Wk 18- Transfer Week!

Area: Bacolod Proper (1st ward)
Companion: Sister Sanders

Laura- (her dad is a member of our Stake Presidency)

she's waiting for her mission call!

This week has been a good week! :)

Monday, we just moved! :) we cleaned and moved everything out. Then took everything to our house and went back and finished cleaning! It was a lovely day. Then when we got back to our apartment, we hadn't shopped or done our laundry yet and it was 5:30 so that's what we did the rest the day. :)

Tuesday, in the morning i went to get in the shower and Sister Sanders screamed so loud! I ran out like what's going on! haha... She had a cockroach in her suitcase :) haha we've had a few of those at our new apartment but we are spraying permytherin. Well we did today. :) But then we went on exchanges! So cool!! I was with Sister Arnold and I went to her area. It was more country. I felt like I was in the mountains! :) it was awesome! and we taught 8 lessons in a shorter amount of time and got a ton of new investigators! It was cool!! We were completely led by the spirit and I had the gift of tongues! I love this work! It's incredible how it all just works! I have some pictures too i'll figure out how to send those home :) even if i need to print them off!

Wednesday, we had a good day! I had studies with Sister Arnold and learned more from her then went back to my area and it was awesome! It's crazy how you can not feel the spirit in one place, go say a prayer with your companion, and end up in an incredibly spiritual lesson the next. I just want to say the power of prayer is incredible and it really does help if your struggling because Heavenly Father really does love each of us and helps us through EVERYTHING!! :)

The next couple days were a little rough.... happy and sad and rough, just with some of our investigators, but it's ok because whatever happens will happen and they will do what they need to do one day as long as I pray and do the best I can for them!

Saturday, was good! We got up and were going to go to a service project then it just worked out that we couldn't go. We needed to be there and it's a good thing because we had an appointment and the got back a lot later then they thought they would, but maybe one day i'll get the chance to plant man groves. :) haha but then we went to a new investigator family that are a referral from someone in our stake presidency. It's their cousin, I think. But, it was our second visit, they treat us very well, and I'm excited to continue helping them, but they are only available on saturdays but we'll see how it goes. :) We also had LynLyn's baptism! She's a less active sister who's returning's neighbor. She's 12 years old and she is awesome! I'll send a picture, but she is an incredible example to her family. :) Her mom and some neighbors came to her baptism. :) Sister Sanders and I got to go back with her when she went into the font! I'm so excited and happy for her! :)

Well, that's my week!! :) I love you all!! :) Padayon hasta sa katapuson! :) (endure or continue to the end) 

mom's questions:

*I don't know what's going to happen this week still. I'll find out the day before something happens.

*our new apartment is cute!! I haven't taken pictures of it but it has yellow walls and turquoise. Our bathroom is tiny! we sit on the toilet and our legs touch the wall... I'll take a picture and print it or figure out how to send it. :) It's just us 2 and it's about a 30 minute jeepney ride to our area. About 5 to 10 minutes in a car. (we rode with couples) Super cute though! :)

*I feel fully better as long as I drink my water which i am! :) my legs are still just getting over the rash but It's just a little red but i am fine!! :) I love feeling good and i feel fine!! i promise!! :) just don't worry ok? :) and yes i am using the terra shield... :) thank you! 

*I feel a lot better in the language actually! i'm starting to understand people and notice when i make mistakes. It's really starting to click! I am really enjoying it :) I love it here!! :)Yes i feel like i am getting there! I'm starting to get cold cuz it's raining a lot! But when it's hot it's really hot. but it's good :)

*i do have a mission bag :) i got one :) i don't know if it's the same but it works. not very cute. kinda manly but it works :)

*money i think i'm ok. I haven't used anything on my card yet at all my cards been packed away.. i don't know if i do run out of personal money do you want to send some or i can just use my card and let you know if i use it? just let me know! :)

*Thank you! I'll let you know when i get them :) sister sanders said hers usually takes about 3 weeks except for around christmas time it took a couple months but she's gotten all her packages. :) 

*yes, i usually print off emails and read them later :) 

dad's questions:

*I'm reading the book of mormon and studying preach my gospel :) best things ever!! I'll study them in personal study my whole mission because it's instructions from my mission president :)  

*We've had 3 baptisms now. We've had Charley, Reyboy, both 19 year old boys and LynLyn, a 12 year old girl! She was super cute! That was on saturday. :) We were going to have one this saturday also, but She didn't come to church so we need to move it to august 10 so as of now we have 4 baptisms on august 10th. I'm excited for them. :)

Palangga, Sister Smoot

Wk 17- Family!! :)

