March 31, 2025

From Abby: PG in PG.. Perils to pass through.

Hiiii

I'm currently sitting in my massive tie die shirt, its 7:44 AM March 31. I'm sitting with a pillow on my lap and my wet showered hair is making me somewhat chilly.

I have to admit the lack of food in my stomach is doing me dirty. 

Last Pday was my LAST pday in the Orem Zone :( Somehow, someone convinced me to attempt playing flag football and I felt like I was back in PE 10 where the issue isn't my cardio vascular health, or my desire to be united as a team but my lack of coordination and spacial awareness. Don't ask me to run in a group of people and then catch a football? 

Okay Abby we get it you don't like sports. 

The activitiy was one of signing eachothers transfer Journals, taking pictures, and wanting to literally flip a table because of how SAD. 
Orem zone will always have a special place in my heart. 

Monday night we had our last lesson with Chase and Alex. We finished the plan of salvation and showed a cute lil visual aid (Bless Sister Atwood I love her) 
We read D&C 137 where Joseph Smith learns for himself the principle of the spirit world and also infant salvation 

"Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;"
We got Alex AND chase to read with us and then asked chase to say the closing prayer. I felt the spirit as chase said the prayer and hope he did too.
After we gave them the tabbed books of mormon we made for them and it was alll just happy feelings. I have grown to care about those two soo so much. 

Sister Atwood and I SAW Gods hand on Monday. We were leaving chase and Alex after saying goodbye when Sister Bowen pulls up with pizza and shes like "STAY!! Eat with us!" Our appointment had JUST been pushed back so that we were actually able to. 
When we went back in I remembered that we had planned on asking them if they wanted to come to conference with us :)
They said yes and we plan on going with them Sunday morning session :))
and THEN we had our lesson with Bella (The girl who was married at 18 and then planned with us to be taught 5 days in a row and then be baptized and go on her honey moon) 
She spontaneously asked us to teach her the plan of salvation which WE HAD THE VISUAL AID FOR. 
God is so good my goodness. 

Tuesday morning we had a sisters breakfast and when the server asked sister Barnette how she'd like her eggs she said "Cooked" GIRL we all laughed. Bowser, Ortiz, Atwood and I also had a photoshoot with BLOSSOMS. I can't believe things are already in bloom. 
The rest of tuesday we spent compiling notes for the two stakes and two new companionships, cleaning the apartment and packing... I neglected packing until tuesday NIGHT and stayed up much too late but we don't talk about that. 
We also visited with as MUCH members as we could that has touched our lives which was so much. Sister Tennis (who gave us plates that said Jesus wants me for a sunbeam!!), Sister Oakey, the Christensens, Astles, Grants, Brother Tuaileva, manwarings, Jesse and his family, ETC
We killed ourselves biking around and there was a lot of emotion. 
How have I biked these streets countless times wondering if my time in the area would ever end and now WISHING I could stay with all my heart. 
If this is how it is when I leave the mission... I'm literally quiting. 

Wednesday was saying goodbye to  my beloved Basement apartment and Jesus wall. When we pulled up to transfers and I got out of the car seeing ALLL the missionaries I was overwhelmed with gratitude and sadness all at the same time. 
I ran up to Sister Ellis and basically tackled her with a hug. Sister Brown was right beside her and I asked "How is the mission supposed to run without Sister Ellis??!" And she was like "I don't know :(" 
It was also HORRIBLY bitter hugging Sister Ortiz goodbye. Girl has been in my District for 6 months and now I'm supposed to never see her ahhh. The amount of time I spent hugging someone probably was more than the time I spent not hugging someone. 
And of course Sister Heaton going home too?!? No way my trainer is not even in the mission anymore :D 

Alllll So strange and exciting and scary. 
Wednesday night you find yourself in a new area with a new companion and it genuinly feels like a fever dream

I'm in the Pleasant grove stake of the Pleasant grove zone so thats cool 

just like I was in the Orem zone of the Orem mission :( 

From wednesday to now has just been me trying to get to know this area, members, friends, and my companion 
OH AND WE LIVE ON A GIANT HILL. ON BIKES.

grateful for the Past 6 months on a bike that has prepped me for this XD 

Being in a new zone is ROUGH. 
Every second i'm like "umm hi"

Where did all my extrovert confidence go :D

Theres this lady we're trying to teach named Ms Tillman, Shes this black lady who just downsized so her apartment is CRAMMED with stuff and SO much clothing. 
BUT SHE IS THE CUTESTTT
I literally wanted to freaking die when she chatted and we would say something or her son would and she would go "Mmmhmm" In that awesome black lady way ?! I HOPE you know what I mean. I want with my whole soul to teach her so that I can spend time with her 

