Little things make a BIG difference (Week 3)

amigos i'm half way done with the MTC! crazy! In 3 weeks I'll be walking around the streets of Argentina! I couldn't not be more excited, scared, overwhelmed, blessed, to go! Over all this week has been really good. Always progressing, always busy. pero, esta bien :)

THE PEOPLE- 

I love making friends and the MTC is just the place to do it! There's this cute girl that lives down the hall from me, her name is Sister Sorensen and she's speaking Mandrin Chinese going to Leeds, England (same mission as Liza Pugsley) and she's is the cutest thing! We're twins! We have the same pj's a ton of the same clothes, dress the same and we both have short brown hair and glasses that look the same! She's a doll and I love her! I'll attach a picture below :)

Hermana Eyring has been here for awhile but we finally got a picture together and I'm so happy about it :) I love that girl! My Branch President is her doctor so she even came to my ward for fast Sunday! It's like a little slice of home whenever I see her!

For the past 2 weeks we've had 2 other sister missionaries living in our room with us because they're english speaking so they weren't here for very long. They left on Tuesday morning both going to Baltimore Maryland! They're both so sweet and I have no doubt they'll touch countless hearts out there :) 

CLASE y ESPANOL-

There's always something to be learning! Spanish is getting better but obviously not as fast as id like it to, pero esta bien porque (but its okay because) I'm on the lords time. Learning a language is really a process for me. Lots of hard work and lots of studying (i usually don't study so it's VERY different for me) and just the constant trying to think of words in spanish and understand what's going on haha With the lords help anything is possible :) & I have a strong testimony of that! If you go to the Lord with a humble heart and pray and ask him with real intent, I KNOW the Lord will answer your prayers. Maybe not in the way you like or when you want it. But he will answer. 

OUR ADVENTURES OF THE WEEK-

Adventure #1: our new calling

       So this week Hermana Holmes and I got a calling! You're looking at the new Zone Sister Training Leaders :) So we're basically in charge of all the sisters in our zone and we go this calling 2 weeks in haha We're super excited though! Couldn't ask for a better calling! Oh and my mom would be proud to hear that I accompanied in sacrament meeting on sunday. Yes mom I am using my talents. 

Adventure #2: beyond the walls of the MTC

        Earlier this week Hermana Holmes eye was kinda bugging her, so she made an appointment with the doctor here at the MTC. I had a white thing on my eye that was getting bigger and I was like, what the heck might as well get it checked out so it doesn't become a problem. It didn't hurt or bother me, I was just curious. So we both went to the doctor on Monday. Dr. Brown here at the MTC had no idea what to do with my eye and so he sent me to go to a specialist of campus. *duh duh duuuuuuuuh* So Tuesday afternoon we ventured to a place where no other missionary had gone, beyond the fence *duh duh duuuuuuuuh* (not really. people leave all the time) The eye doctor told me that I had a little cyst on my bottom eye lid and decided to take care of it right there. He popped some numbing drops in my eye and went to work with a microscope looking thing and a needle and went to town. It's hard to explain but there was a mirror and so i was watching the whole thing! lots of poking and cutting and blood. IN MY EYE! the cyst was so big he had to cut around it and pull it out with little tweezers. And all for only $10 :) what a great adventure for a tuesday afternoon! I'm fine now! No harm, no foul. I'm just glad we took care of it here than having some old Argentinian man take a razor to my face. After getting our prescriptions from the pharmacy we decided to walk home. And I ran into a friend on our way back! Gabbey Beard! We ran track together and were officers together my senior year! she was on a run and she saw me right outside of the MTC! It was crazy seeing her but I loved it!

INVESTIGATORS-

Last Thursday my companion and I fasted, for both our language and personal reasons. On that same day we taught all 3 of our "investigators" and every lesson was crazy good! Like I said last week in my email, if the missionaries do their preparation and the investigator is willing to work, the language will not be a barrier! Each of our investigators are progressing! And even though their not really looking to be baptized we're bringing them closer to Christ! That's our purpose as missionaries! Everyone can come unto Christ a little more, and that's why we're here. 

SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK: 

Alma 11:40

And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to non else. 

Jesus Christ and the Atonement are key to the Plan of Salvation, and without him and his sacrifice there would be no "families are forever" or "everlasting life". To Jesus Christ we owe EVERYTHING. Just like that first sentence says,"come into the world to redeem his people" but in the next sentence it says that he will take on our transgressions "of those who believe on his name" To have the Atonement applied to us, we must truely believe in what the gospel is and what it teaches us. Not only believing but acting on our beliefs. Faith and Belief to me aren't nouns, they're verbs. So act on what you have faith in. Act in what you believe. 

