Sister Smith: March 2016

Monday, March 28, 2016

Week 36!

Our Savior's Gift

Week 36-- March 28, 2016

My companion is super awesome!!(: Dad, don’t get too excited, but before her mission she went to the RUSH concert! I may or may not have had to sing the first line of Tom Sawyer….(; Oh and don’t ask how old her boyfriend is, that is a different story. Sister Kendell has seen all the movie classics we´re talking, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Far and Away, It’s a Wonderful Life, Princess Bride, The Scarlet Pimpernel, etc. This whole week we have been singing ooooooh, oooh, a man can’t sleep, when he sleeps with sheeep, BAM (clap our hands)! Oh, its the best hehe(;

On May 8th I get to TALK TO YOU GUYS!!(: This week is CONFERENCE YOU GUYS!! I am so excited!!! Everyone tune in and take good notes because everything our prophets and apostles say are inspired and revelation that we all NEED to know!!

Okay Kylie, can you please get a job with Disney or the Liahona because...they need help with their drawings. P.S. I love you and miss you and Elder Contreras thinks you are wayyyy beautiful, he wanted me to tell you!

So yesterday was one of the very best most special Easters EVER!! During Relief Society I had so many thoughts, I was crying and feeling the spirit so strong, it was so special! The atonement of Jesus Christ is so wonderful! It’s for all of us and yet it’s so personal. Our Savior knows every sorrow, every sin, the guilt we feel, everything that we don’t want others to know about. He has felt every pain we’ve ever gone through, are going through, and will go through. He knows the blessings we need, he knows the desires of our hearts, and he knows who we are and who we can become. He suffered for us so we don’t have to suffer. Because of him we don’t have to feel the pain, the sadness, the sorrow, the guilt, because we can be forgiven of the things we have done wrong and we can become a little better tomorrow. We don’t have to cry or be sad about a loved one passing away because death has no sting, we will live again, just like our Savior. He paid the price, because of Him, we have an infinite atonement, it’s perfect. We have this gift that is perfect and that is free, but he doesn’t force us to take it! He lets us choose. We get to choose if we want to become better, if we want to have God in our life. He is always there, it is us that decides to have him in our life or not. He never leaves our side, it is us that leaves his side. The next time you are suffering, the next time you feel alone, just remember someone so great, so wonderful has already been there so you don’t have to. Just remember, our perfect, magnificent brother has been through more than you or I will ever go through. We can live in faith, hope, trust, and always have love and gratitude in our hearts for our Savior and know that every trial, every challenge we face here, we can overcome, with Him.

I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!!! I love him and I am so grateful for what he did for you and me!!

Have a great week!!

-Sister Smithie poo

Our last picture with Cosme and Daman before they moved to another area :(

This is literally a picture of me in action, I didn't know Sister was taking the next 2 pictures. This is what the doors look like in Brazil!

We clap at peoples doors, but if they don't come I knock super loud with my umbrella. I'm obnoxious I know..but I mean come on! This is salvation we are talking about! ehhee! And sometimes they have this speaker phone thing that we press. So we do one of those 3 to things to get them to come to the door.

I want this tree in my ward too!!(:

EU AMO ANDANDO NA RUA EM BRAZIL!!!

GUYS look at the circus..isnt it cute?

I love this STUFF!!!!!!!

This memeber in Rio Verde made this journal for me(:^And gave it to Sister Amaral and they gave it to me! Isn't it so pretty!!(:

This street is beautiful!

Look at this goat, or lamb I can't remember what it was.

I love my companion(:

This was my planner I made for last transfer and this one is for this transfer

the eu sei que ele vive is for now.

This picture is of me and Sister Kendell walking up to a house isn't it beautiful?!

This day was a rough one. Fasting, addresses that didn't exist, pouring rain. haha

Just look at our faces (;

This Book, The Book of Mormon,

O LIVRO DE MORMON EVERYONE!!
It is sooo true(:

I did Sisters hair all cute and stuff (;

Before photo shop and after..hehehehe

Monday, March 21, 2016

Week 35!

