Hello Family!!!

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