't feeling well, so we went home and ate, and then we slept for hours!!!! When I finally woke up, it was dark... oh, and then we got a phone call from the assistants saying that E.Stranski had lost his name tag, and he was teasing me SO bad... he was laughing SO hard!... silly elders... :)

MONDAY - we went to the assisted living place... and Sis. Jenson said it was so awkward!!! It kind of is, but I guess I'm just used to it!!! Then we tried a couple of people, visited Diana (who talked for 2 1/2 hours straight, she is so lonely, and having such a hard time!) and then we went and took an hour break... and then went out, did some more missionary work, and then had dinner at Maria and Jorge's... they are so funny!!!!

Oh, I have to tell you something funny... so last night S. Jenson was talking to Carolynn, and Carolynn was talking about me, and she said "Sis. Smith is like a quiet hurricane... just sits there so quietly, and then she says something that is really really important, and it really hits you, and then she's quiet again, but you're still feeling the hurricane." I thought that was really funny... :) Well, I think that this is plenty long!!! I hope that you are all doing well... you are always in my prayers!!! I love you so much!!!! Have a great week!!!!

Love, Sis. Smith

Good morning my beautiful family!!!

2010-02-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

How are things going in UTAH?? It’s so funny… Hoosiers think that 4 inches of snow is a lot, and the annual snowfall for February is about 6.3 inches, and we just got 6.1 yesterday!!! We do have quite a bit of snow, but not for us Utah folks… we just laugh when they say there is going to be a big storm… of 5 INCHES!!! :) ha ha… I love Indiana to pieces!!! So, this week has been an interesting one...

TUESDAY NIGHT we had an awesome lesson with BRIAN, a referral we’ve been trying to contact since I was here in November!! We finally had a lesson with him, and it was so awesome!!! I’ve never taught a lesson quite like that one before… we managed to teach the entire first lesson, but in the most scattered order ever!! But it was awesome, Sis. Summers and I taught the whole thing, and Sis. Summers committed him to baptism!! He said that he might in a while… but he’s pretty awesome regardless! He made us hot chocolate and muffins!!

WEDNESDAY was supposed to be transfers, but we got grounded, so they changed it to Thursday, but then E. Carskaddon called and said that our area was UN-grounded… we were so happy!! So we went and visited a couple of people… Diana and Mary in the hospitals, Louise, Edie (she said that they don’t think Roy – her husband - is going to make it through the weekend! :( ) and Ashley L. It was a good, but fairly uneventful day!

THURSDAY – we had transfer meeting!! I was so nervous!! I haven’t been that nervous for a long time!! But I managed to survive!! So, I’m pretty sure that you know my companion is Sis. Jenson from SMITHFIELD!!! She said that dad and her dad are going to learn more about the area, or something like that… anyways… we’re doing great together!! It’s hard to get to know a companion, and to know their attitude, personality, the way they teach, talk, walk, everything takes getting used to!! I thought a couple of times that she was mad at me… but it’s just what she was saying… and I’m trying to get better at taking suggestions and such… I have to realize that when people make suggestions they are not attacking me as a person, just making suggestions for me to grow and to help me… and the vast majority of the time it’s out of love!!!! So, as always, I’m continuing to grow and be stretched! An awesome experience!! I love Sis. Jenson… so… we talked about when I first met her, and how I thought that she was stuck up, and it was because she was speaking in church that day, and she was busy… and she really had no idea why Bob wanted us to meet, but we laughed over that!!! She’s awesome though!! And we get along great… this is going to be a great transfer! Oh, we were at transfer meeting for FOREVER!!! From about 10:30-4!! Sister Corey wanted us to practice the song for the meeting on Saturday with E. Christofferson… oh… and EXCITING NEWS!!!! Our new mission president is from Bountiful, UTAH, and his last name is Collins… he’s an attorney down there… anyone know him?? I’m so excited to get a new mission president, but I’ll miss President and Sister Corey at the same time… but Sister Corey and I have decided that we’re going to get together and practice duets… I’m pumped! We’re going to play the entire Mother Goose Suite!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!

FRIDAY – we had three awesome lessons!!! We met with a investigator that we had awhile ago, LINDA with an awesome lesson, she is taking a human sexuality class at IUPUI and talks about stuff like that all the time… talk about awkward!!! I love teaching law of chastity lessons… they are so much fun!! It was so funny because last time we were there with the 3 of us, S. Summers was acting really interested in the class and both S. Rich and I wanted her to stop talking about it so we could teach a lesson… and she said that she would bring her text book down next time… and we were talking about life in general, and she asked “Did I ever show you my textbook?” and I said “Nope. Have you been reading the BOM lately?” Later Sister Jenson said that it was really funny!! I didn’t say it to be rude, but we’re there to teach the gospel… and I couldn’t care less about seeing her textbook… people are so funny!!! Oh, then the rest of the afternoon was spent at the mission home!! When we practiced at transfers, Sister Corey was playing the piano, and I was singing in the choir, but she couldn’t direct and play at the same time, so she asked me to come and play… and I was so surprised that I could sight read as well as I did with how little I play the piano!!! President Ellis (the 1st counselor in the mission presidency) died last week, and Sister Corey wrote the most amazing song ever!! It’s called “I Will Be Thy Servant” and my new favorite song!!! I love it so much!!! So Elders Busby, Cubit, Hernandez and Carskaddon were singing a quartet with most of it, and then a choir of 30 elders were singing with them at parts… and so Sister Corey decided that it would be best for her to lead and for me to play… so we went to the mission home to practice with the quartet… but only Elder Cubit showed up!!! So we went over the whole song, deciding what we were going to do… Sister Corey still hadn’t finished writing it… so she played for about ½ of the time. And since there were no other elders there to sing, she asked me and S. Jenson to fill in the parts… and Sister Corey said that they were going to cancel the quartet and have E. Cubit and I sing!!! We (and I’m not saying this cockily [which is a word… maybe spelled wrong, but whatever]) sound SO good together!!!!!!!!! We have very similar voices… and it was so much fun to sing with him!! We were going to sing at “Why I Believe” on Sunday, but it got canceled because of the snow… but we’ll sing it next month :)

SATURDAY was the most awesome day!!!!!!! We left our house at 7 so we could catch a ride with the Corey’s to Muncie where the funeral was. Then we practiced for about 2-3 hours with mics and everything. I forgot how much fun it was to play for musical numbers!!! And a choir of elders with amazing voices makes is even better!!! The elders were so funny!!!!! I love them all so much… in the righteous way of course!!! The funeral was amazing and the stake center was filled up! He had been a stake president in Muncie, and was a very amazing man… the musical number was so powerful and it was such an amazing experience to be able to play for it!!!!!! We were there until about 5 and then we had a dinner appointment with the Pack family. They are really opening up to us, and I really really love Ashely… they were going to come to church on Sunday, but things came up. But we had an awesome talk about baptism, and seeing the Lord’s hand in our lives. Ashley’s boyfriend is really opening up to us, and we had such a great time with them!!! But it’s so sad to see what taking the wrong path can do… but I’m so glad that there is repentance!!! When we were sitting in the car in front of the Packs, the assistants called and just wanted to say thanks for playing and such, and they are so hilarious… they went on and on about what a great page turner that S. Jenson was!! Then they called that night to see if they could come and visit our ward, and E. Stranski was talking to me and then everyone starts yelling and he says “Oh my gosh Sis. Smith!! We almost hit a horse!!!” It was really funny… the assistants are the best!!!

SUNDAY – was so funny with the assistants there!!! They are so hilarious!!! So we have a new assistant (Elder Miller – when he saw me, he asked how my spiders were!!), and so they were ALL my zone leaders at one point!! They were sitting behind us in sacrament meeting and kept saying all sorts of funny stuff to me… I love them all so much!!! They are from all over the US… New York, California, Nevada and Arizona… no Utah missionaries… big surprise!! Anyways, I could go on and on… but I really better go!!! Oh, and Diana found out she's going to have a pancreas, spleen, liver and bowel transplant!! Can you believe that????

MONDAY we were snowed in so we cleaned out our disgusting apartment… and threw away 6 garbage bags of junk… and we’re not even done yet!!!! Then we tried Brian when we were ungrounded, and then we went and saw Maria and Jorge… they fed us another amazing Mexican meal, and then Maria taught us how to talk to Hispanic people that we meet while we’re tracting!!! Then we decided that we’re going to go there every Monday and she’ll teach us Spanish and we’ll help her with her English!!! I’m so excited!!!!!!!!

I hope that everyone is having an awesome week!!! I love you all so much… I hope that you had an awesome Valentine's day!!!!!

Love,
Sis. Alex

DEAREST FAMILY…

2010-02-12T05:32:00.000-08:00

SISTER RICH AND SISTER SUMMERS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED AND I'M STAYING AND GETTING A NEW COMPANION!!! I DON'T KNOW IF I'M STAYING JUNIOR OR GOING SENIOR... WE'LL FIND OUT TOMORROW!!! I'M WAY EXCITED!!!! :)

THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY SHORT SINCE I ONLY HAVE 10 MINUTES, AND THERE IS A LINE FOR THE COMPUTERS, SO I PROBABLY WON’T GET AN EXTENTION OF TIME… BUT THAT’S OKAY, BECAUSE I LEFT MY PLANNER AT HOME, AND I CAN’T REALLY REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED!!! UM, SO TUESDAY WE DIDN’T END UP GOING TO THE ART MUSEUM, BUT WE WENT TO A TOTALLY HOOSIER RESTAURANT “MUG N’ BUN” AND HAD EVERYTHING FRIED!! EVEN FRIED MAC N’ CHEESE!! IT WAS AWESOME!!! I’M GLAD I DON’T EAT LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE I’D PROBABLY WEIGH A LOT MORE THAN I DO!!! BUT THEY HAVE THE BEST ROOT BEER EVER, AND IT WAS VERY TASTY. WEDNESDAY WE HAD DISTRICT MEETING, AND WE HAD TO EACH GIVE A LITTLE TRAINING ON PART OF THE TRANSFER FOCUS… IT WAS A VERY GOOD DISTRICT MEETING. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT ELSE WE DID… THAT DAY… BUT YOU KNOW E. CARSKADDON’S TIE? WELL, HE GAVE ME A HILARIOUS PICTURE OF HIM WITH IT, SO I’LL PROBABLY SEND IT HOME SOMETIME… HE’S SO FUNNY!! I LOVE THE ELDERS!! THEY ARE SO AWESOME!! UM, I CAN’T REALLY REMEMBER WHAT DAYS WE DID WHAT, SO I’LL JUST RAMBLE FOR THE FEW MINUTES THAT I HAVE LEFT! SO REMEMBER ME TELLING YOU ABOUT ASHLEY? SHE IS A LA THAT WE WENT AND VISITED… SO HER DAD CALLED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, AND TOLD US THAT THEY NEEDED A BOM BECAUSE ASHLEY HAD TAKEN HER’S TO WORK AND SOMEONE WANTED TO READ IT!!! AWESOME EH? AND THEY INVITED US OVER FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT, WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME!!! MIRACLES HAPPEN ALL THE TIME!!! IT’S SO AWESOME!!! I THINK THAT ASHLEY REALLY LIKES US.. I’M SO GLAD!!! WHEN WE WENT TO MEET WITH HER LAST TIME, SHE STARTED CRYING WHEN SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER PAST AND SUCH… AND I FELT PROMPTED TO SHARE ALMA 36 WITH HER, AND TO SHARE AN EXPERIENCE THAT I DON’T USUALLY LIKE SHARING… BUT I KNOW THAT IT TOUCHED HER… I LOVE TEACHING BY THE SPIRIT! OH, WE HAD A REFERRAL COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY BY SURPRISE, AND HE REALLY LIKED IT!! WE ALSO HAD AN AWESOME LESSON WITH WILL… I KNOW THAT HE REALLY FELT THE SPIRIT… BEING A MISSIONARY IS SO AWESOME!!! I LOVE THIS WORK, AND AM SO GRATEFUL THAT I GET TO STAY IN THIS AREA!!!! WOO-HOO!!! SORRY FOR THE SHORT EMAIL… I’LL DO BETTER!!! LOVE YOU!!!

SIS. SMITH

P.S. WE HAVE AN APOSTLE COMING TO INDIANA!!!! AND THERE IS A GREAT SUSPICION (Sp?) THAT HE IS COMING TO... DRUM ROLL PLEASE... ANNOUNCE A TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE CHURCH HAS 20 ACRES IN AVON (ABOUT 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM HERE) AND IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN THAT WE HAVE AN APOSTLE COME!!! HE IS SPEAKING AT A SPECIAL MEETING FOR MISSIONARIES ON THE 20TH AND I'M GOING TO BE PART OF A SPECIAL MUSICAL NUMBER.. MOST LIKELY PLAYING THE PIANO FOR A HYMN THAT SIS. COREY WROTE... I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IT WILL SOUND BEST WITH ELDERS VOICES... OH, AND THE APOSTLE IS E. CHRISTOFFERSON, AND ELDER COSTA IS COMING TOO!!! WE ARE SUPER EXCITED!!!!!!!!! :)

Hola mi familia!!

2010-02-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

So I just got transferred to Spanish speaking!!! Woo-hoo!! Isn’t that awesome?!

…just kidding… but I sure wish that there were Spanish sisters, and that I was one of them!! We run into so many Hispanics, and all I can do is hand them a pass along card… and I wish that I could tell them more… Sister Allred knew a couple of phrases in Spanish and she actually used them on a couple of people and got the elders referrals!! We’ve been talking a lot about how awesome it would be if we knew Spanish… I wish that I had kept it up!! I used to know a lot… oh well, we’re onto something awesome and hopefully I’ll be able to learn enough to communicate with people we tract into!!!

So this week was an interesting one!! On TUESDAY we went to a tie exchange with the elders in our zone, and it was out of control!!!!! I’ve never seen so many ties in my entire life!!! We didn’t have any ties to exchange, so we just sat in the corner and wrote letters… while the tie exchange was going on, they were also playing basketball, so that gave us some laughs!! Elders are hilarious! Oh, and that night we got an awesome phone call from Will… he had to reschedule his appointment and asked us why we had him read Alma 32, he said it was really inspiring and that he’s read more from the BOM… woo-hoo!!!!! I’m so excited to teach him!! I’ve had some really good conversations with him over the phone, and I know that learning more about the gospel will bless his life!! Oh, funny story… so I called him a couple of days ago to reschedule, and he answered the phone “hey babe!”… it really caught me off guard… I’m pretty sure he didn’t know who it was at first, then when he did, he kept calling me darlin’. Gotta love the Hoosiers… :)

WEDNESDAY we had DM with our newish district (2 new elders) which was kind of awkward… but good at the same time. I can’t really remember anything funny that happened… well, that’s not true, everyday there are hilarious things that happen, and there is no way that I could write them all!!! After that, we drove down to Martinsville to exchange… Sister Jensen and myself came back to White River and had a great time together… we know so many of the same people it’s so weird that we never knew each other!! So Sis. Humpherys doesn’t believe that I’m her cousin! Sis. Jensen told her that I was related to her, and she didn’t believe her, but hopefully now she will… I named off a bunch of our mutual family members, and we’ll see if she believes Sis. Jensen now!!! It was a great experience to have an exchange… I did about 90% of the talking at people’s houses, and got a glimpse of what it was like to be the senior companion. When Sis. Jensen saw our map she just held in her hands for about 5 minutes and just said “Oh my gosh!” about a million times… it’s a ridiculous amount of streets!! We got so lost… but the GPS came in super handy with it’s “RECALCULATING”. Oh, and the saddest part of the week… Jan Brown dropped us on the way back here… I talked on the phone with her for about 30 minutes, but she didn’t want anything explained, she said that there are things that she can’t believe and such… we’re just praying that that seed that we planted will sometime be harvested… but we know that we did our best!! And that’s all that matters!

THURSDAY was an interesting day… Sis. Summers and I got a rebuke from Sis. Rich about how bad the back of our planners (people we meet and phone numbers and such) looked… never again will it be so empty! Later Sis. Rich said that my enthusiasm is funny… not sure exactly what that means… but I was so excited to call some elders in our zone to tell them about the most awesome referral ever… and she just seemed kind of bugged… but that’s okay… I’m just so excited to be back and involved in the best work on the earth!! I missed my companions SO much in the 24 hours that we were gone… I love them so much!!! That was a ramble… sorry about that!!!

FRIDAY we about froze to death… it was SO cold, even Sis. Rich was cold!! And she NEVER gets cold! I didn’t know that you hurt when you got so cold! My feet hurt so bad!! I wore 2 pairs of wool socks and my feet were STILL cold!!! Any suggestions there?? It was only about 14 degrees, 10 on the coldest day, but we just went to church that day!

SATURDAY we had an awesome lesson with Destiny and Dalton… they love everything that we teach them and are so open… they are so much fun to teach, because you have to try and teach them SO simply! We sat on the floor for this lesson, and it seemed to go much better that way! It’s so awesome to teach by the spirit… I wouldn’t have thought of about ½ the things that I said…

SUNDAY we had church and we sang in sacrament meeting!! It went so well!! We sang “The Olive Tree” and it sounded so good with all three parts… it was totally the spirit that told me to volunteer us… we just had 4 people invite us over for dinner this week, 2 people said that they would love to come on splits with us, and people who’ve NEVER talked to us before told us how awesome it was!!! The ward is starting to love us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, then the funniest thing happened… both Sis. Rich and Summers went to bed early and I had an amazing talk with Carolynn about all the awesome stuff that I learned being home, and then the DL called and we had the funniest conversation ever!! Elder Hernandez was on the phone too… they crack me up!!! Elder Hernandez had given me a blessing earlier in the day because I’ve been having a sort of hard time lately… it’s all good though… and we were laughing so hard about the most random things!!! Then at the end of the conversation Elder Carskaddon said “Well, we sure love you sisters!!” and I had no idea what to say!! Usually I just say “Love you too!”, but the sisters told me that he left a message on the voice mail last transfer that said “Hey numbers night!! Get your numbers! Love ya!! Oh… I did not mean to say that!! I’m so sorry…. “ (Elder Hernandez said in the back) “In the righteous way!!”(he and Elder Wadsworth used to say love ya ALL the time!, so he has no problem with it! :) Elder Carskaddon “Yeah, in the righteous way… bye”… we think that it was SO funny and we quote it all the time to each other!! Anyways… I just laughed so hard when I told the sisters the next morning… so, we’ll see what they say when I tell them “Love ya elders!” next time they talk to me!!... anyways… this is such a random email!!!

MONDAY we stayed in for most of the day because Sis. Summers has a cold and slept until about 1!! Sis. Rich and I had a VERY long conversation about everything under the sun, and it was so good to talk to her!!! Then we went and tried a referral and had a pretty good conversation with him, and he said he’s most likely going to come to church on Sunday!!! Oh, then we had the most awkward and yet hilarious dinner appointment with Maria and Jorge (the members we met while tracting last week!) they are so generous and funny… when we got in our car, we just all burst out laughing!! Sis. Rich said that I had the most enormous smile on my face the whole time… I didn’t know what else to do!!!!! :)

TODAY we were going to go do something with the elders… but they have to shampoo their carpet… lame… but we’re going to a totally Hoosier restaurant “Mug n’ Bun” and the IMA (indiana something um… I totally forgot what it stood for… but it’s an art museum!!)! And then I have a bunch of letters to write… mostly to my RC’s… I’ve been reading in PMG how it is still our responsibility to encourage the people that we teach and baptize… I’ve been slacking….

Anyways… sorry for the random email!! Hope it makes you laugh… or at least smile!! It’s been an awesome week as I’ve learned more about praying with faith and listening to the spirit!!! I’m so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission… I (no offense to you…) but I really don’t want to come home, and have this awesome life end!! But I still have more than a year left!!! So I don’t need to worry about that yet!!! So, I’ve been reading in the book of Alma about the amazing missionaries there… Ammon, Aaron, Alma, etc.… and they inspire me so much!!! I just want to read those chapters everyday because they inspire me and show me how much love I need to feel for every person that I meet, and the fire that I need to have inside of me… anyways… I better get this sent!!!! I love you so much and really appreciate all the letters (Mac and Wes) sent this week… you are awesome!!! I ‘m so lucky to have you as my family!!!

Love, Sis. Smith

A way to communicate with Alex!

2010-01-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

If you would like to leave a comment on Alex's blog we would be happy to send it on to her and she would love to hear from you all!

Margaret and Mackenzie (aka Alex's blog, email and facebook managers!)

Hello from Indiana!!

2010-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

I was going to send pictures this week… but I forgot my camera cord, so that will have to wait until next week!! So guess who I got an email from… NANCY OAKS in New Castle!! I think I told you about her, she was the awesome Born-Again Christian who let us come and sing for her and made us dinner and gave us produce from her garden… anyways. She just found my email and emailed me… I’m going to write her back… not like you needed to know that last bit… but anyways, I was excited!!!

