It has been a week I tell ya.

Well. It has been a week I tell ya. It was Sister Broderick’s last week!! She goes home on Thursday! It is so crazy that she is leaving!! So crazy that I’m already at my first transfer! We got our transfer calls...I will...BE STAYING AT YSA! I am so excited!! Makes me so happy. I love this ward so much it is crazy!! Sister Crosier and I will be here and then Sister Reid is coming!!! I have heard great things about her. I talked to her on the phone a couple weeks ago...I asked her if she was related to the Reids in Washington and she said no...how neat would that have been eh?! So great.

We set a baptismal date with Terri!!! She is scheduled to be baptized at the end of the month!! We are all so excited! She is very consistent with meeting with us and hasn't missed church once since we met her!! We are working hard on getting her to that date! :)

This week at bingo...I had to help someone with their dentures. Never in my life did I ever think that would happen! haha. They had dropped them on the floor and then just looked at me...so I bent down and did my best to pick them up!! It was pretty funny if ya ask me! Classy! :)

I read a lot from the ensign this week! the talk that stuck out to me the most was by Elder Wirthlin called One Step After Another...it talks a lot about how we just need to be the best we can be today, we don't need to be perfect, we don’t need to be better than anyone else...just be the best we can be!! I love that thought. So many times in our lives we wish we were like someone else or we get down ourselves. But God created each of us individually for a reason. He made each of us unique and special. We all have so much to offer!! I love it.

I'm excited for a new transfer and to continue working in the YSA Ward!!! They are the best!!

I hope you are all doing well. Staying warm. Being good! :)

Remember who you are. Live it and love it.

The church is true! :)

Sister Smith

It has been a huge week!!!

Hello!! It has been a huge week!!! I went on exchanges for the first time this week which was SO much fun! I went with Sister Hope. She is from Burley, Idaho...I told her how much I love that Wendys and she agrees!! It’s a good one for sure!! We had some crazy experiences that day with people. There was an old man who got pretty upset with us....I guess not everyone is going to want to hug me every time eh?! Aha. It was great to be with her and to learn from her!! She’s a great missionary!!

Marsin...is...GETING BAPTIZED!! The elders called me this week to let me know! I just wanted to jump up and down and scream for joy!! I am so excited for him!!

Something else big happened this week too...

One of the girls from our ward brought one of her friends to institute. Her friend said she was interested in learning more so we set up an appointment with her for the next day. We met with her and when we got there and sat down she said I want that light that you all have...what do I have to do to get that light and be a member of your church. AHHHHH! :) So we taught her about repentance and baptism and invited her to be baptized and she committed herself to be baptized!! She has a date for the 11th of February!! The feeling was INCREDIBLE!!! I have never felt like this before. This is what a mission is all about!! Of course I was crying...naturally...but it was so amazing!! I am so excited to continue working with her!!

In institute this week we talked about standing in holy places....and how not everyone is going to fit in the temples...so what do we do?!?!? ....we live our lives in a way that everywhere we go and everywhere we stand...we are standing in a holy place...we make that place a holy place!! I LOVED THAT THOUGHT! It’s all up to us!!

It got down to -39 again this week. My tootsies were so cold...it reminded me of running through the snow bare foot with the grandkids over thanksgiving!! Gave me a little chuckle!!

In bingo this week the little lady I sit with is very very quiet normally...normally I just talk to her and have a conversation with myself...but this week she just piped right up and we were giggling all over the place. It was so great. It reminded me a lot of Grandpa Hansen! It’s one of my favorite days of the week to get to play bingo with the seniors! They are hilarious!

We had to cut down our hours teaching English! :( makes me so sad. When we told her...she cried...she is such a great lady!! She’s having all of us sisters over on the 31st for dinner!! She is always talking about how she wants an "American accident" (accent) like us. It is so great.

The air is cold. But the work is good. Transfer calls are this week!! First transfer is already over!! Time goes by so fast!! Make every moment count!! :)

Ether 2:24-25

Love you all!!! Be good. Remember who you are. Live it. Love it!!

Love Sister Smith!!!

Well it's another week in Canada!!!

