Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Another email 12-23-13



I have never had a spiritual witness while exercising. . . haha! We don't have the December Ensign yet, we get them a month or 2 later, but we really don't have much time to read them. But we have watched the Christmas devotional about 7 times! It was really good! I haven't seen a picture of your boot. Love you!

On Wed, Dec 18, 2013  Christy Smith wrote:


Have you ever had the Spirit bear testimony that God lives while you were exercising? I was at the gym today, riding the bike and reading the December Ensign. I had set a goal earlier in the year to read every article in the Ensign every month and I didn’t want the busy month be an excuse for me. Heidi was doing aerobics and I was alone in the big room. The article was “Come Let Us Adore Him.” You have to read it when it’s quiet and the Spirit can bear witness of the truth of it. I loved the section "O Holy Night". Somehow when I read that I was flooded with the Spirit, to think that He might regard me as a friend. I know I have lots of room to improve, but I truly want to get to know the Savior and have Him call me friend. I love the thought in “Liberty to the captives” too, because we all are captive to something and He is the only one who can set us free. I love my Savior with all my heart. I know He is real. I know He died for me. How grateful I am to be able to repent. I am so weak. Hope you get a chance to read the article. It is really beautiful. Love ya tons, MOM

p.s. The Good News of Repentance is also a great article. I kinda like being confined to the stationary bike. I can take things to study. It's usually quiet and it really helps my not watch how much longer I have to work. Did I send you a picture of my new shoe? (the boot) Ok, i could go on and on about different articles, but i will close with a scripture Mosiah 2:22-24 We can never even come close to our debt to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Email 12-23-13



we don't have much time to e-mail this week or next, but this made me cry, I love sub for santa so much, it is the reason Christmas is my favorite holiday. I am so glad you haven't been too stressed about it. And I am glad people are so generous! 2015 I'll be back to help shop for the left over angels:) we got to do a lot of service this week too, 5 hours of wrapping presents for this lady in the ward, it was insane! haha! I loved it:D I love you so much and I will talk to you on Wednesday:)


On Sat, Dec 21, 2013 at 7:26 AM, Christy Smith <tasmith64@hotmail.com> wrote:

Good morning! It is to me anyway. I know we get to talk soon but I know we will have so much to say and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. It is Saturday morning and we are almost done with sub for Santa. A glorious part of the season, being done! It has been interesting as usual. One mom got to do shop with a cop in Roosevelt and still tried to get help here. The Krilacek family (he has a speech impairment and she is deaf) we help them yearly but this year they decided to wait until Dec 18 to turn in their application. Tracy Taylor (she is a druggie pretty bad) she has three kids and her boyfriend has three-makes 3000 a month, when I asked her about making that much money was just like ya and I have 6 kids! I just don't get it. Most of the people we help smoke and I think hello give up a pack a day and you could buy your kids things. Makes me think of the letter you wrote home about keeping the commandments and we could be so happy. I am not judging people, just frustrated with their use of their free agency. The chamber of commerce decided this year to send over 2000$ instead of the truckload of toys. Dana and her 24/7 dance company held a dance recital and donated all the ticket sales to sub for Santa. $792.00! People have been so generous this year with the gifts they buy to the donations received, so we are able to help everyone. So far we have had about $4100 donated. Maybe that's why I have been so happy and not stressed about late applications or how much they make. It's for the kids and they can't help the stupidity of their parents. I took Cassidy shopping with me yesterday for the leftover angels. We didn't have a lot. Most of it was two very late families and a few items to add to kids christmas. It was fun. I told her it was now her assignment until she leaves home. Helping me and Angella with the shopping. I missed you and remembered the fun we always had doing that. But life goes on and you all grow up and move on to other adventures. Kmart was really busy this year. It was hard to stop and check off our lists and decide what else we needed. It seemed like someone was always wanting to get by us. But people were not rude at all. The ladies at the register were so nice about our three carts of stuff. Then on the way out to the truck, the parking lot was full of slush from the snow they got a few weeks ago, and the carts were so full it was very hard to push them. I had water coming up over my foot with the boot on it and I didn't want my sock to get wet, there was a gentleman who stopped to help me pull it thru to dry ground then he headed over to help Cassidy with hers. Totally different feeling than when we shopped in salt lake. It was so cool.
Oh I forgot to tell you about Bob. He is a man that always goes into Zion's and takes the leftover angels and donates $100 for each kid then we go shopping. Well this year he took the last 12 and then shopped himself for them! Isn't that crazy? Like I said people have been so generous. I am very blessed to see the difference service to others makes. It really brings you closer to The Spirit. I love that you kids have grown up being a part of it all too. We had a ton of people help sort food last night too. The Brady's all came, the Verde's with Michaela and Lilly, and the Denney's. It was awesome. The fair board office was full and we had stuff on the carpeted side too. At first there weren't many people, but they showed up and all worked hard and fast to get the work done. Well I love you so so so so much and hope you continue to love the people and your mission. It makes me so happy that you are watched over and happy where you are. Remember how much we love you and pray for you daily. See you soon! Love, mommy ;)

