Only 6 Weeks To Go!!!

But The Busiest Week Ever...

“

Well... I think this past week has been the busiest week I have had on my entire Mission!

On Monday evening we had a family home evening with Sister Brown... It was a lovely evening! She is Scottish so she made us Scottish stew then we learned about the Europe Area Plan together! She is just lovely!!

On Tuesday we went to the Temple!! It was amazing!! I just love it there! It's so pretty and has such an amazing Spirit!

We had Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Dyches this Wednesday! It was a great meeting but unfortunately I didn't get as much from it as I usually do. We found out that we will be getting iPads soon... We will be receiving training on them mid April... About three weeks before I come home. :/ Haha!! So typical!! Ah well! After Zone Conference we got a lift home from the office Elders. They dropped the Sisters off in Eastbourne, the Elders off in Bexhill and finally us. Elder Foster and Elder Wright. We had such a spiritual conversation and I think I heard everything that I needed at that time! Elder Wright told me about a talk by Elder Maxwell. I was about to write the name down when he said "actually I have a copy in my bag that you can have! I have been studying it since and it really is just what I need!! Heavenly Father works through us! He worked through Elder Wright! The talk is called... Notwithstanding My Weakness.

I just love how bold he is!! Say it as it is Elder Maxwell!

Thursday was a busy busy day then we had to travel in the evening for MLC the following day. We went over to Eastbourne where Sister Longin stayed and Sister Wood (The STL from Crawley Zone) and I headed to Gatwick where the East Grinstead Sisters collected us! I Got to see Sister Engelbrektsson!!!! It was so nice seeing her and catching up! I saw her on Wednesday too but we didn't get to chat as much! It was really nice spending time with Sister Wood too! Her and I were in the Reading Zone together but we didn't really get to know one another. She really is just the sweetest!

MLC was great! I learned a lot! Unfortunately the STL from the Digital Zone was a little unwell so she wasn't able to drive.... That meant that I got to drive to Staines and back for the meeting!! I was sad that she was sick but happy that I got to drive! :) Sister Wood and I got the train back to Eastbourne that evening... That day I got 7 trains in total!!!! I was exhausted!!!!! Haha!

In Sacrament meeting this past week all of the missionaries were asked to talk in our ward! We were able to choose our subjects! President Fletcher send a talk to each of the Missionaries serving from our Stake a couple weeks back and I felt impressed to base my talk on that! The talk was bay Elder Bednar and it's called "And Nothing Shall Offend Them".

It's a really really good talk and my talk went okay because I based it so much on it! Sister Longin, Elder Moore and Elder De Wilde did a really good job! And then.... I got to Skype home!!!! I have to admit!!! It was a little weird... It just made coming home very real! It also made me miss you all A LOT!! But that's okay! It's because I love you!! My time will come to be with you again. But for now I am 100% Sister Smart.

Tomorrow we have District Meeting and exchanges... I am staying in Hastings with Sister Lacey and Sister Longin with be heading to Orpington with Sister Steffensen. It should be fun.. I'm looking forward to it!!

On Saturday we are having a wedding!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!! We are helping out a little with the food and so we get to go... I'm so excited!!

I love you all so much!!

I hope that you have a lovely week... You're in my prayers!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

Sister Longin and I!! :)

Playing "Who do you think you are?" today!! District P-Day!

I was President Gordon B Hinckley! :)

The London Temple!!

Bulgarian cold soup... It's interesting!

We found a beautiful park this week!

Correction To Last Week !!!

No, You Buy New Boots...

“
Well... This week has been an interesting week!!

Last Monday we went food shopping at Aldi... I saw some rain boots for £13 so I bought them!! They don't look as nice as my normal boots so I will wear the holy boots on special days with the plastic bag :)

On Tuesday we had interviews with President Millar! I just love spending time with him and Sister Millar. We chatted a little and he told me that I need to stop being so hard on myself. Just like he tells me pretty much each time he sees me. We discussed this a little in District Meeting on Wednesday as it's something that we can all struggle with from time to time. Yesterday Elder Moore, our District Leader committed me to read the "Adjusting to Missionary Life" booklet again that we all get at the beginning of our Mission... Sounds a little silly as I have been on my Mission now for over 16 months but I think it is going to help! He told me to set two very specific goals, so I am doing as I am told! I have actually set three goals so we'll see how it goes!!

Also at District Meeting this week Sister Longin and I were asked to do a presentation on how to work with the members. Poor Sister Longin!! Her first District meeting and she had a massive assignment! It was nice that we had that topic though as it's something that we both feel good about! We love working with the members!