 Sister Lopez spending time teaching with Sister Smoot & Sanders

This week has been good! I've been getting over a mild dengue fever, but that's ok!! I'm pretty much over it! Just my rash needs to go away. :) but i feel much better today and will continue to feel better! :)

This week on monday we went to Sinema's house!! It was fun! I talked with Ashley the whole time and I loved it!! :) She is so sweet! I can't believe she is here as well and we are doing the same thing!! ah!! It makes my day everytime I see her :) She's lifted me up and helped me a lot! It's encouraging knowing she's here and Lacey's coming!! :)

We also had the pleasure to work with Sister Lopez on tuesday! Then she didn't get a picture with one of our investigators so she ended up working with us again on Thursday! She is truly incredible!! Her testimony and her spirit that she brings is amazing!! I really enjoyed the words she had to say and just having that opportunity to work with her. :) It's truly amazing how the spirit leads and guides each of us as missionaries! :)

I've slept a lot this week, but for the times I went out and worked it was good! :) and i'm ready to go work this week!! :)

I love you so much!! :) I hope you all have a wonderful week!! Keep being an example to everyone around you!! You're all amazing!! :)

Love, Sister Smoot

Additional info from other emails: 

yes we have a baptism this saturday and a few on august 3rd as well :) and a few after that too! it's awesome mom! and i'm ok just so you know :) no need to worry! I went to Dr. Deyro to see what was wrong with me because i broke out in a rash... anyway i found out i have a mild dengue fever. but i woke up this morning and it's going away just a red rash at first. but my fever is gone and i'm ok i just need to figure out how to keep the bugs away for sure :)

(how's your new apt?)i don't know we haven't been there yet but the ap's are moving out and we are moving in haha yes i'm sure we still have flushing toilets. most toilets here do flush but you just have to dump a bucket in them in order to get them to flush :) but our apartment we are moving out flushes with a button but also with a bucket of water too! do our toilets flush like that?? you should try it and let me know :)

) - (of course the boys tried it to make sure it works!)- (jenna said:) hahaha oh goodness :) i'm glad they are enjoying it! :) tell them not to waste too much water! :)

Wk 16- Amo na, gali??

Sister Smoot, Sister Sinema, Sister Smoot

I came down with a high fever yesterday and I'm just trying to get over it right now. I woke up not feeling good and i kept getting cold then really hot and i couldn't focus during church. but i guess it's like the dangy fever twin- I was told by our mission nurse sister chin- it's something which you get from mosquitos here but we just told her symptoms so i took like 2 cold (freezing) showers and layed by the fan forever. anyways my temperature when i got home from church yesterday was 103 with the little throw away thermometer my companion had and then it went down after i slept and showered once. Then after when the medicine wore off we checked it again cuz i wasn't feeling good. Again it was 104 and sister chin said to shower and drink water and take more medicine because if it didn't go down in 30 minutes i would have gone to the er. but then it went down and this morning it's gone from 98 and 99 (our zone leaders got us a real thermometer and i got a blessing after church so i'm doing better and i just need to stay cool and good :) i'll be ok though!! :) i just feel like i'm getting over being sick. If i stay on ibuprofen it stays down. :)

Anyways, so to answer your questions. The shirts are perfect :) thank you!! maybe bug spray?? I've been getting eaten alive by bugs and now it's not just all over my legs it's getting on my arms but maybe not because it may be better by the time that gets here but make sure Lacey has some because all americans get eaten alive when they come. :) mine are really bad though! and maybe a thermometer would be nice too and ibuprofen i don't know if they have it here but i definitely will check and let you know next week. :) I'm getting use to the bugs here. cockroaches still scare me and little lizards i'm use to but mosquitos i could do without :) The food is really good! They eat everything and cook everything here with garlic and onion and a lot of soy sauce. My companion always cooks with garlic and onion and i really like it! So everything i make that she's taught me how i make also with garlic and onion :) it's very good!! :) My companion is awesome!! :) it will be sad when i have to leave her :( but it's ok! it's God's will with whatever happens! :) I don't really know what to say. The houses are just different then here i don't really know how to explain them, but similar! My ward is awesome!! My companion said it's one of the best wards here. It's different, but very good :) I've been called many things here. I've been called barbie (which makes no sense but ok) and i've been called guapa a lot. We will walk down the street and everyone just looks at you. We say maayong hapon or gabi (good afternoon or evening) to almost everyone! It's really nice! I get treated pretty well here, don't worry :) I also walk into BRGY's sometimes and all the kids come grab our hands it's really cute! And if I focus on one i can understand what they are saying :) haha anyways

