I'm in Canada!

OH CANADA!! I AM HERE!! Greetings from the frozen land! :) I made it to Canada last Wednesday!! I can't believe it has already been a week! It has gone by so fast!! It’s crazy!! it's been a crazy couple of days...very very good, but crazy! I'm lovin it here.  My companions are Sister Crozier from Mesa Arizona and Sister Broderick from Orem Utah.  They are both so strong and are really good missionaries.  Sister Broderick is going home in February and Sister Crozier is on her 9th month mark! So we got all the sides of the spectrum happening in our companionship! It’s exciting!! We are in Winnipeg and we are working with the YSA branch here.  It is pretty small, but good strong members.  We cover a lot of area! I am really learning to love to walk! :) Who woulda thought eh? We walk everywhere. The accent isn't very strong where I'm at...at least I don’t' think.  The older generation you can really hear the accent but not so much in the younger generation.  They say some different things that I have caught, such as dinner is lunch and supper is dinner, they will "phone" you to call you, washroom is bathroom, university instead of college....toboggan is sledding...just little odds and ends.  It makes it exciting to try and stay on top of it.  I am learning a new word or phrase every day.  We went grocery shopping on Monday!! Monday is our pday but because of the holiday, the libraries were all closed until today!!...but...grocery shopping is an exciting experience.  Things are pretty expensive here! AND you pay five cents to get a cart to go grocery shopping...and you have to pay to get your groceries bagged!! Ahha. So we carry things in our arms or in a basket and either bring our own bags or carry all of groceries out! I thought mom would get a kick of that!! I am have been promoted to the car backer-upper!! So I stand behind the car every time we need to back up!! I motion my companion out like an airline traffic controller.  It's pretty fun. Keeps the blood flowing as I’m standing outside!! The other day when we were street contacting it was negative 11 degrees Celsius...and I said..WOW..it's pretty warm today! I’d say I’m adjusting well! :) ha.  Something really yummy they have here is chocolate..and a lot of it! :) I LOVE IT! It is so good.  They also have reeses caramel hot cocoa. HEAVENLY! It was to die for.  Since we are in the YSA wards, we get to go to the YSA activities such as F.H.E.  This week for F.H.E we went bowling...5 pin bowling.  There are only 5 pins and the ball is about the size of a very large baseball.  With no finger holes! HA. It was fantastic!!! The first round I did horrible!! I think my grand total was 65 but let me tell ya...the second round I got 3 spares and 2 strikes within the first 6 frames!! I got that five pin bowling down to an art! It was way fun!! The members of that ward are very friendly and fun to be with.  I’m so excited to get to know them better!!!

The first day I was here we went street contacting.  The sisters said they would show me then it would be my turn.  So I watched them then I was up to bat.  There was a lady walking towards us so I got all sorts of excited and jumped to talk to her!! I walked up to her and said HIIIII my name is Sister Smith, how are you? and she just said. WELL HIIIIII and wrapped her little arms around me and hugged for about 3 minutes!! The sisters weren't quite sure what to do!! It was so great.  After she let go I told her we like to talk about Jesus Christ...I shared a little message and gave her a pass along card for a free DVD.  She kissed the card and said well thank you SO much and walked away.  It was GREAT! We all weren't quite sure what had just happened but we loved it nonetheless!! She was fantastic. That really got my blood pumping.  The next day, as we were street contacting..I started walking with this older man and just talked to him about the Book of Mormon and things and he stopped and we kept talking.  After I had handed him a pass-along card...he looked at me and asked if "we could share a nice little hug," I had to tell him that I could just shake his hand! He asked a couple more times so I just kept shaking his hand.  It was pretty great!!  We street contacted a girl the other day and as we were talking to her...she looked at all of us and then said…"wow, you all got style like lion, witch and the wardrobe!"  Now I know what people think about as they see us on the street! It is such a fun area. I am loving it!! We did a lot of calls last time from the area book and got a lot of potential investigators.  Some of them set up appointments for today and tomorrow.  I am so excited to get to meet them and start teaching them.

