Baptism in Wyoming

AWESOME, AWESOME WEEK IN MY MISSION!!!!!

We taught many lessons to people who are either investigating the church or are less active and considering coming back to church.  We get so excited when they come to church and to the youth meetings during the week.

My companion is a fabulous teacher and she is an incredible missionary!

We got a door slammed in our faces!! I was laughing too hard when that happened! For reals, someone shut the door, and we didn't even see them! haha It was the weirdest, funniest thing!  Well I guess I am officially a missionary now, ok not really, but I feel like every missionary has to experience that.

The baptism on Saturday was incredible!!! Yup, I could say that and it would suffice!  I love, love, love baptisms!  After our young investigator was baptized he said, "That was fun!"  I gave the talk on baptism, and I told the story of the art collector and his son, and the auction.  If you have no idea what I am talking about, sorry! I will have to send that story out after I get home... it is one of my favorite stories that has great symbolism to our lives! I feel so honored to have been able to teach this wonderful mom and her son ALL the lessons!

We had an awesome lunch after the baptism, provided by the L family! Sister L is an awesome cook, and we have this running joke that I get bacon every time they feed us a meal.  Sister L made sure that there was bacon in the salad!  One time sister L just cooked us two slices of bacon to take home with us after a lesson, it was hilarious! I was laughing so hard! It's the little things on a mission that make it fun and memorable!

Sunday was the confirmation for the two who were baptized on Saturday, and it was great! The mom said that it was powerful when she was confirmed a member and received the gift of the Holy Ghost! I would be so confused without the Holy Ghost in my life! The Spirit is the one that teaches, and has blessed me so much in my life; now other people can enjoy that gift too!!! EVERYONE can enjoy that gift! Ask the missionaries, they can help you!  We can help you feel more peace and understanding in your life, but that is only possible through the knowledge we have of the Restored Gospel

I just have no clue what will happen with transfers... I find out in a matter of days. Seriously this transfer went by so fast! I am almost 1/4 of the way done with my mission, seriously?!!! TIME GOES BY SO FAST!!!

On Monday for P-Day I got my hair cut by a sister in our ward.  Let's just say I am still getting used to the fact that I have bangs!  I haven't had bangs in years, side bangs… interesting but I will get used to it :)

Challenge to ANYONE who reads this: Invite someone you know to hear the first missionary lesson! YEAH DO IT!! If you read this and are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, go to Mormon.org and request to be taught by the missionaries! Seriously DO IT!! Even if the only reason you do it is for me, DO IT! You will bless lives when you invite, you never know what someone might say! They might say no, or yes! But you have to invite to see what happens!!

Love you all,
Sister Kelly Smith

When It Rains, It Pours!

Many of you may know about the flooding that happened in Colorado; well here, in the part of Wyoming I am in, we just had lots of rain.  I believe all the missionaries here are safe, and those in the flood areas get to do flood relief service, which is so cool. I would love to do that! But, at the same time, I am so glad that I don't have to worry about that.

On Tuesday I found out that someone in my family passed away; that was hard.  After teaching some lessons, and attending meetings, I came home and called President Brown back (he had called just as we were going into a lesson). He said that I could talk to my family for  10 minutes, but said I needed to keep it short!!   I talked to my family and it was the best, but so hard to do! Family, I love you so much, and hearing your voices and being able to call you in September is a huge miracle/blessing! I planned on only two phone calls in the field, and on Tuesday I got and extra one. I am blessed! Seriously, such a short conversation, but I loved it!

Wednesday was zone conference. There were about 60 missionaries. President and Sister Brown came up, and it was held in my zone.  There were three zones here (there are eight in my mission).  Zones are the missionary term for “stake,” but the zones are the same as the stake boundaries. So missionaries serving in three stakes came. Sister H was here for zone conference and talking to her was awesome! I loved seeing some of the elders in my zone that live way out.  President gave some great training, but training from 9am-4pm is a long time!  We did have a nice lunch break in between. After saying goodbye to Sister H and some other friends, I came home and cried.  The news from the day before was starting to sink in, and I still don't think it has set in all the way, but then saying goodbye to a dear friend was hard too. So I cried, but receiving a priesthood blessing that night was wonderful! I love being able to hear directly from my Heavenly Father what He wants to tell me.  We taught a lesson that night to a less-active, and one of our new ward missionaries came with us. She is awesome, and I'm so excited to work with her and her husband!

