Mission Log - October 24, 2016 - T1, W1 - El Paso, TX!!

Dear Loved Ones -

Hellooooo from Texas!!!!

By way of clarification, T1 W1 means Transfer 1, Week 1.

So much has happened this week!  First of all, my new companion's name is Hermana Martin.  She is the sweetest companion!  She's 5'9'', with straight blonde hair.  She leads mostly by example, so I've learned to pay attention when she does anything, and learn by doing.

My very first day, I arose at the fresh hour of 1:30 AM to go to the airport.  We arrived in the Dallas airport, where I was given the opportunity to call my parents, which was a huge blessing.

We arrived in Albuquerque at 10:45 AM.  We went to see the temple, and to take a picture.  President Guffey and his wife were very nice.  Sister Guffey told us she has a Facebook Page for the New Mexico Albuquerque mission.  We lunched at the mission home, and were oriented into the mission.  I learned a lot about New Mexico, including the significance of the symbol "Zia."  I had an interview with President Guffey.

We spent the night at the apartment of the Sister Training Leaders.  The next morning, we had a Transfer Meeting at 9 AM in a parking lot near the mission home.  There were so many missionaries there!

I was assigned to labor in the El Paso Chamizal Area.  We drove for four hours and finally made it to El Paso.  We can see the border of Mexico from our apartment complex!  There's a huge red X that lights up at night.

Here's a day for you:

Every morning, we've been arising at 6:30 for 30 minutes of exercise - just like real missionaries! :)  Hna Martin is ripped, and she and I do crunches every morning as part of the routine.  We also do jumping jacks, to get the heart rate up.  At 7 AM we have an hour to shower, dress, and eat breakfast.  Breakfast has varied greatly this week, but Hna Martin's favorite breakfast is parfaits, so I've been making hers while she showers.

Then, every morning at 8, we have an hour for personal study.  As we study, we think about our investigators, their needs, chapters we've assigned them, and chapters that would be good to leave with them next time we visit.  Then, at 9 AM, we have companion study.  We read out of Predicad Mi Evangelio, and out of the white missionary handbook, and we read out of several other church-provided materials as well.  We then share what we learned slash read in personal study, then we talk about our investigators that we're going to visit that day.  We often role-play lessons to practice asking and answering inspired questions.  This transitions nicely into language study, because we practice in Spanish.  Then, at Noon after lunch, we go out to teach, to contact, to find, and to talk to people.

I have met so many people since I've been here, it would take forever to tell you about them all.

One super cool experience I would like to share is this: Our 4 o'clock, Jahayra, cancelled on us.  Following a backup plan, we went to contact some former investigators, the Familia Piedras.  We knocked, and the door opened right up (this is not common).  Hno Piedra smiled and asked us to come in.  We came right in to the back of the house, where his wife was.  We got to know them a little, and asked what they remembered about our church.  Hno Piedras left the room and returned with two copies of El Libro de Mormon, which looked well-worn and read.  We began to share Lesson three, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, (see 4th article of Faith).  We challenged them to be baptized, and they accepted!  They haven't agreed to a date, but we have another appointment with them next week!!

The gospel truly is restored on earth once again.  Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Older Brother.  Through Him we truly can live with our Heavenly Father again. Of these things I testify.

How could anyone ever get bored of this?  How can anyone forget how amazing this is?  How could we possibly take it for granted?

Love, Love, Love,
Hermana Smurthwaite

Mission Log - October 18, 2016 - Arrived in Albuquerque

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am allowed to email you briefly to let you know that I arrived safe.

I love you guys so much!  You guys are the best parents in the world.

My new companion is really sweet.  Her name is Hermana Martin.

I thought I was going to serve in New Mexico, but no!  I've been sent out to El Paso, Texas!

I will tell y'all more about everything on P-day, which has recently been changed to Monday in this mission.

Love, Love, Love,
Hna Smurthwaite


** Email Received from President Guffey **
Dear Brother and Sister Smurthwaite,

Hermana Smurthwaite has safely arrived in the New Mexico Albuquerque Mission!  Here is a picture of her with President and Sister Guffey.  Later this week we will send you a hard copy picture of the arriving group of missionaries which we took yesterday in front of the Albuquerque New Mexico Temple.

We are grateful for you having worked with your daughter to prepare to serve at this wonderful moment in their life!

Best always,

President Guffey

 

Mission Log - October 12, 2016 - Last Week at the CCM!!

Dear Loved Ones,

This week is my last week here at the CCM!!  I'm a bit sad to leave, but super excited for the next step.

