June 16, 2025

From Abby - (no subject)

Beautiful Humans 

my Phone is currently at 11%
I'm eating noodles and orange juice and feel like I just sat down to write some inspiring novel 
The laundry machine is SLOSHING with the majority of it being water even though I told it that this load would be small 
I guess over compensation never hurts :)

Last Pday was somewhat serene, we decided to go to a park with a basketball hoop and snacks which kept everyone happy for the most part... some RANDOM child joined us and started taking pictures on my camera and spamming it (Dog..) He also told us all about his bug catching and eventually joined the elders playing basketball shirtless (bro was 6)
I'm scared of how confident he'll be when he gets older 
Conveniently, there was a playground which Sister Peterson and I ran over to 
With confidence I approached the playground bar with the intent of doing multiple powerful pull ups
I BARELY did one... with Terrible form 
This is a thrilling email so far don't you think? 

^Braids, Sister Petersons dress.. Eye bags :)

After the activity we decided to go to eat and laughed at Elder Lowry and his seemingly Neautral attitude XD He always says he doesn't care where we go and then suggests a very specific place.. He wasn't wrong though. The food was divine. 

Tuesday morning we drove to a chapel to practice for zone conference while listening to president brown lecture us in a mission wide Zoom call about how we are to act for President Pearson! (YAY SEVENTY)
We sang and played for much too long for the yeild of much too little confidence..
Sister Lord said "Its giving.. Second soprano"
RIP my wayning high singing voice.. 
Getting older really is criminal.

We decided to throw up our weekly planning on a whiteboard which may have filled me with more anxiety thinking about allll the things that we have to do 
Like my dearest friend Nikkei says:
"It is a priveledge to be stressed" 

We taught the comandment hand signs to the little boy we're teaching and when we got to comandment number 9 (Thou shalt not bear false witness.. Don't lie) I held up  my 10 fingers and said "this is 9 right?" He was SO confused.. When I put the one finger down and said "Don't lie" Austin LAUGHED. He thought it was so funny and everytime we reviewed we all giggled. Hes the cutest. 

We visited with this couple we've been trying to get in contact with (He's a member and she is not) After like the 12th knock we actually got to visit with them! It was STRANGE. She was from Brazil and he was a Utah'n they met online and it was both of their second marriage.. At one point the guy calls his wife his "Hot Habenero wife" and she laughs and we're both like "Ohkayyy that's probably way to much. Calm down sir." (We didn't actually say that but it was crim.) 
The whole visit was that level of awkward and uhhh yeah that's all I have to say on that one.

Zone conference Eve we had to do vehichle inspections. Sister Peterson and I ventured into the trunk of the car attempting to find the Jack which was an ADVENTURE. We lifted up the spare tire to find a crusty book of mormon... we also found a random veriety of church pamphlets, a childs songbook, and party sunglasses. 
who knew that you had to check the tire pressure and depth.. #notamechanic
The morning of Zone conference (Had to be there at 8:30.. it was a 10 minute drive.. its 8:15) Sister Peterson and I RUN out and check the liquids...
It was revealing how much I actually know about cars since I was super impressed with the fact that I knew how to open the hood :D
Our neighbor was like "Hey sisters are you having car trouble?" And we were like "No... we're good" *Continues to struggle to find where to check the oil*
We did figure it out.. And we were only 2 minutes late 

ZONE CONFERENCE 
This one was powerful. 
President Pearson of the Seventy came to join us on his final mission tour before he flies out to Europe to be the area seventy there 
He shared with us insights on faith, effectiveness, scheduling vs planning and being valient with our testimony. 
It was SO cool to be sitting right in the front and to see him in all his passion testify about gods love and what he's able to make us capable of. 

Saw sister Ortizzz AH Too much love for her. 

Since we're car sharing Sister Peterson and I had bikes for a day (I know.. woe is me) and at one point we had this member message with an older sister who lived TEN MINUTES up the hill.. Sister Peterson and I hop on our bikes in the blazing +35 weather and start the gruelling uphill climb.. about 30 seconds in Sister Peterson realises that her tire is FLAT?! we pumped it back up but to no avail that tire was genuinly cooked. 
Somehow we made it to our message and this lovely lady gave us mango icecream.. We apologized for being late and explained our situation 
At the end of the message she was like "Yknow.. I have a truck if it would help to drive you somewhere!" 
We were like BET. We made our way to mad dogs cycles and got that bike nice and fixed for the next time we have to face that hill. 
We were having a conversation with the lady after and she said something along the lines of 
"God is in everything. If we didn't end up rescheduling the appointment, I wouldn't have visited with you on the day that your tire went flat..Gratitude is everywhere." 
I love hard and unexpected experiences because they show us the wonderful wonderful parts of life if we choose to look for them 
Bless old lady wisdom 

Remember the guy that we got worms for? 
Apperently his son wants to learn more about Jesus Christ!!?!!? One of our Elders Quorum presidents set up a time and we met all together. He shared some SUPER poweful experiences with prayer 
Life or death moment where he chose to pray, and felt better. 
We're excited to continue to meet. Teaching is so fun when the person is ready to recieve it. 