This week we had Johnpaul as well as Charlie bear their testimonies at FHE and we did a faith thing with a banana (if you remind me when i get home it's a cool lesson) but i taught the lesson because my companion made me. It was very short and in Ilonggo, but it was good :) 

On tuesday i saw ashley again when we planned for our zone activity today! we are going to sinema's :) i'm excited!!  we had exchanges. I was with Sister Portugal, she's a sister training leader and it was a cool and different experience being with a Philippine but it was fun! :) We also saw a viewing (they go for like a week here before the funeral) and it was just in their house in the main room. It was different but we went in and told them about the plan of salvation. Sister Portugal was just like lets go! so we did! It was sad, but kind of cool and we are going to visit them again after the funeral tomorrow. 

REYBOY WAS BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! :) It was so cool! He was so happy!! :) I'm so happy for him! He's clean!! :) He was confirmed on Sunday also and it's cool how they just glow!! :) I'm so happy and excited for him!! :) But Sunday was rough too... i just know i went home from church and slept a lot. Got a blessing from Elder Anderson (a couple) and they brought the 2 office elders with them, Elder Pulsipher and Elder Cheney. It was very nice of them to come and give me a blessing. :) Anyways! That's been my week! :) 

Thanks for everything and your support in being here!! :) Palangga ko kamo!! (I love you all)

Love, Sister Smoot

Wk 15- GALIT!!! :) (means like "light bulb" or "oh duh" like you just realized something)

Area: Bacolod 1st Ward
Companion: Sister Sanders

Monday we had sister training leaders stay with us and that was fun! :) 

Tuesday, we had a lesson that we taught the Arsenio family! Sister Emerin (16 years old) she was having a really hard time at school because she can't see. She said she'd been praying for years to be able to see and do better in school. I told her that Heavenly Father doesn't always answer prayers the way she wants and it's incredible it was like a light bulb for her. She realized something she hadn't before. She also told the young women yesterday that she wanted to be baptized!! :) 

Wednesday, we had zone training! :) Sat right by Ashley :) haha so much fun! also got the package from her!! Thank you so much momma :) i love it!! :) I also got a letter from  Jessie and Elder Pulispher who brought in the mail had put a letter from matt in my hymn book in the page we were going to sing for the opening song haha :) I found it then :) It was funny! But we had a very good training and are very focused on our vision here and I can see it start happening with us and the baptisms we have scheduled!! :)

Thursday, Reyboy had his baptismal interview because of some things that came up from his past, but he is still good to be baptized on the 13!! He truly is incredible!! So strong and spiritual! always invites people to our lessons and is always with us! :) 

Friday, HAPPY FOURTH!!! :) we went crazy and wore red, white and blue :) hahahaha i didn't have much but i found what i could :) It was a good day! We taught reyboy again with stephani then we walked to another appointment and reyboy came with us! haha and we ended up in a brgy that was flooded with water and up to our knees! I have pictures.. but i already tried to upload them and it didn't work it failed so i'll print off pictures and send them... i guess it's just not suppose to happen sorry!! But the house we ended up in was Grezel's house and our investigators are turning into missionaries!! Marlon has taught her how to pray and is helping her (she's 12) come to church and stuff!! It's so cool!! Marlon is scheduled for August 3rd. We also had Reyboy with us and he taught her all about Joseph Smith and before he was having a really hard time grasping it! We had to teach him a few times it was incredible!!! 

Saturday, Johnpaul smoked his last cigarette!!! And he's still doing good!! so happy for him and excited for him to be bapitized on August 3rd also!! :) We also had the spirit hit us strong in BRGY 20 teaching them all this night. It's truly incredible being a missionary and seeing these people change! I love them all!! :) 

Sunday, Reyboy bore his testimony in sacrament meeting!! He's getting baptized saturday! He also brought a whole bunch a little kids from BRGY 27 with him to church haha. It's awesome to see how much and how happy people are when they let the gospel in their life!! Reyboy also fasted because we taught him about fasting and donated fast offerings with our help!! It was incredible!! I love being a missionary!!

Well it's been a good week!! I love you all!! :) :) Palangga ko kamo gid!! :):)

Palangga, Sister Smoot :)

Wk 14- KAMUSTA KAMO?! :)

 Sister Smoot & Sister Smoot! 

(Ashley & Jenna are in the same zone!)

Bacolod, Bacolod North, and Cadiz Zones

Pamilya!! :)

I love you all!! :) ok so to answer your questions mom :) I am doing good drinking only the filtered water :) It's not too hard getting filtered water. Sometimes I don't drink enough and I get really light headed, but I'm doing good!! Brgy is like an address place that is somtimes huge and has multiple houses here and we just have to go ask around. It's really hard to explain. Addresses are hard and different here. 