So is it warm there? We just had a heat wave (50 degrees!!) which is unfortunately over… and my toes are back to freezing… not that I don’t have enough layers, I just forgot to wear boots today… so guess how many layers I usually wear in a day?? Not 1, not 2, but FIVE layers!! And that’s when it’s been around 30!! This week it’s supposed to be around 14 degrees… woo-hoo!!! And add the freezing bitter cold wind chill and humity… makes tracting fun!!! :)

So this week has been awesome!! On TUESDAY we went to the Children’s Museum with 6 elders, and it was a BLAST!!!!! Four of the elders got sucked into the Star Wars display (Elder Carskaddon, Hernandez, and 2 elders I’d never met) and so we went on ahead with Elder Parsons and Mourra… they are such goof balls!! But we had so much fun!!! We got permission to wear pants, and the elders all wore suits... random fact. We were there for about 4-5 hours and touched EVERYTHING!!! We climbed a tree house, sat in a race car, designed a barbie outfit (definitely not my highlight!), saw an enormous water clock (I’ll send a picture), went in an awesome mirror maze (it was really weird, you would think someone was somewhere else, and then poof! They were right by you, or on the other side of the room), we also flew to Egypt and had a pretty awesome experience there… among other things… if anyone is coming to Indy with kids… definitely plan on going there!!!! Oh, and we just missed Bob the Builder Gilbert!! He’s coming next week… I hear it’s going to be pretty awesome!! Oh, so funny story… that night on the phone, Elder Carskaddon asked us how we got over the worldly influence and we just kind of looked at each other because we didn’t really have a hard time, and then Sister Summers said “All I had to do was put my skirt back on”, and he started laughing so hard and turn to Elder Hernandez and said “Hey the sisters said that all they had to do was put on their skirt to get back in focus!!”… Guess he was having a hard time and needed some help… not sure that that was super helpful though!!!!!! :)

WEDNESDAY we had District Meeting and an awesome lesson with Jan Brown… she is going to give us a baptismal date this week… last week she got a Gospel Principles manual… and only read 1 chapter… EXALTATION… that was a doozy of a lesson!! 3 hours later she said she felt at peace!! Oh, and guess what!!! This week we had 5 meals with members!! And we usually only have 0 or MAYBE 1… we ate green fried tomatoes and catfish… quite good in fact, I was really surprised…

THURSDAY we had interviews which lasted forever… but they were good. My interview only lasted about 5 minutes… I didn’t have any questions… so it was super short!!! Oh, then we did service at a less actives… DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We found mouse poop, the son found a whole mouse skeleton (which was pretty cool), a rat hole, cockroaches, etc… it was pretty nasty… but we serve with a smile and grimace later :)

FRIDAY was a slow day… we didn’t teach anyone a full lesson and I wasn’t feeling very good, so we went and slept for a while, then went out again. But I’m doing totally better now!! Oh, so remember the cabbage patch doll lady!? WE are probably going to go and do service for her (soon we hope)… sorting her cabbage patch dolls and she’s going to give us some!!! Awesome eh? We’re pretty excited… :)

SATURDAY was an awesome day!!! We had an awesome lesson with Destiny and Dalton (the 10 yr old twins) and then talked about how this church had a special feeling compared to the 20 other churches they’ve been too… the members they are living with said that their mom is coming along and probably going to come to the lesson on Saturday… a FAMILY!!! We are so excited!!! I’ve never taught a family with children before… so this is super exciting for me!!! Then we were tracting pretty much all day and we were trying a lady who said we could come back near a members house, and we decided to go see a member family (and use their bathroom) and they invited us to stay and eat!!! It was so awesome!!! We had pizza and ice cream and it was so much fun to spend a little while with them!! They are so awesome… remember hearing about the Franklin’s with Zoey and Zealand?

SUNDAY we were at church for 9 hours… we are singing in the choir (to try and build relationships with the ward) and the song had about a million high notes… I was so tired after that!! Oh, then we had dinner at a less actives house….she always likes to experiment on us… this week was casseroles of every kind… potatoe, carrot, broccoli, and pineapple… for the most part they were pretty good… oh and funny story… so we were standing on her porch waiting for her to answer and Sis. Summers was just staring and me, then she said “Hey you have my name tag!!”, and she had mine!! I haven’t touched the name tag on my coat since I got here… but then we figured out that it was probably one of the 10 elders that were at church (they were hanging rather temptingly in the coat closet :)… we believe it was Elder Carskaddon, because that night when we told him, he sounded pretty suspicious…

MONDAY we went to the assisted living place again, which was awesome… I love those people!! The lady who lead with her utensils last week was hillarious!!! And it’s so neat how much people grow to love you, even in only 2 times of seeing them!!! After that, we had about 4 hours of tracting planned (with trying people in between) and it was so cold!!! I was praying so hard that someone would invite us in and we would have a really neat experience (kind of like Terry and Brenda) and we knocked on this door, and a little Mexican girl answered and said her mom was sleeping so we gave her a pass along card, and walked on, then we heard someone yelling at us, and we turned around and the mom was yelling “Hey we’re Mormons too!! Come in!” So we went in and had the most amazing hot chocolate ever, then she asked us if we wanted some soup, and we said we were fine, but she said “No, you must try Mexican food” and then she fed us some amazing soup, chips, Mexican cheese, and juice… we heard her conversion story and she told us that we HAVE to come back next Monday… oh boy… I don’t know what those Spanish elders complain about!! The ward loves them, they get fed ALL the time, and they only tract an hour every other day because their teaching schedule is so full!!!! Oh well…everyone has their own personal challenges… :) then we went and tried a potential named WILL who we had a pretty awesome conversation with… we’re going back tomorrow and starting at the very beginning of how to even have faith in God and Jesus Christ… I’m really excited. Tomorrow we’re having an exchange with some other sisters and I’m going to be with Sister Jenson… I’ve really never talked to her, but I’m excited.

So, this email was lots longer than I thought it would be… but I hope that you enjoy hearing about the week…. This week has been good in so many ways… I’ve been learning so much that a lot depends on me, my attitude and how much faith I demonstrate… yesterday when I was praying that someone would let us in, I KNEW that someone would… I just need to have that much faith all the time… something I’m working on… a faith filled missionary is so much more powerful than one who just goes through the motions… and I know that I definitely need to work on my prayers… that is the transfer focus and Elder Carskaddon and I have been talking about how important those prayers are… faith filled prayers are what we’re working on (what we’ve been talking about in District Meeting)!!! Well, I better go!! Have a great week and I love you all!!

Love, Sister Alex

Hey Family!

2010-01-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that I’m actually in Indiana!?! It’s so good to be back!!!!!!!! So here’s a little bit of what has happened since Thursday…

THURSDAY… the airplane ride was a little stressful. Towards the end I REALLY wanted to be off the plane… I was just looking out the window the whole time, or trying to sleep, which didn’t work… but it was good!! It was so awkward to be by myself, but I managed!! So when I got off the airplane in INDY, I was walking out where we got you mom, and I was looking around thinking “I have absolutely no idea who is picking me up… hope it’s someone I recognize!” . I was walking with a very friendly member who was asking all about the mission and everything… he told me that they were probably down by the baggage… so we went down the escalator, and sure enough, there was a lady I had never seen before, but she had a tag on! She is one of the older sisters… companion to Sis. Hubble… anyway, we got my luggage, and went outside to wait for Sis. Hubble, and I asked her if she knew where I was going, and she couldn’t remember, and so I said “Do you want me to start naming sisters?” and then she said “Sister Rich?” I about died!!!!!! I kept asking her, “SISTER RICH?” and “WHITE RIVER”, “ARE YOU SURE?!?!?!”. I really couldn’t believe that Pres. Corey would really let me go back!!! So we drove to our area, and had dinner with Sis. Rich and my other companion Sis. Summers. Then we went back home, unpacked… and then I had a lot of fun with the people who called that night… :) So Carolynn called when I was done unpacking (btw, they totally rearranged the apartment so we could have 3 beds in one room :) and we were laying on our beds, and I just answered the phone with a hello, and she said “Guess what!! I was just on facebook and Sis. Smith’s sister is keeping it up, and she said that she’s back in Indiana!!!!!” We started laughing SO hard, and then I said “Well, guess who you’re talking to!!” She was speechless !! It was funny!! THEN, the elders called later on and I just said “Hello” and Elder Carskaddon said “Hi, this is Elder Carskaddon, who is this?” to which I responded “Sis. Smith”, it was really funny because he said, “What Sister Smith?” and then I said “The Sister Smith who used to be here!” and he screamed!!!!!!! And for a very long time… apparently he was very excited!!!! :) It was really funny!!!

FRIDAY – we got permission to go to Zone Conference (the second time for my comps) and it was such a good start to my return!!! I was asked to play the piano for the meeting, and then some elders came up to me, and asked if I would play for the musical number, and it was so funny because I said sure, decided a time to practice and then walked away!!! I was hoping that they would remember who I was!! Because unless I know the elders… i can’t really find them in the sea of black!!! Oh, and guess what!! This is a first since I’ve been here (from the beginning) that I’ve known all the assistants!! Elder Snow and Stranski (zone leaders in New Castle), Elder Wade (who helped Elder Snow teach Ashley) and Elder West (my zone leader when I left). They are so awesome, but look SO tired!!! Then we met with a lady named Edie who pretty much committed herself to baptism! It was pretty awesome… but she can’t come to church until her husband dies (cancer), because she can’t leave him alone… but she’ll get baptized… we’re sure of it!!!! Then we had a really good meeting with our ward mission leader… the first in 2 months apparently!!! But they are starting to like us… they made us cookies!! Woo-hoo!!

SATURDAY we tracted pretty much all day… we taught 14 lessons and got a couple of return appointments!! Then we taught some twins Destiny and Dalton who are 10 and living with some members in our ward… and they came up to the sisters on Sunday and said that they want to be baptized!! So we’re teaching them and they are SO cute!! They (Well, at least Destiny does!) take notes and use them to answer our questions! It was a pretty awesome lesson!! But they definitely decided when they were done!! We were only about ½ way through the lesson, and they just stood up and put their chairs away!! Funny kids… It’s so much fun being a missionary!!! I love (or am learning to love) tracting… it’s so much fun to see people’s responses… sometimes a polite no, sometimes intense interest… no door slammings yet!!! Oh, we were trying a referral and we had a great lesson with him, and then when we were leaving the apartment building we talked to the cutest old lady who was 95!!! She didn’t look that old!!!

SUNDAY – was 8 hours at church… we get so tired just sitting there!!! But it was good!! We are singing in the choir because we sat behind the choir director and she asked us to come… so we make up about ½ the choir :) It was so much fun to see all the elders again… they are so awesome!!! There are 8 Spanish elders in the branch and then us three sisters… oh, then after church we went tracting until dark, and we were FREEZING because we weren’t exactly layered because we’d just been in church!! Anyway… we didn’t have any success until… you guessed it… the LAST DOOR!!! They invited us in and we taught them the entire first lesson!!! They have SO much potential… they wouldn’t let us set a return appointment, because they want to think about it… but I’m pretty sure they’ll call us… that’s what were praying for at least!!! So one of the hard things about winter is that we have to be in by dark unless we have an appointment… so that it about 6:15… so we work from 10-6-ish and then go in and have break and sit around bored out of our minds until bed… just kidding… we have so much fun together!!! We usually just laugh the entire 3 hours until bed...I love Sis. Rich and Summers so much!!!!!

MONDAY – was a pretty awesome day!!! We went tracting quite a bit… visited some LA’s, and went and taught a lesson at a rest home… there were referrals for 120 Bibles and they said that they wanted us to come and teach them. So yesterday we taught them about God, our Heavenly Father (we’re using Gospel Principles) and sang them a lot of songs!! Then the lady who asked us to come asked us to go up to the respiration unit...most of them couldn’t talk, but we sang them a song, and shared a thought… and so many of them were crying!!! It was such a great experience!! I love it there… then we went over to the Alzheimer unit… they were at lunch, but we sang to them in the dining room, and one lady was leading the music with her utensils!! It was so funny!!!
It’s so awesome being a missionary again!!! I love it here and know that this is where I’m supposed to be… I’m still working out some kinks… but I’m doing so good and continuing to grow in so many ways!!! Oh, funny story, and then I’ll go… so I had an (apparently very stupid) idea about where we could go and PC, and Sister Rich said “Well, apparently you’ve gotten over ALL your fears!!!” It was funny… a mission is so awesome and I’m really working on learning to forget myself and give my all to the Lord… it will be lots better that way… love you all so much… and hope you enjoy this FOREVER long email!!! :) SMILE!!! There’s no reason not too!!!

Love, Sister Smith

2010-01-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

well, I couldn't find a picture that would work for this post...
it's exciting anyway though!!

so, I got the call yesterday afternoon and I head out
THURSDAY for INDIANA!!!!!!!!!

so little time and so much to do!!
better run and finish packing!

2009-11-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

THIS PHOTO SAYS IT ALL!!

THIS IS ALEX HERE - aka SISTER SMITH. I AM CURRENTLY HOME RIGHT NOW FOR A BRIEF BREAK IN MY MISSION AS I RECOVER FROM BEING SICK. I'VE BEEN HOME 2 WEEKS TODAY AND I'M HOPING THAT IT WON'T BE MUCH LONGER... I CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK OUT THERE AND GET BACK TO DOING THE LORD'S WORK! THOSE (almost) 5 MONTHS WERE SOME OF THE VERY BEST MONTHS OF MY WHOLE LIFE! I LEARNED SO MUCH AND GREW IN SO MANY WAYS! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS WRITTEN ME OR PRAYED FOR ME, THEY WERE/ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! I'VE TRIED TO WRITE BACK EVERYONE WHO WROTE TO ME, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED A LETTER... WHEN I GET BACK I'M STILL PLANNING ON IT!! :)

coming home

2009-11-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Family!! I'm sitting here at the mission home dining room table emailing YOU!! I don't have that much to say because I've had the opportunity to talk to you 3 times in the past couple of days. What a doozy of a week. It has seemed much much longer than 6 days since this all started. I know though that the Lord gives us trials and hard things so that we can overcome and become stronger. Pres. Corey and I decided that it's not really possible for me to recover on a mission, so I'm coming home. I'm not sure when.... but i am. My plan is to recover as fast a possible so I can come back out and finish my work here. Luckily they let you fill your whole mission... so if i'm home for 1 month, then i get to stay an extra month. I don't know why all of this has had to happen... it's certainly been a trying week. I don't know what i would do without the priesthood, my wonderful companion, and the Corey's, and the power of prayer... i know that Heavenly Father loves me and is mindful of all the pain and anxiety i'm going through. There is a reason for everything that we go through... something i have to remind myself of when things get tough. I'm so grateful for the doctors and nurses who have helped me through the past days and who have been so knowledgeable and kind. It's been really hard to realize that what i'm going through is real... even though my body is as healthy as a horse. We also have a mind that sometimes has difficulties too... through this all i have learned so much! Anyway... i'm just sitting here feeling like bawling... so i think i might go and do just that. :) Thanks to everyone for their support and prayers... they mean so much to me!!! The church is such a wonderful thing, and i've loved the opportunity i've had to be here in indiana serving the people here. i know that i'll get another chance... nothing is stopping me from coming back. Well, i better go... i'm not even dressed for today and it's time to eat lunch (one o'clock)... the medicine that i'm on makes me so sleepy, and so i wake up, eat breakfast, sleep, do something for the afterrnoon, take the medicine again and sleep. It's been such a wonderful experience to be able to stay with the Corey's. they are such great people...amazing amazing people!!! I just have to remind myself that with the Lord all things are possible and if i come out of this stronger than I was... i've done well!!! That's my goal... and i have faith that i can accomplish it!!! well, i love you all, and i guess that i'll see you soon!

love from the fabulous state of indiana,
Sis. Alex SMITH

2009-11-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

HEY HEY TO MY AWESOME FAMILY!!!
This week was amazing!!! I think that white river is my favorite area (if I can even have a favorite!!)

WEDNESDAY – we went to district meeting where the elders were so goofy!! Our DL was dancing around the room while he and his companion were writing things up on the board… he’s a major goof-ball, but he’s a lot of fun to have as a district leader!! THEN… the zone leaders who were there were telling us that president told them to not have us come to interviews tomorrow because sis. Rich had been sick… and we looked at each other and realized that we would probably get in trouble for having her out of the house so soon… especially since she had just been throwing up the day before. SO, when we got home I called sis. Corey and asked her just exactly how much sis. Rich needed to be resting…. I kind of got in trouble for letting her go to district meeting… but oh well. SO, we stayed in all the rest of that day. OH BOY… was I ever ready to go out and work!! I did a lot of reading, thinking, cleaning and cooking those 6 days that we were in!! We now have a very clean kitchen…. It’s VERY clean… except for the cupboards that I didn’t get to!!

THURSDAY – sister corey said that we could go out for 1/3 of the day… so we went to 2 appointments that we had scheduled. The other two that we had were canceled. but the two that we went to were great!! Well, the one that we had with April was a little weird… but her appointments usually are!! She doesn’t really say anything!! And I was in charge of asking her questions and moving the lesson along… and I kind of froze up!! I hate it when that happens!!! SO… I’ve been leading a lot more lessons, because sis. Rich realized that I had never done it before (which my trainer and follow-up trainer were supposed to do)… so I’ve been getting lots of practice. One thing that it says on a paper that trainers get says that you need to let your trainee’s drown occasionally so they learn to be able to save themselves. WELL, neither one of them would ever really let me get wet feet!! If I stumbled, they saved me… but sis Rich is awesome and almost lets me drown… and then I remember that I know how to swim! I’ve been learning a lot that way!! The appointment that we had later that day I was also in charge of… and sometimes my mind would wander off, and I would wonder what in the world I was going to say… and while other companions would jump in and say something… sis. Rich just sits there and waits for me to think. I’m getting a lot better at thinking and I really appreciate her letting there be silence. our appointment that evening was with a man named James… I think that I told you about him last week. Anyways, he said that while praying is out of his comfort zone… that he’s been practicing!! He said the closing prayer again… and it was so humble and sincere and simple!! It is so inspiring to listen to other prayers… they make me think of how I pray and how much I could improve!!

FRIDAY - we had an appointment with someone… BUT… it fell through… story of a missionary’s life!! But that’s okay!! Sister Rich was still getting tired very easily, so we went in and she slept for a very long time, and then we went out to one appointment with a RC and had a great visit with her! Recent converts are just so amazing!! OH, and then we went and visited a LA lady who’s son wants to get baptized, so we went to visit them since they were homeless for awhile and didn’t… have… a home… I just remembered that’s what homeless meant… sorry, I apologize… my brain is a little spacey!! I’ve been realizing so much how incredibly blessed I was!! AND AM! I don’t know why I ever complained… I didn’t have anything to complain about!! It’s so inspiring to see people in such horrible situations, and yet they have a smile on their face!! And then there is me… who whines and whines over stupid little things… but I’m working on it!!!

SATURDAY - we visited a RC (we have 8 that were baptized in the last 8 months or so!) and watched her dress up her little granddaughter for a Halloween party… boy, I just love people… they are so funny!!!! THEN, we went to a wonderful party where we ate a LOT of food and passed out pass-along cards to little kids!!

SUNDAY – we went to our 2 church blocks… it’s so awesome to be a missionary!! Oh, and JAMES came to church!! Um… it’s always interesting when investigators come to church on a fast Sunday…oh boy!! This one was actually pretty good… but then there have been times when they haven’t been so good!! THEN… after the YSA block they have a “break the fast” meal… which was really good!! After that we tried a referral… and were 2-2-4ing them (when we knock the doors – 2 on each side, and 4 across… but we usually do 5 across because of the house we’re at… so it would be 2-2-5iving as sis. Rich says ) OH… but what I was saying is that we were 2-2-whatevering and we met this wonderful lady named Becky who is Methodist (I think) and we had a lovely chat with her and we’re going to go by sometime and give her a BOM… she would like to read it. There are so many wonderful people in the world!!!

MONDAY – was an awesome day!! Since we missed our interviews last week, we went to another zone’s interviews/mini zone conference. It was AMAZING!!! My interview only lasted about 3 minutes… I walked in and we prayed and he asked me how I was doing, if I had any questions (which I did… about something I’d studied), and then all of a sudden it was like he was peering into my soul, and then he said we were going to pray again (which we usually do), and then we left!! It was pretty cool to have him be able to almost look into my heart and see if there was anything he needed to talk about… I guess there wasn’t!! Then we watched this hilarious video made by the assistants about being a CELESTIAL vs. TELESTIAL missionaries… we were laughing so hard… but it really made me think about what I can improve on… you better believe that the cover went FLYING off at 6:30 this morning!!! I’m going to keep on improving everyday… because it really is SO VITAL that I be totally and strictly obedient!!!

Well, I better run!!! Sis rich and I are going to go the children’s museum and switch cameras so there are pictures of us!! Have a great week and know that I love you!!!!!

Love from the speedway!!
Sis. smith

What's happened this week!!

2009-10-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

WELL, LIKE YOU'VE PROBABLY GATHERED FROM THE NOTES I JUST SENT... I HAVEN'T BEEN DOING MUCH THIS WEEK!!! SISTER RICH STARTED GETTING SICK ON FRIDAY NIGHT, SO WE'VE STAYED IN SINCE THEN!! IT'S GOING ON 4 DAYS AND IT'S BEEN CRAZY!!! I'VE DONE A LOT OF READING (I FINISHED THE CONFERENCE ENSIGN AND WENT BACK AND WROTE DOWN THINGS THAT I LEARNED OR NEED TO CHANGE OR WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME IN EACH ONE)(I ALSO FINISHED MOSIAH AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON PINNING DOWN ALL OUR INVESTIGATORS ON THE MAP, AND WORKING ON A PROJECT, AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS!).

BUT BEFORE SICKNESS HIT...ON WEDNESDAY WE HAD A MOST AMAZING ZONE CONFERENCE WITH ELDER RICHARDS OF THE 70... IT WAS SO GOOD!!! I LEARNED SO MANY THINGS... BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR: I'M THE LORD'S SERVANT AND I DON'T NEED TO FEAR OR BE AFRAID!! I CAN BE BOLD AND CONFIDENT IN THE FACE OF EVERYTHING BECAUSE I'M DOING HIS WORK!!! IT WAS SO AMAZING... HE TALKED FOR 3 HOURS AND I COULDN'VE LISTENED TO HIM FOR HOURS AND HOURS MORE!!! FOR LUNCH WE GOT TO EAT AT THE TABLE WITH PRES AND SISTER COREY, I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH!!! I'M GOING TO MISS THEM WHEN THEY GO HOME!! WHEN I WAS CALLING ABOUT SIS. RICH I CALLED THEM ABOUT 5 TIMES IN A COUPLE OF HOURS AND PRES. WAS JUST LAUGHING WHENEVER I CALLED... HE'S GREAT!!! IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO BE GUIDED AND LED BY SUCH A WONDERFUL SERVANT OF THE LORD!!

WELL, I CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER WHAT ELSE THAT I DID THIS WEEK, AND I'VE BEEN ON THE COMPUTER LONG ENOUGH... IF THERE IS ANYTHING WORTH TELLING I'LL WRITE IT IN A LETTER OR SAVE IT FOR NEXT WEEK!!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK THOUGH... WAS THAT I WAS READING THE BOM AND I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF "SELF...JOSEPH SMITH SAID THAT A MAN COULD GET NEARER TO GOD BY ABIDING BY ITS PRECEPTS/PRINCIPLES THAN BY ANYOTHER BOOK... WHAT CAN I GET OUT OF THE BOM THAT WILL HELP ME TO GET CLOSER TO GOD??" IT WAS LIKE THE CONDUIT OF REVELATION FIXED A BREAK AND IT JUST STARTED FLOWING!!! IT'S HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES SINCE THEN, AND I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT HOW I CAN BE A BETTER DISCIPLE OF CHRIST AND A BETTER MISSIONARY!! I'M JUST STARTING INTO ALMA, AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE WHAT I LEARN THIS TIME AROUND!!!

