Changes !!!

I know they say that Missions can change people, but I really cant believe sometimes, that these emails are coming from the same person who went out only 4 1/2 months ago...
Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This week has been intense!!!! Amazing!!

We Had interviews with President Millar on Thursday and then we had an exchange so we got a lift from President and Sister Millar to Bouremouth... How amazing is that?! 1h 45m in the car with two spiritual giants! I love them so much!!

President made tuna sandwiches for us all so we ate as we drove. It's crazy how comfortable you get with people even though you only see them once or twice every six weeks. I love them so much.

Exchange was good... I was with Sister Macaluso from Milan, Italy. She's great! You really do start to miss your companion after a while though!

It was Poole Stake Conference this weekend and it was lovely... Saturday we didn't get to bed until 11.15pm though! We were exhausted last night!!! I know it doesn't seem late but it really is as a missionary!!!

The session was all about hastening the work and we heard some great testimony's. President and Sister Millar spoke and President had all the full time Missionaries stand and recite our purpose... It was Ace!!

Sunday was lovely too it was all about becoming a Disciple of Christ. Then we had a nice dinner appointment with a Fijian family... They said "WELCOME HOME!" as we walked through the door! They obviously love the missionaries... We have a lot of love for them and them for us! They really do like to feed you though! (Photo to follow) And then to top it all off we saw an AMAZING miracle!!

On Friday when we were on exchange, Sister Macaluso and I received a return appointment with somebody we had taught in the street. Sister Bastian and I found the address and realised it was a little further away than expected and in a small village we didn't even know existed. We got on the bus and received some help from a lovely couple as to where we should get off the bus. We found the address and it was very apparent that it was empty. We knocked anyway and of course didn't get a response. We knocked the whole street but unfortunately there wasn't anyone that was willing to listen to our message. We turned around and questioned where to go next.

Straight across the road there was a building but we weren't 100% that it was a house as it looked like a chapel. We got closer and realised it was a house so we decided to knock. A lovely lady answered the door, we introduced ourselves and she said "Latter-day Saints?" and we responded yes and she said "I am too". Sister Bastian and I were shocked and very excited when she invited us in. The ladies name is Pam and she went on to tell us how she had joined the church in South Africa 20 years ago and that she had been married in the temple but unfortunately the marriage ended in divorce about 10 years later.

She moved to England after the divorce and had "lost her way". She had recently been thinking about the gospel and was considering either writing a letter to have her name removed or returning to the gospel. She expressed how much she missed the church and specifically the temple. We told her about the Salisbury Chapel that is being built and invited her to visit the Temple with us with on March 22nd. She was over moon with the opportunity and expressed her love for the Temple, the Gospel and Sister Bastian and I for knocking on her door. The spirit was very strong the whole visit but when I offered the prayer as we were leaving I got a little overwhelmed. Then when she hugged me and she hugged me as though we had just saved her life. I got our of there and sobbed! Heavenly Father loves us all and knows all of us personally. He knew that Pam needed this opportunity in her life. And He knew that I needed to feel a personal purpose here in Salisbury.

As I told you last week I have been studying "The Fourth Missionary" and I have been working very hard to form a better relationship with my Heavenly Father. I know that He loves me and I know that He is shaping me into who He knows I can be. Also, I am starting to feel a little more worthy of being Sister Bastian's companion... I love her and I love the opportunity I have to learn from her.

We've had a lovely day as Salisbury Cathedral today... The weather is lovely and we thought we'd take advantage!

I love being a missionary!!!

I love you all!

Sister Smart

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