WEEK 7

Hello everybody!

This week has been a little bit tougher for our district and zone. I actually am totally fine, but several people have been going through some hard things which I think is brining down morale and people just seem to be a little out of sorts. I just found out that one of the elders going to Georgia went home this morning which is so sad. That being said, while it would have been better for him to take care of things before coming on his mission, I have so much respect for him for taking care of things now and for caring enough about this gospel and the people in Georgia to fully prepare himself. I am so grateful that I know and feel worthy to be here doing this amazing work. I feel the power and authority of my calling more and more and I am becoming increasingly excited to go to Armenia. I was thinking about it this morning at the temple and I think I am finally really developing a real love for the Armenian people and I am anxious to really get to know them and learn their "ways" haha. I just keeping working hard and praying that I can be the most effective missionary I can be so that I can help the people who are being prepared for me personally to teach. That is why we get called to specific missions - because we need a specific mission president, or we need a specific companion and there are people set aside for us. That is why it is so important to be worthy to serve and to be obedient because the Lord is going to place someone who is searching for truth with a missionary who is not prepared to be an example and to teach them truth by their words and their works. So, those are some things I have been thinking about lately.

This Tuesday for our devotional Elder Evans spoke and he talked about President Thomas S Monson. He just shared some personal experiences that he and his family have had with the prophet and things he has said and done with people on a personal level. He bore his testimony that president Monson is the prophet for the world, and also for the individual, kind of like how Christ is the Saviour of the world and the Saviour of each individual child of God. I want to go back and read P. Monson's talks now and come to know him better. He is an amazing, loving, kind, inspired and powerful man.

For some other updates, TRC went really well last night. I am still progressing with the language and so is Sister Burnham. She has been struggling with it, so it is so wonderful to see the Lord blessing her for her hard work and our prayers. Last night we gave our first baptismal commitment and it went really well. Our investigator is going to get baptized in 3 weeks! Hahaha... too bad she's already a member and not really a real investigator. Oh well. I am still healthy and happy. My knee is healing I think, slowly but surely. The MTC doctor sent me to another specialist (did I already tell you about this? I forget). I went to a sports med doctor and they took xrays and there is nothing wrong with me as far as my bones go. He said its probably just patello-femoral irritation, so that means there is some kind of issure with my knee cap in english. He gave me some more muscle strengthening excercises and a brace to wear when i work out or walk to the temple or somewhere a little further away. Its going to be all good. I am doing my part and following their instructions and the Lord wants me to serve in Armenia so He'll make it work. Oh, I have also been overdosing on Aleve. I am not even in very much pain, but the doctor said to take it to keep inflammation down so things can heal... I hadn't noticed any inflammation but whatever.

Ok, so I asked the other sisters what to write about cause I wasn't sure what to share, so here is what they said to write about them.
Sister Burnham: She is the best thing to happen to me (this is actually pretty true, I love her and we are drama free in our relationship, which is so nice when there is so much drama going on around us). She is inspiring, beautiful, looks great in braids (which I do for her btw), talented - especially with sewing buttons onto things and with Armenian, and she has a rock solid testimony.
Sister Bailey: She does this thing with her face where is goes all scrunched up, she emits foul smells (true story!), and she has a tail.
Okay but truly (this is from me) she is hilarious, easy going, physically so strong (she broke the wall sitting record - 7min and 37 sec), she is gorgeous and has a strong testimony.
Sister Huntington: She is an Angel (says sister Bailey), and there are no words to describe her (says Sis H). I say she is beautiful, talented (gorgeous singing voice and she's in theatre), she is hilarious, and she can make sounds come out of her that I just don't understand how they're made.
Sister Lindstrom: is a recovering smoker (she just sounds like one because she is sick), and she owns a casino in Las Vegas (outright lie). She is actually wonderful, kind, and very generous. Also, she speaks amazing french and served a mini mission in France. This is the sister who is going to Latvia and is a solo sister/mine and sister Burnham's third companion.

Alright, I love you all! I hope everything is going well at home. I haven't really hearn any good updates. How is Sonia doing and when is she due again? Feb? And how's Aleks? What ever happened to the guy that Emmy was helping to join the church? TELL ME THINGS! I feel left out of the loop!

If you want to discover a type of Christ in The Book of Mormon read Alma 17 and think about Ammon as Christ, the King as heavenly father, the waters as baptism, the sheep as us and/or the shepherds as us depending on how you want to look at it. Im a shephard cause Im a missionary!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Sister Smith

ps just so you know... I am running out of healthy foods soooooo....... LOVE!