This week has been a FANTASTIC one! I´m not even sure where to begin!
Tuesday morning, we went out at 6:30 to find snow! First snow of the year that has actually stuck! It was pretty for the first hour or so...but now after a week of walking in it, we are extremely ready for Mexico! (Where it is sunny and 70 degrees every day!) On Tuesday, we also started teaching our new investigators for the first time this week, Laura and Christofer. Laura is really hard to get through to but Christofer is doing awesome! During our second lesson with him, we both felt strongly that we needed to commit him to baptism, which we definitely weren't planning on. And he said yes! It was so exciting! We also had an amazing devotional Tuesday night. Elder Ballard was supposed to come speak to us, but he got snowed in up in Salt Lake! So instead, Bruce C Hafen came and it was spectacular. I absolutely love the devotionals here at the MTC!
On Wednesday, we did TRC for the first time! There is where we go and practice with members, teaching them a lesson and they give us feedback. One of the sisters, Hermana Applegate was super sweet. We shared the Restoration with her (I can now recite the First Vision completely in Spanish!) and she shared a little message about how we all have our own "sacred groves", moments when we have called upon God with all our hearts, searching for answers. And he always answers, even though they're not in visions. But they are still so meaningful to us. I loved that!
Thursday and Friday were pretty normal days...haha. Oh, except I got a special package of HEATHER'S AMAZING COOKIES on Friday! Yummmmmmmmy! Totally made my week. They were so good. And my district loved them! Gracias, sweet sister!
Saturday was a crazy day, but really awesome. We started by doing service (cleaning the cafeteria) then had gym, and then, when we were in the middle of studying, our building had to be evacuated! I guess there was a huge gas leak at one end of the building! They had to call the fire department and everything! So that was crazy! I also had my first funny language moment on Saturday... so during our lesson with Laura, I wanted to ask her "Do you desire to be better, Laura?" Well...I got a couple words mixed up. the word for better in Spanish is "mejor". And...the word for woman is "mujere". I was so confident that I was saying the right thing when I asked her, "Do you desire to be a woman, Laura?" She gave me an extremely confused look, so I said it slower and even more earnestly! Then Hermana Linford busted up laughing and then Laura exclaimed, "OHHH! MEJOR! not mujere!" I was so confused and then Hermana Linford told me what I had really said. I am just grateful that we weren't teaching Christofer, haha!!
Then yesterday was just amazing. Sister Neill Marriott, the 2nd counselor in the General YW Presidency, came and spoke to us for RS. She talked a lot about charity, and how we can develop charity, and how it will help us as missionaries. It was just beautiful! We watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional for our Sunday night devotional (which was awesome! I hope you all watched it!) and then ended with watching the Joseph Smith movie. Love it. So great! I love Sundays here at the MTC :)
One thing that I have been working on this week is developing certain gifts of the Spirit. I decided to go through my patriarchal blessing and list the gifts that I have been asked to strive to obtain from Heavenly Father. As I have studied how to obtain this gift, and have applied what I have learned to my studying, praying and general everyday living, I have seen a great change. I have found myself seriously feasting on the word of God, and my mind has been completely overwhelmed with personal revelation. I know that God has asked me to seek this gift for a reason, and I know that it will be a lifelong process. But I have already seen how seeking after it has blessed my life, my desires as a missionary, and my ability to teach others. I encourage all of you to search your patriarchal blessings this week, and really seek (or continue to seek) after a gift that the Lord would like you to develop. I know that it will bless your life, just as it has begun to bless mine!
I love all of you so much! You are amazing examples to me, and I know that I wouldn't be where I am without you! Have a fantastic week!
With all my love,
Hermana Smith
For the pictures:
First picture is my zone! Most of them left this morning, it was so sad! But we get two new districts this week!
Second is with two of the sisters that left, Hermanas Hill and Costley, and Sister Marrcov, our branch´s first counselors wife
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