Bleh! Temperatures hovering or topping the high 90's! BLEH!!
At least I can see a clear blessing of being a Missionary. Heat used to make me nauseous and miserable, now I'm walking around in Houston in August and I often forget how hot it is until the trickle of sweat down my back reminds me. Really I'm kind of amazed, but not surprised. Heavenly Father takes care of thos who follow his Commandments, and especially those dedicating all their time to being his Servants! I can just see myself when I return after my Mission to visit and I'm just going to be DYING without the Mantle of a Missionary Calling protecting me, haha!
Biggest news this week was that Elder Kukuchi came on Wednesday! Whoo! MAN that was a long meeting! Car checks were at 8:30am to 9:30 am and then the meeting started at 10am and lasted until 5pm (an hour later than Zone Conferences usually go) with lunch served at 1pm. That was a looooot of sitting but lots of good stuff too!
Before we were asked to commit to memory the Standard of Truth, a quote by the Prophet Joseph Smith that goes:
"The Standard of Trught has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecusions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the trught of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."
Then also the fourth seccion of the Doctrine and Covenants:
1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye might stand blameless before God at the last day.
3 There fore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
7 Ask, and ye shall recieve; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.
At the beginning of the meeting we stood and recited both of these, clearly aimed at missionary work. It was really cool!
We had wonderful instruction given to us that we started putting into practice the next day, and I believe we are already seeing the fruits of our efforts. And it can only get better!
Anything else... hmmm... well this is the last week of the Transfer, come this Saturday we'll be getting a call to see if I'm leaving or if Hermana Christensen is leaving, or if we're both staying another Transfer together, or in a rare chance if we're both being moved and the area gets Whitewashed.
So it might be wise to send mail to my Mission Address rather than my Apartment Address, to make for sure that I recieve it.
That's all I can think of for now, you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Hermana Smart
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Me falta una semana hasta tengo seis meses!
As the title says, folks, in one week I'll complete six months as a Missionary!
That's a third of my mission! Has it felt like half a year to you?
In the way of news... I went to the Temple with my Zone last week. That is always way wonderful. I am really blessed to have a Temple in my Mission and to be able to attend it every Transfer. Some missionaries in other missions that don't include a Temple can only go once a year, or not at all depending on where they are. So I am very lucky.
It might have not been QUITE as hot by like a few degrees this last little while as it had been this Summer. I wouldn't say it's cooling off yet.
Oh and yesterday I gave a Talk in Sacrament. All four Missionaries in our Ward did, and we were only told Saturday that we had to! So with less than a day to prepare we decided our topics and wrote. IN SPANISH. Then I was the first to speak, IN SPANISH. Oh my gosh! But I feel it went well. My talk was on Prayer. I'll work on translating it back to English and maybe put it up in my email next week since I'm out of time now.
Love you all!
~ Hermana Smart
That's a third of my mission! Has it felt like half a year to you?
In the way of news... I went to the Temple with my Zone last week. That is always way wonderful. I am really blessed to have a Temple in my Mission and to be able to attend it every Transfer. Some missionaries in other missions that don't include a Temple can only go once a year, or not at all depending on where they are. So I am very lucky.
It might have not been QUITE as hot by like a few degrees this last little while as it had been this Summer. I wouldn't say it's cooling off yet.
Oh and yesterday I gave a Talk in Sacrament. All four Missionaries in our Ward did, and we were only told Saturday that we had to! So with less than a day to prepare we decided our topics and wrote. IN SPANISH. Then I was the first to speak, IN SPANISH. Oh my gosh! But I feel it went well. My talk was on Prayer. I'll work on translating it back to English and maybe put it up in my email next week since I'm out of time now.
Love you all!
~ Hermana Smart
Monday, August 16, 2010
Bow Wow!!
Howdy-Doody!
Okay, so something I forgot to mention last week is that I have gone through a traditional Missionary right-of-passage. I was bit by a dog. He didn't draw blood even though it hurt. The cuplrit is named 'Boots' and is the brown and black Chihuahua belonging to a Recent Convert woman. Little punk dog let me pet him just fine and THEN attacked me after.