We teach an Islamic family English every day!! a mom and her son.  They are way fun!! I feel my teacher self come out every once in a while when we teach things to them.  They teach us a word in their language every once in a while as well.  It’s a neat experience.  I’m excited to see what happens with them!!

We also do service every Wednesday at the hospital...we play bingo with the seniors!! I tell ya what, I’ve never had more fun playing bingo in my life!! We got them all sorts of excited when they won!! It was so much fun..then we got to just talk with individuals about their lives and become friends with them!! So much fun.

sooo...pretty much in a nutshell that's my fist week in Canada!! It is so great here! I am loving it!! I am so excited to do missionary work!!! It's a wonderful experience and I just yearn for more every day!! It’s going by so fast already!!

I was studying in Alma today about Moroni.  Alma ch 48 verses 11-13 and 17!! I decided to look up each of those descriptive words that describe Moroni and see what they mean in scripture terms...after doing so..I decided to choose one and work on one of those qualities.  I invite you all to do that as well.  Really study out how to be like Moroni...just think "if all men were like unto Moroni...the very powers of hell shall be shaken forever!!"

I love you all!! I hope you had a very merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy the New Year as well!!! Be good. Remember who you are!! Don’t forget there's a missionary in Canada who loves you!! :)

Live it. Love it! :)

She's there! December 22, 2010

Jessica left the MTC for Winnipeg on the 22 of Dec.  She called us from the airport about 6am and we had a fun visit until her flight was called about 6:50am.  She sounded great and excited to get into the mission field.  Later in the day I received an email from the secretary of the Winnipeg Mission saying that she had arrived and was having dinner with Pres. Paulson and his wife.  On Thursday afternoon we had a phone message from Pres Paulson saying that he and his wife had enjoyed getting to know her during the mission orientation and that she was being assigned to a YSA Ward in the Winnipeg area.  She will be in a three-some for the time being (one sister having been out for 9 months and the other for 17months).  She will be there for the next 6 weeks.  We get to talk to her again on Christmas Day....it's been a fun week! 
We know that all of her relationships and life experiences have helped prepare her for this time in her life.  Craig and I send a big hug and thank you to all - friend and family.  Thank you for who you are and for your love and caring.  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years!

December 17, 2010

Hello!! It's another great day at the MTC...and my last pday at the MTC!! Goodness time goes by so fast! it feels like I just got here yesterday!! I leave on Wednesday! We have to be at the travel office at 4 AM! INSANE! which means Tuesday is the last day I can receive dear elder letters.  I am going to miss getting a little letter every day!! I am so excited to get to Canada!! I've met a lot of elders from Canada and everytime I tell them where I'm going...they just chuckle and say..well...good luck! Stay warm! ha. Very comforting!! I am just so stinkin excited! :)

Well...first item of business is...I CAME IN 2ND PLACE IN A BUMP TOURNAMENT DURING GYM! I know - you might ask..well were there only 3 people in the competition? but no....there were at LEAST 20!!! Can you believe it!! ha. I was so excited!!  that's right..represent! :)

second...everyone in my district now says..tell me everything! haha. Everytime I say, hey elder...they say..tell me everything Sister Smith. It's so great. Feels right at home! My teacher even says..well bugg-a-rooski now as well.  We are all just so close it's wonderful!!!

3rd....On Sunday we are doing a departing musical number for our branch as a district. We have decided to do Silent Night.  Before we start...one of the sisters will read about the Saviors birth...we'll sing a verse...then someone will read about the atonement..we'll sing a verse..then read about the resurrection..then sing.  It sounds so awesome!! I am the pianist and I am so excited! It should be really great.

4th. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!! I don't know when my next PDAY will be so I wanted to be sure to tell you all that I love you and I hope you find the joy in the season.  Remember the Savior.  Enjoy being with family and friends.  Take a minute to look around you and be grateful for what you have.  Merry Christmas.  I hope Santa is nice to you :)

5th.  Sister Alicia Smith found me this week! SO GREAT! we just talked and talked.  She ate dinner with my district!! It was so fun to catch up.