WELL, I BETTER GO AND SEE HOW SISTER RICH IS DOING... KEEP HER IN YOUR PRAYERS... SHE'S HARDLY EVER GOTTEN SICK BEFORE AND SHE'S HAVING A HARD TIME HANDLING IT!!

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR ME... AND AGAIN... I LOVE THE GPS!! IT'S GOING TO SAVE US SO MANY MILES!!! HAVE A FABULOUS WEEK... I LOVE YOU TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE... WHICH HAS NO END ACTUALLY :) SMILE BECAUSE YOU'RE A CHILD OF GOD!!!!

LOVE FROM INDIANAPOLIS...
SIS. ALEX

HOLA MY FAMILY!!!

2009-10-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

THIS WAS A PRETTY CRAZY WEEK, PLEURISY IS NOT FUN IN THE SLIGHTEST!!!

TUESDAY – WE MET WITH SARA WHO JUST GOT BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY!! SHE KEPT SAYING “I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M ACTUALLY A MEMBER!!!” SHE IS SO EXCITED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH… FINALLY!! SHE’S BEEN WAITING FOR AWHILE SINCE HER FAMILY DIDN’T WANT HER TO JOIN… BUT SHE DID NOW!! SHE’S JUST A LITTLE OLDER THAN MACKENZIE AND SUCH A CUTE GIRL!!!

WEDNESDAY - WAS SUCH A FABULOUS DAY! WE HAD AN AMAZING DISTRICT MEETING ABOUT WHERE OUR DESIRE LEVEL IS FOR THE MISSIONARY THINGS THAT WE DO… IT REALLY MADE ME THINK ABOUT WHERE MY DESIRE IS… HONESTY… IT’S NOT THAT HIGH FOR SOMETHINGS AND I REALLY NEED TO CHANGE THAT… HMM… YOU KNOW… I DID AN AWFUL LOT OF THINKING WHILE I WAS SICK AND I’M A LOT MORE ON FIRE ABOUT DOING THINGS NOW… MAYBE THAT WAS ONE OF THE LORD’S WAYS OF GETTING ME TO ANALYZE MY LIFE AND WHAT I’M DOING…. THEN WE MADE A MILLION PHONE CALLS TO OUR REFERRALS TO TRY AND CONTACT SOME OF THEM… WITH LIMITED MILES AND A LARGISH AREA WE TRY TO CALL THEM… BUT IT’S SO HARD TO CONTACT THEM!!! OH… THEN WE HAD A VERY COOL TALK WITH AN INVESTIGATOR WHO’S HUSBAND AND IN-LAWS ARE MEMBERS!! WE HAD NO IDEA!!! THEN THEY CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY!!! WE WERE SO EXCITED!!! MAN, THIS AREA IS SO SO BUSY!!! I’LL HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF OUR BOARD WITH ALL OF OUR REFERRALS, POTENTIALS, PROGRESSING AND RECENT CONVERTS… SOMETIMES WHEN I LOOK AT IT I GET OVERWHELMED… BUT THERE’S NO NEED FOR THAT!!! LATER THAT AFTERNOON WE WENT TO A CHARMING TEA SHOP/CAFÉ WITH CAROLYNN… OH BOY, THE TEA WAS DIVINE!! (OF COURSE IT WAS HERBAL!!) AUTUMN PUMPKIN SPICE… YUM, YUM!! WE ARE TEACHING HER ABOUT THE D&C AND WE TALKED OVER TEA… THEN WE HAD A DINNER APPOINTMENT WITH A VERY CUTE FAMILY WHO JUST MOVED HERE FROM OREM. THEY ARE OUR NEW BEST FRIENDS AND I REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THE ELDERS FELT WHEN THEY CAME TO OUR HOUSE… IT’S SO NICE KNOWING THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO HELP YOU AND THAT THEY LIKE YOU!!! WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT IN OUR WARD… THEY DON’T LIKE US SO MUCH!!! OH WELL… THEN THAT NIGHT WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH MEAGAN WHO IS ANOTHER RECENT CONVERT… SHE IS VERY COOL!! WHEN WE WERE WALKING THERE IS WHEN MY LUNGS STARTED BURNING FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON AND SO THE WEEK KIND OF WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE!! I DIDN’T REALLY WANT TO CALL SIS. COREY UNLESS IT WAS IMPORTANT, AND I REALLY DIDN’T KNOW WHY I WAS HURTING, SO I WAITED UNTIL…

THURSDAY – WE CALLED SIS. COREY BECAUSE THE PAIN WAS JUST GETTING WORSE AND WORSE.. SHE TOLD US TO GO TO DR. PROVINCE A MEMBER DR. WHO SEES MISSIONARIES FOR FREE!! IT WAS JUST ABOUT THE MOST PAINFUL CHECKUP I’VE EVER HAD!! I STARTED CRYING IT HURT SO BAD!! BOY… I HOPE THAT I NEVER HAVE PLEURISY AGAIN!! IT HURTS SO INCREDIBLY BAD!! SO AFTER A DR. APPOINTMENT, A HOSPITAL VISIT AND CHEST X-RAY AND BACK TO THE DR… HE FIGURED THAT I DIDN’T HAVE FLUID IN MY LUNGS (TENDER MERCY… I DIDN’T REALLY WANT A NEEDLE STUCK IN MY LUNGS!!!) AND THEN WE WENT HOME AND I SLEPT FOR A LONG TIME!!

FRIDAY - I SLEPT ALMOST ALL DAY AND WE WENT OUT FOR AN HOUR…

SATURDAY - WE WENT OUT FOR AN HOUR IN THE MORNING AND I CAME HOME AND SLEPT FOR 2 HOURS!! THEN WE HAD A DINNER APPOINTMENT WITH A LADY THAT KEPT TALKING AND TALKING… WE WERE THERE FOR 3 ½ HOURS AND I WAS SO TIRED!!

SUNDAY - WE WENT TO THE 1ST WARD AND THEN ONE HOUR OF THE YSA BRANCH.. THEN WE WENT HOME AND SLEPT AND THEN WENT OUT FOR THE EVENING…

MONDAY - WE WENT OUT ALL DAY!!! WOO-HOO!! YEAH!!

WELL, IT WAS A GREAT WEEK AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE I DID A LOT OF THINKING!!! IT WAS SO GOOD FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO LAY AND THINK FOR HOURS AT A TIME… I DID A LOT OF RE-EVALUATING… IT WAS A GOOD THING FOR ME TO DO!!! WELL, I BETTER rUN BEFORE THIS GETS DELETED!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

LOVE FROM INDIANA.
SIS. SMITH

Picture time!!

Here are some random pictures...

Janna and Tom's baptism... it was WONDERFULLY FABULOUS!!

The indiana sky... isn't it lovely?

A picture of the sisters at our last transfer... Sister Rich is next to me on the far left... so Sister Allred, me and Sister Rich.

A HUMONGOUS collection of dolls (Cabbage Patch) that our mission leader's wife has!! Isn't it crazy beyond belief??

The most crazy week ever!!!

2009-10-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2009
Hey family!!

I don’t even know where to start…this week has been a super crazy one!! First of all, you know that I got transferred to White River, or downtown Indy. I love it already! It’s kind of funny, but Heavenly Father moved me to progressively bigger areas each time!! New Castle has about 17,000 people, Lafayette about 65,000 and Indianapolis is HUGE!!! Indianapolis itself has about 800,000 people but then there are all the suburbs around it!! We live about a mile away from the speedway track… it is HUGE!!! Speedway, the suburb that we live in has about 20,000 people (I think). SO, needless to say… there are a lot of people around here! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new companion Sis. Rich!! She’s so much fun and full of life… I’m going to get along great with her and love her already!! I actually feel like a missionary now!! I’ve had the chance to do a LOT of the work and I LOVE IT!!! My past two companions did a lot of the work and I just felt like a shadow with a name tag. So I’m so excited to actually get to do the work more!! I think I already know the area better than I did my last one!! Sis. Allred had a kind of photographic memory and she would just drive places so I never had to really figure out where to go or how to get there or anything. Since Indy has so many streets we have a binder, let me repeat myself, A BINDER OF MAPS!! The map of our area is about 20 pages long and we have a huge index of streets so we can find things better. I’ve already had to direct Sis. Rich a couple of places, and like I said before… I love being a part of the work!! As sad as I was to transfer, I KNOW that this was inspired of God and that I’m supposed to be here for a purpose… maybe MANY purposes. SO, here is a brief summary of a very crazy week!!!

TUESDAY – I found out that I was getting transferred… but instead of doing the usual transfers where all missionaries getting transferred go to fishers, they did a weird thing called a wagon train to gather up all the missionaries going to new areas! So they told Sis. Allred that she was going to be by herself for 24 hours because I was leaving on Wednesday, but Sis. Stuart wouldn’t get there until Thursday!! I’m glad it wasn’t me that happened to!

WEDNESDAY – We went and visited a lot of people… but no one was home so I just left a lot of notes of doors. I did get to say goodbye to the important people though… like Janna and Tom. So, then at about 4:00 I got on a van and the assistants drove to INDY!!! I was in a trio until
Sis. Stuart left on Thursday which was kind of fun!! Earlier that day Sis. Stuart had had an allergic reaction to something so we had to go to the dr. and gets shots for her and then we went in early because she was all drugged up!!!

THURSDAY – We went around and tried to say goodbye to some people for Sis. Stuart. Then we dropped her off at the church and went and did weekly planning! THEN we went and had missionary correlation meeting with our mission leader and Sis. Rich told me to take my camera for some mysterious reason… the reason being that his wife has about 300 cabbage patch dolls!!! It was a little crazy!! We both took about 50 pictures… she goes to conventions and all kinds of fun stuff like that and at first I was in awe, but then I just got kind of disgusted… that is a LOT of dolls!! I don’t think I have my camera cord on me and I’m running out of time… but next week I’ll try and email some pictures!! Then that evening we had 2 appointments… the first was with a girl named Andria who got baptized on Saturday. They weren’t sure that she was really going to get baptized because she failed her interview, but we had a great lesson with her and went over the questions again. Sis. Stuart and Rich found out on Saturday that she is bipolar which kind of explains things!! THEN, we had another great lesson with Sara who got baptized on Sunday. She is very cool!! I’ll have to see if I can find some time next week to email you about her. My stomach has been acting up lately so I didn’t contribute much to that lesson… but the lesson with Andria I taught about ½ of it… which felt so good!!!

FRIDAY – We talked to a buy named Jerome who was so funny!! He kept saying that he knew he was so funny, that he was a wit and that we were leaving in stitches!! It was very very funny!! We were laughing just because and then we were really laughing because it really wasn’t funny, and that made it funny!!! Then we met with a RC who started smoking again… AH... I hate it when they do that!!! She’s great though, and I made a new friend with her 2 yr old grand daughter… she’s so cute!! It’s really crazy how much people go through and yet they keep their faith… it’s amazing!!!! Then we had a re-interview with Andria and she passed!! THEN we had a dinner appointment and my stomach really didn’t agree with something and we went home afterwards because it hurt so bad!!!

SATURDAY – Sis. Stuart and I switched places so she could come here to her baptisms and I could go to Janna and Tom’s. It was really weird to be Sis. Allred’s companion again!! I think that all of my pent up frustration came out and so we got into a little bit of an argument/disagreement where we didn’t talk to each other for awhile… well actually that was a Sunday… I’m jumping ahead of myself… … but all is well and we worked it out and we still love each other!!! Janna and Tom’s baptism was SO AMAZING!!! I love baptisms!!! The spirit is so strong there and it makes all the long hard hours of work worth it!! Sis. Allred and I sang a song which went really well!! It was “I Will Seek the Lord” on the D&C CD… I sort of forgot the music… but we managed!!

SUNDAY – was a great day!! I got to visit with Diana who I hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye to, and that was wonderful!! As much as I love Lafayette, I was so glad to go back to White River that night!! THIS is where I’m supposed to be and I love it here already!!!

MONDAY – we had a great day!!! We were able to teach a couple of lessons while we were tracting and we visited with some LA’s and made a MILLION phone calls!! In this area we get a TON of media referrals and we were trying to contact them and set up appointments. Then we had break and then we went and visited a RC named Carolynn. She has a crazy personality, but I’m already learning to love her! It’s kind of a pain to have to be inside (either at an appointment or at home) by dark…so we stayed there for about 3 ½ hours!! I’m so grateful for the rule… it keeps us safe… but then we don’t have tons of time to work!! Oh well!

Well, I better run so I can get this off… I’ve been almost missing the log off time for the past couple of weeks and I don’t want that to happen again!!!! Oh, guess what… well, you probably already gathered this from the email… but between the two of us (Sis. Rich and Smith) we had 4… I repeat 4 baptisms this weekend!! Four people who are committed to following CHRIST and striving to come unto HIM!!! What a great week it was!!! I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week too!!!!

Love from INDY!
Sis. Alex Smith

HELLO FABULOUS FAMILY!!

2009-10-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm getting transferred!!! They are doing transfers different this time, so we don't have a transfer meeting, and they told us who my new companion is and area and everything!! I'm going to be serving in White River. Which is DOWNTOWN INDY!!! Sis. Allred served there and loved it, I'm serving with her train-ie. Cool, cool. I'm really sad, and at first I was kind of mad... but I know that Pres. prayed about it and that is where I'm supposed to be. Missionaries have lived with this member for 15 years.

I THINK THAT I'M GOING TO WRITE IN CAPS, BECAUSE THEN I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CAPITALIZING THINGS... ;) IT SOUNDS LIKE THINGS ARE FINALLY LIGHTENING UP AT HOME... I'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR YOU SO HARD!! I JUST HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING MYSELF THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS (AS LONG AS WE ARE TRYING TO BE RIGHTEOUS) THE LORD IS IN IT AND IT IS HIS WILL!! THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING!!

TUESDAY – WE HAD JANNA AND TOM'S BAPTISM INTERVIEW AND IT WENT SO WELL!! SIS. ALLRED AND I WERE VISITING WITH ELDER MILLER (THE ZONE LEADER) AND WHEN HE FIRST WALKED UP TO ME HE SHOWED ME A BOOK THAT HE AND ELDER LYSENKO HAD BORROWED FROM THE INSTITUTE!! IT WAS THE EXACT SAME CLASSICAL BOOK THAT I HAVE AT HOME!! SO I GAVE AN IMPROMPTU RECITAL AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO BE ABLE TO PLAY MUSIC OTHER THAN THE HYMNS AGAIN (ON A RANDOM NOTE, I JUST WROTE HUMMS... HA HA... HYMNS AND HUMMS!!) ELDER MILLER SAID THAT IT LOOKS LIKED MY HANDS WERE SPIDERS AND THEN HE STARTED RATING THE SONGS “OH, THAT WAS A 5 SPIDER SONG!” OR “NO THAT WASN'T TOO AMAZING, IT WAS ONLY A 3 SPIDER SONG” IT WAS GREAT FUN, AND I HAD A VERY CAPTIVE AUDIENCE!!

WEDNESDAY – WE GOT HAIRCUTS!! WE ALSO HAD AN AMAZING LESSON WITH JANNA AND TOM AND THEIR FRIENDS. KAREN'S HUSBAND CAME AND HE SEEMS GOLDEN!! I'M GOING TO MISS THEM!! I'M SURE THAT THEY'LL GET BAPTIZED SOON!!!

THURSDAY – I MADE A MILLION PHONE CALLS TO FIND A RIDE TO NEW CASTLE!! I WAS SO WORRIED THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIND A RIDE... I THOUGHT IT WAS A HOPELESS CAUSE, BUT WE FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE!! I HAD TO PAY FOR GAS THOUGH, BUT IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!!

FRIDAY – WE VISITED A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, AND THEN SPENT 5 HOURS ON THE ROAD!! IT WAS SO WORTH IT THOUGH!!! ASHLEY WAS SO EXCITED AND SHE SAID THAT SHE FELT LIKE A NEW PERSON!!! I ACTUALLY SANG AT THE BAPTISM, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO UNTIL I GOT THERE... A LITTLE BIT OF MISCOMMUNICATION!!!

SATURDAY – CONFERENCE!! IT WAS SO AMAZING AND I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT WHAT I LOVED AND LIKED ABOUT IT... I definitely CAME OUT A BETTER PERSON MORE COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING CHRIST! AND I EXCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE MOM!!! I ALMOST GOT THE ENSIGN READ BEFORE CONFERENCE... I JUST NEEDED TO READ ABOUT 10 MORE!!

SUNDAY WAS EQUALLY AMAZING! WE BELONG TO THE BEST CHURCH!!!!!!!!!

MONDAY WE HAD AN AMAZING DINNER WITH SOME HAWAIIAN MEMBERS... IT WAS so GOOD... THANK GOODNESS I'M NOT SERVING ON AN ISLAND... I'D COME BACK A MILLION POUNDS!!!!

SORRY THIS EMAIL IS SO SHORT... IT WAS A GREAT WEEK AND I'M SURE THAT THIS WEEK WILL BE EVEN BETTER!! WHITE RIVER IS GOING TO BE A GREAT AREA!! I'LL LIVE 1 MILE AWAY FROM THE RACE TRACK!! THIS WEEK I'VE LEARNED THAT I REALLY JUST NEED TO TRUST IN HEAVENLY FATHER... HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING... I'M SURE I'LL CONTINUE TO LEARN THAT LESSON OVER AND OVER AGAIN!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

LOVE,
SIS. ALEX

Pictures for the week

#1 - SUNDAY - this is what I did during conference break!!! Janna and I organized the spoon drawer... the other drawers were already organized, so we decided to finish the drawers.

#2 SATURDAY - Sis. Allred and I during break again. The bag that she's holding is the best bread in the world. We went to lunch there and it was beyond good!! They use all natural and some organic ingredients (just thought you'd want to know!).

#3 ASHLEY'S BAPTISM!!!!!!! Isn't she cute??

#4 My new haircut!! Sis. Allred got about 9 inches chopped off, but I just got a trim and bangs. You can't really tell from this picture but there are a lot more than that!! The girl who cut my hair also straightened it, it looks a LOT different doesn't it!!

A post with pictures!

2009-09-30T09:28:00.001-07:00

We just posted September 27th's post with pictures!

Hello, Hugs and Kisses to my more than fabulous family!!

2009-09-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

Just a warning... I'm in a really crazy mood right now so this might be a very, very random email! Sis. Allred and I were just waiting outside the computer lab waiting for our turn and she stopped me mid sentence and said that I was talking a million miles a minute and changing subjects about just as fast! Just thought I'd warn you! This week has been a GREAT week! But first of all... I have been realizing how much room I have for improvement and I just have been thinking of what a terrible person I must have been before my mission... not a terrible, terrible person... but I've just been realizing how much better I could have been and how many things I've done wrong and the things I wish that I could go back and change... I definitely wish I would've been a better sister and daughter!! Sorry for all that you had to put up with!! I feel like exclaiming “oh wretched man that I am!!” like Nephi! But I've also been realizing that while that is definitely a feeling that can prompt us to change and become better, it can also be a tool of Satan to discourage us and make us feel of no worth. I'm working on it being a prompt for me to become better and to not be one of the 6's destructive d's (see conference talk of last conference – um... Saturday afternoon I believe). Anyway, I apologize for being such a ornery person... I've got such a LONG ways to go in order to be perfect....a lot longer than I've realized before!

TUESDAY – was a fantastic preparation day!! After emailing we went grocery shopping and had such a great time!! One of the down falls of having a companion who loves to cook just as much as I do is that we buy (and eat :) a lot of food!!! But I digress... usually the elders in our area get together at the church and play sports on Tuesday so we decided to go and join them for once. They were playing kick ball and I REALLY didn't feel like joining so I was just watching and they were really trying to get me to join them which I FINALLY did and I had a BLAST!!!! The elders are so much fun and so crazy!! As you well know I'm not a very sporty person and I really had no idea how to play and so they were being super duper helpful and so funny!! Elder Miller (zone leader) was my base coach and would tell me when to run and they were breaking all sorts of rules to make it so I could make a run. They were so funny!! One time Elder Hernandez threw the ball at one of his own team mates so that I could make it!! They are so goofy and funny and I love them all!! Then we went home, wrote letters, etc and later that evening we helped a man on crutches change his car battery!! It was great fun!! Sister Allred had tracted into him before and we were trying a potential in the same area and asked him if we could help. It took us about 20-30 minutes to do it all, but it was fun!!

WEDNESDAY – We had district meeting and I got to play the piano and bear my testimony. Elder Sparks trained us on the desire to BAPTIZE and how we can be more worthy of baptizing and finding people to teach, baptize and help lead to the temple. Then we went and visited a LA who is on house arrest and shared a thought with him on adversity. He's a super funny guy who shaves his head, has a great big beard and a cross tattoo on the back of his head... and he sure is full of stories! We then went and visited another LA who we taught about the 6 d's... it was a FABULOUS lesson and she really opened up and we had a great conversation!! We then then went and visited a investigator named DIANA. She is an amazing lady and going through so much right now!! One of her daughters just got put in prison for drugs and Diana is on daily (or day) reporting (a long story that I don't have time to share right now, but it's really not her fault!) and as of last week she may have to go to prison for that!! Her life is so messed up... the poor thing... she's currently watching 5 grandchildren all the time (3 are the daughter's that is in prison and 2 are a daughter that she's living with who is an alcoholic and not super responsible all the time!). We visit her a lot and try to help her around the house and with the kids as much as we can with all the rules... that is one of the hardest rules to keep!! Then later later that day we had a lesson with Janna and Tom and a friend of theirs who had some questions about the church... they are such great missionaries already!!!

THURSDAY – we had president interviews and I just realized that Pres. Corey isn't a scary man, but a humble servant of the Lord who is there to help us out!! I pretty much bawled through the whole thing and it was terrible!! The interview was great, but I hate crying in front of people!! I might have gotten myself into a transfer... when I told him about our teaching issues he pretty much asked me who I wanted my companion to be!! I didn't want that to happen... I just wanted advice on making our teaching better!! I've been praying a lot and changing and realizing a lot of things and it's about 87% better!! SO... next tuesday morning I'll be waiting in a cold sweat... I REALLY don't want to get transferred again and I really want to stay with sis. Allred and in Lafayette!! That night we had dinner with Diana and her family... before that though we had the elders come and give her and some of the sick kids blessings. Her's was amazing!! It talked about how she would make covenants and be baptized!! I'm sure that she will someday, even if it's not now because of craziness!!!