This week something I realized was that the little things make the BIG difference. You first have to do the little things. Every little pray, every little fast, every little positive thought goes a long way. Hermana Holmes and I have started a thing where we write a nice note to people in our district and/or zone and hide it in their stuff and they randomly stumble upon one day. Some people have found our notes and said that they found it right after they had a bad lesson, or when they we're having doubts about their spanish. It's just those little things that really help! Next you have to recognize the little things. Every little blessing. Every email I get or every dearelder i get during the week makes my day and it's just that little effort that people put in. Recognize that I learned a couple new spanish words today! And although that's not much, it's me improving, and that's a blessing. The Lord gives us these little tender moments to show us that he's there for us and he loves us. 

I know that Jesus Christ lives and he is our Savior. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that prayer is a way for us to communicate with our Heavenly Father who loves us. I can testify to all of you that this is the true church. And this is the only church on the Earth that has the fullness of the gospel. That Joseph Smith restored this gospel with the power and authority and the help of our Heavenly Father. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet and is the mouth piece of the Lord and the Lord works through him. I know that this mission is exactly where I need to be. I have already met some of the most amazing people and I know that in Argentina there are people waiting for me and my testimony and I could not be more excited to go find them! I love my Heavenly Father and my older brother and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Les queiro mucho! 

Hermana Smoot

This is Sister Hartel! She went to WX and is the sweetest girl in the world! She left on Tuesday morning for Baltimore, Maryland

This is Hermana Eyring! We finally got a picture together!! :)

This is my twin Sister Sorensen! I love her

​The 2 in the middle were our roommates for 2 weeks! The little blonde one is Sister Marshell and the african american one is Sister Souba. They're both going to Baltimore! They left on Tuesday :(

​I just had to take a picture with Gabbey :) I was so excited to see a friend! What a coincidence!

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This week we all got matching shirts with our missions on them. And Hermana Lloyds family sent mustaches. A photo shoot was a must at this point.

Semana Numero 2

So the days are just blurring together at this point and I really couldn't tell you about much that we did, cause we do the same thing every day! haha But this week flew by!! At this pace I'll be home in no time :)

THE PEOPLE:

I'm am seeing more and more people I know here everyday and it's nuts! Sister Holly Hartel that went to my high school moved in last week to the room 2 doors down and her companion is a girl that sat next to me in one of my classes at BYUI! What a small world! 

Oh and I've heard about some mission calls that people have gotten!! Congrats to Carolyn Hammon who's going to Tailand Bangkok! Hunter Smith going to South Africa! Keith Saylin who got called to Micronesia Guam!! Ah that's awesome! you guys will love it! Best decision ever to serve a mission :)

SPANISH:

Guys I promise you that the gift of tongues is real! If you as a missionary prepare to the best of your ability your lesson and your spanish and the spirit is present and your investigator is willing to do the work and learn, the language will not be a barrier. I'm still struggling and its frustrating because I'm a slow learner, and I'm constantly comparing myself to the other missionaries, but with the Lords help, ANYTHING is possible. 

DEVOTIONAL:

Both of the devotionals were amazing this week! on Sunday we had Elder Stephen Allen speak. He's the managing director of the missionary department and his emphasis was "Teach repentance, baptize converts". LOVE THAT! Then every sunday night they have re plays of talks given either at the mtc or general conference. If you can I 100% suggest watching Elder David A Bedner "Character of Christ" and/or Elder Jeffery R Holland "Missions are Forever". They are both very powerful and moving talks that I absolutely loved! On Tuesday nights devotional we had Elder Brent H. Neilsen of the 70 and his wife talk to us! They both had a common thread that really stuck out to me. Don't be lazy. I'm here on the Lords time, being HIS hands, talking to HIS children, bringing them unto HIM. Sister Neilsen shared a story about her running a marathon and said that she told herself she was never going to walk. That's what we should be doing as missionaries. Always running!!

INVESTIGATOR:

Our investigator Sandra committed to be baptized!! woooo But this week we got 3 new investigators! All so very different and have different needs but all children of god that wanna come closer to christ! Something Hermana Holmes (my companion) and I are working on is truly figure out what our investigators need and how we can help them. In our purpose as missionaries it say "Our purpose is to INVITE other to come unto Christ by HELPING them receive the restored gospel" We're always inviting them to do something but if we're not in tune with the spirit, then how are we supposed to help them. 

SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK: 

I've been studying the New Testament and as I was reading in Matthew about the life of Christ. And it comes to a time when Jesus is sending his apostles to different cities to preach the gospel and this is what he says to them before they leave 10:16-20,22  It kinda shows us missionaries a preview of the reality that we're getting ourselves into. BUT if you go on and read in vs 19-20 it says "take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak 20 for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you" As missionaries called of God I love reading scriptures like that. 

Thank you all for the kind letters and packages :) I'm praying for you all at home!

Les Queiro

Hermana Smoot