Well it's another week in Canada!!! We got so much snow this week...so I guess that means it warmed up...I’d say we got a couple feet at least. It snowed every day...all day...all night. The snow here is SO pretty it's very light and flakey. When it lands you can actually see the snow flake and it just glitters!! I love it!! It’s not wet so you can't make very good snow balls or anything...but it is just lovely! :)

First of all...my companion wore an Oklahoma Sooner shirt a little bit ago......I didn't even know what to say!!! I was devastated!!!

It was a very successful week!! We had a lot of lessons this week and a lot of service hours so it felt very productive and very successful which I just loved!! We do a lot of work with the less actives and with the recent converts in the young single adult wards so it's fun to be with the people around our own age and get to know them.

I wrote last week about our investigator Terri!! She came to church again this week and seems to be doing very well!! It is so exciting to see her learn so much and grow!!

Also...I wrote about Marsin who we met on the street...he was at church again on Sunday as well!! That made me SO happy to see him again!! The elders say he is progressing along very fast and has so many good questions and just wants to learn everything he can!! It is so exciting to see how the gospel can affect people’s lives.

I thought a lot about that this week about how people live without the knowledge we have. We talk to people about faith and how it helps us with everyday life. When I learn that they don't have faith...it makes me think about what gets them through and what they live for! I am SO grateful for the knowledge I have and for the plan that Heavenly Father has for us to return to live with him again.

One really neat thing that I love about Winnipeg is the various different cultures that are here. Everywhere you go there is a different kind of restaurant...Chinese, Arabic, Pilipino, Japanese, German...and every time we talk to anyone on the street they are always from somewhere different. It is so neat to see the similarities and the differences that we all have.

This work changes lives for sure!! When people feel of the Saviors love for them, they can't help but what to learn more!! I love who fast it can affect people and I love feeling the Lords love for them!! I know this church is true and I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of each one of us!!!

I was reading in 3rd Nephi this week and found the scriptures chain..."one by one" it starts in 3rd Nephi 11:15 how the Savior went forth...to each person..one by one so they could witness that He is the Christ and feel of the prints in His hands. The Lord loves us so much that this is a very individual work. He knows each of us as an individual and is very aware of us and wants us each to have the chance to learn of Him. That is why we are baptized one by one, why we receive blessings...one by one. The chain then goes to 3rd Nephi 18:36, 17:21 and 28:1. Check it out...it is pretty neat. I know that is so true and that the Savior does love each ONE of us and knows us and wants the best for each ONE of us!! It is up to us to have that faith in Him and take the action to become closer to Him!! He will never leave us!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!! Thanks for all the love and support and letters!! It is so good to hear from you all!

Love you all!

Be good. Remember who you are. Live it. Love it! J

Love Sister Smith

WELL HELLO FROM CANADA!

WELL HELLO FROM CANADA!

Goodness it feels like I just wrote yesterday!! Time is going by so fast!! Things here are going great!! It’s been a very good week and we have had some very neat things happen this week!!

To start off...it warmed up this week. It was very nice weather...only -15 or -20 all week. It was a nice break for sure! :) Crazy eh?!

I can't remember if I ever talked about Marsin!! We found Marsin street contacting one day and turned him over to the elders....well...he was at church on Sunday!! Ooooh I was so happy. It was so neat to see him there. We talked for a bit and he said things were going well. The elders say he has so many good questions and is so eager to learn more and more!!

I also don't know if I have talked about Terri! Terri was a referral from our mission president. A member in another town had given him her info so he sent us sisters over on Christmas Eve to give her a plate of goodies and such. She lost her husband and her daughter within about 2 years of each other and she is deaf. We went back the next week and she let us in and we taught her the first lesson. she said the first time we stopped by she had been missing her family and been really lonely and wishing she had sisters close by...little did she know she was going to get THREE sisters!! :) She came to a baptism with us this past Saturday and has committed to learning more!! On Sunday, we went on splits and the other two sisters got permission to take her to her ward (she is in her 30's) so they took her to church on Sunday...which is a miracle all in itself. There are 3 sign interpreters in that ward and another deaf individual in that ward!! It was PERFECT! She felt so welcomed and was able to understand everything that was taught and said because of the interrupters. (I don't think I am spelling that right). We are meeting again with her tomorrow to continue teaching her! It’s amazing what the Lord will do to help those who are searching for answers!!

