Mission Log - March 7, 2017 - T4, W3 - Investigator Miracles, Challenges, and the Temple

Many miracles this week!

- We finally found Jahayra after MONTHS of not seeing her!
- Petra agreed to be baptized on March 11th!
- We found a new less-active member to love- Perla!
- We got to go to the Temple and I received some very specific revelation in answer to some questions I'd had.

One miracle in particular I'd like to share: We went to an appointment with Mariana Muro.  It was our first appointment with her, so she would become a new investigator.  But she wasn't there!!  We were bummed, but we followed our back-up plan and went to some apartment complexes with potential investigators in them.  Not ONLY did we find an awesome couple and set an appointment, the wife gave us a referral!  THEN, as we walked back to our car, we waved to some people on the outdoor balcony.  Only they weren't just people - it was Celeste, an investigator who'd moved and her phone was disconnected.  Hermana Martin and I had taught her before Hermana Blow came, so Hna Blow didn't know Celeste; I ran up the sketchy metal steps to hug her (Celeste).  My confused companion ran after me.  Come on, Hermana; I know we're supposed to love the people, but I think you're getting a little carried away! :)  We talked and she gave us her new number - she told us she wanted us to teach her and her boyfriend again!  Truly a miracle.

Something sad happened, though: Petra called us last night saying she wanted to cancel her baptism.  We asked why, and she said that her being gone in the morning on Sundays was causing problems with her husband, who goes to Mass around 1.  We told her that God loved her, and asked her not to make the decision before our appointment with her today at 12:30.  We asked her to pray to her Father and to read 2 Nefi 31. (She's on 2 Nefi 26, so it's not too far from where she's at).

Please keep Petra in your prayers, Family, Friends, and Missionaries!  Satan is working really hard against her and her family.

She's the one on the right, so y'all know what she looks like:

Love you all! Thank you for all your support and prayers!

Hermana Smurthwaite


Temple Pics:

We went to the Albuquerque Temple yesterday.

We got up at 3:30 to make the 5-hour drive with a less-active family, the Sidas.

​It was a very unique opportunity...

To go to the Lord's House while in His service.

Please enjoy these pictures.
Love, Hermana Smurthwaite

Mission Log - February 27, 2017 - T4, W2 - Sweet Spirit and Tree Cutting Service

Ya see the strangest things around El Paso:

:) Had to share!

So our investigator, Petra, has now had TWO interviews - one with our zone leader, one with President Garcia.  She's preparing to be baptized soon!  We hope the rest of her family will follow.

We recently found a former Investigator named Nalleli.  She is so sweet!  We taught Plan of Salvation, using the pamphlet, and in that pamphlet are the words to "I am a Child of God."  We sang it for her as she read the words, and the Spirit testified powerfully to her about her divine identity.  She was a little hesitant to say the closing prayer, so I said, "Well what if I say one, and then you can say one?"  I had just barley said "Amen" when she started to pray!  She's awesome.

We had a funny experience last Saturday.  A potential investigator, Laura, told us in no uncertain terms: "I'm gonna read this book with a vengence! I'll read it with the Bible! If I find any mistakes, I'll know y'all are liars!"  Algo asi. :)  She asked us to give her 15 days.  We agreed, but I know she won't find anything! :)

We also had a surprise service project at Petra's house!

That's her on the right. We showed up in skirts, ready for a lesson, to find her and her family outside chopping up a tree!

​We said we "wood" help! :)

Tune in next week for more woodchips and cheesenips!

Hermana Smurthwaite​

Mission Log - February 22, 2017 - T4, W1 - Pamphlet Lessons, English Lessons, and Bangs

Hola from El Paso!

