#LIGHTtheWORLD and our apartment...

So we got home last night, and the storm that came through knocked our
power out for a couple of hours. We made a joke about how we have been
telling people about the church's Christmas initiative of
#LIGHTtheWORLD and we don't even have light in our apartment. There
were other jokes made, like how we we wandering in darkness and stuff.
Only something missionaries would do... haha

But this week was pretty good. We had transfers, so I am now with
Sister Csolity. We have gotten along pretty well so far this week. It
is weird being in charge of the area for right now since Sis Csolity
doesn't know it. It is definitely a learning and growing experience.

Besides transfers, it was Thanksgiving. To start, we volunteered at
the Mesa Turkey Trot. I think most missionaries helped give runners
water. It was my first time being on that side of it. I made the joke
that since it was the missionaries handing out the water that it was
holy water. The other missionaries thought it was funny. Later that
day, we went to a YSA member's home and had dinner with him and his
family. There was plenty of food, and we even had homemade ice cream!

On Friday, we had car troubles. Our battery died. We went to go to a
lesson, and the car wouldn't start and we just heard the clicking,
which is an obvious sign for a dead battery. As we went to get out
though, tiwi told us, "Warning. Battery may be low." As missionaries,
we are often sarcastic with tiwi, so we were just like, "Thanks for
letting us know now tiwi. It would have been more useful last
night..." Luckily we were able to borrow our roommates car to go to
that lesson. We got back, and tried jumping our car, but we just
couldn't get it to start. Long story short, we were on foot for the
night. We stayed in a relatively small area near our apartment. There
were lots of people out, but that's because they were all headed to
Christmas Lights since they started that night.

Saturday, we had our first shift at Christmas Lights. I have never had
to try to talk to so many people in my life than this past week.
Between being the one to start lessons and stuff and then Christmas
Lights, I talked a lot. Christmas Lights are good though because it
makes me push myself to talk to people, even when I don't really want
to. It is also teaching me how to make small talk and then relate it
to the gospel or find a way to bridge it to encourage people to go
inside the VC, since those are mostly our main purposes as
missionaries working outside.

Sunday was a fun day. Our lesson at 7pm was outside, but then the
temperature started dropping pretty quickly and at the beginning of
the lesson, it started getting really windy and started to rain a
little bit. I was not dressed for this weather. We ended up driving
over to the church building. Funny story about this lesson. Prior to
this, Sis Csolity and I were talking about football for some reason
and it was brought up about somehow relating it to the gospel. I said
if I thought about it for a moment I probably could. Well, during this
lesson, the member present started relating what we were talking about
to football. We had a pretty good analogy going. But when we got home
after this lesson, I guess the storm knocked our power out, so we had
no power. At least we had our iPads for light.

I do know that Christ is the light of the world, and each one of us
can spread the light of Christ, especially this Christmas season. I
love the church's initiative of #LIGHTtheWORLD and I would invite all
y'all to check out the video and think of ways you can #LIGHTtheWORLD.

Much love!
Sister Smith

Last pic of Sis Leavitt and I as companions

First pic of Sis Csolity and I as companions

Runners and Volunteers at the Mesa Turkey Trot

Dinner with Anthony Butler and his family

Churning some homemade  ice cream
(Her Grandpa Brink would be proud)

Dogs 😊

We wanted the alliteration...

Planning in the dark

We had a Twinkie fun run today. It was a relay where each leg ran a mile. This was our prize for coming haha. I actually ran the whole mile. But my team finished last. But the first shall be last and the last shall be the first, right?

Inhaler in one hand, Twinkie baton in the other.  Oh, the irony...

TRANSFER NEWS

I know this isn't a pun or anything funny, but I have now been on my mission for 2 transfers! We got our transfer news on Saturday. I will be staying in my area but getting a new companion. Her name is Sister Csolity (it's Hungarian. It's not said like you think it might be said...). I am excited for what this transfer has in store.

This week was really good though! Looking back, it seems like it went forever, but that is probably just because of all the stuff that happened. We had so many lessons scheduled this week that we actually went on splits just so we could have a little more time for finding. And going on splits on Wednesday night was so good. I went finding and then had a lesson while Sis Leavitt had a lesson and then went finding. The reason it was so good though was because the lesson Sis Leavitt was teaching went about 10-15 minutes over, but in that time it went over, we were able to find out what the investigator is struggling with and what his need really is. Had we not been on splits, that extra time would not have been possible since there was a lesson right after we would have had to leave for. It was a miracle. It's also amazing to see people change as they learn and live the gospel. This investigator, we have really seen him grow, and now we know really how to help him grow even more.

Thursday was great because we got to go to the temple! I always learn something new when I go to the temple. And you can never have a bad day when you start it at the temple. The Spirit there is always so strong and it is always peaceful. 

On Thursday, we also had a Christmas lights meeting. It really got me excited for Christmas Lights to start, and it's crazy because they start this Friday! They have tested them out a few times, and they are so pretty! Something they are doing this year though is having sister missionaries from all four surrounding missions helping, so Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, and Scottsdale missionaries. It was kinda funny walking out of the meeting into the parking lot though because there were so many missionary cars. And you know missionary cars because they have a dot on the back with a number, tiwi in the window on the drivers side (btw, tiwi is something that monitors your driving), and a lot of missionary cars have bike racks on the back as well. Many of us made a comment about this and just laughed. I really wish I had a picture of the parking lot. 

We also were able to do service this week. We helped at one of the food banks where we helped to assemble food boxes that we going to be handed out later that morning. We also helped a family move. 

Overall, this week was great. We did have a disappointing moment though where one of our investigators called and dropped us. It was hard because we know this can truly help him and give him strength to overcome his trials. But we all have our agency. 

