Wk 61 - Wonderful week with lice! :)

Area: La Castellana

Companion: Sister Dequina

Regina's house

TUKO!! it's about 6 inches without the tail!! cool huh!! 

the service project at reginas :)

Regina's house :) (our recent converts)

our church that's getting done :) 

some members (one our recent convert that is less active) who are showering in the rain!! :)

and my lice!! hahaha :) in case you wanted to see :)

This week was wonderful!! Tuesday morning I woke up and my head was really itchy and I was like what is wrong? I scratched my head and things kept coming in my nails. I ask my companion what it was and she told me to comb onto a white paper and see what they were, and sure enough I had lice!! Haha so i contacted the nurse and she called and told me what to do :) Washed all my bed clothes and sheets :) haha so grand!! I also got some shampoo to fix it :) So i am just using that twice a week now :) haha wonderful no??

We also have a couple baptisms coming up. Agustin on June 14 and hopefully his family will soon follow :) He is so strong and so amazing!! Will sometimes work with us and come to a few appointments with us close to his house with some of our RC and investigators. :) He's the one that took one of our RC to church because he hadn't been after his confirmation in February. Anyways so amazing!!

Then we had a miracle happen this week!! One of our members brought their lap top to show some of our investigators the restoration film and we taught a lesson and someone stopped on the c cad. I moved out of their little tsungey area so they could watch and hear and sat just outside and was talking to one of their parents then there was a brother on a c cad that stopped and I invited him to listen to our message gave him a pamphlet and asked for his information and he gave it to me and made an appointment for the next night (saturday night) we went to him the next night and he was waiting for us just outside because he was so excited. He said missionaries have taught him before and he was so excited. We gave him a baptismal date for June 28 and he accepted and he came and got us for church on his c cad and gave us a ride. We told him 8 30 and he said he showed up at like 8 and he was just glowing!! It was amazing!! I loved it so much!! He's so excited and we made an appointment to teach him at a members house that he knows :) Just such a miracle that happened to us!! :)

Then they are planning to try to start a group in our branch because it's so big and they want to break it off and make it it's own district which is so cool! But we are doing  a one day mission on friday to see how it will go with the ward. It's in the elders area and a little ways away but I'm excited to see how the work is really progressing :) I love it so much!! I just want to be able to work hard and help this area the best I can!! :)

I really do love this work and am so excited for Jade to join it also!! I guess he already joined when he was baptized but he is putting his 100 percent time into it :) That's what I love!! and Jaders!! I can't believe you are 18!! Sorry I forgot to tell you last week but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :) I love you and with the best for you as you prepare to serve the Lord!!

I love you all and am so grateful for the family I have :)

Love, Sister Smoot

Wk - 60 Tanner and Chelsea!! Wish you the best this week!! :)

This week has been one that has the biggest downs but made the up times that much better. I am so grateful for the down experiences though because there is always something to learn and a way to grow out of it. We also learn so much of how to rely on our Savior. That is my favorite part. I am so grateful for how much quicker I am to remember my Savior when I get down in order to let him lift me up that much more.

I am so grateful for this work and for everything that has happened here. This area is amazing! Heavenly Father always knows how to help and lift us up. We have the biggest challenges and struggles that happen but the thing that's really lifted me up are to be able to just choose to become closer to our savior.

One miracle I have seen this week is that we have an investigator named Agustin that we are now seeing him everytime we go to this one area and he starts coming with us to all the close lessons to his house. One of them is a recent convert that was baptized right before we got there. We always had the hardest time seeing him and when we do he always says he'll come to church then he doesn't show up. While we were there Agustin said he'd come get him and come to church with him. This is Agustin's 2nd sunday now and he actually brought him!! It was amazing!!! Haha I loved that feeling. I love looking at the little things God puts in your path to help lift you up :) He's the best!!