FRIDAY – we had a GREAT lesson with Linda who we've been teaching for awhile... I love her a lot!! She's the one who's battled cancer three times and has to have heart surgery AGAIN!! She's amazing! I'll have to tell you more about her next week... Later that night we went to the ward social... it's a good thing that we went... Janna and Tom were outside in their car not wanting to go in because they don't know that many people! It was great fun... I love our ward!!

SATURDAY – the Spanish elders had a baptism that I played at... it was so neat! It was ½ in spanish and ½ in english. It was pretty cool! I love their converts!! We've been over to visit them because only ½ the family speaks spanish... so we might teach the 9 yr old daughter. That night the broadcast was FABULOUS and I thought of y'all watching it at the same time just in a different spot!!

oh boy... I never have time to do everything I want!!!! Janna and Tom are amazing and doing so well!! Patricia is doing great too! We haven't been able to meet with her because of family issues... and the BEST NEWS YET!!! ASHLEY IN NEW CASTLE IS GETTING BAPTIZED AND WE'RE GOING TO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, I better run so I don't loose this email!!

I love you all bunches, heaps, bounds and from here to Kolob and back!!!!! You're the best family one could wish for!!!! Have a great week... you're in my prayers and thoughts!!

love from indiana,
sis. Alex Smith

PICTURES!!

2009-09-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

This is a short email but here is what I attached...

Princess picture... we were a little early to a meeting at the church one Tuesday and we found this charming tiara and took our pictures to remind us that we’re princesses and daughters of God!!! :)
Me and my fabulous companion Sis. Allred. We were feeling a little crazy, thus the popped up collars and side ponytails... this is what happens after a long day of work!

A barber shop sign - this is for any boys at home that have longer than missionary haircuts!! I just thought that it was funny... hope that it’s short bro!!

Oh, and a street sign that says SMITH!! The street names are so funny, and it gets so confusing to find anything, but it makes for some funny conversations!!!

Love you all!!

Hello to my beautiful family!!!

2009-09-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm realizing more and more what an amazing family that I have, and how blessed I was to be raised in an LDS home!! This week has also been a very trying week as Sis. Allred and I have been trying to mesh our teaching styles. It's really easy when we're teaching a normal lesson, but a lot of the time we aren't and we're just answering questions as they come. She's a talker and I'm not and we're trying to find the balance of silence and allowing me to answering questions and her feeling like she needs to fill that silence and talk. We really do get along really really well; it's just that our teaching is a little hard!! I'm also realizing that I need to just add things in when they come to my mind as long as I'm not interrupting her!! It's so neat... we've been talking a lot about how Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for each of us, and I'm been noticing that it's almost like I have a syllabus for life! Not that I can see what's coming (wouldn't that be nice!), but that when I look back it's very nicely outlined and I'm realizing more and more that this life really is a school and there are tests/quizzes all along the way that are preparing us for the big test at the end! I'm also realizing that death really is just an opening of another door and that it's not as big a deal as we all make of it!! Not that it isn't sad, but I've had some very cool experiences that have reminded me of how close those loved ones really are!! At Zone Conference Pres. Christensen talked about how the people that we are teaching and baptizing are being helped by people on the other side, both those who have already died and those who have yet to come! They are their KEY TO EXALTATION!! He told us a really neat story about how 2 elders were teaching a couple who had 1 child and yet one of the missionaries saw a little girl sitting in a chair next to the mother. Every time that he would ask a question to the mother, the little girl would lean up and whisper the answer in her ear. When I heard that I got really teary eyed! It really hit me that we really aren't doing this work alone!! In the first place it's the Lord's work and He labors with us, and also we have the ancestors and descendants of these people wanting so badly for their family members to be baptized so they can be as well!! So, two really neat stories that have happened recently! We tracked into this man named Kelley who said we could come back sometime and so we did last week and we were just talking to him about his life and religion and such. He was telling us about his wife and how she had just died about 2 years ago and I just felt like someone was pushing us to be there and that she had accepted the gospel and she wanted him to join on the earth! He said that we could stop by and talk (he's retired and by himself – a lot of people say that!) and when we got done there I told Sis. Allred what I'd felt and that even though he said that he already has a religion that we need to go back in a couple weeks and talk to him more... oh and we left him a Plan of Salvation pamphlet!! The other thing just happened last night!! We were contacting a referral from the Spanish elders and they were talking about how they just had a baby die earlier this year at 3 months from pneumonia. We didn't teach them a lesson or anything, just answered questions and gave them a Book of Mormon, and Mike said that we didn't really need to come back, he would just call us. But later that evening we were talking about it and we both said that we thought that the baby (Jordan) was wanting his family to join because they are HIS key to exaltation!! It just sent chills up and down my arms!! The other side is SO much closer than I think any of us realize!! One of my new favorite scriptures is D&C 84:88 about how God will be will be with us on every side and will send His angels to be around us and bear us up!! Anyway, I could go on and on about that... but I have so much else to tell you!!!

EIE, EIE, EIE...
12 MINUTES REMAINING!!!

Wow, I just looked at my notes of things to tell you and I already told you a lot!! YEAH!!

WEDNESDAY - We had a great D.M., and we learned about talking to people. It was great because that afternoon our whole Zone (about 20 missionaries) went to the Purdue campus and talked to people all afternoon! I thought I was going to DIE!!! I already have a hard time talking to strangers, but to just walk up to someone who is reading or sitting or whatever and just start talking was just about the most frightening thing I've ever done!! It was so good though! I stumbled over a lot of words, but I had a lot of great conversations and taught 10 lessons that afternoon!! Oh, and that night... we went to a dinner appointment and they sat down in the living room and then the husband brought out a huge plate of tomatoes and cucumbers for EACH OF US!! Sis. Allred hates raw tomatoes and I hate cucumbers, and we sat there and ate the whole plate (except like 2) and it took us forever because we don't like them!! THEN after about an hour of eating... the wife said “what's for dinner?” We both about DIED and I had a bad stomach ache that night! Too much acid for my poor stomach!!!!

THURSDAY – was weekly planning and I already talked about how I need to work on communication and opening up (that's not new news!!) and then we had a appointment with a family we were going to drop and the little girl (age 10) said she wants to be baptized!!! WOO-HOO!!

FRIDAY – we talked to a lady who said that she's overcome cancer 3 times and her doctor told her that it's 90% your own attitude!! A great lesson to learn!!

SATURDAY – a great day...

SUNDAY – an even greater day... please pray for Janna and Tom... they are quitting smoking again and need to be totally done by Saturday.

MONDAY – a great day too!!! But I'm out of time and I've got to get this sent off!!!

Love you all so much!! I'll keep you all in my prayers and pray that no one else gets sick!!!

Love from Indiana
Sis. Alex Smith

long email for the week... :) love you!

2009-09-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Family!
This week was a great week and very interesting as well!! Can you believe that I just started week 13? I've almost been out 3 months (week-wise I have!) and that means that 1/6 of my mission is over!!! Can you believe that?!?!?! Didn't you just drop me off at the MTC yesterday??!?!! You know... some days go really slow, but some days go really fast and then I wake up (or go to bed) and think...wasn't I here just a second ago?!

Well, to start out I'll do a day-by-day play and then I'll tell you some other things I've been wanting to...

WEDNESDAY - We had district meeting for the first time this transfer!! The zone leaders (Elder Lysynko and Elder Miller) are in our district and they did a wonderful training on leaving commitments. I think that this was also the day that I took a 3 hour nap!! Sis. Allred was sick all last week with a bad cold, and I was sure that I wasn't going to come down with it, but I did!! Luckily it's almost over thanks to you mom!! It's moved really really fast from a sore throat, to a stuffy nose to a bad cough... but like I said it's almost over! The annoying thing is that I have occasional coughing fits that last for a couple of minutes and then when I'm done my lungs hurt so bad! That night we had a lesson and dinner at a member's house with Janna and Tom, it was on the gospel of Jesus Christ and there was a little mix up on what part I was teaching and so I taught a part that I'd never taught before!! I was totally winging it and feeling TERRIBLE (head cold feeling), but I tried to do my best and I hope that they felt the spirit. One cool thing is that we were talking about light in people's eyes with Janna and Tom and he said that when Sis. Allred was talking that there was really anything in my eyes because I wasn't feeling good (in fact it was terrible!!), but when I starting talking or testifying "it was like BLING" (in his own words!!). It was a great reminder that how we feel has a huge effect on how we look and we need to be constantly striving to be filled with the spirit so we can look like messengers of CHRIST!!!

THURSDAY - we had weekly planning and a bunch of random appointments. BUT, the highlight of the day was going to GREAT HARVEST BREAD!!! They have one in our area and it's my new favorite store!! I liked it when I was in Utah, but now it's my favorite place... the warm piece of whole wheat bread is heavenly!!! And I LOVE the smell.... I think I might work there when I get back!!!

FRIDAY - we tracted, had an appointment with a CHAIN smoker (she smoked in Sis. Allred's face!) and when we left that appointment we both felt so sick!! I can't understand how anyone could have such a disgusting horrible habit!! There is nothing attractive about it and I can't believe that people spend such money on it! It's about $5 a pack now!! Anyway, sorry to get so worked up about it, but it's just mind boggling how people could do that to their bodies!!! OH, the HIGHLIGHT of Friday was going to help Sis. Price cook a meal for about 20 people. Here in Lafayette the churches are part of a program called "Family Promise" that helps homeless families get back on their feet again. Many of the different churches house the families each for a week and provide meals and activities for them as well. Sister Price is a young mother with a 3 year old and an 11 month old so we went to help her. In about an hour we made 2 soups, frosted brownies, made French bread and washed grapes for 25+ people. Sis. Price made the French bread from scratch and it is TO DIE FOR!!! We are getting the recipe from her soon and I will spread the wealth. It was the best French bread I've ever tasted and it only took about 1 hour to make!!! Sis. Allred and I couldn't stop talking about it! We also had a great appointment with a lady named Graciela (I'm going to name one of my kids that!!). She is a Catholic, but she said the reason that she invited us back is because she has doubts and questions about her faith and wants to understand things better. She has a lot of potential and we are going to visit her once a week to study from the Bible and of course talk about our church as well!! THEN, we had an appointment with a investigator named Donald. Since we can't teach in his house we were teaching outside, but by the time we were done it was pitch black outside!! It was kind of scary because we weren't in the best development... in fact one lady we know there was telling us that the other night she heard gun shots and such. Drugs are so big in that type of neighborhood... we try not to be there past dark, but sometimes we can't help it!! You all would probably die at some of the neighborhoods that we go in... but the Lord is with us and we are protected!!

SATURDAY - um... I can't seem to remember what we did most of the day even though I have my planner right in front of me. Family - beware - when I get back I'll be in the habit of planning every moment with a plan, back up plan, and sometimes a back up plan for that just in case it all falls through!! It's a great way to live and I know that I'll be able to accomplish so much more when I schedule my time wisely!! I probably won't schedule every minute, but I've realized that I wasted a LOT of time at home that could've been used better!! Oh, but the highlight of the day (and possibly week) was us finally being able to contact a media referral named Patricia. When we walked in to sit down she said "I've been waiting for you to come so I can come to your church!" I have never heard that before and was rather surprised!! We had an AMAZING first lesson with her and apparently she studied with the missionaries a long time ago in Gary, In. (please resist the urge to sing! ;) but stopped because life was too crazy and there were too many distractions. She had (I think) forgotten a lot, but when I started sharing the Joseph Smith story her dark eyes lit up with such brightness that it was like someone had turned a light on!! It was SO cool!!!! Are you ready for SUCH a cool story!!? Patricia is amazing Bible reader and she was quoting verses right and left and she told us that right after study (I think... I could be wrong about that) she prayed and said "Lord, I know that you must have a true church somewhere on the earth. Please show it to me!" Then she had the prompting to go and turn on the gospel channel. GUESS WHAT CAME ON! An ad for "The Lamb of God" DVD!!! She already knows that the prophet IS a prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon is true and on and on!!! Sis. Allred and I walked out of there and looked at each other and said that she's the most golden person we've ever met!!! PLEASE pray for her!!! I know that she needs the gospel, and that she'll have trials... but she has some of the most amazing faith I've ever seen... and it will definitely carry her through.

SUNDAY - what a crazy day!!! Patricia came to church (YEAH!!) and Sacrament Meeting was a ZOO!! She is a VERY reserved and quiet person and I can't read her, but she seemed to be listening intently. Then I about DIED when we walked into Gospel Principles... the lesson was on EXALTATION!!! That is one of the most controversial topics with investigators and I was praying SO hard!! Then as if that wasn't enough... R.S. was about temple work and Baptism for the Dead!!! BUT Heavenly Father does answer prayers and she said that she understood what they were talking about and how obedience would be necessary to go to live with God again. I asked her if she liked church and she said that she did... she even gave her ride a dollar for tithing because she wanted to contribute to our church!) She is amazing and I'm so excited for our next lesson!! Oh, then that night we had a most wonderful dinner with some members named the Merrill's. They both went to USU and he was from Richmond and knew the Whites! They seem like very "natural" people and we had a WONDERFUL conversation about life. They are homeschooling right now and they have 6 chickens in there backyard!! It was so cool!!! Oh, and we also had a talk with an investigator about if she really wanted to learn... and when we were scheduling an appointment she said "I like God first in the day, everything else can wait". I thought that was great advice!!

MONDAY - was a great day!! We go every week and visit an elderly mother of a member who is currently in Germany and she is SO much fun! She is 87 but doesn't look a day over 75! She watches a lot of TV and gives us our weekly world report which is always fun. We also watched the J.S. movie with Janna and Tom, but I'll have to tell you more about that later because my time is up!!!!

Thanks for everything my fabulous family!!!!!!! I miss you all so much and love you more than I can say!!! Have a great week and remember you are always in my prayers!!!

Love from Indiana,
Sis Alex Smith

Long Email!!!

2009-09-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, boy. It seems that every time I sit down to write I forget everything that I was going to say!! It’s been a very interesting week… and I’m not exactly sure why! I’ve been missing New Castle so bad because the work was really starting to pick up there! We had so many promising people and so many members that loved us so much!! Not that we don’t have promise here… but it’s just different!!

Last night I had a really bad night. I was just having one of those emotional days where I get really quiet and reflective. Sis. Allred kept asking me if I was okay, and I really was, I was just thinking about everything and every one. I also wasn’t feeling too good and any movement was making me dizzy and nauseated. At the end of the day, we had just dropped by to see Janna and Tom (with the baptismal date of Oct. 10!!) because they are quitting smoking today and they need a lot of support, prayers and love. I wasn’t feeling too well, and it just seemed that whatever I said wasn’t good enough and Sis. Allred was clarifying. Then something one of them said just really hit me, and I got into a huge pity party. They didn’t say it to be mean, it just made me realize that I was here at the tail end of everything, and that even though it is a baptism, that it wasn’t exactly one of MY baptisms. Like Ashley, in New Castle who we taught, learned to love and helped overcome struggles and such. It was a bad night until I realized that when I was saying that I left part of my heart in New Castle, I was telling the absolute truth. My whole heart wasn’t here in Lafayette!! It was a bonk over the head AH-HA moment!! SO, instead of saying that I left part of my heart in New Castle, I’m saying that it became a part of my heart. I grew so much there, and I will never forget it or the people there!! And regardless of where I am in Indiana, it’s the LORD’S work, not mine and I need to serve wherever I am and BLOOM WHERE I’M PLANTED!!

Besides that it’s been a kind of slow week because Sis. Allred has been sick with a bad cold. And so we have been resting more than usual. But really quick I’m just going to run through my week…

TUESDAY – after emailing you, my beautiful family – we went grocery shopping at Pay Less and you’ll never believe what they have there! A HEALTH FOOD SECTION!! I felt like a little kid in a candy/toy store!! I’ve also discovered the best kind of granola bars… Cascadian Farms!! They were on sale, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them. They are a lot better than the usual kind that I’ve been getting. Then that evening we went to Addiction Recovery with some people. It is SUCH a neat program!! I wish I had my own book and could write in it (which maybe could you send me if you can buy it?). And I think that a lot of people should use it!! And not just for smoking and other addiction recovery things… It’s amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and that isn’t even enough exclamation marks to show how amazing it is!!)

WEDNESDAY – ZONE CONFERENCE!!!!! We had the president of the Columbus Ohio temple and former mission president come and talk to us. Sometime I’ll have to type up my notes for you, but I left them at home!! It was an absolutely amazing conference! Pres. Christensen talked about how our goal needs to not only be baptism, but the temple. And how there are so many people helping us find and teach people because they want their descendants or future parents baptized!! It was amazing and when we got done we all felt like we had spiritual brain overload!! It was a life changing talk and I will write more next time. On the way home we stopped by Sis. Allred’s favorite restaurant and ice cream place. YUM YUM it was GOOD!! Since we had already had lunch we just bought it and saved it for the next day, but I’m pretty sure I got a very minor case of food poisioning from SOMETHING in it!! The next day I felt like my stomach was a blender/mixer (we ate it for lunch on Thursday) and Sis. Allred said I had a minor fever. Like I said… it’s been an interesting week!!

THURSDAY – We visited with a member who has 2 pit bulls and we helped her walk them. I’ve been told more than once that the way to a Hoosier’s heart is through their dogs, and that CERTAINLY is the case! Oh, something funny that happened was that we went to a member’s house for dinner and the wife came down the stairs and said “my husband is sick and I think he has swine flu!!” SO, she gave us food in a bag and sent us on our merry way. The funny thing is that we’ve had tacos I believe EVERY DAY this week!!!! I’m getting rather sick of them… good thing I’m not serving a mission in Mexico!! Oh, and BTW… I had the most DELICIOUS green beans you have ever seen!! They were fried with butter and spices and um, they were good!!!

FRIDAY – was a Kelly day!! We met with a family named the Kelly’s and then we met with a lady named Kelly as well!! Funny story… we tracted into Kelly last week and she told us she was busy (a JW) and to come back next week. We set up a time and when we walked in… lo and behold there was a group there to discuss our beliefs!!!! I hardly said anything (something we are working on… not that I won’t say anything, because I WILL and I DO, but I don’t interrupt people and Sis. Allred talks a lot – which is a good thing and a bad one too) but Sis. Allred did a great job of explaining things. It was so cool, whenever she would talk about the Book of Mormon the spirit would be there so warm it felt like a heating pad!! It was a neat experience!!!

SATURDAY – We did a little tracting and we met a VERY interesting fellow named Rick. He said that he was raised a Christian, but the best way to describe him now would be a Zen. He believes in a higher power, but he said that all the problems of the world came from the Muslims, Jews and Christians. We talked to him for about 20 minutes… or rather we listened. Remember the story about the Jerusalem center and how they asked what are we going to do about the light in our eyes? Well, it’s so obvious here!! In Utah you can’t really tell because everyone is a Mormon, but here you can!! Rick’s eyes almost looked a little crazed and so lacking light!! Pres. Christensen told an interesting story that I’ll tell really quick… at one time he had 220 missionaries and didn’t have the time to interview them all. So he stood them all in a big circle in the cultural hall and walked up to each one and put his face RIGHT in front of the missionary’s. He would ask them if they had anything they needed to talk about, but he said he could tell from the light in their eyes. It’s so true about eyes being the window to the soul!!!

SUNDAY was church and fasting!! Oh boy that is something that I need to work on!!! I’ve gotten to the point that I can fast for 24 hours… but my heart is not in the right place!! I believe I already said this last week… but it’s so neat to be able to see other missionaries at church!! The Spanish elders we talk to a lot because they live in our area and they always give us lots of referrals. Missionaries are SO cool!!!

MONDAY – yesterday I already kind of talked about… but it was a good day!!!

On a totally random note, I was sitting on the couch downstairs a couple of days ago while Sis. Allred took a VERY long nap, and I was messing with the calculator (and while my math skills aren't too good) and I found out some interesting things!! I’ve been on my mission 11 weeks and I have 67 left!! That kind of overwhelmed me until I realized that I’ve already lived 1092 weeks and if I live to be 85 (which I’m sure I’ll live longer) I'll have a total of 4420 weeks to live… and only 78 weeks to serve a mission!! It was a good perspective shift for me to have!! AND (don’t trust my math too much on this one… I think it’s a little off) but I only have 47,174,400 seconds on my whole mission!!! Not a moment to loose!!!

Well, I think that was a very, very long email!!! I hope that all is going well and that you all know that I love you SOOOOOOOOOO much!!!

Love from Indiana,
Sis. Alex

where in the world is sis. smith?

2009-09-01T16:46:00.001-07:00

Hello from Lafayette!!
oh boy - I feel like the days have been going so slow! I just got transferred to the other side of the state, and it's like a whole new experience here!! My new companion is a Sister Allred and she's going to find out if we're related. She knows that she's not related to James Wesley Allred, but she doesn't know much about her family history... but I'm SURE that we're related somewhere! She's the youngest of 9 kids, and the 8th to serve a mission!! She's pretty amazing, and we get along super well... almost too well if that's possible!! We've talked about everything under the sun and it's only been 6 days!! As much as I grew to love Sis. Oliver, it's so nice to not have to explain things in super simple english, I can just say whatever and it makes sense most of the time!! Her dad died when she was 16-17, and her mom has had to work really hard for the family. She is just pretty much AMAZING!!

