In less than a week I will get to skype ya'll for Mother's Day, whoowhoo! What the crazy. So excited though! Oh and ps I am still in southern belle training so that's where the ya'll came from. Sister Spivey is training me well, she even fed us bisquits and gravy for breakfast the other day.

 

This past week was an interesting one. Let's start with one of the coolest things that happened though. So I was having kind of a rough morning, wishing we could go out and work but my comp has still been sick.. then we got to the Libery Jail and not gonna lie my spirits were pretty down. I was reading through the site guide that we study from and lo and behold, came across THEODORE TURLEY. (great great great gpa) I seriously got so excited and had to tell everyone. He was a member of the committee of Removal. Which consisted of seven men (Brigham Young and John Taylor being two of those) and they were in charge of helping the saints move to Illinois when they were driven from Missouri. He was also at the meeting in Far West on April 26th, 1839 which is also a way cool story. Wanna hear something even cooler? Finding this seriously turned my day around and got me so stoked to be here and then I get a package from my paps who just happened to have sent me the history of Theodore Turley that day. Like what? Could you be any more inspired dad?.. Reading about him and all of the church history here has been so so cool. He actually came to the Liberty Jail to visit Joseph Smith! This has changed the way I look at the history and I know this is one of the reasons I was called here. I feel so personally connected to the Libery Jail and all this history now. Tender mercy.

 

This weather here is insane! It had started warming up and Spring "was here". Tricked us for sure. It was bloody hot up in our loft attic room one day and then the next it was a blizzard outside. Insane! Time for some miracle stories. The elders weren't able to find a teamup so they gave us a new investigator! Her name is Nana and she is so so cool. She is from Egypt and her English is very good but come to find out, she reads better in Arabic so after teaching her the Restoration and finding this out, we ordered her an Arabic Book of Mormon. We went to our return appointment and she wasn't home which was a huge bummer.. On our way out of her apartment complex though, we met JOHN! He is sooo awesome! You wouldn't even believe it. So come to find out, he reads in Arabic also. His family moved from Sudan like ten years ago. And we just happened to have that Arabic Book of Mormon in our hands. Coincidence? I think not. We told him about the Book of Mormon and he read from the Arabic one a little and got so so excited. He translated some of it and it was incredible. But we gave him one in English (he likes English better now and his Arabic is a tad rusty). He took the Book of Mormon and put it to his heart and almost started crying he said "Thank you, thank you sooo much. I need this right now." He started telling us more about the trials he is going through and my heart probably broke in twelve pieces. His wife died a couple years ago, leaving him to raise his 5-year-old autistic son. His mom is battling breast cancer and she lives with him as well. He isn't able to work right now because he doesn't have anyone to watch his son.. John invited us in to their apartment to meet his mom, Adakcin (Uh-Da-Shin)- took me many a tries to figure that one out. Anyways, we prayed with them and set a return appointment for Tuesday (tomorrow). They said they wished they could come to church but they were leaving that day for a funeral in Iowa. My heart broke a little more. I love these people so much and they said they are so happy they met us. I know how much comfort and strength the gospel of our Savior can bring them, and I can't wait to share that with them.

From a letter written to Emma from Joseph Smith while in the Libery Jail: "Our circumstances are calculated to awaken our spirits to a sacred remembrance of everything and we think that yours are also, and that nothing therefore can separate us from the love of God." I want John and Adakcin and Isaac to feel of this love. So so bad.

 

We visited many less actives this past week and found some new investigators. Many laughing attacks this past week as well. Sister Erickson and I found the awkward fam photos section in Walmart on p day and about died laughing for a good half hour. It was fantastic. Also, Sister Castellano and I have been having a battle with the sisters below us (Sister Sibbett and Sister Thurston). They scared us soooo bad one night so we have been retaliating and it's been great fun. They put the nastiest hair ball in our study room which scared the crap out of us. So we of course connected it to a string and lowered it through their vent and dropped it as they walked in...muahah.

 

We also had a mission wide fast this past weekend. President Keyes asked us all to unite in a fast for this upcoming mission division. And he promised us that if we have the attitude of "Thy will be done" and "Come what may and love it" the Lord WILL bless us with MIRACLES. In our personal lives and in our areas. I love this work and I love this mission.

 

Oh PS we helped out at the Kansas City Temple Run. They had a 5k around the temple and it was soooooo much fun. And I've never been more cold in my life, it was like this brutal mist coming from the sky for the four hours we were out there. But so worth it! Oh and we met the Royals Pitcher. He was so awesome and he is LDS, told us all about his mission. (pic included)

 

I love you all. Happy early Mother's Day mom I love you soooo stinking much.

 

Love,

Sister Smartt

 

PSS the church is true in case you're wondering.