BE WEIRD

I can't even put into words how great it was to "see" you all yesterday. That was one of the best feelings in the world!!! I loooove our fam and to all "be together", it was such a strength. And luckily it wasn't a distraction at all- just motivated me to work my tooshie off these next 18 months.

This past week has been a roller-coaster and a half. But I still have felt of the Lord's tender mercies and personal strength He gives me each day. Literally. The power that comes from Him is sooo so real. I can promise each of you that!

A favorite from the week happened yesterday in gospel principles (in the YSA branch). We had a lesson on covenants and specifically the baptismal covenant. The Spirit was definitely there, thick, and at the end of the lesson Marilyn (our awesome investigator!!) bore testimony. She shared with all of us her first experience in attending church. She said that she immediately thought we were all weird. (Referring to members of the church in general) She said that we all talk differently, act differently, and are just WEIRD. She said that she didn't quite know what to do with this weirdness but that she is now at a point in her life where she wants to be weird with us! She bore testimony that she knew we had something she did not and that she wants that in her life. She shared how touched she continually is to see the love and service that members give to everyone around them. This was a testimony to me that there are always people watching! The people that we are and the examples of our lives will impact soooo many people, more than we are aware of. We ARE kinda weird as members of the church- only because we are different than the world. We have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are members of HIS church. I think that that entitles us to be a little weird. I invite each of you to embrace being different and allow yourself to stand out. Be a light for others and boldly share this good news and light/strength that is available to everyone!

We found a couple new investigators this week through part member families, which was awesome and I will keep you posted on their progress :) I LOVE being a missionary. I truly desire with all of my heart to fulfill my purpose here in Kansas. I know that there are more people the Lord has prepared for us to teach here.

Another favorite experience this week was with Bonnie. (Bon bon, who I just adore and love!!) We showed up to invite her to church for Mother's Day and give her some cookies. She looked really shook up/scared. She explained to us that there was this really scary man that hid in her apartment and the police just took him away. (she is the one that lives at that suuper sketchy motel....) My heart literally broke for her! She just kept shaking and was on the verge of tears. It hurt to see one of our sisters living like that. We asked what we could do to help her and all she asked for was a hug. I gave her a hug and we asked if we could come in and pray with her. We weren't there for long but I can testify that the Spirit filled her room and there was such a feeling of comfort and serenity. This is the scripture I felt to share with her:

"Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction. O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever."

I am so grateful for the light, comfort, and strength that Christ can give us each day.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the love and support. I love you guys!

Sister Smartt

Sis Hannah and Sahar

Sis's Dunlap and Dunbar took us out to lunch
 last pday to this place.  It is sooo cool!!!

Being ridiculous at Dist lunch

E. Hamelwright & E. Pack - served around
them for quite awhile

Early morning sports!

Mowing the Swope's lawn! Finding all kind of new hobbies!

This past week was super great here in Derby. There is always so much that happened and I can never recall all of the miracles/tender mercies that we experience. But I will do my best to share a couple of them!

Yesterday by far was the best surprise miracle ever! So after attending the Ridgepoint ward and hearing an incredible testimony meeting, we raced over to the YSA branch. I love that it is a small group. Everyone is super close and it reminds me of like EFY or even missionary testimony meetings since we are all the same age and such. Anyways, guess who bore their testimony!?!!? MARILYN. Holy cow it was the best thing ever. She got up there and bore such a powerful testimony that she believes this church is true and that the BOM is true. She said that the Holy Spirit told her to get up there and tell everyone that. Maybe she made me want to cry I was so happy for her!! As a missionary I feel like we are the "parents" of those we teach and when they progress it is like the best feeling in the world! Marilyn is back in business and truly wants to be baptized. She rushed to talk to President Beeson after sacrament meeting and told him that she is ready and wants to be baptized. Miracle!

We are really striving to get more members out with us. And not just the typical sisters that always do.. but everyone! We are ALL involved in this great work and we ALL have strengths to contribute. So on Thursday we had a sister from the YSA branch come out with us. She is suuuper quiet/doesn't like talking to strangers. But I just adore her and was determined to make it a great experience for her. We talked to soo many people that day and were able to hand out 3 copies of the Book of Mormon! She said it was super awkward/hard at times but that she loved it. And a huge focus that day was literally talking to everyone. Thinking back to the beginning of my mission and how far I have come in turning my fears over to the Lord, I am amazed. The Atonement is so real and the gospel is here to change us. I know that its power is SO so real.

We are still working with a ton of less actives and many are still progressing! It is incredible to be a part of their journey back into activity. Also, we had a ward party on Friday. It was a blaaast!! There were some nonmembers there which was great. It was a carnival theme and they had one booth to pie the bishop in the face. I totally volunteered to get pied as well but no one would! Wooses.

So when Sis H was sick again this week, I studied a tooooon in the New Testament. As well as a bunch of talks about the Atonement. I love the gospel! And I just want to be a missionary forever. But here is a favorite from my studies:

"“Grace shall be as your day”—what an interesting phrase. We have all sung it hundreds of times, but have we stopped to consider what it means? “Grace shall be as your day”: grace shall be like a day. As dark as night may become, we can always count on the sun coming up. As dark as our trials, sins, and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the grace of Jesus Christ. Do we earn a sunrise? No. Do we have to be worthy of a chance to begin again? No. We just have to accept these blessings and take advantage of them. As sure as each brand-new day, grace—the enabling power of Jesus Christ—is constant. Faithful pioneers knew they were not alone. The task ahead of them was never as great as the power behind them."