Elder Cease's birthday was this week and the Sisters suggested we bring him donuts at 7:30 in the morning and sing to him!! I LOVE BIRTHDAYS. Every excuse to sing happy birthday I will take and run with it. 

EXCHANGES
Sister Dimitrov and I were able to go on exchanges and MAN do I love her. 
Sister Training Leaders are powerful and inspired by god. I was just emailing Sister Ellis Jr (Love you Sister Ellis.. :)) thinking about all the times she took my hands and wiped my tears whether literally or figuratively. 
Sister Dimitrov see's souls, and tries to connect with them, and its ALWAYS with joy and positivity. I think she waved at every single car we passed.
Also the late night kitchen conversations, girl dinners consumed, and prayers holding hands ahhh I LOVE her. Why haven't we taken a selfie I dont' know.

During comp study she was like "Do you want to try public contacting at Walmart?" and I was like "OHh.. umm yeahh" 
I don't know why I didn't take her seriously at first because it DEF happened. 

I don't think i've ever been so humbled. Its honestly insane the amount of people that looked at me and SHRUNK. Its shocking to feel like someone is FLINCHING at your approach.
I promise you I wont hurt you :) 

Its for sure against our human nature to make other people feel uncomfortable but I guess missionary work is about making ZERO room for the natural man. 
We learned it wasn't the most effective since 75% were members but I think we brightened some peoples day and learned how to be more bold. 
My Dad calls it GQing (Golden Question) With the question being "Would you like to learn more?"

missionary work must have been something different back then.

When we ended Exchanges it was apperant that Sister Peterson wasn't feeling well and after some evaluation we concluded it would be best for her to stay in. 
Saturday evening she slept for all of prime time and the ENTIRE night.. and then sunday we managed to get to church! Which was good!

FATHERS DAY AHHH 
I LOVE MY DAD. 

I still need to write him a seperate email.. Dad I promise its coming. If not this week next.
I wanted to share this quote that captures my papa:

"Fathers, draw close to your children. Learn to communicate. Learn to listen. This means giving a father’s most valuable commodity—time! Only good results occur when a father interviews his sons and daughters regularly. He can know their problems and their hopes. He can align himself with them as their unconditional friend. To the extent we become friends with our children in unconditional love, to that extent we become like our Heavenly Father." -  A. Theodore Tuttle, October 1973

My dad is a rock. The foundation of our home and a sure example of Charity, Empathy, Logic, and comunication.
Theres no one else I'd want to be so much Alike

This picture was taken about 40 minutes after I got my call. (After i'd cried in dissapointment) Dad and I were able to look more into the mission, what we needed to do, where it was in Utah ETC
He sure is a safe space :) Love you dad!!!
P.S. I love my mission don't be worried

GOD IS LOVE 
MAKE THIS WEEK GREAT 
Forgive the late email.. and the typos..

Yours, 
-Sister Smith 

From Dad - Father's Day

Dear Abby,

I shed a tear or two when I saw your facebook post and remembered that moment in time when we wrestled with your missionary calling. I'm grateful for your love and trust in me as your father. You are so very precious to me and I am extremely proud of you for who you are and who you are becoming. In the end, you went right where you needed to be on your mission.

This week we enjoyed having Ben come up on Friday night and spend Saturday and Sunday with us. We were able to work, play and discuss meaningful things together. I was grateful for his help in assembling a new BBQ and he and Mom helped start the painting of the greenhouse. 

Sam showed up Saturday night and we enjoyed having the missionaries and some of the Adamcewitz family over for a fire and hot dogs, chips etc. 

Thursday night we entertained Nolan and Shanna White. Fellow empty nesters who we felt we could give a boost as they are in a tough living situation right now.We never quite know who and how much we can make a difference until we just do something.

I really enjoyed the Come Follow Me SS discussion this week. The part that caused the most discussion as a family was in D&C 62:3

3 Nevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.

We were intrigued by the thought that angels in heaven would care enough to read our testimonies and loved the idea that they rejoice over us. I think it is similar to us reading your emails and rejoicing over the testimonies you bear in it. Of course I can rarely think about the next life and the spirit world without thinking about and missing my Dad.  Demond posted this on facebook and it touched me.

Mia is going to the temple this week so we’re excited for her. 

To quote Grandpa Bruce: “Life is good”

Love Dad.