HOLA!‏

hey everyone!

well this sister missionary is still alive. its been really beautiful the last few days we got a mini monsoon and that cooled things down. im just praying it stays because im so sick of the HEAT!! anyways. i cant lie its been a hard week...
well the weekend let's just say was the straw that broke the camel's back. nobody was home on saturday night because mexico was playing costa rica in soccer so all the lessons we had cancelled...we had a full night but not one kept their appointment. sunday nobody came to church...including our 2 investigators with dates. to make it worse we went over to see juan (who is suppose to get baptized saturday) and he was drinking. i could not believe my eyes i was so disappointed and i just wanted to cry. he felt really bad. satan is working over time and i hate it. when people are trying to do good he just find where he can enter in and gets us when we are weakest. all that caused the onset of a migraine...but its ok because we keep moving. satan can get his few points here and there but he will not win. juan will not get baptized on saturday but he will be baptized. berta our other date is lost in outer space it feels. she wants to get baptized but yet she is not showing that by her actions. so i dont really know what to do.
on the plus side i have had some really neat experiences this week. i know that Heavenly Father answers prayers not only the ones we utter but the ones we keep tucked deep within our hearts. maybe some of you remember my convert julia. well i have just been sick over her. she basically stopped coming to church a month after she was baptized. well the other day we decided to go to the church because they were doing english classes and one of our investigators was suppose to be there. well we went and what do you know there sitting in one of the classroom was julia. she was so excited to see me and ran over to give me a huge hug. i just love her. im gonna get the missionaries to go over and help her get back to church.
the Lord answered a pray i never knew i had and im so grateful. the beautiful thing about this week is i have felt closer to my Heavenly Father then i have ever felt in my life. i know He loves me. my testimony has grown so much this week and im so grateful for the good and the bad. it only helps us to grow. we are working hard and i know the Lord will bless us. i hope you all are enjoying your week and labor day.
i love you all.

Hermana Smith

what a crazy week!!!‏

Hello!!!

well its been quite the exciting week...i sent off a missionary and received a new one as well. Luckily ive got sister decker to keep me sane. Our new companion is sister guzman. She is from washington state and speaks perfect spanish. Its an interesting experience to train. She is a really good missionary but lacks confidence. We kind of have to push her to do things and half the time i think she hates me. I have to go back to my first transfer and remember how hard it was to adjust to life. Poor thing she has 2 ancient missionaries to train her...in fact we go home together. I try not to talk about going home around her because i remember how that was when everyone would talk about going home and i was like oh yeah i have FOREVER!!! its helping me to focus more. I am learning how to be a better teacher and how my trainer probably felt...you really have to teach them how to do everything. But its a good experience.
We are still helping juan to prepare for his baptism and he is so excited!!! he is doing amazing and has gone like 6 weeks without drinking. We continue to pray for him because i know that satan really tempts those who are trying to be righteous. Missionaries included...but he cant win when we are obedient.
The great thing about training is my spanish has to be really up to par because its 2 gringas and a new missionary. So hopefully that will help a lot. We are working really hard to talk to everyone!!! i know thats how blessings come...just when you dont think they will accept they do. The Lord work in miraculous ways. I am alive and well in the 120 degree weather....im so ready for snow...did i just say that? I will be taking that back in a few months im sure.
Well i hope that you all are well. I love you all and hope to hear from you soon.
Love-

hermana Brittany Smith
ps- can you believe its september?? i cant where did august go...

hola!!!‏

hey all!!!

well its been kinda a rough day...i had to say goodbye to 5 of my bestest friends...its transfers and i cant even believe how fast the time is flying!!! my comp along with 4 others VC sisters left. tomorrow i will recieve a new addition to the VC family along with sister decker. that's right we are going to be in a trio...let the fun begin. sister decker and i were actually in the MTC together so it will be fun. she is a blondie like me so who knows what the mexicans will think...haha.
im nervous about having a greenie but it will be a challenge and help me to keep going strong. for those of you who have served missions you know how demanding it can be on your body. im feeling it but im continuing strong until the end. really this week has been a blur!!! i cant remember much that happened probably because my mind is so blurred with tears but ill figure it out. i hope that everyone is doing well. we are coming to the end of august and i cant believe it though im so glad the cooler season is fast approaching. tonight we have to do some major rearranging in the apartment. its gonna be tight for a little bit...ill have to send pictures.
sister colgan is going to be with me tonight so that will be fun to reminisce about live. she is wanting to extend...basically all the sisters are extending. but dont you worry (Paul and mom and hill) i cant extend because of school.
tonight i have to get everything ready for the new sisters to arrive tomorrow. we decorate their cubbies so they feel welcomed and since my other half sister farr is not here i have to do all the trainer duties. as you can see i am a very busy girl. but im glad it keeps me focused in the work. well i hope that you all have a great week. you are in my thoughts and prayers always. ill let you know how my first week as a momma goes (thats mission terminology for training a new missionary)
i love you all.