On friday we were leaving thornberry (VERY bottom of our area) which means to get back to our apartment we have to bike like 15 minutes up GIANT hill. Sister Orton suggested we ask for a ride up the hill which I was reluctant to do (Idk exact obedience says this is our area so we bike it.. And I want to get stronger) Anyways the member she called was like "Absolutely!!" While we were standing around this guy approaches us and says "Hi Sisters, I got a prompting to come and ask if you guys needed help" 
We explained we had a ride and were good but as we continued to chat he explained that his daughter was being baptized the next day and that he'd just gotten his temple reccomend back in the past two years. He encouraged us and said he'd come back because two Spanish elders knocked on his door :)
AND THEN 
Him and Sister Orton somehow make the connection that some missionaries that used to serve in the UOM were going to be at the baptism: SISTER HEATONS TRAINER and her husband that used to be the AP. SHOCKING.

I humbled myslef because If we didn't wait for the ride from the member we never would have ran into Corbin and hear about his family and story 
Oh and be invited to a baptism :)

On saturday we went to THREE baptisms.
10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 6:00 PM 
These are one of the days where I'm Oh so grateful for Utah missions where every missionary who taught is able to come and support that individual. 

10 - Stake child baptisms, met Sister Heatons trainer.

1- BELLA BAPTISM 

No one told me that I was in the program to bear my testimony until they said "Sister Smith will bear her testimony" and I sat there thinking there MUST be another Sister Smith (there was not.)

6 - Rumebes!! A french/ Colombian family who has been taking lessons for a whole YEAR. I Taught the fam two or three times on exchanges and Ortiz had been teaching them for 6 months! The baptism was in French and English and OH so special.

SPOKE on sunday and went to ANOTHER baptism sunday night for Martin 
Martin is a freaking LEGEND. 
He's been attending church for like 10 years (Hes 36) Hes from England, is lowkey buff, has tattoos, and cold turkey dropped his vaping addiction once he learned he couldn't be baptized if he was vaping. ONE. WEEK. AGO.
I just wish I could have been here for more of the teaching process but hey I'm just glad that I happened to be here for the BAPTISM of this 10 year process. I wonder how many missionaries have been involved in martins life.. Anyways. The baptism was oh so special. The spirit is real. 

Check out this quote by Garrit W Gong 
"All around us are opportunities to laugh, delight, see with grateful eyes. Ours is a gospel of joy and holiness in everyday life." 

ALSO loved this scripture this week 
Alma 27:17
"Now the Joy of Ammon was so great, even that he was full." 
I LOVE the joy of the gospel for its a fullness of joy. a joy that FILLS us.
Do you get my point? We'll leave it at that.

We'll also leave it at one What would you teach since I've spent an eggrergious amount of time typing 

I haven't been in survival mode since Sister Atwood came in the mission, training out of training was rough.
I def am back in survival mode for a little bit with a completely new area, companion whos on her last transfer (THAT comes with some challanges.) and being around a completely new bundle of missionaries is giving my knee jerk joy a run for its money. 
Elder Bye shared this in his email last week which I LOVED and can't believe I've never read this scripture in D&C
Doctrine and Covenants 127: 2
2 And as for the perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it. 

3 Let all the saints rejoice, therefore, and be exceedingly glad; for Israel’s God is their God, and he will mete out a just recompense of reward upon the heads of all their oppressors.

Joseph Smith BREAKS my heart.

We are all called to pass through perils 
May we learn to glory in tribulation, like Joseph, like Paul, like Jesus Christ and his suffering.
Let us rejoice!!!
"None but saints can be happy under every circumstance" - Eliza R Snow 

Also we were in a chapel to finish up some baptism info for Martin and I sang into the mic a couple sonds and it was SO PRETTY.

Voice clip? I think so. 

I love you all, 
If you have made it to the end I PRAISE you.

Plethora of photos always https://photos.app.goo.gl/XUXT8gMVvExvkJbJ9

Bye:)
-Sister Smith. 

From Mom: Criminal

Dearest Sister Smith,

First off, your emails are hands-down the BEST! I love how you write exactly like you talk, so it's like you're right here with me as I read. MY fave slang word of yours is "criminal." I can't help it, it makes me laugh every time. It's actually criminal right now that I only have 30 minutes to write you a knock-down email and I just don't think that's enough time, but there you have it.

