SISTER SMART ON A MISSION

Playing Catch-Up Again 4 !!!

On The Move Again!!!

“ Well... Have I got some news for you!!!!!!!
As you know it's transfers this week... We kinda expected Sister Stuart to leave but we didn't expect this... We are both leaving and they are closing the area down. For now the Elders in Paignton will be covering both areas and we passing everything over to them. I am opening a new area in Polegate near Eastbourne with someone called Sister Connery who I don't know... I know she is from Idaho and that's about it. We will be in the Brighton District which is in the Crawley Zone. We are about 1 hour from the London Temple which is crazy and Matt and Stacey get married there soon! Someone please remind me of the date so I make sure that I'm not there that day!
Arrgghhhh!!! I only have 6 minutes left!!
It really has been a crazy week as we have to close down the flat! We have been super busy! Sister Stuart and I really have developed a great relationship so we are really sad that our companionship is coming to an end so soon. She is going to Weston Super Mare and I know she will be great there! I am so sad to be leaving Elder Salas!!!!!!! He is so sad that we're all leaving him! "But Sister! What will I do without you here? Who will I call for support and comfort scriptures?". He is a great guy and an amazing missionary and I am going to miss him. The photo is of him moaping about us all leaving him!! :( Poor guy!
Well I now only have 1 minute!! I don;t think I'll have chance to email on Wednesday so I will email properly next Monday!!
Have a great week!!
I love you all x

Elder Salas moaping!!!

Playing Catch-Up Again 3 !!!

Feelilg Old

“ Well... This week as flown by!!! I can't believe that it's Monday already... We had interviews with President Millar :)
Things are picking up here in Torquay... The weather, the work and our spirits. :) Sister Stuart and I laugh a lot!!!
Last Monday we went and played pitch and put... I was terrible but it was fun besides the rain!! Then we held a YSA family home evening. It was fun!! We had a lesson on Hope then played Pictionary and chair football... Elder Salas and Luke were intense!!!! Luke's shins were cut up and Elder Salas ended up on the floor! Crazy but fun!
We also had a really good lesson with Luke this week... He is on his jolly holiday so we won't see him until next week but I am super excited for him!! Please pray for him!
Today we are going to play chair football and I am making lunch for the District. It's our last Pday this week before transfers next Wednesday. We don't know what is going to happen. Elder Anderson is going... He's been here for 7 1/2 months. Plus President told him and Elder Salas in their interviews. Sister Stuart asked President if she was moving and he said he didn't know yet... So I guess we'll just have to wait and find out!! President said in my interview "you know Sister Smart, I have a great deal of confidence in you. I trust you more than you think"... I have no idea what that means but I am a little afraid!!
Well... This is a small email but I don't know what else to tell you!
I have been out for 7 months now... Crazy! I am starting to feel old in mission life now as well as life in general!
I hope you all have a great week!!!!!
Love, Sister Smart

Playing Catch-Up Again 2 !!!

Short and Sweet (just like her)

“ I only have a few minutes to write this week so it'll be a short one!
Well... This week has been crazy!!!!! I don't know where it has gone.... Tuesday we had Zone Conference! It was a very emotional day! This spirit was strong and I got to see Sister Bastian... Man I love that girl. I learned a lot and I got to have a little chat with President about a couple things. I am so thankful for that man. The love and support that I feel from him is so comforting.
We traveled there by mini bus... (:O<----- Sick face!!!) I felt so sick!!!! Not cool! The way there wasn't too bad but the way back was awful and I took travel sickness pills!
Elder Salas and I chatted the whole way there.. I love that guy. He's pretty much my bestie down this end.
We also had an Exchange this week... I went to Teignmouth with Sister McLeod (Sister Training Leader) and I learned so much! Exchanges are great!!
On Saturday we got permission to go bowling with the Taylor family, Ben (Recent convert) and Luke our investigator... It was lots of fun! Luke was a gent and paid... Not bad for a missionary, eh? I am so excited about Luke!! We had a great lesson with him a couple hours before bowling and we have another lesson with him on Friday and he is making us dinner. I'm pretty sure he already knows that the church is true!
We're having interviews with President this Friday and I am so excited!!!
Ahhhhhh!!!!!! I've ran out of time!
I hope you all have a great week!
I love you all x

Playing Catch-Up Again 1 !!!