hermana brittany smith

Hola!!!!

can you believe it? Its p-day again!!! its a crazy one at that...its sister castillo's last p-day so we ate breakfast with the ogden's (they are one of the senior couples here at the VC). That was fun...they live a little RV that is so SWEET...mom and dad you need one of those when you get old to travel the USA. I feel like ive had no time in my area this week...we've been working at the VC a lot and any free chance i get im working on the slideshow because the farewell will be on saturday. In fact saturday we will find out about transfers...im a little nervous...especially because i will probably be training. I just feel like i have so much to learn still how can i teach another missionary. But i will do what the Lord asks me to do.
They announced me as a trainer at the VC on saturday so im sure elder burke will be putting me to work. Im excited for the opportunity to serve in this way. I know i can help the younger sisters a lot. There are a few that im really worried about...one in particular who really doesnt want to be here. She's been out for 8 ½ months and still doesnt like it. Hopefully i can share some experiences with her and just love her because 18 months is too long to be miserable. I remember so many times ive wanted to give up but i just know if i do i would hate myself and the Lord would be disappointed. When i see my converts i realize...wow! Ive been so blessed. The Lord has put into my hands His children and i cant stop now...we can never stop...but as a full time missionary i have more responsibility to bring souls unto Him.
We have a wonderful investigator named Juan right now. He is doing so great!!! he will be baptized on the 12th and we are so excited. Sister castillo won't be here physically but she will be here with us in spirit. We are finding new people everyday and im just waiting to find my family...i want to baptize a family. Not because of a number or so i can say i baptized a family but because its the whole purpose...to help families be together forever!!! i pray the Lord will bless me with the opportunity. Its been quite nice in Arizona...not as hot.
People always ask me how i like the weather and i tell them if it was winter here all year round i would never leave...lucky for you mom 8 months out of the year its summer. Really thats the only thing i wont miss...nylons+heat=gross and stinky.
But i feel so blessed to be working in the service of my God. I know that it is something i promised to do...there is so much work to be done and i just feel the time is running out quickly. But i will work hard until the end. I love you all so much! You are in my prayers...please keep me in yours. I look forward to hearing from you all in email and letter form:)

Hermana Brittany Smith

hey!

Hello-
well can you believe it today starts the last 2 weeks of this transfer...sister Castillo will be off to Guatemala and she is getting a little nervous i think. I'm just trying to keep her motivated because i just don't want her to regret her last 2 weeks on the mission.
We had interviews with president...he told me i would be getting a new comp...big surprise. Though he told me it is likely i will be getting a brand new missionary...i have a feeling this is gonna be a crazy transfer but i know the Lord won't give me anything i cant handle. Only the next few weeks will show.
We had stake conference this weekend. It was so awesome!!! i never remember stake conference being so awesome...but those of you who have served missions know that general conference weekend is like going to Disneyland for a missionary. I'm so excited actually for conference...only 2 more months. We've been really trying to find people this week. We have one investigator named Juan who is really promising. He is from Honduras...in fact a lot of people we know in this area are from there. I'm starting to think I'm living in Honduras... Juan has been coming to church and keeping his appointments...though we tried to set a date with him the other day and he didn't accept it. I think he's mostly scared that he wont completely change. Juan is kind of an alcoholic so that is something we do need to be careful of. But he is doing amazing.
Its been so nice here in mesa. The other morning we woke up and it was like 80 degrees...i couldn't believe it! Of course by 12 it was 104 but that is 20 degrees cooler and we are just enjoying it. I just wish it would stay this way...I'm starting to miss the snow...i know weird! Today we went and took pictures with another companionship downtown...that was fun. There are some really funky ones...i think some of you have seen the pictures of the fat ladies...haha. I'm learning more and more things everyday. In conference a lady gave a talk about the atonement. She used a story from C.S. Lewis to explain it and it was so amazing! I'm so converted to cs lewis. He should've been a member of the church. But it just talk s about how through Jesus Christ we can change our very nature. I feel so weak as a missionary, believe it or not we are imperfect and even sin just like anyone else. But i know that through the Savior we can truly change, i can truly change.
We got to teach a lesson right after conference about that and it was so neat to share that with 2 men that have drinking problems. The atonement has the power to cleanse, refine and change us...if we let it.
My next p-day will again be on Monday so those who wish to write...please feel free id love to hear from you...i mean i know soon enough you'll just be able to call me but still got a few months. :-)
i love you all. Have a great week!!!
Hermana B. Smith