Last week I had a cold but I got over it quite quickly! Then I started with a sore throat at the beginning of this week! I blamed Elder De Wilde as he was sick with the flu so I thought it was going to turn into that! The sore throat got a little worse and then all of a sudden on Wednesday I couldn't talk properly and by Thursday morning I didn't have a voice at all! Sister Longin had prayed for confidence in speaking English and then when I lost my voice she didn't have the choice! She had to speak!! I couldn't speak for three days!! It started to come back yesterday but I still sound a little weird! Last week I was asked if I could teach the Relief Society lesson this week. Of course I agreed as I didn't anticipate loosing my voice! Sister Longin was a champ and offered to do it for me!! She did really well!!! She doesn't give herself enough credit! No chance could I learn French for 6 vweeks then teach a Relief Society lesson by myself on my second Sunday in the Mission Field!

We have a crazy busy week this coming week! We are heading to the Temple tomorrow to watch "Meet the Mormons" with a couple people we are working with... It will be a nice trip with them and we get to see Sister Engelbrektsson as she will be at the Visitors Centre!

On Wednesday we are going to Crawley for Zone Conference!! Elder Dyches (Second Councilor, Europe Area Presidency) is doing a Mission tour so that should be fun! Our train leaves at 6.49am on Wednesday morning. The journey takes about 2 hours... Lots of time for language study!!

Then on Friday we are having a second Missionary Leadership Council for the transfer. Elder Dyches will be there so I get the opportunity to be addressed by him twice in one week!

I really do love being a missionary! It's tough on weeks like last week as I was sick and it's going to be tough this coming week as we will hardly have any time to do anything!! BUT!!!! This week will be amazing... A week of spiritual nourishment!!

This coming Sunday is Mother's day!!!!! That means that I get to Skype home!! It's so crazy to think that I will see your faces moving so soon!! Exciting!!

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

I love you!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

First selfie on my new camera!

French food! Croque-Monsieur!! It was really good! I'll have to make it for you!

Sister Longin and I!!!

We made a chocolate pie on my sick day... We didn't think it was right so we decided to eat it instead of giving it away...

It was a good idea to not give it away as you can see!

Hastings!!!!!

What Do You Do When Your Boots Let Water In? !!!

Wrap A Carrier Bag Round Your Foot, Of Course...

“
Today it feels like both a million years ago that I emailed last, but like yesterday at the same time!! Time on a mission is soooo weird!!!

P'Day this past week was an amazing day!! Sister E and I went to Sister Sharon Evans for lunch then we played Skip-Bo while chatting about life! She is so lovely!! She served her Mission in Leeds! We are heading over to the Evans for dinner on Wednesday too :). Monday evening we headed to Brother and Sister Lloyd's for a Cottage Evening. There was about 15 of us. Sister E, myself and the Elders sang a hymn and then Sister Lloyd taught us about Angels. It was a lovely evening!

I don't even know what happened on Tuesday... It feels so long ago! Sister Longin arrived on Wednesday afternoon so Sister E headed back to the Visitors Centre. Sister Longin is great!! She is such a great Missionary! You wouldn't think that she had just come from the MTC minus the fact that she struggles a little with her English. She doesn't give herself enough credit for the level of English that she does have though. I pray that I will be a good trainer and I will impact her for good!

We have been working really hard but we unfortunately have not seen very much success. I studied about patience the other day and I read a talk by President Uchtdorf. The talk is called "Continue in Patience." In the talk he said "From that experience, I learned that patience was far more than simply waiting for something to happen. Patience required actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn’t appear instantly or without effort.", I really liked this and it gave me a little umph! We seem to be struggling to find new investigators. I really don't know what I am doing wrong!!! I have tried to analyse myself to figure out what the root cause is but I can't figure it out! Obviously we can all improve but I feel that it's something bigger that I just can't figure out!

My boots have been coming to an end for a good while now and a hole has developed on the sole of my right foot... It's been raining a lot so I have been getting a very wet and cold foot!! I refuse to buy another pair for the last couple months of my mission so I have resulted in wearing a plastic bag over my socks! Definitely a sign of a Missionary that has been out for a while!

Yesterday was a little odd... Elder De Wilde has had the flu since Thursday so they weren't at Church! The first time ever that I have known Missionaries not be at church! Poor guy!! I think he's getting better now though, thankfully!!

Yesterday we had a wonderful experience as we taught a member family about the Europe Area Plan. When we arrived we told them that we wanted to teach them at the end of dinner about the Europe Area Plan and asked if they would be happy to pray with us so they can receive revelation about where we should go to find new people to teach. They agreed and the Mum offered the prayer. Before she began she said that the faith of each of us was needed. She paused during the prayer to allow the Spirit to direct all of us and the Spirit was so strong!! After the prayer she asked everyone if they had any suggestions. We opened the map and she gave us very specific directions to a shop that her Mother goes to. She feels that the shop owner is ready to hear about the Gospel. It really was an amazing experience for each of us. Her daughter of 15 then said that she felt that we should go contacting in a park close to our home. Heavenly Father really is amazing!! I just love working with the members. It is so special! I love being a Missionary!

