Zechariah 6:8

I miss Canada! I miss Raymond! I miss Raymond summer! I miss Canada Day! Happy Canada Day tomorrow! People try to make me feel better about life and say " You only miss one Christmas!" Little do they understand that Raymond summer is the only thing that makes the world go around especially Canada day. I could do without Christmas but I could never survive without Canada Day. These are true words! I'm not being dramatic. I'm sure my older brother would support that statement; that is that I'm a crazy for Canada Day and not into as Christmas as I should be. 

This week was great! Turns out I didn't end up being in a trio for a week. There was more craziness in the mission and my last companion was needed. My new companion is from Oregon: she's 19, blonde, and she loves theater and science. She is a really good teacher and talks to everyone. I have nothing even remotely bad to say about the chap. I also have never heard her complain so that's always pleasant. 

My sweet investigator got baptized on Tuesday! He's been going to church with his stepmom since he was about 10 and now that he is 18 he was ready to get baptized. He got the gift of the Holy Ghost and the priesthood on Sunday and he's going to the temple for baptisms this week. It's a dream come true. Sometimes I feel really confused with life on the mission because I feel like I'm just there and somewhere along the way people get baptized. I don't understand it at all but I am so glad that I am along for the ride. The gospel is amazing!

Can I just say that it is getting so hot in Las Vegas, Nevada. I forgot how hot, hot, hot, hot, hot it is here? Sunscreen is my best friend; right after the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, and my companion. I also some how have it stuck in my head that I am getting too many freckles so I am applying that stuff every other hour and then some. 

My investigator has read all of 1st and 2nd Nephi in 2 weeks but it's so sad because he said that it just doesn't influence him but he's committed to read the whole book. I saw my cute little 9 year old pal after his baptism. His Dad gave him a playful pat on the back and he said "Dad, you hit my Holy Ghost." ahhh that's so cute. 

I gave a talk in church yesterday. It might have been my finest hour. I told everyone that we need to be more confident like Christ. I said "I promise you that people are only as awkward as you are." I then went on to tell people that at the end of Christ ministry people just expected him to perform  miracles and that is how it is with nonmembers. They just expect us to invite them to dinner, to church, to read the Book of Mormon, to meet with the missionaries. They are just waiting for it. Don't worry I'll quickly put in a request to the Bishop to perform the same talk when I get home. Well, God is good always." 

Mosiah 8:18

This week was so great. I know I say that every week but on the mission so many miracles happen everyday that I usually get overwhelmed with how amazing things are happening. I just love my companion and my area so much. To give you an idea of what I mean I will give you a highlight from each day this past week. 

Monday: We taught a little nine year old about the sacrament and his lip started to quiver and he said "You're going to make me cry." We asked him why and he said "This is just a really good lesson." Doesn't that just melt your heart?

Tuesday: On Sunday I had a feeling to visit a member but I just thought "If we visit her great, if not that's okay." Then when we planned for Tuesday I felt like Tuesday was the day so we stopped by. After we knocked she didn't open the door for a while but we just waited. When she finally came she invited us in and we asked how she was doing she said "Not good but I guess that is why you came." She went on to tell us that they had only been home for ten minutes and that they just got home from the doctor who told them that their little 5 year old daughter has epilepsy. It was heartbreaking. We had a very powerful,spiritual lesson as we spoke about having an attitude of "Thy will be done." 

Wednesday: We taught a whole family the Restoration! They have four kids. It was so fun! We all sat down in a circle on the carpet and talked about how much Heavenly Father loves us and how He speaks to us in lots of ways including: prayer, scriptures, prophets, and through our feelings. 

Thursday: Our investigator read ALL of 1 Nephi! We thought he was joking but oh no, he read it all. He said "Well I would just read it when I had a spare minute; here and there." 

Friday: The members just showered us with love. We had a member take us to lunch, a different member take us to dinner, and then a different member take us out to ice cream. It's just so nice to be loved especially when you are away from home. 

Saturday: A family that I taught for 7 months in my last year got baptized!! The Spirit was incredibly strong and I just sobbed. The Dad's Dad passed away and after the baptism he bore his testimony and spoke about how he felt he was there tonight. I gave the opening prayer and cried, and then I didn't stop crying until the end. We also had an impromtue musical number by me and another set of sisters in the area. It was just silent when they were changing and someone was like "Sisters sing." I don't know what happened but next thing I know I'm up there in a trio. 