120+nylons=best friends...NOT!!!‏

Hey all!!!

another HOT week in Arizona...there's been a few nights i just couldn't handle my stinkiness and had to shower before bed just to wake up and sweat lots on our morning run...life is SO hard...no just kidding life is so good. This sister smith is so happy and so busy...ive been trying to work on the slide show seeing as the time is flying fastly by...i feel like ive got nothing done. I was asked to for a new special assignment this week. Elder Burke asked me to be one of the trainers in the VC. That means me and another sister are in charge of doing trainings at the VC and kinda setting the example for the sisters. If i could relate it to anything its kinda like an assistant to the president but an assistant to the director at the VC. Im nervous and excited for this new responsibility. It really wont start until next transfer because the 3 current trainers are going home this transfer. Its been a pretty normal week. There's been so many nights i can barely keep my eyes open as we're planning at night. Its such a good feeling to know i worked hard. One thing we are trying to implement more is using the Book of Mormon in everything. I know there is power that comes from using the Book of Mormon. We are still working with Berta to get her divorced, married and baptized. Its looking impossible but we are not losing hope. This week we started teaching her step-son Cris. He is so smart and basically knows everything he would need to in order to be baptized...the only problem is the mom is very anti...we will pray for a miracle. There was so many investigators at church this week...and one former investigator. The door kept opening to the sunday school class and more investigators were walking in. i almost cried...it was a good feeling. Now we just have to keep them coming. We started week 4 of the transfer today...that means 2 more to go.
Today i complete 14 months on the mission but strangely i feel like a greenie still...i think ill always feel that way. Im doing well and enduring the heat...i keep telling myself it will start getting cooler in a month...i hope thats true.
I love you all. Be good and remember who you are.

Hermana Brittany Smith

HOT!!!

Hey!!!

its another hot week in arizona...the time is flying i just wish the heat would fly away too. We are into week 3 of the transfer that means its half way through after this week. My poor comp everyone is reminding her that her time is running short. At times i even feel like crying because i know it is coming to an end and fast. Ive been keeping really busy with this slideshow i am doing for the sisters who are leaving...im pretty sure ive worked on it for 10 hours this week. Its a big job but it is fun and i know that the sisters will appreciate it. We are working hard trying to find people because we've spent a lot of time this week weeding through the bad ones. For those who went to byu or byu-i you know what DTR means...Define The Relationship...we definitely use the same term here on the mission with our investigators...funny i know. We've found a few new people this week nothing to exciting. I had a really neat experience in the VC the other day. A man came in because he works for sysco which delivers the food to the temple cafeteria and he commented to one of the temple workers that he just loves the way he feels at the temple and that he never wants to leave. So she told him to go over to the VC and take a tour. Thats exactly what he did. I taught him about prophets and showed him a part of Pres. Monson's talk “Joy in the Journey.” after listening to it he said “i just feel a really inspirational feeling when i listen to him.” i was shocked! I asked him why it would be important to him to have a prophet on the earth today and he said “ he is a man and can talk to us today, its better then just reading about it in the Bible.” probably the best answer i've EVER heard in my whole mission. He accepted missionaries really easily and i gave him a BOM which he was so excited to read. I feel so grateful for the opportunity i had to teach this man. He was sooooo prepared! Some missionaries in the tempe mission are gonna be so happy!!! i also had a neat opportunity to translate for a blessing that was given. There was no one who could give her a blessing in spanish so a lady who was with her said she would translate. Right before she said “sister you translate and i will watch the kids.” i was so SCARED! But i was grateful for the sacred privledge to translate the words of a blessing from God to this women. The spirit was strong as i translated the words and it was a feeling i can't describe...maybe its how a priesthood holder feels as he gives a blessing but it was as if i was covered in a warm blanket. I just felt the spirit and it helped me to say the correct words. I remember at one point i couldnt remember a word and i just silently prayed for help and i thought of the word. It was so neat! The Lord has truly blessed me this week with little miracles. I am coming to search for those little miracles each day. The mission is amazing! I am so glad that i made the decision to come. My life would've been fine without a mission but the mission only enhanced my life. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve.
Well i hope that you all have an amazing week! It seems like i may not be getting some people's emails. If you dont hear back from me its because i didnt get your email and you can email my mom at smyff@hotmail.com and she will forward it to me.
I love you all.

Hermana brittany smith