Sorry I don't have time to send pictures right now. I figured out the music thing though :) I will send some more next week!! But know I love you and am so grateful for each of you to be such a big part of my life!! Jaders!! Good job today on your talk!! I wish I was there to hear it but I'm excited to hear it when I can :) and Tanner and Chelsea!! Wish you the best on your wedding!! I love you :) Keep being amazing family!! I love you all and am so grateful for you!!

Oh!! Mom and Dad :)

 Mosiah 28:7. It's an incredible verse I read this morning and when i shared in companionship study Sister Dequina pointed it out to me and I really like it. I know God will deliver us if we are in his service :) Mosiah was a worried parent but his sons went and shared with the Laminates and the Lord comforted him :) I love it so much!! :)

 I also know that through patience we can overcome everything :) I read patience in PMG and I love what it says in the box of we all expect solutions right away when the heavenly virture of patience is required!! I love you all!! :)

Love, Sister Smoot

Service Day!

Wk 59 - HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM!!! :)

Area: La Castellana

Companion: Sister Dequina

This is cacow!! :) i don't know how to spell it but that's how you say it :)
they make chocolate our of the seeds somehow.
(I found this on Wiki: )Theobroma cacao also cacao tree and cocoa tree, is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae, native to the deep tropical regions of Central and South America. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and chocolate. 

LOOK WHO I SAW THIS PAST WEEK!!! I DID STAY AT HER HOUSE :)

(Sister Smoot and Sister Smoot-

Cousins in the same mission! Haven't seen each other since last August!)

"we showed up at her house i gave her a hug and cried then we went to sleep we got up talked a bit about tanner (Jenna's brother is getting married this month)and what not and how it's crazy then she said see you in six months if we don't see each other again here. haha that's the details. :)"

Regina and Von's Baptism :)

First of all, Happy Mothers day Mom!! I am so grateful for you and your example in fulling your calling here on earth as the best mother ever!! I always wanted to be like you!!! Always there for their kids no matter what and the best friend we always go to. :) 

So this week has been wonderful!! So training was amazing!! We talked about having faith in Jesus Christ and that's what you have to have faith in, nothing else. Having faith in someone means you have faith in Jesus Christ that he will help them :) It's a cool concept! I never realized it before!! But I enjoyed it a lot!! We have faith in Jesus Christ that our companion can help us. We have faith in Jesus Christ that Jade can serve an amazing mission and he will be okay because of our faith in Jesus Christ. Doubt and fear are opposed to faith! :) I love Preach my Gospel! AH!!

We also talked about making goals for our life, AH! I was trying to push all the thoughts away about what I will do after my mission but now I am starting to think about it because I feel like I need more goals then just get married in the temple. But we were encouraged to pick careers that will let us live the gospel to it's fullest so that's a goal!! I've also thought a lot about being a RN. I would just ask a favor, if you could look up maybe what's the best way to do that and I am still trying to figure out if it's right for me. Anyways, that's my intake on our training. They said our first goal, temple marriage, second school and third work. Then we also talked about, with Sister Lopez and the sisters about becoming a mom and how that's our first thing to be. So anyways that's my thoughts a little scrambled.

Anyways, then that night I got to sleep at Ashley's apartment!!! :) (the other sister smoot is what we are both called) haha and it was SO GOOD TO SEE HER!! We just slept there and we talked a little and took a picture. She also said okay, see you in six months if we don't see each other again here. :( I don't know what will happen but it's true!! We finally saw each other after like 8 months :) What a tender mercy from God!! :)

Then, We we had Liahona Service Project where they measured kids to see if they were malnourished. It was a really cool and incredible experience!! There was also a brother there from Lindon!! I feel so bad I didn't get a picture and can't remember his name but he looked so familiar. He told me his name and that I probably know his brother, but now i really can't remember. I just don't know. But cool experience to be involved in. :)

Then Friday morning!! We had Regina's baptism and it was amazing!! She was baptized the day before the date we gave her from the beginning!! It was so amazing!! The most ready person I have ever met!! Her testimony was also amazing! Her life is so crazy and where she is now is so she can be closer to God. :) I love this work!! AH!!! She's amazing!! :)

So that's my week and so my questions...

