June 24, 2013

They REALLY want members - all members, to be the ones involved in finding efforts for the missionaries.  And nothing really historic happened, but they did make announcements.  Missionaries can now use the Internet.  Period.  The only boundaries they gave us were that we should be careful and that we're going to be monitored.  And it's part of our proselyting efforts.  So if ever there's a time of day and we're not finding a lot of success, we can go online and contact people that way.  Of course, this isn't in effect yet, but it's been announced.  Also, they're going to leave church buildings open at all times, so that missionaries can do church tours whenever they want to whoever is interested.  That's pretty cool, but a bit dangerous considering all the hobos that liked to live in our building...haha. 

Mother, you are LOOOOOOVED.  If it wasn't for you I would never be here.  I tell people how awesome you are all the time and how you're a boss with your knowledge of the scriptures.  Remember what Boyd K. Packer said during the broadcast yesterday?  Mothers are the greatest teachers and have the most important role in teaching.  It's true! :) 

I love you, mommy! 

Oh, and the one laying on the blanket is Timmy, Sister Hopkinson's son.  That particular P-day we stayed inside most of the day and took creepy pictures of him.  He had to sit outside the whole day until his mom got home because we were inside alone.  Haha.  He's a little bit of a bum sometimes, but he's like our annoying big brother.  Almost everyday he takes a cooler full of water bottles, makes a cardboard sign that reads, "donations appreciated" and goes to the strip to sell water bottles to all the dehydrated tourists.  He makes like 30 something dollars usually.  That's his job.  Haha.  And the family with all of the stuff on their faces is the Valadez family. :)  The one who added me on FB is Hno. Valadez.  He really likes the pictures of the water falls from NC and the big Alligator.  Haha.     

We actually are allowed to use backpacks, but they have to be "pretty".  Sister Neider said the bag I have is perfect, but to be honest with you, it gets on my nerves sometimes.  Oh, and the handle is peeling... :(  The girl at Tomas' baptism is named Alexis.  She's 19 and really cool and comes out with us from time to time.  Yay!  You get to go back to St. Pete!  Oh, by the way, did you see them representing the Tampa Bay at that broadcast yesterday? ;)  Very cool. 

Yes, I went on an exchange with my MTC comp.  It went really well!  I was so nervous because her Spanish was really good in the MTC and I was just a tad intimidated, but it went really well and I had NOTHING to worry about.  Days like that really show me how much I've learned since the MTC. 

This past week has been good.  We've found some new investigators, which is a blessing and one is really legit.  Her name is Veronica and she has 4 kids.  I think I already told you about her, but we taught her the Plan of Salvation and she really opened up and cried and I think it brought her a lot of comfort.  It was our first lesson and we soft set her for baptism.  She very eagerly said yes, she would be baptized.  Throughout the lesson she just kept saying she NEEDED God in her life and wanted to feel Him with her at all times, she was just asking us what she needed to do.  We talked about baptism and how she can have Him with her always through the Holy Ghost.  It was super cool and her kid's are super interested, too. 

I saw Sister Franco the other day because we had exchanges.  I went to her area in Henderson and she came here to the Vegas Valley with Hna. Holland.  It was real interesting being in an English area... the people in their area aren't the nicest.  Everyone is a member of a church called, "central Christian" which is pretty much like Calvary Chapel.  Anyway, they opened up a brand new area, so we just talked to a bunch of people.  The people we ate with made a REALLY good meal.  Crock pot BBQ chicken and home made mashed potatoes.  You KNOW I was in heaven.  Haha. The people were at tad odd, though, but that's okay.  They were the Conners.  The husband apparently used to be a super successful photographer and was telling us about all these models he used to date and how they were all airheads and how happy he was to find his wife because she's got a brain.  Haha.  He told us how he's been in plain crashes, helicopter crashed, been shot, been stabbed - all this crazy stuff...got hit by a semi truck!  And he's still alive.  Only in Vegas.