Wow, what a week!  We had a lesson with Nelli using the new training from the AP's.  We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ using the pamphlet's pictures.  We told her, "we're going to just skim through, but we want you to go back and read it when we leave!"  She committed.  She loved the picture of Jesus Christ's baptism.  "How beautiful!"  she said.  When we got to the picture of the people taking the Sacrament, she committed to come to church without us even asking her! :)  She not only was way more responsive and open with us, she kept giving herself commitments.  She opened up the Book of Mormon and pointed to the picture of Alma baptizing in the Waters of Mormon.  She said she really liked it and she said she would read the associated chapters, underneath the picture. :)  Super awesome!

Also, had an amazing miracle!  So a sister in our ward was a bit upset because she didn't pass her citizenship test, because of her English.  We offered to come teach her English.  As we pulled in, I realized there was a slight problem: I don't know how to teach someone english!!  I barely know how to teach myself Spanish!  I began to freak out.  Walking up to the gate: what did we sign up for?! I can't teach this woman English! What if I teach her wrong? what if I make her feel dumb? what if she leaves the church because we STINK at teaching english? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

She opens the door and this calm washes over me, whoosh.  We walk in and I pull out my Spanish prayer cheat-sheet.  We read it with her, and as we do, I could almost hear the Holy Ghost saying,  Hermana Smurthwaite, be at peace.  You, Maria Mendoza, be at peace.  I am the master teacher.  It was a sacred experience I will never forget.  Maria ended the lesson with a prayer - in English!

The Church is true.  The Book is Blue.  Love you all.
Hermana Smurthwaite


On a lighter note . . .

THIS happened. :)

What do you think? :)

Mission Log - February 13, 2017 - T3, W6 - Fun Tradition and Investigator Progress

We attended the Birthday party of our returning less-actives and discovered a delightful Mexican Birthday tradition - MARDIDO.  After removing the candles and singing "las mananitas", everyone began chanting, mardido, mardido!  Then Jose's brother Julian slammed Jose's face into the cake!  Here he is, pictured in shock, with his brother and sister in law and niece smiling and laughing.  Bit of a waste of a tres leches cake, but super entertaining! :)

We got lost this week, tracking down the Familia Esquivel!  Luckily, we have our trusty map, and we were on the road again in no time.

We saw so many miracles this week!  One of which was on Saturday.  We had an appointment with an investigator we hadn't seen in weeks, who we were certain would drop us.  BUT not only did Juan and his wife, Nelli, not drop us, their sister San Juana became a new investigator!  AND Juan and Nelli agreed to be baptized on the 25th of March!  Amazing.

We had stake conference this week, as well!  4 Less-actives we're working with came, as well as our investigator, Valeria!  She and Nefi have their court date on March 4th, so they hope to be married soon so she can get baptized!

I am so grateful the Priesthood is restored - and I'm sure my ancestors are as well.  I can't wait for that enormous family reunion we're all going to in the Spirit world! :)

Love, Love, Love,
Hna S

By day, a dignified representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

By night...

also a dignified representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! :)

Mission Log - February 6, 2017 - T3, W5 - Member Testimonies

Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! I welcome you today...
To this week's mission log!

Our mission vehicle broke down this week, so we got some experience walking, just like real missionaries in the olden days! :)

​"Hey, it's the sisters! Don't mind our blisters." :)

A super fun happening this week, was instead of simply not being there, our appointment left us a Cancellation Note!

So considerate!  They are an amazing family, the Munozes; we expect they'll be getting baptized soon!  Now if we could just get them to church... :)

One of the many many miracles that happened this week was that because our car was in the shop for 4 days, many members gave us rides to lessons - then stayed to help us teach!  On two occasions, they stayed for two lessons back to back - truly a miracle!  Hna Granados (yes, the sea-soup hermana) stayed for two powerful lessons, and bore her testimony this Sunday about her experience and how the Spirit taught her as she testified!  It was awesome.

Another miracle! Petra, our most solid investigator - she reliably reads a chapter or two out of the Book of Mormon between visits, prays, and ponders what we teach - hadn't come to church in the month we'd been teaching her because she didn't know if her husband would approve.  We said a prayer with her so she could talk to him... and not ONLY did he approve of her going, he told her: "Don't be late!" :D  Amazing!  Our Heavenly Father always provides a way for us to accomplish His commandments.