I just got off the phone with Ben who had to hear all about my crashing and burning but still managing to somehow get out of bed in the morning and slay-the-day. Thursday night I thought I was literally going to crash and burn permanently as I drove home after work through a March blizzard with cars in the ditch to the right and left of me. It was the last straw as I also had a raging bladder infection, been working long hours, university load, selling the house worries, private consulting, church calling, Dad's church calling, blah blah blah, and I could feel that I was heading for a dangerous break down. You know, the kind that brings on a rage-quit of all things, and a bed siesta that lasts weeks. CRIMINAL! Bless the blizzard, which prevented me from leaving the house on Friday and I spent a blissful full day at home binging on K-dramas that restored my equilibrium somewhat, much to Dad's relief. Plus, I got a Temu order. The win was a little stack of transparent sticky notes ... the kind you can put in your book, see the type-written word underneath and add your own notes without actually writing in the book. The U of A library will thank me.

After Ben listened patiently to my rant and rave (how does he ask the right questions then stare at you kindly so you feel the need to spill all your secrets? Ben's superpower strikes again). My take-away from Ben was the power that comes from temple and church attendance and the guidance that comes. Our overarching challenge is how to choose between good, better, best? And the danger zone is when we start to feel not-good-enough or less-than. BOooooo to that! I say (and Ben had to endure another rant from me), that if we are striving, showing up, choosing the best that's right in front of us, then we are golden. 10/10. And we can get on our feet with a smile on our face and a spring in our step. Ben says (and I quote), "I think it comes down to stopping doing things that make you feel lame; "starve" the bad and nourish the good." More profound words I will not hear today. Thanks, Ben! Because it really comes down to the freedom to choose. WE decide what to do with our lives and we have the power to curate the best life there is through trial and error. 

A sum up of the past couple weeks include the same old of the weeks before that:

- attending university class ... my research paper is health practices of the prairie indigenous previous to 1870, before the buffalo were extirpated. Turns out I have to turn to oral histories to get answers but it's so fascinating. (And you have a tribal name now? White cloud? Now THAT is epic. And I agree with her assessment.) 

-Feeling worry about the Leduc house and the pressure of two mortgages. But today is the deadline for all the conditions to be lifted and if the new owners were able to procure financing then their possession date is April 7 and we can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

-Working. I actually really like my job but because Aliyah is away (I told her to travel while she was young) I'm in every single day and it just takes so much time away from the things I'd rather be doing, like sharpening my chainsaw and clearing a path through our wild forest. I'm going to have an enchanted forest for Bowie if it's the last thing I do, haha! Or finishing Madison and Josh's wedding book and they are approaching their 2 year anniversary this summer! 

(Oh dang, there's my timer! Insert crying emoji face here)

-Personal consulting with Karli. Turns out it's really hard to INSPIRE someone to live their life to the fullest. What gets her down is negativity from family, low iron, lack of motivation and beating herself up. LIfe is hard and I wish I could magically help her to see her true potential, as I would for anyone, really. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe in our divinity as children of God. We ARE divine souls. It's really hard to hang onto that sometimes with the bombardment and comparisons that exist in our society and we can forget if we knew or never come to that realization in the first place. I feel my task is to help Karli see her worth as a divine soul. She's really a sweetheart. 

And now I need to fling myself out the door to go to work. My life will be dictated by timers (criminal) until April 9, which is the deadline for my research paper.

My spiritual thought for the day comes from attending church with Dad in Edson. Their 5th Sunday focus was Faith, Hope and Charity, the three-legged stool.

FAITH is believing in something true that is ethereal or not tangible and propels us to action. It's through action that the unseen becomes seen or felt. We can exercise faith because of HOPE, which is a forward-facing trait and banishes depression. AI's definition with the search prompt of "LDS definition of hope" says that it's a "confident expectation and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness, particularly eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ." ChatGPT is not wrong this time, but I would like to add that instead of being a far-away thing, we can feel that right now, today. See Helaman 12, as you already know. CHARITY is personal healing through the Atonement then sharing and spreading that pure love of Christ to everyone you meet therefore becoming participants in everyone's healing process.

Soo ....

FAITH in Christ is the antidote to fear.

HOPE in Christ is the antidote to despair.

CHARITY in Christ is the antidote to weakness/human frailty.

THEREFORE ... if faith, hope and charity can possess us, we will be sturdy, strong, capable, unwearying, shining, nourishing, encouraging, and inspired to go where we are needed.

Pray that I make it to the 9th, ha!

LOVE YOU BABY GIRL!

Keep on keeping on. I pray every day that you will see why you were called to the Orem MIssion. Good luck in Punishment Grove! (Criminal)

-Mom

P.S. No pictures as your mother continues her lameness. Based on my take-away from Ben's conversation, I should say no to what makes me feel lame. and with that ... I'll try to take more pictures this week

FAITH in Jesus Christ