Sunday: We had a brief lesson with our investigator who we found last week. We had told her that the Book of Mormon brings peace so after she read what we asked her to read she carried it around all week because she really, really wants peace in her life. 

Isn't being a missionary a dream come true? I am consistently in awe with the work of the Lord. I am consistently in awe at how He hears and answers my prayers ( as little in the world as I am). I am consistently in awe with how perfect His plan is. Everything always works out for us!" 

1 Kings 19:11-12

" Life in Las Vegas is great as ever. It's also as hot as ever. I hit my 14 month mark tomorrow! That makes me feel nauseous and a little excited at the same time. Life is just so safe on the mission and it's so satisfying as well. I know that I'm not going to mess anything up because this is the Lord's work and each day I am helping people come unto Christ so I am just completely content everyday. It freaks me out to think I only have 4 months left but of course I miss my family, my friends, my family, sleeping, my family, and my family. 

We had a magical, magical week. My companion and I get along so well and we are being so blessed for all our hard work. We were able to find plenty of new investigators and teach lots of lessons this week. One of the most magical moments was when we were trying to find a member to come to a lesson with us to teach our investigator who has stage 4 cancer. We asked so many people and finally just an hour before the lesson out of desperation we invited one more member and she said yes. So we go to the lesson and the member says "I think I know why the sisters invited me because cancer has a special place in my heart," and she goes on to explain how her son is a two time cancer survivor and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is how she got through it. I seriously wanted to start crying so hard right then and there because we had no idea. We had no idea that this member had plead with the Lord that morning for an opportunity to share her testimony.We had no idea her history with cancer. We had no idea that our investigator just needed someone who understood her struggle. We had no idea about anything but we just knew we needed a member. But Heavenly Father knew. He knows his children so perfectly. There has been so many times this past week that I just wanted to cry because I feel so overwhelmed with how perfectly Heavenly Father knows his children. We've just said one statement to someone and they ask us how we know that or we will share a random scripture and it just answers their question. At the beginning of my mission I was really worried about losing "myself", but now I see who really cares about yourself when you can be a shiny tool in the Lord's hands. I think that's when I've really loved my mission when I realized that hanging on to "myself" was just not cutting it anymore but when I literally gave everything over to the Lord I became my best self that I could be. So in short everything is great! I am so happy! The work is progressing at alarming speeds. My investigator who is 16 came to church. We found a family to teach and a family in my last area is getting baptized. It's like when I took off "myself" glasses I saw all the miracles that have been happening all around me. God is good, always." 

D &C 1:32

" Everything is crazy. and magical right now! I am just a massive fan of lists, I like making them, following them, and reading them. So I will list all the crazy things and then all the magical things. 

Crazy: 

-My companion got progressively sick and sicker and so she had to go home. It breaks me heart. I'm honestly obsessed with her.

- Las Vegas get's alarmingly hot, alarmingly fast. Let the sweating begin.  

- My current companion was in the Spanish ward in the same stake and President didn't give us much direction about what we are suppose to do but he just kept telling us to "assess the situation." That's vague lawyer talk for you. 

- Because we both got ripped out of our companionship, We have two phones, two apartments, four bikes, and we just gave away our second car. We are pretty much SAP's (Sister Assistant to the President which actually isn't a real thing and maybe that is a scandalous joke to some people.) 

-I've been having crazy deja vu. I would love to poll the people and see what your opinion on deja vu is because my companion tries to tell me that it means I have the gift of prophecy. 

Magical: 

-I've been companions with my current companion twice already, just for a couple of days each time so we are so excited to actually be companions. We love lots of the same things and mostly just talk about the worlds problems and the the gospel all day. 

- We met this man who claimed to be Atheist and we just kept telling him that he wasn't and then at the end of conversation he said "You know I've never met anyone that was religious and as intelligent as you two. I might just read this Book of Mormon and decide to get baptized." 

- I met a Russian women who told me that I look just like a Ukrainian/Russian girl. I felt so connected to my Smith heritage. 

- We are teaching this amazing family that the mother in law has stage 4 cancer and she is living with her daughter in law, little 2 year old grandson, and her son. They all just love each other so much and even though the mother in law is dying they are so positive and upbeat. The daughter in law is my age and she is amazing. She took in her 15 year old niece and raised her for many years,and takes care of many family members who are addicts. They are just a picture book of love. 