It's so weird to be in such a big city. We cover an actual ward... so much for having the goal of memorizing everyone's names, i'm still going to try my hardest, but there are about 300 people!! I've met some really cool people - Mormon's are just plain amazing!! It's so neat to be able to go into a member's home and feel the spirit and love there. There is one family in particular (the SMITH's ;) that I just really hit it off with. Sis. Smith was a music major at first, but then she changed to being a school teacher. When I stood up to get something I saw the old Sense and Sensibility and so we got into a long discussion about the best movies. she'd never heard of Elizabeth Gaskell before, so she was so excited to look her up and read the books and watch those fabulous movies. It was so funny - the first time that i had a member meal here it was left overs and it was really gross!! I don't really care what people feed me, and I usually love leftovers, but sister allred and I both didn't feel so good after that meal!!! Luckily the meals have been SO much better since then!! Oh, and the funny thing is that it seems that whatever I'm craving they serve (except in the case of the leftovers :). Sis. Allred and I were talking about our favorite foods and I told her that my favorites were pizza, ice cream and mashed potatoes (not together though!). And GUESS what the smith's served us!! Pizza and Ice Cream!! Then, the next meal appointment I had been craving a BLT and they served them!!! Someone at the MTC said that missionaries prayers are answered really fast and that certainly seems to be the case with meals here!! Isn't that weird!?! Just like we've learned... if we can keep our energy high and be full of gratitude then amazing things happen!! I've been smiling an unbelievable amount and learning to love so many people so quickly that I think that's why... anyway... if sher's reading this you'll understand :)

It's so weird, but missionary work here is SO different!! We have a ton of potentials and so most of the day is spent with trying to contact them, and the HUGE list of media referrals that we have!! We've hardly done any tracting and that is so different! But the tracting that we've done has been insane!! The first day that we tracted here (I think we've only tracted twice!!) we knocked on the door, and the lady started yelling at us and said that we were a cult and that she was praying that we would see the error of our ways and change religions. It was C-R-A-Z-Y! Then yesterday we were tracting in a really nice area and this lady seemed to be listening pretty well, and then all of a sudden her eyes got really big and she started telling us how wrong we were and how she didn't believe in our mormon heaven, and how she KNEW we were so wrong and how we just conviently changed our beliefs and how we didn't believe that Jesus was the Christ and on and on and on!! It's really hard to know what to do in those situations, because I was SO ready to just leave, but Sis. Allred was trying to explain our REAL beliefs and it just seemed that the spirit was leaving more and more. It was really uncomfortable and I hope I don't have too many more of those experieces... but I've already had quite a few!!

on a different note - We have some pretty cool investigators. Janna and Tom had been investigating the church a couple of years ago and then they got into anti stuff and stopped. THEN - Sis. Allred and Sis. Reed tracted into her (they only live about a block away from us, and they'd never seen us!) and she opened and said "oh, I know ALL about you!" - you never quite know how to take a phrase like that!! BUT it was really neat because the started investgating again and they have a baptismal date set for OCT. 10!! They are some of the most hillarious people that I have EVER met and when we were riding home with them from somewhere they were just keeping me in stitches!! They are our only progressing investigators, but we have some others that are pretty neat as well. We also have an amazing ward mission leader and some amazing missionary-minded members as well. One of them commited US to ask her at the next meal we have for a referral, and she committed herself to have one!! The members here are wonderful!!

I'm sure that you'll be wondering this so I'll answer now. I don't really know any of the other missionaries in my district very well, but there are 10 of us in this general area!! On sunday I saw 4 of them at church because they cover some of the other wards, and the spanish elders cover the whole stake so we see them quite a lot. I can't seem to remember all of their names, but when I get them down I'll tell you more about them!!

Sorry, but I feel like this is a very blaugh email... i can't really think of anything interesting to say and I'm feeling like a very blaugh missionary too... it's just one of those days!!

well, I have about 15 mintues left... so here is some more blaugh information for you! jk... ;)

We actually don't live in an apartment here, we live with MEMBERS!! It's taking some getting used to, but they are an amazing family!! Both the husband and wife are returned missionaries and sometime I'll have to tell you their story. Sis. hansen is thai and they have the most ADORABLE little girl ever!! She is 13 months old, and sis hansen is pregnant with another baby, and due in october!! We share the kitchen, but we get the HUMONGOUS master bedroom which is our bedroom, gym, study hall and living room. We also have a gigantic bathroom and a very large walk in closet. It's just about as big as my apartment in new castle!! the hardest thing about living with members is that I don't have much control over how the house looks... and you know how hard that is for me.. especially with the kitchen (i'm sure you're all just laughing because you know how my bedroom looks 1/2 the time!!)! But I'm getting all the ocd-ish nature taken out of me, because I can't let it bother me!! There is no way that I can clean it up because it is all their stuff, but I'm doing my best to not let it bother me!! not that their house is mess, because it's not, but it's not spotless either.... just lived in... anyway - I feel like that paragraph was a total ramble!

well, sorry that this wasn't a very exciting email... I'll try and have some more interesting things to say next time!

Like I've said before.. it's amazing how much you learn to love people in such a short period of time!! Sis. Allred said that I seem to have a talent for loving people, and I think that must be something that has just come since being here, because as you know that's always been kind of hard for me. But it's really cool!! Missionary work is AMAZING and it's such a cool feeling to be striving to be about my Heavenly Father's buisness!!

well, I better sign off... have a fantastic week my fabulous family!!!!

love you all more than I can say!!!
Sis. Alex Smith

to my dearest family!!!

2009-08-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

family, you really won't believe what just happened!! The way that you know you are getting transferred is that you get a call from one of the assistants early p-day morning... sis. oliver and I WERE NOT EXPECTING A CALL!! They usually leave new missionaries with trainers for at least 2 transfers and then give them a follow-up trainer. And sis. oliver also said that they try to leave missionaries in an area for more than one transfer... WE ARE BOTH TRANSFERRING AND THEY'RE CLOSING NEW CASTLE!! Sis. Oliver and I couldn't believe it when they called this morning bright and early!! Work is going so well here!! We're meeting a lot with less actives, working on getting them back to activity, doing lots of work for the branch, finding lots of super promising potentials, and we even have a baptismal date!!! I feel like I'm going to leave a big chunk of my heart here!! I LOVE New Castle!! I love our investigators (few as they may be), I love the members, and I've grown so much here!! My heart is crying right now!!! I guess what we need to do was best shown by something funny that happened this morning... we were in our p.j.'s trying to do our weekly cleaning, and everything just stopped when they called. We were sort of whining and talking about how much we're going to miss new castle and everything about the past 6 weeks, and I stood up and said "well, there's lots to do!!" and walked out of the room. It was so funny because I had just been complaining two seconds earlier!! SO, enough rambling... let me tell you about the amazing week I had!! We've been doing a lot of tracting because our potential pool was emptied again and we don't really have that many investigators (3-4). We found some great people! It's amazing to see how when you continue to push the message even if they say that they're not interested or a member of whatever faith (New Castle has over 100 churches!!!!) that people visibly softened and listen and often schedule a return appointment!! Our step it up goal this week was to be SIMPLE, BOLD AND ENTHUSIASTIC in our door approaches - we have such an important message and we need to be excited about it!!... oh, I just can't tell you how much I love this gospel and the church we belong to!! It's so simple and easy to understand!! And I love sharing it with people!! I feel like I'm riding an emotional roller-coaster and constantly going up or down... it's crazy!! It's been a trying week to say the least!!

I just got a new planner, and I left the old one at home, so I'm having a hard time remembering what exactly happened this week. BUT, the one thing that is going to be remembered forever is the first baptismal commitment I ever extended!! We had a lesson with Ashley on saturday teaching the plan of salvation, and we had talked about leaving her the commitment if we felt so inspired and I just couldn't get it out of my mind!! So I looked at sis. oliver and then launched into it and SHE SAID YES!!! Then we asked her to pray about a date, and she said "oh, I've already been thinking about it, and I want to be baptized on my birthday in October!" Ashley is SO prepared for the gospel and so willing to listen and so touched by the spirit... I'm going to miss her!!! She's come to church twice in a row, and she loves it!! And at the end of her lesson on saturday, we asked her who she wanted to offer the closing prayer and she said that she did!! She offered a perfect heart-felt prayer then the cutest thing was that her little cousin who is about 8 (he was sitting with us at this point) asked if we could say another one and he wanted to offer it!! I helped him say it, and it was so cute!! The spirit is so strong in missionary work!!! Remember the story of how Joseph Smith couldn't translate because he had just had an argument with Emma? He was so in tune with the spirit, that even a little argument drove it away, and he could tell!! It's not quite the same here, but almost!!! When I'm not being totally christ-like or thinking negative discouraged thoughts, the spirit isn't there, and I have to plead with the Lord to forgive me and allow me to have the spirit!! It's such an obvious feeling when the spirit isn't with me!

Mom... I hope that you got the pictures that I sent!! Sis. oliver and I have been taking LOTS of pictures, and I'll take a lot more today and tomorrow!! My total of pictures is up to 94. I'm trying my hardest!! When my dl heard that I was in trouble for not taking more pictures... he looked at me, and said "I think I've taken 94 pictures my whole mission and never sent any home" and he's been out for 18 months!!!!!!! But I can always do better and I will!!!

Send my love and give a hug to all the McConkie's... let them know they are in my prayers!!!!! Did you call Emily - she was closer to Robert than any of us... I'm sure that you did, but I just can't get it out of my mind. Good luck with the funeral... I'm sure it will be amazing... because I belong to an amazing family!!!

Thanks for the shirt and pin from ride for the fallen!! I hope that it goes well... I'm there in spirit!!!

OH, and THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGES!!!! I was just wishing that I had some taco seasoning and dip mix!! YOU READ MY MIND!! It's kind of funny, but I don't take everything out of the package all at once, because I was to savor it over a couple of days to a week... so I was in my room while sis. oliver was taking a shower and I was looking at the wonderful package with EVERYTHING that I had asked for (you're amazing!!) and I looked out the window and saw another!! I couldn't believe it!!! BUT it was just what I needed because that was the day I got the call from Pres. Corey and besides that I was having a hard day... I'm trying to have more up days than down... but missionary work is hard and satan is working harder on me now than ever before!!! Personal study is my life-saver!! That and prayer and letters from home!!! You are all the best family one could ever wish for!!!!!! I miss you all and love you more than I ever thought possible!!! know that I appreciate all the sacrifices that you are making so I can be out here... I know that you'll be blessed... and when all of you are out here in the mission field... I'm going to spoil you to the best of my ability!!!!! You're amazing beyond measure!! the gospel is true! God lives and is looking out for each one of us, He is our Father and He sent His Son to die for each one of us... I KNOW THAT!!!!

Have a great week... and I'll talk to you next week from a different area in INDIANA!!!

lots of love and hugs and kisses!!
Sis. Alex Smith

A Surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Some people (Dan and Lori Anderson) stopped by today. They were on their way to Franklin Idaho and they stopped by with a surprise for us. You see, a few weeks ago they were in New Castle (Indiana) and went to church there, where they met... ALEX! So, they brought by this surprise:

Surprise!
I love you! You're amazing! The church is true and I'm loving Indiana!! Love you all!!
Sister Smith

A note from Alex! Isn't that EXCITING!!

Another "older" letter

2009-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

August 4, 2009

Dear family - the fabulous smith's-
BOY OH BOY- where do I start? I can't believe my email got erased!! I had a fabulous letter written and was thinking that to myself and "poof" - PRIDE GOETH BEFORE THE FALL & A HAUGHTY SPIRIT BEFORE DESTRUCTION. I will try my hardest NOT to think that again so no more letters get erased! Life here in Indiana is going great and I really appreciate your letters! About letter writing - once a week, 2 times a week, every other day, every day - WHATEVER YOU WANT IS PERFECT-O!! I will love whatever you choose and be VERY grateful!! I love getting letters and I'm always excited when I see one - but they sometimes make me homesick - that's getting better though!!

To start off - funny story *a LA member was asking me how to bake a squash that he was given, so I told him and he said he's inviting us over for squash with cinnamon and brown sugar - which should be interesting!! But they really funny thing is that the people here don't say squash - they say "SQARSH"! They do it for quite a few things - another one is this "I've got to WARSH my dishes" It makes me laugh every time it happens - I'm not sure if it's a New Castle thing or an Indianan accent - I think it is all over Indiana. I might come back with a hilarious accent and vocabulary. "I've got to WARSH me a couple three of them POTATAS!" I can just see it!

The guy (Roy) who's inviting us over for squash had given the previous sister some flowers that I noticed were 2 kisses wrapped up in cloth. We told him and he couldn't believe it! He had been given a GIANT basket of them and sat them on his porch! He gave me one and said "I have Sister Smith a kiss - no 2 kisses!!" and then he kept laughing and saying " I gave Sister Smith a kiss - oh I am so bad!" BTW - he's about 70:)

Remember Earl - our only progressing investigator? Well, after our charity lesson - he didn't come to church and the next appointment we had he opened the door, glaring, and asked what we wanted. We had some members with us because sometimes he makes us a little uncomfortable, and he came out and told us that he was going to have to go back into the violent world and maybe kill someone or be killed by a bad man that was coming to new castle. He asked us to pray for him and we have been. The members don't think he is all there, and we're not so sure either. But it made us a bit disappointed to have ZERO our progressing investigator #.

On Tuesday we met with a less active who we had a great conversation with. He said he's going to come back to church, and we made a deal with him. He's coming to church and we're going to sing at the church he works at ( sound system and drums). I'll let you know how it goes - I'm not sure how well "ABIDE WITH ME" and drums mix - we'll see:|

On Wednesday we taught another LA who randomly burst out laughing in the middle of sentences and would start talking random topics when we were bearing testimony or talking. It was really weird - it's almost a joke when we talk to the district leader every night "what CRAZY thing thing happened today?" Sister Williams' house is FULL of smoke and Sister Oliver said they asked her if she smoked and she said she sometimes dreamed that she did - we're not sure if she's all there either - it makes for interesting lessons!!

Oh, remember Jim? the LA who's beer we dumped? Well, every week after we sing and pray we ask if he has any questions - and he picks up his BOM and opens to a scripture "Oh yeah - I always have questions!" This week he opened to 2 nephi 2:29 and read it and asked what it meant to captivate. He usually has 2-3 questions for us just like that - we can't help but smile to ourselves - he doesn't ever read what we ask. He just randomly flips open something. It's FUNNY!

On the last day of July we drove to some of our far away cities and we got SO lost! We were driving on the highway/freeway looking for a road that a member said crossed the highway. I sort of forget what OVER the highway meant until I saw it pass over our heads!! We went into a little town - stopped at a gas station - said a prayer and "randomly" asked a man for directions. He turned out to be the chief of police and got us right back on track! Amazing answer to prayer!! We finally found the house we were looking for and it looked haunted! It was a creepy 2 story HUGE red brick house and it totally looked abandoned! It didn't help that their name was BONE-wits! Actually pronounced BON-A-WIT phew!

On Saturday we were looking for a former investigator and were tracting and we OYM*(open your mouth - talk to EVERYONE about the message of the gospel) to a man who was walking from the cemetery(his wife died 1 month ago) and we talked about how because of Jesus Christ he can live with his wife again. He tried to give is both a hug at the same time and Sister Oliver and I both started walking backwards down the sidewalk explaining. It must have looked pretty funny!!

On the topic of hugging - also on Saturday we were tracting and we met a man named Ryan Cox who was asking us all kind of weird questions about our church and our beliefs. He's a very "EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY FOR TOMORROW WE DIE" kind of person:) Really weird(BTW - we have an appointment tomorrow with a born again christian preacher:)) like why pres. Monson's picture was bigger on the general authority chart and if he could be one of those guys and on and on and on (about 1-2 hours!). He invited us in (against rules/single guy) and finally asked us to sit down out back. It was going great and he asked were our church was and said that he'd maybe come if he could sit by us "pretty girls" (this happens all the time and we get so annoyed by it!!). Then we were standing up and he started to pot his arm around me to give me a hug, and I about fell over trying to get away, stand up and put my backpack on- oh, and I tripped over the chair too!! He got offended and said that he didn't want us to come back "because there were somethings we didn;t believe the same on". It was weird! At the first he referred us to his brother who we visited and set an appointment with. He called called to reschedule and then when we were 3 minutes late he called to see if we were coming. We thought he must be REALLY excited because almost No one calls to reschedule. BUT, when we told him we'd have to teach on the porch. He said that he'd read the pamphlet and he didn't have the same beliers as "the Mormons". STRANGE - it must run in the family.

Guess what- I was asked to sing at church already!I sang in Relief Society on Sunday (FAITH IN EVERY FOOTSTEP) and play for myself. All that extra iron must be working, along with those few wonderful lessons with the amazing Sister Mendenhall because I sang a G without hardly warming up!! It was neat to see the peaceful looks on people's faces when I got done. Its an amazing song!!

It's really weird, but the people here (if they listen) are interested, but they say "I'm content with my relationship with God". We asked our D.L. about it, and he told us a great analogy "Our faith/relationship with Jesus Christ is like space it can always go deeper.". Funny - when we knocked on one persons door they said "I'm not interested - me and God are pretty tight!". Its so weird that people can be content with their lives and see no room for expansion of improvement. I don't know about the rest of y'all - but I see no end to the road of improvements, changes and increases in faith I need to make!!

BTW- Mac. ( and any other future missionaries) I don't know that I would worry about following the mission schedule and rules 100% - or even 50%. I think I would focus on this #1 getting YOUR OWN SCHEDULE #2 striving to feel and follow the spirit 24/7 - don't listen to no music, or no computer, etc. just follow the spirit and church standards!! and #3 have a devotional everyday.... I think everyday is key, not necessary for 1-2 hours like here - the time for following those rules is on a mission - I think doing those 3 thing and being the best member you cna ber are key! You all are already great missionaries by your examples! People are watching you!! Love You!!
Well, probably the most life-changing thing happened on Thursday. I wasn't feeling too good and all we'd had all day was rejection, canceling ,etc. I just started bawling while we were tracting when Sister Oliver asked me what the matter was - I was so discouraged - and I was beginning to wonder why I had even come on a mission. It was BAD. I did a LOT of praying and write a huge epistle in my journal and within the hour I felt 100% better and had come to realize a lot of things - #1 that even if (D&C 18) the only soul I bring to Heavenly Father is myself - I've made a success of my mission. I began to see people as children of God and not #'s and doors. As Sister Oliver tells me quite often "ALL if God's children need to hear the gospel!!" (no matter WHAT they look like!) I realized that I was thinking more of myself than of others and that I WASN'T devoting all my HEART, MIGHT, MIND & STRENGTH (D&C 4) to this work. We had a great fast on Sunday fasting for us to be able to overcome fears, Follow the Spirit more and I fasted for help in devoting EVERYTHING to the work. Sunday and Monday were AMAZING!! Sunday we talked to 14 people and taught 6 lessons. But we talked to our D.L. and he gave us the great challenge of reciting the 1st vision on every DA(door approach). We had amazing results with that and following the spirit!! Yesterday we OYM* to 22 people taught 13 lessons, FELT THE SPIRIT A TON, and got 4 new investigators! It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!
Just like with everything in life, I'm So glad that I wasn't having success and that I was able to change and now see and FEEL the difference.
Random fact - I'm the designated driver and just FYI Matthew we drive a 2009 toyota corolla - goldish in color. Its a really nice car, but I'm having a hard time getting used to the smallness and the brakes... when I push on them they BRAKE great and I've given us a small whiplash more than once!!
I'm so excited for the upcoming weeks and months(and even years) as I apply the things I've learned, because I know that as I apply those things and learn to rely on the spirit more I'll have great success NOT in and of myself - but because I'm striving to be an instrument in the hand of the LORD. This is the most amazing work ever!! I'm so grateful that I was raised in the TRUE RESTORED CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST!! It's a humbling thing to think of all the blessings that come from being a member of the church.
Yesterday when we were talking to the preacher we have an appointment with, we were talking about the temple and the high standards you have to live to be able to enter. He asked us if we hoped that we could someday enter the temple and live up to that standard. We told him that we already had entered the temple and it made me realize what a blessing that was!! Because I was raised in such a great family by such amazing parents. I was able to enter the HOUSE OF THE LORD and make sacred covenants and receive promises and blessings - and here I am in Indiana trying to devote everything to the building up of Zion. The church is amazing - and I'm so grateful that I get to study it everyday and testify to everyone that this IS the gospel of Jesus Christ once more upon the earth
---------------------------------------------------
Well, U think that's everything (or most everything) I said in the email plus more. I love you all SO much and really, really, really appreciate your prayers, letters and love!! I love you all!!
Love FROM INDIANA,
Sister Alex Smith

An "older" letter

2009-08-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

July 30,2009

Dear family-
I hope that you got my lengthy email and it didn't bore you!! Everyday there are challenges, but I'm growing to love it here more and more.

Dad-
Sister Oliver couldn't believe that you found us on Google! She was wondering if we stood outside and waved if you would be able to see us. :) On Google can you see all the random boxcars everywhere in New Castle? It's weird! Apparently they closed the factory or station and just stuck them on the tracks for (permanent) storage. It's crazy! I hope everything is going well at work!

Mom-
How is young women's going? I thought of you when I found out that the young women's president is also the secretary... um, they also only have maybe 5 girls!! Is life finally slowing down with the goats gone? There is a family out here that has all kinds of goats and the girl (Katie) that I was talking to said that they had 30 adults and lots of kids... I'd like to know the definition of lots! We also discussed all the fine points of goats milk and wondered why in the world people don't like it!!

Mackenzie-
Thanks for your letter! About writing... whenever you feel like writing... WRITE! I think 2 times a day might be a little much:), but I really don't care! I hope that you continue to recover and that you open your mouth more than 1/2" when you write next. Wisdom tooth surgery is humble... I'm so lucky I only had 1!! I hope you go to the YSA ward. It's weird at first, but you'll learn to love it! Even if the people are a little kooky... make them you friend!! Mission life is great, but hard work too! I thought that it would be mostly teaching, but we mostly work on finding here and there are so many people set in there way, it's hard to find a listening ear!! WOW... I can't beleive Dallin had his farewell! I just barely missed him at the MTC! Did I tell you all that I talked to Elder Warburton again and Kortney just had another baby- a boy this time! I forget his name.. Keep up the good work at home (and with the ward- get a calling and it will be better!:) I promise)

Matthew-
I can't believe I haven't seen a picture of you yet! How are you recovering? I heard that you went river rafting.. was that safe with a recently fixed nose? I'd love to hear how you're doing BUSTER!! :)

Samantha-
WOO-HOO for playing a solo in sacrament meeting! Were you nervous? Did you shake and get sweaty hands? I sure do! How was your week with Beth? was it just a blast? How is Benji? Have you all decided what you're doing with him? if he becomes dinner... PLEASE don't save me any!:)

Wesley/Carrie-
Thanks for informing me of the name change.. neat-o about your bunk-beds! You'll have to tell me how that works out long term. You watch MacGyver. COOL! My MTC teacher said that he didn't have T.V. but he and his wife liked to watch MacGyver on the internet. He sound like a great guy!! Thanks for the abbreviations... T.T.F.N.:)

Gilbert(aka)
Gilberte- Alfredo- Sauce- Bushrod- Handsome Buddy-
How come I haven't gotten any more pictures from you? Are you learning lots of thins in primary? Are you still learning how to read? Everyone who sees your picture always says how ADORABLE you are... how about staying 5 forever? Just kidding!! I want you to grow up and go on a mission to a totally awesome place, and exotic one too- something like INDIANA! Tat would be ideal:) Love you!