Oh, and we had an interesting experience with sister Anders this past week.  It was Sister Holland's first time meeting her and so we went over to return a plate that we had taken home the night she had that little "Mexican" circus in her home.  She was trying to be extra controlling this day and wanted us to meet one of her "people" but didn't want us to teach the gospel yet.  I began to let her know that she can trust us and that we always get to know them and do a little how to begin teaching before going into the lessons, (straight from Preach My Gospel) and she then told us what she wanted US to do.  Sister Holland very cool and nicely let her know that as representatives of Jesus Christ, we have been called to preach the gospel, not to hang out and sister Anders interrupted her and basically told her she didn't like how she was being talked to and said, "I'd appreciate it if you'd BACK OFF!"  And then tried to accuse us of never trying to get to know our members, at which point the member that was with us, Andrea Munoz, stood up for us.  I tried to explain to Sister Anders that the reason we don't come eat with her and visit her as much as she wants is that she's not in our ward and she didn't like that either.  She doesn't understand that missionary work is divided up by wards.  She told us she's "qualified" to be a member of the Ensign ward because she's part Mexican.. but until she switches her records over, she's not a member of the Ensign ward.  Anyway, what was interesting is that we came back a couple days later to have a lesson with one of her friends and she forgot about it and acted like she didn't want us there...after chewing us out a few days before for not seeing her very much and not wanting to work with her.  Even more interesting was that after the broadcast, she walked up to us and told us that from now on she wants to speed up the process and have us come over and teach the people she wants right away and invite them to meet with us right away instead of beating around the bush.  I was shocked.  We'll see how that goes.  Oh, but I do love her.  She means well.

I hope you all had a good week and everyone's getting along!  Love you all!!
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Something I've realized is that a lot of times when people are upset, they just need someone to listen to them and be there.  I've always been that way.  In fact, the other day I was a little upset and Sister Holland really listened to me and then bore her testimony to me, mentioning the strengths that I have as a missionary.  It just made me feel so much better just knowing she cared about me and how I felt, even though I felt like a big baby.  And I've been doing the same for her.  She told me the other day that I give her hope that people will love her for who she is because that's what I have shown her.  And I've always been a bit of a selfish person...but I realize that the more I forget myself and go out of my way to make others happy, I feel better about myself and everything else.  Just like my patriarchal blessing says. Haha.     

   

Photos from Samantha's first area/companion...

June 17, 2013

PICTURES!!!!!  Wow, Johnny and Raymond have a similar look going on.  Haha.  Rebekah looks BEAUUUUTIFUL!  Tell her and John I said felicidades!  I hope dad had a great father's day!  I wish I could give him a father's day hug or something.  This week has been really good, actually.  I was super nervous, but sister Holland is great!  In fact, we have a lot in common.  We have the same sense of humor, which is so much fun.  We make each other laugh a lot, and she told me last night that she thinks she was supposed to come to the area to meet me.  That was super cool, especially considering what I mentioned in my last email to you.  And I agree. :)  We just got a new investigator last night named Veronica.  Sister Franco and I had street contacted her a little while ago, but yesterday was the first time we were able to get in contact with her since.  She opened up a lot about her husband and how he passed away a couple years ago and how hard it has been to raise 4 kids alone.  Sister Holland really related to her a lot and so I know Sister Holland was meant to be here to meet this woman.  Veronica had a baptismal date years ago, but moved around alot, so she lost contact with the missionaries.  So she's SUPER excited to meet with us again.  And her kids are, too!  She beamed when we told her that we want to teach the whole family and include all of them.  One of her daughters, who's like 9 or 10, has a lot of questions about where her dad is and if they'll ever see him again, and so we are going to teach the plan of salvation first. 

We have an investigator with a baptismal date on July 27th.  His name is Victor, I think I've mentioned him before.  We really have to light a fire under his butt, though, because he hasn't come to church yet.  He said he would this past Sunday, but he had to watch his sister's kids instead, so we're going to have to be real bold with him. 

Everything else is good.  I haven't been quite so hard on myself lately.  I can't afford to.  I made a goal at the beginning of this transfer that I was going to love my companion more than myself and love the people more than myself, and since then I haven't had nearly as many negative thoughts.  I try my best and have been starting to find peace with where I'm at and believe people when they tell me that my Spanish is fantastic for only being out for 3 months.  And every time I can make my companion smile and help lift up HER spirits, I feel happy and everything's easier. :)      

I love you all so much!!!!!  What did you think of the pictures???    

PS

Oh, by the way, there's going to be a huge broadcast this Sunday (23rd) centered on missionary work.  President Neider said it's going to be HUGE and that we will be able to tell generations after us that we were there to witness it.  Sooo....wow, I'm pumped!

June 9, 2013

This is our most recent email from Samantha:

From: ssmith@myldsmail.net
To: hahn_smith@hotmail.com

I'm so sorry it's been two weeks since I've sent you anything.  I was going to send you the memory card last week, but I told Tomas I would put some pictures on his USB thingy first and I even forgot to do that last week... so I'm going to do that while I'm here emailing, and then send my memory card to you with some other things. 