Okay what else.... well my new Companion got me addicted to a new CD. Anyone seen/heard the Musical called 'The Garden' by Micheal McLean (sp?). It's the same guy who did 'Forgotten Carols' if anyone's seen that. I did when younger. The first time I heard this little seed singing about how she can't grow I thought it was the weirdest thing ever. Then once I listened to it all the way through I was hooked. It's SO EPIC. I suggest that people listen to it if they can. I'm going to check for recordings of the actual play on youtube or something when I get back to see if they match my mental image of what's going on, haha!
I have gotten just a few postcards from three friends since I came and I've sent a bunch out. I now thing postcards are one of the coolest things ever! So if anyone has an old postcard send me one! They take less postage but make the recipient feel more special! I put them up on the corkboard above my table and it's fun to look at them. I have two from California, one from Alaska, and one from Spain.
Oooh yeah! Last night we got to go to a Baptism and it was so wonderful. A woman who had been investigating the Church for two years (and is sooo adorable by the way!) was baptized with her son that was old enough. And it was also her birthday! That part was so wonderful on it's own, but what made it even BETTER was that her Husband had decided to get baptized as well but kept it a secret. So after the Mother and Son had gotten dried off and dressed and were sitting again they opened the font door to show the Father in white in the water. Oh it was so sweet. I saw her beginning to cry she was so happy so I whipped out a tissue and gave it to her. Fue tan dulce a mi corazon y espiritu. They are so happy! That's what it's all about!
It hasn't been QUITE as hot as it has been before, but still up there. I guess it should start 'cooling down' in September. I'll endure another summer before the end of my Mission, but I'll only be gone one Christmas!
This past Saturday we didn't have any appointments set up (even our dinner appointment with a member was canceled!) so we did a whole lot of Tracting. Walking up and down a street and knocking on doors. Some people were polite, a handfull actually listened, and a few where outrightly rude but they were thankfully in the minority.
Oh! Also Elder Bednar was here this past weekend to talk to the English Stake but he didn't talk to the Missionaries so I didn't get to see him! Que Paso? But I'm over it, we'll have one of the Seventy here next week I think to talk to us.
Hmmm, I think that's all the news I can remember/wrote down for now.
Talk to you again next week!
~ Hermana Smart
Okay, so something I forgot to mention last week is that I have gone through a traditional Missionary right-of-passage. I was bit by a dog. He didn't draw blood even though it hurt. The cuplrit is named 'Boots' and is the brown and black Chihuahua belonging to a Recent Convert woman. Little punk dog let me pet him just fine and THEN attacked me after.
Okay what else.... well my new Companion got me addicted to a new CD. Anyone seen/heard the Musical called 'The Garden' by Micheal McLean (sp?). It's the same guy who did 'Forgotten Carols' if anyone's seen that. I did when younger. The first time I heard this little seed singing about how she can't grow I thought it was the weirdest thing ever. Then once I listened to it all the way through I was hooked. It's SO EPIC. I suggest that people listen to it if they can. I'm going to check for recordings of the actual play on youtube or something when I get back to see if they match my mental image of what's going on, haha!
I have gotten just a few postcards from three friends since I came and I've sent a bunch out. I now thing postcards are one of the coolest things ever! So if anyone has an old postcard send me one! They take less postage but make the recipient feel more special! I put them up on the corkboard above my table and it's fun to look at them. I have two from California, one from Alaska, and one from Spain.
Oooh yeah! Last night we got to go to a Baptism and it was so wonderful. A woman who had been investigating the Church for two years (and is sooo adorable by the way!) was baptized with her son that was old enough. And it was also her birthday! That part was so wonderful on it's own, but what made it even BETTER was that her Husband had decided to get baptized as well but kept it a secret. So after the Mother and Son had gotten dried off and dressed and were sitting again they opened the font door to show the Father in white in the water. Oh it was so sweet. I saw her beginning to cry she was so happy so I whipped out a tissue and gave it to her. Fue tan dulce a mi corazon y espiritu. They are so happy! That's what it's all about!
It hasn't been QUITE as hot as it has been before, but still up there. I guess it should start 'cooling down' in September. I'll endure another summer before the end of my Mission, but I'll only be gone one Christmas!
This past Saturday we didn't have any appointments set up (even our dinner appointment with a member was canceled!) so we did a whole lot of Tracting. Walking up and down a street and knocking on doors. Some people were polite, a handfull actually listened, and a few where outrightly rude but they were thankfully in the minority.
