February 2, 2026

From Abby - TWENTY ONE :D

GUYS 

There's simply TOO much to say

(Theres probably not that much I just figure out how to yap it up)

Please forgive the late email....

Last monday I woke up SO OLD. SO SO OLD 

WRINKLES, ANCIENT, ACHING. 

Catch me saying things like "wipper snapper" or "Get off my lawn" or "fiddlesticks" 

Guys 21 years??? Thats ages old

The fact that im in my twenties makes me want to CRY. 

This birthday was a sweet birthday though, riddled with little ribbons of intentional acts of kindness and a surplus of joyful acknowledgement. 

Sister Atwood made me pancakes in the morning just like my dad would and for that I ADORE her. Throwback to last year when she was literally my companion :,) 

-Sister Beasley ran upstairs with a BIRTHDAY CROWN, different colors of paper folded into triangles and taped together so tenderly saying in her happy Sister Beasley way "HAPPY BIRTHDAYYY" 
-We were 45 minutes late to Bangkok Wasabi (Where I wanted to go eat for my birthday) and when we pull up alll the elders (4 of them) get out of the car with big grins.. They said "We got something for you Sister Smith" Elder Leckey reveals an almond Roca container all taped up, it was handed to me with comments like "We bought it like that..." "Brand new :)" inside the almond Roca container was a whole BIBLE as well as notes from each of them and an a couple old Almond Rocas XD I read the notes later and they were SO sweet.. One of them said something like "I haven't known you for very long but your laugh is infectious" HUH. So sweet

-Of course Bangkok was BOMB, Sister Atwood and I shared orange chicken and baked salmon rolls

-I got SOOO many sweet messages and emails from family, close friends, good aquantances, and the sweetest ones came from members and Recent converts from my mission. Absolutely the sweetest ever 

Slayyy

At the end of the night we had a Lesson with our sweet friend Frantz and the trio of Hatian speaking Elders.. Little did I know that Sister Rhinehart told one of them (Elder Jeune) that it was my birthday, so at the end of the lesson when we were all in the Hallway of Frantz's door Elder Jeune said something to him in Hatian, then Frantz looks at me with a big grin and says "Happy Birthday" 
THEN Elder Jeune says "Let's sing for her Frantz!" and soon I find myself in this big echoey hallway recieving a happy happy birthday song.. It was actually the sweetest thing. 
We learned that Elder Jeunes birthday was January 30th so more to come on that day :)

Tuesday we had a WHOLE lesson simply on what church lookes like. I love teaching people who have experience with another faith because it gives me even MORE of an excuse to cary my bible around (Throwback to YSA days shoutout Sister Lord)

Tuesday night was a BALL 
We united with a young women who had never been out with missionaries before so thats some context for you 

we knocked on this one door of a really run down lil house.. After some ruccus this guy opens the door and the first thing out of his mouth is OH S*** Mormons." 
We all LAUGHED because hello?? We asked how he was.. he said "Bad, I'm going through a break up right now.. I used to be mormon but not anymore"
We prompted him to say more then his initial response and he goes "Do you actually want to know why I left?" and we go "Yeah sure"

Guys I actually think that I have NO survival mode.. Its either that or the spirit because walking into this house was SKETCH.. 

Theres two couches and on one of them is a WHOLE bouqet of red roses.. As we get closer he straight up goes "Oh sorry, let me move those." He grabs them and as he says "These are the roses my EX WOULDNT ACCEPT" He CHUCKS them down the hallway with all his might.

The roses obviously go flying and basically SHATTER on the floor. 

I think I def had my hand over my mouth... 
We proceeded to have a typical conversation about blacks in the priesthood, politics, and how hippy life is the best life

4 times during the conversation Matt flipped me off while trying to do the radical sign, and each time would apologize profusely.. 

you NEVER know what's going to happen as a missionary. 

