Week # 48 (June 29, 2015) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! IM TRAINING...

Hello folks!

Yes, you heard right, little sister smoot who still feels new is going to TRAIN. President Obeso called us at 10:59 (we go to bed at 11pm here) and you can imagine that both of our hearts dropped a little. Who gets a call from the mission president at that hour? But, it was to tell me that I´m going to train a lovely hermana from spanish fork, UT. (And i can´t remember her last name...) BUT, Holy cow. THat´s like  lot of responsiblity. But I know that it is really going to help me trust in the lord a LOT more and have that fresh new view of the mission. Basically i´m nervous, excited, and still praying. 

This week was lovely. I´ve really come to love San Pablo and my amazing companion Sister Meacham. We really wanted more time together. Good thing our homes are 10 minutes away back home! :) We´ve been able to see a lot of progress here as we really try to find the people that are going to progress.

We had a lesson with 2 investigators who we feel really have potential. Ronald and Luisa are a father and son and are really awesome. He was a reference from the other sisters in osorno and her mom didn´t really want anything to do with us the first time we talked, but she agreed to listen if we set it up with his son. And the first lesson she talked ant participated way more than her son. And the second lesson we had, they had both read the lessn 1 pamphlet COMPLETELY (including the optional additional study) and they both prayed. Luisa said to us that the ever since she talked to us wheels started turing in her head and now she has a hunger to find the truth. Her words. We were dying. They are in the process of finding their answer and we are hoping and praying that they can come to chruch. Please pray for them! To recieve their answer and come to church. We have found a few other people and we are just trying to have faith that someone really is prepared enough to make it. I know it can happen!

I love you all so much. The mission is so full of joy, pain, love, and fatigue, but i really do love it. Thank you all for the birthday wishes. They were lovely. Also, You can send me short videos if you want. :) They work.

ONWARD ever onward. Keep going keep praying. YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES YOU! :)

Hermana Smoot

Last tuesday we woke up to FROZEN. SO. COLD: Remember that it is super humid here.....I was wearing ALL of my clothes.

The spider webs froze too. 

The lovely hermana Meacham!

I was having a really bad day, and then i lost my planner. So we said a prayer and we walked FOREVER. But i found it in the street. God answers our prayers!!! 

Week # 47 ( June 22, 2015) We found a pig in the street this morning #onlyinsanpab

Companion: Hna Meacham
Serving In: San Pablo, Chile

HEY!! THERE IS A SUBWAY IN OSORNO. SO good!

Hello World!

Where to begin. I love san pablo. It´s lovely here and I´m learning so much and I love my companion and I don´t want transfers to come! But that is what we do. 

This week went by really really fast. And we are continuing finding people and trying to find the chosen one (yes that´s a harry potter reference) There are so many people here that are so willing to listen and our ward is willing to help us, but it´s the real progress that is hard here. But we are trying really hard and I know that there will be results with faith. Sometimes when there aren´t a ton of high numbers you feel like you are doing something wrong, but I know that god works with imperfect people to get his work done. And i feel like i´m doing what i can without putting myself over the edge. So with diligence and faith, we are going to see miracles.

Speaking of miracles, Marcos wants to pay his tithing!

Marcos is the husband of Marion. She is an investigator that was a day away from her baptism (before i got here) and her aunt sent her a whole bunch of anti mormon stuff and now has a ton of doubts. But her husband is a less active member and so we are focusing ourselves in strenghtening him. We are taught them tithing the other day and before getting very far in the lesson, he asked us, ÿa but how do you do it. LIke the little paper thing? How do it fill it out? We didn´t have an envelope and form (forehead slap) but we told him we would show him on sunday. Then we had to stop by their hous the other day and without saying anything he aksed us when we were going to bring the envelepe and form. Then he reminded us like 3 times before we left. And we were flipping out. Who wants to pay tithing that much!? It was amazing. and we are hoping as he completes with everthing and goes on to get the priesthood he is going to be able to help his wife get  baptized.

I don´t have anymore time, but just know that i love the mission so much! I really am so grateful to be here and i know that this chruch is true with all my  heart and i´m where i should be. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Love,

Hermana Smoot
Ps MOM thank you sosososososos much for the packages. It got SO cold this week and my feet have been so cozy. And SPROUTS i was dying. YOu know me so well. i feel so spoiled. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Also, Our english class that we teach every Saturday! It makes me want to be a teacher!

Week # 46 ( June 15, 2015) Send ME Letters!

Hello USA! And all of the other places in the world

This week went by, yes, very quickly. Megan sent me a letter telling me i had 7 1/2 months left and i about FLIPPED out. We are NOT counting down. 

This week was really great and there is not much to say. People are progressing and we are finding a lot of new people. We were able to find 2 new families this weekend! That was super amazing. One we found yesterday while we were knocking doors. All of our appointments had fallend through and it was about 4:30 and we had a long day ahead of us and nobody really wanted to talk. Becuase its sunday afternoon and cold outside. But then we saw a family bringing in all of their lumber from a truck. And we offered our help, becuase its a big project. And we started talking to them and really appreciated our help becuase we stayed there for about an hour or so till all the wood was under their shed. They then invited us inside to eat something and we were able to talk about the restoration and families. They told us we were always welcome in their home and we set up another appointment for thursday. It was amazing. God really puts these people where we are going to find them. And it never happens in the way that we want or when we want it, but in the tired, hard moments when we are showing that we are willing even when it's difficult.

I feel like I´m learning so much here about how to feel the spirit and the obedience and diligence it takes to find people and to be successful. That's not to say I'm perfect with either one of those things, but I'm trying and the lord sees all of our efforts. I really do love being here. This has been the best time ever and I'm hoping to make it the next [really long time that doesnt have a number] of my life even better!!!!! 