-from "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox (a favorite for sure!)

I love you all. But seriously I do. And I pray for you by name each day. I can feel how much our Father in Heaven loves you too!

Sister Smartt
ps see you next week!!!!! And happy Mother's day to madre!

Crrepy dolls from our ZL's in Topeka...hahaha sooo funny!

I love Kansas skies!

Catherine, only member in her fam. Suuuper powerful visit
with her, reading the BOM

Sis Sorenson! We made scarves with her. Super fun and
has totally inspired me - I want to sew!

Buenos dias!! our new district will be all Spanish so I better start practicing

haha.

It was a good week! Very busy and flew by........ I am excited for a new

transfer but my mind is just blown. I literally feel like I got to Derby 3 days

ago. I don't even know how that just happened. 

As I was just telling mom.. I hope to at least see a tornado! I am in Kansas so

I better!!!  (Lot's of warnings over the weekend)

This week is transfers and Sister Hannah and I will both be staying another

transfer here in Derby. I am happy to have a new transfer and a fresh start

to work our hardest and to see miracles these next six weeks!!

We had a good week, minus the fact that all 3 of our investigators that

were preparing for baptism have kind of fell off the face of the earth....

We have faith that they will pick right up though and continue pressing

forward. It's a new week in the service of the Lord. We are going to work

harder and smarter and become more like the missionaries that the Lord

would have us become.

Here is a poem that I LOVED this past week:

"My life is but a weaving

Between my Lord and me;

I cannot choose the colors

He worketh steadily.

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow

And I in foolish pride,

Forget that He seeth the upper,

And I the under side.

Not till the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly,

Shall God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful

In the Weaver's skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned."

(Anonymous)

Our Father in Heaven truly does have a plan for EACH of us. I know this to

be true. I know that it's hard to trust in Him but if and when we do that,

life is so simple. We are all on this path to prepare to return back to Him

and I am grateful for the restored gospel to help us get there. I know this

is His Church! I love you all.

Sister Smartt

ps I get to "see" you in just a few short weeks (via Skype of course)!! 

Kansas shirts-Sis McDermot, Sis Hannah, Sis Blood

The C.H.O.S.E.N District

Biking up a storm!!

Georgeous green fields - I love it!!

Sahar (most amazing recent convert ever!!!) and Sis Hannah!

Typical!

Dying Easter eggs with the Hood's!

Heart attacking Sis Swope for her bday!!

Happy Easter yesterday!!! What a treat celebrating the Resurrection of our Savior as a full time missionary. I was soooo happy and overwhelmed with gratitude yesterday. Also, happy anniversary to mom and dad tomorrow!! You old farts ;) But seriously you are both AMAZING and I could never repay you for all of your love/support/examples. Just know that I love you so sooso much and miss you both like crazy.

This past week Sister Hannah and I worked HARD. Holy cow it is the best feeling in the world knowing that we literally gave it our all for the Lord. We were on foot most of the week so that resulted in meeting tons of people, looots of walking, biking, and a real nice sun burn haha. Okay but probably the most ridiculous day was Friday. We had planned to bike out to check on this less active family that we hadn't met. From the address, we didn't think it was too far.. but we ended up biking like 12,000 miles. Maybe I am being dramatic but it was seriously the craziest adventure. And we loved it! Also we met the less active brother and he was super nice- built a relationship with him. He even showed us around his property, which he had built a legit mini train track that you can ride on!! It was sooooo cool. I freaking love Kansas hahaha.

Our numbers didn't show it but we worked sooo hard! And members were out with us so much, it was incredible. Our investigators are doing well! Megan's baptism will probably be pushed back a bit.. she was sick this past week so we haven't been able to teach her! And her fam was out of town for Easter so she wasn't able to come to church. Marilyn has surgery today on her foot and today was also her goal day of being ALL done with the cigs. Keep her in your prayers :) We  found 4 new investigators this week- 3 of which we had to hand off to the Spanish elders.. and then Austin (girl) is a sophomore in high school that we are meeting with tomorrow! Meeting her was a miracle and I knew that the Lord led us to her. It was one of those overwhelming missionary feelings of "ohh this is why I am out here." Those are my fave.

I am sooo not even kidding when I say that yesterday was the best Easter ever!!!! I loved it so much! All of the programs/lessons at both the ward and branch were amazing. And to top it all off, we had a fireside last night with President Bell. It was for investigators, recent converts, and less actives that we are working with. AMAZING. I seriously just couldn't stop crying because the Spirit was so strong and because I KNOW that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. Nothing is more powerful than hearing a testimony of one of our brothers and sisters that was lost and is now found. It was such a cool evening/testimony meeting all centered around the Atonement and our Savior.

"I believe in Christ, so come what may." 
We sang the hymn "I Believe in Christ" twice yesterday and this line was sticking out so strong to me. I love you all!

Sister Smartt