-My young investigator who was in the hospital is out and is at home resting. He is the best. He had to cancel a lesson and said "but don't worry, I still have faith and a desire to be baptized." What a dream. 

-We had a missionary meeting where we talked about how we need to have joy everyday. It just made my heart happy. 

I am just madly in love with being a missionary right now. It's so funny because when look back at all I've learned this past year I feel bigger. I don't know how to explain it but I just feel bigger not that my waist line has gotten bigger but my testimony, my heart, my desire, everything has just grown. I'm one happy ginger missionary."

Ether 12:4

Yahoo, how is everyone? I am doing great. I'm just obsessed with my mission, and day dream about ways that I can stay as intense about the gospel forever as I am right now. Missionaries dream big eh? We had a pretty great week. Every week is great when your companion and you are both from Canada and you are both comedians in your spare time. Since I never have any time to email and because I know how much people love to read bullet points I'll give you the highlights. 

Highlights from the past week:

-I ran into one of my favorite less active girls from my first area! Turns out she's a nanny for a family in this area. It was a dream to see her. 

- Some old Hawaiians played the ukulele for us and gave us chocolate. 

- We taught my favorite 9 year old investigator the ten commandments. He told us he was excited to be obedient to Heavenly Father; that makes a heart melt. 

-Our investigator who was sick in the hospital is home and a member gave us a quad to give to him.

- We ate falafels. Jerusalem is forever in my heart. 

- We had a magical, magical zone conference. It was SO good. It was my last one with my mission president and his wife so they told us everything that they wanted us to know! Mostly they warned us against pornography but they talked a lot about learning how the Spirit works for you as well. 

- I had exchanges with a sister I was in the MTC with and we know tons of the same people from Provo. It felt like a slummer party! It was so fun! She's also a ginger. 

- We went to the temple! I saw so many people from my last area. One lady said to me "See you tonight Sister Smith! I was like "..ummm I got transferred." She was  "You did?" Well I was flattered because it's been almost 3 months since I have been gone. I mean I was there for 8 months so she probably thinks I just bought a house there. 

- I just love my ward so much. 

It was a great week, so many miracles that I can't even explain. There are so many sacred things on the mission that I just get to treasure forever. I'm learning endlessly. Life is great. God is good. The church is true. 

Helaman 12:5

"Hello everyone! It was a great great,great week but to be honest every week as a missionary is a great week. Since today in Memorial day and we are emailing at a member's house I need to make this fast; so I am going to do a nice bullet point summery of our past week. 

Monday: We saw the cute little 9 year old who we are teaching. I was busting a gut because last week he gave us a rock to paint for him to be a prayer rock. Then I guess he went to get the rock and it was gone because he gave it to us, but this is how he tells the story: "I came down stairs to get the rock and it's gone, and I say "they stole it?" He kept asking us how come some missionaries steal. I was dying laughing. Just for clarification he gave us the rock;we didn't steal it. 

Tuesday: Today is a little interrupted because Sister Thomas sprained her ankle so we had to go to the doctor. I made her get the shot of drugs into her ankle. She yelled! It was really funny!  (everyone wants to be companions with me!)

Wednesday: Sadly our little 16 year old investigator was in the hospital because of this really crazy story but the long, and short of it was his kidneys were failing so he was getting them flushed. He was there for a week but we were able to visit him. He was telling us that all the nurses liked him because he's nice to them. He's an angel boy. 

Thursday: So there is a boy in our ward who's been coming to church every single week for 8 years, and now that he's 18 he wants to get baptized. He's doesn't really like missionaries for some reason but we told me that we are the gate keepers here so he has to take the lessons. To get back at us he told us we can teach him everything that he needs to know in 3 lessons. Well let me tell you friendships are made when you talk about the gospel. He loves us now and we love him, and he's going to get baptized. 

Friday: We had a sisters conference that was just a love fest of sister power. Our ward mission leader took us to supper and I lost my planner. It was a very eventful day. 

Saturday: We went to a baptism. Baptisms are a dream come true. I think everyone should get baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (see what I did there?) 

Sunday: Church is always a joy, we had supper at the Bishops which is always a joy, and we got 3 new investigators which is always a joy. One of them has been taught by the Elders and just moved into our ward so he's just ready to be baptized. Blessings from above. 

Life is great, being a missionary is a treat, and I love you all!