March 10, 2025
From Abby: Oh, It is Wonderful!
Hello Allll
Apologies for a LACK of email title last week. It haunts me.
Currently once again typing in my notes app as a preventative caution
I just finished listening to my mum :) She sent me a 30 minute voice note this morning explaining in her way all the events of my beloved home in the north
Mom if you're reading this, thank you <3
I'm feeling completely annoyed at myself. i'm almost EXACTLY one week behind on my journal which is somewhat discouraging considering the fact that I would love these emails to describe the most important events of the week and I am only now having to tackle the task of filtering them.
My environment right now:
The sun is streaming into our basement apartment the shape of the windows beam of light is directly to the right of me.
to my left is a plate with banana bread crumbs and a ripped out page of the articals of faith from a Come Follow Me manual we grabbed from a church building. I can hear the washer sloshing clothes around and my motivation to write this email is little to none
Yet here we are enduring to the end and using agency to choose the more disciplined path.
Last Pday at 8:00 AM I got my hair cut (Terrifying) she took next to nothing from my bangs so those don't look different (Better than too short I suppose) and my ends are now one whole inch shorter >I threw my freshly styled hair into a pony tail (Don't Judge)
We BLEW our MSF on paper towel and toilet paper which was criminal but needed.
Recieved a letter from my dearest Megan and she sent me a necklace that is silver and has jesus christ on it (She knows me so well) So giddy to wear another necklace ALL THE TIME
Also destroyed everyone in Exploding Kittens :)
Atwood and I tried "TunaMac" Which is an Elder Chapin rendition: Its exactly what it sounds like: Mac and Cheese with tuna in it (It was 9/10 would eat again) DEF felt like a poor college student or missionary meal which is alright because.. I fall into one of those categories :)
Sister Atwood and I have been TERRIBLE for scheduling member messages this week for WHATEVER reason. Literally twice this week we've been like "Didn't we schedule a time to meet with those people?" And then we look at the text conversation and we were supposed to meet with them TWO weeks ago ?! (We sent a voice memo apology)
The second case we realised like an hour and a half post scheduled appointment that we'd missed it > We called and apologized and all is well we met with them yesterday :)
Its a pretty great thing that this is a gospel of repentance.
We shared a message with this lady who would NOT except our invitation: We were like "Will you share your testimony with someone this week? Family friends, your children, etc" Sister Atwood and I sat there and listened to her long winded explenation as to why its hard to do that "I've been here for 50 years, people know I have a testimony, there aren't many non members, I don't usually text things like that" I didn't know what to tell her :D I think we were like "The lord loves effort so whatever you're willing to give him :)" *Shrugs*
Our lovely little basement apartment doesn't have an outside lock so people can just enter if they wish when we're not there: On tuesday we walk in to sister Bowser and Sister Ortiz just CHILLIN on our couch > They were like "Lets go to lunch together!" and Sister Atwood and I were like "BET."
I love going out to eat as a missionary you just lug your book of mormon around and sometimes random people come up and chat with you etc. (We devoured panda.. my fortune said something along the lines of "Learn from your past mistakes and move forward." Whats that supposed to mean?!) Repentance is everywhere I guess ..
We visited people with two relief society presidents this week and one RM > Joined one of them on a trip to Harmons so that we could drop something off to a sick family and then we convinced her to get out of her comfort zone! I didn't realise but exposure therapy is real, I have LITTLE fear knocking literally any door (Well, in Utah) There were some new move ins in the ward and apperently they're less active: Sister Atwood and I wanted to knock and see if we could get to know them better better and although the relief society president was nervous to show up unnanounced we hyped her up to come to the door with us > We met the new family! The mom even let us in and showed us some rennovation projects they're working on. Our relief society president was able to connect with her in a way that ister Atwood and I couldn't and we felt SO glad that she was willing to be brave and knock the door:) Missionary work is so cool.
This week we met with Alex and Chase in the afternoon! We walked in and Alex explains that chase was on the game > We asked if she wanted to wait for him and she said it was probably fine: The missionary part of me was like "Bruhh. Members participating" but it was also nice to just be with Alex one on one. Chase came out right when we finished and part of me likes to think we were meant to be alone with her this time: She's thinking about having her baptism in May but no specific date yet :)
Joined a semi Awkward young womens activity: Literally kudos to every yw leader ever. You'll literally be BEARING your soul to these youth and it feels like literally none of them care XD >A return missionary was there and she retold stories about her CRAZY mission: Mandrin/English/Turkish speaking, had comps from Korea, Tonga, Samoa, China, etc.. I was sitting there thinking "My mission experience will never be like this..." But thats okay :) and then ate an undercooked pizza and biked in the rain > SO MANY WORMS. I probably murderd more than 20 under my treacherous bike wheel.
Thursday was CRIMINAL. The morning was spent with this lovely senior couple called the Birds: Brother Bird gave us a billion lifesafers and made us promise to share and we both gave him a nod and a smile knowing i don't like them XD
We exited their home to what could only be described as a DOWNPOUR of SLUSH
Rain/FAT wet snowflakes riddled the sky as we answered a phone call from our STLS "Do you guys need a ride? Its wintry mixing out here" Our logical selves reply "Its only 4 minutes away.." > Fast forward to 30 seconds later where our forward motion is giving us a SHOWER of freezing wet snowflakes that were SMACKING our faces and coats and melting in an instant. Not to mention the completely wet road that splashed up dirty road water onto my leggings and socks. We figured we'd look like absolute legends walking into Super day SOAKED head to toe: Sister Atwood helped me wring out my socks and skirt in the bathroom XD
It was an adventure.
