SISTER SMART ON A MISSION: January 2015

Focus On The Important Things!!!

Heavenly Father will take care of the rest...

“
Well... Can't believe that it's Monday again!! Last Monday feels like yesterday and a million years ago... Time is such a weird thing!!!!

This week has been a crazy busy week full of ups and downs!

On Monday I decided that it was about time that I got my eyebrows threaded... I went to Superdrug instead of an independent shop like I normally do. I'm not blaming Superdrug... Just the lady that did them!! She took a huge chunk out of my left eyebrow that she shouldn't have... I was so upset that I cried!! To be honest it's not hard to get me to cry these days but still!! I cried at my eyebrows... They grow back you nutjob!!! Thank goodness for eyebrow pencils!!!

On Wednesday we had District Meeting as usual and Sister Hopgood and I were asked to do a 15 minute presentation on "Seeking the Spirit"... I'm sure I made a hash of it but I really enjoyed studying for it and preparing! This week's District meeting I have been asked to say the closing prayer... Much less stress!!! :)

On Wednesday afternoon we traveled to Brighton for our exchange with Sister Stuart and Sister Robison. When we got there Sister Stuart and I had a teary reunion. I just love her!! We went strait from the train station to a teach... Her and I still have it. She told me on the bus what we were teaching and what scriptures we were using. We sat down and taught like we were still companions! It was so nice being with her. We talked and cried a lot!!

I don't know if I have mentioned that I have had a sore foot for the last couple weeks... Well I have and it's the same side as my sore hip so I thought I should inform President. He told me to get it checked out so I went to see the GP. She thinks that the tendons are swollen due to over use and perhaps a change in my gait due to my hip. She told me to try taking Ibuprofen for about 10 days plus Ibuprofen gel. It seems to be doing to trick which I am pleased about as I am no longer in pain and the alternative treatment would have cost £400 :O!!!!!! I went to buy the Ibuprofen and Ibuprofen gel strait after the appointment... I got £10 out of the cash machine then went to Savers. I was deciding which gel to buy... The £1 or £4! I don't know why it took me so long to decide... £1!!!!! Easy!! Somehow I managed to drop my £10. A very VERY kind man found it and gave it back to me. I was so relieved and thankful or his kindness and honesty!

Sadly it is my birthday this week... I have never been bothered about turning a year older before but this year it's bothering me a little. People keep asking me how old I will be when they find out it's my birthday. When I tell them 25 they look at me with a sad look as though they feel sorry for me. Yes, I'm getting old!!!! Urgh!! Hahahahahaha!!! I was given a card and a bunch of flowers from the Chichester ward Relief Society this Sunday... So kind!!! I love flowers!!! :) On Wednesday (my actual birthday) Sister Hopgood and I are being taken to Nando's by Anne... Anne is on of the members here and she is amazing. I am so happy that I get to spend some of my Birthday with her!! It's her Birthday tomorrow and I am making her lunch!! :)

Today we are going for lunch and bowling with the Elders and Josie! I am looking forward to it... A chilled day with good people!

I asked a friend some advice about being a Missionary as he is a Returned Missionary and he told me this... "My advice is to not get so (fanatically) focused on the "finishing strong" or ending your last couple transfers with exact obedience. Just serve those around you and everything else will take care of itself.". It was just what I needed to hear!! It's so true about all aspects of life! Do your best... Focus on the important things and Heavenly Father will take care of the rest.

I hope that you all have a great week!!

I love you!

Love, Sister Smart

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Sister Stuart and I on exchange!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love her!!!!!!!!!!!

Portsmouth Zone training... It's so weird being the only Sisters!

Another Toughy !!!

But She's Even Tougher...

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This week has been a toughy!!!

On Tuesday I think I may have had the worst day of my entire Mission. You know when you wake up in the morning in a bad mood and you think to yourself "Well, the only way this is going to improve is if I make it improve! Now get a grip!!!", then it just get worse because you don't get a grip, then you get angry with yourself because you can't/won't get a grip. Look around yourself Sister Smart!!!!!! WORSE THINGS HAPPEN AT SEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are people around you much worse off... GET A GRIP!!!

Then Sister Hopgood unfortunately had a similar experience later on in the week.

Most of our appointments fell through this week so that was tough... BUT!!!! Yesterday we went to a first appointment with a chap and we have arranged to meet with him again so that's promising!