Teaching English went great this week!! The lady we teach is so amazing. The family is from Sudan! She really looks up to Helen Keller because of her courage and her strong will do keep learning!! I told her that I feel like she is the same way. She has such a desire to learn English even though it is so hard and to give her family the best life possible!! She is so humble and works so hard!! She invited us over for dinner at the end of the month! She always teaches us one Arabic word a day! The latest was shoo-ka-ran...pretty sure that's not spelled right either...but it means thank you in Arabic!! :)

Elder Terrance smith from the 70 is over our little area and he came and talked to us missionaries on Saturday!! It was a question answer type of meeting and it was very neat to learn from him!! He is a very intelligent man and full of love!

I studied hope this week!! I read how hope is the anchor of the soul and thought a lot about the symbolism!! An anchor keeps the boat where it is suppose to be so it doesn't wander in the sea at the wrong time. It keeps it safe!! Just like how hope is the anchor of our souls...if our souls have hope...we are anchored in the right spot...if we focus on hope our hearts won't wonder into discouragement or despair. Keep the anchor of hope and you'll be happy!! I really liked that a lot!!

Well another week is starting! I’m excited to see what happens I’m sure it's going to be fantastic! Like always!!

Love you all!! Hope you are all well and happy!! Be good. Make good choices. Remember who you are.

Live it. Love it.

Sister Smith!

Happy New Years!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!! I hope you all had a wonderful new year!! Mine was great. We had to be in by five so we had a zone activity at the church...just played some basketball and a game called rat smear...I call it flat rat because I can never remember the name...It’s basically dodge ball...everyone against everyone... pretty intense i tell ya. My sporty side is definitely getting practice out here :) as companions we had pizza and we made muddy buddies (thanks mom) and had sparkling cider....then we were in bed by 10:30. It was pretty classy! We had a lot of fun!! We also got to sleep in on New Year’s Day...which was such a blessing! :) I hope you all had a fun time too!! This is going to be a great year!! I’m sure so much is going to happen and it is so exciting!! It is so fun to think that for a full year I will have one purpose...to bring others to Christ. I know what I will be doing for this whole year...I can't say that's ever happened before. I kind of like it :)

Things here are going well!! It’s been a busy couple of days. We had the coldest day yet...-35 degrees Celsius...which is about -31 degrees F. and that was the day that we walked around all day because we were out of our Kilometer allotment I have never worn so many clothes in my life. I had on thermals, tights, 2 pairs of tights, another pair of thermals, sweat pants and my skirt!! I looked like I had reached my goal!! I took a picture so you can see it soon!! That day was one of our most successful days however!! We met a lot of people that day and got a lot of potential investigators!! As we were street contacting we ran into a man right outside his apartment. He asked us to walk with him. Since the sidewalks are pretty skinny it was me and him in front hen my companions behind...I was able to talk with him and bare testimony so many times. He had so many good questions about how I had received revelation for myself and about prayer and how I kept going through hard times. It felt like I was talking with a friend. We stood at the bus stop with him for another 10 minutes and just talked. He wanted to learn more so we left him with a pamphlet and got his info. We gave it to the elders and they got in contact with him and have met with him. He is very interested and is not investigating the church!! It was the neatest thing!! It got me all sorts of excited about it!! You can feel his sincere desire to learn!!

ABOUT CANADA: Canada has a great bus system! Everyone rides the bus here!! It’s so nice!! They also celebrate their holidays for more than one day. For example...Christmas...they had about 5 days off...then for new years...they had New Years Eve, new years, Sunday and Monday off!! That’s the way to do it I tell ya!!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: Alma 55:18-24. First read it...then think about what our purpose is as members of the church. We should want to bring others to our "army" and have them be a great strength to us in building up the kingdom of the Lord.

Also...in relief society...we listened to a talk by Sheri Dew and she said “there are certain things you just wouldn't do if you really knew who you are."

Think about who you really are. Mom says it all the time...remember who you are. Take it a little deeper and think about how God is your Heavenly Father who loves you and wants you to be the very best you can be.

I know this church is true. I know that there is a plan of happiness for us to return to live with our families for all eternity. I know that if we put our faith and trust in the Savior, we will be able to feel the love our Heavenly Father has for us and we will want to live the commandments and to be able to return to live with him again.

I love you all!! Hope you have a wonderful week! Be good. Remember who you are. Live it. Love it!

Sister Smith