Friday, December 20, 2013

Family letter 12-16-13

We were asked to sing a song in Karen at the ward party. So we sang Hark the Herald Angels Sing. It was pretty awesome. Then a sister taught us how to sing a song about the Love of Christ. It was a lot of fun. This week was an adventure. We went on exchanges so my companion for the day was Sister Smith. We taught a lady named Sheryl. She was super crazy. We definitely figured out that she was not fully accountable that day. We shared the first vision and she started crying and then said "That's happened to me twice" then she had a small freak out. I have never seen the fist vision create such a strange reaction. Anyway, we had a lot of awesome things this wee. But I'll talk about the Mormon Chorale. We went to the Friday performances and it was so good. It was long and I was tired, but it was still good. I think 1/2 the choir comes from my ward. :)


Emily sent home a sacrament meeting program and decided to narrate the program. The contacts on the back page for the missionaries still show the previous sister. She was kinda bummed, she has been there almost three months now. They should know her name. Also the Ward Family History consultants let her do family history at their house. She loves them. Of course she crossed all the phone numbers out. Not sure if she thinks I will call them or what. Oh well. It was funny.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

letter home dated 12/16/13

In your letter you asked about the investigator who brought 9 people to church with her. She was suppose to get baptized on December 28, but she stopped meeting with us for a bit. The Karen Baptist church is really busy this time of year. They go around caroling for donations. But she said she still wants to meet after Christmas, so hopefully she will be baptized in January.
I have hardly started to read the conference Ensign. We are so busy studying PMG and the Book of Mormon. But I liked Robert D. Hales talk "Strengthening Faith and Testimony." I loved how he talks about how the church won't always be without persecution and there will be some things that take patience and faith. So many people give silly excuses for not living the commandments. It will be a challenge, it will require faith!
You don't have to be a certain age for mormon.org profile. It would be great for the YM and YW.
My companions grandparents use to live in Duchesne. Richard and Marie Spencer. Small world.
You asked about my schedule. We wake up every morning at 6:30.  I don't have any callings in my ward. The ward is really good so they don't need us to do much more than be missionaries!
Now responding to the letter that was in the package: I loved the Thanksgiving notes, they really helped me out this week. I also loved the message ornaments. I miss Tiago so much. I loved to see his ornament. The Aida play program was totally inspired!!! I read Morgan's bio on a day I was really discouraged and I read his favorite quote and it totally gave me an "ah ha" moment. I have been fine ever since. ("The true test of a man's character is what it takes to make him quit") So thank you so much. Thanks for all you do. I am so glad to have such a great family. I know God is our Heavenly Father and this gospel is true. With Love, Sister Smith

Monday, December 16, 2013

12-2-13 email

I LOVED the Christmas Tree! Thank you so much! we got it the same day Sister Riley got a package of Christmas presents and we were so happy :) When I realized i had been out for 5 months I had a small freak out! time is flying by! this is just way too crazy!
My Thanksgiving was great! you will get more details in the family letter but I tried to be good too. I am getting in the habit again of only having one helping of food which means I have to eat slow or else members will just keep piling stuff on my plate. It is really hard to loose weight specially here where our resources are very limited. I am gaining a lot of weight becasue our exercise is never very good :(
The voice recorder is something we would use to have the Karen members record stuff so we can practce saying it like them and also to record ourselves saying stuff every once in a while so we can see the improvement we are making. Using my camera is going just fine, I just do videos so you really don't need to worry about the voice recorder. It would basically be pointless after my mission anyway. I love you so much! Thank you! oh and I don't need tons of pairs of garments just a couple, whatever you send will be fine!
I love you too! thank you for all of the prayers! Talk to you soon!
With Love, Sister Smith XOXOXOXO

picture from a member

All three of them taught a lesson to me to practice. They are darling. It's rainy today but more snow is coming and single digits on Thursday and Friday....brrr send them wool socks and warm leggings. Lots of love Sister Morse.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Letter to mom Dec 9, 2013