 

We had really awesome letters this week!! Here are some of my insights!! Look up 1st Nephi 7:21.  Its right after his brothers had threatened to kill him and talks about how he "frankly forgave" his brothers.  That is so powerful to me.  I can just imagine his brothers threatening his life and then Nephi being like..oh hey...no big deal..don't worry about it..and just going on with his life.  It really made me think about times when I have held on to grudges or have not taken the time to rely on the Lord and forgive someone for something small.  No one has threatened my life like Nephi...but yet...we still hold on to grudges.  I challenge you all to be like Nephi and "frankly forgive." 

The other thought is "Don't be tortured about who you aren't, rejoice in who you are."  God knows each one of us and has made us the way we are for a reason.  He has uniquely created us in His image.  He has given us each talents and gifts.  He has given us abilities to do things.  A lot of times we trouble ourselves with everything that we aren't but it is so important to rejoice in who we are! We are the way we are because God loves us.  He knows us by name.  He wants us to be completely happy!! Allow yourselves to be in the hands of the Lord and miracles will happen! Have faith in Christ and know that you are never alone. What a blessing to know that!!

On Tuesday there is suppose to be one of the 12 coming for devotional (rumor has it).  I'm excited to be here and get to see who it is!! One of the blessings of staying till Wednesday.  The rest of my district leaves on Tuesday morning, but my companion and I leave on Wednesday!!

Well it's been a great week! It's been so great to be at the MTC. gotta love it.  I will say I successfully had cereal for every meal on Tuesday.  ha. Naturally for breakfast...for lunch..all the choices were fish..so I chose cereal....and for dinner...all the choices were fish...soooo I chose cereal. Stellar eh?

I was companion to a sister this week who had to go to the hospital for some physical therapy...while I was sitting in the waiting room I met this man who does business in Winnipeg!! He gave me all the ins and outs!! It was so nice to talk to someone who could give me the scoop and get me excited to go!! Of course he talked about the weather...but he also talked about how great the people are and how nice everyone is and the cool stuff I will be able to see!!

I hope you are all doing well.  I miss you and pray for you every day! Choose to be happy! Do your best, that's all that matters...and don't forget to be yourself...everyone else is already taken! :)

I love you.

Live it. Love it.

PS-congrats Sky and Syd! wish I could be there! :)

Friday, December 10, 2008

It's been a full week! Can you believe it?! my my my, how time goes by so fast!!! This week has been amazing!! I have not only learned so much about the gospel but I've learned so much about myself!

We'll start with he basics!!  This week we had a devotional and Elder Zwick came to speak with us!! His message was so inspiring! This whole week we talked a lot about faith in Jesus Christ and leaning on Him in times of need! We also got to go listen to the Christmas Devotional.  Goodness wasn't that so great?! I hope you were all able to go.  This week we were able to teach our first lesson at our teaching appointment.  It was such a great experience.  We had been working on the first lesson all week and I was so excited to get the opportunity to do it.  Our "investigators" were an older couple who moved to Utah to be closer to their son and his family who had joined the church! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!! I was so happy when I came out of there!! There was a point in the lesson where I felt a bit of confusion and frustration with the investigators and the only thing I could think of to do was to bare my testimony.  The spirit flooded the room.  I know that the spirit works through us as missionaries, and each one of you to help the people feel of God's love for them and to know for themsevles that this is true.  It is not true of me to say that I DID IT...because I didn't, the spirit did it!! I was just an instrument.  It was a remarkable experience and a very humbling experience. 

My big thought for the week is that our faith in Jesus Christ is the only faith that will never disappoint us.  We might have faith in the electrical company that every time we turn on a switch...there will be light, but there will be times when the electrical company will let us down. But...NEVER will the Lord let us down.  Our faith in Him will always be constant and will never disappoint us.  What a comforting thought that someone will always be there for us, not matter what is happening or what is going on.  Put all of your faith in Christ.  We are never asked to do this alone.  We have the best companion on our sides with us every step of the way. I LOVE IT!!