So, we got our transfer doctrine Saturday!  You ready? Drum roll..........

I'm staying in Ensign! 

 Sister Franco is going to Black Mountain by Henderson to an English area.  Her first English area in her mission.  She's training a new girl and is maintaining her title as Sister Training Leader.  I am not training, though.  Sister Holland is coming here.  There's an interesting story behind that, too.  I was actually on exchanges with Sister Holland on Saturday in the Singles Ward she currently serves in.  During lunch, her zone leaders dropped off her and sister Johnson's transfer info and one of them goes, "sister Smith, what's your first name?"  I told them and they're like, "well, you should just stay together because the two of you are companions."  What a co-ink-I-dink!  Sister Holland only has one transfer left on her mission, so I'm "killing her" as they say in mission lingo.  Sister Franco cried the whole day. :(  She doesn't want to go to English because she's afraid she'll lose her Spanish, but she'll do great and she knows the Lord has need for her there.  I saw Sister Franco Saturday because Sister Holland and Johnson had a baptism, so we all went and she kept telling me that sister Holland really needed me and how it wasn't a coincidence that we're going to be companions.  She said she'd tell me later, and so I asked her about it later that night when we were reunited.  So you know those top secret meetings that all the ZLs and STLs go to?  Well, at the meeting, apparently president and sister Neider talked about Sister Holland.  Sister Holland has apparently had a pretty tough life and president talked about how they wanted her last area to be the best experience for her so that she could go out with a bang.  This is what sister Franco told me.  And President I guess was inspired to assign me as her companion.  I thought that was interesting.  From what I've seen, sister Holland and I have similar personalities.  It's always nerve racking, though, to get used to living and being with a new person 24/7.  Also, you know, there's that added pressure of making this like the best experience for her... haha.  Sister Franco was giving me advice and just telling me to love her and pray to love her all the time.  I really think this will be good for me, though, because I sometimes struggle with not getting discouraged with myself, and one thing Sister Franco has taught me is to be positive and patient at all times.  Now I feel like I might have to be that example of positivity.  Also, I've been trying really hard to put myself aside and just love the people, love everyone.  That's the most important thing to do in missionary work, but it's so hard!  I read my patriarchal blessing, though, and it's interested to me how it seems that the things I struggle the most with are the things I've been blessed with in my patriarchal blessing.  Maybe that's because Satan's trying extra hard to make me not realize those traits.  He doesn't want me to become that person God sees me becoming.  So this transfer I really want to put myself aside and just work my butt of and learn and love and serve my companion.  Because for whatever reason she needs me and I need her. 

Humility is HUGE.  I realized the other day that I'm more prideful than I thought.  I'm TERRIFIED to talk Spanish in front of other missionaries.  Terrified.  I feel like they're always judging me and everyone's better than me, and that's actually me being prideful.  I'm so afraid of what someone might say or think, that I'm not just trusting in the Lord and my own abilities.  A mission is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I want to make the most of it. 

Don't ever feel like you've scarred me or think that I don't realize you love me.  I know you do and I love you so much.  You are a great mother and I realize now more than ever how much you've taught me growing up and how important the things are that you've taught me.  I couldn't have asked for a better mother. :) <3 

Love you all!
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If you would like to email Sam, please do so.  She will not be able to see any comments you leave on here but feel free to do so anyway and I will read them.

June 3, 3013

Woooooooooow!  Hello!  Chile, wow!  He'll do great.  He told me in a letter that he's got the basics of Spanish already, so he'll baptize the whole mission, I'm sure.  Yeah, every single Spanish speaking missionary is going to the Mexico MTC now, even if you're going state side Spanish.  They have some kind of special visa permission or whatever that allows it.  When I was in the MTC, all the Spanish teachers were considering finding a new job or moving out to Mexico because of it, so it's brand new.  Very cool.