We had superday on Wednesday and President Brown FRESH off the surgery table was with us in his typical purple tie, blue suit and business man countenance (Kid you not he was in major surgery 5 days previous.. Insane.) 
He spoke of Charity, the pure love of christ and shared with us the scripture in Moroni 8:16-17 where it says
"Fear not what man can do: for perfect love casteth out all fear. 
And I am filled with charity,which is everlasting love"
AH. So good

also had a criminal vehicle training where our driver instructer said "Elders you'll need to help the Sisters with the spare tire" and all of the Elders of good humour hovered around us during vehichle inspections saying things like "Hey.. Are you sure you don't need help" or "We know you're incapable so might as well let us do it"
We were laughing don't worry it was all abig joke.. Hopefully. 

Had a MIRACULOUS lesson with our friend Heidi that we've been trying to meet with for SOOO LONG. Since i've been in the area at LEAST. 
We were able to sit with her and her sweet baby while testifying of Jesus Christ who could help us navigate the world. 

the sweetest question "Heidi, do you see yourself being baptized" and the sweetest response "Yes absolutely." 
Right after meeting with Heidi we got to go help at a grove park YW activity (Out of our area) and i missed hearing Sister Atwoods "Why I went on a mission story" and it was SO sweet hearing Sister Rhineharts. The spirit bore testimony through us and I HOPE that these young women feel the reality of it. 

We went on exchanges with Sister Tipasa and Sister Hutchinson and MAN. Sister Hutchinson and I ATTRACT bashers. 
We went on a walk with this old gentleman I met on the street once named Paul. 

We jaunted around the block and then started conversing about the church, and in his beliefs.. He invited us to sit in his backyard to discuss and he offered us some of his homemade monkey bread (again, ZERO survival instincts.. we did eat some.. they were good) 
Paul spoke of the most INSANE things I've ever heard in my whole life, a combination of the ethiopian bible, first nations belief, The god that appeared to joseph being called Enky and NOT actually god...? 10 dimentional beings, and alians. He also of course went into attacking the bom, Women in the priesthood, blacks in the priesthood, Emma Smith leaving the church, FLDS, ETC. 

I asked him if I could take a film picture to get out of it and it worked! Wild.
All Sister Hutchinson and I could do after was laugh :) 
We also prayed before EVERY contact kneeling in our car  XD I just love her.

On friday we had a REVELATORY zone meeting. The discussion, the brainstorming, the spirit, the prayer.. It was SO good. and so good for the soul. 

We read together something I had studied that morning 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

So good 

us after Elder Lords showed us a video.. I love being a missionary 

RIGHT before our lesson with Frantz on the 30th Sister Atwood and I decided to write Elder Jeune a birthday card from ALL of us (like ACTUALLY right before.. like 10 min) 

So we RAN upstairs, I had some paper and envelopes from my Sister Steph, Sister Atwood had pretty markers and so we made a beautiful card. I won't lie to you the stress was INSANE and SO funny. Sister Atwood and I just yelling at each other to go faster but also trying to make it aesthetically pleasing at the same time XD I love being a woman.

at the end we got to present it to him and it was SO good. 

Nothing like making people feel special on their birthday :) 

Elder Jeune and Elder Larson ^

Speaking of Frantz he told us officially that he wants to be baptized into the English ward which means we're planning a baptism a week from now (..eheh) 
we spent a good hour texting EVERYONE from the 5th ward to see if they could help with the program, or come to lessons. (Since Frantz agreed to meet EVERYDAY leading up to his baptism)

Its been SO warm here in Utah even to the extent that we can utilize the outdoors and flourish in the sunshine :) 

They're DARLING 

I LOVE MY COMPANIONS (Sister Rhinehart is just the official head on lap comp I guess) 

On sunday we crashed the Breteys (our high councilor over missionary work) and asked him advice about a tense interaction we had and WOW the advice. 

Brother Bretey taught us what it means to actually sustain your leaders, how when we align ourselves with them, we align ourselves with God..

I can't explain how much I love our HCOM and his wife.
It was also brother Breteys birthday this week so at the end of the high council meeting I got overyone to sing Happy Birthday and OH its so joyful :)

GUYS 

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ with my WHOLE CHEST. 
I can't explain to you what it means to me to serve my God, through trial, weakness, without excellency of speech, etc

Christ's love casteth out ALL fear. 

I love each of you 

let this week be grand 

yours

-Sister Smith