Live today well, keep studying the scriptures (go mom!) and LOVE. You are all beautiful. 

LOVE YOU!

Hermana Smoot

PS:

Another birthday reminder.......send me letters. :) JUNE 30th! is coming ups soon! 

HERMANA MEACHAM completed 9 months. ;) What a proud mom.

San Pablo

The lovely hna Meacham as we try to knock doors with SO MANY DOGS. One neighbor had six, the other had eight and then three dogs were following us and they were ALL BARKING. Then the guy comes and out and is totally athiest and just bashes us for about 20 minutes straight without us being able to talk. at all.  That was a fun day. 

We went to a museum today! 

Week # 45 ( June 8, 2015 ) Que Milagro

Hello lovelies.

I hope that all is well in the lovely tropical land of HAWAII. Still quite jealous here in the rain and cold. But there is sun today, so no worries. It´s almost the same.....

This week has been slightly longer that others, but full of learning and super awesome experiences. But one of them is defintinely the highlight. NURY HAS A BAPTISMAL DATE. Nury was one of the first people to listen to missionaries when the missionaries arrived to San Pablo (about 30 years ago) She has been taught on and off since then. She goes to church almost every sunday, but never could get baptized, because she smoked and couldn´t quit. We didn´t really want to visit her becuase she wasn´t progressing a ton and we wanted to find new people. But the relief society president told us that she has been a lot more involved lately. So we went to visit her with the presidenta and taught Nury about the plan of salvation and what she needs to do becuase NOW is the time to prepare to meet god. And then the RS pres said, Nury, we love you a lot, what is stopping you from getting baptized, just the smoking? And nury said yes, and that she was trying to quit and was willing and wanted to get baptized. So we set a date and told her that we are going to do everything possible to help her quit and make it. She is going to Santiago for almost a month, which is difficult. But as a branch, we came together and made notes for her that she could open every other day and a calender of scriptures to read every day. And we will be calling and helping her. PLEASE pray for her. We have faith that she can quit and finally make these important covenants with her father in heaven. But it was so amazing to be able to see the things that we can do with heavenly father´s help. It seemed  almost impossible, but when we have faith and follow the spirit, really anything is possible. 

OH and for a follow up, elsa is doing well, we haven´t been able to visit her this week but we are going over tonight, praying that all goes well and we can have the opportunity to teach her husband!

There is so much to learn here. So much to learn in life. I´ve realized lately as i get further and further into the mission that I still lack so much. And really this time is the time to learn how to learn throughout the rest of my life.And keep going. Keep enduring to the end. I really am grateful for the opportunity. And even though it´s hard and I get tired and stressed, I really wouldn´t rather be anywhere else. :) 

Ok maybe in Hawaii with you guys.... Hahah. JK. :)

I LOVE CHILE! VIVA CHILE!

I love you all and wish you the best week ever!

Love, 

Hermana Smoot

One day i rebelled and didn´t wear my rain boots because i was tired of them and i slipped and fell hard core in the mud. The picture doesn´t show it very well, but i was very muddy. Good times.

We found a frog and Hermana Meacham caught it. When a missionary kisses a frog it turns into an RM not a prince... haha just kidding we don´t think about things like that. We are missionaries.....:)

Week # 44 (June 1, 2015) Time Flies. Tiempo Vuele

So, once upon a time, it´s JUNE. remember that time when I cam on the mission in JULY. And I´m kind of freaking out. Ya, we´re just not going to talk about it.

This week was lovely. I really really like it here a lot with Hermana Meacham. She is super fun and we are really enjoying every day and trying to be obedient and work hard every day. And we´ve been seeing miracles.

Elsa (yes, like frozen) Is a mom that with three kids that owns a french frie stand in front of her house. The other missionaries that were here met her (yes, buying papas fritas) and set up various appointments that all fell through. So we decided not to set up another. But we were going home one night and she saw us and asked us when we could come to visit her. So we set up a day and without very much faith went to her house on the appointed day. And she was actually home! So we started to teach her and get to know her. And we discussed and taught her the restoration. And after we asked her how she felt. She said that she felt really really good. And the she liked the way we taught and what we were saying and that it all made sense. She said, ¨I feel like god is sitting by my side right now¨ We explained to her that it was the spirit and then we felt prompted to invite her to be baptized. And she accepted! She doesn´t know if she´ll be read by july 11th but we are going to be here preparing her. We really feel like she was prepared and we are hoping to teach her spouse and whole family.

We have been seeing miracles every day and I really feel like god is blessing us. I love missionary work so much. It´s so incredible to be here and to have such a big responsibility to help all of god´s children come unto christ. I´m learning more and more every day. And hope that I can just keep progressing and learning. 

Lo Chistoso-The funny-

Funny story. Hermana Meacham and I were walking in the street one night eating apples and someone named alejandro was in our plans. And Hermana Meacham started to sing the Lady Gaga song with all those spanish names. And after about 2 lines she started choking on her apple and had a little cough attack. Then she said, Well, that´s what I get for singing gaga in the mission. We got a good laugh. :) 

I love you all so much. I really do. I´m jealous that you are all in Hawaii....

But Congrats meg for making it to graduation! I was thinking about you this week. And CONGRATS OFFICIALLY ENGAGED SISTER. So weird. I feel like just yesterday we were in middle school together. :) ON to bigger and better things.

I love you all, the church is true. We really all have so much to offer in the life. We´ve just gotta keep working and doing and BELIEVING that it´s all possible. 

MUCH love!

Hermana Smoot

I completed 10 months. And blew out a candle. I need to take more pictures... :)