Oh! Also Elder Bednar was here this past weekend to talk to the English Stake but he didn't talk to the Missionaries so I didn't get to see him! Que Paso? But I'm over it, we'll have one of the Seventy here next week I think to talk to us.
Hmmm, I think that's all the news I can remember/wrote down for now.
Talk to you again next week!
~ Hermana Smart
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
New address
Here is Darcie's new address for her apartment
Hermana Smart
Green Tree Apts #509
4211 Clay Hill Drive
Houston Tx, 77084
Hermana Smart
Green Tree Apts #509
4211 Clay Hill Drive
Houston Tx, 77084
Hace Mucho Calor
It's been hot, but it rained FINALLY! Lots of people get depressed when there's clouds. I was depressed becasue of the utter LACK of clouds for a few days! WAH. I miss the weather in Western Washington. But I have to fully admit, Houston has a lot of beautiful sky to look at. Even better when it's clouds I think though.
Soooo what's been going on with me... well we've spent a lot of time trying to find more people to teach since before I came Hermana Christiensen and her former Companion's top Investigators have all been baptised and now are wonderful Recent Converts. But that means that our teaching pool has shrunk. Hence the searching for more people prepared to learn by Heavenly Father. But it's a good work, we got a few Refferals that will hopefully continue to have lessons.
Uhm... that's pretty much it actually. Well we did promise two families with children that if they read their scriptures and pray every day, and then come to church yesterday, then we will bring them icecream. I think both families were at church, so we're having two icecream parties! YEAH!! Bribes work! *thumbs up*
But yeah, sorry for not a whole lot of news. I haven't heard much from others either. I've only got mail two days in two weeks! I know some people get less, but for me it's a bit of a mental blow. When we checked the mailbox on Saturday and it was empty (when I knew for a fact I should have gotten a letter from Hermana Green by then) Hermana Christiensen cried "Nadie nos quiere!" (translated: "Nobody likes us!")
Talk to you next week.
*salutes*
~ Hermana Smart
Soooo what's been going on with me... well we've spent a lot of time trying to find more people to teach since before I came Hermana Christiensen and her former Companion's top Investigators have all been baptised and now are wonderful Recent Converts. But that means that our teaching pool has shrunk. Hence the searching for more people prepared to learn by Heavenly Father. But it's a good work, we got a few Refferals that will hopefully continue to have lessons.
Uhm... that's pretty much it actually. Well we did promise two families with children that if they read their scriptures and pray every day, and then come to church yesterday, then we will bring them icecream. I think both families were at church, so we're having two icecream parties! YEAH!! Bribes work! *thumbs up*
But yeah, sorry for not a whole lot of news. I haven't heard much from others either. I've only got mail two days in two weeks! I know some people get less, but for me it's a bit of a mental blow. When we checked the mailbox on Saturday and it was empty (when I knew for a fact I should have gotten a letter from Hermana Green by then) Hermana Christiensen cried "Nadie nos quiere!" (translated: "Nobody likes us!")
Talk to you next week.
*salutes*
~ Hermana Smart
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
New area
Whelp, I've completed almost one full week in my new area.
Lots of stuff is different: New companion, New roads, New people, New routines in some cases. I kind of feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me quite rudely, not as bad as before. And most of any such feelings are just me being a brat and disliking change. The work is the same, the goal is the same, my purpose is the same. The most important things have not changed.
I still miss Hermana Green terribley, she was more than a wonderful companion, I felt as though I had found the best friend I'd been missing out on until now. We just complimented eachother so well. But now I have the oportunity to make another wonderful friend. And then afterwards I'll have another oportunity. We grow up ten years while serving a mission, that includes making ten years worth of friends I suppose, haha!
The new Ward contains very nice people, they are warm and supportive as all the wards I've been in before have. I'm always with family, my Brothers and Sisters in the Church. I miss my Latina Mamas that would hug my head to their busom and declare that they would take care of me since my real Mom was thousands of miles away. I'm sure that's going to happen to me again though, heh, the Latino people are incredibley loving.