Last night Sister Longin taught me how to make real French Crepes!! we Brits do it very wrong!!! We made enough to have some for breakfast this morning! I don't know if this is a good or bad thing!! I have managed to loose 5 pounds the last 2 weeks but now maybe I'll put Crepe weight on!! Haha! Self control Sister Smart, self control!!!

Tomorrow we are heading to Tunbridge Wells for interviews with President Millar... I am excited!! I just love President and Sister Millar so much!!!

I hope and pray that each of you have a lovely week!!

I love you!!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

Sister Longin and I!

Sister Longin is teaching me how to have crepes the real way! This is Chesnut paste! It's really good with Nutella!

I'll be pro by the end of these transfers!! :)

Oh What A Beautiful Morning!!!

Oh What A Beautiful Day...

“
So... Another week has gone and I can't believe it!!! Time flies by so quickly!!!!!!!!!! Sister E and I feel like we have been together for only 5 minutes!! She really is amazing... We get on so well and we work together like we have been together forever!! I am going to miss her a lot when she goes.

We have been told that Sister Longine will be moving into the Mission on Wednesday so we haven't got long left together. It's been such a blessing to serve with her. And it's been a blessing to get to know the area with her before Sister Longine arrives. Now I'm only training and half white washing instead of training and fully white washing :)!!

When we arrived we didn't have any investigators so we have been trying to find new people to teach! We found a few people but we still need more!

We street contacted a guy in the week named Jake and we made a return appointment with him for Sunday evening. We weren't sure if we would be traveling at that time to get Sister Longine so we told him we would confirm. We found out that we would be traveling on Wednesday so we called to confirm with Jake. He had given us a false number!!!! We knew roughly where he lived as he pointed to his home when we contacted him but we unfortunately didn't get his address! I could have kicked myself for not getting his address!!!! We decided to knock his street around the time of the appointment.

It was pooring down with rain!!! We had a Gospel discussion with a JW and a couple other brief Gospel discussions. We also got a couple doors slammed in our faces as usual. We didn't find Jake!! We were about to give up but decided to knock a couple more doors. We still didn't find Jake but we came into contact with a lovely Scottish chap named James who has committed to come to Church with us next week. He was our miracle for the day!!

On Saturday we found ourselves in a part of Hastings that was a little dodgy!! I have felt a little scared now and then on my Mission but Saturday was way worse!! We won't be heading back there in the dark... The joys of white washing!!! We found a guy there though who said he'll come to Church next week so we'll see!! :) We walked very quickly to the bus stop that's for sure!!!!!!

The entire time we have been in Hasting has just been full of tender mercies... We run a lot for buses and we haven't yet missed one! Everything just seems to happen at the right time! Heavenly Father is looking out for us! I love being a Missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess what?!?!?! I am actually sleeping again!!! I am back to waking up just before the alarm goes off because my body has had enough! It doesn't feel like my body has had enough once it gets to 21.30 but that's okay!!! :)

I don't think I mentioned that President Millar sang to us at MLC last week!! He just stood up mid meeting and sang "Oh what a beautiful morning"... He sang then asked us to join in on the "oh what a beautiful morning" bit! It made me cry!!! Hahahaha!!! I love that man so much!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today we are having our P-Day with Sister Evans... An amazing member!! We're heading there after emails to have lunch and to chill out! :) I love Hastings!!!! The members here really are amazing! We are being looked after very very very well!!!

I love you all!!!

I hope that you have a great week!!! I will be praying for you!!!!!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

We found these matching onseys in our flat!!!! Hahahahaha!!!!

We got a little wet yesterday!!!!!

A New Area!!!

And A New Start...

“

So... It's been two weeks since I wrote last! It feels like both a life time ago and just like yesterday!

It's been a crazy two weeks!! Two weeks back we were closing down the Chichester flat and preparing Sister Hopgood to go home. It was sad to close down the area but I guess I am needed elsewhere.

I went to the Temple on Monday to drop Sister Hopgood off with the other returning home Missionaries... five of my companions went home this transfer! Crazy! It was so weird saying goodbye to them all. On arrival I became Sister Engelbrektsson's companion! She is amazing!! She is from Sweeden and just the sweetest person you will ever meet! On Tuesday I was able to go to the Temple with Judith... Somebody I worked with in Torquay. It was amazing!! I love Judith so much!!! It was the same session as the returning home Missionaries so that was a bit weird but so cool as I got to say goodbye to five of my companions and a bunch of other Missionaries that I know. Then I got to see Elder Barren as he was at the Temple with his parents. He went home a while ago but we were in the same district for a while at the beginning of my mission. Also, we're birthday buddies! :)

On Wednesday we headed to Staines where I received some training on how to be a trainer! It was really nice to see other Missionaries that I know and the training was also really interesting! My new companion Sister Longine is still in the Preston MTC so when president announced the new companionships I got to hug Sister Millar instead of my "baby" (new missionary)!! :) Sister E and I got to Hastings late on Wednesday so we just had some time to go through the Area Book to try and figure out who the Sisters had been working with and to make a good plan for Thursday!! We had a fun day on Thursday finding our way around our new area! White Washing is fun!! We haven't been lost yet :) Thursday evening the Office Elders called to inform us that we needed to travel that evening to East Grinstead as I needed to be in Staines for Missionary Leadership Council at 8.30am :) Sister E went back into the Visitors Centre for the day so that was fun for her!!