On Friday, we went to the soup kitchen for the first time since being in this town, and it was so great! We made zucchini bread. We taught a lesson to the awesome seven-year-old girl at President D's house, and I love that little girl! But man she was talkative on Friday night, it was hard to get the lesson in! She is not going to get baptized this transfer, so hopefully I am here in October to see her get baptized. When we were coming out of the lesson, we saw President D (the stake president) with a gun and it was awesome! Welcome to Wyoming!

On Saturday we did four hours of service, most of it at Salvation Army, I love that place! We almost got our 10 hours of service in this week, which was great! I don't know if I have mentioned this, but I am in a pilot mission for "Just Serve." Each companionship of missionaries is supposed to get 10 hours of service in each week. It has been difficult scheduling that in, especially with teaching so many more people now. And teaching takes priority over Just Serve. We met with our new ward mission leader, actually he had us over for dinner, and it was awesome! He just moved into our ward, but has lived in this town for 20+ years, and gave us four referrals! I love the W family!! They are BYU fans, and just amazing. They are totally going to help us out with missionary work, and probably with anything we need...

On Sunday we found out that the people we have been teaching decided to get baptized next Saturday!  I am super excited for them and look forward to their special day when they make covenants with Heavenly Father.

On Monday we had to pick up the license plates for our car, so we drove down to Fort Collins mission home.  We stopped again at the temple site in Fort Collins, and the Holy Ghost was there! I can't wait for the temple to be built. I got to stand in that lot before it was dedicated, and after it was dedicated. There is a different feel after it has been dedicated! We also went shopping (P Day) and met up with some other sisters and elders in that area.  It was a great hour hanging out with them, and so worth the driving.

Moral of the week: Work hard even when you don't want to. Even when you feel sick, physically or emotionally. The Holy Ghost is there, look for it! Look for the miracles in your daily lives! Sometimes it is hard, but the Lord always has a hand in our lives! Ether 12:4, have faith and then hope, and you can make it through!

Build your foundation on our Savior Jesus Christ. He is there for you ALWAYS! I am still trying to work on that, and probably will the rest of my life.  Heavenly Father lives and loves each of us!  I KNOW THAT! I know it with all my heart, that He is truly there for us! There is a power in the Book of Mormon and I love reading it. Immerse yourself in it every day!  Don’t just scan every day, read every day.

Love you all,
Sister Kelly Smith

MIRACLES! MIRACLES! MIRACLE Wyoming!

I have no other title than MIRACLES! Miracles are amazing!! I love being able to be a part of a miracle, and this week held MANY!!! I don't know how to describe the joy I have felt this week! Yes, pure joy!

On Tuesday, we got a voice mail, to our phone, "Hi Sister Smith, my name is B., and I am interested in joining the Mormon church. Please call me back." WHAT?! WHO GETS A CALL LIKE THAT?! MIRACLE!!!! I made a video with that voice message so I can remember that for a long time! Hermana called back, set up a time to meet with him.  Ok, how did this guy get my name? I did not street contact him, or tract into him, something is up, but still SO COOL! We asked him where he got the Book of Mormon and pamphlet. He told us he was in Colorado that weekend and went to a baptism down there. He flipped the Book of Mormon over and there was a sticky note on the back, "(Town) Missionaries, (Our number), Sister Smith & Sister" I knew EXACTLY who wrote that, SISTER S, my last companion!!!!!!!! No joke, I knew her handwriting, I mean I had seen it for the past 3 months! Sister S must have met him at the baptism in Colorado! He called us 3 days after receiving it. He read the Restoration pamphlet and said it made sense, he was already into 1 Nephi chapter 3 when we met him! We taught him the Plan of Salvation and wow it was so amazing!

Sunday.  "This is the BEST DAY EVER!" yes it truly was the best day of my mission so far.  We started out the day at 9:30 ward counsel: so amazing! We had a progress record filled out front and back and had to put more lines on the back for people that we had visited. It is really nice to show your progress, the people you are working with, and explain what you think they need, and how the ward can help! Then we went to 11:00 Sacrament Meeting. One of our new investigators showed up, and that was awesome!  Plus the back pew was filled with our investigators!

In Relief Society Sister L walked in a bit late and sat right behind us, and whispered to us, "Some of your investigators are really leaning towards Sept. 21st to be baptized." WHAT?! You can't tell me that in a meeting!!!!  The most joy I have ever felt on my mission was in that moment!  I am so excited to go to their baptism.  This picture of us (above) was taken less than an hour after getting home from church--we were SO excited!!

So that's the best day ever! To have four investigators at church, and then to find out that two people want to get baptized on the date that you set them (an inspired date) makes it AMAZING!!!!