Thank you so much for the Christmas package full of cheeseball stuff and the tree decorating stuff. :)
I love the ornaments. It was so fun decorating our tree! I cried a little when you told me about great grandma's bell that you sent to me. I love the ipod. It is so nice to have it again! The music is great.
Today was madness trying to get Christmas packages off, so I really need to relax before I get a headache. I am sorry my letter won't be as long as I hoped it would be. In a package could you include a cool present for Sister Riley for me. I can't get her a gift, because she is always with me. Thanks, I love you!

Family letter Dec 9, 2013

I am so happy to be a missionary! We were teaching a lady who is Karen and someone knocked on her door and in came about 30 Karen carolers! So we got to be carolled to in Karen. I recorded it and tried to email it to you, but i was not able to so you will have to wait until that camera card gets sent home, I guess. But it was really cool!
This week we listened to sacrament meeting, translated into Karen. I basically didn't understand much but I did hear one part in English that I loved. It said, "When you don't get an answer to your prayers, thank God for trusting you. And I thought that was cool. I often just want answers to all my prayers like hts to do with certain investigators or how I can be better, but I guess God trusts me to do what is right for the investigator and people He has placed in my path. I love you so so much! With love, Emily

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Emily's Christmas tree


We had so much fun making cheap decorations for her 3 ft tall tree. We didn't want Emily to have to worry about shipping a bunch of stuff home. So we made mice out of kisses and snowflake ornaments with yarn and popsicle sticks. Also some picture ornaments.

Email Dec 9



Thank you so much for the pictures! I have been thinking a lot about how I wanted to see more pictures soon so you read my mind! haha! I would love to be part of the gift exchange! I will send him something! I am excited! Thank you for sending his address because I don't have it. and I have jayson's but I am not sure if it was the mission home or the real address. If you could get me Nick and Braken's mission home address that would be great! I'm assuming that Megan is making another one of those calendars with everyone's pictures on it I definitely want one if she is making them again. . . :) I love seeing everyone and that way my companion can see every member of my family! haha! I love you! Don't worry too much about me my coat and boots are really warm. I wear lots of layers and President Clements doesn't make us go out if it is too cold. We just need to have appointments and stay inside as much as possible! I'm staying warm enough! Yeh Eh Nah Pah Doh!


On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 8:34 AM, Christy Smith <tasmith64@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hello! Shelly sent me an email that Braken wanted to be part of the cousin gift exchange. So she wondered about you three missionaries exchanging gifts. I told her that would be fine. So you have Braken. My question is do you want to get him something yourself and send it or do you want me to do it? I don't know what you have time for. Shelly suggested a gift card to Taco Bell or chili's. I know he loves brownies. I have sent him brownie boxes before and he was very happy about that. Let me know what you want me to do. I think he has written you you should have his address. But maybe I will send it anyway.
1439 S. Marion
Martinsville, IN 46151
Thanks, let me know how I can help. Love you tons! Mom

Friday, December 6, 2013

Letter to mom dated Dec 2, 2013

I just wrote a long letter, so I don't have much to say except thanks for the Christmas tree. We love it and it makes us so happy. It's snowing here currently, but nothing is really sticking to the ground so it is not too bad...YET.
I wore my Karen skirt to church on Sunday and everyone LOVED it! It made me so happy. It was really expensive, but I figure it'd be worth it to buy such a great Karen thing ya know? I'll justify it I guess. It wasn't really too bad. IT was $40.00 which is way more than I would pay for any other skirt but oh well.
We get to be in the Ward choir. They normally don't have one, but I guess for the month of December they do. I just love singing. It makes me so happy.
I know I don't talk about the work going on here very often, but it really is going great! There are just so many names and I don't like calling them Brother____ or Sister ___ because it gets confusing. We are so blessed and watched out for. I love being s missionary and I wouldn't want it any other way, or to be anywhere else. I am so happy! I love this experience! I love you and everything I have learned from you and dad. With love, Em