 

I did spend some money on my debit card, just so you know.  It totally works.  I have not heard anything about a huge announcement, but I'm excited!  So many changes have already been made since I've been out here.  The end is neigh!  I read an article in the ensign that was talking about how crazy it is that the age change was announced right around the time the new curriculum for the youth changed.  There's more of a push than ever for the youth to be more involved and become leaders at a younger age.  The article talked about how with all of these changes in the youth programs leading up to the announcement at general conference in October, none of it is a coincidence.  The Lord is hastening His work.  And now with that big sister meeting we had, Sisters are becoming even with the Elders, both in number and responsibility.  Brother Hopkinson got back from a priesthood meeting about the new youth curriculum and missionary work one morning. Apparently Elder Bednar spoke and shared how once he had a conversation with President Hinckly while he was still the prophet.  President Hinckly told Bednar about big changes that were about to take place that he (Bednar) would live to see, but that he himself would not be there to see it take place.  Crazy stuff.  I was also talking to Sister Hopkinson once and she said that back when she was taking the discussions, the missionaries had a script they had to follow for each lesson.  These days, we have PMG, (which is basically another form of scripture itself with words from modern prophets) but we are encouraged to just follow the promptings of the spirit and trust in the Lord.  Things are definitely changing!

 

So I just went on two exchanges in a row, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  Saturday I was in a singles ward area with Sister Johnson, who is a visa waiter going to Peru.  The singles ward is an English area, though.  I was so impressed with her faith because while most people in her position would really struggle - you know, having to learn Spanish, but being placed in an English area and not knowing when you're leaving...oh and on top of that, her home town is Reno, NV!  She loves the area, though, and she already recognizes that the Lord is blessing her.  As a result of her attitude of gratitude, her and her companion have seen many miracles.  It was a brand new area (by the way, another change is they're trying to put only sisters in singles wards because apparently it brings more success) and they've already had 2 baptisms and now have 2 or 3 with a date.  And this is her first transfer.  I got to be with her when they screened one of their investigators for baptism.  His name's Theran and he's 20 years old.  He made a pretty cool announcement to us and sister Johnson cried.  He said he wants to put off going to the army so that he can serve a mission.  It was real cool.  Then on Sunday I went on another exchange with the Central sisters, but this time I was with sister Webb's companion, sister Nieto.  Not too much happened, except that, um, you know, Tomas got the priesthood. ;)  But we have another exchange tomorrow, so we have to meet up tonight at 8:45.  I'm going to be with Hermana Furstenau again in my area.  I'm the most nervous for this one.  Don't know why.  Then I have another one on Saturday with sister Johnson's companion, sister Holland, so I'm going to be in the singles ward again.  Oh, and on Wednesday the sister training leaders have to go to another meeting, so I have to go on a mini exchange with two sisters.  The reason being is that one of the sisters I'm going to be with is an English missionary and doesn't speak Spanish and we're going to be in an English area, and sister Zagarra (who I went on a mini exchange with the last time) speaks very little English, so I'm going to be the translator/zebra companion.  All 3 of our companions are STL, so yeah.  Sister Zagarra was really excited when she heard I'd be there with her, though.  For some reason she likes me.  How strange. 

 

SO MANY, MANY exchanges.  And as the companion of a STL, I go on more exchanges than anyone.  It's a great learning experience for me, though.  The point of exchanges is to learn from each other and get ideas from other missionaries.  As you work in other areas and with different people, you learn things you never could otherwise.  You get to see how other missionaries work and learn how to work with a variety of different people.  And little miracles always happen.  It's cool.  The Elders have always done exchanges regularly, but this is a brand new thing for sisters.  So it's cool to be in the first group of Sisters to start off this new change. 

 

Oh, and remember the Munoz family?  We started the lessons over with them.  We taught them the Restoration (1st lesson) on Wednesday and are going to continue to teach them.  They really have made a goal to get to the temple.  And as a family they've been to church twice in a row.  Jay, the oldest son, has gone 5 times in a row, but he's not completely on board with the rest of the family yet.  He's a tough nut to crack.  When I was with Sister Webb and we visited him, he told me that the law of chastity lesson we had with him outside really opened his eyes and he was going to live it.  Sister Webb and I really got him to open up more, but on Wednesday he told us he wants to go to church, but basically that even though he knows some of the things he does are wrong, he's going to keep on doing them.  That's not the person I saw the other night, though. He seems to think we're doing it all for him and he doesn't want us "wasting our time" but we're doing it for the family, because the parents want it.  I believe Jay does, too, so we're not about to give up on them.  We need to teach them the Atonement, I think.  I found this quote by elder Richard G. Scott that really reminds me of that family...

 

"You are here on earth for a divine purpose.  It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure.  You are here to be tried, to prove yourself so that you can receive the additional blessings God has for you.  The tempering effect of patience is required."

 

I shared this quote with Jay once, but they need to each have a copy of it or something. 

 

Anyway, I love you all very much.  Stay strong, stay safe, and remember who you are! See you soon! <3