MLC was amazing!! We discussed the Europe Area Plan and I am so excited about that! If you don't know about it yet then look on http://lds.org.uk/... Take a hold of this and run as fast as you can!!!!!!

Saturday was another full day of meeting with the Ward Mission Leader, the Bishop, a few people the Sisters before us were working with and finding new people to teach! We found George!! Really cool student who has some really amazing beliefs! We are meeting with him today so we're really excited about that!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday was crazy busy!!! The Hastings ward really is amazing!! Full of loving people!! I am so excited to be here

We think that today will be Sister E's only P-Day here in Hastings so we are going to try and visit some historical sites!! :) that should be fun!!! I really am going to miss her when she has to go back to the V.C.!

I am so excited for this transfer!! We have so much going on!! Interviews with President Millar in a couple weeks... Then Zone training with Elder Dykes and then another MLC with Elder Dykes!! I am so blessed to be the STL as I get to go to all of these cool meetings!!!!

I love you all so much!!!!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

I love them so much!!!!! Kate & Josie!!

My Gingerbread Missionaries!

I saw my car the other day!!!!! It made me miss it so much!! Hahaha... Saddo!

Sister Engelbrektsson and I!

Another Crazy Week !!!

With A Birthday To Boot...

“
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!!!!!!!!

So.... This week has been a crazy week!!!

Monday was a typical P'Day!! We went for lunch with the Elders and Josie then we went bowling. It was lots of fun! I just love Josie!!!

So on Tuesday it was Anne's birthday so Sister Hopgood and I went for lunch and I made enchiladas. It was really nice celebrating her birthday with her. She returned the favour by taking us for dinner the following day for my birthday. We were suppose to go to Nando's but there wasn't any parking spaces so we got McD's instead and ate it at the Chapel.

Sister Hopgood managed to loose her 79 quid bus pass this week but she only realized when we were on our way to an appointment. We were so gutted! After the appointment we went back to the flat and searched for it but couldn't find it! As we left the flat I prayed that we would find it. I felt like we should go to the bus station just in case it had been handed in. We checked and the lady at the desk said "You'll be lucky!!". Then she looked in the lost and found and she found it!!!!!! Prayers really are answered!!!

Wednesday was a great day... I was spoiled rotten for my birthday! I received 3 amazing packages, Sister Hopgood made me breakfast, we went to lunch at the McCoys... Sister McCoy made all different Mexican food. She knows me so well! Then we went to dinner with Anne as mentioned earlier. I loved it but I really need to make sure that my next birthday is at home. 3 birthdays away from home is enough!

Thursday was a bad day!!!! I think I pretty much had a mental break down... I started to cry as soon as I saw Sister McCoy (My Mission Mum) then I cried the whole way through District Meeting I felt really bad 'cause I could tell that everyone felt really bad for me but I really couldn't control it. They just kept flowing!! I spoke with President as I felt like my head was going to explode and I needed to stay in the flat for a little while to nap.

On Friday we had a visitor in our flat... In fact we had two. President and Sister Millar. They spent about two hours with us. I just love them so much!!

So we found out the other day about moves. Sister Hopgood is going home and I am moving to Hastings and my new companion is a new missionary from France. She is coming into the mission about two weeks late as she is learning English so I will have a temporary companion for two weeks. As Sister Hopgood is going home her and I will be heading to the Temple together on Monday so I may not have time to email next week! I will be staying with the Temple Visitors Centre until Wednesday when I will go to Staines to receive some training on how to be train a new missionary. I will then go to my new area with my temp companion. AND!!!! I am going to the Temple on Tuesday with Judith who I worked with when I was in Torquay.

Simply... I love being a Missionary but it really is the hardest thing I have ever done!

I am really excited to be a trainer but I am terrified!

I hope that you all have a lovely week!

Love, Sister Smart

#sharegoodness

I fell of my chair! Not cool!!!!!

The Chichester District on my Birthday Lunch!! Haha!!! I just love this!!!

Me in my Birthday suit and tash!

This is the breakfast that Sister Hopgood made for me on my birthday! :) so kind!!

The tiny bit of snow that we got... It lasted about 30 minutes!!

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

#sharegoodness

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

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