1. My camera battery dies really fast... what should i do to fix that?? 

2. Also I was just curious if you could send some hymns that are cool to me so i can put them on a flash drive and listen to them :) If you get a minute and have some. Anyways just an idea :) 

3. Ask Talia if i should worry about my hair it's really small and falls out but it may just be best to wait, but just ask her (but i do want to take those vitamins that helps your hair grow at least after my mission if possible)

Anyways, just a couple I don't want to be a stress but just question!! and about the RN if you have a minute in your busy lives!! I love you all!! Happy Mothers Day mom!! Talk to you in a minute!! :)

Love, Sister Smoot

Wk 58 - Aloha!!! :)

Area: La Castellana

Companion: Sister Dequina

Hiked to a waterfall last week!

Family!!! :)

This week has been okay. Just a little not as high as I want to be, but I know I will get back up there as I work harder and harder and become better and better :) I love this work I really do!!

So, this saturday which is amazing!! Sister Regina and her son, Von will be baptized!! I am so excited for them!! I am excited to be able to see them have the gate opened for them so they will be able to enter in the kingdom of God! She is incredible!! She comes to church goes to activities with the Relief Society and they all invite her and love her :) They are all helping her out as well!! It's really amazing!!

Little miracles that have happened this week. Miracles that happen are really just when you have a feeling, oh talk to this person and you do. This happened quite a few times this past week. One was a group of kids that we went back to them for the second time yesterday and they are so amazing!! We had a good lesson with them about the restoration. I know for a fact it was led by the spirit.

Another one was we were walking back from the group of kids about to head to our next appointment then we saw a member walking and he said he'd come with us because it was close but he said lets just stop at Villanueva's house for a second (another member) anyways we started walking to thier house and there was a sister standing at her door and she had a big smile on her face and it was next to the members house and we talked to her for a minute and she said we could come back in a second and sing to her (our member already went into the other members house) and we wanted the member with us, so we said we would come back in just a few minutes. We went to the members house and inside there was the mom of sister Villanueva. She's not a member and we started talking to her and they were joking about baptizing her tomorrow we prayed and sang to her and she said we could come back and visit so we scheduled an appointment with her then we got Sister Villanueva to come out with us and talk to the sister that was smiling at the door and she goes, this is my sister. haha I was like really?? It was pretty small world and so cool, but we sang and she also agreed to have us come back. It was pretty cool to just have those little miracles happen to us!! I am so excited to see what happens with them :) But their mom said she would come with Sister Villanueva to church!! :)

This week has been a roller coaster but when i say miracles, those are just a couple that all happened in the past two days. Miracles really do happen if you just believe they will. I know that for a fact and especially if you pray for them and keep going. They really do happen.

I am so grateful for all of you. I have letters that I've had for the past week sitting in La Castellana, that I will get sent as soon as possible!! Know I love you and am so happy to have a family like you!! You're amazing!! Keep it up and remember how happy knowing about this gospel makes us!!

Love, Sister Smoot

Our big pizza :)

P.S. Oh!! Also, I forgot MLC!!! WAS AMAZING!! We had Elder Ardern there and we talked about what happened in our mission and it really was an honor. It was an amazing experience to be in his presence. Also the trainings that were given were also amazing!! The spirit was there so strong! I loved it so much!! AH!! I wish I could explain!! But one thing that was pointed out this is for Jade and all missionaries and future missionaries and also for any member because all members are missionaries is in PMG page 10-11 of how we can know if we are a successful missionary. Those bullet points are amazing things to study and read!! It was also pointed out about teach and serve other missionaries, that the most important person to serve is your companion. We can also take this into our life. The most important person you can serve is your spouse or family members. I am so grateful for this chance that I have to be able to prepare for my future better through being a missionary. It's all so important to learn how to deal with different situations and know that God loves each and every one of us. :)