Thank you all for the letters and packages this week.  You have no idea the comfort and peace it brings to get a letter every day. Thank you for taking the time to do that!! It means the world to me.

This week a lot of our true colors have been coming out...truuueee collooorrrsssss.  Our district has become very very close and we have had some awesome experiences together.  My calling has been going wonderfully.  I have learned a lot about service and about loving all those that I am serving.  I also learned a big lesson this week about not worrying about what other people think of the things I do when I'm prompted by the spirit.  If I am prompted by the spirit to do something..I must do it even if others think it wasn't the best way to handle the situation.  I will never know why I am prompted to do the things that I am asked to do while in this calling, but I know that If I act in faith, and do what is right, I will be directed in helping those in need. 

Our district has this thing about peeling our bananas with our foreheads.  ha. HILARIOUS! you should try it! haha. don't feel silly if you can't do it the first time, because trust me...it took me a couple times of lookin RIDICULOUS to get it right. haha. but it brought lots of laughs.  I guess that's all that matters. haha. you have a year and a half to figure it out before I get there to show ya up! :)

This past sunday was incredible.  They were all right when they said oh just wait til sunday, you'll be good.  My branch president is amazing and the spirit was so strong in sacrament meeting.  It is just our zone so it's only about 25 people which makes it  very personable but wonderful.  I took the challenge as well, and bore my testimony.  I've gotten lots of practice at that! :)

We had the opportunity to go to the temple this morning as well!! the provo temple is beautiful! I loved it!! It was good to take a step out of life for a few moments and just feel of the Saviors love. 

You would be impresed to know that I played basketball and four square this week at gym time...and I actuallly made some shots!! We played as a district and there is an elder who played in college and who is walking on at BYU when he gets home.  Kind of a big deal!!

I also ran into elizabeth brady's brother every day this week!! It was fun to see him!! And of course...Sister Sturgess and I have a reunion in the cafeteria every day!! So great.

I think that by me working at the Runway...I learned how to get to know people very fast...which I know at times was probably a bother becaues it would take me 10 minutes to check someone out because I would just get talking...but I tell ya what...it has come in handy out here!!! Just another thing I owe to the runway. haha.

There is just so much I want to tell everyone that happens every single day!

I hope you are all doing well.  Love you all and miss you! Stay strong. The church is true!!

Live it. Love it.

Love always,

Sister Jessica Smith.

Friday, Dec 4, 2010 1st MTC letter

I AM A MISSIONARY!!  hello hello hello!! Greetings from the MTC! Things here are going so well! I am loving every minute of it!! I have never been more tired and more stressed in my life...but I have also never been so happy!! I think I have prayed more, studied more, learned more and ate more in these past 3 days than I have my whole life! It's wonderful!! The first thing i thought as i was walking away from mom and dad was...wow..i'm really doing this!! We got the room and i saw the bunk beds and i just laughed! this is what all the boys had been through! so great.  The first day was so busy! we had meeting after meeting and pictures and orientations and classes.  We were put on overload for sure.  But it was good to keep us busy so we couldn't get too emotional! It's amazing how much love I have for the people i am serving with already!! i now understand how you can love instantly.  My teachers are so great. They really listen and follow the promptings of the spirit and have taught us great things.  I am so blessed to have them.  My companion is Sister Wennerlind (sounds like winner-lind) She is from Washington...right up by Steve! We have a lot of the same interests and have been getting a lot really well.  I know that the Lord places us with who we need to be with! It's really a testimony that He knows us individually and knows exactly what our needs are.  There are two other sisters in the district...we are all roommates.  Sister Cordon is so stinkin great. She's has a very tender heart and is very sweet.  We are a lot alike in that way.  We can just look at eachother and know exactly what we need!! The other day we both just looked at eachother and just gave eachother the biggest hug! Sister Stewart is from Utah! She is such a strong sister! She really knows her stuff and is very brave and not afraid to share the things she has learned or her thoughts! She takes care of all of us and makes sure we are all doing well!! There are 10 Elders in our district!! We were told that we are to not think of them as brothers...which is so hard for me because it feels just like home being surrounded by all these men!! Each one of them has such a strong testimony and a love for the gospel and the Savior.  It is so neat to see how much each of them, along with myself, have grown over these couple of days.  Our relationships have grown as well...we are each feeling more comfortable with one another and our personalities are starting so shine forth! It's wonderful.  I couldn't have asked for a better district.  I did commit my first missionary sin....we had just gotten to breakfast and we saw some of the elders in our district...so we went up to say hello and i automatically just patted one of them on the shoulder! I have never felt more guilty in my life!! I turned and said..wow i am So sorry!! I guess that's a good sign that the missionary spirit is in me! the showers are freezing!! haha. i had fmy first hot shower yesterday!! haha. so great. gotta love it. the food is WONDERFUL! haha. i greatly enjoy my chocolate milk! :) don't worry i'm being careful!!

