Week 27!

Laughing Burns Calories

Week 27—January 25, 2016

Here are some funny things that happened to me this week.

 Okay so last week Sister Kendell and I were doing contacts in the street.  Which is stopping people, introducing ourselves, asking them if they have heard of the church, and then inviting them to church.  If they have heard about the church, we ask if we can share a message with them in their home about Jesus Christ.  Oh, and our goal is to talk to 250 every week!  So I stopped this little old lady with an umbrella and said, “Hello, how are you?”  Then she looked up at me, she had the biggest, thickest glasses I’ve ever seen before!   The glasses made her eyes appear huge!  She looked up at me startled that I had stopped her in the street.  Then she looked at me like she was super scared with her giant eyes staring at me.  I was like oh no!  I’m sure she will calm down once I tell her who I am and that I’m just inviting her to church.  But her expression didn’t change.  She just stood there with her big eyes looking at me like I’m about to eat her.  She looked so cute and really funny I was trying not to laugh.  Then when Sister Kendell finished with her contact, she came and stood beside me.  I could tell she immediately knew what was going on.  Then Sister Kendell turned away and started coughing to cover up her laughter.  I was afraid I would loose control, so I started coughing.  Then we both started laughing because we both were coughing.  This entire time this sweet lady had the same facial expression on her face and finally we said we are so sorry and she was like what for?   Then she said, “I have to go, bye.”   Sister Kendell and I ran around the corner of a building and were laughing/crying because we had almost lost it!  Everyone walking by was looking, smiling and laughing at us because we were laughing so hard! ohhh you guys...IT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING!!! 

So later that day I got the hiccups super bad, like we are talking they hurt my chest they were so bad!   Not only were they painful, they were LOUD!!  So we are walking down the street and there is this couple waaay down the street and when I hiccupped the couple turned around to see what the loud noise was.  Then we went to a members house, I was trying to teach and talk but the whole time everyone one was just laughing at my hiccups.   Sister Kendell and I were laughing too...oh it was a crazy, funny day indeed.

The other day we were knocking on doors and we knocked on this one door and a lady let us in!  We were talking forever with her.   After a while the lady goes and gets a chair for me.  Then I said  “It’s really nice to meet you!....ooppss...I mean Thank you very much!”  Everyone in the room busted out laughing so hard I was like, oh man!!

That´s all I have time for this week!!  I LOVE YOU FAMILY and FRIENDS!!!!  Remember the church is true, the book is blue, and d loves you!! xoxoxox

-Sister Smithie poo

Yummy Açaí!!

  I love Caldas Novas!

  missionary shoes after 6 months 

 I bought new Brazilian shoes(: 

 They are comfortable & good in the rain!!

 I guess my blood tastes good.

 I love Sister Kendell!

Week 26!

6 MONTHS!!!

Week 26—January 17, 2016

I was saying my prayers the other night and I realized I HAVE BEEN OUT FOR 6 MONTHS!!!  I literally started crying my eyes out because I only have 12 months left. I reflected on my mission and all the areas and people I have met, I just have one word to describe a mission, beautiful.  It is such a BEAUTIFUL thing!  You can´t understand a mission until you serve one.  I don’t think I have laughed or cried so hard in my entire life.  The people you meet, the members in each area, the people you baptize and the elders, everyone has a special place in your heart for eternity.  I can’t imagine a life without meeting these people.  It is sooo amazing!!

I have had sooooo much fun!  I have had the most spiritual experiences and I have had difficult ones too.  I have seen the gospel change the lives of people who have broken hearts and are confused.  I have seen how not living the gospel ruins families, lives, and leaves a person alone with 2 kids and no one to help or support them.  This gospel is true!  I don’t think Heavenly Father, the Book of Mormon, or the prophets, leaders of the church, or missionaries could say it anymore clear.  I LOVE MY MISSION...I NEVER WANT IT TO END!!(:

Here are some facts about Brazil that I want to share.  Brazilians, Mexicans, and Hispanics are very blunt haha!  They will straight up tell you if you are good or not good at the language. They will straight up tell you if you are more beautiful or not as beautiful as someone else (not all Brazilians are like this but LOTS ARE).  They also like to shower and love their house to be clean.  They are super serious about lunch, they like their juice, beans, and rice with every meal...that’s fine, because I like it too.(:  Their winter is soooooo hot and what they call summer is super rainy and humid...when it rains in Brazil oh it pours buckets of water for hours.  The houses and buildings here are super old and they don’t have lots of money to rebuild things.  I have seen lots of dead animals on the road...yes even rats.:(  The elders are super annoying...but I love them like brothers....(Ryan I miss you)!!  For example the elders have been sitting here watching me write this entire letter...

I LOVE MY MISSION, BRAZIL, AND EVERYTHING ABOUT IT HERE!!!(((:

I hope you all have a good week!

-Love Sister Smithie poo

P.S. I love you Grandpa Headman and Grandma Headman you are so amazing and are the biggest blessings in my life!  My love and prayers are with Uncle Gary.  I love you Grandma and Grandpa Smith, and Schauerhamer, thank you for raising families in the gospel and keeping your covenants with the Lord(:

wooot Baptism for Cosme and Damian!!!!   

How the heat and humidity make you feel!

I LOVE my companion!!!

I LOVE this kitten!!!

Week 25!

Our hearts can hold more love, than we ever imagined!