I think she's a little happier this week again.

“ Well well... This week has been both looooong and short!
Time really is a very odd thing as a missionary.
I am so flipping excited!!!!!!
It is Zone Conference tomorrow so I get to see Sister Bastain and everyone else from the Poole Zone. I think I will probably cry when I see her.
I love Zone Conference as it is, but the fact that I'll see all my friends is amazing! Elder Salas and I have been counting down the days together :) Saddos!! Don't worry though... We haven't allowed it to effect our work :)
This week has been quite good... We have worked hard and have seen Heavenly Father's hands in so many ways each day. We have been working on AUF (Address Unknown File). People that we think might be members of the church that live in the area but are not 100%. Each time we try to contact one we have bumped into multiple people that are willing to listen to the message we have to share. Heavenly Father is preparing these people.
We managed to arrange an appointment with a guy named Luke for this coming Tuesday evening... He was taught last summer but unfortunately didn't want to progress after a while. I feel really positive about him and I am excited to help him come closer to Heavenly Father. He came to Church yesterday!!!!!!!! :)
Sister Stuart and I laugh quite a lot... Only when appropriate!! I haven't had a companion yet that I haven't been able to laugh with and I am so pleased because it is so important.
The weather is getting better(ish) here!! We have a few random days of sunshine then crazy rain/wind/sun all in one! Hopefully the summer will be here soon!
We were a little lazy to begin with and we didn't go out to exercise and you just can't exercise as well inside but this week we have been going out :) Torquay is very hilly!!!!! We have been running/jogging/collapsing up and down hills and stairs! We're determined!!
This week is going to be an amazing week!!!!! Please pray for Luke and for new people for us to teach!
I am so happy to be a missionary... It's tough but well worth it!
I hope you all have a great week!
Love, Sister Smart

Not So Chirpy !!!

Me thinks she is missing her old companion and her old area...

“ Hello!!!
Well, I feel like I haven't got that much to say... The work here in Torquay seems to be improving which is great.
We had a YSA thingy last night... There was three YSA and four missionaries :/ Sister Stuart and I did a lesson and then we played games. I think they enjoyed it which is great and we're hoping that it will expand as we hold more.
The weather has picked up here this last week... I'm hoping that it's a sign of things to come! I much prefer to sun to the rain!! I have been getting headaches from the sunshine so I spoke to Sister Millar about it and she gave me permission to get some sunnies... Two pairs for £69 at Specsavers!! :O I figure it's money spent well if it prevents headaches though. I feel a bit weird wearing them as a missionary though :/
Sister Stuart is very different to Sister Bastian. Sister Bastian and I were very similar in a lot of ways and Sister Stuart and I are similar in some ways but definitely not in the same ways. Sister Bastian and Sister Stuart are complete opposites. This mission business really does prepare you for things to come in your life. You learn a lot about yourself and about others every day. Being in a new companionship means lots of learning.
In each person you see qualities that you like and then strive to assimilate. And in others you see some qualities and strive to loose that quality... If you already have it.
Elder Salas and I feel that we will be here for quite some time... Elder Anderson has been here for 7 1/2 month so we're pretty sure that he will move next transfer and Sister Stuart has been here for 4 1/2 so she could stay or go. Transfers are on June 4th by the way... 4 weeks, 2 days so watch this space! I am so glad that Elder Salas is here!!!
I hope you all have a lovely bank holiday Monday!!
Love,
Sister Smart

Still Flipping Sad !!!

