The Bata missionaries facebook pic!

This week has been good! :) I'm not even sure where to begin...

Tuesday, well we had a mission presidents training. Lacey is in my district i'm pretty sure by the way :) i love her!! But we haven't had a district meeting yet... so i'm not 100 percent sure... but I got put in a group to pilot facebook!! So Bata Missionaries have a facebook now :) just so you know :) it's so weird! I NEVER thought this would happen on my mission. It's so crazy!! We check it every other day and the elders check it the days we don't. :) It's incredible!

Jenna & Lacey!~ (Sister Smoot & Sister Monson!)

Sister Neis (nice) & Smoot (smooth)

Tuesday or Wednesday we had our first lesson with someone who was referred to us by a member. Her name is Analia. She is super cute and she is ready to hear the gospel! She was taught before, but the missionaries transferred and nobody returned... super sad! i've heard that happen quite a few times here! (that's why the area book is super important!!) but it was definitely a lesson led by the spirit and i'm so grateful to be able to listen to the spirit and be guided by it. :)

Oh! Small world!! One of our less active families, the daughter's boyfriend isn't a member which he lives in a different area so we sent in his name for her, she also asked about his brother too, which was a referral by his girlfriend who is also a member! His brother was a referral me and sister sanders were trying to find in Bacolod 1st ward!! It's a small world, even in the Philippines. :) haha

Let me just say there's a lot of people here offended, which is super sad. But we have been visiting a lot of less actives because members know where they are. It's hard to try to help them, but I do know if Christ forgives us and forgives the people "for they know not what they have done". We can forgive someone who has offended us. The church is perfect, but people arent. Christ was the only perfect person here on this earth. I am grateful for his example. :)

We also, through another investigator named Rembert, we've only taught him once, but he has been shared to before. But when we went back to teach him again, he wasn't there, but his wife was! Then she was like, oh! my dad's a member and she led us to his house just next to hers after we taught her a lesson then we were able to teach them both a lesson! I'm excited to follow up with them! Also, her dad went less active because the air con was too cold and bad for his health. It makes me sad, but i am grateful for air con at the church. I told Bishop, but I'm not really sure what we need to do about that.

So, we have a sister who is a member, but her husband's not. A while ago, they use to get in fights about religion. Last night we had an incredible lesson with both of them. They are really busy, so it's hard to teach them together, but it happened last night! It was our 3rd lesson with him, but first with his wife too. She started crying and said at least he says it's true now. He told us of course it's true, Joseph Smith, Thomas S. Monson, the Book of Mormon. But it won't accept it yet. He's happy if his family is going and being good, but he doesn't want to go with them, yet. But it's incredible, just seeing how much he is starting to agree with us instead of argue with us in just a few lessons. It's incredible!! :) Just one step at at time :)

It's been a good week for the most part, other then it was the first time we didn't have any investigators at church. :( but we did have a lot of less actives!! They are incredible! i just love how the light comes into peoples lives. It's overwhelming and disappointing at times, but I know it's the lords week and we just need to continue and be exactly obedient and help these people here in bata feel the spirit.

I love this work and I LOVE being a missionary!! :) I love you all!! :)

Love, Sister Smoot