We were able to teach a few lessons on Sunday and man, we are on FIRE!!! We taught 23 lessons in a week; most missionaries in this mission don't do that I think... I mean 20 is the goal to get to, but to pass it 2 weeks in a row! We are shooting for 25 this week!  The progress we have seen with the people in this small town is INCREDIBLE!! I figure I will be leaving in 3 weeks, SO SAD! I will be so incredibly happy to stay here for another 6 weeks, but we will see what the Lord has in store!

Icing on the Cake: SHOUT OUT TO MY AWESOME FRIEND FROM BYU WHO GOT CALLED TO THE COLORADO FORT COLLINS MISSION!!! So excited to see you in December!!

Moral of the week: miracles abound, recognize them, look for them.  It is great to be training, I LOVE IT! It is hard, but with the help of the Lord everything is possible! I hope you could feel the joy and excitement I have for missionary work, and for the opportunity to be a part of miracles!

Love,
Sister Kelly Smith

 P-Day snack:  cinnamon roll waffle...mmm good!

Flat tire in Wyoming after service project in the mountains... no cell phone reception. Missionaries got it covered! I learned/watched how to fix a flat tire :) President D came to our rescue (car full of sisters, and his wife) when he realized we weren't following anymore.

WYOMING keeps me so busy!

This week was one of the craziest busiest weeks ever! My planner has never looked so full!  We are teaching so many people the gospel!  Many of the people we are working with are teenagers, and I love being with them.

We are still teaching P and a recent convert, D.  P and D are huge examples to me!  Both are 16, and just incredible!! The YW in this ward are amazing! I think they bring in more missionary opportunities than the rest of the ward.  The YW here are so strong!!

We are also teaching a Spanish speaking investigator, who lives a couple of miles out of town.  Mi companera taught her the first lesson in Spanish, but guess what?! I SPOKE IN SPANISH TOO!! That's right, the gift of tongues is real! Hermana S taught me how to bear my testimony in Spanish a few days before, or that morning, I forget, but I bore my testimony in Spanish! It was probably the most simple testimony I have ever given, but still it was my testimony, in a different language.

On Sunday we had the busiest day of my mission so far, I think! We taught 9 lessons, yes 9 total lessons in ONE DAY!  I have taught 5 in a week before, but to get 9 in one day was huge! We taught a total of 22 lessons this past week, the most lessons I have ever taught in a week before! The mission standard is 20 lessons/week, that includes dinner messages too. This week we had 15 scheduled lessons, not including dinners... we will get more than 20 lessons this week too and it feels great! I LOVE WYOMING!!! I will bawl my eyes out when I have to leave!

Sunday dinner was hilarious!! the couple we were having dinner with made a fire outside, in a fire pit so we could have S'more (Andies mint S'more, got to try them, delicious)! So Bro S. went to go check the fire and all of a sudden we hear their neighbor yelling at him for having a fire! The fire was in a pit in their backyard, but then the man next door got the hose out and I thought he was just spraying the fire to put it out, but in walks Bro. S. soaking!  The neighbor sprayed him with the hose!! It was so crazy! People get upset over a fire-- it wasn't even a bonfire, just in a little pit for s’mores... well we didn't have s’mores that night, but it was a CRAZY DINNER for sure! Journal worthy!

Later Sunday night, we were at Grandma’s for singing.   I got to talk to H (a 15 year old young woman and recent convert). She is so amazing! One of the highlights of my mission so far was talking to her, just me and her outside of Grandma's house for about 30 minutes!  She is just so amazing, and I love being able to help the young women and I truly love them! I love being in a ward where I can help the young women! To talk to them heart to heart is my favorite thing!  I wish I could really describe how I felt and how it was! Seriously, a highlight of my mission thus far, standing outside, on a summer night talking about the gospel and bearing testimony IS SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, that many explanation marks are necessary!)

On Monday, it didn't even feel like a P-day we were so busy! My companion doesn't just have greenie fire, she has greenie inferno (as Elder R says). We have not taken an hour long lunch this whole transfer except for in Fort Collins.  Time is flying by!  We had a lesson at 7 at the Bishop L's house! SUCH A GREAT LESSON!  Our investigators are golden! Last night I felt like myself in a lesson. It is really hard to be myself, funny and spontaneous when talking about things so serious and of the soul. This gospel is a gospel of happiness, but it has been hard for me to laugh and stuff when talking about things that lead people to salvation.  Well anyway, I basically told them they would be baptized on September 21st! It was really funny how I did it, but it was definitely by the Spirit, and they are going to pray about it!   I hope they get baptized in a few weeks.   Even if I don't see them get baptized I am so glad I was able to be an instrument in the Lord's hand to be there when the Spirit taught through us! I love being able to teach by the Spirit, and plan by the Spirit! This is the Lord's work, I just get to enjoy the ride and watch miracles occur! That lesson was amazing, talking about the doctrine of Christ. Our young investigator (10 yrs old) said when he went to a baptism, he felt the Holy Ghost a lot.  It was so cute!