I have seen several people here that I know.  SIster Alicia Sturgess, Sister Chandi Cox (from downeast) Sister Cody Skroski (spell check that one) Sister Meridith Jacobson (from school), Brother Andy man Larsen.  It is nice to see a familiar face around!

We have started to get into the teaching a little bit.  My companion and I have set up appiontments at the teaching evaluation center to practice the beginning of teaching and questioning this week.  I am really excited but nervous to get started.  There is so much to rememeber and so much to learn.  But I find myself just wanted to know more and more.  I am hungry for it.  And I have also been blessed with the ability to retain my knowledge and be able to understand what I am reading.  It use to be that I would read something, especially the scriptures, and have no idea what it just said...but already I read the scriptures and I can retell the story that I had just read and grab a principal out of it.  It makes it so much more meaningful!! I love it!

I was reading about Lehi's dream the other day and I found it interesting that Lehi describes the fruit the same way Adam and Eve described the forbidden fruit...maybe that is a common knowledge thing but it hit my when i read it! We've talked a lot about baptism and the importance of baptism. 

Here is my big thought for the week:  Why is baptism necessary?  It seemed to me that repentence and baptism were pretty much the same thing when you read about them, you repent to become clean..and you get baptized to become clean..so why is that we must do both? Study up on it.

Here is what I found.  Baptism is the action.  Our Heavenly Father asks us to be WILLING to do all things...by being baptized we are taking action..showing Him how willing we are to follow in the Saviors footsteps.  If we didn't get baptized, we wouldn't be able to complete the cycle of faith and repentance.  We would be stuck at the faith. That is where the sacrament plays such a key role as well.

Well,...another big thing has happened this week.  We had to opportunity to meet our branch presidency.  We all got one on one interviews with the president and were able to go around and meet their wives and them.  THat night, the President called a district leader and a coordinating sister for the branch (coordinating sister is basically equivalant to relief sociaty sister for the branch). The sister also goes and takes new missionaries on tours and does lessons with them to teach them when they first get to the MTC  I have been called as the coordinating sister for my branch! what an honor!! it comes with a lot of responsibility and work.  it was  very humbling experience to be able to hear how the branch president was inspired to call the district leader and the coordinating sister.  I am so grateful for the opportunity i ahve to serve in this position and i know i have a lot of growing to do but I am so excited to have this extra time to learn and grow and to know of what the Lord would want me to know. 

There is just so much to say but so little time to say it all!! I'm sure i'll remember so much more i wanted to say as soon as my timer runs out!! Don't worry...the Elders and Sisters have caught on to my lingo...fancy dancy...oh so stinkin great...love it...ooooh reaaaaaaalllllyyy....it's so great! :)

I am so thankful I am here and I know that I am suppose to be here.  Theres is not a doubt in my mind that the Lord is mindful of me and is aware of my needs and my family.  I KNow my Savior lives.  I know of the infinate atonement and am so grateful to be able to use it on a daily basis.  I know the Lord will not give us any challenge we cannot handle.  I am so blessed.  I am so thankful for all of the support and letters and love that I have already received.  It's a great day to be alive! Be good! remember who you are!  live it. love it.

 

Love always

Sister Jessica Smith