CHURCH SIGNS IN NEW CASTLE...

"TO STAY OUT OF DEBT - ACT YOUR WAGE"
PRAYING WILL GIVE YOU A CALM-PLEX
PATIENCE IS TRUSTING IN GOD'S TIMING
WHEN YOU CAN'T GO FORWARD, FALL BACK ON JESUS
JOURNEY THROUGH THE JUNGLE TO JESUS ( sign for youth camp!)

I'll keep you posted on any others I see that catch my eye...

Oh... and Zone Conference

The church is thinking (seriously) about putting a TEMPLE in INDIANAPOLIS! When the Corey's got here, they said they asked about the possibility and it was NO, now it's DEFINITELY A POSSIBILITY!! WOO-HOO! I hope I'm here when they announce it!
We watched this HILARIOUS video about driving safely. Made by the church and BRAND new.. Called GRANDMA. It reminded us that we are using sacred fund of the church and a lot of times our grandma's ore watching and praying for us. (and helping pay for our missions)
One of the things that really jot me was when one or the assistants said that we need to preach the gospel with URGENCY! We need to not beat around the bush, but quickly teach about and refer to the Book of Mormon.
We were showed the 4 Steps of Conversion
BORROWED LIGHT (we rely on others)
LOGIC (the gospel makes sense)
EXPERIENCES (we experience miracles, and things that strengthen faith)
KNOWLEDGE (PURE knowledge from GOD)

They said that we can tell were we are on the scale by what/how we teach. Something interesting to think about I encourage all of you to decide were you are and determine to strengthen and grow your testimony "NO ONE CAN CONVERT BEYOND THEIR OWN CONVERSION"
-------------------------------------------
They also challenged us to use better language - "THERE IS NO PLACE FOR I GUESS - WE KNOW!
-Something to think about - Every prophet receives a great vision when they are called - ENOS, MOSES, LEHI, JOSEPH SMITH
ADVICE FROM SISTER COREY
-You need to have the SPIRIT WITH YOU JUST AS MUCH WHEN you've been home for 6 months as when your on your mission. - paraphrased from Elder Bednar " if when you're doing something (reading, watching, thinking) STOP doing it!" (if you don't feel the SPIRIT) and last, but not least -
PRES. COREY challenged us to read thru D&C 76 3-4 times a year. It will help us to be able to visualize what we want and desire more than anything to be there! AIM HIGH! Anything besides the celestial kingdom will be hell because we won't be with Heavenly Father!!

I could go on and on, but I think I'll stop for now. INDIANA, great.. I love it! I'm definitly growing and hopefully becoming better. I'll try and write more wtories next week! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
Love, Sister Alex Smith

To my family - thanks for the package!!! :D

2009-08-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hey there family!! Just to start off - you know how people say that "absence makes the heart grow fonder"? Well, that certainly is true!! I loved you all before I came here, but now I love you so much that I don't think I could ever even try to put it into words! I'm so glad that we're sealed together forever and that I get to spend FOREVER with you!!! Thinking about that makes me smile!! Just remember that I love y'all... and I think you are all totally and completely amazing!!

Oh, I realized when Matthew asked if we worked with any elders that I hadn't told you about my district!! Sorry about that!!! I have one of the most fabulous districts in the whole mission - or maybe THE best!! My district leader is a ELDER MILLER from Bountiful. FUNNY STORY - one night when he called instead of saying hello, he said is this (and he quoted my whole name). I was shocked because nobody knows first names here, let alone middle ones too!! Then he said "daughter of (mom and dad's names)" of (where we live)?" I was totally shocked and hoped that nothing had happened to you, and I asked him how in the world he knew that... to make a long story short, he has grandparents that live in Providence and they saw the newspaper clipping that said when I was speaking and where I was going, sent it to him and said that I was from their area going to his mission... and then he ended up as my district leader! Isn't that weird/cool!? I am sending some pictures home today as soon as I get them printed at Walmart - so you can see my entire district... just be forewarned - the light in the bowling alley wasn't the greatest, so everyone has red eyes and looks kind of evil... we're not - I promise! Elder Miller has been out for 18 months and is AMAZING! He doesn't think he is, but he's very cool - he gave us such a wonderful training last week about getting answers to prayers and pondering and then we went into the chapel and had a chance to think for 15 minutes. I got some wonderful answers to prayers that I've been needing for awhile, it was a wonderful experience. Elder Miller's companion is an Elder Bushnell from Utah somewhere and has been out for 7 months. He's the biggest tease ever and you can't really sit by him and not laugh! Sis. Oliver says she wants to put him in her pocket and take him out when she needs a laugh. He has the amazing ability to make friends in a second. When we were bowling, he made instant friends with a little boy in the next lane, such good friends that he pretty much moved into our lane and his grandma was getting mad at him for not bowling. It was funny!! Elder Miller calls us every night to see how our day went and so we know both Elder Miller and Elder Bushnell very well - we'd been singing songs back and forth to each other, and the other night it was our turn and so we sang "Come all whose souls are lighted" (hymn #268) and when we were done Elder Bushnell asked if I was going to record a CD when I got home. ;) The other 2 elders, Elder Limberg and Elder Lewis I've only seen at meetings, and I really never talk to them, so I don't know much about them, except that Elder Limberg only has one transfer left and Elder Lewis is 25. Oh, and I also have 2 awesome zone leaders - Elder Snow and Elder Stranski. Elder Stranski has family who lives in Preston and he's spent every summer there since he was little. He always goes to the Preston Rodeo, and he said that his mom sent him a program and some candy from it that he's going to share with me. Elder Snow knows so much it's crazy!! He was into anti-mormon stuff before his mission, and so he has answers to pretty much every question we get. So, sorry that was so long in coming... but now you know a little bit about them!!

This has been a great week. A little slow, but good!! The biggest thing I've come to realize is that I have way more flaws and weaknesses than I ever realized!!!! It's been kind of discouraging, but good too!! It makes me humble. I was just talking to Sis. Oliver about that and she said that a mission will do that to you. GOOD!! It's just what I needed!! And I say that in all sincerity. The other amazing thing is that I swear my heart has grown about 5 sizes!! Remember in "The Grinch that Stole Christmas" his heart grew? Well, I feel like mine is doing the same!! As you know - I have a hard time opening up to people and loving them, but it's so easy here!! I love so many more people than I ever thought possible!! It is a wonderful feeling and I pray that it stays forever!!

Here's a quick summary of my week.

TUESDAY - we went bowling which was SO much fun!! Sis. Oliver and I bowled with Elder Bushnell who is a blast!! We bowled 3 games and by the time I was done my arm hurt so bad!! I learned that I bowl kind of funny, that my wrist flicks forward instead of my palm... Elder Bushnell is super observant. :) We later went tracting and found this very cool guy name Bobby who's wife's family is LDS and they are both interested in learning more! His son (about 8) was standing outside and told us that none of his neighbors were home, but his parents were and that we could talk to them. Thank goodness for children!!! We also had a great talk with a born-again christian named Nancy. We met her a couple weeks ago, sang her a song and she said that we could come back and sing again. We did and had a great conversation about our beliefs. She made us dinner on Tuesday and it was SO good!! She's probably going to end up being one of those people who never gets baptized, but likes talking to missionaries and is super nice to them.

WEDNESDAY - oh boy, the day that we met with the preacher Tom again. We were there for about 3 hours and by the time we left my head hurt SO bad!! Their doctrine is SO confusing and twisted!! I was confused and asking him a lot of questions, but we're not so good at explaining the things we know and believe... I need to get better at knowing and being able to SIMPLY explain the things I believe and KNOW. It was a huge testimony builder because when we left - I sighed a breath of relief and realized more than ever what an amazing religion we have... the only true one... but it's simple and easy to understand!! Not like the doctrine of the trinity... that is such a hard concept to wrap your mind around!!

THURSDAY - we were supposed to have an appointment with a man named Mike who we met while helping LA move. He said that he was scared of me because I picked up 3-4 vcrs and moved them. I asked him why, and he said that where he's from that only a couple of women are strong, and they are the scary ones!! It was really funny and we had a great time and scheduled an appointment later. He didn't show up and come to find out - he got in a car accident and spent the night in the hospital!! It's crazy the things that get in the way of people learning about the gospel!!

FRIDAY - our fabulous district meeting. I got there without any help from Sis. Oliver, but getting home was another story. We also volunteered at the hospital which is always fun!! I always learn so much from the elderly people... one thing I heard this week really stood out to me. This lady named Ann had a TON of things on her window and Sis. Oliver said that she must have a lot of people who love her, and she wisely said "I've spent my life loving people". I thought that was great advice!!

SATURDAY - was a day of patterns!! We were tracting most of the morning and everyone said that the people we were trying to contact were taking showers!! We're not sure if that was just the excuse of the day, or if it was real - but it was strange!! We also had a great lesson with our 16 year old investigator Ashley. Her boyfriend came out and listened and we had actually met him a couple of weeks ago and he read the pamphlet we gave his uncle!! AMAZING!!

SUNDAY - Ashely and Tyler came to church and really liked it!!! We were so excited that they came and felt welcomed and loved - a huge worry for missionaries!! Sunday was also a kind of hard day, but I came to realize that I need to focus on the good things... if ONE TINY LITTLE GOOD THING happened... then it was a good day... even if 5 million things went wrong. I'm going through so many changes in the way that I think and feel and look at life... it's amazing!! And I can see why people say that a mission is LIFE-CHANGING!!

MONDAY - we were trying to contact an potential investigator and he wasn't there, but his friend was... and he looks a little wild, but I was excited to teach him!! He isn't sure that there is a God, not because he's an atheist, but because he wasn't taught anything about God. He told us that we're going to have to teach him like he's blind... great practice for learning how to teach simply!!

TUESDAY - today is a great day to be alive!! Missionary work is incredible and I'm so excited that I get the privilege of working here in INDIANA. I love it here... of course there are ups and downs, but I am realizing (just like you said Dad) that if I do what's right - EXACTLY - that it will mostly be up!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE!! I found it late last night on our porch... and it was like CHRISTMAS! YOU'RE ALL AMAZING AND I APPRECIATE AND LOVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEND ME!!!

I love you all so much and pray for you multiple times a day!! Thanks for everything... you're more fabulous than I can say!!

love ya!
Sister Alex Smith

2009-08-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry about the deleted email last week!! Sister Oliver had the brilliant idea to copy the email BEFORE I push send.. that way I'll just be able to paste it and try again! It was a miracle that I had run out of things to say and wasn't going to send you a paper letter, because then I was able to write down everything that I wanted!!! a HUGE tender mercy!!
First off - I'm so excited about Emily getting married!! What a bummer that I'm going to miss it! That took a little while to come to grips with, since that will be our first family wedding!! Oh well, this is were I'm supposed to be right now and I LOVE IT HERE!! It was so funny... when I got the letter with that huge bit of news, I was sitting on the couch in our living room and Sis. Oliver was in the kitchen. When I read it I stood up, exclaimed and had to run into the kitchen to read it to her... If you talk to Emily soon, tell her that Sis. Oliver sends her congratulations. I'm going to try and write her a letter today or next week, but if she reads this or you talk to her soon, tell her that I love her SO much and am SUPER EXCITED FOR HER!! I can't wait to see a picture of him!! And you (Emily) will definitely be the first person I visit out of Utah... I'm already planning the trip to met my first brother-in-law!! Whew - I really can't believe it and I am beyond words excited!!!!!!! :)

That's so funny that you all have a copy of my lovely apartment drawing. I thought that y'all might like that!

Gilberette!
I'm so glad that you liked your note... I LOVE my pictures!!! I love the river that you colored on the sandcastle pictures - you're amazing!! I think of you everyday - and guess what... I sing your favorite song ALL the time!! We sing it about once a day to investigators or members!

Wesley - aka Carrie
Thanks for the stickers - I'll find someone to give them to around Christmas. And BTW, I love all the little pictures you draw all over your letters. Oh, and Sis. Aylett lives in Sandy, Utah. I'm definitely visiting her - she's getting married the June after she gets back... so I'm going to see her then!!

Samantha -
I hope you had a good time at group!! I loved helping at group - it was the highlight of my week. I just love Sis. Johnson, she's amazing!! Next time you see her, tell her I've used the aprons she made me quite a bit and I LOVE them!! They are lifesavers knowing what a messy cook I am!!

Mattheui - (I don't know if that's how you spell it :)
I hope that you're feeling better! It sounds like you have what I had at the MTC... get feeling better and I love you a lot too!!

Mackenzie -
Yes, I was sitting down for your piece of news about piano. And I'm so EXCITED FOR YOU!! Just remember that patience is key!! Sometimes those kids will drive you crazy, but you'll learn to love them!! Keep in mind that piano lessons are meant to be FUN!! You'll be great, and even if you're just trained and then you don't teach anyone besides your kids - it will be worth every minute!! Oh, and thanks for being such a great writer!!

Mom -
Thanks for your wonderful motherly advice!!! Things are going a lot better and I am really learning to love Sis. Oliver so much!! She's so quiet and shy, but can be so bold too - it's amazingly crazy how much we are alike!! It makes us both come out of our shells. Oh, and thanks for the AMAZING article "Memory and you". I read it and wrote 2 whole pages of notes in my journal. And then I've shared thoughts from it with 3 different members, and it's been a wonderful push into some great conversations that we needed to have. Thanks again!! The branch pres. asked me for a copy of it... shows how good it is!!

Dad -
Thanks for your note. I had saved an old note of yours, and I highlighted when you said "you and your companion will be given people to teach when you are ready". It's amazing the miracles that have happened since we've been working on our unity!!! I hope that work is less crazy... I wouldn't know where to start with that many emails!!! Thanks for the advice about trainers... I asked her a question once and she told me that she didn't want to seem bossy or mean by telling me all the rules all the time... so I'm learning by observing. Sis. Oliver is doing a great job of teaching everything - and I know that she is the perfect trainer for me. I don't know what I'd do without her!!!

It's been a great week here in New Castle. We've continued to see miracles as we've shared the 1st vision with as many people as possible. We got 10 new investigators this week!! CRAZY!! We've been doing a lot of service this week and a TON of tracting - and it's been SO hot!! I just have sweat POURING down me, and yes, I am drinking a lot of water. I'm really starting to love tracting - It's quite the adventure!! We only had 3 sit down lessons this week - which is kind of low, but they were good ones!! My favorite was one with a young girl named Ashley. She has gone through a lot and requested a BOM because she wanted to be able to come closer to God. It was rather shocking - we went there for our appointment and her grandfather who she lives with (who had told us that he wasn't interested a couple of days before when we tried to contact Ashely) swore at us and told us to get the $%&#*@ off his land! We called Ashely and left a message and said that something came up and then she called us back about 2 minutes later and said that she would meet us in the front yard. And we had a WONDERFUL spirit filled lesson. It's amazing to realize how much peace the spirit gives us all and the difference it can make in people's lives. I'm really praying that things continue to go well with all our investigators.

I had a HUGE ah-ha moment this week. You know how I told you that people here are really content with their religion and relationships with God and Jesus Christ? Well, at our talk with the born again christian preacher, he kept asking us if he was going to go to heaven if he didn't become a Mormon. Finally (because we had to be at president interviews in about 30 minutes - and the drive was that far - long story there - we were 40 minutes late and then borrowed the Zone leaders GPS to get back - I have a feeling we're going to be famous here for being late and getting lost!! Oh, we make the craziest wrong turns!!! It's funny ;) I told him "you are going to go to a PART of heaven" meaning the terrestial kingdom and he seemed totally content with that... and that seemed so weird to me because as a past general relief society president said "THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM OR BUST!!!" But then one of the zone leaders said that they will go to heaven "AS THEY KNOW IT". It really hit me because they will be totally happy in the terrestial kingdom!! It's a place of glory and they'll be able to see Jesus Christ. BUT, I wish they could realize that there is so much more in store for them than just that!! I'm not content going there!! I won't let anything stand in the way of getting to the celestial kingdom. I want so bad to be able to be with Heavenly Father again and I want to be with my current and future family for ALL ETERNITY!! It's crazy to think that people could be content without that. Anyway, it was a huge eye opener to me.

Well, I have 15 minutes left and then off to grocery shopping. I'm probably not going to write another letter because we're going to Richmond to have an activity with our Elders. We're going out to lunch and bowling. It will be super fun!!! BTW - "SWEET" is like a mission word here and I'm having the HARDEST time not saying it!! It was so funny because we were tracting last night and I was just saying "oh, my mom would just die, but I almost say it about 20 times a day" and then Sis. Oliver said that I hadn't said it yet, and I said "well, I've been trying not to, but it's just such a great word to describe things - because things really are just SWEET!!" We laughed so hard!

OH, one really cool thing that happened. You know how in 1 Nephi - Nephi says that he was filled with the spirit to the consuming of his flesh? Well, when we were at the preachers house, we didn't get much of a chance to say anything, because he was talking the WHOLE time, but it was so amazing, because I was just looking at him the whole time, and he WOULDN'T look at me!! I felt like I was peering into his soul and I could just feel the spirit pouring out of me. It was so neat!! Not that he wouldn't look at me, but because I could feel it so strong. And I could tell that he wouldn't look at me because of that... anyway, random side note!!

Well, I don't have much more to say!! It's been a great week full or little miracles and big ones too... mostly they come as we strive to follow the promptings that we have and to talk to EVERYONE - I mean everyone - if you look at us, and you're close - we will talk to you!! It's great fun and I'm learning to love every minute of my mission.

Oh, guess what!! I'm speaking IN church on the 23rd ON church!! I'm excited!! But I was wondering if you could send me some articles about church and the importance of it. I'd really appreciate it!! Oh, and you'll NEVER guess what I was asked to do... actually I bet you can... drumroll - I was asked to be the branch organist until I leave!! There is one lady who plays the piano here and she is stretched thin!!! Thanks for paying for all those piano lessons Mom and Dad so I can play for the people here!! Oh, and I hope y'all are playing my piano - I just realized yesterday how much I miss it!! I hope you're keeping it dusted and well played on!! Give it a hug for me!! :)

OH, I know how much you all love funny stories, esp. when they happen to me, so here's one for you. You know how we got fleas? Well, we ran home, took fast showers and washed our clothes. I'd never started a batch, so I threw some soap in and then later I said that we should probably wash them again to make sure all the fleas we gone, and I REALIZED (much to my chagrin!) that I had washed with FABRIC softener!! It didn't do any harm obviously, but I put a bit too much in, and it died my garments yellow!! Oh, and the other funny story. We were washing our bedding, and I had all the blankets and matress pads in there - but I didn't remember that mine was plastic and I MELTED IT!!! Whoops - I had to use some personal money to get a new one. :) And last but not least - we have a washer that (I swear) is ready to take off for the moon at anytime. Sometimes the banging is SO bad that we have to sit on top of it, even after we rearrange everything. So, one day I did a lot of my personal study there, and Sis. Oliver did her morning singing there. Anyway, just some funny sister missionary things.

Well, time is up!! I love you all and hope everything is well! You are all in my prayers and I hope you all know that I love you SOO much!!

Love, Sister Alex Smith

oh dear!!

2009-08-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

what can the matter be!! my email was deleted!! How all is well, I love you and know the church is true!!! I'll send a letter today... 26 seconds!! HELP!!

Love you all!!!
Sis. Smith

HEY FAMILY!!

2009-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

How is everything in the fabulous city of Smithfield? on an extremely random note, when I typed in Smithfield, it said it wasn't a word, and one of the options was smithereens... that brought back some weird memories! To those still residing in Cache Valley... you have absolutely NO IDEA how blessed you are to live there!! When I tell people here in New Castle that in my tiny little town we have almost 3 stakes and 24 wards they really CANNOT believe it!! And in the words of a member we just visited "that would be so weird to have everyone go to church!!" So, just remember to count your blessings!

Alrighty, I have a long list of things to tell you, and no emails to read, so I have an entire hour to type!! Woo-hoo!!

#1 on my list... THANKS FOR THE PACKAGE!!! I was feeling just a tiny bit sad that I hadn't gotten a letter in almost 2 weeks and then I got that package! Sis. Oliver said "you finally got your letter, and it's a BIG one!!" Everything made it in perfect shape (including the chocolate). Everything was totally perfect and opening it was an incredible moment! OH, and yes mom, I could just feel your love exploding from the package... everything was perfect and a couple of things have already come in handy. I gave Sis. Oliver the stickers, and she was excited, and she said to tell you all THANKS! Oh, and BTW, we've been listening to "a Brand New year" since I got it, and Sister Oliver loves "just say yes". In fact, we had it on today, driving here, and when it came on, she turned it up. To answer the question about cd's, only things with the church logo and efy cd's can be listened to, or classical. So even if the artist is on an efy cd, you can't have a cd of them. So no Kenneth Cope. But YES, I DO love the new cd's!! I really wasn't expecting it... family you are just totally spoiling me out here!!

It's crazy that all my belonging are in 2 suitcases, and that I'm totally and completely happy!! In the words of my wise trainer "we really don't need that much as a missionary" and I'm finding that is so true! And mom, I really don't have hardly any clothes or things compared to other people... it's crazy we fit it all in. My MTC companions wondered what they had that I didn't to make up the difference... :)

GUESS WHAT!! I've seen tons of fireflies, and they are SO cool!! We were out past 9 one night walking home, and I didn't even notice them, but Sis. Oliver pointed them out to me... and now I see them most every night! A member told us that we should go out in the country about 10 (against mission rules, but maybe when I get back we can all come out here and experience it together!) and they are everywhere in the bean and corn fields. A lot of people can't believe that I've never seen them... I'm a super deprived Utahan apparently!