President Brown gave a ground shaking training per the usual at Super day
He talked about the 4 minute mile and how EVERYONE thought it couldn't be done.. Until it was. Whats so cool is that record proceeded to be broken REPEATEDLY. Theres something powerful when the belief wall is broken> Peoples faith increase> Greater things are achieved.
-I also love that when we look at Lamen and Lemual vs Nephi we see that they have the SAME circumstances, and opposite experiences.
-He shared the story of the brother of Jared and the principles that are reavealed there.
In Ether 3:9 it says
"And never has a man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; For were it not so ye could not have seen my finger"
That scripture teaches us that our faith literally can decide certain blessings that we recieve.
- ALL of this being said we can't expect that our faith will give us everything we want
- You and I arent smart enough to calculate the cosmic wins and losses of Gods plan. Only God can know the fabric of faith :)
- He asked us "Whats your 4 minute mile?" "Are you an excuse person or a miracle person?"
Lifechanging per the usual :)
We went on Zone blitz exchanges that night and SISTER ELLIS CAME (I love you Sister Ellis)
I was able to do an exchange with her companion Sister Haught and we were able to knock apartments?! I live in fear in apartments because I've never had to knock them (#richarea)
we pretty much had no luck until we were literally walking back to the car and we see this lady walking into her apartment > I think we scared her because we both IMMEDIATLY were like "Hi! Whats your name? We're your sister missionaries" (I'd be scared too) She actually agreed for us to come back so it was a score :) - SO weird you can just be thrown with a random companion you've never been with and still can work together as missionaries :)
Sister Ortiz and I went on 24 hour exchanges this week!
To start off we grab all my stuff and drive to the apartment to realize we don't have the housekey (Bruh) We call the sisters and they don't answer (Bruh) Naturally I hop onto my PMG and sync to what sister Atwood has reported (Since I'm still in her area book) and we TRACK them down. It was so fun to search for the bikes as we drove through the neighborhood > When we found them we pulled up and the MOMENT we tell sister bowser she points into the passenger seat door where the key is sitting :| It was an L
Also visited with this sweet sweet lady who loves to hear missionary experiences: I watched Sister Ortiz tell her about this little boy named Iker who brings his WHOLE family to church every sunday. He went up in primary and beared his testimony "Jesus Knows you, and loves you." She described how he was beaming and SHE was beaming as she told the story. I felt the spirit and also sentimental since this is probably one of my last exchanges with Sister Ortiz. It was a cool moment. I LOVE the spirit :)))
Visited with my lovely Louise again this week :) She's told us about this before but the topic came up again: Her husband is from the Walla walla tribe and i guess his Native American name was "Quiet Bear" and he gave her one which is "Wheeping Wind" Which I think is SO COOL. I asked Louise if she could give me one and she said she'd think about it so I guess we'll see *Shrugs*
I love her:)
We had this magical member meal where we used FRESH BAKED Focaccia :) Sister Atwood and I died.
Sunday per the usual was COMPLETELY busy. At one point we were in the Stake leadership adult commitee meeting (Long name I know) We were sitting in the meeting and Mormon 9 came to my mind: It talks about how god is a god of miracles and if you don't think he STILL can perform miracles than you've imagined that he isnt the same yesterday today and forever.. I started reading the chapter on my phone as the meeting went on highlighting my favorite verses >
I didn't think we'd have to say anything until President Napierski CALLS on us?!
So mormon 9 is exactly what I shared.
Members in Utah need to change their mindset on missionary work :) Mormon 9 kinda calls out that mindset so I shared what had come to my mind!
CREDIT to the spirit.
"9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles"
Also this sunday these lyrics made me want to CRY
"I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt.
Such mercy such love and devotion can I forget.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, that for me a sinner he suffered he bled and died
Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me. Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.
As the priests finished breaking the bread for the sacrament, I watched all three of them stand and sing the words, free of the lyrics and full of the spirit. (At least.. I was.) so grateful for sacred music.
Anyways :)
WHAT WOULD YOU TEACH
Q: If Jesus already paid for my sins, why do I need to repent to be forgiven?
A: Heavenly Father loves us more than we can comprehend because he loves us he wants him to return to him to live with him again
-Our sin seperates us from God and prevents our ultimate eternal happiness > He sent his son to take upon himself our sins, afflictions and sicknesses so that we could be clean so that we can return to him (if that makes any sense:))
-This event is called the Atonement > The atonement creates an option: The option of forgiveness and mercy.
-Our sins are payed for and his arms are outstretched and are ready to recieve us IF we accept him.
-The payment isn't valid if we choose to be in debt.
-God would never remove our agency and therefore we have the ability to choose to accept, or choose to reject > Repentance is the acceptance of that payment
-Alma 11:37
"...No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven...Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins"
-3rd Nephi 9:22
"Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I recieve, for of such is the kingdom of God."
-Moroni 6:8
"But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven."
-Matthew 11:28-29
"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I willl give you rest... Take my yoke upon you and learn of me...And ye shall find rest unto yout souls.
I think I've been convinced that I put much too much effort into these emails.. although the commentary on the length has been prevelant among my missionary friends I think I'm undaunted in my resolve to chronically document every speck of my existence.
Make this week wonderful
And oh how wonderful this life is when we chose to walk with Jesus Christ.
Plethora of photos:
Highest regards,
Sister Smith
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