18 Weeks in Caldas Novas!

Week 35—March 21, 2016

I am staying here in Caldas Novas for the 3rd transfer!!! Woot woot! With Sister Kendell...she´s American people, so we can hang out after our mission (: For all of you that don’t know, we only speak Portuguese to each other! We have to practice Portuguese so we don’t speak any English. The only time we speak English to each other is if we don’t know a word in Portuguese. Elder Contreras (from Chile) and Elder Yanqui (from Peru) have never heard of a district staying together for 3 transfers and not having just one person leave. Heavenly Father has great confidence in us to keep us here for this long. This doesn’t happen very often! In our mission there are only 6 American sisters and the rest are Brazilians or Hispanics. I think there are about 35 sisters and about 150 Elders. I feel honored to be serving here in Goiania. I love Sister Kendell, she is so awesome and super smart! We have so many things planned for after the mission. We have a bucket list together.(: We have decided we will only talk in Portuguese when we are together after our missions. The elders are great, they like to learn English and they like to tease….especially Sister Smith! They think I’m super funny and a dumb blonde...idk why? Elder Contrerars and I are either laughing and joking or arguing. haha Oh, the love between us and the Elders. They are like brothers to me. It’s kind of weird having brothers your same age who speaking a different language.(; No, I love the Elders and they will be awesome future leaders of the church!

This week was extremely slow and a little hard for me. I have really been leaning on the atonement and how I can become a better missionary and instrument in the Lord’s hands. I have been thinking so much about our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, (I talked about this a couple weeks ago) how they are not just Gods, but they are individuals with personalities. They like to laugh, they are funny, loving, and they are so good. They are everything good in this world and more. I am so grateful for a God who has so much love for his children that he wants us to become just like him and make worlds and have success. I am so grateful for a Savior that is so real. I have seen his hand teaching, and guiding me everyday on my mission. I know he puts me in situations to help me grow. He lets things happen to us for us to become better people. He won’t give us anything that we can’t handle. I have been put in awkward situations, situations where I can choose to get discouraged and sad, or be happy and look for the good in everything. When I am walking down the street and see for the 3rd time that week a dead rat in the road, I can choose to not freak out and overcome my fear (I’m still working on this one). When I smell really gross things, I can choose not to say anything. When my Portuguese isn’t as good as I would like it to be and someone gives me a correction, I can choose to take it and say thank you or get frustrated and discouraged and be sad. (I’m grateful for Elder Yanqui and his help...these Elders are so nice and always help me with my Portuguese.) I’m not perfect, I’m still learning to become better everyday, but these situations are always there...things like this will always happen, but we choose how we react to them. We can choose to learn from these experiences or we can be bitter and hold on to bad habits. Remember, God won’t give us any challenge that we can’t handle.

I love my mission. I love everyday. It’s not always easy, but it’s the best thing in the world. I feel honored to have the opportunity to serve Gods children, to walk with his angels, and to prepare the world for the second coming of our Savior.

I LOVE BRASIL!!!

-Sister Smith

Rodrigus (that we taught and he was baptized) gave us money because he knows we are poor missionaries and we decided to buy this to always remember him here in Caldas Novas!

Awe Isn't this so adorable?

I can't remember if I already sent this…..

but this is the baptism of Caroline with her parents and grandma and the bishop.

We visited this Japanese garden on p-day with Patricia, Caroline and Rafiela..it was a blast!!!(:

Monday, March 14, 2016

Week 34!

8 months!

Week 34—March 14, 2016

Wow! Every week in the mission, is incredible! I always learn so much. This week I have really learned a lot about the gift of the atonement. In the mission I have seen my imperfections more than ever. I have been trying so hard to better myself each day and to really use the atonement more fully in my life. We don’t have to feel guilty of our mistakes or be sad because someone already suffered for all of them. We just have to use this wonderful gift called repentance and we are washed clean. We never have to have another worry in our mind because everyday we have the opportunity to become better, more like our Savior. This gift is always there....whether you use it or not. Christ suffered your pains, and your sorrows so you don’t have to! Never forget it!!

I love you all!!

-Sister Smith