On Friday it was Sister McCoy's birthday... I made Chicken Broccoli Bake for dinner as you shouldn't have to cook on your birthday! I think she liked it... At least she asked for the recipe. I really do enjoy making people happy through their tummies!

We had a dinner appointment this week with Katie and Josie... They're both students and they have become good friend of mine so I loved spending time with them! We shared a message with them about Grace as I have been studying about it a lot recently. Grace is amazing... I challenge you to study it with me! :)

This Wednesday I am conducting an exchange... Yes, an exchange even though there aren't any other Sisters in the Zone. I think I mentioned that President gave permission for us to go on exchange with the Crawley Sisters. I will be with Sister Stuart in Brighton and Sister Hopgood will be with Sister Robison in Chichester. Sister Robison is being trained so that should be fun for Sister Hopgood even though she's dreading it. I am so excited to be with Sister Stuart again!!! This is her last transfer so this is our last opportunity to serve together... This is just what I need!!!

Recently I have been having some crazy dreams!!!! Really weird, not so nice dreams. It's not cool!! I had one the other night that wasn't so bad... In the dream President Millar called to inform me about transfers. He told me that I was moving to be with Sister Taylor again (even though I haven't served with a Sister Taylor), but I would only be with her for a couple weeks as I will be training a new missionary once she gets here. She's from Vietnam and is coming in late because of language. Sister Hopgood recons that this is going to happen but I doubt it!! I think I will move but I doubt it will be under those circumstances.

Recently I have felt more and more sad for the people around me... I am sad that so many people don't know that Christ is our Saviour. What can I do to help them? other than share the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

I hope that you all have a great week!!!

Always remember who you are!!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

This week Sister Hopgood had some Love Hearts... She gave this on to me. So kind!!!! #

This weeks weekly planning session... Being healthy!

After District finding this week we bought (not to healthy) Milkshakes.

It was Sister McCoy's birthday this week... We didn't have time to make a cake so we made her these :)

Last Pday we went bowling... I was on a lane with Xing and Nick (K)... We were well matched!!! :)

This is a lesson about faith! I'm feeding Brandon dirt... It's really crushed up Oreo's but he thought it was dirt and he still chose to eat it... Good faith!! :)

Its A Small, Small World !!!

Especially As A Mormon...

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Well...For me this week began with MLC on Tuesday. It was a great meeting and I'm so glad that I was able to be there! On Monday evening the Poole Zone Leaders dropped Sister Barnes (Poole STL) and Sister Ramseyer off so we could all get to MLC easily on Tuesday morning.

Sister Barnes is from Star Valley, Wyoming. I told her I had been there and that we had friends there. I explained who they were and she thinks she knows them. Even crazier!!!!! I ask her randomly if she knew Joseph Platt. Joseph is a friend I made in Singapore. He is from Wyoming but not from Star Valley but I thought I'd give it a shot. Turns out that he was the first guy to ask her on a date when she started at Uni in Wyoming. Crazy small Mormon world!!!!

Elder Trowbridge and Elder Cluff drove us to and from MLC. Both of them have been my District Leader in the past so it was nice chatting with them... I convinced them to do the Penguin song together when they dropped me back off at home. I took a video... It's hilarious!!!!!

This week I had the craziest dream EVER!!!!! Elder Rife, Elder Giddons, myself and my companion (not sure who it was) were on the 409 bus travelling to our home. We got off the bus and the Elders came with us as they thought something bad was going to happen. This guy started shouting at Elder Gibbons then started to beat him up... Really badly!!!! We all ran away but I dropped the Ward list on the floor and I though "oh no!!! I have to pick it up as it has personal information on it!". I took 5 steps back to get it and when I stood up I had a gun in my face!!!!!! Then I woke up. Weirdest dream!!! I never dream of home so mixing home, mission and death in one wasn't cool!

At MLC, President gave Sister Stuart and I permission to go on an inter zone exchange as I don't have any Sisters to go on exchange with. I am sooooo excited!!! For those 24 hours we are going to be on fire! Being with an old companion is so cool on exchange!! She is in Brighton so it's really not far for us to travel! :)

On Wednesday we were getting dropped off by a couple of YSA... I fell out of the car onto the rainy floor!!!! It was not cool!!! Josey, one of the YSA took a photograph and it has been seen by most of the YSA and other Missionaries! Not cool!!!