My hiligaynon is getting better I think.. Well I don't think but my companion said it's getting a ton better! :) So that's good! I can understand better then I can speak but I know I have the gift of interpretation and am getting the gift of tongues. It's truly crazy! 

I haven't gotten my package from Ashley but I probably will tomorrow. I got your other package on wednesday! It's so awesome! Thank you! My favorite food and candy! I love the sugar free carmel nib things! And everything else that was in it!! Thank you thank you thank you!! The shirt is super cute too :) and perfect style for here!! I don't have anything like it! thank you again! :)

I think i'm good :) maybe the refill things just next time you send a package with yellow and orange :) you sent the other colors that I love! And I don't have purple in my pencil yet so i'm excited for that! but no rush for those! I'm not even close to being out! So just in a few months :) Don't send too big of packages mom! It's expensive!! 

Running... I don't do it everyday but I am doing the card things and running up and down the stairs which makes me super sore and it makes it difficult to kneel which I have to do a lot during each day haha but it's awesome! i hope i'm staying in shape, but at houses people give us bread for a pamahaw (snack) it's also the word for breakfast, but yeah then we need to eat that, but me and my companion eat mangos and bananas everyday with energen and water or milk! We love it!! :) haha it's so good!!

Tell everyone that asked about me hello and I love them all! :) just tell everyone I say hello :) We are so blessed to know the people we do :) And I'm so blessed to have the family that I do! :)

To answer dad's questions haha... sige means okay :) The language is doing good! It's sometimes difficult but I think it's slowly getting better! I hear it's a good 6 or 7 months before you actually get the language but I'm getting better and short conversations with people and acting things out sometimes :) or having my companion translate for me or them :) haha Yes! I got my package wednesday and should get the one from ashley tomorrow :) haha I haven't seen ashley since zone conference but I might see her tomorrow i don't know! because she's in my zone our zone has their district meetings all at the same church :) We listened to the broadcast at zone conference! So cool!! We do have to wait as they said, until they say it's our time for our mission to use the online tools and stuff but hopefully by next year is what we were told :)

SAKIT!!!!! (anytime someones sick or something hurts) DAD!!! AGAY!! (ouch) I hope your hand and elbow are okay!! :) I love you!! :) You're amazing!! :) haha 

Well, This week for me.... 

Monday, we had FHE at Marlin's :) We did a lesson about repentance and becoming clean with water, food coloring, and bleach :) it was kinda cool :) haha and we played some fun games! I'll try to send some pictures and videos of that and some talents they did when they lost :) haha but i don't know if it will work. 

Tuesday, i don't really remember and i didn't write much in my journal about it :) oops!! 

Wednesday, We had zone conference!! When I saw Ashley she made me start crying! What is this smoot gene?? it's ok though all is well! And I can't write her, but hopefully i see her every once in a while :) We watched the broadcast and learned a lot of President and his wife!! It was very good!! :) I found out Sister Lopez and her mom and grandma were all born on August 10th! cool huh!! :) 

Thursday, We were led by the spirit to go to Gretchel's (a less active) and had an incredible lesson and committed a few of her neighbors to baptism :) Love them all they are so sweet! I also had my first experience with a huge spider!! They said it wasn't that big, but trust me it was big!! I took some pictures of it, so i'll see if i can send those. :)

Friday, It's cool how the spirit works!! We were walking down the street and people are so nice here!! I accidently stepped in a puddle and splashed sister sanders oops! and it's like black water our legs get dirty here when it's rainy, but this kind sister offered some water to wash it off and we gave her a pamphlet :) it was cool! haha

Saturday morning, we had a very spiritual lesson and we ended getting the Rassmasons (don't know if that is how you spell it but they are a couple missionary here) to come with us to an appointment, because we needed a babae (girl) to be with us to teach these 2 brothers. It was incredible!! The one we hadn't taught before teared up and asked how he can find out if our church is true after we told about the restoration and about Joseph Smith! It was so cool!! :)

Sunday, Happy Birthday Matt!! :) It was fifth sunday so it was combined we taught some lessons and went home. Sister Sanders was having a rough time after one lesson we taught at the church. She got a blessing and let me just say the Priesthood is so powerful! It's incredible!! Always be worthy when you hold the priesthood! It's powerful and it's awesome! Charlie also got the priesthood!! :) and is ordained to the office of a priest!! yay!! :)

Monday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN!! :):) Love you!! :)