I'm doing a lot more tracting in this area than I was before, which means walking streets and knocking doors. The one return appointment we got that has passed we were stood up for. But that is the usual pattern. Whenever someone actually allows us entrance, AND is there for the return appointment, that is a very rare and precious thing indeed. Those are the people that may have been prepared by Heavenly Father and are ready to accept the Gospel. We have a few Investigators, and several Less-Actives that we are trying to help. But they are all good people, and I desire very strongly that they have the Fullness of the Gospel in their lives.
Oh! By-the-way my new companion's name is Hermana Christianson, and she's from Washington too! But from a place called Royal City, which is close to the Tri-City area. We get along pretty well, we're both easy-going and I think this will be a good Transfer. She has been out for nine months, which means that she is halfway through her mission!
In other news: two nights ago we locked out keys in the car when we came home. Meaning we couldn't get into our car OR into our apartment and it was nine at night. Major bummer. We called our District Leaders, they didnt' know what to do, so we called our Zone Leaders, they told us to call 911. Hermana Christianson did and the Dispatch Lady said their Deputies did not carry the kind of equiptment we needed to get the car unlocked. She told us to call the Towtruck and they would charge us. Heck with that! We're Missionaries! We don't have money to spare!! So the Zone Leaders (who by the way I heard lots of laughing being made at us in the background while I was on the phone with them) called the Assistents to the President who drove to the Mission Office, got in after hours, got the spare key, and then drove to us to unlock the car and solve the whole problem. YAY!!!
While waiting we sat on the sidewalk and did Nightly Planning, then told crazy stories to eachother from our College days. Hna. Christianson said it was like we were camping or something, that made it fun. We still got in before lights-out at least!
No other super crazy stories to tell I'm afraid. Maybe next week.
Love you all!
~ Hermana Smart
Lots of stuff is different: New companion, New roads, New people, New routines in some cases. I kind of feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me quite rudely, not as bad as before. And most of any such feelings are just me being a brat and disliking change. The work is the same, the goal is the same, my purpose is the same. The most important things have not changed.
I still miss Hermana Green terribley, she was more than a wonderful companion, I felt as though I had found the best friend I'd been missing out on until now. We just complimented eachother so well. But now I have the oportunity to make another wonderful friend. And then afterwards I'll have another oportunity. We grow up ten years while serving a mission, that includes making ten years worth of friends I suppose, haha!
The new Ward contains very nice people, they are warm and supportive as all the wards I've been in before have. I'm always with family, my Brothers and Sisters in the Church. I miss my Latina Mamas that would hug my head to their busom and declare that they would take care of me since my real Mom was thousands of miles away. I'm sure that's going to happen to me again though, heh, the Latino people are incredibley loving.
I'm doing a lot more tracting in this area than I was before, which means walking streets and knocking doors. The one return appointment we got that has passed we were stood up for. But that is the usual pattern. Whenever someone actually allows us entrance, AND is there for the return appointment, that is a very rare and precious thing indeed. Those are the people that may have been prepared by Heavenly Father and are ready to accept the Gospel. We have a few Investigators, and several Less-Actives that we are trying to help. But they are all good people, and I desire very strongly that they have the Fullness of the Gospel in their lives.
Oh! By-the-way my new companion's name is Hermana Christianson, and she's from Washington too! But from a place called Royal City, which is close to the Tri-City area. We get along pretty well, we're both easy-going and I think this will be a good Transfer. She has been out for nine months, which means that she is halfway through her mission!
In other news: two nights ago we locked out keys in the car when we came home. Meaning we couldn't get into our car OR into our apartment and it was nine at night. Major bummer. We called our District Leaders, they didnt' know what to do, so we called our Zone Leaders, they told us to call 911. Hermana Christianson did and the Dispatch Lady said their Deputies did not carry the kind of equiptment we needed to get the car unlocked. She told us to call the Towtruck and they would charge us. Heck with that! We're Missionaries! We don't have money to spare!! So the Zone Leaders (who by the way I heard lots of laughing being made at us in the background while I was on the phone with them) called the Assistents to the President who drove to the Mission Office, got in after hours, got the spare key, and then drove to us to unlock the car and solve the whole problem. YAY!!!
While waiting we sat on the sidewalk and did Nightly Planning, then told crazy stories to eachother from our College days. Hna. Christianson said it was like we were camping or something, that made it fun. We still got in before lights-out at least!
No other super crazy stories to tell I'm afraid. Maybe next week.
Love you all!
~ Hermana Smart
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