Week 25—January 11, 2015

This week was AWESOME!!! Okay so we have these cute neighbor boys that are getting baptized this week and they are literally the CUTEST things ever! They´re mom has problems with smoking and drinking and we are trying to help her to stop.  She said that she would let her kiddos get baptized if that is what they really wanted and it wasn’t a joke.  She called them in the room and asked each one of them if they wanted to be baptized, they responded really fast saying YES! YES! I WANT TO!!  Awww, and the little boys Cosme and Damian give the most sincere adorable prayers (they love to pray) Cosme blessed the homeless people in the street, and all the homeless dogs and animals (there are about 100000 of them here) and he asked to see his older sister again because she passed away last year.  Sister Kendell and I were crying during the prayer the spirit was so strong. 

Then yesterday we taught them about the Word of Wisdom and Cosme and Damian said that they would stop drinking coffee. And when he said the closing prayer he said “thank you God for bringing these sisters to our house to teach us the gospel I knew they were good people when I first met them”....oh my word my heart melted and I just started bawling.  This family has Sister Kendall and my heart.  They are the sweetest most sincere kids and they are so excited to get baptized and wear a white shirt and tie to church. 

This week has been so special.  I think I have bonded more than ever with the members here, there are a lot of young kids here that have been baptized and we visit them everyday to help them stay active.  I love them!! 

There is also this member Migel and he literally helps everyone here.  He makes dinner for us every night and buys pizza for us and the elders.  This ward and area is so small but everyone is so close and helps and serves one another. Awww!  I swear I don’t think the next area can be as good as the last, but it is!  I meet new people and become friends with them and I just fall in love with the people in every area! 

I Love my companion she is AWESOME!!!  We have so much in common and we understand each other, I love her!  I’m glad we can be friends and visit each other after our mission, because we for sure will(:   Remember that return missionary that served in my same mission who I talked to and ate lunch with before my mission!   Sister Kendall is friends with him and they were in the same ward!  Small world ehh??!!  Mom the CTR rings you sent me for Christmas were in Spanish BHAHAHA!!  But hey, it doesn’t matter, it still means the same thing!  Portuguese is CTR also haha!

Okay so last week a sweet member didn’t like a picture of her on my camera and instead of deleting one picture she deleted all of my pictures and videos!  I sat there with my heart sinking when I realized what she had done.  I had pictures and video of me and Sister Matos opening the Christmas presents my parents had sent to us.  I also had pictures and videos of myself and Sister Kendall on my 20^th birthday celebrating with members and also opening my presents from home.  I knew my mom would love all those pictures and videos and I was excited to send them to her.  I told Sister Kendall that everything had been erased and she about started crying for me.  I had tons of emotions go through my head how I could react, cry, yell, scream, be angry, but instead I didn’t say anything and I grabbed Lais (the member) and gave her a big hug and told her that I loved her and that it was okay.  I just have to say that the spirit helped me in that moment be calm and realized that these are just things and she is a person and I love her more than pictures.  Sister Kendall was astonished at my calm reaction, I was too, but I know my reaction was only like this because I had the spirit with me.  It was a special experience.(:

I love you all.   Thanks for all the emails and letters they make me HAPPY!! 

-SISTER SMITH

This is Lais I LOVE HER, SHE IS THE CLASSIC BRAZILIAN, just BEAUTIFUL!(:

Cosme and Daman and their fam bam!!

I love this kid, Jeni, he has got so much swag!!  

Word with our Jeni boy! 

Migel

I want a doggy like this one…..awwwww

Week 24!

My new area….Caldas Novas!

Week 24—Jan.4, 2016

I just got assigned to my FIRST AMERICAN COMPANIAN!!! WOOT WOOT!!  Sister Kendell is from Nebraska but she lived in Utah for 2 years before her mission!  She is so awesome!  She has been in the mission for 4 months and as you know I have been in for 5!  The Lord has some big faith in us newbee´s (; But she is super smart and is helping me with Portuguese which is a blessing.  And it’s easier for us to understand each other because....well, we both speak English.  So when I don’t know a word, I can just say it in English and right way we know what each other are talking about....it’s kind of awesome!  It’s better than being confusion for 10 minutes trying to figure out a word! But we don’t speak English to each other only Portuguese...I literally have forgot English. hahaha(: 

Caldas Novas is 3 hours from Goiania and 2 hours from Rio Verde! It is a lot smaller here, it’s a little town, more like Rio Verde!  It’s different but Sister Kendell has been here for 2 transfers (3 months) so that always helps. (:

Yesterday was my first Sunday here and we had Elder Diaz who is a quorum of the 70 speak to us in a little church of only 74 people.  President Kuceki came to visit too!  It was super special and he talked a lot about the simple things that we need to remember everyday! He talked about the commandments and how we need to keep them because the world is getting worse and worse.  He talked a lot about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.  I loved this because this is the hardest thing for investigators.  God gave us our lives, bodies, families, everything, and he blesses us everyday.  Without him we are nothing.  We have 6 other days in the week to do whatever we want and only one sacred day for God..our creator.  It is crucial that we go to church on Sunday partake of the sacrament, remember and renew our covenants with our God.  We feel the spirit, we feel inspired and uplifted to become better, more like our Savior.  We don’t go shopping or do regular things like play on facebook or instagram.  We read the scriptures, sleep (this is my favorite part of Sundays) and we remember the one person that gave us it all.  Sundays are the BEST!!  Keep the Sabbath Day Holy people it’s so simple and easy to remember but so easy to not follow.  It was a special talk, I loved it.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes can’t believe I’m half way to forty...AHHHH"!!!

-SISTER SMITHIE