Here are some random funny facts about Indiana... EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE here calls us dear, sweetie, hon, honey, etc. Picture a gruff man with a tank top, tattoos and smelling of smoke... "thanks honey, have a great day!" It's something that taken some getting used to!! The other funny thing is that they definitely have an accent... at least here in new castle it sounds like people from the south... and the funniest thing is that most anything ending with a o sound like window or potato turns into an "A". Like winda, and potata... I really can't think of any others right now, but it happens all the time!! The other funny thing is that when we were driving from the airport the assistants were briefing us on Indianan culture, and they told that people here don't vacuum, they sweep. It's caught me off guard a lot when people say "I swept the floor right before you got here!" I always look at the floor puzzled for a second til I remember! The last funny thing is that they also say things like "a couple two", "a couple three", and so on. To show you how it's used... "and I needed a couple three of them screws" It's SO FUNNY!! I really am growing to love the different culture here and the people, even though it's been a stretching experience! Just beware that when I get back I may start calling y'all honey dear!!

It has definitely been an interesting week!! To start it off, I was feeling really discouraged, and it seemed that I was doing everything wrong. Then on p-day I was writing that short letter to you family and Sis. Oliver came in and told me that I shouldn't be doing that since it wasn't p-day anymore... I didn't know that and something that happened after that was the last straw and I just went to bed and bawled my eyes out! It led to a great bedtime discussion about how I need to communicate better (surprise surprise!) and how i can't expect perfection from myself, especially missionary perfection in my first weeks. That has been really hard for me, but I read an article in an old ensign that really helped me (mom, I was thinking that you should read it {A Balanced life - Ensign April 2005}) especially this quote from Elder Maxwell "self-contempt is of Satan, there is none of it in heaven. We should of course learn from our mistakes, but without forever studying the instant replays"... I loved how the author brought about the point that perfection isn't achieved in a day... and the Lord doesn't expect that, just that we try harder than we did yesterday!! (btw, that quote is from a talk by Elder Maxwell called "Notwithstanding my weakness - Nov 1976 - will you see if it's good?, and if so, send it to me when you have a chance?)

I've also been learning that I was SO BLESSED (and still am), but I never realized it because I was looking on the negative side. I've also never realized that the church expects so much of us... I wrote a list down in my journal, and it was about 1/2 page and I didn't get everything. That's one of the things that an MTC teacher pointed out to me, that our church expects a LOT of people and that they are going to have to make MAJOR changes. Those changes that are so hard (chastity, wow) are things that are just second nature to me, and I'm SO grateful for that! We might have lost our only investigator because of what we know about the importance of chastity... but it's been amazing to see my testimony grow leaps and bounds as i've realized as never before that our church is the most AMAZING thing in the entire world!!! I love every aspect of it, and am way beyond grateful that I was born into the church and that I was raised in such a great town with such INCREDIBLE parents!! Probably the biggest thing I've learned since being here in Indiana is gratitude... I've taken so many things for granted... I've also realized and learned the hard way is humility. One of my new favorite verses is Alma 26:12 "yea, I know that I am NOTHING, as to my strength I am WEAK; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea many mighty miracles..." It's amazing how little i am... I really feel like that "frail, uncelestial being" that Elder Holland talked about. But I had an amazing experience when I just OPENED MY MOUTH (D&C 42:14) and words literally poured... no kidding... I wouldn't have said such bold words and I really can't think that fast. And I believe the reason was that I was trying to be humble (I'm not even close to being there though)... This scripture comes to mind "and no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble" (D&C 12:8) That's probably why that was the first lesson I learned here. WOW...that was a totally rambling paragraph... I hope that it made sense and can help someone.

Well, I haven't even really told you what I've been doing... here in New Castle we do quite a bit of tracting, not so much teaching, a lot of member visiting (the members here are mostly converts and AMAZING beyond imagination!! Esp. one of the pioneers here... her story is incredible!!), and tons of praying (esp. that our appointment won't fall through). We only have one investigator named Earl. He believes all that we've said so far, but we just had a totally uncomfortable discussion about chastity. I've never been asked such prying questions... it was a doozy of a lesson!!! He didn't come to church on Sunday, but we've praying that he still wants to learn. Like I said... the gospel of Jesus Christ is a LIFE changing thing... and some people can't handle that.

Probably the most interesting thing that happened this week was getting fleas... we did service at someone's house, and it was flea infested and we ran home after and showered, washed clothes and vacuumed (swept actually), and prayed that we didn't infest our own house. I'll keep you posted.

I also got advice from a 95 yr old lady - the way to reach 100!! I told her that she DIDN'T look 95, she looked 70, and I asked her secret (we were going around painting fingernails) are you ready for this... the fountain of youth!! She said that she exercised everyday, took vitamins (see mom, you knew you were on the right track!), esp. vitamin e. She also gave me the great compliment of saying that I'll most likely reach 100, she said that i looked like I would!!

Well, the time is up - I'll try my hardest to write more later, but I can't promise anything... p-day is crazily busy here! Oh, guess what happened yesterday! We had zone conference... which was AMAZING (I'll try to write about that) and I was asked to sing! I was really nervous... but it went great! Sister Corey played the piano for us... it was supposed to be 2 elders and me (bad grammar :(, and then Sister Oliver joined us, and then we didn't have an alto, so 2 other sisters joined us... and it was GREAT!!! I also had a great talk with Sis. Corey and she asked me to play the postlude and closing song... which was great fun. i haven't played the piano that much since being here.

Well, now I really better go... I have a lot of fun things to tell you, so I'm hoping that I'll have time to write... just for a preview - I've been writing down all the funny things that church signs say... it's been a lot of fun!

I love you all SO much, and I'm so grateful for all the support and prayers that you give me!! I'm sorry for being so ungrateful at home... I'll definitely try to be better when I get home!! I never quite realized what an AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, AWESOME, FANTABULOUS family that I have!!! I love you more than I can say!!!

Until next time!!
Sister Alex Smith:)

Dear Family!!

2009-07-27T05:07:00.001-07:00

This is going to be short...

- At the mission home they have a GRAND piano and Sister Corey let me play on it before I went to bed! It belonged to some famous person, and it didn't sound all that good, but it was great to be able to play something!!

- Oh, and you are probably wondering this...yes, I have had doors slammed in my face. Luckily not too many, but Sis. Oliver and I just laugh whenever it happens!!

- One night we were tracting and a lady named Vickie answered the door, and we were telling her how faith in Jesus Christ helps us (to which she kept saying, "Oh yes, Praise the Lord" etc.), and them I was testifying of the Book of Mormon and she grabbed my chin and said, "Honey, you just know that you never go by anything other than the Word of God!"

- And just tonight a lady was telling us how totally wrong we were and how she knows Hebrew and Latin and studies the Bible for hours and hours everyday...and just when I was getting ready to share a scripture that talks about the Book of Mormon, I just testified to her and she didn't say anything else!!

- It's amazing how things that would have brought me to tears a couple of years ago just help me to realize how much this crazy world needs to hear the truth, and how TRUE our church is!!

- Oh, and by the way, we get to volunteer at an old folks home for about 3 hours every week. Its a lot of fun!! We usually sing them a song and tell them we love them and we give them LOTS of hugs.

Well, I have to run...love you all so much!!

Love, Sister Alex Smith

FINALLY!!! :)

2009-07-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hey my fabulous family!!! :)
It has been so long since I wrote... almost 2 weeks!! That's crazy! So, as you'll find out by this email... preparation day is TUESDAY!! It's been almost two weeks since I had one, and it's good to get a break!
First to answer questions...
*Oh, sister Jones... I couldn't agree with you better... I don't have to use lotion or anything and my skin feels great, but as I was washing my hair today it felt like barbed wire. YIKES!! I'm hoping that my hair will continue to adjust to the humidity.... it's constantly pulled back with gel and everything... so I look kind of respectable!
*I'm glad to hear that mat/mac are recovering... I've been praying really hard for them!!!
*And how exciting about the goats!! I've been praying really hard for them too!! "Praise the Lord!" as the people around here would say.

Okay, so about mailing... oh, I don't know how I even survived a week without mail!! It's definitely been a defining and trying week. I thought that I told you before I left that I just wanted mail sent to the mission office... but oh well, here is heads up on how to do it in my mission.
1) ALL MAIL GETS SENT TO THE MISSION OFFICE - they send out mail the same day that it gets in and it usually gets to us the next day.
2) PACKAGES - packages are the one exception. Packages stay at the mission office until zone conference (which is every 6 weeks here), when the mission president and wife bring it. SO, if there is nothing perishable that is the best idea. Just to give you an idea when zone conferences will be, my first one is next monday, the 27th.

NOW... on to the fun stuff!!!

MY FABULOUS trainer is a SISTER LYNN OLIVER. We make quite the contrast since she is 5' 2" and from the Philippines! She has been training me very well, and I love her a LOT! I haven't even had to cook once since I've been here, and I'm trying a ton of new philippino foods... they are DELICIOUS! Especially the one she made me last night, a sort of rice soup with ginger and lots of pepper in it. It was HOT, but really good! A lot of the people here have a hard time understanding her, so I have to translate back and forth. Pres. Corey told me that she was really shy (which is true), but she has a great ability to approach people and testify to them. I'm learning a lot from her.

The area that I've been assigned to is "the hillbilly capital" to quote a member... I got my wish of being in the country, and it isn't ANYTHING like I expected!! I've had extreme culture shock... Indiana isn't ANYTHING like "mormon-ville" utah! I've been learning that it isn't any good to compare, because there are hardly ANY similarities!! The area that Sister Oliver and I cover is SEVENTEEN CITIES!!! Can you believe that!?? It is a huge area, and we only have one tiny little branch (a member called it a TWIG!) of about 50 active people. We do a lot of re-activation here because there are about 200 members, but only that many active. We also spend a lot of time with members, and I've grown to love them a lot! One older couple, the Rigney's told me that I should just consider their home mine... and they gave me a box of tissues because my nose was sore from toilet paper. Another member is the one who brought us here, Sister Finley and on the way here from Indianapolis, she bought me some medicine (about $30 worth! - partially herbs, she's kind of like us, and guess what... they have trader joe's here... at least in Indianapolis!!!) to help me to get better! And at church on sunday, in Relief Society, they prayed that I would get better... it's really nice!! Since the branch is so small, we have to teach sunday school (gospel principles) every other week, so we got to teach this week. It was great fun... I think there were 7 people there!

Oh, and before I forget, I'm on the mend, but something happened, and I'm under watch by the doctor and mission president's wife. I'll tell you a little about it so you don't worry, really DON'T WORRY... it's all under control. My cold was pretty much gone, but so was my voice! It hasn't really come back and it comes and goes... (and mom, I HAVE been taking iron and supplements). So I was going to call Sister Corey if it didn't get better within the week, and on the weekend I spit up blood which really concerned me. So we called Sister Corey, but we couldn't get her, so we went to visit the branch president (who lives across the street) and he had no idea what to tell us, but his son-in-law (who also lives across the street - safe neighborhood!!) came over and they gave me a blessing. After that, we tried Sister Corey again, and she told me to call the Dr. who is over our mission (and 10 others) and tell him what was going on. I did and he told me that if i were old, that he would be concerned, but he said that everything would most likely be okay... but that I'm supposed to rest my voice (that is REALLY hard to do as a missionary!!), to not sing at all, and to take EXTRA rest in addition to the 2 hours we are supposed to have (we weren't really even getting lunch or dinner somedays... whoops!). But he said that he wasn't really worried, but that I needed to be careful, or that I might loose my voice for a LONG time. So, like I said, don't worry, I'm on the mend... just praying a lot and having faith that Heavenly Father can continue to work miracles in my life!!!

Yikes, I only have 17 minutes left... and I haven't really even told you anything!! Here are some really quick facts about the town I'm in... NEW CASTLE. It is a ghetto town, and a lot of people are out of jobs because they had a lot of plants that have shut down because of the economy. New Castle is #1 in the nation for drug use and teen pregnancy!! Don't worry, we're super careful and remember that we live across the street from 2 great families. :) It's really been a shock to see how people live in other places than Utah. I've had a really hard time not judging people and learning to love them, not matter if they have a cigarette in their hand and tattoos all over. But, I'm learning my lesson, and I'm getting used to the smell of cigarette smoke. Funny story really quick.. I guess that the missionaries have been working with a less active member for awhile to try to get him back to church and to stop drinking and smoking. So, we went to the apt. building where he lives and had a short lesson in the dining room downstairs. That is the first drunk person I have ever seen... and it was quite interesting! He introduced himself to me twice, which was really funny to me! Anyway, we asked him if he had any questions about what he had been asked to read, and he said "do you think that God can forgive me, i'm killing myself!" He was sobbing and we told him that Heavenly Father loves him no matter what and that it really was time to change his life. SO, Sis. Oliver asked if we could throw away all of that stuff in his room, he said yes, so we went upstairs and picked up all of his cigarettes and beer which we poured down the sink, and then we told him that we would pray for him, and he went to take a nap. To make a long story short, we were downstairs trying to find another member, and we saw him going somewhere, so we tried to follow him, but lost track of him, only to see him a couple of minutes later with a HUGE sack of I bet you can guess what!!! We ran after him, and Sister Oliver asked him to let us see what was in the bag, and the look on his face was (as sister oliver says) "precious!" He was totally shocked to see us, and then a lady came up, and told us that it was none of our business and took him upstairs to bed. Whew, as you can tell from that story, it's been one humdinger of a week and one interesting place that I live in!! I only have a second left, but just know that I am safe, loved by the members and loving them, working hard (but not too hard... dr's orders), learning to love the area I've been assigned to, and learning to love the life of a missionary!! I have to go, but I'll write and tell you more about what has happened... it's been a REALLY hard and life-changing week. But, I'm learning lots, and learning more and more to rely on the Lord for EVERYTHING, from safety and protection, to words to say to people and everything in between!! I love you all and pray for you everyday!!!

Love you!
Sister Alex Smith

Hey mi familia!!

2009-07-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2009

I’ve got to get this letter writing down. I’m sorry I didn’t get this sent out sooner.

So night after last I emailed you I got really sick and that night I could hardly breathe! I woke up the next morning and prayed and asked that if I was so sick I needed to see a doctor that my companions would tell me.. and they BOTH told me within 10 mins of being up! It’s crazy how fast prayers get answered here!! SO, we went to the health clinic here at the MTC and they sent us over to the BYU urgent care (one teacher saw us walking there and later asked us if we were running away) and when I got there they made me put on a mask (because I was coughing). I got into the DR. in like 10 minutes.. and I found out why they sent me there.. they thought I had swine flu!! Calm your beating hearts, I DON’T have it, I just have a really bad cold that’s been running around the MTC . But I’ve been feeling TERRIBLE!! I got a blessing from the elders that night (they even offered to give it to me) and I was promised that I would start to heal immediately and that if I endured this “trail” well that I would learn so much. That’s certainly been true! I’ve hardly been able to talk for 2 days and I’ve done A LOT of reflecting !! So, to say the least, this week has been really stretching. I don’t even remember when it started, but I started noticing that my companion (Sister Aylett) was spending a lot of time talking to Elder Stiles. So much that it was making me uncomfortable. After awhile I talked to my teachers in some interviews we had and an interview I had with our DL (it is so weird to be interviewed by an 19 yr old!!). They all said that I just needed to talk to her. My amazing teacher Sister Scott-Mann talked to me a lot and gave me a hug which felt so good because we aren’t even allowed to shake hands or high-five here! After a TON of prayer I finally mustered up the courage to talk to her, and she said she hadn’t even noticed until he put his arm around her at dinner... GASP that totally shocked me and her as I came to find out!! That was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.. but it was a REALLY good thing because a little while later our branch president called her in as well. Things are going a lot better.. but it’s been hard because Elder Stiles really likes her - can’t these crazy elders just focus on being MISSIONARIES!!? So, ya all remember wacko Elder Bush? Well, his teasing was fun for awhile , then it got really mean (in a teasing way) and then he started acting really weird. I was just about ready to strangle him because I had just gotten done with the Sister Aylett / Elder Stiles business and I was just begging with Heavenly Father that he would stop acting like that (it was so bad that all the people in our district were teasing him about me, and he would totally blush). But it is almost back to normal now! YEAH!! Eie, yie, yie -sometimes I wish that they would just have elders or sisters in a classroom together... never both at the same time!!

So sorry for my complaining family! It’s been a hard week.. but an amazing one too!! I absolutely LOVE my teacher Sister Scott-Mann (she just got married before we came here!), she is so kind and JUST what I need sometimes! It’s great to have someone besides your companions (as much as I love them!!) to talk to. She’s an amazing teacher too!! Oh, I had something really neat happen last night.. it’s kind of funny being w/ 2 companions whose names no one can pronounce.. I think people are relieved when they get to SMITH. I have had so many people ask me if I’m related to Joseph Smith, and I was having a small pity party for my very common last name and a teacher randomly stopped us in the hall. He was telling us how the last name of Smith means “maker” and how Joseph Smith was the “maker” or restorer of the gospel. It really made me think of what I am a “MAKER” of. Am I a maker of complaints, discord and ingratitude, or am I a maker of faith, joy, and peace ?? So, fellow Smith’s.. something to think about!!

Oh, something random.. one of my zone leaders is from SMITHFIELD (over by A&W, Elder Downs). Their district is learning the coolest language ever- you should look it up.. MALAGASY.

Okay, so I have to wrap this up, but here are some random things:

- Remember Brother Beesley my Spanish Seminary teacher? I saw him the other day!! He’s doing great.

- At a fireside a couple of days ago I asked Sis. G how she was and she said that she had a stomach ache. Sis. A and I both said we would pray for her and w/ in 5 minutes, she told us it was gone! PRAYER is AMAZING!!

- Oh, I also found our cousin! I was looking all over for him and one day I thought I had found him, but his arm was in the way of his name tag. So, I went up to him and asked what his last name was and he said, “Jarman. I’m your cousin!” It was kind of funny that I didn’t get any further than asking what his name was. :)

- I finally got to go to the temple! It was an AMAZING experience. Tell Aunt Kathy that I think the Provo temple is absolutely BEAUTIFUL !! I wish I could’ve gone more, but I’m so blessed to have gone once more.

- I have so much more I could tell you but I have to run! Thank you so much for everything.. esp. your letters, love and prayers!! I love you all so much!!

I’m so excited to leave for Indiana! Being a missionary is the best long term experience I’ve had and I’m so glad I get to serve! Even though it’s hard sometimes, it’s so spiritually rewarding!! I love you all so much, and pray for you everyday!!

Love,
Sister Alex Smith

BTW- Thanks for the package- I LOVED the photo album, cookies, watch, paper.. just EVERYTHING! Thanks so much!!

Off to Indiana

2009-07-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2009

We were able to talk to Alex on Tuesday morning at about 6:00 am while she was waiting for her flight to leave. It was so great to talk to her!!! She told us all about the MTC and answered a ton of questions for us. It was so fun to get immediate answers! =)

In the MTC she got very sick, but they tested her for Swine Flu (which was negative) and gave her some medicine to help with the symptoms. She is on the mend, still coughing and very congested but so excited to go to Indiana.

She said that on Monday she received 17 "dear elder" letters. She is so grateful to everyone for writing. It truly made her day. Thank you all for your love, prayers and support that you have and are giving Alex!

Margaret

Hey Family!!

2009-07-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2009

To start off.. here are 2 jokes that we were told the other day...

What do you get when you add a bunch of pasta to the ocean?
A PASTA SEA! (apostasy!)

Why are the lamanities always so sore?
Because they always get in KNEE FIGHTS! (nephities!!)

They made us laugh, and I thought they would make you too!!

SOO, about mail... Yes, I am getting all the dearelders... and I have a HUGE stack of letters to respond to today. The thing is, is that our DL checks the mail twice a day, and each day seems like about 4 days, and so to not get mail at either lunch or dinner seems like your family has abandoned you! There was awhile that I wasn't getting mail... I think one day or something like that. BUT, you are all doing SO much better!! I had just thought that you (mom) said that you were going to write everyday... BUT... no matter!! The amount of mail I'm getting is PERFECT-O!! I'm always the one who gets the most dearelders, so a huge THANK YOU to everyone who is writing them!

2nd point of business, I DO have flight plans.. I leave at 4:00 AM on the 14th. I think that our flight leaves at 7 or something like that, and then we have a long layover at Chicago for an hour or two, and then off for 45 minutes or so until we land in Indiana!!! I'm not sure yet that I'll be able to call, but Sister Aylett says that everyone she's seen off has called. And she's the 8th of 10 kids... I think the 6th missionary!!

That would be fine if you gave Bishop my email... I just will have to type faster, but that's okay with me!!

YES... I did get my packages!! I got the first one on Monday and the second on Tuesday because of the holiday!! They were so perfect... and mom, you must have been inspired to put those electrolyte packets in there, they came in SUPER handy this morning!! The stationary has been perfect... I love the designs and colors! Thank you for EVERYTHING in there!! I loved them both!!!

Mom, that would be perfect to send those shoes and clothes to the mission home. Um, as far as clothes go, the pink skirt would be good... I can't remember what else I left home. The other two undershirts would be greatly appreciated, and any shirts would be superb! Especially the black long sleeve, and the short sleeved ones I bought. Thanks so much, you're fantastic!!!

That is so neat that that man delivered the letter to our house... what kindness!! Guess what! Today we just got our hair cut (because they are free) and the girl that cut my hair served in the Ogden mission and knows Elder Stiles! She's going to tell him that I proved him SO wrong and am here happily serving! She said that Elder Street was "the most awkward elder ever!" It was great to talk to her. She just trimmed my hair a bit and layered it so I wouldn't have such curly bushy hair in the Indiana weather... I love it!

Thanks to Wesley and Gilbert for their notes.. I loved them!! And Bushrod Alfredo Sauce... I love you SOOOOO MUCH TOO! And guess what! I sing "I Am a Child of God" about everyday here!! It's a great song!!!

That red timer is starting to scare me... I probably have to write most of the things I was going to say in the letter...I have 11 minutes left!!

The neatest thing by far that happened this week was the following...

I hadn't really been feeling very good (I can't remember when it was) and we went to a teaching appointment and when I was done, I felt like I had a HORRIBLE fever... Sister Aylett said that she felt the same way. And I'm sure we looked terrible too! We were felt by several people, and they said we were super hot! I was about ready to throw up and I felt TERRIBLE!! We went back to our classroom where the elders were having MDT time, and we asked them for a blessing. We thought that we had swine flu! None of them had done it before, but they gave us BEAUTIFUL blessings and said that "by our faith we would be healed". We went back to the dorm, took some medicine (I took pretty much everything that you gave me mom!!) and within the hour I felt GREAT!! We went to dinner and Sis Aylett was still not feeling very good, but when they asked me how I felt I honestly told them that I felt great and they didn't really believe me! Like I said... we looked terrible and I was just about ready to cry I felt so sick!!! The priesthood is the most amazing thing, and I so grateful that the elders were so willing to give us blessings.