“ Well... Last week feels like a life time ago so I can't remember what I said!
Torquay!!! The weather really isn't as great as I was told it would be... Maybe the summer will be nice but for now it's a little miserable. I hope it arrives soon!!!
I am still so flipping sad to have left Sister Bastian and Salisbury! I learned so much from her and I know that I will continue to learn as I apply the things that she taught me. I know that I will learn a lot from being here and I know that we are assigned to areas and companions for a reason and sometimes that can be a challenge. I'm ready to get stuck in!!!!!
This week has been a little crazy!!! Not really like a regular week... Tomorrow is the day!!
Ben was baptized on Friday!!!!! I am so pleased that I was here for it but very sad for Sister Erasmus who had taught him wasn't able to be there. He is a great guy and I am so excited for him!
Last Pday we were with Elder Anderson and Elder Salas... We went to see some cool places in Torquay and we are going bowling today with them and Elder Kirk (my new District leader) & Elder Peterson. Elder Peterson has been out just one week and went to the Provo MCT... Apparently the Preston MTC was closed for a couple weeks! I think he was a little shocked to be here and he is very young. I feel really old in this District!!!!!! Everyone seems very young! Old bag!!!!!!!
Elder Salas and I spoke in Sacrament meeting this week... We both introduced ourselves and shared our "conversion" even though we were both brought up in the church. He really is a great guy and I am excited to work with him!
I have come to realise recently how much Heavenly Father's hands have been in my life for the past 18 months... The opportunity I had to go to Singapore and how everything just worked out was all Heavenly Father! His influence was there before but I struggled to see it. He knows each of us inside out and he knew that was what I needed in my life. I know that as we recognize his influence in our lives and understand the way he communicates with us individually we can develop our relationship with him.
Do your best to come closer to Him.
Have a great week!!!!
Love, Sister Smart

Salisbury District Elders.... :|

Our last Salisbury District Meeting :(

Wearing Elder Astle's shoe! :|

Elder Robinson massaging Elder Schmoekel's hand after playing the piano too much... Companionship love!!!!!

Sister McLaws and I found this on exchange last week... We were very freaked out!!!! :/

Hello Torquay!!

London Bridge... I think it's called :/

Me at the London Bridge... Very windy!!!

Sister Stuart and I at the London Bridge

Me, Sister Stuart, Elder Salas and Elder Anderson

Elder Salas... I nearly had a heart attack!!!!!

Elder Anderson... Again... I nearly had a heart attack!!

Ben's Baptism!!

Time To Move On Again !!!

Well Folks, the time has come for Sister Smart to move on again, this time to Torquay, Devon oo,ar...

“ Oh my heck!!!!!!! What a crazy week!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am emailing from the library in Torquay... My new area! My new companion is Sister Stuart! President Millar called us on Friday morning to tell me that I was being moved... He said "I really didn't want to split you Sisters up but you're too strong... I need you else where." That's really nice to know but it wasn't much of a consolation... When we got off the phone we screamed and then cried! It has been a very emotional weekend but a very good one!!!
Sister Stuart is from SLC, Utah and she is lovely. I think we will get on really well... We seem to be quite similar in a lot of ways but not in the same way that Sister Bastian and I were. I am so flipping sad that I have left Salisbury and that I am no longer Sister B's comp. I honestly love her!!!!!!!!! I am going to miss so much about her and about Salisbury! If I didn't love my parents so much I would be asking the Taylor family to adopt me... I love them!
I know that Sister Stuart and I are suppose to be here together and I am excited... Watch out Torquay!
Turns out this transfer was massive so they had to do it over two days. I transferred yesterday which means we get our full Pday today. Also means that I wasn't able to spend Sister Bastian's birthday with her :( I am so flipping sad that I have left Salisbury and that I am no longer Sister B's comp. I honestly love her!!!!!!!!!. Sorry I'm repeating myself but it is what it is! It has to be said multiple times.
Elder Fingerle (Poole Zone Leader) called on Friday evening with travel plans... Broke the news to me that I was leaving a day early. I cried and he felt so bad!! I felt really bad for crying but I couldn't help it!!! Poor Elder Fingerle! He is a great guy and I will miss him being my Zone Leader. We tried everything we could to have me transfer today instead of yesterday but it couldn't happen :(his consolation was that Elder Salas who was serving in the Poole Zone with me has been transferred also and he is in my Ward :) I was happy about that but still very sad to leave Sister Bastian and Salisbury.
We have a baptism on Friday which is cool. His name is Ben... He's 24 and really cool! He's 11 days older than me! :) I am excited for him!!
This last transfer went by so quickly... I am afraid!!!!!
I love you!
Love, Sister Smart

Some of Salisbury Branch at the Branch BBQ... After playing football! Sweaty!!