Since it is Thanksgiving week, I want to take a brief moment to express my gratitude for all of my family and friends. I know they have all helped me in my life and helped me become who I am today. I especially want to thank my parents for always supporting me and showing that they love me.

With much love and gratitude, 

Sister Smith

My district for transfer 2

Funny pic

Temple!

Me and Sister Leavitt

Pueblo Zone (minus Elder Miller and Iskow)

Pro selfie taker

My mission mom and sister

This is Hermana Lopez. She knows my friend Nelly from back home

The fun things you find in the parking lot at the Visitors' Center haha

Our apartment fridge at the current moment. I think we have enough eggs...

We believe in the same organization...

So yesterday was the Primary program in the Udall ward/Guerrero Park Branch. Since our kid population is so small, they combine with the branch for primary and ym/yw. But one kid was repeating the words for article of faith #6, and said "We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, namely apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and FORCE." I thought it was funny. Primary programs are the best.

Anyways, this week was a busy week, but a good week, and this coming week is going to be super busy. We had lots of lessons, and many miracles. 

Most recent miracles: Sister Leavitt and I went to get lunch today, and a member offered to pay for us. We said no it was okay, but he refused to take no for an answer. Then, the same thing happened at the grocery store, just a different member. It's just one of the benefits of living in an area with lots of members.

Wednesday was a great day. We had ZTM (zone training meeting), and it was awesome. We learned about what the Christmas initiative is for this year that the church is doing, and I'm excited for that. Idk if I can tell y'all yet, so I won't haha. And then we also had a Sisters Conference for all the sister missionaries in the mission that afternoon. It was all about managing stress and anxiety. It was really solid. There were a couple of things that really stood out to me. The first is that Satan's perfect lie is that we have to become perfect without Christ. We always think that if we have more of this or more of that we will be happy, loved, accepted, etc. but the reality is that when we have Christ, we have all of that (Me + Christ = More, enough, accepted, loved, friend, happy). We have to stop chasing perfection and start chasing Jesus. The other thing that stood out to me is that in Nephi's Psalm in 2 Nephi 4, Nephi starts to complain, but then he turns and says that he knows who he has trusted in. When we trust Christ, all things can be overcome. We can't care what others think either. 

Friday night was filled with miracles. We were able to find one family who the dad is a recent convert, but they have all been less active for a while now, and we have been trying to contact them for awhile. Then after, we went and found another couple that we have been trying to find for awhile where the husband isn't a member. They invited us into their home and we had a short lesson. Then we had a lesson fall through, but we had members lined up to come with us. Instead, we went to go try to find Skylar since he had been MIA this past week or so. We were able to find him and talk to him and share a short message with him. He is just going through a rough patch, and it was great that we were able to talk to him that night. He also really appreciated it too. 

Saturday, we had our first lesson done via Facebook messenger. What happened was we contacted someone and she told us just to find her on fb and contact her that way to confirm our appointment we had set up. Well, we did that. She was no longer able to meet in person, but said she would love to talk to us over messenger. So we did. Even had a member present haha. It was a learning experience, but I am so grateful for the technology that we have and can use to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Anyways, love y'all!

Sister Smith

Picked up these shoes/slippers from the mission clothing exchange last week. 

My mom, Brittney, and Josinah might recognize these because I have a pair just like them at home haha (Ps Brittney and Josinah, these are the shoes I was wearing at in n out the one time my freshman year haha)

Also, I don't think I ever told anyone this, but if you send me an email during the week, I can read it during the week. But I can only respond on Mondays. So feel free to send me emails during the week if you want haha

AND, I also hit my 3 MONTH mark this past week! Time sure does fly! 

It is getting chili!

So it's not really getting cold, but it is cooling down a bit, and we had chili 2 nights in a row for dinner. I guess it's chili weather now? 

But this week was nice. One day it rained a lot and it was in the lower 60s. We have had multiple days in the 70s and it is so beautiful. The weather really is starting to get really nice.

This week was good. Last Monday night, we had our mission Halloween activity. There were 3 stations. My zone started with games, along with 2 other zones. I'm not competitive or anything, but my zone won (Go Pueblo! Haha). Then we went to the family history center and did some family history. I was able to find a few names for the temple. Then, we went to the VC and watched 2/3 of the new Meet the Mormon clips they have. So it was a good night.

Tuesday, we had a miracle lesson. We had one lesson fall through, which is always disappointing, but because it fell through, we were able to meet with another investigator who just called us and we were able to go to his house at that time. We had another experience like this on Friday with a different investigator. It was a miracle. 

Wednesday, we had the miracle of when we went to go finding, we were able to talk with most of the people we were wanting to find and set up return appointments, which rarely happens. 

On Thursday, I gave my first training at a district meeting. I think it went well. It was on how commitments are an essential part of repentance. Ultimately, commitments invite people to act and change. I gave an analogy that we are the coach and those we are teaching are the players. We have the responsibility to coach, and they have the responsibility to be coachable. If they aren't coachable, we can't do much to help them.

Nothing is too notable from Friday or Saturday. Yesterday night was a little rough. We went to find this family who moved in not too long ago and long story short, they are on the edge of leaving the church over some issues and stuff. It is sad too because the husband, wife, and the mom all served missions. Sister Leavitt and I talked about it some this morning and it all comes down to we know what we know because of experiences we have had that are undeniable. I know that this gospel is true and that the Book of Mormon is true. That is why I am out serving a mission. I know the Atonement is real and that through it we can become better each and every day. There is no denying the experiences I have had and the witness that the Spirit has borne to me.

I love all y'all!

Sister Smith

It does actually rain in AZ

We helped make dinner at a member's house, and she gave us aprons to wear.

Horse drawn carriage for newlyweds 

Some of the Christmas lights on Super Saturday

Guess which wifi belongs to a member? Haha