Miracle 3!  Mariana, the inactive wife of David Tercero, an investigator, who hadn't been to church in 11 YEARS, people, CAME TO CHURCH!!  She met the Bishop, and next week, she's bringing her son and husband with her!!  She was so happy!  Her spiritual starvation was soothed, after years and years!  And she now knows what she's missing.

The Gospel is true!  The Priesthood is restored!  The Truth is on the earth again!

Love you all con todo mi corazon,
Hna Smurthwaite

Mission Log - January 30th, 2017 - T3, W4 - Powerful Messages

Hello friends, family, and fellow disciples of Christ!

So many fun experiences this week!  So many sacred ones, as well.

We couldn't find a cheese slicer, so Hna Blow got creative:

Ah, solutions! :)

We shared a dinner message with the Quezadas.  Our dinner messages have fallen into a routine.  "How are you?  How was your day?  Did you serve a mission?  (No, I'm a convert)  Oh; how did you find the gospel?"  Then one of the "Big 3" - The Restoration of the Gospel, the Plan of Salvation, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Then a commitment to share the gospel with friends and family, to ask their friends and family to hear the missionary discussions, or to come out to a lesson with us (crowd favorite).

But Hermana Blow felt prompted to share Alma 14 with them.  It's the chapter when Alma and Amulek, after teaching the wicked priests, are forced to watch the sacred records and all their recent converts be burned.  We read up to verse 11.  We then asked them to think about how deep their faith is - would they be willing to die for Jesus Christ's true church?  (We said, "Don't answer us, just think about it.")  I also thought about it.  We sat in silence for about 3 minutes.  Then Hermana Quezada commented, "It's like that one hymn that talks about 'e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me.' "  We concluded by singing Nearer. my God, to Thee. (Mas cerca, Dios, de Ti in spanish.)  It was the most powerful dinner message I've ever had on the mission!

I came to the conclusion that I would die for this Gospel, because it is true.  I'm still not sure I would let other people die, yet; but in the context of Alma and Amulek, Christ wasn't even born yet!  Their faith was crazy strong.

We began teaching the Hermanitas Martinez again. We read Alma 32:28, and talked about faith.  This time we made paper flowers as we talked.  They were much more responsive to this teaching method!  We challenged them to "be flowers and pray, or photosynthesize, so you can grow and receive sunlight, or God's love."  They were excited to read the Book of Mormon after we left.

We are teaching a man named Julio Navar.  He has a ton of questions!  The first thing out of his mouth was, "Do y'all know who Melchisedec is?" :)  We whipped out Alma 13.  He's a reader.  He was very excited to learn that there is more scriptures and a living prophet!  He's not commited to baptism yet, because he was baptized Catholic and later on Baptist, so he's not sure if it's a mockery before God to just keep getting baptized.  We'll see him tomorrow. :)

Love you all much!  Continue in faith!  Remember who you are!  May the Spirit be with you...always.

Hna S

We received a new missionary daily schedule, which includes more flexibility. Our district leader took us out to ice cream to celebrate! :)

Mission Log - January 23, 2017 - T3, W3 - Talents and Shadows

Hello, family, friends, and country-men! (and out-of-the country men!),

So we had a few sick days this week! :(  But thankfully, Hermana Blow's alright!  Just some back-pain/stomach pain/fever.  She's doing a lot better.  But since we were bed-ridden one of the days, we discovered she had an incredible talent for hand-shadow-making:

Owl.

Eagle.

Louis Armstrong.  (Crazy, right?)

It made me think of the parable of the Talents, and how each of us has been blessed with certain talents, and if we don't try something out, we'll never know we're secretly amazing at it.

Matthew 25:23-  "His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

Love, love, love,
Hna Smurthwaite