My companion has a passion for missionary work like no other!  We got four new investigators this week! LOVE IT! Our zone leads the mission in most new investigators for this past week.  I love this work so much! I love bearing testimony of the Atonement, and of our Savior's love for each and every one of us. I know that God, our loving Father in Heaven loves YOU! Yes, whoever reads this, YOU, as an individual.

Thanks for the love and support!

Love,
Sister Kelly Smith

The BIGGEST miracle I have ever witnessed!

We had an amazing experience this week. Friday night, during our planning time for the next day, my companion prayed and set a goal that we would find a family of four that speaks Spanish. She even drew a picture!  On Saturday, because of the schedule we had in regards to the Fort Collins Temple groundbreaking broadcast, we only had two hours scheduled to find my companion’s family of four. Luckily we cover all of this town if it’s a Spanish speaking family, so we drove looking for Spanish-looking houses outside of our ward boundaries. Well I remembered what the stake president's wife told me about a housing complex and I decided we would go there (it's about 3:20 at the time, 40 mins left). So we get there and knock on a door; it happened to be a member so we asked if there were any Spanish speaking families in the complex. She told us about a little girl named L. We went to another area in the complex and there were two girls at a playground. We stopped and talked to them, and one of the girls’ names was L! She is 8, and so cute. We asked her if her parents spoke Spanish; they do! So we gave her a Restoration pamphlet in English, and one in Spanish (with our names and phone number on the back). She flipped one open to the picture of Jesus Christ visiting the Americas, and with children around Him.  She said, "I wish I could go back in time..." We told her that Jesus Christ will come again. "He will?!" with a huge smile on her face. We also told her that families can be together forever and she was just like “WHAT?! REALLY?!” It was so cute. We told her to give the pamphlet in Spanish to her parents. She rushed home right then! We got in the car and excitedly thought “L has a brother and we assume a mom and dad... family of 4.”

On Sunday, after Sacrament Meeting, we went to teach the 9 year old primary class. I have known about subbing in this class for about a month. We got to the classroom, and we were just situating the children when the Primary president came to the door with two girls who were visiting--one of them was L! NO JOKE! My companion and I sort of freaked out with excitement. Here was the 8 year old girl that we found yesterday in a nice dress and in the primary class that I have known we would substitute for awhile!  Here's the thing, we didn't tell her about where church was, what time we meet or anything... how did she get here? So instead of teaching the Primary lesson, we taught the first discussion about the Restoration to the primary class. To say the least, it was different than usual! Usually when we teach kids, their parents are right there telling them to listen... but we had to keep them on track and it was better than I could imagine.  The other girls in the class were saying how great and fun baptism was! When the class ended, we rushed out to our car and got a Spanish and English Book of Mormon. One for L and one for her dad. She said she was with her dad at church.  It turns out that L is in a family of 6, and they were all at church!  Two more people than we hoped for! I am so glad I know this ward because we were able to do some digging that afternoon and we found out that one of the ladies in our ward gave L's dad a Book of Mormon two years ago! 2 years ago!!! This lady’s husband invited them to church the day before, the same day we met L and gave her the pamphlets! This was a huge testimony to me that the Lord truly has a hand in everyone's lives. He is preparing people for us to find!! The area we were in when we found L isn't in our ward boundaries, and for her to show up at the building we meet in for church, at the same time we meet (3 wards meet at our building, and there are 3 buildings in this town that hold church), and to show up in the very primary class that we were subbing for: MIRACLE!!! This is the biggest miracle that I have ever been a part of! I LOVE MISSIONARY SERVICE!!! This is what it is all about!

This gospel is true! I love, love, LOVE missionary work! And it truly is work. I don't think I have ever been this exhausted in my mission, and life!!! The Savior is there for each and every one of you! He loves you so much! The Atonement is real! I have felt the power of the Atonement in my life, and especially on my mission.

Sister Kelly Smith

On P Day we climbed a mountain.  Here, my companion and I are jumping for joy!  Haha






One of the people we are teaching gave us this cute moose for a gift.