Zone Training was on Friday... It was a good meeting. President and Sister Millar were there! It was very weird being the only set of Sisters in the zone! We were defiantly the odd one out!

After Church yesterday we went to Joey Honour's for lunch with some of the YSA. He lives in halls of residence... I do not miss halls at all!!!!!! It was so weird being with the YSA in that setting. They're great people and I love being with them but I'm so glad I'm not a student any more!

Sister Hopgood was asked last week to prepare a little presentation for the Relief Society lesson on dating and marriage. I helped her a little by finding scriptures that spoke about such things... I found one that I really like!!! "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it" -Ephesians 5:25. Yeah, I know that I'm a Missionary but still! I hope to be married one day! Do you love your wife enough?! Do you love you husband enough?! :) I'll leave you with that!!

I hope that you all have a lovely week!!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

This is Sister Barnes and I.

Doh !!!

Those Pesky Keys Are inside & We're On The Outside...

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Well... Today is a new day, a new week, a new month, a new transfer and a new year! New beginnings!

We have had an adventurous week... On NYE we had a full day. We left the flat at 11 am after 12 week study and we didn't plan to return until 9pm. As the McCoy's dropped us off I said to Sister Hopgood "Do you have the keys?", she said "No, it's your key day". My heart sank!!!!!!!!! I had left the flat that morning without picking the keys up!!! Not too bad though as the McCoy's have a spare set of keys to our flat. We turned around and 40 minutes later arrived with the spare set to find out that they don't fit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are the spare set for the old Chichester flat!!! :(I cried with anger/frustration at myself).
I do not like being out of control and leaving the keys behind shows that I'm not in control. Arrrggghhhhh!!! Sister McCoy keeps telling me that I'm too hard on myself, but I'm not so sure. Anyway... At this point it is 22:15! I called President Millar to apologise and to tell him that we would be staying at the McCoys for the night until we could get a locksmith. President actually laughed at me for crying because it was a mistake. He said "well, at least now I know what lengths you will go to to have a sleep over!". Haha!! After all the faffing we got to bed at 12:10am. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

You'd think all would be well but no... A locksmith charged £85 on a bank holiday!! We contacted the emergency number for the letting agent to find out we can get the spare keys but not until the following day (A non bank holiday)!! Oh and Elder McCoys was up all night throwing up... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
We made the decision to stay at the McCoy's another night and wait for the letting agent to be open. As Elder McCoy was sick President Millar gave me permission to drive their car so that was pretty cool! I got to drive a car for two days but I also spent two days without make up! :/ Not cool!!!!
On Friday when we went to get the keys from the letting agent we found that they had attempted to deliver my Christmas package on NYE and they would attempt to deliver it again that day (Friday). Elder McCoy was still sick so both him and Sister McCoy waited at our flat to sign for the package while Sister Hopgood and went to get a spare set of keys made. What an adventure!!!!!
My package arrived... Sister McCoy signed for! We had lunch hour when we got back to the flat so I could open my gifts! Then... we went back to a regular day!!!! Things have been a lot less crazy since then! Start the year off with a bang I guess!!! It was all so surreal!

President called to see how everyone was feeling on new years day as about 25 missionaries had called him to inform him they were ill... Just like Elder McCoy! Not cool!! All meetings were cancelled so MLC was postponed until tomorrow. It was crazy. It wasn't good that everyone was sick but it was good they MLC had been postponed as I would have had to attend without make up on!!!!!!!!!!!! No no no!!!! Haha!!

Zone training is on Friday so most of this week is already accounted for! That means that this week will fly by. Another week gone!! Time is such a scary thing!!! I'm scared!!

I am so excited for this new year!! I have been thinking a lot what this new year is for me and what it will hold! Each time I think about it my thoughts come back to Christ. This life is all about progression and without the enabling power of the Atonement we would be nothing. We are so blessed.

"Fear not‍ to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good‍ ye shall also reap good for your reward. Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built‍ upon my rock, they cannot prevail. Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin‍ no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you. Look‍ unto me in every thought; doubt‍ not, fear not. Behold‍ the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails‍ in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit‍ the kingdom‍ of heaven. Amen." Doctrine and Covenants 6:33-37

I hope that you all have a lovely new year and are able to look unto Christ.

Have a great week and remember who you are!

Love, Sister Smart

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