About 2 days ago I did a really stupid thing, and now I have a really bad cold, but I'm on the mend... you know how I can eat pretty much everything with milk in it now!? Well, Sister Aylett asked me if I wanted some cereal one morning and I decided that since I could eat everything else (like cheese, butter, ice cream) without allergies, I decided to try some milk. I hardly got any, but I got the worst ear ache!! I will NEVER try that again!! It went to a sore throat, and now I'm REALLY congested... but I'm getting better, so no worries. Thanks for everything you sent mom, it's been a lifesaver... literally. Whenever you can, if you could send some more Umcka that would be great! I'll probably finish it up this week!

EH! 3 minutes... I really don't like flashing timers... whichever apostle it was that covered it up... I totally relate to him!

Well, in closing, I love you all SO MUCH and I really appreciate your letters, packages, and love! I can really feel your prayers and I greatly appreciate them. Guess what... I get to go the temple today! I'll write later, and tell you everything else that has happened!! It's been great and I've had some HUGE challenges, but I'm growing so much!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Love, SISTER ALEX SMITH
sorry for the mistakes... :)

Hey Family!

2009-07-08T15:30:00.001-07:00

July 2, 09

I hope everything is okay, since I haven't had a letter in about 5 days!! Well, just thought I'd let you know this...you can pretty much dash all letter writing advice I gave you, JUST WRITE!

That's neat about Dallin...I wish him the best of luck!

Mac. are you going to the Birch Creek Ward yet? You should if you aren't!

Well, I haven't seen cousin Darrell yet...I'm not so sure I will...I have NO idea what he looks like!! But, I have seen Phillip, Matt Larsen and Joseph Warburton!! Its crazy how many missionaries there are here...and how few sisters...we're like a drop of color in a sea of black and white!!

Mom...thanks so much for that quote you got at the PMG class! We read it before we taught our amazingly spirit filled lesson, and it helped SO much!

That's so cool that Tara is moving to the Middle East! And that she lives in Indiana now...Who knew there were so many people we know living there! Um...I will tell you more about using PMG later on.

I'm so sorry about the animals...I really will miss all of the goats! I'm praying that you'll get buyers and good prices for all of them SOON!! I think I'll raise goats when I grow up. I really love them!! I love how mom said "it will all turn out for the best". It reminded me of the quote from Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration [which I got to watch on Sunday! A tender mercy :) ] "Whatever happens, the Lord is in it".

Funny thing...today I was waiting for Sis. Aylett to brush her teeth, I was stretching my arm (which is kind of sore still) and Sis. Aylett said "Holy Cow, look at those muscles!" And she made me flex for her...I personally don't think my arms are super strong...but I guess all that milking paid off!!

Sammy!! I hope you had a great birthday and that you got my card!! Sorry it was late, we're only allowed to write on P-days (which I absolutely adore, P-days are totally inspired!!) and congrats on the violin recital!! I'm excited to hear how you've improved when I get back!! and I'm so excited that Beth is coming up...have tons of fun w/ her, okay? and be sure to give her a hug for me and tell her I love her!!

Matthew...I'm so excited for you to be a missionary some day! Do all you can to prepare...because this is the LORD'S WORK!

About the animals...I'm so happy that you're able to sell some to the Bergeson's! Did you ask Sis. Monson if she wants some? She was talking about it!! That's sad about Bro. Erickson's pasture...but all WILL work out for the best, I know that for a fact!! Sadly, may hands have stopped automatically milking, but my hands are so much stronger!! Oh boy...don't you just love the easy milker?? (Lifesaver - aka)

Oh, and about the house in Paradise...2 kitchens is a little much, but I would love to move out in that area...just ask Wes :).

Mom, that's totally fine about reading my setting apart blessing...it was an amazing blessing, and just what I needed!! Will you send me Pres. Pouslen's address? Thanks!

That is a really neat letter from Valerie! I think if I have some spare time next P-day I might send you a note to send to her...think she'd want a Restoration pamphlet? Tell Valerie I consider her part of our extended family and thank her for the Ignatia! "Love you Valerie!!"

SIGH...Okay, I think I answered all the questions, well most of them. I have about 45 minutes until dinner, and then no more writing so I'll hurry.

So, here's my crazy schedule. Up at 6:00 and out to our classroom (w/ no air conditioning) by 7:00. Then breakfast at 7:45, back to class by 8:15 and stay there until 12:30 when we go to lunch. Four days a week we have gym which is different everyday. Gym is so much fun. Both of my companions are athletic but very understanding of me not being so. We've done Frisbee and recited scriptures, then jump rope and then running on a machine inside. If you need a REAL workout, just run backwards. I didn't know I was until I about died 3 minutes later and Sis. Gneighting told me. The rest of the time was great. I'm still super out of shape...but no weight gained here...even though I eat lots and don't do much. All that studying must be doing something. Where was I...then after lunch we usually have MDT (missionary directed time) where we usually do personal and companion study. Then class until dinner at 5:30 and them (weird, did that just remind anyone of Pollyanna?) lights out at 10:30 and then up again at 6:00!! During our class time we learn about the doctrines in different lessons (we've mostly mastered #1). We learn different missionary skills like extending commitments (it was so neat, we usually take a walk every 2 hours or so, so we don't go insane, and yesterday we had to pair up with random missionaries in our group and extend commitments. Twice I was walking with an elder and had weird thoughts come to me and I would extend the commitment and they both said "I TOTALLY needed that!" Following the Spirit is the coolest think ever!!), sometimes we go teach other teachers at the TEC, or teach volunteer investigators at the TR. The coolest thing we've done is go to the RC (Referral Center). The first time I got busy signals for an hour. The next time I talked to lots of people, my favorites were 2 black ladies from the South...it's so cool to be able to testify and teach...even if they don't accept missionaries...we've planted a seed!! Oh, before I forget...today we had our room check and it said "PERFECT" and was checked "commendable"! Tell grandma all her training paid off. We have interviews all the time here and in one of my interviews with our branch president he told me his story about being the shyest (spelled wrong...I know) missionary in his mission except his companion. He told me to work on being able to speak up and be bold! So I did a personal study on that... and it was AMAZING and LIFE CHANGING!! Here are the scriptures if you want...Proverbs 28:1, Exodus 4:12-13, D&C 60:2, Jeremiah 1:6-9, Moses 6:32 &34, Matthew 10:19-20, D&C 100:5 and Ether 12:27. You should study them as a family and think about what we are members have been asked to do. Oh, 2 things to let any soon-to-be missionaries know...the dropping off on the curb part was the best way to go! Everyone I've talked to says they loved it! So, no fears future missionary! The other thing is that they have a dress shop here for sisters that has GREAT skirts and dresses, so it you can't find things, just come here...plus, they are super cheap! Well, good priced at least. I got a brown dress because we're required to wear a dress or suit coat twice a week and I get so hot...poor elders!!

Funny story...Sister Aylett decided to take a picture of me the other day WHILE I was taking a drink and I choaked (how in the world do you spell that?) worse than I've ever choaked family...and you know I'm a choaker! The elders were super concerned that I was dying...which was nice of them...but I recovered. It really was so funny!!

Mom, will you go over the zoning papers I brought...because I was going to zone my hip, and I couldn't find it.

ALRIGHTY, I think I covered everything...well all that I could cover. Sorry for the beyond huge letter...I just had lots to tell you...oh, and I didn't get to tell you about my fabulous teacher Sis. Scott...she's been a lifesaver!! And Mom, I didn't tell you how I use PMG...I'll jot down some ideas this week and send them next week. I love you all, know that if I were there I would hug you all and tell you how much I love you! Sorry for the sloppy handwriting...my arm is killing me!!

[Mom and Dad - thanks so much for the way you've raised me...it's been so easy to adjust here because of that. You're the best parents I could ask for, and I love you both SO much!!] [Tell the other kids to listen to you. You know what you're doing!!]

HUGS TO YOU ALL!! XOXOXO I love you all SO much! (good work typing this up, whoever has to!!)

Love,
Sister Alex Smith

P. S. Please save these letters, I don't have much time to write in my journal!!

Be sure to tell all the people who are helping out that I love them and appreciate them so much!!

Another letter! Happy day!!!!!

2009-07-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hey my dearest family!!
I can't believe that I've been here at the MTC for 9 days! I still don't feel like a missionary, but one of my teachers said that he didn't feel like a missionary until he was out in the field, so it may take time! Guess what! All of my district got our flight plans last night! I can't believe that we got them so soon, but we are all very excited!! Life here at the MTC is great, but I've definately had my ups and downs!! Saturday night and sunday were really hard days for me, and I was wondering what in the world I was doing here... and why I thought that I could be a missionary. That night we had an MTC fireside where the managing director of the Missionary Department spoke... it was AMAZING to say the least!! He had everyone who had even thought about going home stand up, and pretty much the entire MTC stood up, including my lovely companion Sister Aylett. He talked a lot about how it's normal for us to have a transition period and to be discouraged and depressed... but it's kind of hard to stay that way long here at the MTC. The spirit is so strong and lifts you up... it's great! It's really amazing how strong the spirit is here, and that means that you can really tell a HUGE difference when you have contention in your companionships. Last week we taught a lesson to a teacher and after the first try, he said "go and read this list about how to bring the spirit and try again". 15 minutes later we tried again, and he stopped us and said "I really couldn't tell a difference, could you?" We had a great companionship inventory that night... and the next time we had to teach a lesson, it went SO well!! Our "investigator" said that he felt the spirit or "that feeling" within the first 5 minutes. I'm learning how absolutely essential it is to have the spirit... you can't do much as a missionary without it. i really LOVE being a missionary. I've been thinking a lot about WHY I am serving a mission... it's been good to think that, becuase just like Bishop Wilson said... if I'm not sure of my purpose and the reason I'm here, then I'll be more likely to want to come home. BUT, there is no going home for me, I'm here to stay, because I KNOW that this is what I'm supposed to be doing right now. Well, I sort of forgot my list of things to email you, but I'll try my best to remember. (whew, and I have never typed this fast before, so forgive any mistakes!!)

To answer your questions:
I love my companions!! Sister Aylett is so funny and upbeat and she keeps us moving! One day we were practicing testifying to people, and had just gotten done with about 6 people. We were on our way to dinner, and she yelled at some elders, and asked if I could share my testimony with them! It was great practice, but I really never know what to expect from her... but we get along SO well, almost too well, and I really love her. She printed out a picture of us 3 that I'm sending home in a letter to follow this... Sister Gneighting (nighting) is a very quiet person, but she adds a lot to our companionship.

Our district is fantastic and I really love each missionary!! one of them, Elder Bush has decided that he LOVES nothing better than to tease me. Yesterday we were cleaning our classroom, and he was asking me to just leave him alone, and to stop being so perfect. He's been trying to get me mad, because I said that yesterday I got mad at Sister Aylett, and was grateful to her for forgiving me (in our why i love my companion moment), and no one could believe that i got mad (I know family... you're rolling your eyes!!) Today Sister Aylett told me to give him a melted candy bar, and tell him thanks for being so nice (in a sarcastic way), after we were trying to run away from him and get to the lunchline, and he was running after me yelling "Sister Smith, do you THINK THAT YOU CAN BUY my love and frienship??!?!" It was really funny... a couple of minutes later he came up and was sort of apolgizing, and was totally looking like he was crying.. then he said "Oh, I wish i could cry on demand!!" It was really funny!! I really love it here and wish I could stay longer than 3 weeks... but I'm starting to think that I'm ready to go out and teach REAL people, and help them feel the power of this amazing church that we belong to.

Since I had so many food questions... the food here is GREAT!! Sometimes I get a little sick of it, but most of the time it's really good. Today for lunch i had a delicious taco salad... but it's nothing like home cooking. I've been so hungry for sweets that I've been eating a lot (shame on me :(... and I've been trying to stop that (i can hear you mom... up my calcium... and speaking of suppliments... I NEVER have time to take them, but I'm doing GREAT!! I've always heard that the spirit is a great healer, and I'm thinking that is the case!! I really don't need anything right now in the way of pills and stuff... I'm doing good. I had a chance to doctor up Sister Aylett this morning, and she is doing great!!! She was coming down with a cold, and I fixed her all up.

Oh, before i forget... there are two things that I would be so grateful if you could do for me. actually three... PLEASE WRITE MORE LETTERS!!!! I know you're proabably super busy, but I'd really love to hear how all of you are doing!! Thank you so much for the letters that you all send to me, i TOTALLY love letters!! Oh, and the other two things are this... mom, could you please send me a copy of "come thou fount" from the old hymn book ASAP? Our district sings all the time, and ELder Jennings wanted to sing it the other day, so I said that I would get it. The other thing, it that I REALLY need a watch!! If you could just go to walmart and get me a cheap (metal with holes type kind, I hope you know what I mean!) watch, I would be so grateful! I really haven't been that good at keeping track of myself, I'm always asking my companions what time it is... Thanks in advance for that!!!

I'm really sorry to hear about the animals, and I felt horrible for a long time, because it just made me sick for all of you. But after a lot of thinking, i really feel that it is PERFECT!! It was so great that we had the chance to have goats and to strenghten our arms before we got abby! I'm still sad about the 4 chickens, but we said that we wanted to cut back!! I'm praying for you... and thank you so much for everyone's prayers in my behalf!!! I love you all and hope that you are feeling Heavenly Father's love for you everyday!!! I think of you as often as time permits, and I love you all!!!

Thanks so much for everytthing!!! i lvoe you all!!!

SISTER Alex Smith!!! :)

The First Letter :D

2009-06-30T14:10:00.001-07:00

Dear Family,
How is everything going? Things here are absolutely AMAZING! The Spirit here is so incredibly strong and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many smiling faces in one place! You know how our name tags had an orange dot on...well, everyone seemed to remember how the first day felt, and everyone said hello! There was hardly room to make a wrong turn there were so many people to tell you where to go. I’m actually not companions with Sister Stuart, but I’m lucky enough to have 2 super companions; Sister Aylett (from Sandy) and Sister Gneiting (from Colorado). Sister Aylett is waiting for her companion’s visa to come through, Sis Mosame from South Africa. She may be in our district if she can get here by Monday. Our district is so cool! We have 8 missionaries total. Two elders going to Georgia Atlanta (same as Sister Aylett and Mosame) and 3 elders going to Indiana, same as Sister Gneiting and me! We have a lot of fun together! Especially when there is mail! I’ve never thought that much of mail before, but it’s so funny to see missionary’s faces when they have something! When I get back (and even now) I’m going to write as many missionaries as I can! It really boosts your spirits! Um, there is absolutely no way I could tell you everything, but here are some highlights.
* On Wednesday we heard from the MTC presidency which was absolutely amazing! Pres. Smith told us that “all we have to do is make a decision to be obedient” and challenged us to be obedient in following all the rules, especially bedtimes! It’s unbelievably how much you do in a day, and you just fall right asleep and yet after 8 hours of sleep you feel tired. All of the rules in our “conduct bible” are given to us through inspiration!
* We’ve been memorizing “our purpose” on page 1 of Preach My Gospel and we talk about it all the time! The whole reason we are all on missions is to BRING OTHERS TO CHRIST!
* Today (Friday) we learned how to sum up the entire first lesson in 60 seconds. That was so cool! Bro. Roberts (our teacher) said that if it takes us longer than that, we don’t have a grasp of the lesson. Not that we would ever teach the lesson in 60 seconds, but it’s a good thing to know and keep in mind.
Well, I have so much more I could tell you... but I have to run off to a LGM (large group meeting). We’re anxiously awaiting the third installment of “the district” (which is a great movie about becoming a PMG missionary). It’s great, but so hard not to fall asleep...
LATER...
We just got back from a devotional. They are usually on Tuesday, but they are having the mission president conference here... so we got a bonus. There were EIGHT apostles here! We didn’t get to be in the actual room, but we walked past Elder Scott and Cook to get to the overflow. It was a fabulous talk! It was about how we need to have the Holy Ghost as our 3rd (or 4th) companion. It was totally fabulous! My most favorite part was when he said “frail little uncelestial souls that you are!” It’s so important to stay humble so you can have the Spirit with you! I’m pretty sure I’ll fill up m study journal before I leave here... I write so much! In 2 days I’ve written about 15 pages! Well, before I go to bed, I just wanted to tell you a little about my TOTALLY AMAZING DISTRICT! Elder Jennings (form Sandy) is our DL and a fantastic one too! He is a great leader and he keeps us busy with his great and spiritual ideas! Elder Ashton (from AZ) is, um... one of the more cocky elders, but he’s still great. Elder Shank is a quiet missionary, but he has great insights. Those 3 are going to INDIANA!! Elder Bush (from West Jordan) is absolutely hilarious and is the best investigator! Elder Stiles (from Sacramento, CA) was a personal trainer before coming to the MTC and I swear he looks a lot like the Elder Stiles we know, but he says he’s the first one to serve a mission in his family and only has a sister. Sister Aylett is so full of life and sometimes when I’m talking she just bursts out laughing. She’s so funny! Sister Gneiting is 23, and she seems a lot older than the rest of us, which is sometimes good... because all of our district gets along so well, that sometimes we get a little off track when we have some MDT (missionary directed time, sort of like free time.) She’s great! Well, I have so much else to tell you. But I have to go brush my teeth. The only time I can write is on P-day but this letter is the exception because we were told to write you and tell you how we are.
Thanks so much for the letters and notes! You are all the best! I’m so glad that you’re my family and I hope everything is going well on the farm.
I can’t believe I’m actually a missionary and I often have to look at my tag to make sure it’s real! The MTC is wonderful, and all of you prepare so you can come to this wonderful place. It’s the best place and I love it so much!
Thank you for your prayers and for everything else that you’ve done for me!
Love you all! :)
Love,
Sister Alex Smith

The MTC drop-off

2009-06-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

On last Wednesday we went to drop off Alex at the MTC. We drove down to Salt Lake and went to our good friends, the Bergesons, house and they had lunch ready for us. We ate, then said our good-byes and left Matthew, Samantha, Wesley and Gilbert there so they could play with the Bergesons. It was just Dad, Mom, Alex and me (Mac.). We left their house around 12 because we were suppose to be at the MTC at 1 o'clock. So we drove to the MTC, having a great last few moments in the van. When we got to the MTC we got into a long line of cars to wait to drop Alex off. We got to the curb, where a volunteer and a missionary were waiting. They were very nice. We got out and got her luggage out. They took a picture and waited for us to say our very last good-byes. Then the missionary took Alex's luggage and Alex went into a building to have her shot records okayed while the missionary waited for her. After she went into the building we drove off. So that's the just of what happened.

Last family picture for 1 1/2 yearsThe really long line
Alex receiving her instructions

Last good-byeThe missionary and her leaving

missionary wardrobe wrapup

2009-06-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

well, I didn't exactly have time to finish writing up everything that I wanted to, so I'm going to sum it all up in about 10 lines.

Shirts: These are fairly easy to find! I've heard from a lot of sisters that once you are out in the field, you realize that all of your button up shirts are rather hot... so they recommend getting some nicer tee shirts... that's one thing that DIDN'T fit in my suitcase.

Shoes: This was kind of hard for me since I have a rather strange right foot, but some brands that worked for me are:

BORN

KEEN (my personal favorite)

ECCO & MERRELL (i didn't try these, but were recommended to me by lots of people)

Be prepared to pay more money then you are used to in order to have good shoes, your feet are so important!

Well, signing off until I get back!! SISTER ALEX SMITH

missionary wardrobe: SKIRTS

2009-06-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

SKIRTS - newCreationapparel.com - This company has the best skirts ever! I've been wearing their skirts for about 3 years and have absolutely loved them. They also have the best customer service I've ever seen. Over the years I've become good friends with the owner of the company, and what an amazing friend she has been! In preparation for my mission, she helped me pick out the best skirts for constant walking and use. She also gave me a beautiful Pashmina scarf which is a cashmere/silk blend... it's beautiful to say the least!!! Below are some of my most favorite missionary skirts:

Vogue Midnight Blue - $33.00Faux Suede Riding Skirt - $33.00

Flared Trumpet Skirt - $33.00

In looking for missionary skirts, I've tried to find skirts that I have LOTS of walking room. As you can most likely tell from the above pictures, I love flared/panel skirts. What is really nice about these skirts, is that you can wash and dry most of them. Most of them are about 33-36" inches long which is pretty much ankle length for me... I love long skirts since I can wear thermals or leggings underneath, and no one can tell! It's also essential as a missionary since you need to have all your skirts/dresses mid-calf length. I also got a really great tip from a recently returned RM... she said that she got some shorter skirts (knee length or longer) and wore them underneath her skirts in the very cold, humid winters. I thought that was a great idea!!

"As the teachings of the Savior are consistently obeyed,
life will be beautiful, the future secure,
and there will be capacity to
overcome the challenges that cross our path."
Richard G. Scott - Ensign, Nov. 2001, 87

a missionary wardrobe

2009-04-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

In getting together my MISSIONARY WARDROBE, I've learned a lot of things. There really isn't much out there on sister missionary wardrobes, so I thought I'd blog a little about my process of getting it together for all those future sister missionaries who are struggling as well.

I had heard of the Sister Missionary Mall in Provo, UT... but it seemed that there was an even split between "GO, I loved it!" and "DON'T it's terrible!!!" So, after much thought I decided not to go. If I lived down there I would go, but I don't think it's worth about a 3 hour drive ($60 worth of gas, gasp!) to not know if it would be worth it or not. If you have another opinion of it, let me know... I'm open!

I got a picture of what a sister missionary is supposed to look like in my mission packet, and one recently returned sister missionary said that she got all her clothes to look like that, and she was the weirdest looking missionary in the MTC. I'm still waiting to get my packet from my mission president, so I'll hopefully know more then. I've talked to several missionaries, and I'm learning a lot!!

So, as I continue to get my wardrobe together, I'll post a little about what I'm required to have and where in the world I managed to get it! I'm so excited to serve a mission... and everything is coming together so well it's amazing!!!

mission call

2009-03-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

On March 18 I received my mission call to serve in the Indiana Indianapolis mission. I report to the MTC June 24, and I am so excited to serve the Lord and the people of Indiana!!