The Mexico City Temple is amazing!  This is kind of amazing: there are escalators.  Escalators!!  Inside the Temple!!  It gets me every time.

We had an assessment on our Spanish speaking skills recently.  It was basically a timed response - for example, "Recite your favorite scripture in Spanish.  You have thirty seconds to prepare, go!"  It helped me to see that one, I've learned a lot, and two, I have a long way to go.
 
Four days ago, a little grey bird flew into the window of our classroom so hard it broke it's neck.  It twitched for about thirty seconds, then died.  As you can imagine, it was quite distracting, and our District congregated at the windows, standing on chairs and almost falling on top of one another trying to see.  (Understand the windows are about 5'5'' off the ground.)  Per Hermana Karren's request, Elder Bohn and Elder Slaugh volunteered to go outside and dig a little grave for it.  They did a good job of burying it, and they put two twigs in the shape of a cross over the grave.  It was very cute, and a bit sad.  I felt bad because this experience really traumatized Hermana Karren's tender heart, and she cried a little.  The reason I felt bad was because everyone else in the class was fine, and started up a lively conversation about hunting, pests, and whether animals had literal souls.  Hermana Leavitt took her to the bathroom, and I followed, and after they began to walk back, we tried to help her feel better.

Out of earshot of Hermana Karren, Elder Ficklin and I joked that this could be a Windex commercial.  "Windex - so clean, you can't even see it!"

This past Sunday, we had the opportunity to perform a special musical number for the entire CCM before Devotional.  We performed La Oracion del Profeta, Joseph Smith's First Prayer, in Spanish.  We sang it to the tune of Come Thou Fount, which worked out nicely.  The first verse was sung by the Hermanas, the second by the Elders, the third we sang together with a five- or six-part harmony going on, and the last verse was in unison for the verse, and harmony for the chorus. . . alright, we may have overthought it, but nevertheless, we sounded good, and more importantly, we brought the Spirit.

After the Devotional, Elder Bohn shared a simple thought which I really appreciated.  He said, "It's the Plan of Salvation, not the Plan to Punish the Wicked."  I feel like many view the Plan of Salvation as a make-it-or-break-it deal, but it's really not.  It is a gift.  It is a plan by which we all can be happy, and it was given to us by our Father Celestial because he wants us to have joy.  (See Elder Nelson's Talk from Gen. Conf.)

As we played volleyball one day, an Elder with a hurt hand spiked the ball with his head.  He began to play the ball with his head more, and though it was impressive, is was comical to see the excitement on his face as he expressed the joy of playing with his head to his athletic comrades.  "DUUUDE!  Try hitting the ball with your head, it's so fun!  Hey, man!  Chuck the ball at my head.  Do it!  Doit, doit, doit!"

Ah, fun times.

Well, that's all for now, folks. Tune in next week to hear more adventures.

Hermana Smurthwaite

Mission Log - October 5, 2016 - Pics from the CCM

Dear Loved Ones,

My Compañera let me borrow her camera, so:

Here's a snapshot of the performance we saw on the Grito de Independencia.

Here's me and Hermana Loescher, taken this morning, actually.

Here's a pic from the big city (Mexico City - Distrito Federal).

Here is me and Hermanas Karren, Leavitt, and Loescher, takin' a pic.



Here's me and Hermana Loescher, in our room.



Here's us in front of our house.



So here's a true story: One day, while we were waiting to go to dinner I drew everyone in our district, by request of everyone in my district. (Leavitt, Karren, Bohn, Carrizales, Me, Loescher, Ficklin Schaefer, Anderson, Petersen, Slaugh, and Nielsen).



Here's all the Hermanas in our Distrito: Me, Hermanas Loescher, Leavitt, Karren, Petersen, and Anderson.



Here's some fine, upstanding Elders in our District.  Legs of the church, right there. (Carrizales, Bohn and Nielsen).



Here we are, pictured with Hermanas Keller on the left and Art on the right, from District 8A.



Here's lunch and dinner pretty much every single day - except Tuesday, Pizza Night.



And here are Elders Nielsen and Slaugh, being goofy.  Elder Slaugh is our District Leader.



Here's our District when we visited the Temple.  From Left to Right: H Anderson, H Karren, E Nielsen, H Petersen, E Slaugh, H Loescher, E Bohn, H Leavitt, E Ficklin, Me, E Schaefer, E Carrizales



Mi Compañera, looking cute in the rain.



Some real Mexican goodies.



Here's us on Temple Day!



Us on the bus (on Temple Day).



Here's Elders Schaefer and Ficklin.



And that is all she wrote for today!

So there y'all are!
​
​Love, 

Hermana Smurthwaite